Michael Jackson

1983

The flowers had been waiting outside your door since morning.

You noticed them when you stepped outside to collect the newspaper.

A large bouquet rested against the wall beside your door.

For a moment, you simply stared at it.

There was no note.

No name.

Nothing that explained who had left them there.

You brought the bouquet inside anyway.

The flowers remained on your table for most of the afternoon.

Every time you passed them, you wondered if Marlon had left them.

He had done things like that before.

Not often.

But often enough that you wouldn't have been surprised.

So when the telephone rang later that evening, you answered with a smile.

"Hey, baby."

Marlon's voice immediately came through the line.

"Hey, baby. How are you?"

You leaned against the wall.

"I'm good."

"Just good?"

You smiled.

"Okay, I'm great."

"That's better."

You glanced toward the table.

"Actually, something happened earlier."

"Oh?"

"Someone left flowers outside my door."

There was a brief pause.

Then Marlon laughed softly.

"Did they?"

"You know who left them."

"Of course I do, sweetheart."

You smiled.

"I knew it."

"You like them?"

"Yeah."

"Good."

You walked toward the flowers again.

Your fingers brushed lightly over one of the petals.

"I was wondering why there wasn't a note."

"I wanted you to guess."

"Well, I did."

"You know me too well."

You laughed.

Then Marlon's tone changed slightly.

"Speaking of tonight..."

You immediately remembered.

"Oh."

You looked at the clock.

"Don't tell me you forgot."

"I didn't forget."

"You sound nervous."

You sighed.

"I am."

"Why?"

"Because tonight I'm meeting your entire family, Marlon."

"They're not that scary."

"You say that because they're your family."

He laughed.

"Trust me. They're really nice."

You walked farther into the room.

"I'm still nervous."

"Don't worry."

His voice softened.

"Especially about Michael. I think you two will get along very well."

You smiled.

"Michael?"

"Yeah."

"Why especially him?"

"I don't know. I just think you'll get along."

You didn't see the reason to question it.

"Alright."

"I'll pick you up at eight."

You glanced at the clock again.

"I should probably start getting ready."

"Probably."

You could hear the smile in his voice.

"See you tonight, baby."

"See you."

The call ended.

You placed the telephone back in its place.

For the next several hours, your attention shifted entirely to the evening ahead.

You chose an outfit.

Changed your mind.

Changed again.

Fixed your hair.

Looked at yourself in the mirror.

And wondered why meeting your boyfriend's family felt more intimidating than it probably should have.

By the time the clock reached eight, you were ready.

Almost immediately, someone knocked at your door.

You opened it to find Marlon standing there.

The moment he saw you, his smile widened.

"Wow."

You smiled nervously.

"Don't."

"Don't what?"

"Make me more nervous."

"I'm not."

He stepped inside.

"You look beautiful."

You looked down.

"Thank you."

Before you could say anything else, Marlon gently took your hand.

"Ready?"

"No."

He laughed.

"Perfect."

"Marlon."

"I'm kidding."

He squeezed your hand.

"Come on."

The drive to the Jackson family home was filled with Marlon attempting to calm you down.

He told you which siblings would probably be the loudest.

Which ones would ask the most questions.

And which ones would probably ignore you until dinner.

"Janet will like you."

"You sound very sure."

"I am."

"What about La Toya?"

"She'll probably like you too."

"Probably?"

He laughed.

"Don't worry so much."

You looked out the window.

"Easy for you to say."

When you finally arrived, you took a deep breath.

Marlon noticed.

"You really are nervous."

"Obviously."

He got out of the car and walked around to your side.

Before you could open the door yourself, he did.

Then he held out his hand.

"You've got me."

You looked at him.

Your nervousness eased slightly.

"Okay."

The house was already lively when the two of you entered.

Voices came from different rooms.

Someone was laughing somewhere nearby.

Music played quietly in the background.

And within the first few minutes, you understood why Marlon had warned you about his family.

There were a lot of them.

Introductions happened quickly.

Names.

Smiles.

Questions.

Janet greeted you warmly.

La Toya asked how long you and Marlon had been together.

Someone else immediately interrupted before you could finish answering.

Marlon stayed close beside you through all of it.

And eventually...

Your eyes found Michael.

He had been standing a little farther away.

Watching the conversation with a small smile.

When your eyes met, he stepped forward.

"So you're the one."

You blinked.

"The one?"

Marlon sighed.

"Ignore him."

Michael smiled.

"I've heard a lot about you."

You looked at Marlon.

"Have you?"

Michael glanced toward his brother.

"More than he probably intended."

"Marlon."

Your boyfriend immediately looked away.

"I don't talk about you that much."

Michael raised an eyebrow.

You smiled.

For some reason, meeting Michael didn't make you as nervous as you'd expected.

He was quiet compared to some of his siblings.

But whenever he spoke to you, you noticed that he listened carefully to your answers.

Not politely.

Actually listened.

Dinner eventually began.

The conversations continued around the table.

At one point, Marlon became distracted by something Jermaine was saying.

Michael happened to be sitting across from you.

You looked up.

He was already looking at you.

For a second, neither of you said anything.

Then Michael looked down at his plate.

"So."

You waited.

"Are you surviving?"

You smiled.

"Barely."

"See?"

Marlon glanced over.

"I told you she'd be fine."

Michael looked toward his brother.

"She looks terrified."

"I'm not terrified."

Michael smiled.

"Right."

You gave him a look.

His smile widened slightly.

The evening continued.

Slowly, you became more comfortable.

By the time Marlon drove you home later that night, your nerves had almost completely disappeared.

"You survived."

You looked at him.

"Barely."

Marlon laughed.

"I told you."

When you reached your door, he walked you inside.

He kissed your cheek.

"I had fun tonight."

"Me too."

You smiled.

"Your family is nice."

"I know."

You shook your head.

"Don't start."

He laughed again.

"Goodnight, baby."

"Goodnight."

You watched him leave.

The house became quiet.

You changed into your nightclothes.

Turned off most of the lights.

And eventually climbed into bed.

Sleep didn't come immediately.

Your mind was still replaying the evening.

The introductions.

The dinner.

The way Janet had already started treating you as though she had known you for years.

And Michael...

You hadn't expected Marlon's brother to be so easy to talk to.

The thought had barely crossed your mind before the telephone rang.

You looked toward it.

The room was dark.

You checked the clock.

It was well past midnight.

Confused, you reached for the receiver.

"Hello?"

"Hey, beautiful."

You immediately sat up.

The voice sounded familiar.

"Hello?"

There was a quiet laugh from the other end.

"It's me."

"Who?"

"Oh."

Another small laugh.

"Michael. Michael Jackson."

Your expression changed.

"Oh. Michael."

"Hi."

"Hi."

You looked at the clock again.

"How did you get my number?"

"I got it from Marlon."

You stared at the receiver.

"You what?"

"He had it written down."

You could hear the amusement in his voice.

"Michael."

"What?"

"You can't just take people's numbers."

"I didn't take it."

"Then what did you do?"

He paused.

"...I remembered it."

You narrowed your eyes.

"That's not better."

Michael laughed quietly.

You found yourself smiling despite the strange situation.

"So."

His voice became more hesitant.

"I have a bit of a personal question."

You leaned back against your pillows.

"At this hour?"

"Can I ask you something?"

You hesitated.

"Okay."

