Guess what!? Erik is back in this chapter! YAY! Now, a fact about me! I first saw 'The Phantom of the Opera' in music class. I had missed the beginning and I got in trouble a few times for making comments about the movie quietly while as everyone else was talking.

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It had been a week since I last saw Erik. I decided that it would be best for me to just let him be instead of going on a wild goose chase to find him.

Everyone in the Opera house who had auditioned which consisted of around 100 people plus the orchestra, were either on the stage or in the auditorium. The managers were about to announce the who got which role. I stood alone in the back of the auditorium not wanting to be seen by anyone. Christine still hadn't talked to me and somehow she had gotten Meg to shun me as well. I wasn't alone though because loneliness was always with me.

I leaned against the wall in a very unladylike manor. One foot on wall and the other on the ground. My dress was hiked up to my knee of the leg on the wall.

"Ladies and Gentlemen!" The gray haired manager shouted. Talking still filled the vast space. As I believe, I was the only one who miraculously heard him and looked up.

"L-ladies and Gentlemen!" Still no one looked up at the aging managers except for me. I smirked at their annoyance.

Finally Madame Giry stepped onto stage and clanked her cane against the wooden floor. I saw this coming and so I might have been the only person who did not have a near heart attack at the sudden noise. The managers thanked Madame Giry with a slight nod of the head as the elderly woman walked off stage to attend to something else.

"We have here the casting list for this up coming production of Faust!" Firmin said. Everyone clapped and a smile formed on Andre's face as if he had just done something amazing when all he did was stand there like a log.

"We will go through the list starting with the chorus!" Andre shouted. Firmin began to read off some names and I heard Isa's name! She got bumped up to a chorus girl which when looking over at her made her so happy.

"Now the dancers!" Firmin stated loudly and proudly. I came to the conclusion that these managers were a bit cocky and full of themselves.

They began to rattle off the names of ballet dancers. "The lead ballerina for this here Opera will be Miss Meg Giry!" The old one said. Everyone turned to face the blushing ballerina on the stage and clapped.

"The orchestra!" Andre said. He read off about 20 names. Then everyone clapped.

"And now for the major roles!" Most everyone stopped their whispering.

The names went on and on yet still I didn't hear my name. Maybe I wasn't even in it! They can't cast everyone.

"And now for our leads!" The room fell hushed. It was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop…on the carpeted floor. "Faust will be played by none other than Monsieur William Deston!" I looked up from fiddling with my fingers to see a man on the stage smiling a 1000 watt smile and waving to the crowd. I had to admit that he was pretty handsome with his light brown hair and glowing green eyes. I felt a small blush creep onto my cheeks as he waved in my direction.

"And our leading lady Marguerite shall be played by Mademoiselle Ejemmaline Leon!" I froze on the spot as all eyes turned to me. My blush grew a darker share of red as people began to clap for me. I smiled a bit and then sat down in a seat.

Everyone turned to hear what else the managers had to say about the play. I was to lost in thought to listen to them though. Me? The leading female? No way.

The room began to empty out; the ballerinas heading backstage to practice toe point and new dance moves, the chorus heading to a separate room to rehearse new songs and the orchestra playing a light tune in the pit.

I looked down at my average clothing and wondered how I could have landed the lead. The must have been a mistake! I mean, Christine's voice is as her song said. Crystalline. My voice is just plain. Everything about me is plain!

Lost in thought, I was totally oblivious to the fact that the cute boy was walking up to me until he tapped on my shoulder. "Ejemmaline?" My head shot up with surprise. There he was, the boy who made my heart flutter just by him saying my name. My real name.

"It's Jemma." I corrected with a smile.

"My bad Jemma. I'm William." He held out a hand for me to shake. I stood up and shook it. Then we just stood in the middle of the red velvet covered room.

"Hi." I was sure that I was blushing at least a little bit.

"It is a pleasure to meet you Jemma." He still held my hand and he raised it to his lips to lightly kiss my knuckles. I was positive that I was blushing as red as a tomato now. If William noticed, he was doing a damn good job at not saying anything.

"I could say the same."

"Say Jemma, are you new here? I have never seen you around." Well that offended me a bit.

"No. I have been here for about 10 years." I let out a fake laugh.

"Well then I must have been blind for about 10 years to not have caught sight a beauty like you." I smiled as he still held my hand, refusing to let go.

"You are truly to kind William."

"I do try." He smiled his grand smile. "Now Jemma, I will catch you later. I must go attend to some other business." He kissed my knuckles again. "Till later mon cher." William bid me good day and then walked off towards the stage to talk to an orchestra member.

I smiled to myself and glanced over at William. Him and the violin player were talking and laughing and high fiving. The violinist was probably congratulating William on landing the lead role.

