Cassandra Davagé was a student at St. Isabel's Academy for Young Women. It was a Boarding School and she hated it. They controlled every aspect of her life and expected her to enjoy it. The only thing she was pleased with was their music program.

Cassandra lay in her top bunk, dreaming of her prince charming, the music from the Phantom of the Opera movie dancing through her mind when her room mates voice interrupted her.

"Cassie, you'll wrinkle your skirt." Ann squeaked as she came through the door and threw her bag down. "You would think that after three years of being here, you'd have learned that." Ann was the perfect boarder. She was law abiding, neat and quiet; the exact opposite of Cassandra in every way.

Where Cassandra was tall, leggy and curvy, Ann was short, and rather board shaped. Cassandra's long hair hadn't seen scissors in over six years and stopped just above her trim and narrow waist. Ann's hair was a dark, muddy brown color that stopped just above her shoulders. Cassandra herself was quiet, but she hated the boarding school and the policies inflicted on them during the term. She always found ways to rebel, whether it be keeping pets or her beloved CD player, she didn't care.

Cassandra opened her eyes lazily and rolled listlessly from the bunk, careful to hide the CD player in the folds of her blanket before she did so.

"See Ann, no wrinkles. I think I'll survive." Ann buried herself in her homework and listened as the other girl prepared to leave for her next class. "I've got choir this afternoon—later a bunch of us are going to play ERS in the north hall….want to join us?" Cassandra didn't hate her room mate, but wished the poor girl wasn't so socially inept. Ann turned and quickly pushed her glasses up on the bridge of her nose as Cassandra finished wrapping her scarf around her throat.

"No thanks….I've really got to study."

"Can't say I didn't offer, Ann."

"Miss Hollinder told me to tell you not to be late for choir today….apparently she's got a special announcement before the end of term."

"The old bad is probably admitting to being tone deaf." Miss Hollinder was the music teacher. A feeble old biddy that Cassandra swore had been dug out of some World War II time capsule. Her stockings drooped about her ankles and her orthopedic shoes were hideous. She always wore the same pattern dresses and only in three or four different colors….Black, Navy, Gray and occasionally a shade of forest green.

Cassie took notes diligently in her next class….finals were in two weeks and she needed to be ready. Choir was by far her favorite class, it was something that had always come naturally to her. She entered the room and sat in the back corner watching lazily as the other girls filed in slowly. A bell rang and Miss Hollinder shuffled into the class room and stood at the front of the room.

"Ladies, I have an announcement before you proceed with the rest of class." The old woman tried hard but really didn't have a clue about music. "I'm very sorry to say that the rumors are true—I will be retiring over break." A series of disappointed 'awws' dotted the room. "But I would like to introduce you to your new teacher now so there will be no surprises in January when you return." Miss Hollinder waved at the door and it clicked open softly. All the girls turned in their seats to see who had been hired and several girls gasped as the man entered. He ran a finger nervously around his collar, as if trying to loosen it from his skin. "This is Mr. Villefort. He will be your instructor." Mr. Villefort was the epitome of 'tall, dark and handsome.' All the girls sat taller in their chair to get a better look at this man. He had dark hair that brushed lazily back across his face, especially the left side and stopping at his jaw. His piercing green eyes surveyed the room seeming to look into the souls of the young women before him. Cassandra felt them burn across her and shivered. "I'm going to leave you and Mr. Villefort to get acquainted. Ta!" The old lady shuffled out and left Mr. Villefort leaning lazily against the piano.

"Thank You Miss Hollinder." He said as she reached the door. He had a melodic tenor voice and a slight accent, but from where, Cassandra couldn't say. "Well, Ladies…. Hello."

"Hello." Several echoed back.

"Well—this is rather awkward—for me as well as for your selves, I'm sure." He pushed the hair back from his face revealing some slight scarring about his left cheek, temple and brow. It was nothing deforming but it was indeed noticeable. "Do you have any questions for me?" One girl raised her hand timidly into the air. He pointed at her.

"Where are you from?"

"Denmark—I've lived there for most of my life." A smile twisted his lips at the remark, as if he meant to hide something, but found it hard.

