Christine found herself bowing. She was in the front and center of the stage, the last person to come out for bows. That was the spot reserved for the lead, which Christine could still hardly believe she was, even though she had been practiced for weeks and had gone through an entire performance in the role. 

Carly couldn't believe that Christine was in the titular role of Cinderella either, of course. But that thought didn't go the new leading lady's mind for a moment. Carly just laid back in her seat and waited for it all to end so that she could recieve her boyfriend Ian again.

Christine was a mess of wonderful emotions. There were tears running down her cheeks as she looked out to audience and heard cheers erupting everywhere. As she backed up to be the center of the line joining hands to bow, the crowd stood up as they applauded. Along with the rest of the cast, she was getting a standing ovation. Christine Daae, the ensemble girl who no one had ever heard of before, was getting a standing ovation. 

Christine was getting dizzy again. This time, she wasn't sure if that shadowy techie from before would be able to come around and be her support. So she backed up, grabbed the hands of the other cast members, and led them into a bow. 

After another burst of applause from the audience, they went down into another bow. Christine was smiling but she couldn't get rid of the tears falling down her face. Her stomach heaved with each breath. Everything around her was so surreal.

It was incredible. If this was the reaction of the audience, how would the Angel of Music react? He would likely be so very proud of her, and that just widened the smile on her face. But just as soon and as the amazing moment seemed to have started, it was over. She heard the creaking of the curtain as it was pulled shut in front of her.

Christine knew what was going to happen next. Now the cheers were coming from on the stage, behind the curtain. Everyone was celebrating the wild success of opening night. But in the frenzy, the Daae girl felt very overwhelmed.

She didn't scream, or shout, giving herself the excuse that she had to keep her voice in good condition. Instead she just stood there and smiled, giving nods and short phrases to anyone and everyone who came up to congratulate her. But when the techie boy dressed all up in black came up to her again, it became very difficult for her to hide her surprise.

"Christine," the techie said. She stared at him carefully for a second, scanning him up and down. She hadn't known that he even talked to anyone. Typically he was the type who would never talk to anyone unless he was forced to, but he had spoken to her quite a bit just in the past few hours.

"That was beautiful, every last bit of it. I saw out into the audience and there were eyes glinting everywhere. You made them weep tonight, Christine." His voice got softer as he spoke her name again.

"Thank you," Christine said, after she shook her head and stopped staring at him. She hadn't even noticed that she was doing it, but once she did it reminded her that she hadn't gotten any real information from it. "Thank you, it means a lot to me."

"Well," the techie said, "I had nothing to do with it. It's all you, all your talent. Keep doing this, will you?"

Christine was almost so stunned by how much the techie was talking that she couldn't respond. "I will," she said. "I will." She nodded, and then just stood there for a moment. But then she gave a sigh and turned away, knowing that there still more people who wanted to come to her and congratulate her. She couldn't just stick there with the techie the whole time.

Suddenly a thought that seemed very obvious now that it was finally coming into her head popped up. Mama Valant was somewhere in the audience, waiting for her niece to come out. With this idea firmly rooted into her head, Christine picked up the front of her gown and made her way through the wings and off of the stage.

"Mama Valant, Mama Valant!" Christine said, rushing out into the audience. She was still in full costume, still in such a daze after everything she had been through. As she ran to her aunt and caretaker, she passed several little girls who stared at her in awe. She was wearing the Cinderella wedding dress, and still looked like a princess with a tiara to top it all off

"Cinderella," one of the girls said, tugging on her skirt as she was taking everything a bit slower. Christine turned around to face the girl, bending over and smiling. 

"Hello there," she said. "What's your name?" She put on her best Cinderella voice and tried to act as much like a fairy tale princess as she could. If only the people who hired Disney princesses to work in the theme parks could have seen her right then and there. 

Christine had pulled herself back into character in a matter of seconds. Of course, it would be easier for her if she had been singing, but in the end she knew that the Angel of Music had helped her get into this sort of focus.

"Lucy," the girl said. Christine smiled, thinking for a second about her mother. Lucia and Lucy didn't exactly sound the same, but they looked rather similar when they were written out on a page. 