I turned my back to the 2 men and walked away to go sit on the roof where the view is amazing.

I walked up many steps and to the roof. The snow rest atop the roof like a cold blanket.. The snow was there, but that didn't mean that today was the coldest of all days. In fact it was just right for me. It was warm, but the chilled breeze is what was nipping at my nose.

I let the door slam shut behind me as I absentmindedly walked around the roof. Coming up here was always so nice because I felt free, one with the wind.

I walked over to the statue that Erik ran up about a week or two ago. I touched the base nimbly with the tip of my fingers and smiled a bit. It faded though when I remembered how Erik ad said goodbye earlier. I would never see him again.

I took a step up and remembering how Erik got up, I placed my feet in the same spots until I was between the wings. I took a seat on one of the wings. So that I was looking over the side of the Opera House. I allowed the wind to whip my hair back in all crazy positions. It felt nice.

"Momma, daddy, I did it. I hope you are proud of me. I am the lead in the Opera. I get to sing my heart out. I am finally following my dreams." I spoke a prayer to my parents out loud since I was alone.

I swallowed a gulp in my throat and continued to speak. "I am always so scared that you would think so little of me because I am just a dancing rat as many say. I wonder if you will be watching the Opera from up above or even if you want to. Momma, daddy, I love you and I hope you love me too."

I sat still for a few minutes just staring at the bustling city of Paris. Everyone had a life with a family and a back story. They were all doing something right now and I was just sitting here.

I sighed and turned to get down as you would on a ladder. Standing backwards. I got to the roof and wiped my hands off on my soft blue dress.

"You should be careful while climbing that." A voice said. I spun around to see Erik. Instead of being mad at him, I smiled like a fool.

"Erik!" I ran up to Erik and wrapped my arms around his neck and my legs around his waist. I rested my head on my neck and felt him stiffen up and take a step back. I didn't care what he did though. This was the loneliest week of my life and I finally had my Erik. Wait, did I really just think that? My Erik?

I pulled my head back to look into his blue eyes. I missed those eyes. "Please don't ever say goodbye again!" I pleaded with him. He still wore a straight face but I could have sworn I saw the edges of his mouth threatening to form a smile. I jumped off of him.

"Yup. Great to see you as well Jemma." He said with sarcasm

I saw that he had one hand behind his back. His right hand. "Is something wrong with your hand Erik?"

"You are a smart one aren't you?" He put his hand in front of his chest and I noticed 2 things. One, his hand was bandaged and two, he held a rose.

"What happened to your hand Erik?" I took his hand in mine and he pulled away wincing.

"That is not important."

"If it caused you to bandage your hand then yes it is."

"No it isn't Jemma. Don't worry about it." Erik rested the back of his left hand on my right cheek.

"Are you alright now at least?" Worry filled my eyes.

"Yes I am."

"Good."

Erik smiled the faintest of smiles and held out his right hand with the right rose. "This is for you. A way of congratulating you on landing the role of Martha." Erik drew his left hand back to his side as I took the flower.

"You aren't giving this to Christine?"

"I have other roses for her. This one is for you." I smiled. "Do you know why I gave you a white rose?"

I shook my head. "No, why?"

"Because a white rose symbolizes purity. An angelic personality." Erik took my arm and spun me around causing me to giggle when I stopped. Erik took the thorn-less rose from my hand and stuck it in my hair.

"How does it look?" I patted my hair.

"Angelic."

I smiled. "Tell me Erik, you give Christine a red rose. Does that have a meaning?"

"Every rose has a meaning ma petite fleur." I smiled at his calling me his little flower. "I give Christine a single dark red rose with out thorns. If you are given a single dark red rose, it means that you have unconscious beauty and that the person that gave it to you loves you. If your rose does not have thorns, it means that the rose giver fell in love with you at first sight."

I felt the rose in my hair. "My rose does not have thorns Erik." I looked at him with my big brown eyes and pushed a strand of loose hair behind my ear.

"I must go now."

My small smile faded. "When will I see you again?"

"I do not know. Goodbye Jemma." he leaned in and kissed me on the cheek. Then he ran inside, cloak brushing against my body.

I had so much to think about now! I stood in my place, cold and frozen like a statue. I rubbed my cheek lightly. Erik kissed my cheek and then left. He also gave me a thorn-less rose which meant love at first sight. I was highly confused.

With the wind whipping me and rain beginning to fall, I began to get cold. I lifted a leg and took my first step since Erik kissed me on the cheek. I then walked to the door. This has been an eventful day.

Wait, Erik said goodbye which as he has proven means I will not be seeing you anymore. He came back last time, but who knows how long it would be until I see him next.

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So, what do you all think of William?