Phantom of the Opera 1. New School

Hello people! This is a completly different story than the original Angels Belong Together, but with the same title because I like it. For those of you that read my other stories; I have deleted White's Journey. Too much going on, and I only want to have three long stories being worked on at a time. Sorry to disapoint. (I do not think I spelled that right).

Anyway summary: When Christine Daae decides to sing again, she attracts the attention of the Angel of Music. All is well, until he starts to act possessive and frightening. Can these two lost souls love each other?

VERY innocent Christine (You will see later on)

Creepy and dark Erik

Here we go, I hope you enjoy it, I am horrid at making summaries and I don't own Phantom!

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><p>Fourteen-year-old Christine smiled softly as she walked up to her new high school. Ever since she could remember, she had been home-schooled. She wanted to go to public school when her father died, but her guardian, Mrs. Valerius, would not hear any of it. "Mama Valerius" was a deeply religious elderly lady and wanted the best for Christine, so she hired a tutor for her young charge. Unfortunately, for four painful years, Christine hated the man. He just wasn't the teacher her father was. Finally, over the summer Christine convinced her to enroll in the local school.<p>

Christine was feeling a rush of excitement and nervousness. According to what her guidance counselor said, she would be thrown into the sophomore class. The only person she knew was her friend, Meg Giry. She was quite young, not having a birthday until December, but she still made the cut-off.

As she entered Chester High School, she felt many eyes on her. She touched her blonde hair soothingly, and went over to her friend.

Christine could tell that Meg had many friends and admirers around the school. It wasn't that she was gorgeous, but of her fun-loving and bubbly personality. She had long black hair and eyes to match.

Meg's eyes sparkled with happiness. She ran over to Christine, "Oh, Christine you're here!" She pulled the shy girl over to the crowd she was talking to.

She said to them, "Guys, this is Christine Daaé! Christine this is Jamie, Sara, Lucy and Maddie." As Christine looked at the girls, she suddenly felt self-conscious. She didn't wear any makeup, and her clothes were ordinary. Jamie was very small, and was wearing a very expensive-looking dress. Lucy and Maddie were twins, and both had designer makeup and beautiful brown hair. Sara had an expensive low-cut sweater. She felt very out of place, having done nothing with her hair, and wearing her simple t-shirt with jeans.

Christine said timidly, "Hello." The girls seemed to be judging her based on what she looked like. Mama Valerius had barely been able to afford for her to be home-schooled, and they were defiantly not rich like these girls.

The girls said a half-hearted hi, and continued to talk to Meg. Not wanting to intrude, Christine went to find her locker. She finally arrived at 45A. She was quite excited to have her own locker, and it only took a few tries to open it. She glanced at her schedule, to see that first block was Algebra 2 H and groaned. During the summer, she took tests to see if she could get into AP. She didn't know how she passed any of them, with the horrible tutor she had.

Christine stepped into the Algebra room to see the class staring at her. It wasn't her fault that she was late. She got lost and didn't want to look like an idiot. Too late.

The teacher, Miss Townshend called, "Hello Miss Daaé." She gave Christine a genuine smile of understanding. Christine couldn't help but smile back.

Miss Townshend turned to the class, "Guys, this is Christine Daaé. She just transferred here after being home-schooled."

She then said to Christine, "Do you have anything to share about yourself?" Christine's smile fell. She hated when teachers did this in movies, and now it was real. It you didn't answer, you were a jerk, and if you did, it should be something interesting.

She cleared her throat, "Well… my Dad was originally from Sweden. He came to New York to get a better life." Christine didn't say anything else. There was only one thing about herself that she found interesting. Christine used to love to sing, but when her father died, so did her song. She hurriedly sat down in the first empty seat she laid eyes on. Meg was not in this class, so she had to stick to herself.

The rest of the day passed in a blur. Since Christine thought about her father, familiar sadness crept up again. Throughout the day, her eyes threatened to spill tears, and it took all her strength not to cry. Her father would always play the violin as she sang. They were the greatest team. Before she knew it, the day was over, and she got back on the school bus.

When Christine arrived back home, Mama Valerius had a plate of cookies waiting for her.

She scolded her guardian as she took one, "Mama, you shouldn't have." Christine remembered when she came up with the cute pet name. Christine's mother died when she was two, and Mama Valerius was their kind neighbor. She came around a lot to help her father, and the nickname just happened.

Mama Valerius replied, "Oh, it's alright Christine. You know how much I love cooking." It was true. Even at the age of 80, she was still cooking dinner, even though Christine offered to do it.

