"Girls." Christine and I both opened our eyes and saw Madame Giry hovering over us.
"Yes?" I asked sleepily.
"You must wake up Jemma." Madame Giry said. She looked over at Christine and said "Stay in bed. You need rest. You were out all night."
"What about Jemma?" Christine asked.
"What about her? She must get up." Madame Giry exclaimed.
"But Madame, she is so tired. She was out all night with me." Christine lied.
Madame Giry looked over at me and saw the sleep in my eyes. I think she knew that I was lying, but I really was tired. "All right Jemma. Stay in bed. But I expect you to be up and ready later tonight. You to Christine."
We both nodded our heads and Madame Giry walked away. We shut our eyes and fell asleep right away.
###########A few hours later##############
"Jemma. Jemma." Christine said in my ear.
"Shhh. I'm sleeping." I said shoeing her away.
"Jemma!" She yelled. She flicked me in the head and I opened my eyes. I looked at Christine's apologetic smile and smiled back. Then I flicked her back. I did sit up though.
"What?" I asked a bit annoyed that I had to wake up from my beauty sleep.
"I want to show you where I went last night." Christine said with a grim smile. I knew what she was talking about so I was forced to swallow down a bit of fear.
"No." I said.
"No?"
"No. I don't want to go." I said.
"C'mon Jem, please? For me? It will be fun." Christine pleaded.
"Ugh! Fine." I grumbled. I stood up and as soon as I did, an outfit was tossed at me. I looked at it and it was a dress. It also wasn't mine.
"Wear it. Madame Giry wont know that it is you because you never wear dresses. And I hope you don't mind, but I am wearing your shirt and tutu and tights. She knows that I don't wear tights." When Christine told me this is noticed just how much she wanted me to go down with her.
"All right, fine. I will go down with you and I will even wear the dress, but don't you dare think that I am-" Before I could finish what I was saying, Christine held up a black ribbon. I smacked my hand to my face and looked down to the ground.
"I am wearing one too Jem." Christine said. She spun around to show me the yellow bow in her hair. It looked beautiful on her.
"Whatever." I said. I slipped off my night wear and Christine helped me put on the black dress that went to my mid thigh and had the smallest of straps to hold the dress up on my shoulders. "I feel stupid." I said as Christine put the bow in my hair.
"But you look beautiful." Christine said to me.
"Wear these." She said handing me a pair of black ballet shoes. I sat down on my cot and put them on my feet. "Are you ready?" Christine asked me.
"Yes." I said. Christine and I walked to the door, opened it, and checked to make sure that no one was around. The coast was clear.
We tip toed down the steps and back behind the stage as carefully as we could without getting caught.
At last we were standing in front of the main dressing room. We peeked through a crack in the door and no one was in there. We crept inside, making sure to shut the door behind us.
"So where is this passage?" I asked as if I didn't already know.
"Right here." Christine said, pushing the mirror aside. When we had both stepped in, she shut the mirror behind us.
"Do you remember the way?" I asked Christine.
She nodded her head and started to walk away from the mirror and down the tunnel. When we got to the staircase, we held onto the side and walked that way so that we didn't fall into any unseen traps.
When we were at the lake, I saw that the boat was gone.
"There was a boat, but I guess he took it back. We are just going to have to walk." Christine said.
"Through the water?" I asked.
"Yes." she said. She took a step into the water and then continued walking in the water. "Are you coming Jemma?" I heard her ask, her voice echoed, bouncing off of the walls.
"Yeah yeah." I said waving my hand in the air even though she couldn't see my gesture. I took a step in to the lake and froze. It was freezing!
"How can you walk in this water without freezing to death?" I asked. I walked along without paying attention to the goose bumps all over my body.
"Did you forget that I lived next to the ocean? I have been in colder water." She said with a chuckle.
I stopped talking and just continued to walk, following in Christine's footsteps. I was freezing to death in this water and wanted so bad to get out of it.
"Here we are." Christine said at last. We stood in front of the gate and looked in. "That's him.' Christine said in a whisper.
I looked in at the Phantom. He was playing the organ, the same song I had played. This time though, it had more notes. Not a whole lot, but I could tell that Erik had improved it.
"I love the sound of this song." I whispered.
"I don't. it's weird and odd sounding. It has an evil touch to it." Christine debated.
I crossed my arms over my chest because I was so cold. I heard my teeth chatter and then a splash of water.
"Don't let him see me. Please Jemma? He is obsessed over me." Christine pleaded, hiding from view.
"Who's there?" Erik asked. His voice was so deep and beautiful that I just felt like I could melt. When he turned around, I gave him a half hearted smile.
"Jemma." He said. He pulled the giant lever and the gate rose. My legs were nearly frozen so I kind of hobbled towards him. He walked into the water and wrapped his arms around my shivering body. I buried my face into his chest as my teeth chattered once again.
"Shhh." He said trying to calm me. He picked me up off of my feet and carried me to land. I looked over his shoulder and saw Christine staring at me with a loving smile. Oh no. Was she thinking that I liked that Phantom? Oh no. I do not. Maybe as a friend, but nothing more. She winked at me and then hid again.
