A/N: I obviously do not own POTO, and if i did, I would be rich. Also, if anyone out there reading this is named Kite, Alex, or Kat - I'd like to appologize for using these names. I also do not own the quote right below this...
This Chapter's quote is:
Phantom faces at the windows,
Phantom shadows on the floor...
Le Miserables, the musical
Wonders Of The Past
Chapter One
" - way you choose, he has to win." Alex sang. "Okay, stop." Mr. Copen said. Alex, Kite, and Kat looked out from the stage into the auditorium. "That was nice, but Alex, remember, you need dominate the first part, up till "choose", and then Kite, you dominate the second part with "you cannot win". Right now you are even in the first part, and Kite, you are dominating in the second part. Alex, you need to sing just a bit louder." He glanced at his watch. "Okay, well, it seems we're done for today. That's what you should practice, Alex." he turned to help people clean up. Alex sighed. Kite seemed lost in thought. "Er, Kite?" Alex said, pulling pointedly on the Punjab lasso around his neck. "Huh? Oh, sorry Alex, I was just thinking." Kite said. Kat came over. "'bout what?" She asked suspiciously. "Oh, nothing," Kite said, "do you really want to know?" "I do." Alex said. "Well, I was just thinking, if the Phantom kills with this rope, it must be pretty easy, and I thought, well, you do stick your head in it, so your life is technically in my hands for the last part of the play."
Alex and Kat blinked. "Uh, right...How about getting my head out of it now?" Alex suggested. Kat smiled and went over to him, she fiddled with the rope, and then took it off. "Jeeze, I don't know if I'll ever put my head in it again, now that I know what kind of things he thinks about." Alex said, pretending to look at Kite with mistrust. Kite smiled. "I'm only trying to get into character." He said. "Though I must admit, this mask is rather annoying." He took it off, and looked at it. "Porcelain. The worst stuff on the planet. This thing is freezing when you put it on, and then after about fifteen minutes, it's hot as hell. It starts to slide right off my face. And I can't throw it around or anything, 'cause it would break. Throwing it would at least make me feel better." Kat raised her eyebrows. "Do you want me to start about my costume?" She asked. Kite hastened to say that he already knew all the problems with her costume.
Alex grinned. "Am I the only one who is actually comfortable?" He asked. Kat scowled at him. "Fop." she accused. Alex shrugged. "I like it. What can I say? The shirt's soft, the pants fit, the shoes don't give me blisters, I think it's perfect." Kite gave him a shove. "What about the sword?" Alex frowned. "Okay, I suppose that's the one bad thing." They walked toward the stairs off the stage. Mr. Copen was waiting for them. "Well done, all of you. The props are all working fine, and except for the sword-cape mishap, everything was very nice." Alex muttered an apology.
The sword-cape mishap that Mr. Copen was talking about had happened that morning. It had been the first day that Alex and Kite were fencing in their costumes. Kite had dodged, just as he was supposed to. His cape, however, had been slower. Alex's lunge had been a bit enthusiastic, and he went too far. He pinned the cape to a Styrofoam gravestone, and when Kite had gone into the next move, he had choked when his cape held him back. His stroke went wild, and when Alex tried to block, he ended up ripping the headstone off of the scenery base and hitting Kite with it. No one was hurt, but Alex was very embarrassed.
"I am sorry, Mr. Copen." He said. Mr. Copen smiled. "Don't worry about it, the scenery is already being fixed, and this is the reason we try these things before the actual performance." Alex winced at the thought of his mistake being made in front of an audience. An audience consisting of people other than the cast. "so, all that remains is for the cape to be mended. Kat, if you could...?" Kat reached out and took the cloak. "I'd be happy to." she said. "Well, thank goodness there's someone on the cast who knows how to sew." Kite joked. They all went and gathered up their props. Alex looked distastefully at the sword. "Remind me why Mr. Copen put a swordfight in the musical?" He asked Kite. It was Kat who answered. "He admires the movie, and he was once a professional fencer. So, he decided that he wanted to teach you, and put in the swordfight. Though I'm glad he changed it a bit. I didn't like the fact that the phantom lost in the movie. And I actually get to do something in his version, instead of just standing around." Kite took his sword and attached it to his belt. "I love it. We get real swords, and sheaths, and everything!" he exclaimed. Alex also buckled on his sword so that he could carry other things. He grabbed his script, and as many other things as he could carry.