Her guardian inquired about her day, and Christine gave her a satisfactory recollection. She described how Meg was in all, but one of her classes.

At one instance, Mama Valerius interrupted, "Christine, I think you should start singing again. You were really good." Christine sighed, for her guardian almost always brought this up after a long conversation.

"I can't. That stopped when I was ten." She used this as an excuse, each time they talked about it, and usually Valerius would give up.

Today, however she replied, "Your father would have wanted you to continue on Christine." With that, Mama Valerius walked off to catch her television program, leaving Christine to ponder, and start her homework.

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><p>A man walked through the darkening streets. He fixed his green, wise eyes on a theatre, but continued. The man was from Iran and getting older. He stopped for a moment to catch his breath. The years were finally catching up with him. The Iranian was supposed to meet a criminal here in Chester, who knew about the string of murders back in New York City.<p>

"Mr. Nadir Khan?"

Nadir flinched as he heard his name. He really didn't want to die before he figured things out. Khan turned to see the man he met in the city.

He asked, "So, what do you have for me?"

The criminal threw a file down at his feet. Apparently, he was well connected to things like that.

He said to Nadir, "Don't know why you need these. All strangled to death though. And thanks for the large pay." Nadir nodded and picked up the file. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the movement of a shadow. He knew too well, what this shadow was.

He backed up and said to the criminal, "I would suggest you leave."

He waved a carefree hand, "No, I'm going to have a smoke." Nadir could stay no longer or he'd be in big trouble. He felt the familiar chill against his neck. He relayed his advice once more, before practically running out of there.

The next day, the paper talked about the criminal's death.

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><p>Hope you guys enjoyed it. Let me know what you guys think, and how I can improve. Personally, I think descriptions are the hardest. By the way: I like the 1989 version of Phantom. Anyone else? Robert Englund is just so awesome in that movie!<p> 


	2. The Angel Of Music

Hey guys! I got the next chapter! I made up a last name for Carlotta. Tell me if you think this chapter was too rushed. Always open to criticism! Thanks! I made up the theatre name as well.

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><p>Christine awoke the following Friday morning, ready for another day at her new school. She was quite glad that school was only two days this week, because it gave her time to adjust. After taking a quick shower and pulling her hair up into a ponytail, she walked down the stairs to eat breakfast with Mama Valerius.<p>

She gave her a quick kiss on the cheek, "Morning Mama." Valerius smiled back at Christine and looked at her newspaper. While Christine was pouring her cereal, she heard Valerius gasp.

Valerius called to her, "Christine, listen to this!" She focused her gaze on a section in the paper. She read aloud, "Last night, authorities found the body of a middle-aged man in Chester. The man was identified as 41 year-old Joseph Buquet. Police have determined the cause of death was strangulation, and currently no suspects have been named." There was more on the article, but she decided to stop there.

Christine covered her mouth, "Oh no. That poor man!" Mama Valerius nodded in agreement.

She eyed Chrisitne, "I don't want you going out at night by yourself, alright?" Christine understood. Nearly all of her guardian's relatives were either dead, or too far away. Christine was the only one left in her life.

She hugged Valerius, "Don't worry, Mama. I won't go out." The rest of breakfast was silent. Christine never understood how someone could take someone else's life. It was rather frightening.

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><p>As Christine's last class of the day ended, she had plans to immediately head home. Unfortunately, plans do not always work. As she was getting her books from her locker, Meg ran up behind her.<p>

She put her hands on her hips and said, "Okay Chris, I've decided. You're coming with me to Boyd's Theatre, and seeing our rehearsal!" Christine knew how involved Meg and her mother were in the theatre. Meg was one of the best dancers she had ever seen, and Mrs. Giry was the choreographer. They were always trying to bring her into it, but she had always refused.

Christine finished putting her books into her bag. She replied, "Meg, you know the answer, I can't."

"You can't or you won't?" she raised an eyebrow, "You just have to get over your dad's death Christine. If you don't, it will destroy you!" In all honesty, Christine wanted to sing and act. She had thought about what Mama Valerius had said, and she was ashamed. Her father would be so disappointed in her.

Biting her lip she replied, "Okay…fine. But I will not get involved; I just want to support you." Meg squealed with joy. She had finally broken her friend down. Christine asked to use Meg's cell phone, so she could tell her guardian.

While Christine was waiting for Valerius to pick up, Meg said, "Christine, I know you love Les Misérables. This is our last week of rehearsals and the show is next Saturday. You are coming right?"

Christine nodded. Finally, Valerius picked up. Christine said, "Mama Valerius?"

