Chapter one: I've been there

Chapter 1: I’ve been there



"Ow!" I screamed in pain. My little sister Violet's way of saying bye is to pinch my shin, which gets painful after a while.
" Bella!" My mother looks at me disapprovingly, and for more reasons then you would think. First of all, I sort of just screamed like I got shot in the middle if a high security airport. Second of all, my mother doesn’t like why were even in an airport. I got an invitation to perform in a summer camp kind of thing in france. I get to see The paris opera house in all its glory and were acting the story that got this elegant house of opera famous: the phantom o the opera. Just the thought of being In the same place that the opera goust once lived sent chills down my spine. If you havent figured it out yet, im kind of obsessed with anything and everything to do with The phantom of the opera, or POTO as I call it when im too lazy to write out the whole name. Ever since I saw the musical, I became a wild women. I read all the scripts, watched all the movies, read gaston's book, and pretty much talked about it whenever I had the chance. But my mom didn’t see why I had to go all the way to another continent to quench my POTO fix. She's always thinking of how much money and trouble they going through to take me to an old opera house all the way around the world for 2 months to sing in a silly little play. I'm sorry if it seems like im making up that, but that’s exactly what she said. Well, thought, I can kinda read minds. Not like a total I can read your mind whenever I want to. But if your thoughts are about me or anything I might be intrested in hearing, I hear it. My mom thought how ridiculus this all was when I was coming down to get some breakfast. Her thoughts rested on what I was going to have for breakfast. She was having an utterly boring arrgument of what would be best for me. Enough of the minor flashback, I think I just heard the flight attendent call for passangers to board.
" Well, there asking for passangers so I better be going, bye everyone." I hugged my parents and steered clear of violet's stroller. I took my carry on suitcase and headed to the terminal, waiting for the attendant to ask me for my ticket.
" ticket please." an overly happy flight attendant said to me as I walked up to the entrance.
" um here you go." I handed her my ticket and she analized it like her life depended on it.
" okey dokey miss Bella. Your in first class, lucky you! Just lok for seat c3 and youll be fine" she smiled fakely and turned her attention to the next group of people. I sighed. Fake interest was probably all I ever got when I mentioned this little bananza in france to my friends. I wasn’t really paying any attention to their thoughts so I didn’t hear what they said. I walked onto the plane and was relived when I got a window seat. I was always fond of window seats, but most of the time I always got the middle, which is pretty uncomfortable, especially if your travaling alone. Even if im only 16, I have been traveling alone a lot lately. Brazil, India, Ireland, and Germany are some of the trips I made alone. It seems that my parents want to get rid of me. I sit down next to the window after an addentant helped me put my bag in the overhead compartment. I yawn and recline in the really comfy first class chairs. I look out my window and watch as the plane slowly inches towards the runway. I hear something rustling beside me, and I hear She's cute in my head. I look over to the seat next to me to see a teenaged boy looking at me but suddenly turned away. He was cute enough, so I started talking to him.
" Hey, you going to France?" I said as casually as I could, even if I was about to die of laughter at his embaressment.
" yea im going to Paris to meet my aunt. She has a fashion show and she wants me to come see it, where you off to?" he said quietly
" I'm going to try out for a play. Actually, I was promised a garenteed spot since its kind of a camp for talented actors and dancers. Were staying at the Paris opera house. Do you like phantom of the opera?" I asked, hoping to god that he would.
" Yea, I've seen the play many times before. I always think the plays are better then the movies, I don’t know why. I guess the involvement with the audience. I like that. How about you?" he asked conversationally. But I knew he would regret ever asking me my opinion of the POTO so I tried to cut it short
" I personally like the plays or the involvement too. But I read the book after I saw the play and all the movies and they put a lot of the parts I didn’t understand into perspective. This story is all about life in general. Is innocece more powerful then unrequieted love? Think about it." I really wanted him to think about it so he could speak his mind more clearly. He thought about the storyplot, the phantom's history, and cristine and raul's love. I listened intently but bhe must have interpreted my facial expression as impatience.
" Oh, um, sorry I was taking long. That question is taking me some time to figure out. But if I thought right, cristines innocence to love and be loved in the same, well, innocent way must be more powerful then unrequieted love because the phantom knew he would never be able to get cristine daae to love him back, and he loved her so much that he wanted her to be happy and not be tainted by his actions, face, and past. Am I on the right path?" he said nervously. I had to laugh at his face, he was way to eager to please and I loved the attention. If you havent already noticed, I'm not all that bog on dating. Its not like I don’t want to, I just cant seem to get deeper then flirting with someone, even if they want a relationship. Whatever I guess I have commitment issues or something.
