Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Phantom of the Opera

Chapter 17

Phantom Erik was sitting at a piano bench and finished playing something Aubrey couldn't recognize.

"That was beautiful." Aubrey said clapping her hands.

He turned to look at her and sighed. "Well thank you. I see you're in a good mood." Phantom Erik said with a knowing smile.

Aubrey rolled her eyes. "Please Erik. You know why I'm in a good mood. You're my 'guardian angel'." She said with quotations around guardian angel.

"I don't think we will go through this conversation again." Erik said angrily.

"Okay, okay!" She said holding her hands up in surrender. "Well since we are on this topic, why was I the lucky one to get you as my guardian angel? There are tons of girls who would kill to have you visit them in dreams almost every night."

"Because of Erik. It was destined for him to love you, and I don't want to see him end up the same way I did."

The look in Phantom Erik's eyes was enough to bring tears to Aubrey's eyes. She walked over to him and wrapper her arms around him. He seemed to tense up a bit so she pulled away.

"What happened to you Erik?" Aubrey asked him.

"Well you know my story up until Christine left me. She went off and married that childish fop. They were apparently very happy together, but that left me alone and miserable.

"I was forced to leave the only place I had been mildly happy. I left Paris and set out to America to try to live my life as best I could. I had made something of a name for myself at that time, and her mother was looking to set her daughter up with a wealthy man.

"Unfortunately for her it was me that her mother set eyes on. I never did love Iris, but I was happy. Well as happy as I could be with my heart shattered. When she told me she was pregnant, I came so close to killing her. I couldn't stand to know that my disfigurement would be passed, but she gave birth to Samson, and he was perfect, that was all I could ask for.

"I lived only long enough to see Samson get married and have James. That's when the rest of my heart broke into a thousand pieces. I knew then that my curse skipped a generation. Days after James was born I passed on."

Aubrey looked at him and laid a hand on his shoulder. "Thank you for telling me this Erik." Aubrey said softly.

He nodded his head. "Just be good to him Aubrey." He said and turned to look at me. Aubrey could herself in his eyes and she realized that she no longer loved Phantom Erik. It was her Erik that she loved now and smiled.

"Yes, I knew you would eventually get that." He said with a smile.

Aubrey woke from her alarm going off. She sat up and had a smile plastered to her face. It was nice knowing that she didn't love that Erik anymore, and loved the real life Erik. She looked at the poster on her wall. He looked so much like her Erik.

Aubrey got ready for school and had butterflies in her stomach as she saw Erik pull into her driveway. She shouted a goodbye to her parents and rushed out of the house.

When she got into his normal car she leaned over and kissed him.

Once they were at school Aubrey could see that something was different. Her friends were sitting around her and Erik, and even Harry's friends were still sitting with the 'group'.

After minutes of uncomfortable silence Aubrey asked what was up. At that half the group got up and left. Aubrey was perplexed.

"Aubrey, maybe we should talk." Jane whispered to her.

Aubrey nodded her head and turned to Erik. "I'll see you in class okay?"

"Yeah."

Aubrey followed Jane into the girl's bathroom. "Jane, what is it?"

"Well, I didn't have a chance to call you this morning, and you were gone last night. After I got home from your house Ashley called me. She isn't very happy with you."

"What? Why?" Aubrey asked confused.

"It appears that she likes Erik. Well she says she is in love with him, and she has got Dannielle, and Alice on her side. As well as Chad, Alex, and Aaron. Well they are still hurt that you went from Harry to Erik so quickly."

"That's stupid! She was one of the ones who told me to stay away from Erik…oh." Aubrey said as it dawned on her. "She wanted Erik for herself."

Jane nodded her head. "I just thought you ought to know."

Aubrey hugged her. "Thanks Jane. I might talk to her later."

The bell rang and Aubrey and Jane headed to class. They were only a couple doors down from their class so they got there very quickly. Aubrey walked into the class room and gasped.

Ashley had her arms wrapped around Erik with her body pressed up against him. What she was seeing shocked her beyond belief. Ashley's lips were pressed against Erik's.

Aubrey turned around and started to run down the hallway. She could hear some steps behind her. She had reached the end of the corridor when she heard Jane run up next to her out of breath.

She felt a touch on her shoulder and shrugged Jane's hand off.

"Aubrey…I'm so sorry. I don't know what to say." Jane said softly.

"Jane can you take me home?" Aubrey asked her voice thick with emotion.

"Why don't we just go to my house. My parents are both working."

Aubrey nodded her head and headed towards the doors that would lead them outside. The ride to Jane's house was in silence.

When they arrived at Jane's house they went to her bedroom and put in some loud music to distract them.

"I can't believe he would do that to me." Aubrey sobbed into Jane's shoulder somewhere around lunch time.

Jane pulled her into a hug and patted her back. "And you know the worse thing? He told me he loved me last night before I came in."

"Honey, I'm so sorry. Men can be scumbags; I was hoping that Erik was different." Jane said. She turned her head as she heard a car door slam.

"Shit, my parents came home early!" Jane said as she got up to look out of the window. "Oh. Aubrey, it's Erik." She said then Aubrey heard the bell ring.

"Tell him that I don't want to see him." Aubrey said crossing her arms.

Jane left her room and answered the door. Aubrey stood by Jane's bedroom door to hear what Erik and Jane were saying.

"Hi Jane, can you get Aubrey, I know she left with you." Erik said sternly.

"No Erik, Aubrey sand she didn't want to see you." Jane said just as sternly.

"Please Jane. She has to know what happened." Erik said softly.

"What that you decided to ditch her? How could you do that to her Erik? She really cared for you." Jane said.

"What do you mean cared?" He asked sounding hurt.

"Do you expect her to love you after this? You cheated on her! I think it's time you left." She said than slammed the door.

Aubrey could hear him shouting outside, but couldn't make out what he was saying. Jane came back in to a tearful Aubrey.

There was nothing Aubrey wanted to say, and Jane could tell that. They both sat on Jane's bed listening to music. After a while Jane got on the phone.

"Hey girl, what are you doing? Yeah, I didn't feel like staying. Hey, do you want to come over for a bit? I'm totally bored. Okay great. See you soon!" Jane said than hung up.

Aubrey looked at her quizzically. "What was that about?"

"Nothing, but I think you should talk to Ashley." Jane said.

"You mean slap the bitch!" Aubrey shouted.

"No, you need to find out what's going on first." Jane said.

Ten long minutes later Jane and Aubrey could hear Ashley knock on the door. Jane let her in and brought her into the bedroom where Aubrey was waiting.

"How could you do that Ashley?" Aubrey asked her.

"Aubrey, you had your chance to make him happy, and he wasn't so he came running to someone who could."

"I thought we were friends."

"Yeah, we are, but like I said. I only want to make him happy, and he's happy with me." Ashley said.

"Well I hope you two are very happy together." Aubrey said before bursting into tears and walking out of the room.

"Wait, Aubrey don't go!" Jane yelled at her.

Aubrey didn't stop though. She was already out of the house walking towards her own home.

She was halfway there when she heard her name being called. She couldn't tell who it was, but knew it would be Erik and she didn't want to speak to him.

"Hey, where are you going?"

Aubrey rolled her eyes intending to yell at Erik to leave her alone. She didn't see Erik, but a very familiar looking truck. A Luv as a matter of fact.

"Well aren't' you a sight for sore eyes!"

I told you there would be drama...and guess who's back! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Thank you to everyone who reveiwed the last chapter and who added me to their favorite author, or added the story to your favorite lists! That means the world to me.

Desiree'