Her guardian seemed a little worried, "Christine? What is it? What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong. Meg just asked me to watch their Les Misérables rehearsal. I was wondering if I could go?" Mama Valerius sounded so pleased. She congratulated her on making that choice, and was just nervous about how she would return home. After Christine told her that Mrs. Giry could give her a ride, she agreed.

The two girls walked out to Mrs. Giry's car. Apparently, she already knew that Christine was coming. Mrs. Giry was a small lady, much like her daughter. She had the same black hair and eyes. However, Christine knew that she made up for it with her fiery temper and strict personality. Nevertheless, she loved the woman, for she was always kind to her.

Mrs. Giry smiled, "Hello Christine. It feels like I haven't seen you in a while."

She nodded, "Yeah, it has been a while Mrs. Giry." The woman waved a hand and told Christine once again to call her by her first name; Antoinette. Christine always liked to be polite and was raised to never call adults by their first name. However, in this case, she conceded.

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><p>When they arrived at the theatre, Christine felt the odd sensation of being watched. She looked around in all directions, only to see nothing. She shrugged it off and followed her companions into the theatre. Boyd's Theatre was build in the mid-1800s. Even today, it was still popular. Meg and Mrs. Giry seemed delighted to give her the tour. She met many people, and the directors seemed nice.<p>

They came back to the stage to see a red-headed woman singing. Meg explained that she was Carlotta Gutierrez, who was cast as Fantine. The woman was in her mid-20's and her singing…wasn't the greatest. Even Christine, who was not very judgmental, winced.

Meg noticed and laughed, "Good singer huh? The only reason the directors keep her around, is that she was famous back in Spain, and they like the publicity." Soon enough, it was a break. Meg gathered with the other dancers. She was one of the youngest.

Christine awkwardly sat by them, not saying anything. The dancers laughed and left her out of the conversation.

One of them said, "Someday, I would love to sing, although I'm not good enough."

Meg's eyes widened, "That reminds me!" she turned to Christine, "Tell them the Angel of Music story, Christine. It's so inspirational!" Suddenly, all the eyes of the dancers were on Christine.

She gulped, "I don't know Meg." At that moment, Meg used her deadliest weapon against Christine; her puppy dog eyes. They both knew it always worked. Christine resignedly nodded, while no one noticed a shadow intently listening.

She started, "This was a tale my father told me. There once was a little girl named Little Lottie. Her hair was as gold as the sun, and her eyes were as blue as the sky." The dancers seemed to be enjoying the story, even though some of them were older than Carlotta. It was such a sweet story, but Christine knew she had to leave out the promise her dad made to her. That was way too personal.

She continued, "She was kind to her doll, took care of her frock and shoes, but she loved to sleep in her bed, because she heard the Angel of Music in her head." Now the audience grew a little bit bigger, with some cast members and even one of the directors.

"Every great musician is visited by the Angel at least once in their life. In the case of Lottie, sometimes the Angel would visit babies in their crib, and that is how child prodigies come along. And sometimes, the Angel would come later if the children were naughty." By now her listeners were completely enthralled. Christine was surprised that they would care so much about a little story, but she kept telling it.

"No one sees the Angel, for he cannot be seen. But, he often visits when musicians are sad and discouraged. You will know when the Angel visits you, because he has the most divine voice. And the people who he visits, will sing or play like no other."

Christine finished, to see them all smiling. She smiled back at them.

One of them said, "Wow…that was amazing. Your father was quite the storyteller." Christine did not think it was a story at all. She truly believed there was an Angel. When her dad was dying, he promised her he'd send the Angel to her. Only Mama Valerius and Meg knew about that. Meg didn't say anything to the rest of the group, like the good friend she was.

The director who was listening called out, "Alright everyone! Let's get back to work!" Christine watched as everyone except her went off to rehearse.

When the girl who was playing Èponine, started to sing, "On my Own," Christine found herself softly humming. She decided she needed to sing again, for her father. She softly started singing with the singer. No one could hear her, so she was safe. At least, she thought she was alone.

As the song finished, Christine was on the verge of tears. Even though, she hadn't sung in so many years, her voice certainly still had some beauty. She hadn't felt this close to her father since he died. Christine ran the ladies restroom, so no one could see her cry.

After, she had wiped her eyes dry; she walked over to the water fountain. As she bent her head down to get a drink, a voice called out to her. She froze, and looked around. No one was in the hallway. She stood there for a moment, wondering if she had imagined it.

It called out again, "Christine…" Her eyes widened.

She hesitantly asked, "Hello? Who are you?" She heard the most beautiful chuckle.

