CHARLES

Il Muto continued to sell out for the four weekends it ran. Don Juan Triumphant was now in full rehearsals, a month away from opening. Benedetta had been long gone. I avoided the house now like the plague. I couldn't look at Dad. I felt like I had betrayed him, as if I wasn't good enough to be in his home, reaping the benefits of his name. It wore on me and soon I was only able to eat one meal a day. I lost ten pounds in three weeks. Madeleine was becoming steadily more worried, but she was distant too. Engulfed in her own downward spiral. At night I could hear her crying out for her mother as I am sure I cried for mine. Mother now haunted my dreams. Visions of she and this man...who I could never see the face of. I knew it was him though. Dad's words at Mother's funeral repeated in my mind. She is with Erik now...Oh Mother...I know...Why?

"Charles?" Dad's voice came from my doorway, waking me from the nightmare once again. I picked my head up from my desk and he gasped.
"Charles..." He said, seeing the prominent bones in my cheeks, my eyes dark and sunken with lack of sleep. My fingers were beginning to look like the bones of a skeleton.
"What are you doing to yourself?" He said, coming to me.
"Dad..." I said, leaning on him for support. He led me down into the kitchen where Granny Giry and Aunt Meg sat, both gasping when they saw me.
"Charles!" Granny Giry cried, coming to examine me. I let them sit me in a chair as Maddie entered the room, letting out a small squeak when she saw me. She rushed to kneel in front of me, taking both of my cheeks in her hands.

"Oh God..." She said, tears in the corners of her eyes as Therese brought some soup out for me to eat. I waved it away, along with Maddie's hand.
"Eat!" Therese instructed I shook my head.
"I'm not hungry..." I stated, starting to get up but Maddie wouldn't have it. She pushed me down by the shoulders with all the might her small body could muster up and began to spoon feed me.
"God damn you Charles...I will not have you sit here and let yourself die." She said as everyone gaped at us. "Now eat!" She forced me to eat and drink, her hair falling into her face as I sat limply. It was like I was watching myself deteriorate and I honestly didn't care. Dad sat with his head in his hands as she picked me up by the arms and practically dragged me out.
"We'll see you at the opera Madame Giry..." She nodded blankly, staring at me in horror as she began to cough.

"Oh Charles..." Maddie sobbed as we rode in the carriage to the Opera. "I am so sorry...I can't believe I haven't seen this..." She said, rocking with me. "You have to eat...to live...for me...please!" She begged me over and over again. I woke up a bit, seeing the fear in her eyes. In my own selfishness I had forgotten she was seven years younger than I.
"Madeleine..." I said, touching her cheek.
"Please...I know...can't you see that I know better than anyone what you are going through? At least your true parents are dead. My father may still be alive...and I don't even know if he'd want me if he knew the truth." She said.
"I'm sorry Maddie..." I said, and she began to cry kissing me over and over until our lips were swollen from kissing and from the tears falling between both of us.
"Oh Charles, I..." She stopped, almost afraid of what she was going to say. "I am so glad you are going to be alright..." She looked at her hands.

I helped her out as we went onstage to begin our third week of rehearsals for Don Juan Triumphant. Madame Bennett arrived for she was choreographing the scene in which we were practicing. It was during the first act, after Don Juan sees Aminta for the first time outside her home, he dreams of her and in his dream, she dances for him beckoning. Just as he reaches her, he wakes alone. Maddie danced it masterfully, the music finally bringing my soul back to life. In that instant I was Don Juan and she was Aminta and nothing else existed but my desire for her.
"Now Charles, I want you to wrap your arms around her shoulder and her waist. And as you carry her to the bed, she will escape and you will be left alone to wake." Aunt Meg said and as we did this movement, it seemed to bring the whole purpose of the story together.