There was a pause.

Long enough that you began wondering if he had changed his mind.

"Is it serious between Marlon and you?"

Your expression immediately changed.

"What?"

"I mean..."

Michael's voice became quieter.

"Do you love him?"

You sat up straighter.

"That's a strange question."

"I know."

"Why are you asking me that?"

Michael didn't answer.

You waited.

Still nothing.

Your eyes moved toward the clock.

"I'm going to sleep, Michael."

"Wait."

"Goodnight."

You placed the receiver back onto the telephone.

For several seconds, you stared at it.

Then it rang again.

You closed your eyes.

"Michael."

"So you'd rather not answer?"

You couldn't believe him.

"You're unbelievable."

"I'm serious."

"Why does it matter?"

Silence.

Then, finally:

"It's still new, right?"

You frowned.

"What?"

"Your relationship."

You didn't answer.

"Isn't it?"

You sighed.

"It's still new."

Michael was quiet.

"So..."

You already knew where he was going.

"No."

"So you don't love him?"

Your eyes widened.

"Michael, if you keep insisting, I'm going to tell Marlon about this entire conversation."

Silence.

For a moment, you thought the call might have disconnected.

Then Michael spoke again.

"Goodnight."

And before you could respond...

He hung up.

You slowly placed the receiver down.

The room was quiet again.

You stared at the telephone.

Then pulled the blankets over yourself.

You had only met Michael a few hours ago.

And somehow...

He had already become the strangest part of your night.

The following morning, you tried not to think too much about the call.

You failed.

Every time you passed the telephone, Michael's voice came back to you.

"Do you love him?"

It was ridiculous.

You had known him for one evening.

One dinner.

One strange conversation after midnight.

And yet you had spent far too long wondering what exactly he had meant.

Fortunately, the telephone rang again before you could continue thinking about it.

This time, you didn't hesitate before answering.

"Hello?"

"Good morning, baby."

You immediately smiled.

"Good morning."

"Did I wake you up?"

"No."

"Good."

Marlon sounded unusually cheerful.

You leaned against the kitchen counter.

"What's going on?"

"I was wondering if you wanted to go out today."

"With you?"

"Me and Michael."

You went quiet.

Marlon didn't notice.

"We're getting ice cream."

You stared ahead.

"Michael?"

"Yeah."

There was a pause.

"Is that a problem?"

"No."

You answered a little too quickly.

"Why would it be?"

"I don't know. You sounded weird."

"I didn't."

You cleared your throat.

"What time?"

Marlon told you.

Then, almost casually, added:

"Michael insisted you come."

Your fingers tightened slightly around the receiver.

"He did?"

"Yeah."

Marlon laughed.

"I think he likes you."

You almost dropped the telephone.

"What?"

"As a friend."

You stared at nothing.

"Obviously."

You heard Marlon laugh again.

"Are you okay?"

"Fine."

"Good. I'll see you soon."

"See you."

The call ended.

You remained standing there for a few seconds.

Then you slowly looked toward the telephone.

"Of course he insisted."

You had plenty of time to change your mind.

You didn't.

An hour later, you were getting ready.

Not because Michael would be there.

Obviously.

You chose your outfit.

Looked at yourself in the mirror.

Changed your earrings.

Then stopped.

"Why am I changing my earrings?"

You changed them back.

By the time Marlon arrived, you had successfully convinced yourself that you were behaving completely normally.

That confidence lasted until you saw Michael sitting in the back seat.

He looked up when you opened the car door.

For a brief second...

Neither of you said anything.

Then Michael smiled.

"Hi."

"Hi."

You climbed into the car.

Marlon immediately started talking about something that had happened earlier that morning.

You tried to listen.

You really did.

But Michael was sitting directly beside you.

And you could not stop thinking about the telephone.

After a few minutes, Marlon glanced toward both of you.

"You two are quiet."

You looked at Michael.

Michael looked at you.

"We're listening."

You both said it at the same time.

Marlon looked between you.

"Okay."

Michael lowered his head slightly.

You looked out the window.

Neither of you said anything for the next several minutes.

The ice cream shop was crowded when you arrived.

Marlon immediately went inside to order.

Michael stayed outside with you.

You stood beside each other for a moment.

Finally, you turned toward him.

"You called me."

Michael looked at you.

"Yeah."

"At midnight."

"I know."

"You asked me if I loved your brother."

Michael looked toward the shop.

"Also true."

You stared at him.

"Are you going to explain yourself?"

He glanced back at you.

"Not really."

Your mouth fell open slightly.

"Michael."

He smiled.

"I'm sorry."

"You don't sound sorry."

"I am."

"You're smiling."

"I can't control my face."

You crossed your arms.

Michael looked at you for another second.

"Did I make you uncomfortable?"

The question caught you off guard.

His expression had changed.

You looked away.

"I don't know."

Michael nodded slowly.

"Okay."

For once...

He didn't push.

The door opened behind you.

Marlon stepped outside carrying three ice creams.

He handed one to you.

Then one to Michael.

The three of you found a table outside.

Marlon immediately started eating.

You took a small bite of yours.

Then noticed Michael looking at it.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"You keep looking."

"I'm not."

"You are."

Michael looked at Marlon.

"Tell her."

Marlon barely looked up.

"Tell her what?"

"She's being dramatic."

You stared at Michael.

"Me?"

Marlon finally looked between you.

"Actually, you both are."

You ignored him.

Michael took another bite of his ice cream.

You looked at it.

"How is it?"

He shrugged.

"It's okay."

"Just okay?"

"Yeah."

You looked down at yours.

"Mine's better."

Michael looked at it.

"Let me see."

Before you could answer, he leaned slightly closer and took a bite.

You stared at him.

Michael leaned back.

Completely calm.

"Yeah."

He nodded.

"Yours is better."

"You didn't ask."

Michael looked at you.

"You said it was better."

"That doesn't mean you can eat it."

Marlon laughed.

"You two are already arguing."

"We are not."

Again.

Both of you spoke at the same time.

Marlon looked between you.

Then slowly smiled.

"Sure."

You returned to your ice cream.

Michael glanced at you.

There was something amused in his expression.

You looked away.

After finishing, the three of you walked through the nearby shops.

Marlon stopped several times to look at things he had absolutely no intention of buying.

Eventually, Michael ended up beside you again.

You were looking at a display in a window when he spoke quietly.

"I really did like talking to you last night."

You turned toward him.

"That wasn't talking."

"Okay."

He thought about it.

"It was mostly me asking inappropriate questions."

"Exactly."

Michael smiled slightly.

"I'll do better next time."

You raised an eyebrow.

"Next time?"

He looked ahead.

"Maybe."

Before you could answer, Marlon called both of you over.

The three of you continued walking.

Later that afternoon, Marlon suggested going to the cinema.

You agreed immediately.

Michael claimed he didn't care what movie you watched.

Marlon didn't believe him.

"You always care."

"I don't."

"You complained for twenty minutes about the last movie I picked."

"Because it was bad."

You smiled.

"Then you should let me choose."

Marlon looked at you.

"That's dangerous."

"Why?"

"I don't know your taste yet."

You chose anyway.

And when the movie began, you were more interested than either of the brothers seemed to be.

Marlon leaned back in his seat.

Michael sat on your other side.

At one point, you laughed quietly at something on the screen.

You turned slightly.

