Michel & Josette

Chapter 15: Is Raphael Phantom R?

You know, Michel has been wondering something for the longest time now, ever since he first heard about this Phantom R. Then he really started contemplating about it ever since he met the actual Phantom R. He compared his friend, Raphael, to this Phantom R character, and thought that they looked alike for a number of reasons.

Michel sat at his desk in his apartment, writing something down on a piece of paper. He stopped writing and repeatedly tapped his pen against it, a frown crawling around his features.

"Could Raphael be Phantom R?" Michel muttered to himself, the frown that decided to crawl around his face deepening.

"Mrrow!"

Michel jumped, startled. He spun around in his chair and gazed down at his cat, Bartholomew.

"What is it, Bartholomew?" Michel questioned his feline companion. "Are you hungry or something? I just fed you!"

"Meow…" Bartholomew deadpanned.

"No, Bartholomew. You are not getting anything else to eat! Once you are fed twice a day, you are done!" Michel told the hungry cat, turning back around in his chair to tap his pen against the piece of paper again.

Bartholomew rolled her eyes and turned around, trotting off to who knows where.

Michel started to think about Raphael and Phantom R again. Maybe he should pay Raphael a visit? He hadn't seen him in quite some time now. Michel dropped his pen and slid off of his chair. "Yes! I shall pay him a dandy visit!" Michel declared loudly, holding up a fist in determination.

Michel slipped on his shoes, grabbed his coat, and then strolled out of his apartment, shutting the door behind him and locking it real tight. Then he merrily started making his way to Raphael's apartment.

When he reached his destination, he knocked on the door rapidly. It only took about twenty seconds for Raphael to open the door. Raphael stood there with a tired expression on his face, Fondue standing next to him.

"Hey!" Michel greeted him jovially, waving.

Raphael looked annoyed and just dead tired. "Michel…" he growled out. "What are you doing here? What do you want? You do realize that it is two in the morning?!"

Michel looked surprised. "Huh? Really?"

"Really," Raphael responded through clenched teeth. "I was just having a very peaceful sleep. I'd like to continue!"

"I'm sorry, but I have a question that has been bugging me for the very longest!" Michel talked, giving the red haired man a pleading look.

Raphael sighed, his face softening. "Fine…what is it?"

"Could you, are you the Phantom R?!" Michel voiced his question, his eyes shining with pure determination.

Raphael kept a straight face. "No. I'm not," he deadpanned dully.

Michel frowned. "But…you both have red hair and the same eye color!" he protested. "I bet if you were to dress up like him and take off those glasses, you'd look just like him!"

Raphael readjusted the glasses over his eyes and sighed deeply. "Michel, I am not Phantom R. Do you really think I could dance like him and such? Plus, Fondue knows that I cannot dance like Phantom R."

"Woeuf!" Fondue agreed from beside him, wagging his tail.

"See?" Raphael looked at Michel, folding his arms over his chest. "Now can I please get back to bed?"

"B-But…Phantom R had a dog that looked just like this one!" Michel pointed a finger at the white furred dog.

"Hurn…?" Fondue looked perplexed.

Michel huffed, finally giving up. "Fine! Fine! You're not Phantom R!" he mumbled in defeat.

Raphael grinned. "Good. Good night, Michel," he backed away and then slammed the door in Michel's face.

Michel turned away from the door, mumbling under his breath about how wrong he was, but then he let out a wail of despair as he lost his footing, tripping and falling down some stairs.

Yep, bad things always happened to Michel.