"My child, do you not know who I am?" His voice was almost hypnotizing, and Christine knew exactly who it was.

Her eyes lit up in wonder, and she smiled, "Are you the Angel of Music?"

There was a moment's pause before the voice called back, "Of course."

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><p>Oh no! A cliffhanger! I do like those, but I suppose you guys do not. Just so you guys know, I'm not familar with Les Mis, only from the stuff my friends tell me and the stuff I looked up. I really want to see it, though. Hope you enjoyed it.<p> 


	3. Understandings

Hello guys! I felt like updating again! This is my favorite chapter so far. Carlotta was really fun to write. And I think you guys are going to love Nadir's scene. I gave the directors more modern, American names:

Armand Moncharmin: Mr. Montgomery

Firmin Richard: Mr. Richardson (These two are mentioned later in the chapter)

Carlotta says a couple of words in Spanish. At the end of the chapter, there are translations. Hope you enjoy it.

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><p>Christine just stood there, in complete wonder and shock. All of her prayers and dreams were answered in that simple response. Her father was still looking out for her! He did send her the Angel! More tears trickled down her face, even though she had just stopped crying. But unlike before, these were tears of joy.<p>

Christine felt very unworthy to be in this heavenly being's presence. Not knowing what to do, the girl got on her knees.

She said, "Angel! My father sent you to me after all these years?" She wanted to be absolutely sure. She couldn't believe this was happening to her. This was a gift like no other.

"Why yes. I was just talking with him before I came to Earth. He says he is disappointed with you. He wanted you to always sing." Christine immediately felt horrified. How could she let this happen?

She threw her whole body on the floor. She cried out, "Oh Daddy, I'm so sorry! Please forgive me!"

The Angel replied in a comforting tone, "Hush, little one. Your father will forgive you, but only if you devote yourself completely to music. In fact, your singing was what drew me down here." Christine felt a new energy circulating throughout her body. Whatever it took to make her father proud again, she would do it.

She nodded, "I will. I will not disappoint him again." She then paused for a moment, and then hesitantly asked, "If you ever see him again, will you tell him that I love him?"

"Yes, I most certainly will. You see Christine, even Angels need rest. I go back to Heaven every once in a while, and I will tell him when I do." Christine felt so relieved, she sighed in happiness.

The Angel suddenly took on a tone of warning, "But, if you do not devote yourself, I will have to go back to Heaven for good… I cannot have any unworthy pupils. Do you understand?" Christine eagerly shook her head. She could never lose her Angel, or she wouldn't know what to do. She had been waiting for this moment ever since she heard the tale about Little Lottie. It only intensified after her dad's death.

He continued to speak, "Very good. Now, the rehearsal is about to be over. I suggest we start your lessons tomorrow."

Christine smiled, "Yes! But, where and when should we practice?"

"Go into that door by your right." Christine obeyed and found herself looking in a dressing room. She could clearly tell it was unused, considering there were no clothes and a lot of spider webs. However, that didn't dissuade Christine. She could always clean it herself, if she had to.

The Angel called to her, "Yes, it is a little…unclean, but no one comes in here, so we should use this." He was silent before he continued, "Would around seven every night, be good for you?" Christine felt herself a little nervous. Seven every night was a little demanding. She had schoolwork to do, and Mama Valerius specifically asked her to not go out for awhile. There were so many problems with that.

Christine knew her answer, "…Yes that's fine." She certainly couldn't refuse an Angel. Compared to her life, she bet that he had it a lot worse. Coming down from Heaven was probably very difficult. And what did she have to do? All she had to do was show up and sing. He also had to teach her.

"Good. Now, before you depart I have to say one more thing. You must tell no one about our meetings."

She timidly replied, "Oh, but why not? Can I at least tell my guardian? She will love the news, for she is the most Christian lady you will ever meet! She even goes to church every Sunday Angel! And she's 80 years old…"

He interrupted, "Yes… that should do… Christine you may tell this guardian of yours. But, no else, is that clear?"

"Oh yes! You won't be sorry! I'll see you tomorrow!" Christine happily ran off, hearing a faint goodbye from her Angel.

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><p>When Christine returned to the stage, she had the biggest smile that seemed to be permanently stuck on her face. The cast seemed to be just finishing up. She was in such a daze, that she didn't watch where she was walking. She walked straight into Carlotta Gutierrez.<p>

Apparently, she was not just a bad singer, but she also had a temper. She yelled at Christine, "Watch where you are going, _pequeña mocosa_!" Christine didn't know what that meant, since she took French, but she figured it was an insult.

