All I Ask Of You

I woke up late in the morning immediately in a panic because I should've been awake hours ago.

I was shocked no one had even attempted to wake me, usually Christine or Meg would wake me up if I wasn't already.

I quickly dressed and rushed down the staircase and through the doors just in time to see them all looking through scripts their eyes furrowed in concentration.

"This is absolutely absurd, why does he think he has the right to order us around or have the audacity to treat us like incompetent fools?" Firmin exclaimed, exasperation filling his voice as I approached.

Meg opened her mouth as if about to speak but quickly shut it when she saw me.

"Oh, bonjour Celeste."

Everyone's heads turned to look at me and I could see their eyes filled with suspicion and distrust. Their gazes made me uncomfortable.

"Finally decided to join us, traitor?" One of the dancers spat.

I frowned.

"Traitor?"

"Oui, you and your friend?" Another dancer pipped up.

"He's not her friend, the Opera Ghost is her lover!"

"I bet she planned all of this, it's her fault!"

"Oui, all her fault!"

"She's behind all of this!"

So many accusations were being thrown at me at once, I didn't know which one to counter first or even how to. Part of me even believed their accusations even though it wasn't true... or perhaps it was.

"Celeste has nothing to do with this, she's just as much a victim in this as we are." Christine defended me taking my hand into hers.

"Oh that's just perfect coming from you, Christine, is the Opera Ghost your friend as well?" The dancer that had started the accusations snapped.

"How dare you, he's not my friend, I despise him and so does Celeste, right?" Christine turned her face towards me, waiting for me to agree.

I knew I didn't despise him, I couldn't bring myself to no matter how many things he had done wrong I still loved him, but if I disagreed I would have to deal with everyone at the Opera Populaire being at my throat.

Before I could even open my mouth Andre, thankfully, saved me.

"Ladies, please, can we just get through rehearsing for this Don Juan, in one piece, now Celeste, for this particular play you have, unsurprisingly, secured the main role."

He handed me the script and I glanced down at it, not knowing how to feel about this Don Juan Triumphant.

"Of course she did." The dancers all mumbled to one another, their voices filled with spite.

I took a deep breath, this was going to be a long rehearsal.

---------------------------------------

I all but ran out of rehearsals as soon as it ended, not bearing to endure their judgemental and disdainful stares.

"Celeste!" I heard Christine call as I was quickly walking towards the doors to exit out of the opera house.

I sighed, not feeling like talking to her, but I reluctantly stopped at the door, turning around to meet her gaze.

"Oui?"

She sighed as she shook her head.

"Don't mind what they're saying about you, they're just trying to find someone to blame for everything that's going on."

"I don't care what they say about me, they don't know what they're talking about." I told her with a sharp breath as I fiddled with the sleeve of my dress.

She looked at me her eyes filled with sympathy, which I despised. I didn't need or want her sympathy.

"Are you upset with me about what I said last night?"

I sighed sharply.

"No, like I said I don't care what people think, they don't know and you don't know what you're talking about."

"I don't know what I'm talking about?" She repeated a look of disbelief flashing across her face. "Celeste, I've known this Phantom for years, he had taught me everything I've known about music ever since I arrived here at the Opera Populaire, he deceived me, pretended to be an angel sent by my Father, and you have the nerve to say that I don't know what I'm talking about!"

I frowned.

"Oui, I do have the nerve, you say you know him, but you don't, you've never given him a chance. I know Erik has made mistakes, I know he's not perfect, but you've only seen him for his mistakes, you have never seen him for his good, so yes, Christine, you dont know him at all."

I could see confusion in her expression as she furrowed her eyebrows.

"He has a name?"

"Oui, he's a human being of course he has a name." I snapped as I turned my back to her, quickly flinging open the door, exiting out of the opera house before Christine could say anything else.

The wind was blowing sharply as I walked down the sidewalk, but I didn't mind it. Thinking it would help keep my mind off of the furious thoughts that have been filling my mind ever since the events of last night.
All of my thoughts have been bitter since then, I was angry at myself for how I treated Phillipe, he had treated me so well and I repaid him with a punch to the gut.

I felt sick to my stomach about it, but I knew there was nothing that could be done to fix it, not without risking his life.

I really wish it didn't have to be that way, but with a jealous, murderous Phantom on the loose it would be too dangerous and stupid to have any kind of relationship.

"Celeste?"

My eyes shot up and I looked to see Phillipe.

I turned away, I couldn't face him right now or ever for that matter, but especially now.

He grabbed my wrist, not allowing me to dodge the situation.

"I just want to talk."

"I don't," I responded sharply.

He shook his head.

"Then just listen, I know what you said last night wasn't true, you were just saying what you thought you needed to in order to protect me from this ghost that you're so afraid of."

"I'm not afraid of him."

"Regardless, I love you, and I'm not going to lose you just because of this monster, I will protect you, you don't need to protect me."

I shook my head, I couldn't handle repeating the events of last night, emotionally and physically.

"Phillipe, I've told you, just please listen to me."

His grip tightened around my wrist.

"No you listen to me, I'm not going to lose you to this creature, and I will do whatever it takes in order to make sure that he doesn't come between us again."

He released me from his grip and I watched as Phillipe walked away.

The fury that filled his voice, made my heart drop to my stomach. Where it stayed there pounding violently as sweat dribbled down my back.