" Sorry I had to laugh, you looked so nervous. What, did you think I was going to attack you if your opinion was different then mine?" I asked playfully.
" Well, I guess not. Im just so rediculus some times. Hey, what's your name mystery Women?" he said, glad to change the subject.
" Well you know my first name's mystery and my last name is women."
" don’t be ridiculus mystery! I know you must have a scret identity somwhere or are you the full time snob o a hero? I wouldn’t want my heroine to be a snob." he said matter-of-factly
I gaped at him, " YOUR heroine? No thanks, I belong to muself and I am not a full time her, I just don’t feel like coming up with an identity. Too much work, you know. But if I did have a secret life, my name would be Bella Salisbury and I would live in california with a mom, a dad, and a little sister. Pretty creative, huh?" I asked
he stared at me seriously. " Bells?" he said, his voice drenched in regonition.
" you know me? I mean, huh? You don’t look familiar at all little boy." I said carefully. His laugh boomed in my eardrums and several people looked at him in disgust. I smirked as he quieted once he saw the faces. He shrugged
" I guess there now laughing allowed?" he said with amused eyes. " Well I know you because we used o be friends in middle school. I don’t really look the same at all. When I last say you I was short, fat, and I had glasses and I was super pale. But you probably remember my nickname." He smiled impishly. I tried to rack my brian for some of my middle school friends and their nicknames
" I'm having a blonde moment…any hints?" I asked him, hopeful that he would just tell me already. I was dieng to know how I knew this very cute and funny guy. He smiled this gorgeous imperfect smile, and whispered in my ear.
" you seriously don’t remember your biffle?" he questioned playfully. Then it suddenly hit me. Biffle! Ha it was my best guy friend from middle school, Adam.
" Oh my gawd, Adam! Look at you! Your so tall and you actually tanner then me for once! How are you?" I fired questions at him at warp speed and he answered them just as quickly. After the first two hours we finally got done the simple questions. It was getting dark and I was dazzled by how bright the stars and how big the moon was from this high up. I thought Adam was sleeping but he stirred.
" So, hows catholic school?" he asked politly. I knew he was thinking of me in a skirt and he smiled. But then he thought of guys looking at me in school and was a little ticked off. I considered my answer and said finally.
" Well, its un mean I love the uniforms but some girls roll them up super short and guys just stare at them. It makes them look like total sluts and im not like that. The classes are kind of fun, nice teachers. But the only thing I hate is none of our posse is there to cheer me up or make me laugh. Im all alone. Don’t get me wrong its not like I don’t have friends but there not used to me….and how my mind works." That must have reminded Adam about my mind reading abilaty and his face went a little pink. I laughed at him and the same people that stared at adam stared at me this time, looking furius. Me and Adam were in a silent fit of hysterics when the flight attendant asked us what we would like any food.
" I would like a begal I you have any" adam said professionally. I stared at him then the flight attendant as I decided what I would like. I didn’t want anything real. I wanted airplane food badly. So I just asked for it.
" can I have those pretzal things you give coach?" I asked quietly, looking at the attendant nervously. She thought I was a little odd, but she forced herself to smile and muttered a " sure thing" before walking breezily past. Adam looked at me, thinking how to ask me why I wanted that disgusting food, then remembered I could read minds and looked at me expectantly.
" I don’t know why, those pretzals are just part of my airplane expieriance. I never been in first class before but the phantom workshop pulls out all the stops, which is good since I paid a lot for it." I smiled and Adam looked pleased with my answer. His mind was unusually blank and I wondered if he wanted to think of something and I blurted out. " you don’t need to keep a blank mind, I wont interupt you anymore, I pinky promise." I said nobly. He luaghed a litle and shrugged
" I guess im just getting into old habits. In the 6th grade when you just flat out told me you could read my mind and I shouldn’t be thinking about how ugly the teachers teeth were, I decided that I would teach myself to keep my mind completely blank when I was with you. It comes naturaly now, but I had to practice mucho." he said in his deeper voice I wasn’t quite used to yet.
