Please excuse ANY grammatical errors.

August 14, 1996

~Elijah's P.O.V~

Courtney, Jasmine, and I have been in California with Tia for almost two weeks now. Of course, we're, Tia and myself are still taking care of our business from afar but we're also having fun in the process. We're all staying in the same hotel suite together. There are different rooms within the suite of course.

After wiping, I stood up, pulled up my pants, and flushed the toilet. I went to the sink to wash my hands, then I just so happen to glance at the trashcan and squinted trying to see if my eyes are deceiving me. BOOM! Bitch my eyes are not deceiving me a bit. I know damn well... A pregnancy test?

There are three culprits and one claims to be a virgin so we shall see. I finished washing my hands then dried them on some paper towels. With those same paper towels, I grabbed the pregnancy test from the trash. I made my way out of the bathroom and straight into the living room where everyone else was.

"Boy, are you ready?" Jasmine asked me. We were on our way out the door.

"Would you wait?" I rolled my eyes at her. "So who's pregnant?" I asked them and in return, they all have me a confused look. I held up the pregnancy stick to show them what I meant.

Jasmine started laughing. "It damn sure ain't mine! This shallow is good..." She looked at Courtney and Tia.

Tia and Courtney still held the same facial expressions when I asked the question. "So?" I raised my eyebrows.

Courtney turned to Tia and Tia's facial expression changed to a smug smirk and folded arms. Tia raised her hand. "It's mine."

I gasped aloud. "Bit-"

"What'd I tell you about referring to me like that?" Tia raised her eyebrows.

"You got yo cherry popped⁉️" I yelled. "By who⁉️"

Tia gasped. "BY WHOOOO!? You make it seem like I'm a whore! I've only dated two people-"

"DeVanté lives in your head rent-free. BUT YOU ain't hear SHIT from me..." My voice was low but not low enough.

Her mouth dropped even more and I didn't think that was possible. "I make up with him and you think we're how we used to be. I got a man."

"How long you had that problem?" I joked referring to I Got A Man but Positive K.

"Besides not that it's any of y'all business but my cherry been popped..." Tia trailed off.

"What??????" Jasmine said surprised.

"By myself of course..." Tia smiled. "I'm just playing, that test is not mine. I'm not poppin' no coochie unless there a ring around-"

"His dic-" I cut myself off because they all looked at me. "Hey!" I threw my hands up in the air with the test still in my hand.

"I'm not havin' no babies out of wedlock. This bastard ain't havin' no bastards. Soooo... Which one of y'all's is it?" Tia said looking at Courtney. Tia took a seat and crossed her legs. "Courtney?"

"I'm caught! It's mine." Courtney shrugged.

"Please do tell." Jasmine cheesed. "Spill the titties."

"Not to be shady but ain't shit spillin' out THAT bra of HERS. Cause what titties? Bishh where?" I laughed while Courtney gave me a death glare.

"Ahhhttt!" Jasmine and Tia said together.

"I'm glad about the little titties God gave me. Proud woman of the Itty Bitty Titty Committee." Courtney rolled her eyes at us all.

"Aww, Court. I know girl." Tia said in a mushy voice and hugged Courtney playfully.

"Girl." Courtney laughed as Tia pulled away.

"If I could give you some of mine, you KNOW I would. They too big..." Tia paused.

"Damn, imagine yo titties if you were pregnant," Jasmine said to Tia and Tia rolled her eyes.

"Who's is it guuurrlll?" I asked Courtney because a bitch really needs to know. Well, WANTED to know.

"Who's is it!?" Courtney jerked her head back. "Ain't no baby in this belly! Thank GOD!" She blew a kiss to the sky. "The test says negative." She clarified.

"Oh..." I said dumbfounded. "I'm a man so how was I supposed to know?" I asked with a shrug.

"You so nosy that I'm surprised you didn't see the box." Courtney rolled her eyes at me.

"Who you fuckin'?" I asked more interested. "I thought after Mr. Married with children you were off that for a while?" I asked Courtney.

"I was but then-" Courtney started but was cut off by her older sister's squeals.

"Could you shut up?" I said rapidly blinking my eyes.

