Almost a year had passed by now and everything is still the same. Not that it was a bad thing, I loved it. I was still producing plays though I was getting a little annoyed with the one I'm working on now. We were doing 'Cats' and everything wasn't going right from the acting to the singing. Honestly, my mind can't take it. And it doesn't help that I've been trying to teach Jessie how to properly hit one of many high notes she needs to do.

And don't get me started on the choreography. Because I wasn't in this production, I was watching and directing everything. Somehow we managed to get to 'Memory' which I was dreading. Jessie was the one singing that song and I just want her to hit that high note. Well, she did but it didn't sound right! I told her to stop.

"Jessie, we've been through this," I said getting up on our small stage, "Deep breath, use your diaphragm, and sing! Your high note is the same one you use when you yell out 'yeehaw'. Try and do that, please. I don't have years to teach you to sing."

"Jessie's trying her best, (Y/N)," Maddie said

"We're supposed to have this done and ready by the end of the week. We've skipped these rehearsals so many times because I've had to teach some of you how to sing and hit your notes. Not to mention how to act."

"Well, if it's so easy, you take the role!" Jessie told me

"We agreed that I wasn't in this one," I reminded her

"Yeah but you keep lecturing me about how to sing that note and you keep telling me that I can't hit it!"

"You're lucky that you can at least hit notes better than Carlos and even he was terrible."

"Jessie, (Y/N), calm down!" Woody said walking over, no doubt hearing the argument, "(Y/N), be nicer to Jessie, she's doing her best with what you've already taught her."

"Woody, I can't just let it slide. I'm an artist. They asked me to direct this because I had more experience. If I see something wrong, I address it," I said

"Then maybe we asked the wrong person," Dolly said

I looked back at her. I'm not hurt by that comment, I'm just wondering why she said it. 

"We know that you come from a musical background but we don't. So just let us do our thing," Dolly said

"She's right," Maddie said, "(Y/N), you have to stand down. I know you're trying to help us like you helped Christopher but, we can't all be like him."

I said nothing and left. Why would she bring Christopher into this? I know none of them are like Christopher but I was just doing my part for the play. And maybe I did go too far with it but I don't believe that it's my fault. It's just how I am. At that moment Bonnie came home and started running up the stairs. We all froze as she came in and said hello to us. She took some of us downstairs to play and that's where we noticed a man in the living room talking to Bonnie's mum.

Bonnie joined them and started playing with me, Woody, Maddie, and Buttercup. I didn't pay attention to that and listened in on the grownup's conversation. I gathered that the man was a friend of Bonnie's mum and they were just catching up. She even asked him how his collection was. Collection? Of what? He said it looked amazing but he was missing a character from one of his sets.

As Bonnie's mum asked who was missing, the man's gaze drifted to Bonnie playing and soon me. He said that I was the one missing and pointed at me. Wait, he has a Phantom collection? And how am I missing from it? Are there not many (Y/N)'s anymore? The man started to bargain with Bonnie and her mum just so he could have me. This is Al all over again. But Bonnie didn't want to give me up.

She told him about the promise she made with Andy when he gave us to her. I couldn't care less actually. My whole set is out there somewhere and I want to meet the people I only know from memories. I want to see them for real. Unfortunately, he stopped trying to take me from Bonnie and just continued his conversation saying that he'll find another (Y/N) someday. But he told us where he lived in case Bonnie changed her mind.

So, the playtime continued until he left and Bonnie had dinner. Woody seemed offended that the man tried to take me away much like Al did with him. I just said nothing and went to the window to watch the man drive off. So there's a Christopher out there somewhere just on display, waiting for me to complete the set. What if I went? I mean, I've known for a long time that there are differences between me and everyone else.

Most of those aspects I always choose to hide. Like the musical side of me. None of them have those urges so I keep my musical moments to myself. And I don't mean the planned stuff like 'Music of the Night' or what I sang to scare the daycare toys. I mean the random moments in musicals where characters will sing what's inside. What if the rest of the Phantom characters have the same urges?

I think I should go and find them. So, while Bonnie was asleep, I turned on the computer and searched for the address we were given. It's halfway across town. Well, it will be worth the journey. I took my costumes in a bag and made my way to the cat flap, my only way out without getting caught. And I was almost out of the cat flap when I heard someone tell me to stop. I turned to see Maddie.

"What are you doing?" Maddie asked

"I'm going for a walk. I'll be back soon," I lied.

"You don't go for walks. Especially not with your bag of costumes."

Yeah, that was a stupid lie. 

"You're going to Christopher, aren't you?" Maddie asked

"Yes. But I must. I know I'm doing what Woody did back when we met Jessie and Bullseye but at least I'm making a choice by going instead of being kidnapped," I said

"You can't go. You have family here. And what about Bonnie? She'll be crushed when she sees that you're gone."

"Bonnie can live without a toy. I want this, Maddie. I know I'm hurting my friends by doing this but it just feels right. And besides, I can't live another day in the same house with a toy that I can't have."

"What do you mean?"

"I love Woody. But I can't have him when his heart still belongs to Bo. I respect it but it just hurts too much to be around him knowing that we may never be together. I don't plan to fall in love with Christopher again. I just want to get away from here. I will return if I don't like the conditions. But you have to swear to me that you will never tell the others where I've gone."

"They'll ask around tomorrow morning. And you want me to keep this a secret?"

"It's for the best, trust me. I won't forget you, Maddie. Just do this one little thing for me and I'll be forever grateful. Please."

Maddie was quiet, "Fine. But stay safe."

"I will. Promise."

Maddie gave me a salute while I tipped my hat to her. I left through the cat flap and made my way to the address the man said.