And caught Michael looking at you.

Not the movie.

You.

His eyes immediately returned to the screen.

You looked forward again.

But it happened later.

And then once more.

By the end of the movie, you were no longer sure whether Michael had actually been watching it at all.

Outside the cinema, Marlon stretched his arms.

"That was terrible."

You stopped.

"What?"

Michael looked at you.

Marlon smiled.

"I'm sorry, baby."

"That's my favorite movie."

Marlon laughed.

"Really?"

"Yes."

Michael looked toward his brother.

"It wasn't that bad."

Marlon turned.

"You didn't even watch it."

Michael's expression changed immediately.

"I did."

"You were staring at the screen."

"Exactly."

You tried not to smile.

Marlon shook his head.

"Next time, I'm choosing."

You looked genuinely offended.

"No."

"Yes."

"You have terrible taste."

"Me?"

Michael suddenly looked between both of you.

"I think we should go home before this becomes an argument."

Marlon pointed at him.

"Stay out of it."

Michael smiled.

You crossed your arms.

The rest of the drive passed with Marlon continuing to defend his terrible opinions about your favorite movie.

By the time you arrived home, you were still pretending to be offended.

Marlon walked you to your door.

"I had fun today."

You smiled despite yourself.

"Me too."

"I'm glad you're getting along with Michael."

Your expression changed slightly.

Marlon didn't notice.

"It's important to me that you feel included."

Your heart softened.

He really meant it.

"You know that, right?"

You nodded.

"I know."

He kissed your cheek.

"Good."

Then he smiled.

"And next time, I'm choosing the movie."

You frowned.

"I hate you."

"No, you don't."

He laughed and stepped back.

"Goodnight, baby."

"Goodnight."

You went inside.

Later that night, after you had changed and settled into bed, the telephone rang again.

You stared at it.

You already knew.

Slowly, you reached for the receiver.

"Hello?"

"Hey."

Michael.

You leaned back against your pillows.

"You're calling again."

"Yeah."

"You know I can tell."

"I know."

You waited.

"What do you want?"

There was a brief pause.

"I had fun today."

You smiled slightly.

"Me too."

"I liked the movie."

You immediately remembered Marlon's reaction.

"Marlon said it was terrible."

"Marlon doesn't know what he's talking about."

You laughed quietly.

"That's exactly what you said earlier."

"Because it's true."

You pulled the blanket higher.

"So you called just to defend my movie?"

"No."

You waited.

Michael hesitated.

"Do you want to play Twister?"

You blinked.

"What?"

"Twister."

"Michael, it's nighttime."

"I know."

"Why would I want to play Twister right now?"

"I don't know."

You could hear the smile in his voice.

"It sounded fun."

"You're strange."

"So?"

You looked at the receiver for a moment.

Then you shook your head.

"Tomorrow."

There was a pause.

"Tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow morning."

Michael sounded almost disappointed.

"Why not now?"

"Because normal people sleep at this hour."

You heard him laugh softly.

"I can stay awake."

"I know you can."

"So?"

"So I'll see you tomorrow."

Another pause.

Then Michael sighed dramatically.

"Fine."

"You'll survive."

"I don't know about that."

You smiled.

"Goodnight, Michael."

"Goodnight."

The call ended.

You placed the receiver back in its place.

This time, you didn't immediately try to sleep.

Instead, you stared at the ceiling.

You had only agreed to play a game.

That was all.

So there was absolutely no reason for you to be thinking about Michael's voice.

Or the way he had looked at you during the movie.

Or why you had been so quick to say yes.

Eventually, you forced yourself to stop thinking.

Morning arrived sooner than expected.

You got ready slowly.

There was no reason to rush.

Michael hadn't told you exactly what time he wanted you there.

And you certainly weren't going to sit by the telephone waiting for him to call.

You absolutely did not sit beside the telephone.

The telephone rang.

You looked at it.

Then waited.

It rang again.

You finally answered.

"Hello?"

"Are you ready?"

You smiled despite yourself.

"Good morning to you too."

"Good morning."

Michael sounded impatient.

"Are you ready?"

"You sound very excited about Twister."

"I'm not."

"Michael."

You heard him pause.

"Okay, maybe a little."

You laughed quietly.

"What time?"

"Whenever you're ready."

"I'll be there soon."

You ended the call.

Not long afterward, you arrived at the Jackson family home.

The house was quieter than usual.

You knocked.

After a few seconds, the door opened.

Michael stood there.

His expression changed when he saw you.

"Hi."

"Hi."

For a moment, neither of you moved.

Then Michael stepped aside.

"Come in."

You entered.

"Where's Marlon?"

Michael closed the door behind you.

"Out."

You turned toward him.

"Out?"

"Yeah."

"With who?"

"I don't know."

You stared.

Michael smiled slightly.

"Does it matter?"

"Maybe."

You looked around.

The house really was quiet.

"Where's everyone else?"

"Busy."

You looked back at him.

"Michael."

"What?"

"Are we actually going to play Twister?"

He immediately walked farther into the house.

"Yeah."

You followed him.

The game was already waiting on the floor.

You looked at it.

Then at Michael.

"You set this up before I got here."

"No."

You raised an eyebrow.

Michael looked away.

"Maybe."

You laughed.

"You're ridiculous."

Michael sat down on the floor beside the game.

"Are you playing or not?"

You sat across from him.

"Fine."

At first, everything was completely normal.

Michael spun the board.

You moved your hand.

He moved his foot.

You laughed when he nearly lost his balance.

"Don't laugh."

"I'm sorry."

"You don't sound sorry."

You covered your mouth.

Which only made you laugh more.

Michael gave you a look.

Then the next instruction came.

"Right hand red."

You moved first.

Michael reached toward the same circle.

Your hands ended up beside each other.

Neither of you moved immediately.

Michael looked at you.

You looked back.

Then you both continued.

Another spin.

"Left foot green."

The positions became more difficult.

You tried to move without losing your balance.

Michael moved at the same time.

Your shoulder brushed against his.

"Sorry."

"It's okay."

The next instruction came.

You shifted.

Michael had to move closer.

Much closer.

You stopped.

Michael's face was only inches away from yours.

Neither of you spoke.

You could hear him breathe.

His eyes dropped for a second.

To your lips.

Then immediately returned to your eyes.

Your heartbeat changed.

You knew you should move.

You didn't.

Michael didn't either.

For one brief moment...

It seemed as though he was going to say something.

Instead...

He kissed you.

Everything stopped.

You froze.

Michael pulled back almost immediately.

His expression changed.

As though he had only just realized what he had done.

Neither of you spoke.

Then you quickly moved away from the game.

"Michael."

He stood up.

"I—"

You didn't wait.

Your heart was beating too quickly.

You grabbed your things.

Michael followed you toward the front door.

"Wait."

"No."

You opened the door.

And nearly collided with Marlon.

He stood there.

Looking between you and Michael.

"Oh."

You didn't look at him.

You stepped past him.

"Bye."

"Wait, baby."

You were already walking away.

Behind you, you heard Michael say nothing.

And somehow...

That made the entire situation worse.

You didn't stop until you reached home.

The moment you entered, you closed the door behind you.

Your hands were shaking slightly.

You pressed them against your face.

"What was that?"

The telephone rang less than ten minutes later.

You knew it was Marlon.

You considered ignoring it.

Then answered.