She stepped out of the red-haired woman's way, "I'm sorry, I-I didn't see you there!"

Carlotta rolled her eyes, "Whose bright idea was it to being children in here? They do not belong in theatre!" She walked past Christine, who had an expression of shock on her face. She wasn't that much younger than Meg!

Before Christine could move, she heard Carlotta cry out in despair. She turned around to see Carlotta raving with anger and frustration.

"Alright! Which one of you people stole my hairbrush! That hairbrush was from _mi abuela_ back in Spain!" The directors hurried over to the flustered lady, trying to calm her down.

Meg walked over to Christine and whispered, "Maybe the Phantom stole her hairbrush."

Christine asked, "Who's the Phantom?" For a second, she thought she saw Mrs. Giry giving Meg a strict look.

Meg waved a hand, "Oh, it's just a little story around the theatre. Whenever something goes wrong or missing, we blame the Phantom." She noticed Meg's gaze switched to her mother. Meg only started talking again when Mrs. Giry turned away.

She said even quieter, "Yeah, but I've heard rumors about the directors getting notes on what musicals or plays to perform. Sometimes, money goes missing too. But whenever they don't obey, something bad happens." Christine was truly afraid now. A Phantom? What if this Phantom hurt her Angel in some way?

"What do you mean?" Meg proceeded to tell Christine what happened when the last director received a letter from the Phantom to perform Madame Butterfly. It happened about a month ago, and he refused to do it. Later, Mrs. Giry found him half-insane, raving about "death," "golden eyes," and a "skull."

Christine shivered, "Oh! That's awful!"

Meg nodded, "Yeah, and that's how Mr. Montgomery and Mr. Richardson became the directors."

Before Meg could tell Christine any more of the Phantom, Mrs. Giry walked up to them, "Girls, are you ready to leave?" They both agreed, and Christine could not wait to tell Valerius about her encounter.

She practically ran into the house. It was almost 8:30, which meant Mama Valerius would be heading to bed soon. Surprisingly, she wasn't even in her nightclothes.

Valerius spoke first, "Christine, I was waiting for you! How did it go?"

"It went great Mama!" Her smile got even bigger than before.

Her guardian laughed, "Why the big smile?"

Christine said with excitement, "Mama…I meant the Angel of Music! He really is a divine voice! He said I could tell you about him. He said Daddy sent him to me!" If possible, Mama Valerius had an even larger smile than she did. Tears started to form in her eyes.

She stammered out, "Christine…this is a miracle! Your Angel did come to you! Are you going to sing?"

"Yes!" Both of them hugged, while Christine went into detail about her meeting.

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><p>Nadir Khan was having the worst day of his life. He had absolutely no idea of what to do next. He had read over the files the criminal had given him, and that had confirmed his suspicions. His old friend was most defiantly behind the murders.<p>

Those murders happened about five years ago. When he heard of them from France, he decided to come to America. He had been tracking _him_ ever since. He had not expected for him to come to a small place like Chester, New York. For a little while, the Iranian had even thought he left America. He had almost given up hope, until he met people of the criminal underground.

They were extremely helpful, and it gave him renewed hope. He spent a year of his life, trying to find the right man. He found that man in Joseph Buquet. Joseph tipped him off to this tiny town, and said he would give him helpful files. And now, the man was dead because of it.

Even after all of that, he wondered what his next move should be. The aging man sighed, as he closed the files once again. Strangulation with a lasso was his friend's best way to kill. It also happened to be his favorite. Nadir had seen that way too many times before.

Suddenly, his cell phone rang.

As Nadir was still not used to the sound, it made the poor man jump. Before he came to Chester, he invested in getting one, for it was a better way for getting information.

Recovering, he picked it up, "Hello?"

There was silence on the other line before a voice said, "Hello, old friend." Khan almost dropped his phone. Once again, that voice made him shiver. He was instantly ashamed of himself. He had to show no fear.

He replied, "Erik?"

"Of course it is me, you imbecile! Sometimes Nadir, I seriously doubt your intelligence." He would not allow Erik to take satisfaction from insulting him.

"Erik, what are you doing?"

Erik chuckled, "I could ask the same question. Is it impossible for you to stay out of my business? I trust you enjoyed the files that Joseph gave you?"

"Erik, this has to stop. Remember, I helped you! Why must you murder? You have so much more to offer Erik! I believe I recall telling you that back in Iran!"

"Nadir, I will not converse much longer. This is my last warning; stay out of my business." Nadir recognized that tone. He was not to be provoked now, but he had to stop him.

