Chapter 2: New Friends and New Voices

Erik's POV

"I' m going there myself. Would you like to come with me?"

She jumped up.

"Oh, yes please!" she replied happily.

"Why are you going there?" I asked, walking in the direction of my opera house once again.

"I'm coming for tryouts. Singing is one of the only things I'm good at, besides being a freak." I chuckled at this remark.

"You seem quite normal to me." I said. She laughed back at me.

"Well, I guess I'll let you decide that for yourself. Are you auditioning too?" I suppressed a smile.

"Actually, I'm going to be deciding who will be staying. You see, I am the owner of Phantasma. She gasped. I looked up at the black veil hovering in front of me. Had I said something wrong? Did I offend her? As if to answer my question, she said came out of her stunned state and stared to speak again.

"You should be tending to your business, not wasting time with normal people like me!" she said trying to escape. I reached out my hand and grabbed her gloved one.

"I rather enjoy your company." I said, encouraging her to keep walking with me. "And besides, who will show you the way to the opera house?" We stood in silence for some moments, her probably deciding what to do. I imagined what he face looked like beneath the veil. All I could come to mind was Christine's face. Tears rushed to my eyes and I blinked them away as the girl spoke up again.

"Fine." When she agreed to stay, I decided to figure out more about her. If she had a nice voice, who knows, she might just be the next diva at the opera. I asked her her name she turned her head my way. I could hear (but not see) the smile in her voice as she answered.

"Elphaba. Elphaba Thropp." A curious name. I've never heard one like it. Deciding not to risk being rude, I didn't say a word about it.

"What's your name?" she asked me.

"Erik Mulheim." I replied.

"French."

I looked at her with a furrowed brow. How did she know?

"What?" I asked.

Her veil did not turn toward me again, but she kept talking.

"Your name, it's French. Did you come here from France?"

"Yes." was all I could think to say. The rest of our walk to the opera house was spent in silence. She must have noticed that I was uncomfortable with talking about France, so she dropped the subject.

When we finally got to the opera house, I pointed her to the backstage wing and bade her goodbye. When we parted ways, I went to my spot in the first row. I normally prefer my private seat in box five, but for auditions, I was forced to sit in the audience. The whole opera house was created after the Opera Populaire back in Paris. Right down to my underground lair in the cellars. I no longer had to call it my home, for I had a flat on the other side of Phantasma and I can walk around without having to dodge policemen every other minute, but I fell asleep down there working on new trash for Meg to perform so often, that I could call it my home if I wanted to.

The auditions dragged on for another hour. All of the young ladies tried out, thinking they were to be the next diva of the opera house, when in real life they have no idea how horribly awful they sound. At one point, I stopped watching and just leaned my head back on the velvet lined seat to listen. I let out a sigh as a stage hand announced the last audition.

"Lastly, Elphaba Thropp!" he yelled from somewhere backstage. With my eyes still closed, I promised myself I wouldn't open my eyes until the end of the song.

"When I meet the Wizard

Once I prove my worth

When I meet the Wizard

What I've waited for since birth!

And with all his wizard wisdom

By my looks he won't be blinded"

I gasped. Her voice was better, stronger, and more confident than Christine's. I used to think the prospect of anybody having a better voice than Christine was never an option for me, but it is happening before my very ears!

"The Wizard and I!" she finished.

When I opened my eyes I gasped once again, taking in the sight before me.