Here is Chapter two! Sorry for its short length. For those who actually read this story, Bellisima Dawier is sorta my character, so she'll react differently then Bella swan would.
"You should have seen the opera house! It was magnificent! The most perfect afternoon of my life, except for that bastard, Edward." My dreamy voice slowly turned angry as I recalled the snub the Cullen boy had given me. Marie looked shocked at my language, and continued trying to braid my abundant hair. "What did he do, then, to make you angry?" I sighed and played with the lacy bell sleeves of my dressing gown. It was dark outside, the flickering candles on my nightstand and dresser where the only light in the room, so she couldn't see my indignant blush. "He was all set up to meet me, then he abruptly turned and ran out of the opera,giving me a huge glare. It was incredibly rude!" Marie smiled a little, then said, "Most of the Cullen's are strange. Anyway, many girls have tried to make a move on that Edward, but he has always turned them away. Usually, he is just more polite about it!"
"I wasn't making a move..still...Oh well, I guess I should just be glad the opera accepted me, and that Charles doesn't mind. Being a chorus girl isn't the usual past-time for a socialite's daughter." We smiled at each other as I headed to my bed, and she blew out the candles. Still, that night, I lounged awake in bed for many hours, thinking of Edward. Why had he given me those wondrous looks, just to glare at me and walk away when we where about to be introduced?
I woke early with renewed purpose, and Marie helped dress me in a simple purple gown that I could move freely in. I skipped breakfast and gave a quick visit to Whimsy before demanding a carriage and heading for the opera house. It was bustling with activity by the time I got there, though it was only around 8 in the morning.
"Good morning Bellisima! Are you excited to be working here now! I can just tell we are going to be great friends!" Little Meg Giry squealed when she saw me walking toward the stage. "I am very excited. What am I supposed to do now?" She led me to her mother,who was the ballet mistress.
Mme Giry was elegant and slender, and appraised me with wise gray eyes. I felt myself straighten under her stare, then I raised my eyes to meet her. "You are very pretty, Mlle Dawier. Your voice is good as well. I can tell that you are clumsy, though, and that could prove to be a problem." I blushed when she said that. I had been hoping no one would realize that I can barely walk on my own,let alone dance. I can kiss my job goodbye, I thought glumly, for what use is a chorus girl when she's not graceful? "I would need to hear you sing again, but for the next opera we are doing, I believe you will have a singing part." I gasped and looked at Meg in disbelief, and she grinned. "Its an opera written by our very own M. Cullen, and your voice would do quite well for Simone." She nodded to me, then headed off.
"You do have the best voice in the opera house, Bella." Meg encouraged, but I just shook my head. "What about the leading soprano?" She stared at me curiously, then realization hit. "I forgot that you haven't been here long. The leading soprano is Rosalie Hale, she is M. Cullen's daughter. Her voice is decent, but she is so beautiful that you forget what you are thinking about when you see her. His other daughter is Alice, she is the leading ballerina, and she puts even the most graceful of us to shame. Edward writes operas and helps with the orchestra, and the other two boys,Jasper and Emmet,occasionally drop in to help with heavy props or see their girls preform." My mouth popped open at all this, but it was to be expected. Hadn't Marie told me that M. Cullen had the opera house built for his children's amusement?
"Look, theres Rosalie now!" Meg whispered and pointed to the door of the theater. The most beautiful girl I've ever seen strode through the isles, her golden curls billowing behind her. The skin of her face was a flawless porcelain, and contrasted with her golden eyes, which were framed by heavy golden lashes. Her figure was perfect, and I immediately felt insecure about my own curves and curls ."See what I mean?" Meg continued to whisper, sounding smug. I probably still looked stunned from seeing her."She could sing like a frog, and still be the leading lady." I replied as the lesser but gorgeous,black-haired Cullen girl skipped in behind the statuesque blond. "The Cullen's are all slightly strange, but definitely the best looking people in town." my little friend said, staring distractedly at M. Cullen, who looked specially golden today. "Where are the their boys at?" I murmured, having noticed Edward's absence from the Cullen's grand entrance.
