ballerina in the music box

chapter twelve - Elizabeth's most embarrassing memory

Elizabeth’s POV

The compartment wasn’t that big but it was enough for just us two, there were two small beds to sleep in and after a few hours of siting there quietly and reading while Erik was drawing something (he refused to let me see),  I got very thankful for that, but Erik refused to sleep, I noticed that he normally doesn’t sleep so much, he often sits awake when I’m already fallen asleep and composes or plays music, something he even sings quietly, or like today; he draws, he is a real genius. I sometimes wish I could see what’s going on in his brain and see where all the sweet music he plays comes from, every time I hear him play I feel free and happy, I’ve always loved music, it makes me feel as if everything is possible and I hope to one day become a musician, of course I love to dance but honestly ballet is to strict; every single movement is planned and has to be perfect, it’s not free… madam Giry often got angry at me on the rehearsals because I didn’t do what I what supposed to do, once I didn’t even come on the rehearsal and sneaked around in the opera house instead; well madam wasn’t happy at all…

I laid down in one of the beds and looked over at Erik, he was still scribbling, he was very concentrated and I don’t think he even noticed me looking at him, but suddenly he looked up at me “Elizabeth, can I ask you something?” he said, I nodded “of course Erik, just ask” I said and he became quite thinking about how to ask “ehm… your last name is Shadley, right?” he asked, I nodded again “are you related to Alina Shadley? The violinist?” he asked and looked me in the eyes “ehm… yes, she’s my mother…” I said, he’s eyes grew wide and I could see curiosity in his eyes, he opened and closed his mouth several times wondering about what to ask first; great…, I thought, he has heard about my mother, this will be a long night… I sighed, but he actually asked something I hadn’t expected; “she played at the opera populaire once, Right?” I nodded “yes she played there once a long time ago… where you there watching?” I asked and this time he nodded “yes, I watched, and I remember what she wasn’t alone, there was a little girl with her, and the girl was singing… was that you?” he asked and looked at me, my face got pale as all the memories came back to me, I was just 11 years old when my mother took me to France for the first time, she had been offered a job where she would play at the opera one evening at Christmas time, but she of course insisted on me coming with her and sing… well, I didn’t hit a single note and it was a huge shame for me, and my brother kept reminding me about it for many years, that was when I promised myself to never EVER sing in front of anyone again, but now Erik has heard me sing and just as I though he wouldn’t just let it be. So the following hour and a half he kept annoying me with things like “you have a nice voice, you just have to train a little” and “come on, sing something! Then I can help you making it perfect!” I seriously came to the point where I just wanted to scream!! 

Erik’s POV

She had stopped talking to me now, and I who just wanted to hear her sing!! Seriously it can’t be that hard, by now we both knew that I had already heard her sing when she was younger, and I knew that she could be very good if she only practice, and who knows, that was 8 years ago maybe she is a lot better now, and i learned Christine Daae how to sing then I can learn this little brat too, so why can’t she just SING!!!...

Well I guess I should probably calm down a little, but the voice in my head kept saying that I could maybe be her angel of music just like I had been for Christine, but she doesn’t even let me hear! I took a deep breath and told myself that I didn’t want that, that everything went terribly wrong last time and that I wanted something real and honest with Elizabeth, oh really, you don’t even know what she thinks of you, it was just a kiss, people kiss all the time!  I felt ridiculous for having this conversation with myself and instead went back to the picture I was drawing, I had decided to try and draw Elizabeth just for fun but as I got further and started to draw some details it actually started to look pretty good and I was almost done with it, I looked over at Elizabeth, she had fallen asleep, I smiled at her and then I looked out of the small window on the landscapes rushing by and I felt a strange happiness, I was finally leaving!!

hi! i just wanted to make like a "on the train" thing, i hope you like it!!