"It's wonderful to meet you, Lucy! Did you enjoy the show?" Christine didn't consider that breaking the fourth wall, not in this particular scenario. The little girl named Lucy was completely under Christine's spell. 

Carly was walking towards the front to go talk to Ian, and on her way there she spotted Christine and Lucy. She immediately rolled her eyes and scoffed. She could have done that just as well, if not better. Wait, what was she thinking? Of course she could have done better than the little sophmore girl.

Lucy nodded in response to Christine's questions, only putting an even bigger smile on Christine's face. This warmed her heart so much. She remembered being so obsessed with Little Lotte that if she ever got to meet her Christine would have acted in exactly the same way as Lucy. 

"I want to be a princess when I grow up," Lucy said. "How do I...how do I become a princess?" Christine's eyes flicked up for a moment, and she saw the parents of Lucy smiling and sharing meaningful looks with one another. Christine knew that in that moment she had just made a memory for Lucy's childhood that the family would never forget.

"Well, Lucy," Christine said. Lucy's face broke out into a shy grin as Christine said her name. "It takes a lot of hard work to become a princess, but it's worth it. Besides," she continued. "I think you would make a great princess."

"Really?"

"Yes. Now, just keep being you and your wonderful self. Always stay true to your heart and follow your dreams." Christine felt almost like she was quoting some sort of motivational speaker, but it still sounded like something that Cinderella would say so she continued on with it. 

"What about the dresses and balls and princes?"

"That comes a bit later," Christine explained. "But I assure you. You will one day be sitting pretty in a ballgown just like mine. Now, can you promise that you'll be a good girl so that you can become a princess one day?"

Lucy nodded dutifully. Christine couldn't help but smile again. Her heart was so warm and fuzzy. She hadn't felt like this for forever. 

"Excuse me," Lucy's father said. "Would you mind taking a picture with Lucy?"

"Oh, of course not," Christine said, letting out another princess perfect smile. She quickly allowed herself to be photographed, and then she was off on her way to Mama Valant.

"My Christine!" her aunt exclaimed as the girl threw herself into her arms. "You were breathtaking. Beautiful. Stunning. It was amazing, I've never seen anything like it. I am so proud of you."

"I did my best," Christine said, pulling away from the embrace. "I'm glad you enjoyed it."

"Darling, I loved it."

There was a moment of silence between the two of them, a mutual understanding of their care for one another. Finally, Christine spoke up again.

"I have to go change back into my normal clothes," Christine said, going in for another hug with her aunt.  "I mean, I love looking like a princess, but there's more shows to do and I can't exactly go walking around like this." A laugh crept into the end of her sentence, escaping from her mouth like bells.

"I completely understand," Mama Valant replied. "I'll just have to get pictures of you another time, you have friends and celebrations to attend to."

"Thank you, Mama Valant," Christine said. With a slight wave of her hand, she was off again, this time walking back towards the stage with her skirt hoisted up. She weaved her way through the audience and then through the cast and crew lingering backstage. Mostly everyone had left, though. 

When she made it to the dressing room, she was pleased to find it was empty. Perfect. Her clothes from earlier in the day were still sitting there with all of the rest of herself. Pleased with how this was all working out, she shed the ballgown and hung it up like it was some sort of fragile glass. She almost laughed at this thought, because of course her shoes were supposed to be made of glass.

Now that Christine was changed and alone, she allowed the door to be kept open. Despite the fact that most everybody had already left, she was biding her time by redoing her makeup to something less gaudy than stage makeup.

Really she was just trying to find a way to pass the time hoping that the Angel of Music would come to her again. It seemed like this would be the perfect time to do so, now that she was alone, but he had been silent.

Christine knew she was being a bit greedy and clingy, wanting to speak with him so much, but it didn't matter to her. She was becoming used to his praise and wanted more of it. It was one thing if all of the other people said she was doing a great job, it was something totally different of the Angel voiced his approval. 