"Well, Emmet and Jasper usually don't come here but for pleasing their father.. and Edward, I'm not sure. They are an outdoorsy family, perhaps they are enjoying the day." She still watched the handsome Dr. Cullen as he handed out sheet music to the orchestra composer, M. Reyer. "Dr. Cullen built the opera house AND he is the town doctor! Isn't that splendid and amazing!" I smiled at her gushing voice, then watched with interest as he mounted the stage and spoke, "Here is the long awaited new opera! It is called La Mort de Lumière and is going to involve lots of hard work and effort to succeed. There are three main parts. They are Jacques, who will be played be Jean Lefarvre, our leading tenor, Amélie, who will be played by my talented daughter, Rosalie,and a smaller part of Simone, who will be played by our newly discovered singer, Mlle Dawier. Some large props will be need to be constructed, as well as the dancers learning new complex steps, so get to work!" His words were softened by a smile, and I was handed a thick stack of sheets with "Simone" written in the corners.
My week flew by, practically perfect. I went to the opera house everyday, and worked on my few dance scenes and songs. My character was the most interesting in the opera! Or so I think, anyways. Simone was the beautiful and royal Amelie's close friend, and a constant shadow to her. Simone was quietly sad for secret reasons, and her beauty was shadowed by Amelie's. Her parts in the songs are sweet, sad melodies that blend and sweep throughout Amelie's simplier, longer parts.
The overall plot was about the forbidden love of Amelie and Jacques and set during the beginning of the French revolution. In the beginning of the opera, there are extravagant balls and songs, and the audience sees Amelie sneak off to visit a secret person during crowded scenes. They learn that she is seeing her lover, a stable boy named Jacques. The revolution comes closer, and many nobles flee France, but Amelie and Simone's family decide to stay. Simone's family is killed by a hungry and furious mob before her eyes, and it scares Amelie's family into leaving. She stays,though and the three main characters live in fear of the future. Another mob sweeps through town, and this time they kill Simone's noblemen lover, while he is trying to defend her. The mob moves on to another part of town while Simone lays over his dying body. Amelie is torn between leaving with her stable boy to a new future, or staying with her heart-broken friend. It is in this one scene that Simone steps up from being a forgotten shadow, and to a courageous woman. She sings the most achingly wistful, beautiful words of, "Le bonheur m'a laissé pour toujours, ami aimé. Allez maintenant, j'ai atteint mon extrémité, et c'est votre chance d'être finalement avec votre amoureux! Ne regardez pas en arrière." Amelie sees the mob coming back again to finish the job, and leaves her friend and doesn't look back. The ending is happy in a twisted way, with Amelie going to London and getting married to Jacques without anyone knowing of her previous life.
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Besides memorizing my songs, trying to dance in my few scenes and dissecting the opera, I met and befriended new people at the opera house. My closest friends there is Meg still. She introduced me to a cute, baby-face blond named Michel, who apparently had had a crush on me from the distance. He always helped me when I fell (which was often, dancing is hard!) and carried things for me. I found his attention flattering,but somewhat annoying after awhile.
The only reason my week was not perfect was due to the absence of a bronze-haired boy in the opera house. I repeatedly told myself I didn't fancy him when I found myself searching for him in the mornings. Why, the only reason I needed his presence was for help understanding a rather difficult piece Simone sang. (well, and for giving him a piece of my mind...)Though Simone was only the third main character, her parts where the hardest. Her songs are smooth and light, so a section of only staccato notes had thrown me for a loop. In fact, I was sure they were a mistake, so on the Monday of the next week, I waltzed into the Opera and demanded help in understanding.
The director, M. Reyer was distracted as he muttered, " Go and see the opera's composer, Bella. The whole brass section is having a argument, so I am quite busy now!" I nodded, then the meaning of his words sank in. Edward was back. I looked around, and didn't see him anywhere.
"Mlle Bella. I am afraid we where never properly introduced. I am Edward Cullen." I nearly gasped as he materialized in front of me, and he reached down to kiss my white hand. I made myself stand to my full 5'7'' frame, and said, "Yes, that is true. You walked away as we where about to 'be introduced.' " I said sarcastically, trying to keep my breathing steady. "I am afraid I don't know what you are talking about. Surly, if I would have been given the chance to meet such a beautiful lady, I would have taken it immediately!" He looked confused and gorgeous. Many boys had given similar speeches to me before, but some reason I didn't believe him at all. Before I could stop myself, I snorted. The most unladylike sound I could make. And my snort caused him to smirk, which sort of infuriated me.
