Yeah, I guess I'm on a roll. XD

A little shorter than before. It was a good cut-off point for something else. I was happy with it though. I think my language for describing things has become less dramatic/error-ridden.

She finally seems to be stuck on something she was avoiding before - her attraction to him no matter how weird he is.

6305 / 50000 words. 13% done!


HE'S (@) THERE
Chapter 26 - Strange Lies


I stared, quite like a moron I can only assume, at the sharp nose of his mask, all the way down its length, to a lip once studied when we stood together at the book shelf. I was like that hypnotized butterfly I had often referred to myself as in the god-awful poetry I wrote about us. He wanted something else from me or he would not have been standing there, gripping at me, which he did so powerfully only with his eyes -- he needed nothing else. I wanted this to be perfect, and perfectly escapable, and why I was half-craving the simplicity of any other 17-year-old's romance, I don't know. I only knew that this was not between me and a boy. This was between me and The Phantom of the Opera, something I could never take back and never forget. And I could never unhear those words, and after such words, what deal was I sealing in all this? I told him I wasn't in love with him. And-

From the inside of my pocket at the other end of the stage came a sound that, like something cold against my skin, made me gasp out loud. I swore, even Erik shook.




...Who in the bloody hell could that've been?! It was not Giry; she knew I was here. The hands around my waist rolled forward and supported my arms as I curled my fingers into the folds of his sleeves. He was silent as the grave, almost like he choose to ignore the phone all together. It continued to reverberate across the auditorium, every silence between no less tense than the ringing itself and finally stopped. I was sure he could feel my raising pulse. I closed my eyes when I realized coherence was returning to my thoughts, trying to keep it there with me in case this wasn't the end, when the phone began ringing once more. I rose my hands to me face. "I am so sorry," I spoke through my fingers. I stepped away from him, letting go save for our pair of hands, which slid apart soon after. I ran to my coat and read the screen. It was from Home. I looked to the Phantom as a plea to wait for me and hurried down the stage steps for the exit.

"Hello?" I answered very calmly. New snow pattered over my head as I slid slowly down the closed door, trying to control my heart.

"Lillian?" I knew this was no good. She never called me Lillian unless she was disconcerted. "Where are you?"

"I thought I already told you-"

"You told me you were going to the park with Mariam."

"I-"

"She just called the house, so that's not the case." I closed my eyes again, thinking maybe it might give my brain enough blood flow to deal with this sudden shitfest.

"I-I-I just wanted to go on a walk by myself for once."

"...In the snow."

"I'm not that cold. It's pretty out and I wanted to get inspired to write. And I knew you would never let me go alone."

"Lily, you can't just lie to work around the rules."

"I know, but-"

"I want you to come home right now."

"Are you serious?!"

"I'm not having this sort of discussion with you. You heard what I said.-"

"But I'm not even that far from home!-"

"Then I should see you in ten minutes, shouldn't I."

"Oh, my God..."

"Well?"

"Okay Mom." I said with a fake grin.

"I'll see you soon."

"Bye."

"Bye..."

Click.




I had to stare into the cement beneath my feet before I realized what had happened in the past five minutes. I went from something so... so... to this...

The fresh snow continued to twirl from above the theater's light into the forest, stretching into the darkness that Erik had taken me once. I swore I felt both he and I's disappointment at that moment. I wanted to throw my phone over the railing.

Impending tears speeding my goodbye, I came back inside the building to find him standing in what seemed like the same place, a hand raised before his chest. "I have to go."

He broke out of place and came forward. "I'll take you back-"

"No." He nearly reached me with my coats before stopping in puzzlement. "I can-..I can go alone."

"You don't have to-"

"You don't have to follow me everywhere... I'm grown up, you know."

The behavior seemed to throw him off, and I knew it did. He approached me with coat arms extended and helped me inside each one. He tried to cup the hand I was holding my phone in for a second but I turned away my face.

"Thank you." He let go. "...Goodbye."

I let myself out and speed-walked into the dark. I had to leave, and it had to be alone. I was so overcome with frustration, I didn't want him around me to even see it. And this was outside of what Erik had even just confessed to me. What was I even supposed to worry about first?

I can't believe out of all the nights, the universe picked this one to catch up on me for making stupid unprepared lies. I knew it mustn't have liked me at this point.

And people who the universe likes don't walk through the front door covered in snow because they forgot an umbrella, with two people glaring at them that happen to be able to punish them however they very well feel like. I tried to head for the stairs, but they weren't havin' it.

"Lily~" My dad called to me.

I stood there at the end of the coffee table, damp and irritable, about ready to agree over anything to get out of there as soon as possible.

"Your mother and I were talking."

"Oh God-"

"AHPE- let me finish."

I stared at him mouth agape.

"Your mother and I were talking and we decided... you're old enough go out alone."

"...Seriously?"

"Yes, but with a curfew," my mom said from behind me.

"When the sun comes down, you come home," Dad said.

"The sun? The best stuff happens at night."

"Lily, come on now... We know you're not a party-goer."

Oh, t-t-this was just great. My own parents were pointing out basically that I didn't have a life.

They looked away like they had ran out of use for me.

"...Aren't I getting in trouble for lying?"

"Don't do it again, or next time we'll think of a punishment."