"Don't talk to her like that before I bite you," Tia said with a smile, rapidly blinking her eyes at me.

"Right! Da fuck!" Jasmine said to me.

"You gotta be out your got damn mind to be talking to my sister like that. Now, I shouldn't tell y'all shit." Courtney said loudly.

"You gon' leave me out on account of this fool!?" Tia asked.

"If you don't, imma sing it like Toni Braxton!" Jasmine sang then laughed.

"Jermaine." Courtney let out.

"Who? That uhgglass nigga from school that is trying to holla at you?" I asked her.

"He is not ugly an ugly dude and you know this mane." Tia laughed.

"In the face, I think the fuck so! Personality doesn't count if you that hit in the face." I pursed my lips. 😗 "You too nice and you KNOW his ass is ugly AS FUCK." I responded and Tia shook her head.

"You mean Jermaine Cole, right?" Tia asked Courtney.

"What gives?" Courtney asked Tia.

"Bitch!" I screamed covering my mouth in shock.

"Oh, idunno. Maybe when there were friend functions, you'd both show up late together. AND THEN act surprised when you see that y'all there at the same time. PS, y'all need to plan ahead of time for a lie. THEN separate ends of the couch which makes it obvious with the slick glances y'all throw at each other. Not to mention the texting on the phone late hours of the night. Yes, I see it's his number..." Tia listed. "And the hickies on y'all necks. Mm mm, yep." She pursed her lips.

"Damn, you nosy as fuck." Courtney chuckled.

"Not nosy. I'm just... VERY OBSERVANT." Tia emphasized.

"A code name for nosy." Courtney laughed.

"It's not like you or he hid it well." Tia shrugged. "It was right there in front of me and I been suspected that y'all were messing around. You would understand if you paid people more attention." Tia shot at me.

"I just thought they were mosquito bites. Them southern mosquito don't play boooahhh!" I laughed.

"I forgot you wear glasses." Tia shook her head.

"What you wearin' now on your face?" I raised my eyebrows.

"Exactly." Courtney agreed.

"Nuh-uh sweetheart. Don't try to change the subject. I'm still on you Miss Thang. When you and ol' boy start fucking around?" I asked Courtney.

"Hol' up. When we discuss that we had to disclose who we were sleeping with?" Courtney asked.

"It's a friend thing. Besides don't we figure if these niggas were good, hood, or horrible in bed? Yes." I answered my own question. "You did it with Mr. married with children. You bragged about how good the D was a LOT." I emphasized.

"Because it was. It just that the man it was attached to was trash. Jermaine is different, I think." Courtney shrugged.

"You catching feelings?" I asked her.

"I'm still stuck on the Jermaine part." Tia chimed in. "Another giveaway."

"Speaking of catching. I caught they asses in my house on my damn couch." Jasmine said to us.

"Excuse me? We're sisters and that is classified information." Courtney said to Jasmine.

"Is that why you threw that leather couch out?" I asked.

"Hell yes!" Jasmine exclaimed.

"Uhh, pleather!" Courtney corrected with her index finger in the air.

"I don't matter. I pay for that with my hard-earned money and you know damn well it's hard to clean pleather! Every time I walked in the house, I was hesitant on looking on the couch to see his scrawny body on top of my baby sister." Jasmine joked.

"Cole ain't scrawny but mmkay sis." Tia winked.

"I mean, the man's no Westley Snipes and you know that man's got bawdy!" Jasmines rolled her stomach at the end of her sentence.

"Every man can't be no Westley Snipes. Besides I can't look at him the same after he put on that wig and dress. I don't know a straight man that does that." I told her.

"Yes, and Jermaine just wears big clothes. He's got some meat on his bones. A good amount. Jermaine doesn't even compare to Westley. Westley isn't as good-looking." Courtney added.

"I second that," I told her. "You let him in raw?" I asked her getting back on topic.

"No." Courtney replied with furrowed eyebrows. "The condom broke a few times and my cycle was late. I just wanted to make sure because like she said, I'm not bringing up no bastard babies." Courtney made a gesture to Tia.