" hmm, that explains it. Whenever I would look at you your thoughts would just vamoose, like they fleed out of you ears or something. Most of my friends just learned to think of certain things over and over or pretty much speak whats ont hier mind when im around. Your stratagy is deffinatly different." I smiled and punched him lightly. He pretended it hurt, but then smiled back.
" wow isabella, for someone wow can read minds, you sure can put your thoughts into words so easily. I wish I could do that." he said sincerely, like how he used to talk before he learned that being sincere doesn’t get you anywhere in the girls department. He started getting sarcastic and flirty to everyone. I missed little 6th grade Adam, when he was so quiet, but what he did say was sincere and improtant and downright thoughtful.
" Yea, well, it takes mucho practice." I said sarcasticly. He stuck out his tounge out at me playfully and I pulled his ear. His face contorted in mock pain and I stuck out my tounge at him, triumphant. Most people were asleep and I was getting pretty tired myself. He looked at me, about to ask a question but he just thought it. Are you mucho tired? He thought. I laughed quietly and yawned right on cue. He slid his arm around my shoulder and I leaned my head against his chest. His even breathing was like a lullaby and soon I felt my thoughts swimming, and I drifted peacefully off to sleep.
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It was dark and wet. I was walking through an alley, somwhere unknown to me. Strange noises, but strangly musical, were coming through the walls of the eerie alley. I walked cautiosly to the wall and I was forcably sucked in. When I opened my eyes I was in a familiar dressing room, yet I don’t know where it came from. Dance school? No they werent this nice. I hear low lauging, almost growl-like. I froze and my blood turned col. This was Critine Daae's dressing room, and I was in a costume like hers, very victorian age with a corset and all. I look in the mirror and I see an unfimiliar man that must have been the phantom, but he didn’t have a mask on. He wasn’t in costume at all, actually. His face was scary flawless and he smiled this irresitable half smile, and disappeared out of my mirror. I was so stunned by his disappearance and his smile that I nearly fainted, but when I looked in the mirror once more, I saw my future. It wasn’t much, just pictures of an airport and adam, a cab, an apartment. But the last picture I saw was in the opera house and that face was there. He didn’t smile, but he was he was still beautiful. I gasped and reached out to touch him, but the picture disappered and a picture of a man who was about middle aged toke its place. This man had his face under a cloak, so I didn’t know what he looked like. He was hiding from something and was waiting with a bittersweet anticipation. I didn’t know what he was waiting for, put I elt a pang of sinscere sympathy for this man. He was obiosly in pain and I waved the picture away from my mirror. I sat down on the vanity and started brushing my hair absently while pictures of my recent past came up on my " magic" mirror. It showed what Adam thought when he first sat down on the plane. I almost forgot about that. Adam thought I was cute. How very surprising. He never let a thought slip that I was cute before, and I didn’t change much since 8th grade. As I was thinking and looking at I woke with a cold sweat forming on my brow and adam must have woken up in the process, because I heard his thoughts. I guess he was disoriented because he was thiknking about a range of things. I look at him and see that hes sleeping, dreaming I suppose. I sigh and look out the window, underneath the atlantic was so vast that for a second I doubted we would ever see land again. I was so facinated that I stayed so still for an hour. When I came out of my daze, I saw Adam coming awake slowly, yawning and stretching as far as he could possibly without hitting the flight assistant button. I sat there watching him and he looked at me amusingly.
" What are you thinking?" he asked, teasing me.
" Thinking how absurdly tall you got since 8th grade. And I was thinking where Greece was, how long will it be?" I asked him, being a little paranoid. He must have noticed because he thought seriously and I heard his thoughts of math and bladda blahh. I was lost in my own thought that I almost didn’t hear his answer.
" Izzy? Hello? Daydreaming again?" he said with humor in his grey eyes. I laughed and he seemed to take that as me paying attention so he continued what he was saying. " Well anyway, We will arive in greece in about 2 hours so don’t worry, The ocean isnt going to stretch on forever." he said smiling. Sometimes I think he can read minds too, but I restrain myself from saying that and went back to my thoughts of my dream. That boy, that man. Where they the same person? Of course not, I Can't see even my own future that far away. It must have been two different people connected some way. Either way, I'll be meeting This mystery boy mabye in a day or two. If you havent already figured out, im kind of phycic to. I couldn’t get any weirder could i? Well I probably could, but im not counting on or looking forward to that. As Adam and I ease back to our conversation we cut short yesterday. I asked him about our friends and he got quiet when I asked about my friend Lucy.