"Hello?"

"Why did you leave like that?"

Marlon sounded confused.

"Is everything okay?"

You closed your eyes.

"Yeah."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah."

"Then why didn't you even look at me?"

You looked toward the window.

"I just... wasn't feeling well."

There was a pause.

"Do you want me to come over?"

"No."

You answered too quickly.

You took a breath.

"I mean... I'll call you later, okay?"

"Okay."

He still sounded confused.

"Feel better, baby."

"You too."

You ended the call.

Less than a minute later...

The telephone rang again.

You stared at it.

This time, you already knew who it was.

You answered anyway.

"Michael."

"Are you okay?"

Your expression changed.

"Why did you kiss me?"

Silence.

Then:

"I don't know.”

"What do you mean, you don't know?"

"I just..."

Michael stopped.

You waited.

"I wanted to."

Your grip tightened around the telephone.

"Michael, this is wrong."

"I know."

"And you kissed me anyway."

"I know."

"Are you crazy?"

"Yeah."

You closed your eyes.

Then Michael continued.

"Crazy about you."

You pulled the receiver away from your ear.

"You're unbelievable."

"I know."

"I don't want to see you."

The silence that followed felt different.

When Michael spoke again, his voice was quieter.

"I'm sorry."

You didn't answer.

"I just..."

He stopped.

Then continued more carefully.

"I'd rather do something before it's too late."

"What does that even mean?"

"I don't want you to wake up one day and decide Marlon is the love of your life when..."

He went quiet.

"When what?"

Michael exhaled.

"When I don't think he is."

You frowned.

"You don't get to decide that."

"I know."

"Then why are you saying it?"

There was no answer.

Your frustration returned all at once.

"Goodnight, Michael."

"Wait—"

You hung up.

For the first time since meeting him...

You were genuinely angry.

At least...

That was what you kept telling yourself.

Because anger was much easier to understand than everything else you were feeling.

The next morning, you were still trying to convince yourself that everything was normal.

Michael had kissed you.

You had left.

He had called.

You had told him you didn't want to see him.

And now...

You were going on vacation with him.

For five days.

Along with Marlon.

And the rest of the Jackson family.

There was no way around it.

Marlon had told you about the trip before any of this happened.

You had already agreed.

You couldn't suddenly decide not to go without giving everyone a reason.

So you packed your things.

Five days.

Five days of trying to avoid thinking about Michael.

Five days of acting completely normal.

By the time you arrived at the meeting point that morning, several members of the family were already there.

Luggage was being loaded into the large bus.

Someone was arguing about where to sit.

Janet was talking excitedly about the beach.

La Toya was helping organize bags.

Marlon noticed you almost immediately.

"Hey, baby."

You smiled.

"Hey."

He walked toward you and kissed your cheek.

"Ready?"

"I think so."

Then your eyes moved past him.

Michael was standing near the bus.

He looked up.

Your eyes met.

For one second...

Neither of you looked away.

Then Michael smiled.

Completely normal.

"Morning."

You forced yourself to smile back.

"Morning."

Marlon looked between you.

"See?"

You blinked.

"See what?"

"You two are getting along already."

Michael looked toward his brother.

"We've always gotten along."

You turned slightly.

"Always?"

Michael immediately looked at you.

You raised an eyebrow.

His expression didn't change.

"Since we met."

"That was two days ago."

"Exactly."

You stared at him.

Michael smiled.

You looked away before Marlon could notice anything.

The bus was almost full by the time everyone found a seat.

Marlon sat beside you.

Michael ended up across the aisle.

You didn't know if he had chosen the seat on purpose.

You decided not to ask.

The bus began moving.

Conversations continued around you.

Music played quietly from somewhere near the front.

Marlon leaned closer.

"You look tired."

"I didn't sleep much."

"Why not?"

You looked toward the window.

"I don't know."

Marlon rested his head back against the seat.

"Try to sleep."

You nodded.

Across the aisle, Michael was looking out the opposite window.

You tried not to look at him.

You failed almost immediately.

Michael turned his head.

You quickly looked away.

Your face felt warm.

From beside you, Marlon spoke.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah."

You answered immediately.

Too immediately.

Marlon looked at you.

"You've been saying that a lot."

You smiled.

"I'm okay."

He didn't push.

Instead, he took your hand.

You rested your head against his shoulder.

Across the aisle, Michael's expression changed.

Only for a second.

Then he looked away.

The bus continued down the road.

Several hours passed.

Eventually, the conversations became quieter.

Some people fell asleep.

Others stared out the windows.

You had nearly drifted off when someone spoke from across the aisle.

"Are you excited?"

You opened your eyes.

Michael was looking at you.

Marlon was asleep beside you.

You sat up slightly.

"For the trip?"

Michael nodded.

"Yeah."

He smiled.

"Me too."

There was something almost careful about the way he spoke to you.

As though he had decided that if he acted normally enough...

Maybe the previous day would disappear.

You understood the feeling.

"So."

Michael rested his arm against the seat.

"Five days."

"Five days."

"That's a long time."

You looked at him.

"Are you planning on annoying me the entire trip?"

Michael smiled.

"I'll try not to."

"That's not what I asked."

His smile grew.

You almost smiled back.

Then remembered yourself.

You turned toward the window again.

Michael remained quiet.

Not offended.

Not cold.

Just quieter than usual.

Eventually, the bus stopped.

Everyone began moving again.

The first thing you noticed when you stepped outside was the ocean.

The water stretched beyond the beach.

The air was warm.

And after hours inside the bus, everyone seemed relieved to finally be there.

Janet immediately grabbed your arm.

"Come on!"

"Where?"

"I want to see everything."

You laughed.

"We just got here."

"Exactly."

Before you could follow her, Marlon caught your hand.

"Don't let her steal you from me already."

Janet rolled her eyes.

"She's going to be here for five days."

"I know."

He looked at you.

"I still like having you around."

You smiled.

"Then unpack faster."

Marlon laughed.

The family began heading toward the place where they would be staying.

The rooms were already arranged.

Joseph made sure everyone knew exactly where they were supposed to be.

When it came to you, he spoke with the same seriousness he had used for everyone else.

"Your room is over there."

You looked toward the hallway.

Marlon started to follow you.

Joseph immediately stopped him.

"Not that room."

Marlon looked back.

"I know."

Joseph gave him a look.

You tried not to smile.

Marlon sighed.

"I was just helping."

"You can help from your own room."

Janet laughed.

You picked up your bag.

"I think I'll survive."

Marlon looked at you.

"I'll see you later."

"You will."

You walked toward your room.

For the first time since arriving...

You were alone.

You placed your bag down.

Then sat on the edge of the bed.

The room was quiet.

You looked around.

Five days.

You still had no idea how you were supposed to get through five days with Michael after what had happened.

Especially when, only a few minutes earlier...

He had looked at you as though nothing had changed.

Someone knocked on the door.

You looked toward it.

"Come in."

The door opened.

Marlon stepped inside.

"Hey."

You smiled.

"Hey."

He closed the door behind him.

"Do you want to come to my room?"

You looked at him.

"Why?"

"Because there's nothing to do yet."

You looked toward the window.

"That's true."

Marlon smiled.

"Come on."

You stood up.

And followed him into the hallway.

You had no idea that by the end of the day...

Things would feel very different.

Marlon's room was only a short distance from yours.

