"A new day, a new start Birdie"

Matthew looked at his phone as it lit up with the latest message from Gilbert. Despite not wanting to go to school today, he smiled happily. Erzabeta had ruined his day yesterday, but that wouldn't happen again as long as Gilbert was with him!

He quickly typed back, "Oui, merci!" and yanked on his clothes

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Gilbert was waiting outside the chorus room when Matthew got to school, just as always. But this time, the senior was struggling to keep a huge grin off his face.

"What?" Matthew asked, somewhat concerned that a major prank was about to be played on him.

"Oh, nein nein it is absolutely nothing birdie!" Gilbert said in response. Then he pointed to a sheet posted on a bulletin board.

Going closer, Matthew could see that it was the cast list for the musical. As he scanned the page, his violet eyes lit up.

"Gil!" the blond exclaimed, "You've been cast as the Phantom! Congratulations!"

"Danke," Gilbert said, bowing comically. "It is an honor to play such a role-"

"Oh shut up," Matthew cut across his best friend and hugged him tightly. "Let's go get your script!"

Matthew took one last look at the board, searching for his name, and wasn't the slightest bit disappointed at being placed in the "Stage Help" category. Then he dragged Gilbert into the chorus room to get the script for the Phantom's part.

Scanning through the book, Gilbert sighed. "This is going to all be memorized, right?"

"I'll help you Gil!" Matthew chimed happily. "I love this musical, I'd love to try out Christine's part!"

"Danke birdie, I hope this goes well."

"You're awesome, of course it'll go well!" The junior lightly punched his friend's shoulder.

"Ja ja ja. We should get you to class, Madeline!" Gilbert winked at his friend, then quickly realized. "Sorry, Matthew."

Matthew laughed happily. "You know I don't really care Gil."

Shaking his head, the senior started walking towards Matthew's first class.

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The first rehearsal for The Phantom of the Opera was after school a week later. Gilbert had been practicing all his singing parts with Madeline, in the hope that whomever was cast as Christine had a similar taste in Phantoms. Madeline happily tagged along to the first rehearsal, even though stage hands weren't needed until a month or so before the production went live.

The chorus teacher was arranging the main cast into a semicircle of chairs on the stage. Gilbert found himself only a chair away from Francis Bonnefoy, a senior who had been his friend since they were in sixth grade.

"Allo Gilbert, fancy seeing you here," Francis exclaimed with a grin.

"Gutentag froggy," Gilbert said back. "Who are you?"

"Raoul Vicompt de Changy, et vous?"

"I am the awesome Phantom himself."

The friends glared joyfully at each other. Then a loud screech slit the air of festivity as Erzabeta stormed over to the chorus teacher.

"How DARE I be put with that… that… stupid bird!"

"Now now, Gilbert did an excellent audition-" the chorus teacher began.

Erzabeta shot a deadly look in the direction of the mentioned senior, who could barely contain his laughter. "I refuse to work with him."

Muttering to herself, the chorus teacher said "If you are that passionate, you can play Carlotta."

"Fine!" Erzabeta stalked over to where Roderich Edelstein, the music prodigy, sat. "At least Piangi has musical knowledge," she spit at Gilbert as she laced her fingers into Roderich's.

Before Gilbert could come up with a crushing reply, the chorus teacher hushed everyone for an announcement. "Now that the role of Carlotta is filled, we will need to find a Christine instead. If anyone knows a good singer, please let us know."

As the rehearsal began, Gilbert jumped off the stage and hurried over to Madeline.

"Come here birdie, you shall be my Christine!"

"Non non, Gil I can't-" Madeline tried to protest, only to find herself being pulled up onto the stage.

"You can read off of mein and the frog's parts," whispered Gilbert.

Francis offered his booklet to Madeline once she was seated between the pair of seniors. The chorus teacher hadn't yet noticed her, but soon…

When the group got to where Meg Giry got Christine to sing, Madeline shakily argued with Natalia Braginsky, the freshman cast as Meg. The further into the musical they got, the more and more steady Madeline's voice became, and she was happily saying her lines, much to the disgust of Erzabeta.

At the end of the rehearsal, the chorus teacher rushed to her room to grab Christine's booklet.