" Wat, cat's got you tounge?" I teased. He looked at me wryly and thought up something to say. I didn’t look at his thoughts, like I promised. Instead I said " What, my clichés not doing it for ya?" He laughed and finally nodded once, his usual meaning for me to listen to his thoughts. He was thinking about Lucy and her grades, her clasess, her clubs, naturally boring stuff then I asked in his mind Why are you tellng me this oblivious things? I want to know anything juicy. Spill the beans mr. buttface or ill pull your ear off your head. My treat had no effect on him, but he gave up silently to himself and thought Well, she goes out with someone. Well, she started going out with that someone for a long time now. I pushed him playfully and thought Tell me who he is or I'll get all impatient and whatnot. he smiled.
" She goes out with Luke" He whispered. I gasped and he look nervous again. I didn’t know why he was so nervous.
" I thought she hated him" I said as calm as I could. He looked at me confused, then he started to remember in 8th grade how much Lucy Would complain about Luke. " Why are you so tense Adam? Whats wrong?" I said, getting a little worried. Sometimes when im with Adam I get frustrated. Hes the only one I cant read their minds when I want to.
" They are like in love with each other now. I- I'm just a little worried for her. Hes kind of a player if you didn’t notice." He said bitterly. I was surprised at such emotion coming from sarcastic, teasing Adam. I checked his thougts and a couple words fell out of his protective blank screen. Hate him. Love her was all that I heard. Of course he doesn’t think like that, but I only caught the most important words in his thought. I tried not to gawk at him. Lucy was so qiuet, impervious to flirting. Adam was the complete opposite. I couldn’t help myself.
" oppisites attract, I guess." I said, hoping he knew what I meant. On the other hand he might get mad at me for breaking my promise. He chuckled humorlessly and stared out into nothing.
" I guess they do. I really don't like the way he treats her. Like his pet, its disgusting to watch." he said, getting mad. I smiled, knowing for certain that he loves my little Lucy.
" You like lucy! Oh my god Adam!" I said happily. He looked at me expectantly. I shook my head no, lying to him but I knew he would be mad if I intruded on his private thoughts. Then he smiled quietly and shrugged.
" It’s not like I can do anything Bella. Shes completely in love and I don’t want to ruin that." he said miserably. The plane gradually desended and I looked at Adam sulk in his own thoughts. He seemed like he was suffering from an acient pain, and I wondered how long he had this thing for Lucy. I was about to ask when he muttered. " I liked her since eigth grade. She was so quiet back then. I don’t know why, but I never told her I liked her and now its too late." he sighed and the button telling you to buckle up went into affect.
" Where are you staying in Paris?" I asked Adam qiuetly. He seemed to think about that for a minuete, then smiled.
" Not far from the opera house. We should meet up sometime. Like a lunch or something." He said, becoming his old self again. I beamed at him and at his eagerness.
" of course we will. You have my number? Whatever im giving it to you just in case." I said, grabbing a napkin and a pen out of my purse. I scribble down where I was staying and my cell number. He smiled and took my pen to write down his number for me. We traded papers and sat contently in our first class seats.
" I'm staying in greece for a week. Im sorry I didn’t tell you at first I almost forgot myself. Are you ok Bella?" He asked nervously. I must have been holding my breath because all the sudden I was a nervous wreck. I didn’t want to go to paris alone. I was kind of planing on talking to Adam for the trip to paris. I wanted to ask him all about his previous trips here and about the culture and how to say my shoes untied in french!
" Adam, you really should have told me. I was already planing more questions to ask you." I said disapprovinly. He only shrugged my comment off and started reading a sports magazine. I sulked for a minete and waited for the plane to land. Adam must have felt my tension because he sighed and looked over at me. I kept my mind blank and stared heatedly out the window. Adam laughed quietly and pinched my arm. " HEY! That hurt Adam!" I said angryly.
" Well I had to break your mopeing spell, it doesn’t suit you very well you know." he said, teasing me silently. I punched him and he pinched me again. After a moment of pain, we wear head over heels in hysterics. Everyone in first class must have gotten used to use, or gotten less grouchy since awaking from sllep because no one looked at us like we were crazy. The pilot came over the intercom and all of us went silent.
