Mr. Erik Destler (A Phantom Of The Opera Phanphic)

Chapter 22

I don't own it, but this is where the real fun begins...

Elyza

I felt Liz-Marie let me go and straighten herself up to look at our teacher. All I could do was stare up at him, stupidly. I could only focus the shock of him being there and my brain trying to process the information about my mother. But mostly, I focused on him. His mismatched eyes held fire in them and he looked as though he had been angry at a time and if as seeing me, re-kindled the dying flame. None of us said anything and I felt that it was awkward and that I should say something, but I also felt, as the invalid there, I should have been excused from having to start any form of conversation. Unfortunately, Erik directed his greeting towards me and I was forced to answer. "H-hi, Mr. Destler... w-what are you doing here? Don't you have a class to teach?" My last sentence seemed a bit snappish and snooty, but at the moment, I didn't care. My throat was in searing pain; he was lucky to have gotten anything out of me. "I needed to see you. With the scream you made, it sounded as though that were the end..." His voice was gentle as if he were trying to stay calm. The man turned to Liz-Marie, who had sat down in her chair again, staring down, crying. I could hear her tears hitting the tiled floor in our silence. Drip... sniffle...drop... drip... drop...drip. And I was pretty sure, Mr. Destler heard them too. "Hello, Elizabeth-Marie... are you quite well? Why are you crying?" She completely disregarded him and snapped her head up to look at me, as if asking my permission for her to tell him. I shook my head slightly. I did not need him pitying us and reporting us to any officials or anything. We were going to be fine. She looked at him wearily and forced a smile, quickly wiping her cheeks dry. "I am fine, sir." I hated to see her lie. I hated to see her act happy when she really wasn't, like I had to and probably will have to, in my lifetime. The teacher looked from her to me, then back to her. "You are lying. Do not play games with me, children. Don't think you are ever capable of doing that." Liz-Marie always cracked under pressure, and she looked like she was going to, too. So, I cut in. "Really, Mr. Destler, we are fine." He raised his eyebrows at me and looked like he was about to smirk before saying, "I believe I asked your sister if she was alright, not the both of you. Therefore, by saying 'we', you are implying that something has happened to the both of you, and are, as I suspected, not okay. Also, she glanced at you as though she were afraid to answer my inquiry without your consent, and you shook your head, like you were trying to hide something. And... She would not cry over nothing and embrace you as she had before I had walked in." I raised an eyebrow at him, shocked. I felt incredibly stupid now. Liz-Marie was looking at me now, as was he. "So, I will ask again", he said, never looking away from my eyes, "Liz-Marie, are you alright?" This man was incredibly smug and full of himself, and I felt annoyed at him. I scoffed and looked away, still feeling those glowing orbs on me. My sister shook her head. "Our-- our mother has left us... And we don't have a father. Now, we are alone. We... we don't have any living relatives in the country." His eyes widened and he looked at her quickly. "B-but, please don't tell anyone, Mr. Destler! They will separate us!" Mr. Destler was silent for a long time. He seemed even more upset now. His eyes went distant and cloudy as I looked at him. "If I have your permission, Elyza and Elizabeth-Marie", his voice, barely audible, "y-you are very welcome to stay with me. I won't let you get separated from each other. But, you mustn't tell a soul." I stared at him with wide eyes, my mouth going dry. I didn't know what to say... I didn't know what would happen... For once, I was frightened of the unknown. "Really, Mr. Destler", Liz-Marie's small voice chimed. "Thank you. Of course!" I was still silent. "You are quite welcome." He said to me, trying to assure me, "I will not hurt you. I vow upon that." That was not what I was afraid of, however, I had no choice. Before I could stop myself, I nodded. "Okay."