"Aman to that," Jasmine added. "Bastard free kids or out of wedlock!" She said holding up an imaginary wine glass.

"Y'all and these imaginary objects. Courtney with the imaginary cigarettes and you with the wine glass." Tia laughed.

"I guess it runs in the family." Courtney shrugged.

"Anyways, let's go. It's not every day that you get invited to Neverland by Michael Jackson!" I said jumping up.

"Yes, we're late. Let's get to gettin'!" Tia said.

"It already takes an hour and Elijah over here digging through trash cans like some raccoon wanting somebody to be pregnant." Courtney laughed as we left out the door.

"I'm relieved for that baby, me and you," I told her.

"Why you?" Courtney asked me.

"Me because you still want to party like me. That baby would barely see its mama." I laughed. I'm only joking.

"Like many mothers, I'd know how to straighten up for my child. And it seems like you're trying to prepare me for single motherhood. Don't speak that shit into existence. What about the father?" Courtney asked.

"Mmkay..." I said not believing her about the partying thing. "I wasn't preparing you for single motherhood. How long?" I asked Courtney again.

"Since the beginning of the year." She said sheepishly.

"What!?" I yelled. The others were just laughing up a storm. "I am mad at chu. Y'all LOVE to keep secrets." I told all of them.

"Everything isn't meant to be told," Courtney responded.

We got into the car and we're on our way. "Ya girl is finally going to see her man!" I teased Tia.

"I don't like Michael Jackson in a romantic way anymore and haven't since I was nineteen and I'm now twenty-four." She rolled her eyes.

"Your room was filled with Michael Jackson everything. You ain't get over him that quick. And a romantic way? It was ALL in a sexual way." I scoffed.

"In Gary!" She exclaimed laughing. "I had two posters and that was it. We were too broke for that other mess." She laughed more. "That man really used to live rent-free in my head."

He really did. She knew everything from the kind of fragrance he wore, the way his bedroom was set up, to the draws she wore. I'm telling you, Tia was THAT kind of fangirl. Yet, she claimed she'd never act like a crazed fan if she were to meet him. I believe she would've if she was mad in love with him at the time of their meeting.

"Like that Al B. Sure song?" Jasmine asked.

"Let me tell you how I feel about you night and day!" Courtney sang.

"Ayyyye!" We yelled while swiveling in our seats.

I got up and reached over and turned the radio on. I changed it to the station I wanted. "And... We're back with the HOT 100. Here's All the Things (Your Man Won't Do) by Joe."

We all looked at each other excitedly. "Ahhh, SHIET!" We screamed in excitement.

"Hey love
You say you need someone
To be there for you
To love you all night long
It's kinda funny but
I don't think you have to look no further
Because I'm right here-" Joe's voice rang through the speaker.

"Ooooh, baby. His voice is smooth as butter!" Jasmine said excitedly.

We each took turns singing verses. As always the sisters killed this song.

"Damn, this nigga take his time. He said he'd light a THOUSAND candles all around AND he gon' go down on me⁉️" Jasmine said aloud.

"Give me one 'a dem!" We all yelled out.

"I'm the only single one in this friend group but the oldest. Y'all got one of them!" Jasmine laughed.

"Girl, I got a man but I'm fuckin' around!" I said hyped.

"All y'all men the same no matter the sexuality..." Jasmine shook her head at me.

"I ain't make shit official and nor did he." I rolled my eyes. "We together independently. Ye heard⁉️" I chuckled.

"A mess!" Tia and Courtney said together in laughter.

~Tia's P.O.V~

I thought about was Taimak told me about forgiving DeVanté and actually did it. It was relieving, to say the least. I was ready to forgive him. There were people who did worse and more than he did and I've forgiven them. Not say what he did was right or okay because that wasn't. I made sure to tell his behind that if he ever does that shit again, that I'd come after him with razor blades, lemon juice, and a gun. But that last part would be too obvious.

DeVanté and I are cool but the restaurant is the only time we actually spoke, so we aren't as close as we used to be. But if I were to see him in some kind of setting, there would be no bad blood between us. He cleaned up pretty well though. He looks healthier and is even making sense.