" Hello this is your pilot speaking and we are now landing in Greece. Its perfect weather for sightseeing and we will be arriving at the terminal momentarily." He said cheerfully and full of authority. I started putting all my things back in my purse and Adam continued reading. When we arrived at the terminal, I shoot up and Adam got up, careful not to hit his head on the overhead compartment. He got a navy duffel bag, obviously his, and a little aqua and black striped suitcase, obviously mine. We headed out of the plane and on to the terminal floor. I saw the way I was supposed to be heading, and I saw Adam looking the other way hopefully.
" Well, make sure to call me when you get to paris" I said slowly. He hugged me and went on his way silently. Sometimes I wonder about that kid. One moment he is loud as a fire siren and the next he becomes a mime. I sigh and start heading towards terminal A3. I see a starbucks and I read the mind of the person in front of me. He said something in greek and I found out it was my favorite: mocha frappichino. So I said the same thing he did and the man at the cash register said.
" you have no idea what you saying, do you?" his voice was deep and heavely accented. I smiled.
" Well what did I say? I was hoping it was greek for can I have a grande mocha frappichino."
" Well you said wheres the mens bathroom in russian. Im pretty sure that’s the last thing you wanted to say to get your heavenly coffe. Am I right?" He said, flirtaciously making my frappichino. I giggled and shrugged
" Im not the kind of person to get embaressed for saying something weird like that. If I could speak russian and I heard someone say that instead of ordering coffe like there supposed to, I would die of laughter." I said truthfully. His booming laugh left my ears ringing.
" Well here is your grande mocha frappichino and that will be 4 dollars please." He said in a mock professional voice. I laughed and read his mind for one brief second. Wow she likes mocha frappichinos. I had to restrain myself from answering his thought. I said my thanks and goodbyes and went to go sit down, waiting for my first class seat again. But when I only saw about 10 people, I fretted that I was way late, or way early. Both was unnerving to me. I went up to the flight attendant and said.
" Hey, When is the plane coming and is my ticket a first class ticket." The flight attendant looked at me, utterly confused. She regained her composition and said in a fake cheery voice. " Well, this I the music camps private plane coming to pick up the travelers that are either from greece or has there layover in greece. Since you american im assuming this is a layover?" she asked politely. I knew she didn’t care about my answer.
" Why are there a lot of greek people going to the camp? Im the only one in America coming." I said cautiously. The flight attendant checked her paddanger list and sat it down and smiled.
" Your in the drama department though. A lot of The greek passangers are in d=stage crew, Technical, or dancing departments. Don’t worry, America wasn’t cheated." She smiled and turned back to her work. I sighed and went into my purse to get my phone to call my mom. She is very paranoid and is probably watching the news to see if the plane crashed.
" Hello" I heard my moms familiar voice say after the 3rd ring.
" Hey mom, just letting you know that I'm in Greece and our plane id the camps private jet! How cool is that?" I wanted her to know that I was safe and sound on the earth and her voice seemed fully relaxed and genuinely exited.
" Oh, Honey that’s great! Just remember to call me when you get to Paris. I have to go take you sister to her friends house for a play date now. I'll talk to you soon darling. I love you." she said sweetly
" I love you too. Have fun with that." I rolled my eyes and hung up the phone. I started checking my messages when a girl with ink black hair and celery green eyes sat next to me and was smiling. I looked at her and smiled back. She looked interested in what I was doing, but probably afraid to say so.
" Hi." I said qiuetly, getting uncomfortable by the attention. She seemed to have a hard time saying the words so I looked into her mind and she was trying to ask me what I was doing with my phone in english. She was having a tough time with the word phone.
" I was looking at my messages people sent me while I was in a plane." I blurted out before she asked the question. She seemed astounded and pleased at the same time.
" That’s very cool. Your going to paris for the camp right?" she said very slowly and drenched with a greek accent. I had a hard time understanding, but I nodded my head yeas and she beamed at me. She extended her hand to shake and I took it, which made her even more happy.
" My name is Thalia Diotrephes. I'm going to the camp to be in the drama department. What are you going to the camp for?" as she said this she wave dover some of the greek groups, a large one at that. They all sat around me and Thalia. A tall, olive skinned boy sat next to her. He must have been her brother becase his hair and eyes were remarkably similar to hers.
" Oh well my name is Bella Salisbury and im in the drama department, too." I said slowly so Thalia could catch all my words. Thalia started talking fluent greek to everybody around me. The boy next to her muttered in my ear.
