I finally figure it out! I totally figured out how I am going to end this!! YAY ME!!

Disclaimer- I own nothing Phantom of the Opera related...if I did...I'd be rich.

Dedication- To GuardianoftheMorningStar. She rules...totally.

Katrina awoke in her bed. Songs in her head...Songs constantly in her head. She shook her head to dislodge the cobwebs of sleep, getting up. She nearly tripped on the shoes she wore last night. Jeez, she was still in her clothes from the night before...She groaned when she saw the alarm clock's luminous face. Nearly 11'o'clock...Dang. And she was hungry. She quickly changed clothes, putting on a fresh pair of jeans and a black shirt with "WICKED" written across it with silver thread. She loved that musical...

She pulled open her door. There was a folded in half note taped to it. She took it off and opened it on the way to the dining hall.

Dearest KAT!!
What is up, Sleepin' Beauty? We've got a mondo audition time at 2:00 at the school in the aud for BATTLE!! We're rehearsing from 1:00 till then. Don't forget your mask and cape!! XD

JT, Orry and Liana

"Gee, thanks for telling me." she said sarcastically as she entered the empty dining hall. She made her way to the food counter and was just about to swipe a unwatched hamburger when Rocko came bursting out of the kitchen.

"KATRINA, doll!!" he shouted, coming around the corner and giving her a big bear hug. She returned it, laughing. "How is you?!"

"I is fine, Rocko. Just tired."

"GOD, I heard about that awful GANG business last night! Ya poor thing!" he said, going back around the counter. "So's...I made you a pick-me-up! Didn't let no-one else touch it or even see it. My poor gang-beat girl needs to eat!" he exclaimed, producing a large omelet from under the oven. Her eyes grew wide at the sight.

"Is that what I think it is?" she drooled. Rocko set it on a tray with a can of Diet Coke and a chocolate pastry. He nodded energetically.

"Four eggs, whisked and blended with just a touch of red pepper, stuffed with ham, cheddar, onions and a dash of jalapenos. On the side, the ever famous Chocolate Chipper Cookie Dough pastry and...your regular Diet."

"Better make it a regular Coke, Rocko."

"O-o...daring today." he said, making the switch. She smiled fondly at the Head Chef.

"What would I do without you?" she said, picking up her tray.

"Um, starve, HELLO?" he replied, going back to the kitchen.

"True, true." she said, going to a table. She eagerly forked up a bite of the omelet. Oh...God...Sheer heaven...Rocko could take the barest of ingredients and make a feast. She ate it slowly, savoring every bite. It was about noon when she finally finished everything and helped Rocko wash some dishes in the back. If he wouldn't take her money, he'd take her labor. Heck, she didn't mind. Rocko was like a crazy uncle. She loved that chef.

She walked back to her room, grabbed her long black cape and white full mask with the extra-wide mouthpiece. They each had one, each with an extra-wide mouthpiece. Liana might make really funky designs on them for the Battle...one never knew when she'd get hit upside the head by her Creative Muse. She stuffed them both in her black tote bag with the silver and purple peace sign. She grabbed her guitar case and headed out of the Opera House.

She paused on the side-walk. Normally, she'd walk. But...after last night...the Patriots might be on the look-out for her...That would not be good. She caught the bus, which stopped right outside the school...after several stops, breaks, red-lights and traffic jams. She was at the school near 12:45, fifteen minutes early. Good. She walked to their usual practice room, where the others were already set up.

"Kat!" squealed Liana, swirling about to hug her, the giant black cape that she was wearing flaring everywhere.

"Hey girl! We ready?!" she said hugging her back.

"Just about." said JT, playing a warm-up song on his key-board. "Everyone else is in the aud. already." Kat nodded, pulling out her own cape. The auditions for the Battle were nearly as popular as the Battle itself. Everyone showed up for their favorite band and sometimes they actually had to kick some of the more rapid fans out. Orry came out of the bathroom, shaking his head. Even those three Advil weren't helping his headache...He looked up and saw Kat in her mask and cape...She was grinning evilly as she pulled her guitar from it's case and slammed some notes to JT's keyboard notes. He felt his headache leave.

"Yeah, KAT! Rock on!" he shouted, grabbing his bass. She grinned, slamming a few notes his way. They all started to play a totally random song that they made up as they went, to both warm-up and expel nerves. As they all stopped, they cheered and slapped high-fives.

"We look awesome!" said Liana, adjusting her own mask. Everyone nodded.

"Totally Phan-tastic!" punned Kat. Everyone groaned good-naturedly. They all laughed. "Ready...?" She asked. They all nodded, taking up their positions like they were on the stage. They had about a half-hour left, time to run the song.

JT took a breath and he nodded at Orry. Orry nodded at Liana. They all rose their hands...Notes exploded from JT's keyboard, Orry's bass plucking underscored the rythimic beat from Liana's drums. Kat added her guitar rift on the top, they played for a few seconds...then everyone else stopped, letting Kat rift while she sang...

"In sleep he sang to me
In dreams he came...!" BAH BAM, went the drums and bass.
"That voice that calls to me
And speaks my name!" BAH BAM! Everyone joined back in, notes and chords swirling about like magic. Kat's cloak swirled as she rifted her guitar.
"And do I dream again,
For now I find...
The Phantom of the Oprea
Is there...inside my mind!"

'Oh, Hell yeah. We are so ready!!'