I know, I play too dang much, but that pregnancy crap was funny. Elijah's facial expression was unforgettable and I wish I'd had a Polaroid camera on me at that moment. Anyways, Michael Jackson is a pretty cool guy and is currently going through a lot of junk.

The current divorce from Elvis Jr. (Don't come for me y'all. She's literally his twin.💀), and the other mess that ended not too long ago. Word around the industry is that Latoya and her husband are the cause of the accusations but like many things, it could be a rumor. It wouldn't be too far-fetched with her doing that Psychic Hotline. (Pause because Latoya's ex-husband was sick as heck! He caused all that bull according to Latoya's book...) The case was settled but I'm sure that takes a huge toll on a person.

When Michael Jackson heard that I was filming in California, he made an invite. Only I couldn't make it at the time since time was scarce for me. Now I have the time and I told him that my friends came to visit me on vacation and it wouldn't be polite of me to leave them. Besides, I didn't want to go alone. People would speculate that I was with a married man. We ALL know how close the paps get to Neverland. I don't need rumors like that with my career.

I mean, I'm not A-List, and I'm glad about that, but that'd be a bad reputation. We know how Hollywood treats women who mess with married and have double standards for the man. There were some fans and paparazzi near this man's house. The gates were beautiful and I'm talking about it from the outside. I can only imagine what the inside of those gates looks like.

"State your name and purpose." The guard asked me.

"Tia~ Nakia and friends," I replied from the back. I feel like Weezy and George Jefferson. My behind has a permanent chauffeur! My security was in the car as well.

The security briefly spoke on the phone then turned back to us. "I'm sorry ma'am, Mr. Jackson didn't notify any of us that'd you'd be arriving today, but he's expecting you." He told me as the gates opened.

"It's fine. Thank you." I smiled then rolled up the window. My chauffeur drove slow.

"We made it!" My friends said excitedly.

"Lovin' like Larry!" Eej sang sitting back in his seat and crossing his legs with his arms behind his back.

"Ooooh, look!" I pointed to the statues. Another dream come true! I signed in awe. When I heard about this place years ago, I NEEDED to go. Your girl will be cratching this off her bucket list. I'm completely astonished.

"This is beautiful," Jasmine mumbled.

"I'm amazed." Courtney was completely mesmerized by the sight.

"Look!" I said excitedly pointing to the garden clock which is just breathtaking. The colors are vibrant and I rolled down the window and the fresh grass scent hit me. The gardeners were watering the garden. Michael Jackson was standing at the front with a big ol' smile with his signature fedora, his favorite red shirt, and black slacks.

We stepped out of the car and onto the pavement.

"Welcome." Michael Jackson greeted.

He sounds exactly how he speaks in public which is that soft tone but we ALL know that this man's voice is deep as heck. Okay, maybe just me out of the group is that I keep in touch with him.

"Hi," Courtney said sounding all nervous.

"Don't be nervous. I'm just like everyone else. Just like you." Michael chuckled. "You must be Jasmine?" He asked Courtney.

"No, that's Jasmine and I'm Courtney." Courtney gestured.

"Nice to meet you." He held out his hand for them to shake and they gladly took it. "You must be Elliot?" Michael joked.

"Haha, nice one. Miguel." Elijah chuckled. Michael and Elijah have already met a couple of times actually.

Michael gave him a chuckled. "I hope you all came on an empty stomach?" He asked us.

"Of course. You did invite us for lunch, right?" I asked him because he had me thinking I'm tripping.

"I did." Michael nodded. "Follow me inside." And follow him we did.

The hardwood floors are so buffered that you could see your reflection. This man has got a committed cleaning team. His scent of Black Orchid filled my nose as he was holding the door open for us. Don't ask me how I know because you know how I know.

"Do we take our shoes off?" I asked looking at his floors.

"Um..." Michael shrugged. "You can if you choose to. It's up to y'all?" I looked at him for a specific answer and I guess he knew. "Just keep them on." He laughed with his hands in his pockets.

"Y'all both sound alike." Jasmine chuckled.

"Are you sayin' I sound like a man?" I asked her.

