The next day, I did nothing but sit in my room and sob. 

That was pretty much it. 

I moved into different positions and tried them out, figuring out which was the best to sob in...

Curled up on the bed with my arms around myself worked very well.

As soon as I got hungry, I moved. 

I went to the dining hall and found my only friend(besides my music, my music box, my organ, and Nadir Kahn) there. "Hello, Adrian." I said sitting down.  "Hello, Erik." He replied.                                                  "What did you do today?" He asked, picking at his food(I was not sure what it was).

"Oh...Just sat around..." I trailed. "You cried, didn't you?" Adrian said cynically.                             "...Yeah."

"You needn't hide anything from me, you know. I know how you feel." He put a warm paw on my arm. I looked up an smiled, "Thank you. You are one of my only friends."                                      "Really?" He cocked his head at me. "Yep. My only human friend, besides you, was Nadir Khan. He rescued me from a carnival where I was a main attraction." I sighed, hating that part of my life. "Only human friend? What do you mean?" Adrian asked.                                                                    "My solace was my music. It was my friend. It never mocked me, hated me, broke my heart...It could only share in its beauty. My music box was another very good friend of mine. I could talk to it about anything and everything and it always listened."                                                                                I felt a little embarrassed about telling Adrian that I talked to my music box... 

"So you talked to a music box! Who would judge you for that? People talk to all sorts of strange things! Someone once told me that she talks to her favourite book as if it's characters can talk back!" He was leaning in and when he finished I immediately felt less insane.                                                                    "Really? Someone told you that?" I asked, crossing my fingers that he wasn't just saying that to make me feel better.

"Yes, someone really told me that!" Adrian laughed.                                                                                           Maybe I wasn't the only one who was a little crazy out there....                                                         Although, it can be so comforting to talk to an inanimate object. They are such wonderful listeners...

"I wish I had done things differently. I wish that I could have another try. Another chance, to try and change things." I whispered, loudly enough for only Adrian and I to hear. "Me too. There are some things I would really like to change." He agreed. "What would you change if you could go back?" I looked over at him. "Well, for a start, I wouldn't jump off my castle. That was sort-of stupid. I would kiss Belle, I'd also try to control my temper more and be a good lot nicer to my staff." Adrian looked rueful. "What about you? What would you change?" He looked over at me.

 "I would kiss Christine as many times as possible, kissing every part she would allow me to.          I'd hold her as tightly as I could and tell her that I love her more than everything, as many times as I could. I'd try to win her love without scaring the hell out of her or trying to kill Raoul.                I'd interrupt their kissing on the roof, not get into a sword-fight with Raoul....                                                                                                  I wouldn't kill Joseph Buquet, or Upbaldo Piangi...I would try to talk to Nadir more!                             I would be more gentle and loving..."

"Wow." Adrian said. "Yeah, there's a lot I would change, if I could. I just wish I could. I wish you could too. I mean; you deserve to be where you belong, too. We should be where we belong. We really should." I knew we both missed our love's. More than anything in the world.

"Yes, we should." He agreed. "I wonder what Belle is doing right now...." He sighed wistfully. "She probably misses you." I said. "I doubt it." He replied. "I don't. You told me yourself that you two became close!" I reminded him. "Well, yes, but..." Adrian tried to find an argue point but couldn't. "Don't be so cynical. Hope is very hard to suppress and pops up at the littlest suggestion. Embrace it." I spread my arms wide. 

"Okay. If Belle misses me, Christine misses you."                                                                                                   "Impossible." I replied sadly. "Don't be so cynical." Adrian copied me in a kind tone.                                He was right, wasn't I usually the hopeful one? Why was it so hard to believe......                             Oh, right, Christine loved Raoul and probably wanted to forget me at all costs.

And yet, I found myself hoping beyond hope that Christine missed me.                                                              "I see that you are hoping." Adrian said in a sing-song voice. "I don't care." I said but a smile crept onto my lips. "You are definitely hoping!" He sang. "Yes I am!!" I replied, but I still had my doubts...

Oh well. 

"Good night, Erik." Adrian said as he turned down the hall. "NIght." I replied, watching as he left. I didn't go to my room, though. I went somewhere else. To the desk of that woman. 

"Oh, hello. May I help you?" She asked smiling. "Yes, you may. There must be a way to get back to our old lives. Please, my friend deserves to go back. If anyone does, it is him." I begged with the woman. "Really? Who?" She asked. "The Beast." I replied automatically. "That is so selfless. I  ... wow. There is a way for him to get back. He quit his story, correct? Then all he has to do is ask and he'll be sent back!" She said. My jaw dropped. "Really? Oh, thank you! I'll go tell him!" I exclaimed and ran off to tell Adrian.