"Edward Cullen, that is a load of what we French call merde de taureau! ...I just came over here because I needed assistance in a difficult song." I now stared into his eyes, which where now a liquid gold color. Odd... He stopped that fake smile, and looked at me with an expression I couldn't read. "Thank you. I did walk away when we where about to meet, and I appreciate your bluntness. What song did you need help with?" I was shocked. More then shocked, I felt my full lips pop open, and my eyes grow huge. Slowly, I pointed out the trying piece, and he took it from me, and handed it back before I closed my mouth. Edward showed it to me, and the staccato notes were gone, replaced with slurs, which fit much better. "I could've sworn this was different. I find that I do not need you help after all, M. Cullen." I was being formal with him now, due to my embarrassment at my rude behavior,and it felt awkward. I turned to leave, and he gently reached out and stopped me. His hands were stone hard and cold.
"Wait, Mlle Bella, surely you can talk a bit longer?" He stared at me with an oddly concentrated look on his perfect face. I looked at him curiously, then asked, "What would you like to talk about, M. Cullen?" Truthfully, I did not want to leave him. "Well, for starters, you can call me Edward...Why did you come to Fourchette?" I glanced at him in surprise. No one had ever asked me that before, they just assumed that Renee wanted time with her new husband, and that I needed time with my father before I was an old married woman. I paused and avoided the question by saying, "You called me Mlle Bella, not Bellisima. How did you know I preferred..." He gave me a strange look, then stated, "Practically everyone in Fourchette knows you prefer Bella to your given name, and its a small town. And, you never answered my question." I blushed and realized that besides bing rude, I was now acting like an idiot. "Its...complicated."
"I can keep up." He gestured at the piano bench we where near, and I hesitantly sat down next to him. His golden eyes looked pained, and he slipped further down the bench, and away form me. I scowled to myself and said, "My mother remarried and so I came here." He seemed amused while saying, "That doesn't seem so complicated. Did she want time with him alone,then?" I twisted a dark, tawny curl around my finger, and said, "No! Its not like that at all. She wanted me to stay, actually. I sent myself." I hoped he would leave it at that. But he didn't. "Then why did you come here? Not that its a bad thing, your voice is perfect for my operas." I flushed at the complement, then sighed and continued my tale. "He is a traveling artist, and she thought I was much to delicate to always travel along. So she stayed home with me, but could tell it hurt her to be away from him for long. So I sent myself, and anyways, Charles and I should be with each other before I am old and married." I tried to sound factual, but it was a weak effort. I missed Renee and the warm,sunny coast that used to be my home. "You exiled yourself. Hmmm. Do you miss your mother terribly?" He had noticed my sorrow, even as I had tried to hide it.
"Yes, I do. Renee has her husband to take care of her now, but it was sort of hard being away for the first week. The longest I've been in Fourchette before was a month during the summer, and it has been weird trying to get used to the wet weather and even being away form my mother, as childish as it sounds." I said quietly, then my words sank in. I had been confiding to a stranger, a man that I had been completely rude to, at that. "Oh my! I am so sorry about my behavior, being so rude, then telling my life story! You must think me to be the dullest jewel in the jewelry box! " I babbled while hopping up from the bench. Of course, my foot caught on the back of my dress and I tripped a little, completing the imbecile look.
"No, I want...I want to know you. Don't feel embarrassed, it was nice. To have you talk with me." Again, his reaction to my blabbering shocked me, and I felt myself back away toward the stage. I felt my breathing quicken as I looked up and meet his earnest golden eyes, so I blurted out the first thing that came to mind. "Your eyes change colors!" I had noticed that long ago, but it got the subject off me. "Yes, they do. You are the first person whose noticed that...They've done it since I was a...child." Edward suddenly seemed uncomfortable while he sacked sheets of music on his piano. The sight reminded me that he was the composer, and probably needed to do something important for the opera.
"Oh, I've kept you long enough. By the way, you know me now. My mother says I'm simple to understand, as easy to read as a open book!" I referred to his earlier comment about wanting to know me while I waved goodbye ad slowly walked away, so I wouldn't trip again. "I wouldn't say that. I find you very hard to read." I looked him over my shoulder as he said that, but Edward was already staring at his piano and tapping out a sweet set of notes, seemingly lost to the world.