~Rayne's POV

I sit the milk in the refrigerator and grab a bowl fixing myself a quick breakfast. My dad loudly talks on the phone about a movie. I sit at the counter watching the news on the television. Nothing interesting going on as always. Once I finish my breakfast, I take a long, much needed shower and wash my hair. The hot water stings on the bruises on my back and wrist. I let out a small sob from the pain and let it all wash away...

~Michael's POV

Walking inside I see Janet and Randy running all over the place, Jackie and Latoya arguing, and Tito, begging mother for something. It was all so noisy. I walk out to mother's garden again, sitting on the stool. I look over to my new neighbors house and think about that girl, Rayne. She seemed like such a down to earth person, and she didn't overreact when I told her who I was. She said she wasn't from here so I wanted to know more about her. Maybe I could show her around. At least it'll get me out of here for a while. I walk around to the front and walk to her front door, knocking softly. She opened the door, her hair wet and curly, wearing a shirt that revealed just enough cleavage and just enough belly button and leggings. She looked a lot better than she did this morning. "Michael, right?" She asks. "Very funny." I chuckle back. She laughs a little. "What brings you over?" "Well, seeing as how you're new to the city...I figured I'd show you around. Would you like that?" I ask shyly. Once again she squints her beautiful eyes at me. "Okay, let me just grab my shoes..." She turns around still holding the door. "You can come in if you want." She giggles, showing off her perfectly straight teeth. I have yet to see any flaws with this girl. I'm kind of in awe. I wanted to see her mom because if Rayne looked like this, I know her mom is beautiful.

I walk inside and see their beautiful house. Pictures of Rayne and her father line the walls. From baby years to now, but none of her mother. Then I see that one picture sitting on a table of her mother, father and her. I grab it studying her mother's features trying to match it to Rayne's. They were all a great looking family. "Dad!" I hear Rayne call out, removing my focus from the picture. "I'm just gonna let my dad know and then I'll grab my shoes..." She walks inside, what seems to be, his office, closing the door behind her.

~Rayne's POV

"Daddy, don't freak out." I laugh. "But I met one of the neighbors this morning and he wants to show me around." "He? Who is he?" He asks. "It's Michael Jackson." I say slowly. I've never been the type to get excited about celebrities because I've met so many through my dad when I'd spend summers over and he was making movies and my dad was the same way. He knew how to keep his head. He stands up and walks outside his office to meet him. "Dad, this isn't a date... I don't even know the guy." I whisper, praying he doesn't embarrass me.

~Michael's POV

After what felt like hours, Rayne and her dad come out. I'm starstruck. Her father really is Gary Fleeson. "Mr. Fleeson, I am a huge fan of yours. It's such an honor to meet you." He laughs heartily. "I'm a fan of yours too, nice to meet you! My daughter says you want to show her around? Listen, have fun and have her back by at least 10." I smile "Yes sir." He walks back in his office after giving Rayne a peck on the cheek. She laughs, rolling her eyes, almost embarrassed. "You wanna come up while I grab my shoes?" She asks me. I swallow hard, there was something about this girl that made me nervous. "Sure" I stammered. "Relax, I'm just putting on shoes not getting undressed." She says goofily, almost dragging me up the stairs. We get into her room and it was generally empty. Just her big bed a lot of boxes and her dresser with a tv sitting on top of it. She did say she just got here yesterday. I like to look through people's homes. I don't steal anything, I just snoop. I open her boxes going through her things, "Nice necklace.." I say lifting up her jewelry box. "Thanks." She says, tying her shoes. She gives me a look, probably wondering why I'm going through her stuff. I feel like I need to explain myself. "I feel like you could learn a lot about a person through their possessions." I say staring at a photo of her in her box. "Really? So maybe one day I'll come to your house and learn about you." She smirks, grabbing my hand she takes me back downstairs and to her car. "So, tour guide, where are we going first?" She asks. "Why not Hollywood? We're not too far." I get in the passenger seat and guide her to the right direction. She turns on her radio and of course one of me and my brothers songs come on. My face flushes and I feel hot. She glances over at me. "Hey. Isn't this you?" She nudges. I nod and watch her as she sings every note. "So you are a fan!" I smile. "I never said I wasn't. I just don't get too excited for celebrities. I mean you guys are people too." She shrugs. I really like this girl. She's treating me like human being. "Where's your disguise? Are we gonna get mobbed?" She begins worrying. I laugh and pull my fake teeth and sunglasses out my pockets. "No worries. We won't get mobbed."

I was so curious about her life. As we walked down the walk of fame I told her about me. Hoping she would open up more to me. "So what made you move to Californ-I-A?" I ask her. She gives a deep sigh and her mood seems to decrease. "I was in a bad environment. My dad wanted me to move with him so I did." She shrugs. I frown a little at her. "Bad environment?" I ask. She nods and sighs again. "We don't have to talk about it if it's upsetting you Rayne..."

~Rayne's POV

He was really considerate to my feelings and I appreciate that. The only person that has ever shown any kind of concern or care for me was my dad. Since I wasn't around him that often I wasn't sure how to react. "So tell me, what's it like being a star?" I ask trying to change the subject. Michael's mood reflects mine. "It's ok, I mean I enjoy what I do, but sometimes I just want to be me." I frown. "Well why can't you? Being famous shouldn't change who you are..." "You're right. But if you've got the wrong people involved... It will." He mumbles. "Sometimes I just wanna go out without the fake teeth or the sunglasses. I can't go shopping or even take a walk. The closest thing I get to peace is sitting in Mother's garden." "I loved sitting in my moms garden when I was little. I'd pick tulips and put them in my hair..." I recalled. I silently think of the memory of how angry she would be after I came in with them in my hair. "What happened to your mom?" I hear Michael ask. I clear my throat. "She was apart of that bad environment.." "Oh..." He says slowly. "Well my mother doesn't mind, you can pick all the tulips you want." He chuckles awkwardly. I allow a small smile on my face as well.