" Don't mind her. Sometimes she forgets that some people cant understand greek. Im Andreas Diotrephes, Thalia's brother. Im in the drama department as well. All these people are in stage crew. Most of them are from our little town. I guess your pretty exited to go on a private jet, huh?" he asked me, obviously amused. I was kind of mad that he overhard my conversation with my mom, but his smile just made me want to smile back. So I did.
" Well I didn’t want my mom to be worried about me and the private jet came to mind." I said easily. He looked at Thalia and said something to her. She frowned and looked at me while Andreas was still talking to her in a calm restraining voice. She laughed with a trill and came and kissed me on both cheeks.
" I am so sorry I was talking in greek. Old habits." she said. I was too stubbed to say anything back so I put something in her mind to think of why she kissed my on both cheeks. She look flustered. " Kissing on the cheeck is frowned upon in America?" she said sadly. I felt really bad.
" No, no its just that we don’t kiss strangers. Its ok Thalia, don’t worry. Arent you going to introduce me to your friends?" I asked pointedly, trying to distract her from the kissing incident. She perked up at once.
" Well this is Lena, Athena, Emma, Adephio….." the list went on and on with beautiful greek names that I felt a bit envious of. Andreas stared at me, his mind blank. I stared back quizzicly, and Thalia laughed.
" He sometimes spaces out. Mind just stops thinking. Very cool really, but sometimes its annoying. OY!" she started snapping her fingers in his face. At once he shivered and sat up straighter. Everyone giggled at him and he shrugged and looked at me apoligeticly. I smiled at his face, tan from being out in his town. He was thinking about how much of a dork he probably seemed to me. I just laughed at his expression and his deep voice laughed with me.
" Do you think im a dork for staring into space like that?" he said, and I brushed my fingertips over his hand. Almost immideatly his heartbeat accelerated.
" Of course not! You seem really cool. Sit with me on the plane?" I asked and he seemed really at ease, his heart still fluttering.
" Well sure, if you want me too" he said quietly
“ Of course I do I wouldn’t ask you if it wasn’t what I wanted.” I said, getting a little confused by my sentence myself. “ Do you get what im saying?” he looked a little confused, but he took my tone as a good sign. He beamed and excused himself to go to the bathroom. Thalia jump off her seat and came to sit in andreas' seat next to me. She stared at me with a strong curiosity.
" He likes you, a lot." she said slowly, deliberately. I felt like I was going to squeal in delight or have a spaz attack or something like that. But I breathed in deep and exhaled.
" I know. It wasn’t obvious, but I can just feel it." I said, trying to cover up what I knew was in his mind. Thalia took the bait and pointed to a big portfolio. " This is the real reason I'm going to Paris. The only way to make sure I could have security there was threw this camp. I actually like making dances and acting and singing, but there just hobbies for me. My real Muse is painting." she said whimsically. Her tiny frame walked over to the portfolio and started taking out painting. They were so life like and real I felt emotional looking at them. A hobo, the sunset over the ocean, a town square, a festival, an olive groove. Each painting was better then the next and I could see Thalia was very proud of her self. I couldn’t help but feel proud of her too, my new found friend. She looks at me and I smile a huge, probably crazy looking, smile and she jumps and dances around in delight saying something Greek in a sing-song voice. A voice on an intercom system said for the Paris opera house summer drama camp to board the private jet. I reach for my suitcase but another hand takes it for me. I look up and its Andreas, carrying a black duffel bag and my suitcase like they were feather light. I beam and walk with him to the plane. We sit down on two very comfortable recliner chairs as everyone else explores the plane. A young women, probably in college, boarded the plane and gave a cheery wave to all of us. She stares at me pointedly.
" you’re the American I suppose." she said, but not in an offensive way. She sighed.
" You can speak Greek, right?" she asked andreas, and he slowly nodded his head.
" And English?" she asked him. He nodded again. She smiled
" Good, you translate for her please." she said and went on with speaking very fast Greek as andreas mocked her cheery disposition while translating.
" Welcome aboard the Paris opera house's private jet and welcome to our summer program. You are the few chosen in the world and you should be very proud. You where hand picked by the international drama association and you will be performing around the world. We will arrive in Paris 2 and a half hours. I am Miss O'Conner, the Stage crew director, and if you have any questions I will be up in the front seat. Thank you and have a nice flight." Andreas smiled really big like O'Conner and I almost spit out my soda I was laughing so hard. I raised my hand, awkward about addressing miss O'Conner. She turned around and looked at me suspiciously.
