CHARLES

"Excuse me?" She says, looking like she hasn't heard a word I said. My mouth feels like it is glued shut as Deirdre Bennett watches, suddenly interested. Many of the ballerinas standing around have quieted and are also watching in disbelief. Madeleine's hazel eyes drift to the emblem on my jacket, which is of course the Chagny crest. I breathe deeply to repeat myself, still holding out the flowers to her.
"Um...I asked if you would like to join me for the gala..." I manage to spit out, my cheeks feeling hot. Her beautiful eyes flash suddenly with anger.
"What kind of a fool do you take me for?" She asks, hands on hips. I can only look at her, confused. Have I said something wrong?
"I'm sorry?" I say, unsure of what to do, she backs me into a corner, finger pointed.

"I am supposed to accompany you to the gala and we will dance and you will tell me how I have affected you as no other woman has. Then you will tell me that if I play my cards right, you can get me a leading role in the opera, but for a small price of course! I believe you know what I mean." I look to Deirdre for some help, but she shrugs so I look back to the flashing hazel eyes as I am holding my arms up as if I have been caught in a crime.
"No...no I would never-" I stammer and she backs off a bit.
"I suppose you think I am just some silly ballet tart who will fall into your arms at the first sign of money and your good looks, Monsieur de Chagny!"As she says this I can hear one of the other ballerinas murmur,
"I'll take him any day..." Deirdre gives the girl a look.

"Please mademoiselle," I plead with her, "I only wanted us to enjoy each other's company at the gala." I can't help it. Something has drawn me to her, and I don't know whether it is romantic or what, and I wouldn't know because I have never been in love or anything remotely close to it. She takes the flowers roughly and tosses them at my feet.
"That for your company Monsieur!" She fires and stomps away, her brown curls bouncing down her back. Before she turns the corner she gives me one last glance and shakes her head angrily as I stand watching her in disbelief. Deirdre comes to my side and leans against me with her elbow on my arm as the other girls lose interest and leave to join the gala.
"Smooth Charles...really smooth." She says with a laugh, as I look down at her desperately.

"What did I do Deirdre? I only asked her to come to the party with me!" I say, and Deirdre's eyes darken as she shakes her head.
"You can't do that with Maddie. She's different Charles. Remember the girl I told you we found in the cold that I talk about all the time?" She said and I nodded remembering. "Well, that was Maddie!" She exclaims and suddenly it all comes together. Of course. Maddie. Madeleine. They were the same and Granny Giry and Aunt Meg discussed her with Dad too sometimes. Why hadn't it clicked? Deirdre went on,
"Her mother died when she was six, her father rejected her. She ended up working in some café for this horrible man who...forced himself...well you get the idea."

My hand went to my mouth. I couldn't imagine someone being treated like that.
"Bottom line, she doesn't trust men. She's terrified of you..." Deirdre says. I sigh, feeling like a complete jackass running a hand through my dark hair. Deirdre pats my arm once and says,
"Don't give up hope Charles...it's not like you." She smiles, but it doesn't make me feel any better.
"Why? It's not like I can make her talk to me...I don't deserve to talk to her..." I mutter, feeling defeated as I bend down to pick up the roses. "She hates me!"Deirdre lets out a huge sigh,
"She doesn't hate you, she doesn't even know you..." She's trying to make me feel better, but I just want to go home and disappear into my room. "Come on, let's go..." She says, dragging me back toward the ballroom.

The first person I see is Dad, who looks up and sees me without the girl. He gives me a sympathetic look and comes over to us, kissing Deirdre on the cheek.
"How did it go?" He asks, and I shake my head.
"She basically refused." I said, looking around to see if she is in the room. Deirdre sighs and says,
"She threw the flowers at him and that was that." I give her a look and she shrugs innocently.
"I'm going to find Ma and Granny. See you later!" She says, flouncing away. Dad smiles and shakes his head.
"That girl is just like her mother." He says, giving Aunt Meg a quick wave. Her husband and son are also here with her.

"Charles!" I hear a voice calling my name that I recognize as one of my good friends Gabriel Ames. He's three years older than I and has a slight deformity on his right cheek. I admire him though, he's never tried to hide it. In fact, the sly devil, he tells all the girls he got the "scars" in some heroic stunt or something.
"Gabe!" I yell, slapping him on the back, glad to have the company. Maybe it will get my mind off of Madeleine.
"You're back!" He says, and I nod as he hands me a glass of champagne.
"Another dead end for me. I just can't find the right architectural firm..." I trail off, looking around the room again. He just shakes his head at me.
"I don't see why you want to be an architect. I would kill to have half of the musical talent you do. Hell Charles, if I were you I would buy this old dump and really make it shine again."

"Gabe, I've wanted to be an architect for a long time now. Many great men were architects. It's a good job." I say, though I would love to make music my profession, I just can't stand the industry right now. Dealing with outrageous demands of prima donnas, fighting, publicity problems.
"Well, who says you can't do both Charles? You could do it, if you found the right girl, she could help you run the place. God knows, those two old coots should have retired years ago." I can't help but laugh at Gabe's easy chatter. He's a real comedian, this one. One of my best friends since childhood, he was also close with my cousins and their parents, his own parents having been their good friends. He'd been away at college himself for a while now, but it seemed he was back for good. All I can say in response is,
"Yeah, the right girl...uh...listen, I'm going to take a walk, I'll be back."

He looks at me, confused but shrugs it off.
"Sure, I'll just go find myself a dance partner." He says and turns to a redheaded girl, leading her onto the dance floor. I make my way into the darkened theater and stare around in awe as I always have, remembering my father's brief telling of the man who built it. Erik. I don't know who you are, but damn, do I admire you... I was brought out of my enchantment by a soft sound of female singing accompanied with piano. It was part of a piece from Faust, and so lovely I thought I might cry. An untrained voice, indeed, but angelic nonetheless. I can see her seated at the piano in the shadows, her fingers stumbling over the keys, but her voice made one overlook the fact that she was not a pianist. As I walked closer, I could faintly see her and it became completely clear that it was Madeleine. Still, I could not bring myself to turn and walk away.

She hads come to a part where she couldn't see to find the right note on the piano, squinting in the darkness to look at the music. I had crept up so quietly I am now standing behind her and she had no idea as she kept pressing the wrong key.
"Damn it..." She curses under her breath as I reach over her to lightly hit the correct note. She whirls around, her eyes fiery with rage as she notices who I am.
"What are you, some kind of ghost!" She cries, and I shake my head.
"I am only Charles..." I say, praying she won't walk away as she had before. She turns back to the piano, opting to ignore me completely.

I push the feeling of wanting to run behind me and find the courage to say.
"Madamoiselle Denton, I wish for you to accept my apology for my forwardness earlier. I never meant to offend you." I can see her shoulders raise as she sighs.
"Look Monsieur de Chagny...just leave me alone." She says and I could swear I hear her whisper please. I look around, seeing a remaining red rose near the edge of the stage from the final bows and take it.
"As you wish..." I say as I place the rose on the bench beside her before turning to leave. Before I exit the room completely I look back and can see her staring at the rose as if she's never seen one before.

Tonight as I fall asleep I cannot get her voice out of my mind. In fact, I cannot get her out of my mind. Her face, her hair. Everything. If only I had a picture of her, which I could look at before I shut my eyes. I could draw her... Then again, I haven't really drawn anything but blueprints for years now, and suddenly I realize the passion I'd thought I'd lost for art of all kinds has been rekindled. I could...I could train her! Though, I've never trained anyone. She doesn't even want to be in my presence, that would never work. I must earn her trust. I will. I have to...