Love Drives Us All Mad

The Play

*I choose the name Gary as the dad's name because my grandpa was named Gary. Said grandpa shot himself over a year ago, and this weekend we're going to the creek he did it at. Thought I'd carry on his memory by putting him in his favorite musical*

*Headcanons: Erik calls everyone a booby. Erik uses the word ideal as much as possible. Erik is close to his father. (yes, I will try and post a headcanon every new chapter)*

Erik had three things on his mind: Tonights cast auditions, how cold he was, and his imminent death. He walked quickly to his car, but the frigid autumn air didn't exactly make it much better. Getting sick was not on his agenda. Erik fished for his keys and hurriedly pressed the button to unlock the car. He scurried into his car and immediately started it, turning the heater on. Generally, he wouldn't complain about being cold or getting sick, but today felt different for him. Erik sat in his car for a good five minutes, basically till he was comfortable with the temperature. 

Once he started driving, he was disturbed with a call. His father... Begrudgingly, Erik picked up his phone and answered.

"Hello...?" He answered, a tone in his voice clearly screaming he didn't want to be bothered.

"Hey, kiddo!-" Erik's father was quickly cut off by his son.

"Can this wait till I get there or does it have to happen now?" Erik really wanted nothing to do with his father. If it could wait he would just avoid him all day at the theater.

"Can I not just call my son?" His father, Gary, asked. Gary's voice sounding more disappointed, yet still a hint of excitement.

"No. You want something. What is it? Coffee?" Erik was done with this. Every morning he got himself a cup of coffee to help himself look half as dead as he already appeared. The only downside was the fact his father called almost every morning asking Erik to get him a cup too. As anxious as Erik was, he couldn't say no, so he just did it. 

"I-" Gary once again was cut off by his own son.

"Just pay me back." Erik hung up and swung by Dunkin' Donuts since it was the closest thing to him. 

Once arriving at the theater, his father was 'calmly' waiting outside for his coffee. Erik stepped out and handed it to him then walked inside. He was prepared to be here for a long, long time. 

Being the antisocial he was, Erik sat a few rows back while everyone else in the theater conversed. He really wanted nothing to do with anyone there and only took the job of orchestra conductor because he loved music, and it paid well. Erik had an hour to do what he wanted before auditions started. He quickly got up and went off to the pit, holding his mask as he went down the stairs.

The mask, oh. The mask was basically Erik's only way to sort of fit in, although it was hard with a snow-white mask. 'I'm sure if I didn't wear it, I wouldn't have a job or a home..' Erik thought quietly. He had a way of thinking like this constantly. The whole 'what if...' scenarios. Distracted in thought, he tripped over himself and fell down the rest of the stairs. The mask flew off his face halfway through the fall. Erik traded in a safe landing for protection of what his appearance, using both hands to cover up his usually mask-hidden face. He hit his head pretty hard on the concrete and quickly got a hold of his mask, struggling to get it back on his face. Erik was dizzy, maybe a little too dizzy. With his back against the wall that caused the magical effect of hiding the pit from the stage, he muttered curses quietly. Erik's head throbbing, all he could afford to think was how bad this day was already going. Norma,  the score read. That's what the opera was? Norma? It's old, but a classic. Just like Nadir's pranks.

"Don't even think about it booby." Erik spun around and grabbed the shorter man's hand. Shorter isn't a good way to describe him actually, that reason being everyone was shorter then Erik it seemed. Nadir was Arabic? Persian? Indian? Erik couldn't entirely care enough to remember.

Nadir looked at Erik in shock on how he was detected. The Persian man was so careful to make sure he couldn't be seen by Erik's eagle eyes. Then it appeared to Nadir that Erik had called him a booby. This was Erik's way of teasing everyone. The reasoning behind it is at Erik's height, if he was a female, would make everyone the height of his 'boobs'.

"Breathing too loud." Erik dropped his hand and turned back around, flipping through the score. Nadir finally decided to voice his concerns after seeing Erik fall.

"Are you okay, I saw what happened," Erik tensed slightly out of embarrassment and spun around to meet the Persian's gaze. "Were you lost in thought or something?"

"Actually yes. But nothing of too much importance." Erik sighed softly and looked back at the score, humming quietly along to the melody. Nadir noted that Erik didn't want to talk at the moment, yet pressed on.

"So, have anyone in bed recently?" Nadir grinned. Erik shot a glare over his shoulder, slowly turning back to the music that has now made a home in his mind.

The sound of a female's voice filled the theater, quickly grabbing the attention of everyone in it.

"Please take your seats or get behind the set. The auditions for Norma will be starting in seven minutes." Madame Giry smiled kindly at the gentlemen in front of her before going off behind the curtain.

Erik begrudgingly walked over to the front row and plopped himself down next to his father and his dear friend Nadir. He sat quietly thinking as the minutes passed. This was going to be a long five to seven hours.