He opened the door and stepped aside for you to enter.

At first, there really wasn't much to do.

You sat beside him on the bed while he looked through a few things he had brought for the trip.

You talked about the beach.

About what everyone might do the next day.

About Janet already wanting to plan everything.

It was normal.

Comfortable.

Exactly the kind of quiet time you usually enjoyed with Marlon.

Then someone knocked.

"Come in."

The door opened slightly.

One of Marlon's brothers stood there with an envelope in his hand.

"This was left for you."

Marlon took it.

"For me?"

His brother shrugged.

"Someone brought it by earlier."

Then he left.

You looked at the envelope.

"What is it?"

"I don't know."

Marlon opened it.

Inside was a folded letter.

And a photograph.

He pulled the photograph out first.

Your expression changed almost immediately.

It was clearly from a fan.

The picture showed Marlon during a recent appearance.

Someone had written across the bottom in careful handwriting.

To Marlon, the man I'll always love. I hope one day you'll notice me the way I notice you. Love, always.

You stared at it.

Marlon read the message.

Then laughed lightly.

"Wow."

You looked at him.

"Wow?"

He glanced toward you.

"What?"

"That's what you have to say?"

He looked at the photograph again.

"I mean... she's dramatic."

You crossed your arms.

"She's telling you she loves you."

"She's a fan."

"I know that."

He placed the photograph beside him.

"So what's the problem?"

You looked at him.

Your disbelief grew.

"Marlon."

"What?"

"You don't see anything strange about that?"

He sighed.

"Baby, come on."

That immediately made your expression change.

"What?"

"She's just a fan."

"And that means she can send you letters saying she loves you?"

"I get things like that sometimes."

You stared at him.

"Sometimes?"

He realized too late that he had said the wrong thing.

You stood up.

"So this is normal?"

"That's not what I meant."

"Then what did you mean?"

Marlon stood as well.

"I meant you don't have to be jealous of every person who says something about me."

The room became quiet.

You looked at him.

"Every person?"

"That's not—"

You shook your head.

"Forget it."

"Baby."

"No."

You moved toward the door.

Marlon followed you.

"You're seriously getting upset over a letter?"

You turned around.

"It's not just the letter."

"Then what is it?"

You hesitated.

That was the problem.

You weren't completely sure.

Maybe it was the fact that the photograph had clearly been sent by someone who wanted Marlon.

Maybe it was the way he had immediately dismissed your reaction.

Or maybe you simply wanted him to understand why it bothered you without making you explain every part of it.

"You don't listen."

His expression changed.

"That's not fair."

"Neither is making me feel ridiculous for being upset."

"I'm not doing that."

"You just said I get jealous of everyone."

"I said you don't need to worry about a fan."

You gave a short, frustrated laugh.

"Forget it, Marlon."

You opened the door.

"Where are you going?"

"To my room."

"Can we talk about this?"

"We just did."

You stepped into the hallway.

Marlon called your name.

You didn't turn around.

You just kept walking.

The hallway was quieter now.

Most of the family had gone to their rooms.

You were halfway to yours when you noticed someone standing farther down the corridor.

Michael.

He was outside his bedroom.

At first, you thought he was simply standing there.

Then you looked closer.

Something about him seemed wrong.

His eyes looked red.

His expression was strangely still.

As though he had been trying very hard not to let anyone see how upset he was.

You slowed down.

Michael noticed you.

For a second, neither of you spoke.

You were still angry with him.

Angry about the kiss.

Angry about the call afterward.

Angry because he had made everything more confusing than it already was.

And seeing him like this didn't suddenly make all of that disappear.

But something inside you tightened anyway.

Michael looked away first.

He quickly rubbed at one of his eyes.

Then he reached for his door.

You stood there for another moment.

Wondering what had happened.

Wondering if he had been crying.

Wondering if it had anything to do with you.

Then Marlon's voice came faintly from behind you.

"Baby."

You turned away from Michael.

Without saying anything, you continued toward your own room.

Michael's door closed behind him.

You entered yours a few seconds later.

And shut the door.

For the rest of the evening...

You couldn't stop wondering why Michael had looked like that.

The next morning, you woke up later than you had planned.

For a few seconds, you forgot where you were.

Then you saw the unfamiliar room.

The suitcase.

The clothes you had left on the chair.

And suddenly, everything from the previous evening came back.

The argument with Marlon.

Michael standing outside his room.

His red eyes.

The way he had looked away the moment you noticed him.

You sat up slowly.

You still didn't know what had happened.

Part of you wanted to ask him.

The other part remembered that you had told him you didn't want to see him.

You had also left the last time he tried to talk to you.

Maybe asking him now would only make things more confusing.

So you got ready for breakfast.

By the time you entered the dining room, several members of the family were already there.

Janet noticed you first.

"Finally."

You looked at her.

"Good morning to you too."

"You took forever."

"I was sleeping."

"Exactly."

You smiled and sat beside her.

Marlon was already at the table.

He looked up when you sat down.

"Morning."

"Morning."

There was a slight hesitation between you.

The argument hadn't completely disappeared.

But neither of you seemed ready to bring it up in front of everyone else.

Marlon reached for your hand beneath the table.

You looked at him.

Then let him take it.

Your eyes moved around the table.

Michael was sitting farther away.

You hadn't noticed him at first.

He was looking down at his plate.

You waited for him to look up.

Eventually, he did.

Your eyes met.

"Morning."

Michael stared at you for half a second.

"Morning."

Then he looked away.

That was it.

No smile.

No joke.

Nothing.

You frowned slightly.

Janet began talking about something beside you.

You tried to listen.

But you kept noticing Michael.

Every time you looked toward him, he seemed focused on something else.

He spoke to Jackie.

Answered something Joseph asked him.

Laughed quietly at something Randy said.

But not once did he speak to you again.

By the time breakfast ended, the coldness had become impossible to ignore.

You stood up.

Marlon stretched beside you.

"Everyone's going for a walk."

You nodded.

"Okay."

The group eventually headed outside together.

The path led away from where you were staying and toward a quieter part of the beach.

At first, everyone stayed together.

Then, slowly, the group began spreading out.

Some walked ahead.

Others stopped to look at the view.

Janet and La Toya moved farther down the path.

Marlon ended up talking with one of his brothers.

You slowed down.

And when you looked ahead...

Michael was standing a short distance away.

Alone.

For a moment, you considered continuing without speaking to him.

Then you remembered the night before.

The red eyes.

The way he had been looking at you during breakfast.

You walked toward him.

"Michael."

He didn't turn around immediately.

"What?"

His tone made you stop.

You frowned.

"You know I'm supposed to be the one who's angry, right?"

Michael finally looked at you.

"Then why are you talking to me?"

Your expression changed.

"What?"

"You told me you didn't want to see me."

"I was angry."

"I know."

His voice was calm.

Too calm.

You stepped closer.

"What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing."

You stared at him.

"Michael."

He looked away.

You followed his gaze.

"You were crying last night."

Michael immediately looked back at you.

"I wasn't."

"You were."

"No."

You crossed your arms.

"Your eyes were red."

"So?"

"So I saw you."

His jaw tightened slightly.

For a moment, you thought he might finally tell you.

Instead, he looked down.

"Why do you care?"

The question caught you off guard.

"What?"

"You don't want to see me."

"That doesn't mean I want you crying in a hallway."

