A/N: Holy shit she's alive!!! Yes, I'm still alive and I feel that I should finish this story for you guys. I'm so sorry that I haven't been faithful to this story but so many things came up, I forgot where I wanted to go with this story, and then forgot most of what I wrote in this story.
Here is an update on what has happened in this story: Christine meets Erik as a child at Erik's traveling fair. She rescues Erik and brings him home where she lives with her father. Christine tells Erik that she is to live in the Paris Opera House at the end of the week. Erik leaves to get a head start and settle into the Opera House. Christine's father grows sick and they stay behind for nearly two years until he dies. Madame Giry (Christine's godmother and Mother's cousin) takes her and her father's body to Paris. But there is a twist with Christine's future… she is to marry Raoul by the time she is 20 if she hasn't found a suitor. And the Chagny's don't like to lose.
I suggest you read the last chapter just to get an update on where exactly we are.
I have no beta with me for this chapter so sorry in advance for all of the grammar errors and misspells.
Chapter 31
The following day Madame Giry woke Christine up at the crack of dawn along with the ballet rats. "Christine, wake up. This is your first day in the Opera House and you are to be taught how to dance along with the other girls," Madame Giry whispered as she placed her hand on Christine's shoulder. As soon as Madame Giry left the room Christine rubbed her eyes with her tiny hands to clear the sleepers from her tired eyes. As she looked up she saw a small pink ballet outfit with white ballet slippers at the foot of her bed.
Christine dressed quickly along with the other chattering girls without a sound. Quietly she made her way down to the dining hall where all the girls talked excitedly about the rumors as to what happened to Mademoiselle Nina and her sudden disappearance.
Christine was about to leave the room when she heard a voice call her name. "Christine, sit here," Meg called from the other side of the table. She shyly made her way to the opposite side of the table and sat down in an empty seat next to Meg.
"You're going to like it here. Mama will teach you how to dance today. Have you ever danced before?" without waiting for an answer from Christine, Meg carried on, "Try these sausages. They are amazing." Meg placed a sausage on Christine's plate.
Christine eyed the sausage and pushed the plate away. "I'm not very hungry," she mumbled. Christine felt too uncomfortable to eat. Her stomach seemed to twist into knots at the smell of the food. She wasn't used to so many strangers sitting at a table. Not one of them being her father. Tears welled up in her eyes.
A shrill laugh came from opposite Christine. A girl with black hair and emerald eyes started at Christine with a mock grin on her pretty face. "What is it" the girl sneered, "food not good enough for you?" Her friends giggled around her. She felt like everyone was staring at her now. She felt her hair standing on end on the back of her neck. She turned around expecting someone to be there, but there was no one there.
Christine slumped low in her chair, her chin rested on her chest, tears filling up her eyes. Meg stood up and took Christine's hand. "Come on, Christine," Meg frowned at the girls.
Meg led Christine over to the stage where some girls where stretching their legs on the metal bar. "Don't mind Giselle. She's always had a ballerina slipper stuck up her-"
"Megan Giry!" Madame Giry screeched. "I do not allow any of that talk on this stage, especially by my own daughter."
"Sorry, Mama," Meg mumbled into her chest. "But Giselle was-,"
"I don't care what Giselle did this time!" Madame Giry's eyes flared. "Start stretching out," her eyes fixed on Meg. Christine shifted her wait to the other leg uncomfortably. Madame Giry's gases shifted from Meg to Christine. Madame Giry stepped over to Christine and moved a stray curl away from her face. Christine smiled weakly as Madame Giry tilted Christine's chin up to look at her.
XXX
"One, two, three, one, two, three, one, two, three, eyes up here girls," Madame Giry commanded. "Christine, keep up and loosen up, you are too stiff."
Christine was out of breath, finding it hard to keep up with the rest of the girls. She looked up at Madame Giry, pleading with her eyes for her to take a break.
Suddenly from up in the rafters came a note that fluttered down onto the stage. Madame Giry instructed all of the girls to stop dancing. She walked over to the note, which had a red skull on the back of the letter. Madame Giry opened up the letter and scanned the page quickly.
"Everyone may take a five minute break," Madame Giry announced. She turned her heal and walked out of sight.