"Those aren't yours." Kat pointed out. "Yeah, I know. But they go in the room next to my dressing room. And this-" Alex motioned with his chin to a binder which lay on top of the pile. "is Gary's. I'm going to visit him in the hospital this evening. You wanna come? I think he'd be glad to see you two." Kat shook her head. "Sorry, I've gotta baby-sit my neighbor's kids. My parents think that since I'm in high school, I need to earn my own money. It sucks. How is Gary? Any better?" Alex nodded. "A bit. It turns out that he did break his ankle. In that biking accident." Kite groaned in sympathy. "I know what that's like, I've broken my wrist once. Horrible. I think I might be able to go. What've they done for his part, anyway?" Kat spoke up again. "They've gotten his understudy. But since mark was Firmin, they've had to get his understudy, who was Andre, and then his understudy was Lefevre. So a lot of people have moved around. It's all working though." Kite and Alex stared at her, wondering how she knew so much.
They walked past a window and looked out into the rain. "Darn it. I knew it was going to rain." Kat said. "I rode my bike today, any chance one of you gentlemen could give a lady a ride home?" Kite smiled. "Sorry, I took the bus today." he said. "You know I can't drive." Alex said. "Just a few more months, though. Can't wait." He added brightly. Kite looked over at him. "It's not all it's cracked up to be." He said. "So, what? You can drive, even if you never do." Alex persisted. A flash of lightning interrupted him. Kat stopped, and looked out the window. There was a low rumble of thunder. "Quite close." Alex commented. They turned down yet another hallway. "Another thing you can tell me, Kat, seeing how you know everything that goes on in the drama club, how did we get stuck with the dressing rooms that are the furthest from the stage?" Kat shrugged. "Random draw, I guess." Kite grinned. "See, she doesn't really know everything." Suddenly there was another crack of thunder, and then the lights went out.
Kite stopped abruptly, and Alex ran into him. "Ow!" He exclaimed as the things he had been carrying fell on his feet. "Just wait a minute." Kat said. "There might be another flash of lightning, then we can see exactly where we are." They waited for a moment, Alex feeling around in the dark, trying to pick up all the props he had been carrying. "Stupid weather." He muttered. Another bit of thunder and lightning came. "Okay," Kat said. "We're level with the painted props room. That means that three more doors down on the left we come to a turn. Then the fifth door on the left side of the hall after the turn is Alex's and the sixth is mine, and then the one after the water fountain is Kite's. Come on, we can pick up this stuff later, once the power's back on. For now, I have a lamp in my dressing room that is battery powered. Come on." Alex stood and moved to the left. "How do you know exactly how many doors down it is?" He asked rhetorically. He found a wall and felt along it until he ran into someone. "It's me." Kite said, after Alex had apologized. "Oh, Kat? Where are you?" Kat replied that she was ahead of them. "Hurry up. I'll count the doors." She said, and they heard her footsteps going away.
Suddenly the announcement system was turned on. "Members of the art club and the drama club, I apologize for the electricity outage. The third wing of the school was not affected. Please find a teacher and come to the cafeteria. Thank you." It buzzed for a second and then turned off. Kat frowned, though no one could see it in the dark. "Oh? And what if we can't find a teacher?" Alex and Kite heard the frown in her voice. "Come on. We'll just go and get the lamp and then go to the cafeteria." She said, and started off. When they reached the door Kat said was the door to her dressing room, Alex and Kite waited while Kat dug around in her backpack for the key. She put the backpack on the ground and felt around in it. "Come on...I know it's in here somewhere." She muttered.
"Aha! Got it." Kat felt around for the door knob, and then for the key hole. She put the key in, and opened the door just as another flash of lightning lit up the room. The light spilled out into the hall. Alex shut his eyes, and Kite brought up his hand to shield his own eyes. When the light disappeared a second later, flames were greedily consuming a tree that had been struck by the lightning and was a mere ten feet away from the window of Kat's dressing room. The three who had been outside the dressing room were nowhere to be seen.
A/N: Well, as far as I'm concerned, this is just a necessary chapter. I mean, they have to leave from somewhere to arrive somewhere (did that make any sense?).
Random Bits Of Useless Trivia:
Why Kite? It's almost Erik backwards...I was going to have it be Kire, but I thought that sounded weird, hence, Kite
Why Kat? Well...I have a friend who is knicknamed Director Kat-Kat. (long story) and she is a POTO hater. So this is a joke, and I'm also getting back at her for writing, in my notebook, in pen, "DO NOT GO AND SEE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA!" yes, exactly like that. Because where I live, POTO is still in theaters...hehe, you can watch it at home, or on the big screen.
Why Alex? I just like the name.
The next chapter is a bit more interesting...please review!