With a sigh, Christine tried to push away her disappointment and just go ahead and redo her eyeliner. Some of the black lines had smeared from her tears towards the end, and it was not the most attractive look. She went ahead and started drawing the lines all over again.

Just as Christine was finishing up on this, she heard footsteps behind her. Turning around, she saw none other than Bridget Hadley, who had already changed and fixed her makeup just as Christine was doing.

"Hello," Christine said. "What are you still doing here?"

"I was just about to ask you the same thing. But I do have something to tell you..." she said, biting her lip excitedly.

"Oh?"

"Christine," Bridget said. "It looks like you have a secret admirer," she smiled. "A boy came up to me, asking if I knew where you were and when I wasn't sure he gave this to me and ran off." She handed Christine a letter, a simple piece of paper folded up in thirds.

Christine turned the letter around, keeping it folded at first. She was looking for any sort of sign of who had sent it, but there was nothing to be found. In the back of her head, she couldn't help but hope that somehow it was from the Angel of Music.

"What did he look like?" Christine said, bringing her gaze back up to Bridget standing before her. 

"He was cute, if that's what you're worried about," Bridget said, laughing slightly.

"No, I mean, what did he look like? Hair, eyes, that sort of thing."

"I only saw him for a few seconds," Bridget replied. "But he had short brown hair, that's about all I remembered. Tall. Skinny. Attractive."

Christine smiled to herself, trying to imagine this being her Angel of Music. She had never really seen him in a particular way in her mind, but this might fit. It visualized in her head, sort of. Perhaps she would be able to see if this had any truth to it later on.

"Oh, okay," Christine said, realizing that she had been silent and lost in her thoughts for quite a while.

"Thank you, Bridget."

"No problem," she replied. "I'll see you at the celebration, don't forget!"

"How could I ever?" Christine said with a laugh. With that, Bridget was off and Christine was left alone to read the letter. As her eyes scanned across it, they widened dramatically.

"Litte Lotte?" Christine said out loud. Whoever had written this letter knew about Little Lotte, which meant they had to know her quite well. It was really starting to seem like the Angel of Music had written the letter to her, that Bridget had actually set eyes on him. Something about that made her heart pound and her stomach spin.

But as Christine sat there, admiring the note and the dizzy feeling that it gave her, she realized that she was only about half done with her makeup. If the Angel of Music was going to appear to her in person, she had to look as nice as possible for him!

She went ahead and picked up the tube of mascara, focusing on making it perfect and clumpless. She doubted the Angel of Music would notice or care, but it didn't matter. She had that chaos inside of knowing someone you wanted to impress was near and everything had to be perfect. But then a few words from behind her caused her thoughts to scatter.

"Christine Daae, where is your red scarf?" said a familar voice from behind her. It was so sudden and so shocking that she nearly dropped the mascara. But with a slight sigh, she allowed herself a moment to calm herself down. Once the brush was safely back in the mascara tube and no longer at a risk to getting the black goo everywhere, she turned aound, and her jaw immediately dropped.

"Paul? Paul...Chandler? It can't be..." Christine said, shaking her head. The teenager standing there was one she hadn't set eyes on in years. It was almost impossible, like he was some sort of ghost.

"Well, it is." Paul handed her a single red rose, bowing over like a proper gentleman. Christine's eyes opened wide as she took the rose. She couldn't take her gaze off of Paul, though. "Where did you get it from?" she asked, gesturing to the silken flower in her hand.

He shrugged, saying "Plucked it out of some random person's bouquet. I wasn't coming back here to talk to you without something to celebrate your big triumph."

"What are you doing here, anyways? I mean...I haven't seen you in so long."

"Not since drama camp," Paul said with a laugh. That little laugh triggered a memory in Christine. She smiled at him and began to speak.

"I was eight years old," she said, remembering the past. "We were both eight. We were at our first day of drama  camp and were walking outside just for a little while. I thought I was so fashionable, wearing a red scarf in the middle of summer. But then there was a sudden gust of wind. My scarf flew into the duck pond-"

"And I ran in to go get it for you," Paul completed with a smile.

"You were soaked, but it was the beginning of a beautiful friendship."

