The Underground Music (Phantom of the Opera Fanfic)

Chapter 1- Naive

"Bye, papa!" I sang as I ran out the front door of our small flat. I slid my glasses onto my face, and the world became focused. Clutching my bag with one hand and carrying my skirt with the other, I rushed down the dirt path. The world flitted by me as I ungracefully ran, unintentionally putting more weight on my left leg because my bag, which I was holding in my left hand, was so heavy, making my torso lean off to that side.

After passing all the familiar trees and bushes which I have come to know and love, and whose patterns I've memorized by now, the dirt path transitioned into the main cobblestone road. People stared as I dashed by them.

The gates of my secondary school came into view. Before I could feel any relief from getting there on time, the attendant showed up and began to close the gates- and I was still several hundred feet away!

"Wait, wait!" I hollered.

The attendant looked to me- and continued to close the gates. He did acknowledge me, correct? Why would he disregard me like that? I gained speed.

I arrived at the now closed gates huffing.

"Why, if it isn't the little prodigy," the attendant said. Was his tone somewhat acerbic? No, it couldn't be. The people at this institution are civil. And they respect me.

"Sir...please...open this gate..."

"Sorry, no can do. Institution rules, remember."

I scoffed. "Of course I remember! I read the handbook each year. But please make today an exception. I'm never late."

"Sorry, miss, rules are rules."

"Why, I've never!" This is preposterous! Just when I thought my head was going to burst from frustration, a group of the athletically inclined approached from the other side of the gate. One of them sauntered up to the attendant.

"Allo, Smith. Why give her a hard time? She needs to get to class. Come on-" he put his muscular arm around the attendant-"she's just a girl. We must be polite to our women, yes?"

"Oho. You boys are always so cocky. But alright, just this once."

Was it that easy?

Apparently, it was. For the attendant simply opened the gate and let me through before closing it again.

"Oh, thank you, boys. How can I repay you?"

The boys laughed with me. "We'll think about it."

Well. "Alright. Let me know. Now, I best get going then. Goodbye."

With that, I curtsied and hurried to my first class.

I rushed in, and the whole of the class turned around to look at me. "My, my. You all look like you haven't seen anyone late before." I took my seat and ignored the looks. I bet they're all wondering why I'm late.

"Miss Halbrook, I'm glad you could join us. I was getting worried," Mr.Greenhill said. The class laughed. And I laughed with them- Mr.Greenhill is quite the peculiar person, isn't he? "Now," he continued, "for your information, we are on page three hundred and forty. Please catch up to us."

"No worries, Mr.Greenhill. I've already read ahead."

"Of course you did. Just follow along, then."

"Okay."

"...Now back to the question I had preposed before our interruption."

I knew the answer before he even finished reciting the question. I had anticipated him to ask this question when I was reading this chapter last week. So I raised my hand.

"Yes, Miss Halbrook?"

I said the answer, exactly as I had been rehearsing it in my mind all this time.

"Yes, that's correct."

Throughout the lesson, the questions kept coming, as expected, and I kept raising my hand. The other students couldn't even keep up with me! They're probably amazed.

Another question was asked. And I shot my hand into the air.

"Miss Halbrook, please give others a chance."

What? This is new to me. The nerve! Don't they want me to answer the question so they can have the answer in their notes without having to do the work themselves?

I slowly retreated my hand. "If you insist, sir."

But to make my point, I leaned over to the person sitting next to me and whispered, "just so you know, the answer is-"

"Miss Halbrook."

My heart gave a start, and I blushed a tad bit.

"Sorry, sir", I said, retracting my torso back center in front of my desk.

Of course, no-one else was able to answer the question, so Mr.Greenhill had to answer the question himself.

After the bell rang, everyone eagerly jumped out of their seats and reconvened into their little cliques. I heard the dancers- the ballet dancers- speaking of how their feet are starting to become deformed. They seemed to have not the slightest clue as to why, so I went over to them and said, "That's because you're binding your feet and standing on point so much. It's only natural that-"

"Yes, Jennifer, we know." And they walked away.
They must be in a hurry. "Have a pleasant day!" I called after them.

~

The day went on more or less in the same fashion- with me leading the class, being suppressed to give others a chance, and trying to give others advice and insight.

Then, as I was on my way home and about to turn onto the dirt path, my friend Elizabeth- she's quite unpopular and clingy with the other girls, no offense to her though- caught up with me and kept me back. "Hello, Jenny! Do you want to listen to the Underground Music tonight?"

I sighed. "You know I haven't the time for such nonsense."

"Are you busy?"

"Yes, I am."

"Oh. Well, then, perhaps another time. I'll go myself. I don't want to miss it, so I'll have to get my homework done immediately." She switched her bag to her other hand. "Goodbye, Jenny," she said, turning and waving. I waved her goodbye in return, then continued on my way home.

When I arrived, papa wasn't home; perhaps he is doing a check-up on some racehorse somewhere in the city. Which leaves me to attend to the errands. Although I haven't the time for that, I must.

First: I had to give the chickens more seed.

Second: I had to clean the stalls.

Third: I had to attend to Shirley's broken leg. Father usually does that, for whenever I try to do it, she rears at me, and I have to approach cautiously. She did not fail to react that way again.

Fourth: I had to walk from the farm to our little flat and prepare tonight's dinner.
Now, I'm no farmer, nor am I a cook; naturally, I am a scholar, and that will always be my primary skill.

Finally I was able to attend to my work.

Thank Goodness!