Christine walked off the stage, in the direction of Madame Giry, to the restrooms. She locked the lady's room door behind her and strolled straight to the sink. She turned the faucet and splashed some cool water on her face, breathing heavily. Christine peered up into the reflection of the mirror and looked into the worn out eyes of the stranger in front of her. She looked up at her hair and realized with a start that her black ribbon was missing. Christine's mind froze in panic. 'The ribbon Father gave me is missing. That was the last gift he gave me before he…' she didn't want to think about it. 'It must've slipped off while playing hide and go seek with Meg,' she told with herself. She quickly dried her face off and ran out into the lobby.
XXX (right after Madame Giry left the girls)
Madame Giry quickly made her way to box five as the note had instructed.
"Antoinette, how lovely to see you once again," a disembodied voice welcomed her sarcastically.
"Erik, I'm not here to play one of your games. What is it you want?" Madame Giry shot back.
Erik folded his arms across his chest and cocked his head to the side to study Madame Giry. She wasn't even facing him, he mused.
"The new brunette ballerina; who is she?" Erik asked already knowing the answer.
"Her name is Christine Daaé. She will be staying in the Opera House from now on"
Erik's heart skipped a beat at the mention of Christine. He quickly found himself again.
"What business does she have in my Opera House?" Erik hissed. "She is terrible. I want her out of here."
"This is not your Opera House," she snapped. "You do not have the power to kick her out. Besides, everyone starts out somewhere. Do you expect everyone to be perfect when they first try something new?"
"I want her OUT!" he yelled through clenched teeth.
"You can't! She is with me. You kick her out, you kick me out," she replied hotly.
"Fine," he snapped. Erik was enraged. He had never been defeated like this. He knew that ballerina instructors like Madame Giry don't come around too often. "You may go," he commanded icily.
XXX
As Christine ran into the theatre, she saw Madame Giry walk down the red steps of box five. Christine waited for her to pass by, and then darted up the stairs into the empty box.
She dropped to her hands and knees to frantically look for the black ribbon.
"What are you doing here, you have no business here!" Erik growled. He threw his voice so that it sounded like he was right next to Christine.
Christine shot up so quick that she bumped her head on the chair with a yelp. She rolled back into a sitting position and rubbed her hands over the sore spot on her head. Her eyes started to water with pain. "I said what are you doing here?" Erik nearly yelled.
"I- I - I-," she started but Erik interrupted.
"You are not allowed in this box," he hissed.
"But I was only looking for my black ribbon," she replied brokenly.
"Leave," he whispered dangerously.
Christine never moved faster in her life. She quickly joined the ballerina's on stage. With a sniff she quickly wiped away the tears on her cheek before anyone could see; only it was too late. Christine looked up to see Giselle giggling with her friends and pointing at her. She quickly scanned the room to see where Madame Giry was, but she was nowhere in sight. Not even Meg was around. She never felt so alone.
"Cry baby, cry baby, cry baby," the girls chanted.
Giselle walked up to Christine. "Are the rumors true?" she said loud enough for all the girls to hear, including the ghost in the rafters. "Are you an orphan," she sneered; the girls giggled. Giselle circled around Christine like a bird circles a fresh carcass. You're father must have died of embarrassment of you. You can't dance for shit! You will never make it in the Opera House. You might as well quit while you're ahead."
All Christine could do was take the blows. She knew if she said something, she would loose control over the tears she was trying so hard to keep in. Giselle stopped in front of Christine. Giselle raised her hand quickly as if to hit Christine, but Christine was too fast. Next thing she knew Christine pushed Giselle as hard as she could. She only stumbled back a few steps. She blinked a few times and then started to laugh. All of Giselle's friends joined her.
"You know what you are, Christine? You are a freak," Giselle hissed.
Christine couldn't take it anymore. She was so upset all she could hear was a rushing noise in her ear. She couldn't take the abuse anymore. She ran; ran as fast as she could to her bedroom. All dignity diminished; nothing she did would make it any better or worse.
A few seconds later, Christine heard girls screaming behind her, but she kept on running.
A/N: Please review. But please don't bash me for not updating in a long time; I already know that you must be mad at me. Trust me, I'm mad at myself.
Anyway let me know what you think of this chapter. I'm curious at how many people read it. I welcome your questions, comments, and queries.
If anyone wants to beta for me, just let me know.
Should I continue with the story?
