It's Reccie's turn! Dun, dun, dun, dun, duhn, duhn, DUHN!

Chapter 4

Raine

Raine shrugged nonchalantly and than glanced up at Cossette and pulled something out of the bosom of her dress. She smiled mischievously and tossed one of the items to Cossette. She caught it clumsily and unfolded it. It was an envelope; Raine was holding one exactly like it. Cossette's was addressed to Madame Giry and Raine's was addressed to the Managers. "Let's see for ourselves," Raine said, carefully pealing back the red, wax skull on the envelope.

"Raine! That's someone's private letter! You shouldn't be reading that!" Cossette chided, but watched her eagerly unfold the manila paper.

"What? It was out in the open; I mean…I just kind of took it off that patron guy." Raine laughed. "He was kind of handsome wasn't he?"

Cossette just shook her head exasperated at her friend's antics. "Now hurry and read the note, I want to know what it says before someone catches us! You first," she flapped her hands towards Raine who settled down to read it.

"Good Monsieur's: It is an honor to have you as my managers again. I assume you learned well last time…there are far worse things than a fallen chandelier…" Raine peeked over the top of the note, "last time?" Cossette shrugged so Raine continued reading: "Thus far, Madame Giry has selected a cast of potential for my opera. You will stay in your offices while I conduct further auditions and musical rehearsals. I remain gentlemen, your humble and obedient servant, O.G." Raine folded the note and tucked it back into her dress.

"Well, those silly girls are right. He does sign his notes O. G. and I wonder what he means by humble and obedient servant, I mean…sounds to me like he's the one running the place, not them." Raine laughed.

Cossette managed an awkward, nervous chuckle. "Raine, are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Cossette asked doubtfully.

"What? That Monsieur Phantom is bossy and controlling?" Raine laughed again.

Cossette shook her head. "No, Raine, the fact that Madame Giry knows and associates with the Phantom. No wonder she conducted additions!" Cossette said in all seriousness.

Just that moment the door to the dormitory swung open. Both girls gasped and Raine managed to pluck the note from Cossette's hand and stuff it down Cossette's dress before whoever just burst into the room. Cossette gave her an incredulous look and clutched her bosom where the note now lay protectively.

"What?" Raine mouthed, Cossette just smiled and shook her head. Both girls looked up to see Madame Giry giving them a suspicious look from the door way. Raine gulped and Cossette jumped up, stifling a gasp behind her hand.

"Mademoiselle de Chagny, Mademoiselle Désirée, please do enlighten me as to why you are not at the stage for briefing with all the other first years?"

"We…we…we," Cossette stumbled but Raine jumped up next to her and hooked her arm with Cossette's, elbowing her as she did so. She than smiled angelically at Madame Giry.

"Me and Coss here where just getting better acquainted with the building and missed the announcement. Do forgive us, we're sorry," Raine said and smiled again.

"Of course, of course, now come along, cheries, the managers don't want to be kept waiting, you two are the last ones." Raine sighed and they followed obediently behind Madame Giry out the door. Raine leaned over and moved Cossette's brown locks away from her ear so she could whisper in it.

"I told you she was a softie," she said matter-of-factly.

Cossette giggled, muffling it with the large sleeve on her dress, causing Raine to look at it again enviously. It flowed in a short train just behind Cossette, giving her the appearance of walking on clouds. Raine bit her lip; Cossette saw this and gave her a questioning look. Raine smiled reassuringly and shook her head dismissively.

"Look, he's gone," Cossette whispered suddenly, causing Raine to shift her gaze to the left. Cossette was right, the mysterious patron had indeed disappeared from where he had been, slumped against the rafter, only twenty minutes before. Raine looked at Cossette than Madame Giry's back, than again to Cossette with a meaningful look on her face. Cossette nodded in agreement to the silent question about who Madame Giry really was.

Finally, after what seemed like much meandering, they came to the wings of the stage, already on was about forty girls that made up the corps de ballet and the chorus. Raine swallowed and fell behind Cossette who walked just as timidly out to center stage. Raine noticed the three men from before sitting in the front row of seats in the large auditorium.

Raine now knew the short one with curly, powdered gray hair to be Andre and the taller man with a strange black mustache and hair to be Firmin. The other man was younger, maybe only a few years older than Raine and Cossette and much more handsome. This must be the new patron. Save from the bruise across his neck, he was unrecognizable as the knocked out man in the deserted passageway a half hour before. Madame Giry stopped off to one side of the vast stage. All eyes where on Cossette and Raine. "Mademoiselle Cossette de Chagny and Mademoiselle Raine Désirée, have finally graced us with their presence," Madame Giry said. Many giggles and whispers sounded out for a moment than died down.

How long were we gone? thought Raine and without paying attention, and not noticing Cossette had stopped, managed to run right Cossette's back, get caught up in the train of Cossette's dress and trip herself up, falling flat on her face center stage. She groaned and stayed perfectly still, to embarrassed to move.

Normally tripping was a regular everyday thing for her and made her laugh at herself, but that hurt. Besides the fact that her bosses, colleagues, and who ever else had just seen her. And to top it all off they all knew who she was because Madame Giry had just at that moment decided to announce it to the world.

Fantastic.

Merci for reading and reviews are welcome! Due let myself and my dear friend Reccie know what you think! We are dieing to know!