"It was a shame that we got too old to go to that camp."

"I don't think I ever had such fun," Christine said with a laugh. "Do you remember how after the camp was over-"

Paul ended up cutting her off, finishing her sentence. "We would go over to your house and your dad would play the violin."

It was Christine's turn to jump in. "We told each other all sorts of stories, sitting in the attic like it was some other world."

"Well, your favorite story was always Little Lotte. You hardly would tell me anything else."

"You remember that?" Christine said, surprise leaking into her voice. She was smiling so much that it was almost difficult to get words out.

"Of course I remember that! You tried to have me convince my parents to let me go out and get blonde hair dye so that you could be Little Lotte," Paul replied with a laugh. "Speaking of you being Little Lotte, it seems that the Angel of Music from that story has come to you."

Christine smiled as she remembered a line from the story. "She wheedled her mother, was kind to her doll, took great care of her frock and her red shoes and her fiddle, but loved most of all, when she went to sleep, to hear the Angel of Music," she murmured. Paul joined in on the last part, causing Christine to break out into a grin.

"I think the Angel of Music truly has come to you."

"Well, maybe he has," Christine said softly. But the thought of Little Lotte and the violin playing reminded her of something far less cheery. Now looking down, sadness returning to her, she said, "My father died, Paul."

"Oh, Christine, I'm so sorry!" he said, making a start as if he might try to comfort her. But Christine put a hand up, allowing the tips of her mouth to turn up again. 

"It's fine, Paul. I've been okay. Mama Valant-my aunt Madison, that is-has been good to me. But my father, right before he died, he said to me..." Christine paused for a moment as she remembered. She knew those words by heart "When I am in heaven I will send the Angel of Music to you. He is dead now, and I have been visited by the Angel of Music!"

"Ah. No doubt of it," Paul said. Although he looked a bit saddened still at the loss of her father, he had a pep in his voice. Christine realized that he didn't fully believe her. She was going to say more but realized it would only make her sound insane, so she let Paul continue speaking. "The counselors back at the drama camp would be so proud of you, playing the lead!"

 She shook her head, finding that small and wistful smile growing into a grin again. "It's like we never left each other," she said, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear. 

"You have changed, though. We both have. Look at us now, in high school," Paul said. For a second the two of them were silent, thinking about all that had happened in the time they had been seperated. There was so much each of them was aching to tell the other, but both knew it was the wrong time.

"That reminds me," Christine began again, allowing the quiet spell to be broken, "what are you doing here?"

"I'm going to be going to school here. I'm starting next quarter," Paul replied. Christine was very happy about this new development her mouth dropping open slightly but still keeping the smile. It came as a complete surprise to her, but a very happy surprise.

"You're serious about that? You're seriously coming here, to Garnier High School? The next quarter is only in a couple of weeks. You can't be serious...are you?"

"Yes, yes I am."

"That's incredible!" Christine squealed. In an impulse, she found herself standing up and walking over to Paul. She leaned over to give Paul a hug and as soon as he wrapped his arms back around her their faces both started to flush. 

They really had both changed since drama camp. Both had gotten more mature and more attractive. When the two of them started to pull away, they looked up and their eyes met. Their gazes caught, and neither one of them wished to look away. But as soon as they did, they regretted it. Christine's fairly pale cheeks lit up in a pink blaze.

"Sorry," she murmured, looking down. The smile from before hadn't disappeared, but it had certainly faded a good bit. She was very embarrassed about what had just happened. Paul had been her best friend at one point in time, but now everything was sort of awkward and it wasn't fun. 

"Don't be," he said. After a quick clearing of his throat, Paul continued, "Now, I think we should go out to celebrate your triumph."

Now Christine looked back up again, any embarrassment disappearing as she met his eyes again. "Paul Chandler," Christine said, smiling as she tilted her head. "Did you just ask me out on a date?"

"Well, it depends on what the answer is," Paul said, returning the smile.

"Of course!" Christine said. She had never found herself accepting a date so quickly and easily, but the fact of the matter was that she knew Paul. These minutes with him had been surprise after surprise, but in the end it was all good. She began collecting her things, piling them into her arms.