Don Juan is a master of seduction, and he finally sees his ultimate challenge, young Aminta. The youngest of three girls, pure as the driven snow. After the seduction, however, Don Juan wants no other woman and realizes he loves her and they secretly marry. Aminta's father, seeing his youngest falling for this man, attempts to keep them apart, finally going so far as to challenge Don Juan to a duel. Don Juan does not want to accept, but the man is insistent and he ends up killing the girl's father. She goes through horrible grief and anger, but realizes that she cannot live without him. Don Juan is taken into prison and sentenced to execution, but Aminta comes against the wishes of her sisters and admits she loves Don Juan. They kiss, and Don Juan is executed, but Aminta sings that he and their love will live on, for she will have his child within the year and the curtain falls as he steps up to be hung.

We went back to the house after, emotionally drained. Still, I could not face the man I had called "Dad" for so long. Maddie sat with me until I fell asleep. I felt her leave just after dark, but I wasn't asleep, so I got up and followed her. She'd gone to the small bistro that we'd first spoken at. My heart sank and my mouth dropped when I realized she was sitting with my best friend Gabe. I snuck into the bistro in the shadows and tried to get near to wear they were. I could hear them talking. He was holding her hand. Bastard...poor Camille. Hurt beat within my chest as I heard her confess to him.
"I just...don't know what to do...how to bring it up and I can't talk to Charles about it...he has his own problems right now." She said, looking down at her hands.
"Have you told him yet?" She sighed.
"I don't know...I'm not sure I can ever feel that way for him." I needed to hear no more. I walked back out of the bistro stealthily. I went straight to the opera house and slept in the dressing room for the rest of the night.

The next morning I went to rehearsal, anger still burning beneath my eyes. The deceptive little brat. She'd led me on for almost three months now. I noticed Dad was there too. She waited onstage for me, brightening when she saw me. I glared at her.
"Charles...where were you? We were so worried..." She stopped when she saw the expression on my face. "What is it?" She asked, trying to touch my face. I grabbed her hand and pushed her away.
"Don't touch me...I was in the bistro last night...I heard everything." She paled.
"Oh God..." She said looking down for a moment. "Then you know..." She said, her hand on her cheek.
"You're damn right...how could you lie to me?" I asked and she looked confused.
"Lie?" She asked, making me even more furious.
"Yes lie...everyone lies to me..." I said, looking at Dad, whose face fell. He knew I knew.

"Charles, I hardly would say I lied to you..." She said her eyes, becoming dark.
"What would you call it then Madeleine?" I asked, and she folded her arms protectively under her breasts.
"Look I was going to tell you today..." She said, looking sick, and I looked down.
"I wasn't good enough..." I said and she looked confused again.
"What?" She asked, becoming more angry and I looked at her, making my eyes cold.
"It's because I am not truly a Chagny! Is that it?" I asked and looked at Dad, who had gone completely cold. Madame Giry held his arm tightly. "That's right Dad...I found your dirty little secret...Did you think I was an idiot? That I wouldn't find out?" I asked, knowing full well it wasn't his fault but Mother wasn't here to blame.
"Charles, I..." He said but stopped when I shook my head.

Maddie reached for me again but I caught her wrists, shoving her.
"We're done Madeleine...I'm done..." I said, turning away as she fell to the ground sobbing as Deirdre and Aunt Meg came to her side.
"Charles!" She cried again but I began to walk away. Suddenly I heard angry footsteps behind me and she was on my back wrestling me to the ground.
"You bastard! You don't even know the half of it and you're too damned stubborn to hear the truth." She said holding me down.

"All we are is a lie!" I said to her and she slapped me so hard, I thought I would see stars, but Aunt Meg had managed to pull her off of me with the help of Dad.
"Charles..." He said offering me his hand to help me but I refused and got up, stalking away without a second glance.
"Go ahead Charles! Run away from your problems like you always do!" She said, and I turned to give her one last look as the man who had been my father all my life held her gently, both of them watching me leave with tears running down their faces. I saw Dad set her down as she sprinted in the other direction.