Standing in front of the opera house, Christine looked up at the looming structure and gulped. Raoul had been gracious enough to bring her there himself, but he had needed to be elsewhere that morning and couldn't accompany her inside, and so there she stood out in front, unable to force herself to go inside.
Christine fought with herself for several minutes before finally forcing herself to go inside. She was greeted almost immediately by Meg.
"I wasn't expecting you to come today!" she exclaimed as she all but ran to Christine and flung her arms around her, "Nobody was. Not after how you were found yesterday…" The blond girl trailed off, looking wistfully over Christine's shoulder at nothing in particular. Christine shook her head.
"I couldn't stay another minute with Raoul," she lied, casually shrugging her shoulders, "He's far too over-protective. It drives me mad." When Meg didn't immediately reply, Christine scoured her face for signs that she didn't believe her.
"It means he loves you, you know," Meg said finally, "he was worried sick when you just disappeared like that. Are you sure you don't remember anything else that happened?"
Christine shook her head. "It's all such a blur, it feels like a dream. I don't know what I remember."
She had expected a lecture the moment she'd stepped back into her dressing room, but she was greeted only by a strange, empty sort of silence. Her footsteps seemed to echo even more than normal. Christine wasn't about to complain about it though; she relished in the feeling of being alone in her dressing room as she quickly pulled on her costume and stood in front of the mirror trying to pin her hair down for the wig she would be wearing. It was the first time she'd truly been alone in months!
Once ready, she made her way out to the stage, where she found most of the rest of the cast loafing about, some in costume, some not. It took her a moment to see why. Carlotta was not among them, which struck Christine as strange. She could've sworn she'd heard Carlotta trilling and humming when she'd entered the opera house.
"Where is she now?" Christine asked. Nobody seemed to know.
"Probably off having another one of her tantrums," Meg muttered as she walked over to her friend. Christine couldn't suppress her giggling at the girl's remark. "What?" Meg asked, straight-faced, "It's probably true." Christine swatted playfully at her.
"It's not very nice," she said, finally managing to stop laughing.
"Everybody go home, we've no rehearsal today. It seems that Carlotta has broken her leg. She'll be out until she's mobile," M. Andre said as he stormed down one of the aisles toward the stage.
"Why not have Christine take the part?" Meg asked as the entire ensemble began to collectively protest. Christine stepped back, shaking her head. Andre turned and looked Christine directly in the eye as he replied.
"That is something we cannot do."
"Why not? The crowd loved her last time," Meg demanded.
"It is not your concern. We will return to rehearsals for Il Muto in two weeks." A collective groan rose from the cast, and Christine ducked out, hurrying back to her dressing room. Two weeks? That hardly seems long enough for a broken leg to heal, she thought. What has he done?
"Christine, where are you going? Wait up!" Meg called, but Christine was into her dressing room with the door locked long before Meg reached her.