After obsessive chipping spread across the past two weeks, chapter 15 and chapter 16 have had their proper revisions, which were less than I was thinking. Less is more? I was thinking I needed to include a whole other scene to amp up the drama, but it really only took some menacing background activity, and a more smitten Lily.

We've got to believe that she's not just putting up with this. Also, coming up is a turning point where she sides with "Erik" instead of her friends. She wanted to want what they wanted, but secretly preferred the direction he was taking (staying like a ghost at the outskirts of her life, popping up out of nowhere at any time, slowly pulling her more out of her own life.) She goes back to school in chapter 17 and "realizes how much she's always hated it", now that she knows "Erik" dropped out once upon a time, got to do whatever he wanted, wasn't pestered by bullies, and is magically brilliant at everything academic or otherwise that he attempts. And his contempt for school, or just fitting into society in general, is contagious.

It's Lily's version of wanting to fit in with the cool kids, where she really wants to step out of the box because she's sick of being in it, but has to find out on her own she really was never hardcore enough to stick to it. It's just, for "Erik", his life sort of depends on her sticking to it, and when she vents about wanting out of the constraints of her life or wishing "her parents would never come home", he. is. poised. to take that seriously.

Here I go again, rambling about things. But I guess it's good that I'm doing that.


Phantom was awesome, by the way. I had no idea the Keller Auditorium could put on such an ambitious show, I mean the revolving scenery was really cool. One of my favorite parts may have just been the sets. lol The singing was all fantastic -- and both Erik and Christine hit their high notes gracefully, which is not something that always happens! The acting, I almost thought they were acting more for a movie than live theater -- there just wasn't enough body language / use of the body to keep a scene's momentum going. The potential was there! Our Phantom (Quentin Oliver Lee) is 6'6" and looked like a dementor during The Point of No Return when he started swooping around the table in that cloak. *fans self* If he'd gone somewhere with that during other scenes, woooooooooo! But yeah, on the whole he didn't? And there was a noticeable lack of chemistry between him and the actress playing Christine, who was an understudy. A really good understudy, but maybe she just didn't have time to connect with him during rehearsals or other shows. I don't know!

It was overall a pretty great day. I was expecting to get my period, for one, but didn't. We listened to just about all of the Bee Gee's album "Still Waters" to and from the theater. I love those guys.