"No, please Erik, stop this madness! If you don't, I will have to!" Nadir tried to make his tone sound a little more courageous than he felt, but he heard Erik cackle on the other line.

"Bravery does not work for you, friend. Pray this is our last conversation. Remember my warning." With that, the phone went dead.

Nadir needed to figure things out, and fast. He could not allow any more deaths.

He sighed aloud and said, "Allah, help me."

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><p><em>Pequena Mocosa: Little brat <em>

_Mi abuela: My grandmother _

Poor Nadir! He tries so hard. And Erik is quite good at deception. I hope you guys enjoyed it!


	4. The First Lesson

Hello everyone! To get back on track, this is a quick chapter! I hope you enjoy it! By the way, anyone else have the most amazing time ever yesterday during Phantom 25? So happy! :)

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><p>All day, Christine was eagerly waiting for seven to come around. Since the cast of Les Misérables had a late rehearsal from six to ten at night, all she had to do was ask Mrs. Giry if she could come along again. Christine told her first lie that day. She told Antoinette that she was very interested in the rehearsal, and she would love to watch again.<p>

Meg's mother was instantly proud. Christine felt a little guilty at deceiving her, but she would do anything to get to her Angel. Of course, all situations would not work out like this. Mama Valerius was still worried about the murder of Joseph Buquet, and didn't want Christine out at night alone. She would have to find a way to convince her guardian. After all, the theatre wasn't that far from her house.

Christine was currently sitting on her bed, watching with the clock with agitation. It was only 2:30 in the afternoon, and Christine didn't know what else to do. She nervously drank her forth bottle of water that day. She remembered hearing that water was very good in the preparation of singing. She vaguely wondered how she would sneak away from the rehearsal, in order to get to the Angel of Music. Music lessons were not just a few minutes.

She shrugged it off and looked around her room in a bored manner. Her room was not the biggest of rooms. In fact, it was quite small. Her bed was of normal size, and it had a pretty, light blue bedspread. Next to her bed, there was a wooden bookshelf, which housed many classic books. Her carpeted floor was a pale, rose color, and the walls were painted white. What Christine loved the most, was her antique, wooden desk. Mama managed to buy it for her at a garage sale once. It wasn't much, but it was home to Christine.

As six finally came around, Christine was sitting by the window of the main room. As she watched for the black SUV of Mrs. Giry, Christine fondly touched the silver cross around her neck. As she had grown up with Mama Valerius, Christine was taught to be very religious; which she was. Unlike many young people, Christine went to church every Sunday, and avidly prayed. When she committed a sin, she would go to confession.

Every time she did this, she asked for Father McClain as her priest. David McClain was the head priest of Christine's church. The girl trusted him with her soul, and they got along very well. She wondered if her Angel would let her tell him about their meetings. There was no doubt that McClain would be ecstatic to learn that she had visited by an Angel of God.

Finally, Mrs. Giry pulled her car into the driveway.

Christine called out, "Bye Mama! See you tonight!" Without hearing Valerius' reply, the excited girl sprinted to the SUV.

As the full-rehearsal started, Christine looked anxiously at the wall clock. She still had about 40 more minutes until her lesson, and it was killing the poor girl. After sitting there for about 10 more minutes, she decided she was going to go to the designated room early. She was about to exit into the hallway, when Mrs. Giry stepped in her path.

She smiled, "Where are you going?"

Christine hated lying. On Sunday, she would defiantly go to confession. She hesitantly said, "To the bathroom."

Mrs. Giry eyed her suspiciously. She was a clever lady, and Christine thought she would question her further. Suddenly, Antoinette's eyes widened, and she immediately seemed alert.

"Alright. Go ahead Christine. I have to go." With that, she disappeared backstage, and Christine went to find the room. What she didn't know was that a mysterious, persuasive voice managed to convince Antoinette to cover for Christine.

When Christine arrived in the dressing room, she was shocked to see it had been cleaned. There were no spider webs in sight, and the room seemed to be slightly warmer than the last time. She wondered if her Angel managed to do this for her.

Her Angel called out, "A little early Christine?" His tone was somewhat humorous and amiable.

She smiled shyly, "Well yes, if that's alright."

"Of course, my dear child. You must be eager, yes?"

Christine enthusiastically nodded her head, "Oh yeah! I'm ready to sing when you want me to." Her Angel instructed her to warm up by going up and down the scale.

However, before the girl could even utter a sound the Angel yelled, "No! That will not do! Look at your posture Christine! It is absolutely horrendous! Stand up straight, girl!" His sudden angry voice caused Christine to be quite startled. She thought that Angels were supposed to be patient and constructive.

