A/N: Bonsoir, all! Or, if it isn't the evening when you read this, bonjour! Sorry I didn't update this weekend… I was in NYC! And let me tell you, it was amazing! I wish I was still there! I saw Phantom of the Opera and Chicago, and was completely blown away by Phantom… I loved it! I need to see it again! Chicago… Not so much… The movie was better, though I did love the cast in the musical. The whole no set thing annoyed me. I have no clue why… Maybe because of Phantom's elaborate set? LOL. I had front row seats, literally five rows from the stage, and I was right in the center, so the chandelier flew/fell right over me! It was amazing! I saw Neil, the opera guy that won America's Got Talent, at Phantom and he signed my playbill and I snapped a few photos with him. He is the nicest guy! And my friend literally ran into Tyra Banks on our way to see Chicago! OMG! AHHH! And another friend of mine saw Hugh Jackman at the MOMA Library right before we got there. We just missed him! Dang! But, I'll stop blabbering. Before I continue on with the story, let me say that if you want a breathtaking view, go to the Top of the Rock. Absolutely amazing, and I'm terrified beyond reason of heights. Anyways, enjoy! My song of the day (I'll start doing this from now on) is Cell Block Tango. Review and I update! Let's shoot for five! Oh, the Duke's character is before he finds out about Satine and Christian. Just wanted to clarify. Obviously Satine and Christian are after Elephant Love Medley. :~)

Chapter Five: Masquerade

Sara:

I tried not to show how tired I was in school the next day. I wasn't sure if I fooled Chris, though. We held hands in the hallways, looking around for the Duke, hoping he wouldn't see us. Every few seconds Chris would glance at me, noticing the shadows under my eyes, concern visible.

"I'm fine." I would tell him when he opened his mouth to ask. As the day drew to a close (I had lost count of all the times I had fallen asleep in class), Natalie "China Doll" Hawkins hurried up to Chris and me, two purple envelopes clasped in her hand.

"Here." China Doll handed them to us, and disappeared into the throng, hurriedly pulling more envelopes out of her backpack. I opened it curiously, wondering what it said.

For the cast of Moulin Rouge! Only.

You are formally invited to attend a karaoke party/masquerade.

Date: Friday, May 15, 2009

Time: Seven until Midnight

Where: Old Opera House (currently the Country Club) on French Avenue

Clothing: Ball/Masquerade (feel free to dress up like Broadway characters!)

RSVP: (123) 675-8945

I smiled. I had the absolutely perfect outfit.

Chris:

I groaned. Great. A masque. Just what I wanted. Now I had to come up with an outfit for this Friday.

"Satine," She smiled at me, eyes alight with excitement, her weariness replaced at last. "What are you going as?"

"You'll see." She answered, smiling mysteriously before floating away into the crowd.

Friday Evening: (General perspective)

The old Opera House was filling up quickly with the cast of the Moulin Rouge. Waiters stood at the ready, platters bearing food and drinks in their hands. The old stage had been cleaned; it gleamed in the light, casting a bronze reflection into the crowd.

All sorts of characters populated the room, from Elphaba and other Wicked characters to characters from Chicago. There was one girl who was portraying Elphaba that had painted her skin green for the evening. She was accompanied by Raoul from Phantom of the Opera. The crowd grew silent as the doors were opened, a good hour after the party had started.

Christine and the Phantom descended the stairs, their arms linked. The girl was wearing a curly brown wig that looked impossibly real. Her dress fit her perfectly, hugging her every curve before flowing loose at her waist. No one knew how this girl had gotten a duplicate of the wedding dress Christine had worn in the movie. No one dared asked. Her pale face was covered by a simple, yet elegant, white mask from which a veil flowed over the back of her head. The Phantom was just as imposing in the daunting red outfit from the Broadway play's Masquerade scene. His skull mask leered at the crowd, and his arm encircled Christine's tiny waist.

"Sing a song!" Someone shouted. The couple hesitated on the stairs, glancing at each other for the briefest fraction of a second before nodding. Smiling slightly they made their way through the crowd and ascended the gleaming stage. A few Raouls in the crowd joking tried to steal Christine away from the Phantom before letting them continue on their way. Laughs echoed though the room and then quieted as the music started.

Chris:

We had made an entrance, just as Sara wanted, but now we were on the stage getting ready to sing. I saw a few video camera and was glad for the mask. I waited for the music to start, grinning when I realized what song it was: Angel of Music (the Mirror)/The Phantom of the Opera. My favorite duet on the soundtrack! Yes!

(A/N: Bold is the Phantom. Italicized is Christine. This is both of them singing)

Insolent boy, this slave of fashion
Basking in your glory.
Ignorant fool, this brave young suiter
Sharing in my triumph.