" Yes what can I help you with." she said politely. I stared at her and inhaled a lungful of air.
" Can we call you by your first name?" I asked, trying to look like a happy camper. She seemed to buy my little façade and smiled pleasantly
" Sure. My name is Chloe. I guess it is much better to call me Chloe, breaks all those informal barriers. I never actually thought of myself as miss O'Conner anyway. Thanks, you officially set me free out of my formal cage." she smiled this wacky half smile that reminded me of my family. They were probably at home. Mom worrying, Dad watching TV and doing laundry, violet pretty much wrecking havoc. Andreas was visibly relaxed with the fact the Chloe was cool. I guess I was too. I hate people who think there all that and a bag of chips and they think they know everything when they don’t know diddily squat.
" Bella? I was just wondering what part you want for the play." he asked casually as we both reclined our seats to look at the limo like lights on the ceiling.
" well I think every girl wants to be cristine so I would have to sat maybe madam giry or meg giry. Maybe even Carlotta if I'm lucky. But I'm not hoping for the lead, that’s way to much to hope for. Pretty much a lost cause." I sighed. I haven't really come to that realization until I said it out loud. I was secretly hoping to get the lead, I was born to play that part. But I bet all the other girls will say the same thing at try outs. " Who do you want to be, Andreas?" I asked him. He thought about this for a moment.
" Well I would love to be the phantom or Joseph buquet. He was an impacting character to me in the phantom of the opera. He was just an example used in the play to show that the phantom was vicious and would do anything for cristine's love. And it also showed how much the phantom hates humanity when he would kill a man with his Punjab lasso just for him talking about his weapon. So either one of them would please me to no end. We should have a karaoke contest. You, Me, Thalia, and Chloe. What do you say we warm up for try outs?" his eager expression pleased ME to no end. I had to agree, and besides, what's the harm in a little karaoke? " of course, I mean were singers, right?" I laughed and turned to Chloe, who was looking at us too a little nervously. " Scared of a little kareoke? It wont bite you, you know." I said, trying to force her into our game. Andreas was looking at me mischieveously and I tried not to fall apart in hysterics. She smiled and got out a little poratble kareoke machine. The was no microphone, just a phantom of the opera, instrumental version, and the words.
" wow, your one step ahead of us Chloe. Nice job, it's perfect for a little compitition between the few of us that can speak and sing in english. So I'm considering your little kareoke machine as a yes right?" I asked her and she smiled. I could get used to that half smile real quickly. Chloe pointed to a song, her eyes closed. She picked Cristines first number Think of me . Thalia and I were jumping around like little girls as the music started. Everyone waited, listening to Chloe. " think of me, think of me fondly, when you said goodbye. Remember me,once in a while, please promise me youll try." Chloe had a very beautiful voice for this song. Her voice and an opera tone and was very light and feathery. When the song ended, everyone clapped loudly. Thalia jumped up and closed her eyes tight. She pointed her finger to Angel of Music. She took her posistion to sing and help up a hairbrush. I could se everyone was amused, and she started singing with a powerhouse voice I would never think she had. I thought her voice would be small and willowy. But as she got to the phantom part, Andreas started singing that part for her.
" Sing once again to me, a strange duet, my power over you is stronger yet. And though you turn from me o glance behind. The phantom of the opera is there: inside your mind." He sang with intesity that mad eme want to jump up and applaud, but I had to wait until the song was over. Everyone gave the siblings a standing ovation. Andreas looked a little embarassed, but Thalia seemed at home with attention. They both sat down and it was my turn to shine. I stood up and walked over to Chloe and the kareoke mahine. I closed my eyes and slowly leaned my outstreched hand to point at, what I hped, was a cristine song. I slowly opened my eyes and my finger wsa touching the title Wishing you were somehow here again I smiled at my favorite song and faced my audience. The song started and I sang soloumly.
" "You were once, my one companion , you were all, that mattered , You were once, a friend and father, then my world, was shattered" I pretty much sung my heart out. When the song ended, Andreas stood up slowly and starting clapping. Everyone else soon followed, with Thalia jumping around and hugging me. I smiled and laughed at the effect my singing had on people. I guess that's why I was picked out of all the americans in the country. It made me feel like I won American Idol. I sat down again as Chloe asked the greeks to vote for the best. Andreas smiled and crossed his fingers dramaticly.
