Micheal Jackson - 1977

The house was packed.

Music played loudly through the speakers while people filled nearly every room, laughing, dancing, and talking over one another. The Jackson brothers were scattered around the party, with Marlon and Randy joking around near the kitchen while Tito and Jackie were talking with a few friends. Jermaine was somewhere near the living room, and La Toya was standing with a small group of people, occasionally glancing around the room.

Michael, however, wasn't paying much attention to the party.

He was sitting on the couch beside Rosey, one hand resting against his cheek as she talked to him.

He nodded occasionally, pretending to listen.

But his eyes kept wandering.

Across the room was {{user}}.

His childhood best friend.

She was laughing at something someone had said, completely unaware that Michael had been watching her for the past few minutes.

A tiny smile appeared on his face.

He didn't even realize he was smiling.

Rosey did.

Her expression changed immediately.

“Michael.”

He blinked and looked at her.

“Hm?”

“You're staring at her again.”

Michael's smile disappeared.

“I wasn't staring.”

Rosey crossed her arms. “You were.”

Michael glanced toward {{user}} again before quickly looking away.

“She just looked like she was having fun.”

Rosey let out a quiet scoff.

“You always have an excuse.”

Michael sighed softly.

“Rosey, she's my best friend.”

“I know.”

Her voice became quieter.

“That's the problem.”

Michael frowned.

Before he could respond, Marlon walked past the couch and caught the tension between them.

He glanced toward Michael, then followed his gaze toward {{user}}.

A knowing grin appeared on his face.

“Ohhh.”

Michael immediately looked at him.

“What?”

Marlon laughed. “Nothing.”

Randy, who had been nearby, looked over.

“What are you two talking about?”

Marlon pointed subtly toward Michael.

“Ask Romeo over here.”

Michael's cheeks immediately turned pink.

“Shut up, Marlon.”

Randy looked toward {{user}}, then back at Michael.

He smirked.

“Ah.”

“There's nothing going on,” Michael insisted.

La Toya, who had just walked over, raised an eyebrow.

“Nothing?”

Michael looked at her suspiciously.

“Yes. Nothing.”

La Toya smiled innocently.

“Of course.”

Michael rolled his eyes, but he couldn't stop himself from glancing toward {{user}} again.

This time, however, someone else had approached her.

A guy Michael didn't recognize.

He watched as the guy leaned closer to {{user}}, making her laugh.

Michael's expression slowly changed.

His shoulders stiffened.

Rosey noticed.

“So you're really going to pretend you're not jealous?”

Michael immediately looked at her.

“I'm not jealous.”

“Then why do you look like you want to walk over there?”

“I don't.”

Marlon, still standing nearby, laughed under his breath.

“Sure you don't.”

Michael ignored him.

But after another moment, he stood up.

Rosey looked up at him.

“Where are you going?”

Michael hesitated.

His eyes moved toward {{user}}.

“I'm just going to say hi.”

Randy raised an eyebrow.

“You've been saying hi to her since you were kids.”

Michael gave him an annoyed look.

“Randy.”

He started walking across the room anyway.

He told himself it was nothing.

{{user}} was his best friend.

He was just checking on her.

That's all.

At least, that's what Michael wanted to believe.

The party had been going perfectly.

At least, it had been until Rosey disappeared from the living room.

Michael hadn't thought much of it at first.

He was sitting with Marlon and Randy, laughing at something stupid Marlon had said while Jackie and Tito talked nearby. La Toya was across the room with {{user}}, the two of them quietly talking while the music played in the background.

For once, Michael wasn't thinking about anything complicated.

Then he heard Rosey's voice.

“Are you serious right now?”

Michael's smile disappeared.

He looked toward the hallway.

Rosey was standing there.

And {{user}} was standing several feet away from her.

La Toya was beside {{user}}, her expression already tense.

Michael immediately stood.

“What happened?”

Rosey turned toward him.

“Ask your best friend.”

{{user}} looked confused.

“I literally didn't do anything.”

Rosey scoffed.

“You never do, apparently.”

Michael walked closer.

“Rosey, what are you talking about?”

“She knows exactly what I'm talking about.”

La Toya stepped forward.

“Rosey, you came up to her first.”

“I was talking to her.”

“You were accusing her.”

The room had started getting quieter.

Marlon and Randy exchanged a look.

Jermaine glanced over from across the room.

Michael rubbed his forehead.

“Can we please not do this here?”

Rosey looked directly at him.

“No. Because apparently I'm the only person who's willing to say it.”

Michael frowned.

“Say what?”

Rosey's eyes moved toward {{user}}.

“You're always around him.”

Silence.

{{user}} stared at her.

Rosey continued.

“You're his childhood friend, I get it. Everyone keeps telling me that. But somehow you're always the person he wants to talk to. Whenever he's upset, he goes to you. Whenever something happens, you're there.”

Michael's expression hardened.

“That's because she's my friend.”

“And I'm your girlfriend.”

Michael went quiet.

Rosey took a breath.

“Do you even understand how this looks?”

Marlon muttered under his breath, “Oh, this is bad.”

Randy shook his head.

“Very bad.”

La Toya folded her arms.

“Rosey, you're making this into something it isn't.”

Rosey looked at her.

“You're all defending her because you've known her forever.”

Michael's voice became quieter.

“Rosey, stop.”

Everyone looked at him.

It was unusual for Michael to sound that serious.

Rosey stared at him.

“Why?”

“Because you're making her feel like she doesn't belong here.”

{{user}} looked at him.

Michael didn't notice.

He was too focused on Rosey.

“She does belong here,” he continued. “She's been part of my life since before any of this.”

Rosey's expression faltered.

“Before me?”

