I went to the Jackson's house. Joseph wasn't home, it was just the brothers, the sisters and Katherine. Katherine was cooking some delicious food in the kitchen and the brothers were doing homework in the dining room. I have homework but I don't feel like finishing it now. It's just a few stupid questions.
Latoya and I sat down on the couch in the living room awkwardly not saying anything after we greeted each other. It would've been more awkward if the tv wasn't on. Gladly, the tv is on, it's on and blasting loud, I guess so Katherine can hear it all the way from the kitchen.

"So, let's talk about cheer tryouts, since we're here together and alone." She said crossing her legs.

I sighed and looked down thinking about what happened.

"You said you'll tell me about it later, so it's later and now you should tell me about it."
Latoya turned the tv down and sat up on the
comfy couch.

I sighed again, "I just hate the way she treats me, I wish she can leave me alone." I mumbled.

"I know, I think you were a little too nervous over there, that's why you fell." She said. "But hey, everybody makes mistakes and plus you did it again and you did it perfect afterwards." She added.

"I know, but people will see my fall on Instagram." I looked at her.

"Don't worry about it, they saw that you fell. Everybody falls on their butt." She shrugged.

"I know that but I want that video to be deleted. It was just too embarrassing. She has over a thousand followers on her Instagram and most of them is the students at school, anybody can see it." I panicked.

"Girl, you got more followers than she has, not everybody will see it. Chill." She put a hand on my shoulder. "They'll see the video and laugh about it, then you'll prove them wrong by making the cheer team." She smiled.

"But what if I don't make the team?"

"You'll make the team, I know you will cause you did more than me. Did you see what I did? I struggled on the cartwheel and did the splits and that's all. I don't think I'll make it." She laughed.

I sighed and crossed my arms.

I guess she's a little right but I'm not for sure.

I heard footsteps walking towards the living room. We turned around and it's Michael.

"Hey." His eyebrows raised and he smiled at me.

"Hey." I quietly said giving him a weak smile.

"What y'all talking bout?" He asked walking towards us and sitting down next to me. "I wanna join." He said.

"Uh. No Michael. I think you should leave." Latoya rolled her eyes.

"Nah. I'm bored. I wanna talk to y'all." Michael smiled.

Latoya sighed loudly and got up, "Fine." She rolled her eyes. "Ariel, do you want something to drink? Like Sprite or something?" She politely asked me.

"Sure." I nodded and smiled.

She left leaving Michael and I in the living room by ourselves. He turned his head and looked at me as I kept my head turned away from him. I watched him at the corner of my eye as he stared at me and chuckled softly.

"So. Uh. How was school?" He asked.

I looked at him and raised and eyebrow, "It was alright, quite boring." I replied.

He chuckled, "Cool. How was it boring?" He asked.

"I was waiting for you at the front of the cafeteria and you wasn't there." I mumbled changing the subject and playing with my fingers.

"I know. I was gonna find you and tell you to come over our table and eat with us but I couldn't find you. Then, I saw you at another table with Prince and I asked you to come over. Why didn't you come?" He asked.

I sighed, "Because Kaitlyn was over there, I didn't feel like dealing with her and Marlon." I mumbled.

"Kaitlyn? Oh she's nice." He smiled.

"No she's no-" I started and Latoya walked in holding two Sprite bottles.

"Hey I'm back with the drinks." She handed me a Sprite bottle.

"What about me?" Michael pointed at his chest and chuckled.

Latoya looked at him up and down and fake chuckled, "Go get your own, you know where it's at." She snapped.

Michael laughed, "I just came back home two days ago and you won't do something nice for me." He crossed his arms.

Latoya laughed, "Well oops." She shrugged.

Michael chuckled, "I'm just kiddin, I don't want one anyway." He shrugged.

Marlon came walking in with a basketball under his arm.

"C'mon Mike, we gonna play basketball." He said walking towards the door.

Michael looked at me, "Do you want to play basketball with us?" He asked.

I sighed, "No, I'm good." I shook my head.

I don't wanna embarrass myself again.

"I'll teach you how to shoot the ball. If Marlon say something bad, just throw the ball to his head. Okay?" He whispered.

I looked at him and chuckled and he smiled at me.

"Fine." I smiled.

We got up off the couch leaving Latoya by herself.

"I'll tell you when dinner is ready." Latoya said as we left and went outside.

We walked to the side of the house, through the fence to the back of the house and there's a big basketball hoop in the middle of the concrete.

Marlon turned around and looked at Michael.

"Michael, since the others ain't done with their homework, we'll play one by on-" he stopped and looked at me. "Uh. Ariel? Why is she here?" He asked Michael pointing at me.

"I asked her if she can play with us." Michael smiled looking at me.

Marlon chuckled and looked at me up and down, "Her? But she don't know how to play."

Michael walked up to Marlon and took the ball away from him, "Imma teach her." He said shooting the ball, making it perfectly in the basket.

