Pen a Pal (Phantom of the Opera Fanfiction)

Chapter 21

Chapter 21

It could have been considered a nice, peaceful night. The temperature was just right -not too hot, not too cold- and there wasn't a cloud in the sky, so the moon and stars could be seen easily. There weren't people around and traffic could barely be heard.

But, for two people sitting on a bench outside the Macaroni Grill, the peaceful night was going unnoticed. One was desperately trying to think of what to say while the other sat staring at him still trying to comprehend all that had occurred within the past three minutes.

What do I say? Where do I begin? Erik was at a loss for words. Knowing that Christine was on the verge of leaving him for good was impairing his ability to think properly. After all he had done to her, her reaction to finally hearing him admit the truth shouldn't have come as a surprise. But, it did come as just that.

Christine was well aware of the fact that he was panicking. She herself was in somewhat of the same state, just for a different reason. She'd never judged the man sitting beside her. Everyone else had judged him poorly based on his mask. Instead of stooping to their level, Christine had taken the chance to get to know him... or so she thought.

Really, she didn't know him at all. He'd lied to her, both through his visits and through his emails. He'd made her believe he was two different people. He'd fooled her, and she was now feeling humiliated and stupid. Christine never thought he could make her feel that way.

And why wasn't he speaking? She had a number of things she wished to ask and say, but she wanted him to talk first. Forgiveness was far from her mind, and it was going to continue to get farther away if he didn't start explaining.

It has to be going on thirty seconds of silence. I'll give him fifteen more seconds.. If he doesn't say anything by then, I'm out of here. It pained her to think that she would never see Noah or email Erik again. Losing two of her closest friends... If Christine thought about it too much, though, she was going to cry. She couldn't let that happen.

It was decided. Erik would tell her the whole truth. Everything. From the beginning. He took a deep, calming breath. "My name is Erik Destler, and I'm a composer," he began. "I'm a famous composer. However, because of the mask on my face, I have made it so that I am never seen. That is where Nadir, the man I live with, comes in. He is my publisher." I can do this, I can do this,Erik thought, motivating himself. "The name I use when my music is published is not Erik Destler. It is..." He couldn't help but pause. Not another living soul on this earth knew the information he was revealing, besides Nadir. But, well, that was about to change. "It is Noah Wellington."

Christine's eyes widened. Her arms uncrossed and her hands fell to her lap. The man just admitted to being her favorite composer, an extremely famous composer at that. He was Erik, he was Noah, and he was Noah Wellington? He's lying! her mind accused. Still, she didn't speak.

Erik took in her disbelieving expression. He only wished she would trust him again.. but that wasn't going to happen unless he told her everything, and even then it might be hopeless. "Towards the end of May, I became tired of composing. You must know, I have never felt that way before. Music was my life. It was all I knew."

He stopped to gather his thoughts. "It was because of boredom that I discovered Pen-a-Pal, just as you did for the same reason. The website intrigued me, for I had never taken part in anything like it. Before that day, I had always been a recluse whose only companions were music and the man who raised me. But then, I found you." He spoke the word 'you' with reverence in his tone. "The very first email you sent me changed my life, and you have continued to change my life everyday since then."