The Man In The Mask

[P1] Chapter 4

Friday

Christine POV:

"You." He pointed to a boy, I think his name was Arron? "How many acts are in the opera Faust?"

Arron shrunk in his seat and shrugged his shoulders. Mr. Destler scoffed and pointed at a girl in the top back row, "same question."

She looked at him wit confusion, "what question?"

Then his finger whipped towards Carlotta, "Same question."

"Two." She answered confidently.

Mr. Destler rolled his eyes and then pinched the bridge of his nose.

I face palmed myself. Then I sat up straight as he pointed at Raoul, "How many, Mr. De Chagny?"

Raoul moved in his seat, "Uh..."

"Today, Mr. De Chagny." Mr. Destler crossed his arms and stood there towering over him.

I could see sweat on Raoul's brow, he was nervous. He awkwardly rubbed the back of his head, but Mr. Destler didn't move onto another person, he demanded an answer from him, "You have to the count of three to answer before I throw you out of this class."

Raoul was shaking in his seat.

"One..." Agh, what do I do? "Two..." Should I say something? "Th--"

"Five!" I blurted out.

Mr. Destler turned towards me and I threw my hand over my mouth, "Excuse me?"

"There's uh...five acts in Faust—"

"That wasn't for you to answer Miss Daae." He walked away from us and towards the piano.

"I'm sorry—"

"Why don't you tell me the names of all the acts in Faust?" he leaned against his desk.

I heard everyone start snickering behind me, making me tremble under pressure.

"Today." Mr. Destler said, making me even more nervous.

"Uh...Faust's Cabinet, At the City Gates, Marguerite's Garden, Marguerite's Room and uh...The Prison."

I heard some people make "ooo's" as if I did something triumphantly. Mr. Destler smirked, "Wrong."

The room went silent, "Wrong?" I sat upright in my chair.

"Act Five is the Interior of the Prison." I suppressed from rolling my eyes. "Though you did very well...Ready for a little bonus round?" he smirked again, "Get all of them right and you won't have any assignments tonight."

I moved a little in my chair, scared of what he would say now. But I was also confident...maybe a little too confident.

"What is Marguerite's—?"

"Soprano." I blurted out.

"OH!" everyone behind us started laughing.

Mr. Destler raised his eyebrow at me (since half of his face is in a mask), "You want a speed round, eh?" I gulped, "Faust?"

"Tenor"

"Mephistopheles?"

"Bass-baritone."

"Who created it?"

"Charles Gounod"

"When does it take pl—?"

"The 16th century."