Michael's expression changed.

Only slightly.

But you noticed.

You stepped closer.

"There's something else."

"No."

"Yes."

"You don't know that."

"Then tell me."

Michael was quiet.

The sounds of the others had grown farther away.

Neither of you noticed when the group continued ahead.

Finally, Michael looked at you.

"Can I ask you something?"

You narrowed your eyes.

"That depends."

"Please."

You hesitated.

"Okay."

Michael looked away again.

For the first time since you had approached him, he seemed genuinely nervous.

His fingers moved slightly against the side of his arm.

Then he stepped closer.

Not enough for anyone else to notice.

But enough that his voice became quieter.

"Last night..."

You waited.

Michael hesitated.

"Did you and Marlon..."

You frowned.

"What?"

He stopped.

Then looked directly at you.

"Did you spend the night together?"

Your eyes widened.

"Michael."

He immediately looked away.

"I just want to know."

"Why?"

He didn't answer.

You stared at him in disbelief.

"What kind of question is that?"

Michael remained silent.

Your face became warmer.

"No."

He looked back at you.

"No?"

"No."

You shook your head.

"Nothing happened."

For a brief second...

The tension disappeared from his face.

His shoulders relaxed.

It was almost impossible to miss.

You stared at him.

"Why do you look relieved?"

Michael immediately looked away again.

"I'm not."

"You are."

"No."

"Michael."

He finally looked at you.

This time, there was no coldness in his expression.

Only something you couldn't quite understand.

Something that made your heart beat a little differently.

Then Michael looked toward the path ahead.

"They're waiting."

And just like that...

He started walking away.

You remained where you were.

Completely certain of one thing.

Michael Jackson was not acting normally.

And somehow...

That was beginning to matter more than it should have.

The rest of the walk passed strangely.

You eventually caught up with everyone else.

Michael was already speaking to one of his brothers.

He didn't look at you.

You didn't speak to him either.

And somehow, after everything that had just happened, that felt even more noticeable.

By the time everyone returned, the afternoon had begun.

You decided to spend some time with Janet.

She had been asking you to go with her since the beginning of the trip, and after everything with Michael, the distraction sounded like a good idea.

The two of you ended up sitting outside together.

Janet had been telling you about something Randy had done earlier when she suddenly stopped in the middle of her story.

You noticed immediately.

"What?"

Janet slowly turned toward you.

"Can I ask you something?"

You immediately became suspicious.

"That depends."

She smiled.

"Do you like Michael?"

You stared at her.

"What?"

Janet's smile widened.

"You heard me."

"Why would you ask me that?"

"I don't know."

She shrugged innocently.

"I've just been watching you two."

You looked away.

"There's nothing to watch."

"Really?"

"Yes."

Janet leaned back.

"Hm."

You narrowed your eyes.

"What does that mean?"

"Nothing."

"Janet."

"Fine."

She turned toward you again.

"Call me crazy, but I think there's chemistry between you and Michael."

You immediately shook your head.

"You're crazy."

"I knew you'd say that."

"Because it's true."

Janet smiled.

"I wonder if Marlon notices."

Your expression changed.

"Notices what?"

Janet looked at you as though the answer was obvious.

"That you like Michael."

You almost laughed.

"I don't."

"Mm-hm."

"I don't."

"Sure."

You crossed your arms.

"We're friends."

Janet stared at you for a moment.

"Are you?"

You opened your mouth.

Then stopped.

The question should have been easy to answer.

Instead, you thought about Michael calling you after midnight.

The questions he had asked.

The kiss.

The way he had looked relieved when you told him nothing had happened with Marlon.

You immediately pushed the thoughts away.

"Yes."

Janet's expression changed into one of complete disbelief.

"You took too long to answer that."

"I didn't."

"You did."

"Janet."

She suddenly smiled.

"Mrs. Jackson."

You stared at her.

"What?"

"Mrs. Jackson."

"You are not calling me that."

"Why not?"

"Because I'm dating Marlon."

Janet looked completely unbothered.

"I know."

"Then why are you calling me Mrs. Jackson?"

"Because I think you're going to marry Michael."

You stared at her.

Then looked around to make sure no one was nearby.

"Janet!"

She started laughing.

"You're crazy."

"I'll come to the wedding."

"There is no wedding."

"I'll sit in the front row."

"Janet."

"I'll tell everyone how I knew from the beginning."

You covered your face with your hands.

"This is ridiculous."

Janet leaned closer.

"What kind of flowers do you want?"

You looked at her.

"What?"

"For the wedding."

"Stop."

"Okay, okay."

She raised both hands.

"I'm stopping."

You gave her a suspicious look.

Janet remained quiet for exactly three seconds.

"Mrs. Michael Jackson."

You pushed her shoulder.

"JANET."

She laughed and moved away from you.

You tried to stay annoyed.

You really did.

But eventually, you started laughing too.

Later that evening, you found yourself back in Marlon's room.

This time, the conversation was quieter.

The argument from the previous night had mostly passed.

Neither of you had forgotten it.

But Marlon had apologized for making you feel as though your reaction didn't matter.

You had accepted.

Now, he was sitting beside you while you absently looked toward the window.

For several minutes, neither of you said anything.

Then Marlon spoke.

"Did something happen with Michael?"

You looked at him.

"What?"

"You've barely spoken to him all day."

You immediately looked away.

"That's not true."

He gave you a look.

"Baby."

"What?"

"You know I'm not blind, right?"

You sighed.

"Nothing happened."

"Mhm."

"Marlon."

"I'm serious."

He shifted slightly toward you.

"You two were talking all the time before."

You didn't answer.

"And now whenever he says something to you, you answer with one word."

You frowned.

"I do not."

"You do."

"I don't."

"You do."

You looked at him.

Marlon smiled slightly.

Then his expression became more serious.

"Did he do something?"

Your heart skipped.

"No."

"You answered that very quickly."

"Because the answer is no."

Technically...

It wasn't entirely a lie.

Michael had done something.

But you certainly weren't going to tell Marlon what it was.

Marlon studied your face.

"If there's a problem between you two, you can tell me."

"There isn't."

"I can talk to him."

You immediately looked at him.

"No."

Marlon's eyebrows lifted.

You quickly corrected yourself.

"I mean... there's no reason to."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

He was quiet for a moment.

Then nodded.

"Okay."

You looked toward the door.

"I think I'm going to go back to my room."

"Already?"

"I'm tired."

Marlon reached for your hand.

You looked back at him.

"Okay."

You leaned over and kissed his cheek.

"Goodnight."

"Goodnight, baby."

You left his room.

The hallway was quiet.

You walked toward your own room.

And when you opened the door...

You stopped.

There was something on your bed.

A bouquet.

You stared at it.

For a moment, you didn't move.

Then you slowly walked closer.

The flowers were beautiful.

Carefully arranged.

And completely unexpected.

You looked around the room.

There was no note.

No explanation.

Your first thought was obvious.

"Marlon."

You turned around.

And hurried back toward his room.

You knocked once before opening the door.

Marlon looked up.

"Forget something?"

You smiled despite yourself.

"You did this to distract me."

He looked confused.

"What?"

You pointed back toward the hallway.

"The flowers."

Marlon's expression didn't change.

"What flowers?"

Your smile disappeared.

"Very funny."

"I'm serious."

You stared at him.