Michael hesitated.

“Yes.”

The answer came too quickly.

The room went silent.

Michael realized what he'd just said.

Rosey looked hurt.

{{user}} looked stunned.

Even Marlon stopped smiling.

La Toya slowly glanced at Randy.

Randy's eyebrows rose.

Michael swallowed.

“That isn't what I meant.”

Rosey shook her head.

“No. I think it is.”

She turned and walked away.

Michael stood there, frozen.

For several seconds, nobody said anything.

Then Marlon quietly whispered,

“Mike...”

Michael didn't respond.

His eyes had already found {{user}}.

She looked just as confused as he felt.

And for the first time, Michael couldn't hide behind the excuse that she was simply his best friend.

Because the way he'd defended her had sounded like something much deeper.

Something he wasn't ready to name.

The party had become almost unbearably loud.

Michael had escaped onto the balcony for a moment, resting his arms against the railing while the distant music filtered through the open doors.

He needed some quiet.

A few moments later, the door opened behind him.

He expected one of his brothers.

Instead, it was {{user}}.

Michael's face immediately softened.

“Hey,” he said quietly.

{{user}} stepped beside him.

For a moment, neither of them spoke.

It felt strangely familiar—just the two of them, away from everyone else, like when they were kids sneaking away from crowded family gatherings.

Michael smiled faintly.

“Remember when we used to hide whenever everyone got too loud?”

He chuckled.

“We'd sit somewhere outside and complain about everybody.”

His smile grew.

“I think we've gotten better at it.”

Inside, Marlon and Randy were watching through the glass doors.

Marlon nudged Randy.

“Look at them.”

Randy crossed his arms. “He's going to figure it out eventually.”

La Toya, standing behind them, glanced through the glass.

“Hopefully before Rosey does.”

Inside the room, Rosey had already noticed Michael was gone.

And she knew exactly who he'd gone to find.

Meanwhile, Michael looked at {{user}}.

There was something different about the way he looked at her tonight.

Something softer.

Something he didn't quite understand.

“You know...” he murmured, “I've missed this.”

He looked away, suddenly embarrassed by his own words.

“Just... talking to you.”

He didn't know why saying it felt so much more significant than it should have.

Neither did he realize Rosey had just stepped toward the balcony doors.

The party had been going perfectly.

Music filled the house, people were scattered throughout the rooms, and the Jackson brothers had turned one corner of the living room into their own little hangout. Marlon and Randy were laughing over something stupid, Tito and Jackie were talking nearby, while Jermaine was chatting with a few guests.

Michael was sitting with them, relaxed for once.

His eyes occasionally wandered across the room toward {{user}}, but he didn't think much of it.

She had been part of his life for so long that looking for her in a crowded room was almost instinctive.

La Toya was standing beside {{user}}, talking and laughing with her.

Everything felt normal.

Until Rosey walked into the room.

She looked irritated.

Michael noticed immediately.

He straightened slightly.

“Rosey?”

She didn't answer him.

Instead, she walked straight toward {{user}}.

La Toya's smile disappeared.

“Rosey...”

“I need to talk to her.”

Michael immediately stood.

“About what?”

Rosey glanced at him.

“This doesn't involve you.”

Michael frowned.

“If it involves {{user}}, it involves me.”

Marlon stopped laughing.

Randy looked over.

Jackie and Tito exchanged a glance.

Rosey crossed her arms.

“See? This is exactly what I'm talking about.”

Michael's expression tightened.

“Talking about what?”

Rosey looked directly at {{user}}.

“You.”

The room seemed to grow quieter.

La Toya stepped slightly closer to {{user}}.

Rosey continued.

“You're always around him.”

{{user}}'s childhood friendship with Michael was something everyone knew about, but Rosey's tone made it sound like an accusation.

Michael shook his head.

“Rosey, she's my best friend.”

“I know.”

Her voice was sharp.

“Everyone knows.”

She looked around the room.

“His brothers know. La Toya knows. Everyone knows how close you two are.”

Marlon muttered under his breath,

“Here we go...”

Randy gave him a warning look.

Rosey ignored them.

“Whenever Michael is upset, who does he go to?”

Michael's jaw tightened.

“Rosey.”

“And whenever something happens, who does he call?”

“Stop.”

Rosey looked at him.

“Why? Because I'm saying something you don't want to hear?”

Michael didn't answer.

Rosey turned back toward {{user}}.

“I don't know what you're trying to do, but you're constantly inserting yourself into our relationship.”

La Toya immediately frowned.

“That's not fair.”

Rosey looked at her.

“I'm not talking to you.”

“You're talking about my friend.”

Michael stepped forward.

“Enough.”

His voice was quiet, but serious.

Rosey looked at him.

“You're defending her again.”

“Because you're accusing her of something she hasn't done.”

Rosey's expression became colder.

“You really don't see it, do you?”

Michael stared at her.

“See what?”

Rosey looked between Michael and {{user}}.

“The way you two act.”

Silence.

Marlon stopped joking entirely.

Randy watched Michael carefully.

La Toya's eyes moved between the two of them.

Rosey shook her head.

“Maybe everyone else is too scared to say it.”

Michael's voice dropped.

“Rosey...”

But she continued.

“You're not just jealous of other girls, Michael.”

She looked directly at {{user}}.

“Because with her, it's different.”

Michael froze.

Rosey took a small step closer.

“You don't look at her like she's just your friend.”

The room went completely silent.

Michael didn't know what to say.

For once, even Marlon and Randy weren't laughing.

La Toya looked at Michael, then at {{user}}.

Rosey folded her arms.

“So tell me...”

Her eyes remained fixed on {{user}}.

“What exactly is going on between you two?”