"How old are you?" Another girl asked.

"28"

"Are you single?" The freshman who asked it and her friends giggled lightly at the brash question. Cassandra rolled her eyes.

"Yes." More laughter followed. Cassandra raised her hand and waited to be called upon.

"Classical, or Broadway?" All eyes turned to stare daggers at her for directing the class towards music and away from the new teachers' personal life.

"Depends on the situation—I do enjoy classic opera—but Broadway does have a use." He eyed her appreciatively before reaching for a ledger with all their names in it. "Miss Hollinder left this that I may try and learn at least some of your names today. Let's begin—Josephine? Angela? Ah, yes….Michelle?" the list went on and on until he reached Davette Owens.

"Mr. Villefort, you'll excuse me, but I have another question."

"Yes Davette?"

"Will you be reassigning us within the choir? Miss Hollinder is an accomplished woman, but I do believe many of us are ill placed—like myself. I'm currently singing a mere Soprano three, but really ought to be placed as a one."

"You oughtn't even be in the choir." Cassandra whispered to no one in particular. Mr. Villefort's eyes bored into her, amused as if he had heard her whispered oath.

"No worries Davette, I will indeed be reassigning you with-in the choir, to assure that you are all singing well with-in your ranges." He smiled again and continued with the role.

"Casandra Davagé"

"Here."

"Did I pronounce your name correctly?"

"Indeed, you did."

"Excellent." The bell rang suddenly and the girls filed out. "Miss Davagé…I word if I may…."

"Yes?" Cassandra turned and went back to the piano where Mr. Villefort was standing.

"I was hoping you would aid me at times in class—you are one of the oldest here—are you not?" It was true, she and Davette were the oldest in the class.

"Yes—I'll help."

"Thank you." Cassandra left quickly…the man unnerved her for some reason.

Two days later she was once again in choir class.

"What musicals and plays have you ladies done? I'd hate to have you duplicate something." He was at his place beside the piano, leaning lazily against it. Davette's hand shot into the air. "Davette?"

"Well, we've done Annie, of course. And we did Wizard of Oz, and Little Women. And then some other random musical reviews."

"Like what?" Josephine raised her hand cautiously to answer the question.

"We've done Gershwin once, and selections from Classic Opera last Spring."

"Broadway the fall before that." Someone chimed in.

"Why is that?" Villefort asked. Cassandra raised her hand, languidly.

"Well, we can't rightly do a performance with too many men in it—There aren't any. It was extremely difficult to get Mr. Andrews to be Daddy Warbucks and then the Lion."

"What if I were to tell you ladies that your next production would be a famous production by Sir Andrew Lloyd-Webber?"

"We sang some of his songs in our review." Tanya blurted out.

"How can we perform Lloyed-Webber? All his works have male songs and leads…" Mia, a good friend of Cassie's asked.

"Very easy—We will be working in conjunction with St. Mark's." St. Mark's was the boys' school across town. "There is a contest in which the best performances will be judged, the winner will go to Paris and the renowned Opera Populaire to perform." Villefort smiled his crooked smile. "Any guesses as to the play?" Cassandra's pen had dropped to the floor.

"The Phantom of the Opera—" She said breathlessly.

"Very good Cassandra." Cassandra's mind whirled. She'd first seen Phantom when she was fourteen and had loved it then. When the movie had come out the Christmas before, she'd been ecstatic. Now a proud owner of both the London production soundtrack and the movie soundtrack and now the DVD she knew the play front to back.

"Who will get to play Christine?" Little Angela asked excitedly.

"We will have auditions starting next week—I want to record you and then I will decide over break." Cassandra's heart fluttered all through class. "I hope you'll be auditioning, Cassandra." Villefort said as she left the room.

"OF course I will."

For the next four days Cassandra heard nothing but the faint strains of 'Think of Me" drifting through the halls. Even girls who weren't in the choir had heard about the auditions and were going to audition with the hot young music teacher. Cassandra had sung 'Think of Me' during the Broadway review and with everyone else singing it for auditions she decided against it. She went to the far side of campus and set her CD player in her coat pocket. The music of 'Phantom of the Opera' blared into her head.