Christine didn't learn well at all when people yelled at her. And that is exactly what this lesson consisted of. All he did was scream at her. He would tell her to repeat a note over and over again. She was getting rather agitated.

Just when Christine was about to cry from frustration he stopped her.

He said coldly, "That is enough for tonight. You are worse off than I expected." He must have seen the depressed look on her face and spoke in a gentler tone, "But do not fret. We shall correct this. Be prepared next time, to actually sing." Christine looked over at a clock and found it was almost 9:30. She had been practicing the scale for hours!

She feebly nodded, feeling weak and tired from the lesson.

It seemed her demanding Angel took pity on her. He offered, "Make sure you drink plenty of water…You may go Christine."

Christine suddenly remembered something and hurriedly said, "Oh wait! Mama Valerius was worried about a murder that happened recently. How will I get here if the Girys can't give me a ride? She doesn't want me out alone at night."

There was silence for a moment, and Christine wondered if her Angel had left already.

Finally he replied, "…You are never alone. Tell your guardian that I will protect you." Christine marveled at his divine words and left to go back to the stage.

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><p>Short... but it's still only the beginning. Hope you like it! :) In April, we are going to see Phantom in Las Vegas. (Don't know if I already told you guys or not) Why can't it come faster?<p> 


	5. Just a Monday Gym Class

Hello! Just a filler chapter to get back into it. I added my own little twist though! I think you'll like it. I was in Las Vegas and Long Beach during Spring Break, and it was awesome! My favorite was seeing POTO at the Venetian! We sat right underneath the chandelier! It was just amazing! Only down side: Really tired:) Hope you like this chapter. Little bit of time lapse; about one week.

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><p>"Christine…Christine… Christine!"<p>

Christine sharply lifted her head off her desk to see the concerned face of Meg. She looked around and found herself to be in history class. It was not that she didn't like history, but the fact that she was so tired. All last week she had practiced with her Angel, and it was the hardest period of her life. He had demanded perfection from her, and Christine couldn't give that yet. What really surprised her, was the temper of the Angel of Music. She had thought that Angels were supposed to be gentle and timid. She closed her eyes, as she thought of the worse one that took place just yesterday.

"_No you wretched girl! You are not even trying!" Christine shivered under the criticism of her Angel. She was trying! They were practicing "On my Own."Before this lesson, it was one of Christine's favorite songs. Now, she almost hated it. _

_She timidly said, "I am really trying, Angel." Today was Sunday, and she had school tomorrow. Christine glanced at the clock, and saw it was getting late. She hadn't even done her weekend homework yet!_

_The room seemed to drop in temperature. The Angel coldly said, "I see. You want the lesson to end, hmm? Well, far be it from me to stop you. I will just find another pupil more deserving of my presence. Or, maybe I will go back to Heaven. Would you like that Christine?" Christine cried out, and fell on her knees, begging her Angel not to leave. He couldn't leave her! He was her only connection to her father! _

"_No! Please stay! I'm so sorry! I'll try harder, I promise! Don't go!" Christine waited, but no voice came. She sunk to the floor, sobbing. She had just lost her Angel! And so soon! _

_Finally, he spoke up, "Good, you wish to continue. Do not disappoint me, Christine. From the top!" Christine barely had enough time to open her mouth, before the music started playing. _

As Christine opened her eyes again, she thought of the music. Her Angel did not just sing, but he also played music. It was the best she had ever heard. During the second lesson, she had asked where it was coming from. He had replied that it was the divine music of Heaven that would accompany her every time she had sung for him. Christine was amazed.

As she glanced at Meg, she realized that her friend was exhausted as well. Before the last dreaded lesson, she had attended their production. Carlotta threw a tantrum half-way through, but that was the only problem. Meg had danced flawlessly, and Christine had a great time. Even though her teacher was demanding, Christine found herself anxiously awaiting tonight.

Meg said, "Feeling tired Christine?" Christine nodded her head, and Meg gave her a sympathetic look. As her best friend, Meg knew when something was wrong, but kindly didn't inquire about it. When Christine gave a yawn, she knew she would have to adjust her schedule somehow. It was only the third week of school and she was falling asleep!

Suddenly, their teacher Mr. Harrison spoke up, "Meghan, Christine, would you care to point out the differences between the Neolithic and Paleolithic Eras?" Both girls quickly shook their heads. He continued, "Then stop your chattering about boys and pay attention." All the rest of the kids burst out laughing, while Christine and Meg blushed.

