The Ghostwriter and the Phangirl

by Partners in Fanfiction

Erik/OC. Avril Hills, a Phangirl, runs away from her drunken mother to live with her grandmother in Paris. After acing an audition for the part of Christine at a community theater production of The Phantom of the Opera, a few impossible things, good things, happen. Those happenings can only be possible with the help of an angel. An Angel of Music. Rated for language

15. Chapter 15

Erik and I just hung around until I had to be backstage. He brought me to my dressing room and I met with everyone. Marine looked shocked when she saw me. "A-Avril…where were you?"
"Just hiding," I replied. "Seen my mom anywhere?"
"No," Lucile said.
"Good," I breathed. "I might not die."
"Okay, so the show will start in forty-five minutes," Marine said. "So, same as yesterday, get your costumes and makeup on, be patient, se casser une jambe, bonne chance, that stuff."

I went into my dressing room to find Erik. "Is she out there?" I asked him.
"No," he replied. "Not many people are, actually. It's early."
He helped me into my costume and kept me company after I did my makeup. I was confident that everything would be okay.
I was kind of wrong.

During The Labyrinth Underground, I saw my mom. She caught my eye and I looked away, trying not to sound any different than I was supposed to be. In every scene I was in, she remained in her seat, the only gross person in a sea of fancy people. When the intermission started, Alex came to me before I could get into my dressing room. "Avril, you seemed tense," he said to me.
"Oh, crap, did that affect anything?" I asked nervously.
"No, you were fantastic, everyone thought so, but is something wrong?"
"My mom's presence was bugging me," I said.
"Save the fear for after Masquerade," Alex said with a comforting smile.
I smiled back. "Thanks." I went into my dressing room and found Erik. I ran into his arms and cried a little. He softly sang the song he wrote for me, which made me stop crying in an instant. As he helped me into my Masquerade dress, he said, "She's in the torture chamber."
"Yes!" I exclaimed as he laced me up. "Thank you, thank you so much."
He tied a knot and kissed my neck. "Enchant them once again."
I sighed. "You're what's keeping me trying. Thanks for being alive, Erik."
We shared one last and kind of long kiss before I left.

During Masquerade, I didn't see Mom anywhere. Good. I was able to perform better than I was. When I went to my dressing room to change for the next scene, where Andre and Firmin describe, in song, how outraged they are that the Phantom is making them do Don Juan Triumphant, Erik wasn't there like he said he would be. I changed on my own and went back to nervously performing. I held a little comfort in the empty seat which once was forced to hoist my mom's ass on it, though.