After a long walk around Hollywood we get back in front of my house. I have to admit he seemed to be alright. A pretty nice guy. "Thanks for showing me around Michael I enjoyed it." I smile. "No problem... Hey, it's only five did you want to come over for dinner?" He asks. I thought his shyness was so funny I couldn't help but laugh. "Sure why not..." I giggle. His smile seemed to brighten up at my response and I was pretty excited myself. We walk to his front door and before he opens it, he turns to me. "My family is a little wild, my brothers might flirt, my sisters might mess with you and my father is a little too open sometimes. The only safe haven of perfection is Mother, she's an angel." He explains. I wished I could talk about my mother like that. I nod and take a deep breath as if preparing myself for whatever.

~Michael's POV

"Here we go..." I mumble to myself. I open my door to Marlon. He glances up at me quickly, "Hey Mike... Hey hey hey, who is this?" He says, his eyes averting to Rayne. He grabs her hand to shake it. "You are gorgeous, and I mean gorgeous." He lays a peck on her hand, causing her to giggle. "Marlon this is Rayne, Rayne this is my big headed brother Marlon." I groan rolling my eyes. "Nice to meet you." She smiles, releasing his hands. I grab her by the wrist and pull her into the kitchen to meet mother. "Ouch!" She winces. My eyes widen, "I'm sorry...are you ok? Was I too rough?" "I'm fine. Don't worry about it." She sighs rubbing her wrist. "Mother, this is our neighbors daughter Rayne. She just moved in yesterday." Mother looked at her with a warm smile. "Well aren't you a beauty! Nice to meet you Rayne! I see Michael has already snagged you up." "Oh mother, it's not like that. She's new around here so I just wanted to show her around the neighborhood a little" I chuckle. "Well I sure hope he didn't drive you..." Latoya chimes. "That boy can't drive a lick." I glare at her. "Anyway mother I was hoping Rayne could stay over for dinner." I ask. "Of course!" She agreed. "Katherine! Where did you put my ties?" A voice booms, entering the kitchen. "Oh no..." I groan. "Who is this child?" He asks. "This is our new neighbor, Rayne. Rayne this is Joseph... My father." "Hello Mr. Jackson." Rayne smiles politely. He gives her a small wave and looks back at mother. I lead her upstairs into my room. I watch her as she stares around my walls covered in photos of Brooke Shields, Tatum Oneal and Diana Ross. "Woah." She says. "Nice room" I examined her every move. She walked to my dresser and started looking through things. Her hands sliding across the drawers opening them one by one. She pulls out a stack of papers and begin flipping through them. "Those are songs..." I explain. She sits next to me on the side of my bed, practically studying the words. I study her side profile, and she's truly beautiful. "This is good Michael! Are these songs you guys are gonna sing?" She asks me excitedly. I think I was getting a glimpse of her as a fan and it was pretty cute, I've gotta admit. Her doe eyes wide and bright with wonder and curiosity. I shake my head "No, I'm gonna go completely solo one day and I'm saving these for myself." "Ooh" she nods. She carefully places the songs back in my drawer and closes it quietly. "Is that your mom's garden?" She asks, staring out my window. "Yeah." "Can we go? Please?" I laugh at her. "You sound like such a kid..." I tease.

We rush back downstairs and sneak through the back into the garden. The stars shined beautifully over the moonlit garden. The fragrance of mother's tulips filled our noses as we sat in the grass. "It's so beautiful out here, do you sit out here often?" "As often as I can. It's the closest I can get to peace around here. I love nature, it's relaxing." She nods in agreement. "That's my room window right there." She points. "So it was you guys yelling last night." My head sunk from embarrassment. "You heard that?" "Yeah the whole neighborhood did, I'm sure. What was it all about?" She asks. "My brothers and father, like to talk about me in a bad way. I just don't like it. They did it yesterday and I got angry and I just kinda snapped." I tell her. "Well what'd they say?" She giggles. "That I had a big nose..." I sigh. She laughs a little. "That's it?" She giggles again. My anger started to rise as I watched her cackle at a nonexistent joke. "What you think that's funny?" I ask. "No! It's just, I can't believe you let something so silly get you so upset... So what if you have a big nose. I've got a big forehead, doesn't bother me. Besides our flaws make us who we are...and your flaws make you kinda cute." She giggles pinching my nose. I relax my shoulders a little more and chuckle. "Well you look pretty good with your big forehead too..." I smile.

~Rayne's POV

I could tell Michael had some insecurities that were just caused by his own father and that's terrible. "How do you keep such a positive attitude?" He asked me. I didn't want to overwhelm him with my sad life on only one day of knowing him, but he kept asking me. "I've been through some things that taught me to love myself." I sigh, staring back into the sky. "Like?" "You don't wanna know." I groan. "I wouldn't be asking if I didn't." He nudges me. "C'mon, tell me" "My mother was pretty abusive to me as a kid. I'd get beat...a lot and it was mentally abusive too. She called me ugly, she told me she hates me... A lot of terrible things a kid should never go through..." I sigh. "I'll say." He agreed. "I used to hide in her tulips in her garden... I found so much peace there because for a while before my grandma passed, she used to take me out there and sing to me. But ever since she died, my mother just changed into another person. She's not my mother anymore." He stared into the side of my face, his mouth hanging open. "That's terrible Rayne...so is that why you moved here?" I nod. I lean my head back into the grass and he follows suit. I feel his hand creep over into mine and he gives it a light squeeze. I interlock my fingers in his. He made me feel so comfortable in only a day. I could tell we would be friends for a long time.