Erik carried me to the swan shaped bed and layer me down in it.
"What are you doing down here? And why are you in a dress that short?" Erik asked me while wrapping me in a nice warm blanket.
"I-I don't know." I said still shaking.
"Were you spying on me?" Erik asked me,
"I most certainly was not!" I shouted angrily. Erik backed up.
"All right, all right." he said. "Forget I even said anything!" He spat in my face. He stood up and stormed away. I cuddled the blanket, pulling it close to my body.
I really didn't mean to be that rude to him. I sat up and heard him smash his hand onto the organ keys. I guess he was angry.
I stood up and walked out to him. I stood behind him and watched. "I'm sorry." I said to him. He harshly turned around and I made eye contact with him. I stared deep into his big beautiful blue eyes. I saw him stare into my dull brown eyes and at that moment, a thought crossed my mind. What was under his mask? What made Christine so scared?
I dropped the blanket to the ground and touched Erik's face. He didn't move. I made my way up to the edge of his mask and without thinking, I quickly grasped the mask with my hand and ripped it off.
A strong hand pushed me to she ground. I looked up and Erik was covering his face. He gleamed down at me. Fire danced I his eyes.
"Damn you! You are nothing but a pest! A dancing rat! You are just a bother! Nothing but! You can never do anything right! You can barely stand on your own 2 feet! You should just go back and live with your parents! No wonder they sent you away! You are nothing but a repulsive child!" His words brought tears to my eyes.
"Here! Take your damn mask!" I yelled, standing up on my feet of which I supposedly can't even stand on. I threw his mask at the ground and stormed off towards the icy water. Tears were streaming down my face.
Before I ran off, I turned around. "And by the way, I would be with my parents right now if I could be, but they're dead!" I shouted. I then turned away and ran through the cold water.
"Jemma wait!" Christine shouted, running after me. "Jemma!"
When I was out of the water, I just sat down waiting for Christine. Tears ran down my cheeks.
"Oh Jemma." I heard Christine say. "Oh Jemma, I'm so sorry I-"
I cut her off. "It's fine." I said standing up. I wiped my tears away and stared at Christine. "We must get back. We have a show to do." I said. I turned around and marched away. I walked up the staircase and down the tunnel, all the while keeping my head held high, and my heart hidden behind a shield or armor.
I waited for Christine before walking through the mirror and into the changing room. We peeked through the same small crack we looked through earlier and we saw that we had a few seconds to make it to the stairs.
We quickly made it up to our room, dried off and then got changed into out costumes. Christine in her Mute boy costume and me in my ballet dress. When we were both ready to leave, we ran to the door. I was about to open it but Christine stopped me.
"Are you sure you are okay?" she asked me.
I nodded my head and opened the door. We hurried down the steps and back stage where we ran into Madame Giry.
"Christine! Are you ready to go on?" Madame Giry asked. She nodded her head and was rushed onto the stage to get in her place. I on the other hand just waited back stage.
While Carlotta sang her parts, I just waited to go on. I always hated waiting. I am really not that patient. I started to tap my foot to keep occupied, but it was kind of hard to block Carlotta's horrid voice from reaching my ears.
"Did I not instruct that Box Five was to be kept empty?" Finally! Something which peeked my interest! Oh. Wait. It's Erik. When everybody turned to look up at him, I just continued to tap my foot.
"He's here, The Phantom of the Opera." Meg sang.
When Christine looked up and saw him I couldn't tell what she was thinking. "It's him." she said.
"Your part is silent, little toad!" Carlotta so rudely said. I wanted to go on stage and just slap that woman.
Carlotta walked off the stage to get some throat spray and then came back. " You cannot speak, but kiss me in my HAGH!"
The audience burst out in laughter and so did I. When we were all controlled, the play continued.
"Poor fool, he makes me laugh. HahahahaHAGH! HAGH! HAGH!?" Carlotta sang. I began laughing so hard.
"She has lost her voice!" someone in the audience shouted. This made me laugh even more.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we apologize, the performance will continue in ten minutes' time... ...when the role of the Countess will be played by Miss Daae. Until then, we will crave your indulgence for a few moments Meanwhile, we'd like to give you the ballet from Act Three of tonight's opera." one of the managers said.
"What?" the maestro questioned.
"Maestro, the b-b-ballet, bring, please The b-ballet The ballet, now, please. Thank you." The short manager said.
I went onto the stage and started to dance. I twirled in circles around the other girls and the sheep. Then out of no where, drops a dead Joseph Bouquet! And right next to me! I let out a loud scream as did everyone else. I looked up and saw a swift movement towards the stairs to the roof.
I cut through the large crowd and ran up to the roof. I knew it was Erik. It had to be. Even if it was, why was I following him? He was a total jerk to me!
I ended up running up the steps right behind Christine and Raoul. They ran to the roof and just as the door was bout to shut, I hurried onto the roof. There I saw a shadow and know who it belonged to. The Phantom.
I quickly hid behind a different statue, one away from Erik. I didn't want him knowing that I was up here. Not yet at least.