"You didn't leave flowers in my room?"

"No."

Your stomach tightened.

The room suddenly felt much quieter.

You looked at him.

"Marlon."

"I didn't."

"Then who did?"

His expression changed.

He stood up.

"Someone left flowers in your room?"

You immediately regretted coming back.

"I thought it was you."

"Who else would leave them?"

"I don't know."

His jaw tightened.

"Did anyone say anything to you?"

"No."

"Did someone give them to you?"

"No."

You shook your head.

"I found them on my bed."

Marlon looked toward the door.

His expression was difficult to read now.

You knew he was jealous.

The same way you had been jealous the night before.

Except now...

You suddenly had a terrible suspicion about who the flowers belonged to.

And if you were right...

The situation was about to become much worse.

Finally, Marlon looked back at you.

"I don't know who gave them to you."

You nodded slowly.

Neither of you spoke for a moment.

"Maybe we should just leave it alone."

Marlon looked unconvinced.

But after a moment, he exhaled.

"Fine."

You could tell he wasn't fine.

And you could also tell he wanted to be alone with his thoughts.

You stepped toward the door.

"I'll see you later."

"Yeah."

You walked back into the hallway.

Your mind immediately returned to the flowers.

There was only one person you could think of.

And almost as if your thoughts had called him there...

You saw Michael standing near the end of the corridor.

This time, his eyes weren't red.

This time, he was watching you.

And when you looked at him...

He smiled.

"Did you like them?"

You stared at him.

For a second, you genuinely wondered if you had heard him correctly.

"You."

Michael leaned against the wall.

"Me."

Your eyes widened.

"Are you crazy?"

He smiled.

"Probably."

"Marlon is angry."

"Is he?"

You crossed your arms.

"Michael."

"What?"

"You left flowers in my room."

"Yeah."

"Without telling me."

"It was supposed to be a surprise."

You stared at him.

"It wasn't a good surprise."

His smile faded slightly.

"Okay."

The change in his expression made you pause.

Michael looked down the hallway.

"I just wanted to apologize."

You looked at him.

"For what?"

He gave you a look.

"Really?"

You hesitated.

"The kiss?"

"That too."

You stared.

"That too?"

"The questions."

Michael looked uncomfortable.

"Calling you in the middle of the night."

"Yes."

"I shouldn't have done that."

"No."

"And then I made everything worse."

You waited.

Michael glanced toward you.

"I know."

For once, he wasn't trying to make you laugh.

He wasn't teasing.

He actually looked sorry.

Your expression softened slightly.

"Then why did you send flowers?"

Michael looked at the bouquet inside your room.

"I didn't know what else to do."

You looked at him for a moment.

"You could have just apologized."

"I tried."

"When?"

"Right after you kissed—"

Michael stopped.

You stared at him.

"After I what?"

His eyes widened slightly.

"I meant after I kissed you."

You pointed at him.

"Good."

Michael smiled.

"See? You knew what I meant."

"I knew exactly what you meant."

His smile grew.

Then you remembered something.

"You made Marlon angry."

Michael's expression changed again.

"What?"

"He didn't leave the flowers."

"Obviously."

You stared at him.

"Michael."

"What?"

"You knew I would think they were from him."

"Maybe."

You stepped closer.

"Why would you do that?"

"I didn't think about it."

"You don't think about anything."

"That's not true."

"Really?"

You raised an eyebrow.

Michael considered this.

"Not anything."

You shook your head.

Then Michael glanced toward Marlon's room.

"Why is he angry?"

"Because some mysterious person is leaving flowers for his girlfriend."

Michael nodded slowly.

"Well."

"Well what?"

"He's allowed to be jealous."

You stared at him.

"Oh, really?"

"Yeah."

Michael looked almost amused.

"You were jealous last night."

"That's different."

"How?"

"Because—"

You stopped.

Michael waited.

"Exactly."

You narrowed your eyes.

"Don't start."

"I'm not."

You walked back toward your room.

Michael followed.

"You shouldn't be with him."

You stopped.

Slowly, you turned around.

"Excuse me?"

Michael had stopped too.

For a moment, he looked as though he hadn't intended to say it out loud.

Then he shrugged slightly.

"What?"

"You heard me."

"Why shouldn't I be with him?"

Michael looked away.

"He has a lot of girlfriends."

You stared at him.

"What?"

"You know what I mean."

"No, I don't."

You stepped closer.

"Explain."

Michael looked uncomfortable.

"I just..."

He hesitated.

"I don't think he loves you the way you think he does."

Your expression changed.

The teasing disappeared.

"Don't talk about Marlon like that."

"I'm not trying to insult him."

"It sounds like you are."

Michael looked directly at you.

"I love you."

You froze.

For a second, neither of you moved.

Michael's expression changed immediately.

As though he had only just realized how serious the words sounded.

"I mean—"

You stared at him.

"You mean what?"

He looked away.

"I care about you."

"Michael."

You shook your head.

Then stepped into your room.

Michael followed you to the doorway.

"You're not going to say anything?"

"What am I supposed to say?"

"I don't know."

You looked at him.

Then, before he could say anything else, you placed both hands against his chest.

Michael looked down.

You pushed him backward.

"Out."

He barely moved.

You pushed him again.

"Out."

Michael laughed.

"You're not strong enough."

"I am."

"You're not."

"Michael."

You pushed him once more.

This time, he took a step backward.

His smile had returned.

"Goodbye."

You began closing the door.

"Wait."

"No."

"Can I come back later?"

"Absolutely not."

"Tomorrow?"

"Michael."

He smiled.

You closed the door before he could say anything else.

For several seconds, you stood with your back against it.

Your face felt warm.

Your heart was beating far too quickly.

Then Michael's voice came from the other side.

"Goodnight."

You stared at the door.

Despite yourself...

You smiled.

"Goodnight."

His footsteps slowly disappeared down the hallway.

You remained where you were.

Trying not to think about what Michael had said.

Trying not to wonder if he had really meant it.

And failing completely.

The next morning, the beach was already full of life.

Several members of the family had gone outside early.

Some were near the water.

Others had settled beneath the shade.

You arrived with Janet, who had somehow managed to convince you to come outside before you were completely awake.

"I still think you woke me up on purpose."

"Of course I did."

You looked at her.

"Why?"

"Because it's the beach."

"I can see that."

"Then stop complaining."

You smiled and followed her toward the sand.

For the first few minutes, everything was peaceful.

You sat beside Janet.

She talked.

You listened.

Or at least, you tried to.

Then you noticed someone walking toward you.

Michael.

Your expression changed.

Janet noticed immediately.

"Oh."

You looked at her.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"Janet."

She smiled.

"Good morning, Mrs. Jackson."

You stared at her.

"I hate you."

"No, you don't."

"You're very annoying."

Michael reached the two of you before Janet could continue.

"Morning."

"Morning."

You answered normally.

Almost too normally.

Michael looked at Janet.

"Why is she glaring at me?"

Janet looked innocent.

"She isn't."

You turned toward her.

"I wasn't."

Michael smiled slightly.

Janet looked between both of you.

Then suddenly stood.

"I think I'm going to see what everyone else is doing."

You frowned.

"You're leaving?"

"Yep."

She looked directly at Michael.

"Keep her company."

"Janet."

She walked away before you could say anything else.

You watched her go.

Then slowly turned back toward Michael.

