The Phantom's Melody (The Phantom of the Opera)

06. Sweet Treats and Phantoms

Over the next week the Opera Populaire recovered from the "accident" that had occurred during Il Muto. Carlotta and Piangi returned with heavy reflectance and so did most of the regulars who normally attended our performances. But Firmin and Andre were simply relieved to find that the Phantom wasn't making anymore unwanted appearances. And so was Christine.

She and Raoul had been spending a lot more time with each other whenever they had the chance, but they kept their relationship underwrap. It wouldn't surprise me if Carlotta, or anyone else for that matter, would try and accuse the Vicomte of favoritism. Not to mention the Phantom's strong interest in Christine. I'm sure he wouldn't exactly be pleased to see her with Raoul.

I, on the other hand, was trying very hard not to think about him. He had been plaguing my thoughts for days now, which made it very difficult to focus on anything. Part of me wondered if talking to Christine about it would be a good idea, but ultimately I decided against it. She didn't need to be weighed down by anything else regarding the Phantom of the Opera.

So I did my best to focus on rehearsals and the music I wrote during my free time. Thankfully I hadn't run into the Phantom again during my late night ventures into the opera house, but I always felt as if he was watching from the shadows. The thought alone caused goosebumps to form on my skin.

After one particularly long afternoon of rehearsals led by Madame Giry's unrelenting tutelage, I slipped away from the stage area and found my way through the halls to the kitchen area. Everyone was busy with rehearsals so no one was around for the time being.

I glanced back into the hall once I was inside before shutting the door and walking over to the pantry. I rummaged through the different foods sitting inside on the shelves before smiling when I found a bar of solid chocolate hidden behind some flour and sugar. I had gotten a small taste of it a few months back when Carlotta's personal handmaid had made cookies for her and Piangi. It was one of the most wonderful things I had ever tasted.

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to eat too many sweets and treats whenever I wanted. Being a chorus girl called for a strict diet, one which Madame Giry didn't allow us to break all that often.

Looking around again to make sure no one had snuck up on me, I grabbed the bar of chocolate and situated myself in a snug little corner of the room where I tore open the wrapper and broke a small piece off from the block. The moment it entered my mouth it immediately melted on my tongue, leaving my taste buds humming with delight. It was perfectly sweet, albeit slightly bitter. But I couldn't get enough of it.

Besides, I was stressed enough as it was. Having a treat to snack on was exactly what the doctor ordered. After breaking off a third piece from the bar, I decided to search through the cooler for some milk to wash the chocolate down. I found it sitting in the back of the fridge inside a glass bottle, smiling a bit as I turned to find a cup to pour some in. But I almost yelped, my hands grabbing the cast iron frying pan sitting nearby, when I faced the shadowy figure behind me. However, the pan only made it halfway to his head before his hand shot out and grabbed it.

I blinked, taking a moment to realize who it was. "Jesus Christ," I glared at the Phantom, jerking the pan out of his grip as I relaxed a little. "Have you ever considered saying something when you enter a room?" I snapped.

Part of me wondered how good of an idea shouting at him was, but I was quickly growing tired of feeling my heart stop everytime he suddenly appeared behind me.

He looked me up and down and then fixed his gaze on the frying pan in my hand. "What exactly did you plan on doing with that?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.

I shot him another glare. "Well, I thought my intent was pretty clear," I said as I gripped the handle, keeping the pan close at my side. "What are you doing here?"