"There is no Phantom of the Opera." I heard Raoul sing.
"Raoul, I've been there, to his world of unending night... To a world with the daylight dissolves into darkness... darkness... Raoul, I've seen him! Can I ever forget that sight? Can I ever escape from that face? So distorted, deformed, it was hardly a face in that darkness... Darkness."
As Christine sang that, I felt my heart sink. Erik was too a human! He was just different. And different is good. "Different is good." I mumbled in a very soft whisper to myself.
The next thing that Christine sang was a little nicer. "But his voice filled my spirit with a strange, sweet sound... In that night there was music in my mind... And through music my soul began to soar! And I heard as I'd never heard before."
Raoul tried to tell her that it was just a dream, but Christine debated that it wasn't and only I knew she was telling the truth. Then Raoul started to sing "All I ask of you" to Christine. Then she started to sing it to. Then they were both singing.
"Love me - that's all I ask of you... Anywhere you go let me go too... Love me - that's all I ask of you."
Then, a silence which made me cry for Erik. I peeked out from where I was hiding and saw Raoul and Christine kissing. It was sweet…for them, but Christine had no idea how Erik felt. She thinks it is obsession. I think it is just a man who has madly fallen in love and is stuck in a love triangle and will do anything for the one he loves.
"I must go They'll wonder where I am Come with me, Raoul." Christine sang.
"Christine, I love you" Raoul sincerely said.
"Order your fine horses! Be with them at the door! And soon you'll be beside me! You'll guard me, and you'll guide me." Christine really loved Raoul so much that she would run away from here. How sweet!?
I had tears in my eyes, both joyful ones and sad ones. I looked over at the Phantom and his head was hung low. He was hurt. His heart was broken.
When the door had shut behind Christine and Raoul, I saw Erik walk out from his hiding spot. He knelt down on the ground and I now noticed that he was holding a rose. The rose that Christine was holding. By the looks of it, he had given it to her.
He held the rose to his chest and sang the most sorrow filled words I had heard. "I gave you my music... made your song take wing... and now how you've repaid me: denied me and betrayed me... He was bound to love you when he heard you sing... Christine…"
in the back ground you could hear Raul and Christine singing. "Say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime... say the word and I will follow you... Share each day with me, each night, each morning…" This brought sorrow to my heart.
The Phantom rose from the ground, shaking a bit because of the cold. To be honest, I was freezing too. I was about as cold as when I was walking in the water. If not colder. I paid no attention to my needs though because I was to worried about Erik. He loves Christine with all of his heart and here she is kissing Raoul.
When Erik stood up, I saw a crushed rose stem resting upon the snow covered roof and flower petals around it. I didn't know exactly what he was thinking now, but he was both sad and angry.
Erik ran over to a statue in the far right and jumped up it. "You will curse the day you did not do all that the Phantom asked of you...!" he sang. I stepped out from behind my statue. I just stood there with tears streaming down my face. I bit my lip to keep from sobbing uncontrollably.
When Erik climbed down, he turned around to leave. Then, he saw me. "Jemma. What are you doing here?" He asked kind of angrily. I understood that he was mad, so I paid no attention to his tone of voice.
I said nothing back. Instead, I ran up to him and wrapped my arms around his neck. And let my tears fall onto his shoulder.
"Wh-" I don't think he was used to being hugged, so this might have been a little awkward for him.
"Oh Erik." I mumbled.
I felt a quick pat on my back, but then that pat turned into a hug. I think I was even surprised.
When I let go of him, I backed up. He saw that I was crying and he lifted a finger. I didn't flinch at all this time. He moved his gloved hand closer to my face and he wiped away my still falling tears.
I then decided to sit down. The snow was so cold that it numbed my bottom. Erik sat down next to me and looked over at me.
"Are you not still mad?" He asked knowing that I knew what he was talking about.
"No." I stated through my slow falling tears.
"Why?"
"B-because. Fr-friends f-forgive each other.." I said with a half hearted smile. I was shaking because of how cold I was. I guess Erik noticed because he reached behind him and took of his beautiful cape. He swung an arm around me and draped my shoulders with it. He then pulled me into a hug.
My head was now buried in his warm chest. With his hand rubbing my back in an attempt to warm my back, I heard him say something.
"I'm your friend?" He asked.
I looked up at the Phantom, right into his beautiful blue eyes. "Well…yeah, I guess so." I said. "Am I your friend?"
He looked down into my eyes. "Um…I have never really had a friend."
"Well then…consider me your first" I said sweetly. My tears had stopped and I was a little warmer. I sniffled because of the coldness. Then I shivered again.
"Come. We must get you in." Erik said. He picked me up in his arms and stood up. With his cape still around my arms, I pulled it closer to my chest so that I would be warmer. I nudged my head into the crook of his arm and he froze.
"What's wrong?" I asked.
"Oh uh…nothing. Nothing at all." He said. He opened the door and walked in.
He was so warm. I just wanted to fall asleep in his arms. So that is exactly what I did. I shut my eyes and let darkness slip over my eyes as I quickly fell asleep.