Aya.

I've been staying at Michael's house really late at night, once I stayed until four in the morning. I like staying in Michael's house really late because I have the chance to get to know Michael more. Myself and Michael had become really good friends, we've become very close that we tell each other everything, even our secrets, our darkest secrets.

One day after spending the whole day with Michael and his sisters, Janet and LaToya, it was a really fun day. Janet always whispered in my ear that I should just be Michael's girlfriend since we act like a couple, her comment made me blush, as much as I like Michael and I am very much attracted to him, I like having him as a good friend and like things just the way they are. I stayed at Michael's house until three in the morning, we were sharing our personal secrets.

When Michael told me some of his secrets I was shocked, they weren't what I expected from him, Michael had been through enough in a very young age, he had to deal with so much and I felt like Michael's father who he called joseph and not dad or father played a big role in it.

Michael told me about the abuse he received from his father, he told me that his father took his breathing away when joseph tripped him and he fell to the ground bloodied, for what he did the other day and what he will do the next day. Michael cried and said he didn't do anything, but joseph told him he will. That made me so furious, how could he do that to his own son, it was unacceptable.

He also told me about the times when he was touring with his brothers, he said every time a show they did ended, fan girls and groupies would surround the hotel they were staying at, his brothers would pick up these girls and bring them to there hotel room, and have sex with them while Michael and Marlon played sleep. His brothers weren't the only ones who were fooling around with girls.

"Joseph would walk into our hotel rooms with two women half his age, he had his arms around them, he would say good night to us and walk out of the room with them, it was pretty obvious that he was having sex with them in the next room", he explained.

He explained that the hardest part of it all was coming home to a happy mother and acting like nothing happened.

"My brothers acted like nothing happened, I couldn't, I wanted to tell my mother, as much as I hated Joseph I really wanted to tell her, but joseph threatened me, so I couldn't tell her", Michael explained.

Michael told me heartbreaking stories about his father's behavior towards the family, like how Marlon had to secretly marry Carol because Joseph didn't approve of any of the brothers to get married, and how Joseph was so unfaithful to Katherine that one of the women he slept with while on tour, was pregnant and had a baby girl.

"What's his daughter's name", I asked.

"Joh'vonnie", he answered.

I was appalled, disgusted I never knew Joseph was that evil, to do such damage to the family to show no affection to his children, to betray someone as sweet and kindhearted as Katherine, it was unforgiveable.

I told Michael some of my painful darkest secrets too, I told him about my childhood and how I had some physical problems, which he was highly shocked by. I told him that I was dyslexic, I also told him that I was a very ill child that I was bedbound, I had Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia.

"What's that", he asked.

"It's a lung disorder, your at risk of getting it when you're born premature, it affects your whole respiration system making you have serious breathing problems and getting infections in your lung", I explained.

I explained to him that my condition was so bad, that the infections that was supposed to spread just in my lungs spread all around my body, making me extremely fatigue, that the only place that I was allowed to go was home and school. Even at home I was rarely at the living room or any other rooms in my house just my bedroom, I told Michael I never had that much of a childhood which he instantly related to.

Michael wanted to know about my family since I met his, I explained to him that the family I had was my grandmother and three cousins, Ephie, Hero and Sandra.

"What about your mother and father", he asked.

"My mother abandoned me when I was six and my father died when my mother was pregnant with me so I never knew him", I told him.

"Why did your mother abandoned you", he asked curiously.

" One night my mother was leaving the house, she had no baggage nothing on her, I asked her where she was going, she told me she'll be back and that I shouldn't worry. But she never came back. I asked my family members where my mother was no one knew. One day I walked into my grandmother's bedroom looking for paper, I searched her drawer, when I looked in the bottom drawer, I stumbled upon a two paged letter and I knew the handwriting was my mother's handwriting, so I picked it up and read it. My mother left us because she had a new family, she left me behind, and she was never coming back", I said with a glum look on my face.

Michael gave me a hug to make me feel better and it worked, Michael wanted to know about my cousins.

"Do you still see your cousins"

"Yes, I see my cousin Ephie almost everyday, Sandra still lives in brazil with my grandmother, I call her and send letters to her and Hero, well, I don't like talking about him", I said.

Michael asked me why, I gave myself a moment to think, I wanted to tell Michael, he was the only person I trusted and I don't trust at all. I mean Michael told me some dark secrets, secrets that he never told a soul to, so it was obvious that Michael trusted me. I took a breath and told him what happened between myself and Hero. Hero and I were very close, closer then me and Ephie, he was like an older brother to me, until things started to change, Hero became more aggressive and sexual towards me, he would touch me in places and it was very uncomfortable, I didn't tell anyone because if I did he told me he would kill me and he made it clear that he wasn't joking, Hero was freakishly strong, he once punched a window and the whole thing completely shattered not a single glass was left.

It went on for awhile, I told Michael, but one night it went too far. It was a really long day, the longest day of my life actually, I was very weak I couldn't move my body and I was breathing very heavily throughout the day. Night time came and Ephie and grandmother were away to visit a sick relative, everyone was asleep at home, or so I thought, Hero came to my room when I was fast asleep, he slowly slid into my bed beside me . He gradually slid his hands on my thighs to my breasts, that's where I woke up in fear, I tried to escape but he had a strong grip on me and pulled me back into bed, I screamed at the top of my lung, which was pointless because Sandra was one hell of a heavy sleeper, if a earthquake hit she would sleep right through it. Hero tried to kiss me but I kept pushing him away, he got very angry and punched me in the face, that punch was enough to keep me still. He pinned me down with one hand so I couldn't fight back again and he pulled his pants, his underwear and my underwear down with his other hand, then he raped me, I explained to Michael, I put my head down in shame.

"I feel so used", I said in a quiet tone. Michael came close to me and gave me a warm hug.

"Now don't say that, you are not used, you are strong for surviving such a horrible and unforgivable act", he comfort me.

He was right it did make me stronger, I know how to hold my own, I know if I went through that I can go through anything.

"So did you tell your grandmother about it", he asked.

"I told Sandra then Sandra told my grandmother, my grandmother went nuts and kicked Hero out of the house", I explained.

"Good", Michael replied. We both chuckled.

It was nice telling Michael all of this, it was like a big weight has been lifted off my shoulders. Michael and I have so much in common than are love for art, children and animals, we both had difficult childhoods and we both had a parent that has betrayed us, it makes me feel more closer to Michael than ever. Michael has been so good to me, words can not describe how great of a friend he has been, I'm comfortable telling him everything. He is a magical person to be around, I love him dearly as a friend and I don't want to lose him.