"She knows nothing."

Michael sat down beside you.

"Sure."

"She doesn't."

"Okay."

You looked at him.

"Why do you keep saying okay like that?"

Michael smiled.

"I don't know."

For a while, neither of you mentioned the previous night.

The flowers.

The apology.

The things Michael had said.

Instead, you watched the waves.

Then Michael suddenly picked up a small handful of sand.

You immediately noticed.

"Don't."

He looked at you.

"What?"

"Don't even think about it."

Michael looked down at the sand in his hand.

Then back at you.

"I wasn't."

"You were."

He smiled.

You narrowed your eyes.

"Michael."

He threw the sand.

You gasped.

Most of it landed beside you.

"MICHAEL."

He immediately stood up.

"Run."

You stared at him.

"Are you serious?"

Michael was already moving backward.

"You started this."

"I absolutely did not."

You grabbed a handful of sand.

Michael's eyes widened.

"Don't."

You threw it.

Michael moved away just in time.

"Hey!"

You laughed and stood up.

For the next several minutes, the two of you chased each other across the sand.

Neither of you cared that people were watching.

At one point, you nearly lost your balance.

Michael reached for your arm.

You both stopped.

His hand remained there.

Your laughter slowly faded.

For one second...

The previous night's conversation returned to both of you.

You could see it in his expression.

Michael slowly let go.

Neither of you said anything.

Then, from farther away:

"I KNEW IT!"

You immediately looked toward the voice.

Janet was standing beside La Toya.

Both of them were watching.

You stepped away from Michael.

"JANET!"

She waved.

Michael looked down.

Trying not to smile.

You pointed at her.

"I hate you."

Janet laughed.

"Mrs. Jackson!"

"Stop calling me that!"

Michael looked at you.

You looked at him.

And this time...

You both laughed.

Later, everyone gathered closer to the water.

Someone had brought a ball.

What started as a simple game quickly became complete chaos.

You ended up on the same team as Michael.

At first, you protested.

"I don't think that's fair."

Michael looked at you.

"Why?"

"Because you keep making your own rules."

"I don't."

"You do."

Michael looked toward the others.

"Do I?"

Several people immediately answered at once.

"Yes."

You smiled.

"See?"

Michael looked offended.

Then he picked up the ball.

"Fine."

He handed it to you.

"You make the rules."

You blinked.

"Really?"

"Yeah."

You narrowed your eyes.

"Anything?"

"Anything."

You thought about it.

Then smiled.

"Michael isn't allowed to complain."

Everyone around you started laughing.

Michael stared at you.

"That's not fair."

You immediately pointed at him.

"You just broke the first rule."

More laughter followed.

Michael shook his head.

But he was smiling.

The game continued.

The sun moved slowly across the sky.

At some point, you stopped noticing where everyone else was.

You were too busy trying to stop Michael from stealing the ball.

"Give it back."

"No."

"Michael."

"Catch me."

You chased after him.

He laughed and moved away.

Then suddenly turned around.

You nearly collided with him.

Michael caught you before you could fall.

Your hands landed against his arms.

For a moment, neither of you moved.

You looked up.

Michael was already looking at you.

His expression changed.

The noise around you seemed farther away.

Then someone called your name.

You immediately stepped back.

Michael looked toward the others.

You did the same.

Neither of you mentioned what had almost happened.

But Janet had seen.

Of course she had.

Later, when everyone began heading back inside, she appeared beside you.

"Having fun?"

You looked at her suspiciously.

"Yes."

"With Michael?"

You sighed.

"Janet."

"What?"

"Nothing happened."

"I didn't say anything happened."

You looked at her.

Janet smiled.

"You're thinking about it."

"I'm not."

"Sure, Mrs. Jackson."

You walked faster.

Janet followed you.

"Stop running away from me."

"I'm not running."

"You are."

"I'm walking."

"Very quickly."

You ignored her.

But even as you entered the building...

You could still feel Michael's eyes following you.

And somewhere behind you...

Janet quietly started humming what sounded suspiciously like a wedding march.

The house had grown quiet hours ago.

Everyone had eventually returned to their rooms.

The laughter from earlier had disappeared.

The beach outside was almost completely dark.

You had been lying awake for longer than you wanted to admit.

Five days had suddenly become very complicated.

And there were still days left.

You turned onto your side.

Then the other.

Sleep refused to come.

Your thoughts kept returning to Michael.

The flowers.

His apology.

The way he had caught you on the beach.

You closed your eyes.

That didn't help.

Eventually, you heard a quiet knock at the door.

You sat up.

"Who is it?"

There was a brief pause.

Then a familiar voice answered.

"Michael."

You stared at the door.

Of course.

You got out of bed and walked toward it.

When you opened the door, Michael was standing there.

He looked almost embarrassed to be there.

His hands were tucked into the pockets of his pajamas.

You leaned against the doorframe.

"What are you doing?"

Michael looked at you.

"I couldn't sleep."

You raised an eyebrow.

"And?"

He hesitated.

"And I missed you."

Your expression softened immediately.

Michael looked down.

"I know you told me you didn't want to see me."

He paused.

"But then we talked again."

"Kind of."

"Kind of."

You tried not to smile.

Michael noticed.

His expression became slightly more hopeful.

"So..."

He looked toward your room.

"Can I come in?"

You hesitated.

Then stepped aside.

"Okay."

Michael entered.

You closed the door behind him.

For the first few minutes, the two of you simply talked.

About the trip.

About Janet.

About how she was becoming increasingly convinced that the two of you were secretly planning a wedding.

Michael laughed quietly.

"She's never going to let that go."

"No."

"She might actually start planning it."

You smiled.

"Don't encourage her."

"I won't."

There was a small pause.

Then Michael looked at you.

"But you would look nice in white."

Your smile disappeared.

Michael immediately looked away.

"I mean..."

He cleared his throat.

"You'd look nice in anything."

You stared at him.

Michael's face grew warmer.

He looked completely embarrassed.

You tried not to laugh.

"I'm glad you clarified."

Michael smiled nervously.

"Me too."

The conversation continued.

But something had changed.

Michael seemed distracted.

His eyes kept drifting toward you.

At first, you ignored it.

Then you noticed where his gaze kept going.

Your lips.

Michael looked away every time you caught him.

The first time, you pretended not to notice.

The second time, you became curious.

By the third...

You couldn't ignore it.

"Michael."

He looked at you.

"Yeah?"

You studied him.

"What?"

"What?"

You narrowed your eyes.

"Why do you keep looking at me like that?"

Michael immediately looked away.

"I'm not."

"You are."

"No."

"Michael."

He remained quiet.

You moved slightly closer.

Michael looked at you again.

Then his eyes dropped.

To your lips.

This time, he didn't look away immediately.

Your heartbeat changed.

Neither of you spoke.

You could hear the waves outside.

The quiet sound of the ocean seemed louder now.

Michael looked nervous.

More nervous than you had ever seen him.

His fingers shifted slightly against the fabric of his clothes.

He wanted to say something.

You could see it.

But nothing came out.

Maybe he was afraid.

Maybe he thought you would push him away again.

Maybe he was waiting for you to decide what happened next.

You looked at him.

Then...

You leaned forward.

And kissed him.

Michael froze.

For one brief second.

Then his eyes closed.

The room became completely silent.

This time...

The choice of what happened next was yours.