"Yes, we do. We're from the same place right?" Michael asked her.

"Yeah, but it's a hint of a southern accent in both your voices," Elijah answered instead.

"Most of my family are from the south." Michael and I said in sync. (Me realizing we have these things in common...) We laughed together.

"One and two generations ago the southerners migrated up north and many landing in the steel city, East Chicago, or Chicago," I told her. (Chicago and East Chicago are two different states. Chicago is in Illinois and East Chicago is in Indiana.)

"Like my family," Elijah said. "I'm from Chicago but was raised in Gary. Which is why I don't sound like them. Two generations ago my people lived in Chicago."

We walked and talked. "I don't know what you folks like so I had my chefs make a little of everything," Michael told us.

Shoo, he's a nice one because if you're at my house and don't like what's made then you ain't eating.🤷🏽‍♀️ But, then again, Michael doesn't really cook.

"Did y'all want to eat first or want me to show you around?" He asked us. "The food will still be warm."

"I'm hungry," I told him straight up and I was elbowed by Jasmine. They verbally agreed with me though.

He laughed. "Well, by all means, let's eat." We followed him to a room where a bunch of food was lined up on a table.

"Come to mama. Foodgasm." I mumbled to myself eyeing the food.

"Huh?" Michael turned to me and asked with a funny-looking expression on his face.

"Where's a sink? I need to wash my hands." I asked him.

"Oh, there's a restroom near. You have to turn right, then left, down the hall, left, and the fourth door on the left." Michael told me.

"Near?" I pursed my lips.

"Yeah, the other one's need fixin'." He clarified.

"Okay, and if I get lost, I'm callin' on you Tyrone. So right, left, down, left, and forth door?" I asked.

"Yes."

"Sounds like a cheat code." I laughed lowly and carefully walked in the direction I was told the restroom was.

"Just follow the yellow brick road!" He yelled out to me jokingly.

I went into the restroom and shut the door. My bladder is full as crap because, through the whole ride here, all I did was gulp down a bunch of water. This vegan stuff really just kinda feels as if I'm starving myself and I barely eat as is. That chicken on that table looks so bomb though. Too bad I can't eat it! 😑 After doing my business, I washed my hands and my phone rang. It was Taimak. He went back to New York.

"Hello," I answered the phone.

"Hey hun, how's it going?" He asked.

"Starving." I laughed. "How about you? How're you doing?"

"I'm eating some chicken. I'm on my lunch break." Taimak laughed.

"Gahhhh!" I squeezed my eyes.

He laughed even harder. "Told you you shouldn't do it. What's the purpose again?"

"Allergies."

"No, I know that. I mean besides that because to be truthfully all you have to do is avoid those foods."

"I can't avoid something I don't exactly know what causes some of these reactions. Also to be healthy" I said as a response.

"Doctors can find that out. You can be healthy while eating meat. The problem is people eat more than their palm." He told me.

"You know damn well..." I chuckled. "Look at you. Boy, you eat a slab of ribs and still look the way you do. It's just people don't exercise as they should. I on the other hand have to work extra hard for it."

"And you DID. You are a little underweight for your height but you look good. You don't wanna look malnourished do you?"

"A course not. Why would you ask me something like that?" I furrowed my eyebrows.

"I'm just stating the facts."

"I'm only doing this for a month and have ten-eleven more days left of this," I told him.

"Mm mm mm, you're stubborn as hell."

"Was I not when you met me?" I raised a brow.

"N- Well yeah... BUT-!"

"But nothing. You don't even know what you were about to say." I laughed.

"You're right. My chewing distracted me from my thoughts." He chuckled. "But you're right about that, you were always stubborn."

"Mmhm. Came out of the womb that way. Well, let me go do what you're doing and get some food in my belly." I told him.

"You goin' out to eat?" He asked.

"You could say that..." I shrugged as if he could see me.

"You're going out to eat." He said being smart.

"Boy!" I laughed.

"Boy is a white racist word!" He laughed. (A reference from Good Times.)

"You're half white." I chuckled.

"I'm half ITALIAN and I'm not a racist." He said correcting me.