" Hey, I know now that you are going to get lead. No doubt about it." He whispered in my ear. I beamed at him and hugged his arm
" Thanks." Is all I said. I heard him mutter something in greek. I think he said "oraios" I wonder what it meant and he noticed that I was thinking, and he got flustered.
" I said beautiful in greek. I was thinking of your voice, it amazes me. It sounds just like an angels, if that angel's past life was being an opera singer." he smiled and I leaned my head to rest on his olive arm. I heard his heartbeat as it accelerated. He tensed a little bit, worrying if I heard his heart beating irregularly in his chest. I sighed and pretended to try to go to sleep. His thoughts were scattered around but I kept hearing oraios. As soon as I got the chance I would look it up in the internet. The plane started to cruise at a constant height. My eyelids became heavy and I drooped off to sleep.
In my dream, I was in the dressing room, but there was no phantom and I wasn’t in Cristine's costume for Hannibal. I walked over to the mirror, hoping to see images o the strange boy I seen in my last dream. I saw an airport, Rain, Chloe, Andream, Thalia, and the opera house. I saw some people arriving at the opera house and I paid close attention. They were all speaking different languages, so I couldn’t understand them. I heard a faint Irish brouge and a british accent. I looked to were the sound csme from and saw a ruddy-faced boy, a little shorter then me, talking to a boy. I couldn’t see his face since it was turned away from me. I left the mirror and looked at the door. What would happen if I walked outside? I reached for the doorknob and I heard a voice dangerously close to my left ear.
" I wouldn’t do that, Bella. Think of me." I heard this soft, alluring voice. At once I let my hand fall limply to my side and I shuffled to a chair next to the closet. The voice laughed qiuetly to himself and continued what he was saying. " You might not know me yet, but in time dear child you will. Sing for me my angel of music." He said, and I felt a strong urge to impress this voice, even if it was probably just a hallucination within a dream. I started to sing a song that I would hum and whistle when I wanted to be comforted. " 2 am and she calls mme cause im still awake. Can you help me unravel my lastest mistake I don’t love him winter just wasn’t my season." I continued to sing Breathe by Anna Nalick and when I finished the vioce seemed satisfied.
" Good work. You can wake up now." He said. At once I opened m eyes to see that we just landed. Andreas looked at me and smil;ed this adorable half smile.
" Hello sleepyhead. Did you have any dreams?" he asked casually. I shrugged and sighed. Andreas took my bag and I linked my arm into his. His heart skipped a beat and I smiled to myself. Thalia was right behind us and so were the greeks. We stepped of the jest to see an old, wiry woman with secretary-like glasses on a chain around her neck and her graying haird up into a tight bun. She looked up from her clipboard and looked at our group.
" ok. Greeks and american. Ok Lena? Emma? Athena? Adelphio?...." She named everyone of us and we either said here in english or greek. The woman then started talking greek with a frech accent. Andreas and thalia were obviously amused by the strange combination. Thalia jumped around me and andreas and translated for me.
" Welcome to our very fine french capital, Paris. We would like you to enjoy our 2 month program and we will be checking you into a hotel until the last preporations are made to your dorm rooms housed in the opera house. Please follow me" Thalia said, when the group was almost down the hallway. Andreas looked at her warily and we ran to catch up. We climbedinto a tour bus and Andreas qiuetly translated the sightseeing for me, although I already knew most of the famous landmarks. I could speak fluent french and I learned all about french culture. Now I make sure my biggest meal is my lunch and I laugh at all the french words we use in our english language. When I see the hotel I amost gasp. The Le Clarisge Champs- Elysees hotel was there, and no one else shared my enthusiamsum for the most talked about hotel in french class. Many celebrities stay here and The women, Andreas told me was mrs. Fraser, Led us up the stairs and roomed us with who we where closest too. Me, Andreas, and Thalia had a one bedroom apartment. Thalia squeled as we walked into our resisdence for the night. I plopped down on the bed, exausted from jet lag. Andreas set up a place to sleep on the most comfortable couch I have ever seen. Thalia got dressed and jumped on the bed beside me.
" Have you ever wondered what your supposed to do with your life?" She asked me. I smiled and sighed.
" I've thought about that and trust me, ive been there." I said simply. And shut off the lights