"Oh, wait," Christine said, stopping herself from doing anything more. "There's something I need to do."

"What could you possibly need to do?" Paul replied, shaking his head. "You just blew everyone in the audience away with your performance as Cinderella, all you need to do is celebrate."

"But-"

"Christine Daae," Paul said. "Always doing far more than what is needed just because she can."

"Well, I do need to do this..."

"What is it that you need to do?"

Christine had no response. She was thinking of her voice, of the Angel of Music, but telling Paul that she wanted to wait for the faceless voice would make her seem completely mad.

"You said yes to a date with me," he said. He was finding Christine's silence rather endearing rather than strange, which struck her has odd. "Whatever it is you need to do, it can wait. Come on, Christine," he said, taking her hand. 

Christine just stared at Paul for a moment. She felt in her heart that she had to stay, that she had to speak to the Angel of Music before she went anywhere. When Paul saw this look in her eyes, he gently removed his hand and brushed away a stray curl from her face. 

With Paul casting his shadow over her and grazing her face with his hand, Christine found her heart starting to beat faster. Anyone who didn't know better would have thought that they had been sweethearts for a while just by the way their eyes connected.

Now that Christine had a little bit more motivation, she got herself up and out of her seat for the moment. But as the initial dreamlike state from Paul faded away, she remembered the reasons why she wanted to stay.

Paul took Christine's hand in his, and started to walk along with her. He was moving rather quickly to make up for lost time, but Christine didn't seem to want to move at all. It was like he was yanking her along, and she was resisting.

"What's wrong?" he said. "We should probably head out now, you know."

"I know, but..." Christine swallowed. She still didn't know quite what to say in order to sound both sane and reasonable. She wasn't sure there was anything that fit that particular description. 

"But?"

"I still have something to do, you know?" With this, she gently let go of Paul's hand. Almost immediately, his face fell.

"Come on. Christine, we should go now."

"Just one little more thing, Paul, it'll take two seconds," Christine said, protesting.

"Christine, really?" Paul said, lifting his eyebrows. "If you don't want to go out on a date, I'd rather have you just come out and tell me. I won't be offended. I won't be happy, either, but you know."

"No, no no no!" Christine said, realizing that she had come across the wrong way. "Two seconds, I swear."

"If you say so," Paul replied. "But I have a stopwatch, I'll be counting..." When he saw Christine's eyes glaze over at the fear of this being true, he let out a laugh. The girl could be so gullible sometimes, if you got to her emotions. "I'm just kidding, Christine. Do what you need to, I won't stop you."

"Thanks," Christine said. Despite all of her strange behavior, Paul was being very kind. He really hadn't changed in that respect, that was for sure. Most people just didn't have the capability to be so nice and yet still so sincere and interesting. That was why he was so charismatic in the end.

He walked away, the curly haired girl's eyes following his every step and then listening as they faded away. Now Christine had a moment alone, at least. It was a very brief and fleeting moment, but it was still there.

"Angel, thank you for my success. I wish I could stay longer but I have other things to do. You know the drill," she said, a weak smile on her face. She felt herself trying to stay there longer, but there was nothing left for her to do. She just had to go along with Paul-not that it was a bad thing. In fact, she was rather excited to meet up with her old friend, especially now that they were going out on a date. She didn't know just how it could go.

"Time's up!" Christine heard the echo of Paul's voice swooping into her ear. She shook her head, resisting the urge to laugh. Hoping that the Angel of Music would be understanding, she gave one last smile and exited the dressing room.

A/N And there we have the introduction of Raoul, the Vicomte de Chagny! Or, to modernize and Americanize that, we have Paul Chandler. I never really liked Raoul all that much (I forgot his name the first time I watched PotO!) and I didn't understand how anyone could like him, but writing Paul has made me understand. And, of course, Hadley Fraser is amazing. The video over on the side is the song "Little Lotte," and it also contains some of "The Mirror," which inspired Christine's inner turmoil towards the end of this scene. So...yeah. Have fun with that. And vote, and comment. Thanks!