Angel I hear you, speak I listen
Stay by my side, guide me.
Angel my soul was weak, forgive me.
Enter at last, master.

Flattering child you shall know me
See why in shadow I hide.
Look at your face in the mirror
I am there inside!

Angel of music, guide and guardian
Bring to me your glory.
Angel of music, hide no longer
Come to me strange angel.

I am your angel of music, come to me angel of music.
I am your angel of music, come to me angel of music...

In sleep he sang to me
In dreams he came
That voice that calls to me and speaks my name
And do I dream again for now I find
The Phantom of the Opera is there
Inside my mind

Sing once again with me
Our strange duet
My power over you grows stronger yet
And though you turn from me to glance behind
The Phantom of the Opera is there
Inside your mind

Those who have seen your face
Draw back in fear
I am the mask you wear

It's me they hear...

Your/My spirit and my/your voice in one combined
The Phantom of the Opera is there
Inside my/your mind


He's there, the phantom of the opera! (A/N: Background singing)

He's there, the phantom of the operaSing, my Angel of Music
Sing, my Angel
Sing for me
Sing, my Angel!
Sing for me!

I have brought you
to the seat of sweet music's throne
to this kingdom where all must pay homage to music
music
You have come here,
for one purpose, and one alone
Since the moment I first heard you sing,
I have needed you with me,
to serve me, to sing,
for my music...
my music...

The song ended and everyone burst into wild applause. I smiled over at Sara and she grinned back, panting slightly. I was pushed off the stage as five girls hurried on stage, all dressed in Chicago outfits, begging Sara to sing the Cell Block Tango with them. She agreed, on the basis that she would be Velma Kelly's part. The quartet of girls nodded readily and they stepped towards the microphones.

"And now, the Six Merry Murderesses of Cook County Jail in their rendition of the Cell Block Tango." I announced the song and stepped off the stage, my eyes on Sara. She was sitting lazily in a chair, trying her best to fit into Velma's character.

LIZ]
Pop!

[ANNIE]
Six!

[JUNE]
Squish!

[HUNYAK]
Uh Uh (squeezing necklace)

[VELMA]
Cicero (smoke puffs)

[MONA]
Lipschitz!

[LIZ]
Pop!

[ANNIE]
Six!

[JUNE]
Squish!

[HUNYAK]
Uh Uh (squeezing necklace)

[VELMA]
Cicero (smoke puffs)

[MONA]
Lipschitz!
[LIZ]
Pop!

[ANNIE]
Six!

[JUNE]
Squish!

[HUNYAK]
Uh Uh (squeezing necklace)

[VELMA]
Cicero (smoke puffs)

[MONA]
Lipschitz!

[LIZ]
Pop!

[ANNIE]
Six!

[JUNE]
Squish!

[HUNYAK]
Uh Uh (squeezing necklace)

[VELMA]
Cicero (smoke puffs)

[MONA]
Lipschitz!

[ALL]
He had it coming
He had it coming
He only had himself to blame
If you'd have been there
If you'd have seen it

[VELMA]
I betcha you would have done the same!

[LIZ]
Pop!

[ANNIE]
Six!

[JUNE]
Squish!

[HUNYAK]
Uh Uh (squeezing necklace

[VELMA]
Cicero (smoke puffs)

[MONA]
Lipschitz!

[LIZ (Spoken)]
You know how people
have these little habits
That get you down. Like Bernie.
Bernie like to chew gum.
No, not chew. POP.
So I came home this one day
And I am really irritated, and I'm
looking for a bit of sympathy
and there's Bernie layin'
on the couch, drinkin' a beer
and chewin'. No, not chewin'.
Poppin'. So, I said to him,
I said, "you pop that
gum one more time..."
and he did.
So I took the shotgun off the wall
and I fired two warning shots...
...into his head.

[GIRLS]
He had it coming
He had it coming
He only had himself to blame

If you'd have been there
If you'd have heard it
I betcha you would
Have done the same!

[ANNIE (Spoken)]
I met Ezekiel Young from
Salt Lake city about two years ago
and he told me he was single
and we hit it off right away.
So, we started living together.
He'd go to work, he'd come home, I'd
fix him a drink, We'd have dinner.
And then I found out,
"Single" he told me?
Single, my ass. Not only
was he married
...oh, no, he had six wives.
One of those Mormons, you know. So that
night, when he came home, I fixed him
his drink as usual.
You know, some guys just can't hold
their arsenic.

[LIZ,ANNIE,JUNE,MONA]
Hah! He had it coming
He had it coming
He took a flower
In its prime
And then he used it
And he abused it
It was a murder
But not a crime!