"I'm sorry does your family on that NOT have a peach skin tone or am I color blind?" I said leaning on one foot he was dead silent. "Exa'ly, it's just a more cultured white," I told him.

"I know. Where are you goin' to eat?"

"It's not where I'm going, it's where I'm at. I'm currently at Neverland." I smiled.

"That was today?" He asked.

"Mmhm." I mumbled.

"Well, let me let you go. Get some food into your stomach. Some REAL food!" He emphasized. "Oh, and the reason I didn't call earlier was that I woke up late like a teenager waking up for school. I love you."

"I love you. I don't want them to think I'm taking a crap since I've been in here so long. Bye." I chuckled.

"Bye." He replied then I hung up the phone.

I washed my hands again, opened the door with the paper towel, then trashed it. I walked out of the bathroom and got lost. I forgot the directions that quickly. Taimak threw me off track. I walked more but got lost. "Time to call on Tyrone..." I grabbed my phone and called him. As soon as he answered I spoke. "Tyrone, I'm lost."

"Where are you?" His voice was noticeably deeper at the moment.

"In the hallway," I said in an obvious tone.

"Which one?"

"The one with walls and doors. I don't know." I said with sarcasm and a sigh.

"How many times did you turn after exiting the restroom? What directions?" He said as I heard an echo of footsteps through the phone.

"I turned right, left, right right, and down the hall. I think..." I trailed off.

"There you go," Michael said into the speaker then I heard the dial tone. "You are bad with directions."

"I'm not. It's just that every hallway is identical." I told him while we walked. THIS is one of the reasons why I don't want a house THIS huge. Well, it's a ranch but still...

We went into the kitchen where Elijah was finishing washing his hands and Jasmine and Courtney going out the door. I turned to Michael. "You sent me through a maze and the kitchen was right here?" I asked him.

~Michael Jackson's P.O.V~

I smiled at her. "Payback comes in different forms..."

"Payback?"

"Yeah, you threw a bucket full of water on in my face. The other bathrooms and restrooms are closer and none need repair."

Tìa nodded showing her teeth. "Yeah, that was fun. But how is that payback for that? We were having a water fight."

"You got it in my hair AFTER I took my precious time washing and conditioning it." I squinted.

"So? I just washed it more without soap- rinsed. Besides that wet look at is what you go for, right?" She asked.

"Haha." I laughed sarcastically.

"That sure was a weak payback. You ended up having to go out if your way to find me. It backfired on you playa." She laughed. "Do better."

"I will," I replied and she stopped laughing.

"What are you planning?" She said turning to me.

"Hat tricks?" I shrugged.

"Well, I just hope those hat trick ain't goin' in my mouth because I'm hungry." She said.

"What am I, a toddler?" I laughed loudly.

We all began to eat. I'm a vegetarian so I pulled the crispy skin off my chicken and put some hot sauce on it. Tia looked at me with her head tilted to the side in a confused manner. "I didn't know vegetarians eat chicken?"

"You see, I am a vegetarian. If you take the skin off, it's organic." I explained. (Crack the heck up every time!🤣🤣🤣)

"Oh!" She said looking at the high ceilings. "That makes absolutely NO sense!" She laughed right along in with the others. "You're still consuming poultry..."

"I'm still a vegetarian." I shrugged.

"So if I grab a dictionary and look up the word vegetarian that I'd see a picture of you eating skinless chicken?" She asked. "You have a dictionary?" She asked me.

"Yes," I said blinking rapidly.

"Can I borrow it for a quick second?" She asked. "I wanna learn you what a vegetarian is." (Yes, this was written this way on purpose.) 

"No," I said clearing my throat. She shrugged and continued to eat.

"I'll read you the definition to PROVE what it means," I said standing up and running away to find one. I couldn't through my mess so I called one of my housekeepers to ask for one. Thankfully they did and as soon as I got it I went back to where the others were.

"Here we are..." I said slightly out of breath from my running. They were all sitting there looking out the window in shock.

"What's wrong?" I asked them. "Is someone out there?"

"No, we just saw a couple of giraffes just walk past like we're at a safari or something..." Elijah said turning to me.

