The Phantom of The Phantom of the Opera

Chapter 10: Daddy?

Catherine awoke with a start and answered her ringing phone. "Hello?" She asked in a drowsy voice, only half awake.

"I'm headed to your apartment now," Mari sighed. "Are you mad at me? I'm sorry I was mad. I just worry about you, Cath."

"Mariah?" Catherine yawned, shaking her head. "Mari, I'm not at home."

"It's six in the morning!" Mari laughed. "You're hardly ever awake, let alone not at home. Very funny. If you don't want to see me just say so." She approached the complex and buzzed Cath's apartment.

"I'm not at home. I spent the night at Christopher's."

Silence.

"What?" Mariah asked.

"I'm at Christopher's," Catherine repeated, only referring to Matt as Christopher because Mari wouldn't know him by any other name. "He um...asked me to spend the night."

"You what?"

"Do you really need me to repeat it again? I spent the night at Chris's place."

"Doing what?" Mari scoffed. "His laundry, or just bedazzling his cape?"

Catherine decided to mess with her friend a little. "I think you know what we were doing," she said in a mischievous tone.

"What the crap is wrong with you?! Have you lost your freaking mind?!"

"Oh, relax. Nothing happened," Catherine laughed.

"Nothing?! No, Cathy, nothing is when you sit at home on your couch stuffing your face with ice cream over a Downton Abbey marathon. Spending the night at a strange man's place who you just met isn't nothing!"

"We talked, okay? I broke up with Caleb. Matthew asked me to stay the night and I accepted. We talked. Nothing happened. We didn't even sleep in the same room."

"You used to confide in me, Cath. You don't need to find some stranger. I'm your best friend!"

"I know you are. Why are you so upset about me spending the night at Matthew's?"

"This is getting a bit too Romeo and Juliet for my taste," Mari groaned. "You never stay over anywhere, Cath. Now your spending the night, talking with strange men who have keys to your apartment...I don't want the next time I see you to be on a body stretcher."

"He's not a murderer," Catherine almost exclaimed. "You know what? I don't need this. Bye, Mariah." Catherine hung up suddenly. "Ugh!" She exclaimed.

"Cath?!" Mari exclaimed in concern. "Cath?!"

—————

Josh flung open the door, singing a Taylor Swift song and moonwalking. "Matt!" He shouted. "I got the Twinkies they were out of Doritos." He raced around the corner and stumbled back in surprise. "You're not Matt."

"I.T. Guy?" Catherine questioned. "What...what are you doing here?"

"I-I live here," Josh stammered. "One floor up...I just usually fall asleep at the music store. Then they kick me out and I come home..." He raised an eyebrow and noticed she was wearing the same clothes as yesterday. "I think the more pressing question is, what are you doing here?"

"I um...stayed the night here," Catherine said sheepishly. She added quickly, "Nothing happened."

He stared blankly, "Um...I didn't say anything happened."

"I'm sorry. I'm just done with people," Catherine sighed.

"Well," Josh laughed, "I've been told I look nothing and act nothing like normal people, so feel free to get to know me as intimately as you like."