"Those who have seen your face
Draw back in fear
I am the mask you wear!!
It's me they hear!
My/Your spirit and my/your voice
In one combined!!
The Phantom of the Opera is there
inside my/your mind!!"sang Orry and Kat together as the stage-lights flashed blue, red and white. Fake fog covered their feet and swirled up in tendrils. Their tech guy, Jason, was totally going all out and it ROCKED!! Kat jammed her guitar a little harder as Liana did a bit of fancy work with the drums.

"The Phantom of the Opera!"sang JT and Liana as Kat and Orry circled each other, staring deeply into each other's eyes.

"The Phantom of the Opera!" repeated JT and Liana, cutting the music as Orry put his hand into Katrina's hair. The crowd went wild, screaming, cheering! Kat and Orry backed away from each other and pumped their fists into the air. No-one else had a applause like this!! If this was an omen for the Battle...it was totally in the bag.

Everyone was happy...except for the tall shadow in the back of the theatre. His eyes narrowed as Kat and Orry smiled at each other, joining hands to accept the applause. How dare that boy put his hands on his Angel?! How dare that impudent child?! He felt his anger starting to boil over...

POW! POW! POW! POW! POW!

One by one, the stage-lights and spotlights high above started to explode, showering the stage and audience with hot bits of glass. The figure quickly vanished, afraid of what might happen next...he didn't want his Angel to be hurt. Screams echoed as everyone vacated the seats, rushing to get out of the way of the falling glass. Orry shielded Kat as they ran backstage, Liana lamenting that her drum kit was too big to drag back there that instant.

"Don't worry, I'll help you clean the glass up." said Kat, patting her on the shoulder. She grinned up at Orry, who was taking off his mask. "I wonder what was going on?"

"Maybe we angered the Theatre Gods." said JT, clutching his keyboard in his arms. He looked out at the now really dark theatre. The directors were yelling for more lights, but the House lights had also blown.

"Maybe we angered the Phantom." joked Liana, looking to see if it was safe enough to get her drum kit. Another exploding blub said not.

"Yeah, maybe the Phantom came back." said Orry in a mocking scary voice. They all laughed. "Please. There is no such thing as the Phantom of the Opera."

"Yeah...no such thing-" And it was like a fog cleared from Katrina's mind. The music vanished...the notes faded. Her mind rocketed back to Earth from it's spot in the clouds. She gasped for air, fear gripping her heart.

"Oh...My...God..." she said, clutching at Orry's sleeve.

"What Kat? What is it? Did you get hit?" he asked, looking her over for blood.

"Orry...I'm being haunted by the Phantom of the Opera..." she whispered.

"What?" he said, his eyebrows shooting up into his hair-line.

"He sings to me...he calls my name...Orry, he watches me constantly!" she looked up into Orry's eyes. He saw nothing but the truth there. "Orry...He watches us with his glowing eyes. This was his doing, I know it!" she shouted, starting to panic.

"Kat, Kat, chill!" said Orry, grabbing her up in a hug. "Com'n, chill out. Post-performance nerves." he said to the band "Teenage Mutants" as they stared. They walked away shrugging.

"Orry...your dreams. It's his doing." she whispered, realization hitting her right between the eyes. "He gets so jealous."

"Oh, come on! You sound like a drama queen from a day-time soap." said Orry, not wanting to believe this. This was so crazy!! Just then, a phone went off. Kat froze. Her pocket was vibrating, singing out Beethoven's Fifth.

"I didn't know that you had a cell." said Orry, reaching over and plucking it out of her pocket. "Erik...?" he wondered, reading the flashing name.

"That's him." said Katrina, breath catching in her throat. "I can't answer it, I can't!"

"You've gotta! It's your phone!"

Kat shook her head violently. "Fine!" snapped Orry, flipping her phone open.

"Orry, no-!"

"Yo." said Orry into the mouthpiece. There was an angry silence at the other end. "Hello?" said Orry again.

"Who is this?" growled a low voice.

"Orry." The voice snarled wordlessly.

"Why are you answering Katrina's phone?" the voice snarled. Orry built up his courage. This voice was really something else.

"Cause she's busy at the moment." he replied, looking at Katrina who was staring at him with wide eyes. "Didn't want her to have a missed call."

For a few moments, it was silent. Orry thought that the dude hung up, but he could still feel that sibilant anger at the other end.

"It would wise for you not to meddle in my affairs, boy." spat the voice. The line went dead. Orry shut the phone, disbelief crowding his features.

"He's angry, isn't he?" asked Kat, looking up at him. She snatched her phone back. "Oh, God. I should have answered it."

"I think I'm in for some bad nightmares tonight." said Orry, pulling his hair out of it's ponytail and re-tying it, a habit he picked up for when he was nervous. Kat patted him on the back.

"Not as long as I'm sleeping in the room. He wouldn't dare." she said. Orry shot her a grateful look.

"What are we going to do...?" she whispered as they packed up their guitars.

"Nothing for now." said Orry, as he packed his cloak and mask up. They walked out to catch the bus home. "There's nothing much we can do unless we know more about this Phantom." Kat nodded.

"Stay with me..." she whispered, reaching across the seat to hold his hand. He jumped...and blushed slightly.

"Always."

Shorter than my other chapters, I know! But please review and tell me what you think!!

BTW- I do know a guy who is exactly like Rocko...it's really interesting!