[VELMA AND HUNYAK]
Pop, six, squish, uh-uh
Cicero, Lipschitz

[JUNE (Spoken)]
Now, I'm standing in the kitchen
carvin' up the chicken for dinner,
minding my own business,
and in storms my husband Wilbur,
in a jealous rage.
"You been screwin' the milkman,"
he says. He was crazy
and he kept screamin',
"you been screwin the milkman."
And then he ran into my knife.
He ran into my knife ten times!

[ALL]
If you'd have been there
If you'd have seen it
I betcha you would have done the same!

[HUNYAK (Spoken)]
Mit keresek, én itt? Azt mondják,
hogy a híres lakem lefogta a férjemet én meg
lecsaptam a fejét. De nem igaz, én ártatlan
vagyok. Nem tudom miért mondja
Uncle Sam, hogy én tettem. Probáltam
a rendõrségen megmagyarázni de nem értették meg...

[ROXIE (Spoken)]
Yeah, but did you do it?

[HUNYAK]
UH UH, not guilty!

[VELMA]
My sister, Veronica and
I had this double act
and my husband, Charlie,
traveled around with us.
Now, for the last number in
our act, we did 20 acrobatic tricks
one two three four,five...splits, spread eagles,
back flips,flip flops,
one right after the other.
Well, this one night we were in the hotel Cicero,
the three of us,
boozin' and
havin' a few laughs and
we ran out of ice.
So I went out to get some.
I come back, open the door
and there's Veronica and
Charlie doing Number Seventeen-
the spread eagle.

Well, I was in such a state of shock,
I completely blacked out.I can't remember a thing.
It wasn't until later,
when I was washing the blood off my hands
I even knew they were dead.

They had it coming
They had it coming
They had it coming all along
I didn't do it
But if I'd done it
How could you tell me that I was wrong?

[VELMA]
They had it coming
[GIRLS]
They had it coming
[VELMA]
They had it coming
[GIRLS]
They had it coming
[VELMA]
They had it coming
[GIRLS]
They took a flower
[VELMA]
All along
[GIRLS]
In its prime
[VELMA]
I didn't do it
[GIRLS]
And then they used it
[VELMA]
But if I'd done it
[GIRLS]
And they abused it
[VELMA]
How could you tell me
[GIRLS]
It was a murder
[VELMA]
That I was wrong?
[GIRLS]
But not a crime!

[MONA]
I loved Al Lipschitz
more than I can possibly say.
He was a real artistic guy...
sensitive... a painter.
But
He was always trying
to find himself.
He'd go out every night
looking for himself
and on the way
he found Ruth,
Gladys,
Rosemary and Irving.
I guess you can say we broke
up because of artistic differences.
He saw himself as alive
and I saw him dead.

[ALL]
The dirty bum, bum, bum, bum, bum
The dirty bum, bum, bum, bum, bum

[LIZ,ANNIE,MONA]
They had it comin'
[VELMA,JUNE,HUNYAK]
They had it comin'
[LIZ,ANNIE,MONA]
They had it comin'
[VELMA,JUNE,HUNYAK]
They had it comin'
[LIZ,ANNIE,MONA]
They had it comin'
[VELMA,JUNE,HUNYAK]
They had it comin'
[LIZ,ANNIE,MONA]
All along
[VELMA,JUNE,HUNYAK]
All along
'Cause if they used us
'Cause if they used us And they abused us
And they abused us
[LIZ,ANNIE,MONA]
How could you tell us
[VELMA,JUNE,HUNYAK]
How could you tell us That we were wrong?
That we were wrong?

He had it coming
He had it coming
He only had
Himself
To blame.
If you'd have been there
If you'd have seen it
I betcha
You would
Have done
The same!

[LIZ (Spoken)]
You pop that gum one more time!

[ANNIE (spoken)]
Single my ass.

[JUNE (Spoken)]
Ten times!

[HUNYAK (Spoken)]
Miert csukott Uncle Same bortonbe.

[VELMA (Spoken)]
Number seventeen-the spread eagle.

[MONA (Spoken)]
Artistic differences.
[LIZ]
Pop!

[ANNIE]
Six!

[JUNE]
Squish!

[HUNYAK]
Uh Uh (squeezing necklace)

[VELMA]
Cicero (smoke puffs)

[MONA]
Lipschitz!

I was completely wrapped up in the song, drawn into it like never before. Sara dominated the stage, her voice coming out powerful and dominant. She smiled wearily when the song finished, her breath coming in even quicker bursts. Her eyelids fluttered, she swayed once or twice, and she collapsed.

A/N: There's a little cliffhanger for you! I hope you enjoyed it, and I don't mean to beat up on Sara, but she does have TB! Isn't that passed on by kissing and such? Maybe Chris will get it… You never know! Please review, and this time I'll try to give you a preview of the next chapter if you correctly guess the voice of the Green Fairy! I need at least five reviews before I update, and please no flaming!