"For a moment I thought I was on a food high but they saw it too," Jasmine said to me. Very beautiful by the way. These are some beautiful women.

"Why?" Courtney just said.

"Oh, yeah. That's nothing. I'll show you all around after we finish eating. There are more. But I now have the dictionary." I told the holding the dictionary up.

"Oxford?" Elijah asked.

"The best." I cleared my throat and began to flip through the pages of the book. I read the definition in my head and it says that a vegetarian - A person who does not eat meat or fish, and sometimes other animal products, especially for moral, religious, or health reasons.

"It says a vegetarian is a man with jet black hair that tears the skin off of his fried chicken and eats it. There. Satisfied?" I said closing the dictionary.

"That's a lie and a half." Tia laughed. She really doesn't kiss ass.

"You know, you're a mean person," I told her.

She gasped. "Mean? Lil ol' mehh?" Tia had her hand on her chest. I nodded. "Never, I'm just being truthful."

"I think you're just used to kiss ass people. Am I right?" Elijah asked me.

I chuckled and shook my head at him. "Well, are you guys ready to be shown around? We have lots of things to do." I asked changing the subject.

"You're changing the subject. Why don't you just eat grilled chicken instead of fried? That way you wouldn't have to pull back- pull off the skin." Tia told me.

"Grilled is dry. Don't really like it. It's equivalent to a Popeye's biscuit." I shook my head at her suggestion.

"Dry? Ooooh baby, then you need some better chefs." Tia chuckled.

"You know, you're becoming to be more talkative." I chuckled.

"I not quiet, nor am I'm very talkative. I'm just shy and reserved around people I don't know. Much like yourself. I'm comfortable now." She smiled with raised eyebrows.

We made our way outside into the hot and humid air. It was too hot to walk so we rode on a golf cart and everything isn't too close. I showed them my animals, we rode some rides, the pool aread, and I showed them my theater and everything else. I'm just glad to have some company. People are hesitant to bring their children due to the false allegations against me. It's not just parents hesitant about their kids coming but some people in the industry that I was once close to now look at me in a different way. Their actions tell me that they think I'm guilty.

I walked back to where the others were which was in the pool area since it was much cooler there. "It sure is hot out here," I said with my hands behind my back. They all agreed verbally or nonverbally. "Hey, Tia?" I called out making her turn back to me.

"Yes?" She replied.

"Remember back in the hallway when you told me to do better with my comeback?" I asked.

"Well, that was some good advice." I pulled the water balloon from behind my back and threw it at her.

She gasped with her hair dripping wet while looking down at her lap. They were all sitting down and the rest of them looked at me surprised. Tia flicked her hair back with her face dripping water. She stood up from the chair so fast.

"Oop- boy, don't you know better than to touch a black woman's hair? And she's natural. She finna go off." Elijah said aloud.

She's not going to do anything. "An eye for an eye?" I asked laughing and backing away.

"An eye for an eye?" She said mockingly.

I ran and she came after me. I stopped and grabbed a couple more balloons from the bucket then continued running. Being the fast person that I am, she couldn't catch up to me, so I turned around and threw a couple more at her. One hit her in the stomach and the other hit the ground. I'm fast but my aim isn't that good as you can see.

Tia threw one at me and it flew at my face and busted. (Hard pause) She threw another at me only I ran. The others tried to keep up with her trying to keep up with me. Tia finally gave up on chasing me.

"That's not funny!" She said and threw balloons at her friends. The next thing you know we all are throwing balloons at Tia. "Y'all hangin' up on me! That ain't fair!" Eventually, we stopped and began throwing them at each other. It lasted for a while and it was getting dark. We were drying off.

"Nobody ever leaves Neverland without getting wet," I said drying my hair with a towel.

"That was fun." Courtney laughed as I nodded in agreement.

Author's Note: I switched it up, didn't I? How'd you all enjoys the perspective from Michael Jackson?

Word Count: 5,740
Please feel free to like and comment. Feedback gives motivation, and motivation urges me to continue to write.

Thank you all for taking the time out of your day to read another chapter of this story. Thank you for staying despite the slacking.💚🖤❤💜💙💛