I wasn't about to argue. "Okay." I ran up the stairs. First things first, I closed my bedroom door behind me and took a deep breath, then blew out audibly. I repeated this process several times before reaching my bed and sort of flopping over the mattress. I had a sideway view of my green nightlight before shifting around a little, as I was laying on my phone within my pocket. It seemed the most appropriate thing to do was apologize to the Phantom, who had, by Mysterious Phantom terms, poured his heart out at me. But the thing was, I did not know in which manner his words touched me. Was I supposed to feel 'warm and fuzzy', or was this inner Lily shaking her head and swatting her hands a normal thing when a stranger tells you he is in love with you?

Where does he get off, twisting up a poor girl's psyche so much? He couldn't have meant it, but what a strange lie that would be.

He didn't even act like he was in love with me. Did he? Was that partly my fault? Was I pushing him away all along? I had right to, what with the crazy shit of his I've had to confront. Who would even be in love with me?

He did not seem to be someone with his heart on his sleeve. No no, not even his heart - any kindness at all seemed to be stuffed deep. In fact, he has come off like he generally hates the entire human race. So why, why.... WHY... would he ever... even think...for half a second, that... that...

I cannot even complete sentences for why he mustn't have feelings like that.

They were never meant to be in my hands, either - they were slippery and I would drop them.




I still felt effected by the silence we had before my mother called.









Lust. I still felt the godamn lust over this man. This man I do not even know who makes outrageous comments left and right...

If we kept heaving encounters like that, much deeper and less conflict-ridden than the bullshit we'd started off with... and if there were no urgent cellphone calls to interrupt... I really don't know what will happen.
I have never had to deal with this possibility before, with a guy. Even just a guy. Not a Phantom.


I wanted to hear a friend's voice, so I dialed up Meg. I figured earlier, when she essentially got me in trouble even though it wasn't her fault, it must've been important since I wasn't expecting the call.

I punched in the numbers and waited anxiously. Quite contrary to usual, Meg answered, and by like the second ring. She said that she had begun chatting with Jeffrey online because some acquaintance ended up knowing a guy that knew him, or whatever, and had his screenname... I had been through the whole “talk to a crush on the internet first” ordeal, and it wasn’t a pretty one, but I didn't tell her that because I wasn't in the mood to be a critic.

She wanted advice from me, and I had no idea what to say, besides what things were creepy, thanks to loads of experiences with a guy who was in love with me nowadays.

1.)Reveal who you are immediately, like it’s no big deal.
2.)Don’t ask if he’s single or not.
3.)Don’t suggest that you know more about him than is obvious or that he’s revealed to you himself.
4.)If you simply must invite him to have a real life talk or get together, be flexible about it. Don’t insist it be somewhere that he’s unfamiliar or even uncomfortable with.
5.)Do not say you are in love with him - kidding. I didn't tell her this one.

Meg stopped me, anyway.

“Is this based on the Phantom?” She asked a little dryly.

"Well, of course."

"Yeah, but this stuff worked on you.”

“I’m… a psychopath. We both are. I don't recommend.”

"You don’t think I should play Phantom on him? Get him all interested in me?”

“No.”

“Too late, anyway, he knows it’s me.”

“Good.” Meg was silent on the other end, save for incessant keyboard sounds. “…Mariam?”

“Just a sec.” Type type type. “I think he's enjoying this conversation. Ehehlka;he.” She laughed in a squeaky voice. I could practically picture her face, grinning satisfactorily with a hand pushing up the arch of her glasses. I admit, it was always pretty cute when Meg liked somebody, and I really don’t see how she still hadn’t gotten a date in her life. She was way cuter than me. "Do you think I should say I noticed he draws those comics? Or would it be too creepy that I noticed?"

“No, he's the one flashing them around. Bring it up!"

"Okay okay, I will."





"He says it's about a group of ex-ice-cream men that have to run away from some... evil... minions... that God sent. Because he's actually a jerk. Who doesn't trust ice cream men. And they hijack a bus?"

"...What."

"Ttheghehee, I should tell him you work at Baskin Robbins!"

"Sure. Maybe I'll get a cameo."

"PAH!!" She snorted.




“...He says we should sit together after break so he can show them to me! Oh my God!”

"Ohhhh!..."

"Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God, I think I'm going to die."

“Well then. I guess you guys have caught up to me and the Phantom…” I joked, mainly to myself.

She continued to type, pause, and type again, almost like she'd forgotten I was still there.



"Tchchch..."



"...Hey Mar?"


"Huh?"

"... Umm..."

"Oh! I guess that's all I needed you for, actually."

"..."

"Sorry. Really! I really wanted to tell you, but I just kind of... need to concentrate."

"Alright, alright... that's okay..."

"Everything okay over there?"

"Fine like dandelions."

She snickered. "Okay!!! HAVE A WONDERFUL NIGHT, WHORE."

"YOU TOO, BITCH," I responded endearingly.

It made me proud she had taken that chance. I could tell she was very happy when we hung up. Probably glowing like a pot of gold under a rainbow or some shit.


'Fine like dandelions'... that's a good one.


Favorite Quote(s)

I can't believe out of all the nights, the universe picked this one to catch up on me for making stupid unprepared lies. I knew it mustn't have liked me at this point.

And people who the universe likes don't walk through the front door covered in snow because they forgot an umbrella, with two people glaring at them that happen to be able to punish them however they very well feel like.

Oh, t-t-this was just great. My own parents were pointing out basically that I didn't have a life.

He did not seem to be someone with his heart on his sleeve. No no, not even his heart - any kindness at all seemed to be stuffed deep. In fact, he has come off like he generally hates the entire human race. So why, why.... WHY... would he ever... even think...for half a second, that... that...

I cannot even complete sentences for why he mustn't have feelings like that.