In sleep he sang to me,
in dreams he came
that voice which calls to me
and speaks my name

And do I dream again?
For now I find
the Phantom of the Opera is there -
inside my mind

It was two days before break was to start and only the second day of auditions. "Think of Me" floated softly out of the room for only the nine hundredth time. Cassandra pulled her hair over her ears so she could hide her ear buds and listen to something else…she was so tired of that song.

"Cassandra?" Cassandra looked up at Mr. Villefort who was calling from the door. She got up and hastily removed her ear buds when she was sure no one was watching. She followed Mr. Villefort into the room and looked at the poor piano player who was rubbing his nose, the glasses perched on top of his head. She handed him the sheet music but he brushed it away.

"My dear girl, I've played 'Think of Me' so many times already I think my fingers will bleed the notes tomorrow…I don't need your sheet music."

"It's not 'Think of Me'." She said simply, handing him the music.

"Cassandra, I'd like you to meet Mr. Giles, he's the music teacher from St. Mark's."

"'Nice to meet you." Cassandra said as he took the music and placed the glasses back on the bridge of his nose.

"'The Phantom of the Opera'? This is a very hard piece for a young woman."

"'The Phantom of the Opera' has a male part….do you need someone to accompany you?" Mr. Villefort asked without looking up from a piece of paper on which he was furiously scribbling.

"If one of you would care to fill in---"

"I may start into 'Think of Me' without even a second thought. You accompany her Rick." The man spread the sheet music and began to play. Cassandra started out slow but powerfully.

In sleep he sang to me,
in dreams he came
that voice which calls to me
and speaks my name

And do I dream again?
For now I find
the Phantom of the Opera is there -
inside my mind

Then it was Mr. Villefort's turn and he began the Phantom part with a power that sent a chill to Cassandra's heart.

Sing once again with me
our strange duet
My power over you
grows stronger yet

He hadn't looked up until this last line….the intensity of his gaze threatening to send Cassandra running.

And though you turn from me,
to glance behind,
the Phantom of the Opera is there -
inside your mind

As if in a trance, Cassandra continued to sing—it was as if the words were coming from her CD player….not herself.

Those who have seen your face
draw back in fear
I am the mask you wear . . .

Villefort's voice interrupted her line—just as it was meant to.

It's me they hear . . .

Together their voices entwined and drifted—melding into one beautiful duet.

Your/my spirit and your/my voice,
in one combined:
the Phantom of the Opera is there
inside your/my mind . . .

Villefort dropped away from the hold and went into the next verse.

In all your fantasies,
you always knew
that man and mystery

It was Cassandra's turn to interrupt the line

were both in you

Cassandra was staring into Villefort's emerald eyes and felt herself growing lost in their depths.

And in this labyrinth,
where night is blind,
the Phantom of the Opera is there/here
inside your/my mind

Suddenly Cassandra found herself at the last line and she drew herself up to her full height.

He's there, the Phantom of the Opera ...

Her voice began the complicated run of notes. Not that the notes were difficult to maneuver between, but the pitch was difficult to hit. But with Villefort staring her down, those emerald green eyes boring into her soul from behind the dark hair she soon found herself reaching out and hitting the highest note, a glass shattering note sending her into a million pieces…something she'd only done a few times before.

The music stopped as Cassandra eeked out the last note, wringing it from the very depths of her existence. She opened her eyes and stared at the two men in the room. When she'd closed them, she didn't know, but both men were staring intently at her.

"My God, Girl….that was spectacular." Mr. Giles breathed. "I didn't sing a damn thing and you took my breath away." Cassandra blushed. She hated being praised.

"Very nice indeed, Cassandra. You know Phantom quite well…." Villefort ran his hand through his hair and stared at her as she left in a hurry.

"If that isn't our Christine, I don't think there's a girl on the planet who can play her." Mr. Giles said as he watched Cassandra leave the room. Villefort scribbled something on the page in front of him and nodded.

"Indeed…she will make a wonderful Christine."