Well this is the next chapter and I hope you are liking the story. Thank you waffleunicorn2812 for being my first follower on this story! It's awesome that after one chapter, I have a follower. Thank you. So please read, review, follow, favorite, and enjoy.

~Lauren

Chapter 2

Hiding

Ella dances around in her room, going over the new moves that were added to the routine. She grunts in frustration when she falls off her pointe for, what seemed like the millionth time. "Goddamn pointe." She mutters under her breath. After that fall, she decides to stop and just give up. She sighs and just sits at her mirror. I hope Erik is okay. She thinks.

Ella just stares at her face for a few minutes. She tilts her head different ways to get a better look at it. She always seemed fascinated by her face, but hated looking in the mirror. But she is soon interrupted by a knock at the door. She gets up, but doesn't her gaze away from her face until she gets out of frame.

She opens the door to see a tall man, who couldn't be more than a few years older than her. Ella has no idea who this man is, but he smiles at her like they have met many times before. "Hello, mademoiselle." He says with bright eyes. Ella has always been shy around strangers, especially men. "Uh…hello, monsieur."

"You are a dancer here?" he asks her, never breaking his smile.

"Y-yes." Ella manages.

"Would you happen to know where Madame Giry's office is?"

Ella furrows her brow ad she feels very uncomfortable. "Um…I do. B-but, who are you?"

He chuckles at himself. "Oh, excuse me! I am Charles. I am the new patron. You can call me Charley." He smiles at her, but she still feels worried. He takes her hand and kisses her knuckles softly. "And you would be?"

She blushes as his tender lips caress her hand. She takes a brief moment to imagine what they would feel like on her own lips, since she has never felt such before. But she soon suppresses the thought and gains back composure. "I-I am Ella."

"What a lovely name."

"Uh, um…you were looking for Madame Giry's office?"

"Yes, please."

"Just go down this hall and take two lefts. Second door on your right."

He nods at her with a slightly seductive smile. "Thank you, Ella. Till we meet again."

When he turns and exits, Ella can't help but to keep standing in the doorway. He is a lovely man, but he didn't seem…real. Like he was hiding something. But Ella just shrugs it off and goes back to practicing her dance. The gala was tomorrow and Madame Giry was expecting them to have every move down. So Ella worked herself hard. She sees herself dancing in front of the mirror, but she stops when she sees the mirror wiggle a little bit.

She gets scared for a moment, but soon realizes what it must be, so she just giggles.

"Erik? Is that you?"

The mirror slides open a little a reveals a porcelain-masked man. Ella puts her hands on her hips and tilts her head. "Like the show?" she asks with a giggle. Erik slides out of the mirror onto the carpet. "I did. Especially that short skirt of yours…"

Ella gasps and this remark. "Erik Destler! That is not a way to talk in front of a lady! I should slap you right now!" But Erik just laughs. "I'm sorry! You know I didn't mean it." He walks up to her a puts a soft kiss on her cheek. Ella's eyes bulge at his lips. Why is he kissing me? We aren't dating. But she just shrugs. He is just being polite.

"Why are you always hiding behind the mirror?"

He shrugs. "That's what Phantoms do. They hide."

"But you aren't a Phantom around me. You are Erik to me, and always will be."

"Thank you, Eleanore. But I must hide, even from you. No one must know that we meet each other."

"I hate hiding such a big secret."

"You can handle it. It's not that big of a deal. I have been hidden all my life. It's okay."

"Don't hide from me. Please. You could have just come out of the mirror. I would have danced for you! I dance in front of hundreds of people every night, I can handle you."

"Sorry, that's just what I did with…never mind." A smile appears on his face. "Soo…you'll dance for me now?"

Ella softly giggles and motions for him to sit down on her bed. He smiles as she gets into her first position. "There's no music…"

"I don't care, Eleanore. Please just dance."

She nods and starts dancing around the room.

All Ella does the entire time is think.

I love how Erik calls me Eleanore. It makes me feel special. But I also feel uncomfortable for not being called Ella. But for Erik, I'll do anything. Gosh, he looks so good today. Is that a new cape? Oh, when would he have time to get a new cape? I am so stupid. Think, Ella, think! Oh, geez, focus on your routine. You don't wanna mess up. Ok, the last move. Don't fall on your pointe!

Amazingly, she doesn't fall. She has never been able to get that move until now. Erik gets up and claps.

"Brava! Brava! Bravissima!"

Ella bows very dramatically, making them both laugh.

"That was wonderful, Eleanore."

"Thank you, Erik."

"Well, now I must go back into hiding to finish my work." He walks behind her and slips the mirror open.

"I will be back tomorrow." He slips down the mirror and Ella feels lonely and sad.

"…Have fun hiding…"