-Discontinued- A Guiding Hand (A Phantom Of The Opera Fan Fiction)

6 - A new Friend?

Weeks had passed sense Christine's disappearance. Meg had told me that Christine had contacted her and had told her that she was staying with Raoul at his estate until he knew she was going to be safe. She wouldn't be able to return and take her place once again in the Opera house. And that would mean that we would have to deal with more of La Carlotta's tantrums until Christine would return.

            I had been sitting up on the roof tops yet again only this time I only brought my journal. My head was aching and I didn't want to deal with much at the time. After a long day of rehearsing I had come up to the roof just to be alone. That was all I was asking. I wanted to be left alone with my thoughts. No Meg, No madame Giry, none of Carlotta's tantrums, even the Phantom himself. If anyone of them were to bother me I think I would have snapped.

            It was a rather cold day but yet again I was too distracted to care about my own health and only went upstairs in my simple day dress, my journal and pen. I was sitting down at the base of one of the statues writing and letting my thoughts wonder.

            Writing was the only thing I could do at these times that helped in the slightest. Something about letting the thoughts in this way was a relief. Though the fact that I know how to write was something hard to hide, and not to mention trying to hide my private thoughts from Meg and the other chorus girls was a rather tedious task that I would prefer not to deal with... but who knows. Maybe it would have been a good thing to have these things written down.

            "Is something bothering you?" A low voice snapped me from my thoughts as I looked up to see that Erik, or better known, The Phantom. It was still a little weird to call him Erik and I shouldn't really fall into to much of a habit sense 'The Phantom' was the name everyone knew him by, if I slipped up and said his real name people would get suspicious of me having some what of an acquittance with him.

            I snapped the book close that I was writing in at the time and folded my hands over the top of it with my pen in my hand as I looked at him a little surprised by him showing up. Wait why would I be surprised, he liked coming up here as much as I did.

            "Everything is fine" I said coldly as I looked away from him. I swear I can't be alone anywhere huh?

            "Oh really?" he said as if he knew otherwise. I glanced over in his direction before brushing my hair out of my face.

-Erik's POV-

            I watched as Nathalie once again seemed to come up to the roof not long after I did. It was strange that every time one of us is up here the other seems to come not that long later. Though she seemed different this time around. She seemed annoyed or frustrated, and she didn't have her violin with her. Which was even more strange, as long as I've known this girl so far she always had her violin with her or at least some sheet music with her.

            Instead of staying in the shadows like I usually did, unless of course she caught me, this time I decided that I would approach her first. Well actually I wasn't planning to until I found myself walking over to her and she had probably already noticed me by that point. So there was no backing out.

            "Is something bothering you?" I asked looking down at her as she suddenly snapped the book shut that she was writing in like it was some big secret as she looked up at me and replied rather coldly. Which was strange for her. She usually seemed gentle, and kind. At least during the times we've spoken or she wasn't trying to get me to come out from my hiding.

            "Everything is fine" I didn't believe her when she had said this and before I had control over what I was saying.

            "Oh really?" dammit, I thought as I saw her look at me like she was confused by what I had said as well. But it was true. I could tell that this time around she was lying.

            "Yes, really." she said in a somewhat mocking way as I couldn't help but chuckle softly as I sat down next to her but a good distance away that it wouldn't be too awkward. While she was looking down at her lap where her hands and journal were place, I couldn't help but stare at her. But she caught me rather quickly as she sent a glare at me and I looked out over Paris.

            "I don't believe you" Okay, wasn't meaning to say that either. She looked at me again and had somewhat tilted her head a bit at me.

            "And how would you know exactly, Erik?" she said, I could tell she was in a bad mood. But for some reason I didn't want to leave just yet. This was the first time I had seen this side of her and it was rather interesting to me.

            "Your body language, the tone of voice, the fact you are not carrying your violin with you" I explained as I looked up at the sky. "Putting the clues together I can tell that there is something wrong."

            "Why would you even care!" she suddenly snapped at me as I looked over to see that she had turned to face me and was glaring at me. This caught me off guard. I wasn't expecting such a temper from this young girl.

            "Because you're strange, and you interest me" I looked away after saying this. For some reason I did not feel like I had control over what I was saying.

-Nathalie-

            "because you're strange, and you interest me" I blinked as he had said this to me. What did he mean? What he said didn't make any sense. I wasn't anything special. Why would I interest someone like him?

            I sat back to how I was sitting before and I sighed a bit. I felt guilty realizing that I had snapped at him and I looked away, it had started to snow once again and grow even colder then it was before.

            "I'm sorry for snapping at you.." I said in a low tone. "My head is aching and I'm just in a bad mood. I shouldn't have taken it out on y-" I was cut off.

            "It's quite alright Nathalie" he had said to me as he had stood up and offered me a hand to stand "Come it's cold out here and I don't want to be responsible for you becoming Ill" He said to me as I looked up at him

            "it was my choice to come up here in the first place. So it would be my fault for my own illness not yours"I said as I took his hand and stood before dusting off my dress from the snow as I smiled at him.

            "I started a conversation with you that probably kept you out here longer than you had originally planned." he said and I rolled my eyes.

            "Let's not argue." I said "If I become ill by some chance we can blame it on both of our actions alright?" I said smiling as he nodded in approval as he walked me to the door that lead back down into the opera house.

            "Goodnight Nathalie" He had said to me, I froze as I was about to walk inside when he had held the door for me. I looked down and smiled a bit before I looked back at him.

            "Goodnight, Erik" I said before entering and he closed the door behind me.

            That night I had fallen into a deep dreamless sleep. One that I hadn't had in such a long time. I woke up on Saturday to go to the cafe feeling for once, rather refreshed and calm. I usually was a nervous wreck and tried to hide it as much as possible but today I just felt calm. Maybe the writing I had done in my journal the night before had helped relieve of stress.

                                                                          :'