Marlon looked at me up and down, "Make sure you teach her good now Michael."

I rolled my eyes, "Shut up." I mumbled.

Marlon made a disgusted look, "Imma go inside." He mumbled walking towards the gate.

Michael turned to Marlon, "Where are you going? You just got here."

"I'm going inside and play a video game, I don't want to play anymore." He said opening the gate.

"Why not?" Michael asked.

"Because Ariel is here." He said walking away.

I should've grabbed that ball and threw it at him.

Michael dribbled the ball and shot it at the basket, "I'm sorry. Like I said he's still the same."

"It's alright." I mumbled.

Michael bounced the ball to me and I caught it with both hands. I shyly chuckled as he smiled at me.

"Now, let me teach you." He said walking towards me and standing beside me. "First, you hold the ball to your chest, squatting down a little and throw it popping yourself up a bit." He demonstrated with his body.

I nodded and dribbled the ball with my right hand, I held the ball and did what he said.

Ball to chest
Squat a little
Shoot.

The ball flew in the air hitting the backboard and bounced off, not even close to where the basket was. I felt my face get hotter as I looked down.

"It's okay, try again." He said grabbing the ball off the ground and handing it to me.
"Oh, and don't forget to focus on the square." He pointed.

You could've reminded me that before. Haha.

I did it again, looking straight at the square and still didn't make it. The ball just bounced on the rim of the basket a few times and bounced off.

I shyly chuckled and looked down, "I can't do this." I said.

He grabbed the ball off the ground and put it under his arm, "Yes you can, it just takes practice." He gave me the ball.

After a few tries trying to make it in the basket, I finally made it go through the the basket. Michael cheered and clapped for me as I stood there blushing and laughing at him.

"I told you you can do it, it takes a while." He smiled.

I smiled back and blushed.

He held the ball under his arm and walked up beside me, "So tell me about yourself." He said dribbling the ball and shooting.

"I thought you already know some stuff about me." I smiled.

"Yeah, but not all. I learned somethings about you myself." He said picking up the ball.

"Like what?" I smiled.

"That you're shy, you're caring, you don't really talk much and you're pretty. That's all I know." He winked.

I felt my cheeks get hot from blushing really hard as he smiled at me. I smiled back and looked down.

"You can tell me more. I want to know more about you." He held the ball under his arm looking at me.

"Uh- um." I stuttered.

"I'll start telling you about myself first." He dribbled the ball. "I'm shy too, well sometimes. I'm fourteen years old, I like to draw, I like to sing, I like pretty girls, candy, books, basketball and I'm nice." He said counting the things about him on his fingers. "Your turn." He looked at me.

"But Michael. I already know those things about you." I laughed.

He looked at me puzzled, "What? How?" He asked smiling.

I thought of why, it's because I'm a big fan of him and I read magazines and watch the Jackson 5 interviews a lot and they talk about themselves. I know every single thing about Michael.

"Uh. Never mind." I shook my head.

"Tell me about yourself since, we didn't really talk to each other before I left for tour." He chuckled.

"I'm fourteen, I like food, I like the colors pink and blue, I like drawing, listening to music, and I like swimming." I said shyly.

"That's cool. We have so much in common. I forgot to tell you my favorite color."

"What is it?"

"My favorite color is also blue and I like gold and red." He said shooting the ball.

I chuckled at the little conversation we had. We're talking like kindergarteners who talks about favorite colors and food.

He turned around and smiled at me and I smiled at him back. His chocolate brown eyes gazed into mine, his black, curly Afro shined in the sun while his brown, soft skin glowed, his teeth are perfectly straight and white and his lips look incredibly soft. He's just too cute that I can't find a way to keep my eyes off of him.

"Uh. So. About that pool party..." He started and scratched the back of his head. "It's tomorrow after school." He smiled.

Modeling Tryouts.

"Can you reschedule it? I have modeling tryouts tomorrow.

"To when?" He asked holding the ball under his arm.

I shrugged, "Probably Friday I guess."

"Okay cool. It's Friday at 4." He smiled. "I didn't know you're trying out to be a model."

I smiled, "Well, now you know."

"You'll be the most beautiful model there like your mom. You're gonna end up like your mom, beautiful and people falling in love." He smiled.

I blushed, "Thanks." I quietly said.

We heard the gate creek open and Latoya appears.

"Hey, dinner is ready." Latoya smiled at us.

"Yes." He threw the ball to the ground and ran out.

I followed them into the house and to the kitchen for food. 
*            *             *             *
After we ate our delicious food, I talked to the Jackson's for a while until it was time for me to leave. Katherine cooks really good, she should be a chef. We had spaghetti and rice, it was so good that I secretly grabbed a second plate full of spaghetti and ate it fast. No one noticed and I'm glad they didn't cause I was having fun eating that delicious meal. I wasn't the only one that grabbed a second plate though, Jermaine also did the same and grabbed a third.