Finally, the bell rang, and both girls went to their next class; Gym. Christine groaned as she opened her gym locker. She had no athletic bone in her entire body, and she hated getting sweaty. Meg on the other hand, loved exercising since she was a dancer. Physical Education was her highest grade. Christine quickly dressed into her shirt and shorts, and waited for the class to start.

When the role call was finished, the girls joined the boys inside the gym. Today's class was co-ed. Christine was told that the male coach retired, and today they would see their new coach. Most of the kids were saddened by this, because they loved their old coach. Christine wondered who it would be.

The female coach had short, brown hair, and wore a baggy track suit. Her name was Coach Peterson. All eyes turned towards the door that was just opened. An older man walked in, and many of the girls sighed. They were hoping for someone younger. Some people giggled at his appearance. He was a Middle Eastern man, and wore a turban-like cap and running clothes. His green eyes studied all the kids.

One of the boys beside her whispered to his friend, "Maybe he'll teach us how to make bombs." Both boys laughed, and one suggested putting it on Facebook. The boy quickly got on his phone. Christine was horrified by the racial comment. That was awful! But what did that boy mean by Facebook?

She elbowed Meg, "What's Facebook?" Meg and some others just stared at her. Christine knew immediately that she shouldn't have asked that.

Meg giggled nervously, "Good joke Christine." When Christine didn't crack a smile, Meg frowned. She said, "Christine, you are kidding, right?"

She shook her head, "No."

Meg smacked Christine playfully, "You idiot! How can you not know what Facebook is? It's a social site! You can talk to people, post pictures, and other things! Moron…" Some other girls explained it to Christine a little more. You could download games, apps and a lot of things. It wasn't Christine's fault. She had lived with an elderly lady for some time. They had a computer, but it was dreadfully old and slow. Mama Valerius and Chrisitne barely used it.

The girls' conversation was interrupted when the new coach walked up in front of all of them. All the kids stopped talking when he cleared his throat.

He said, "Hello. My name is Nadir Khan. But of course, you should probably address me as Mr. Khan." He seemed nervous, as if he had never been around children before. He said, "As you know, I am your gym coach now." There was still silence. He quickly suggested, "Why don't we all introduce ourselves?" He pointed to a girl that sat far away. The introductions went all the way around, until it was Meg's turn.

She said, "I'm Meg Giry." He nodded amiably, and then looked at Christine. Usually she was shy around people, but Mr. Khan seemed friendly enough.

She cleared her throat, "Christine Daaé." Mr. Khan smiled at her, and continued with the rest of the kids. Some of the class was cut by this, and all of the students were happy.

Eventually, Mr. Khan said, "Alright, enough wasting time! Run a couple of laps, and then meet back here for some basketball!" All of the boys cheered loudly, while most of the girls groaned. Christine was no exception. She grudgingly got up and ran.

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><p>Nadir was sure he made the right choice. He would hang around Chester until Erik left. He knew not to overstep his boundaries just yet. Besides, he needed some money in order to live. With his impressive police record, and his knowledge in physical activity, this school didn't hesitate to hire him. They thought he would be a good influence on the students here. Nadir wasn't used to children, and wasn't sure how to act. However, these students seemed like a good bunch.<p>

He had heard what that boy had said about him. It didn't hurt Nadir, but it was disrespectful. He had seen those kinds of attitudes before, and he knew how that boy's life would be. As he watched his kids run, his gaze settled on that blonde girl. What was her name? Nadir remembered it was Christine Daaé. She seemed to be lagging behind everyone else. He could instantly tell she wasn't very athletic.

Trying to encourage her, Nadir clapped his hands and yelled, "Christine! Speed up, girl! You can do this!" Christine looked at him and smiled. She ran a little faster, but still finished last.

After the laps, Khan went over to her. He said, "Not the best runner?"

She was out of breath, and panting. She stammered, "No… I never… have been." Mr. Khan felt sorry for the girl, and told her she could get a drink. Of course, he couldn't just allow her to get a drink. He gave the same opportunity to the rest of the class.

When they started the basketball game, he noticed Christine stayed close to the side. Her friend tried to get her into the game, but Christine was determined not to play. He shrugged, and continued the lesson.

Finally, the gym class was over. Many of the students seemed to like him, and that made Nadir feel more relaxed. He could do this. He waved goodbye to them, as they went to their locker rooms.

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><p>Just had to make Nadir the gym coach. The idea actually came to me from my 9 year old brother! I told him about Nadir during break, and he wanted to be a coach and Nadir. Can you imagine him with a track suit! :) Anyway, hope you enjoy it!<p> 


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Phantom of the Opera, Drama, Romance