All I Ask Of You

Chapter 6

People congratulated me as I pushed through the crowd, trying to find Christine, politely thanking everyone who complimented me.

I knew the chapel would be where I would find her, it was a place she always went to when she was upset or just wanted to be alone.

I was away from the crowded room, walking down the hall towards the chapel entrance, about to enter when I froze as I heard voices echoing from the chapel, one of them being the soft voice of Christine, the other the low, deep voice of a man's.

I cautiously stepped onto the first stone step, eavesdropping on the conversation.

"I know I've disappointed you, Angel, I-I don't know what happened," Christine's voice was thick with sadness and I could hear her sniffling as she spoke.

I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion.

Angel?

"Christine, my child, you could never disappoint me, you were betrayed, and I'll make sure that doesn't happen again, I'll protect you." A man's voice spoke, softly to her.

"I know you will, thank you."

There was silence and I stood there for a moment, waiting to hear if anything more would be said but when nothing was I slowly came down the stairs.

Christine glanced over at me from where she was sitting on the floor, an expression on her face that I couldn't quite place as she looked away from me.

"Are you all right, Christine?" I asked as I sat beside her, placing my hand on her shoulder in comfort.

She moved slightly away from my touch, still not looking at me.

"You saw what happened, what do you think?"

I sighed.

"I'm sure you'll get another chance, you're voice is beautiful, they shouldn't just not give you a second chance just because of one mistake."

A frown formed on her face and I saw her gripping her dress tightly in her hands.

"It wasn't a mistake, Celeste and you know it."

I nodded my head.

"I know, I knew Carlotta had to be up to no good when the dancer handed you that drink but-"

"Stop, I know it was you!" Christine interrupted sharply as her head snapped up to look at me.

I was taken aback by the accusation, shock spreading across my face as I stared at her.

"Christine, I had nothing to do with it!"

She rolled her eyes at me.

"I'm not stupid, Celeste, you were jealous that I got the solo and you didn't, of course, you sabotaged me, and embarrassed me, just so that you could finally have your time in the spotlight!"

I shook my head, not believing that she could possibly think this was true.

"Christine, I would never do that to you, sure I wanted the part but I would never hurt you in order to get it, you're my friend I wouldn't do that to you."

"Don't you dare, you're not my friend, not after this, you're dead to me!" She shouted furiously as she stood up.

I could only stare as I watched Christine storm out of the chapel, my mind repeating the words she had said to me.

I didn't understand how she thought I would do something like this to her, it was as if she hadn't known me for four years. Christine should know I would never do that, shouldn't she?

My recent actions I supposed didn't support that, I was jealous and angry with her. Angry that she was lying, and keeping secrets from me, jealous that she got the solo, an opportunity I had been waiting for years to get, but she could've been waiting just as long or even longer.

She had every right to accuse me of sabotaging her, especially after the way I've acted towards her.

I have to make things right, somehow, but how I was supposed to do that when I was dead to her?

I had no idea.

I took a breath, standing up from the ground about to exit the chapel when I felt as if someone was watching me.

I turned and looked around, finding nothing but the candles that were lit near the large wooden cross, with only shadows in the back.

I squinted my eyes against the darkness, I could almost make out a pair of eyes staring at me.

I thought about the man's voice I had heard talking with Christine, was her supposed angel still here watching me?

I shivered at the thought, quickly running out of the chapel.

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Christine wouldn't even look at me as I came into the room that night, talking to all the other girls in our dormitory except for me. I would try to talk to her, but she would just give me a look of absolute disdain and hate that I just stopped trying.

I took my journal out of my nightstand and walked out of the room, feeling an unwelcoming atmosphere start to grow within the dormitories.

I walked down the hall, my journal pressed close to my chest, my only comfort as of now.

I could feel an eerie feeling of being watched as I descended the stairs towards the doors of the exit.

I tried to ignore the feeling as I placed my hand on the doorknob when I heard something crash to the floor.

I turned around sharply, looking towards the sound, and saw one of the paintings on the wall by the right side of the stairs had fallen off.

I cautiously walked towards it picking it up and placing it gently back on the hook it had been hanging from.

Just as I took my hands off the painting I suddenly heard the voice of a man.

"You know I'm not a fan of betrayers, Celeste."

The voice sounded familiar, like the one that had been talking to Christine in the chapel.

I swallowed nervously as I looked around myself, trying to figure out where the voice was coming from.

"Wh-what are you talking about?"

I could hear him laugh as if he were amused by my response.

"Oh, come now, Christine's performance wasn't just some accident, it was sabotage, an act of jealousy, perhaps?"

I couldn't help but feel like he was accusing me of sabotaging her and I quickly shook my head.

"Whoever you are, if you think that I had anything to do with it-"

"Don't get defensive, I know who did it, I'm no fool, this is my opera house after all."

His opera house?

The question no sooner entered my mind when suddenly the floor opened up beneath me and I was falling.