Alchemized (Michael Jackson Fan fiction)

Intentions

Sorry for the wait. Hope you all are ready for this one!

(Michael)

I stayed on the second floor in the entertainment hall. It was no coincidence that I chose the room that was directly above my mother's library, which just so happened to be where she was with Dawn. I told myself I wasn't going to listen to their conversation and that I was only in here to distract myself with a solo game of pool. Although, If I had been honest with myself, I would have accepted the fact that I was really in this room to do one of the several things Dawn hated about me: eavesdrop.

I leaned over the game table and readied my pool stick for another strike at the cue ball. It took more focus not to grip the stick too tightly to the point of it snapping in my hands as I listened to Dawn questioning my mother for information that she had failed to get from me. I figured she would try it, but her efforts were futile because mother understood the risks of telling Dawn the truth. What put me on edge was the young woman's persistence. Dawn was never going to let this go and the more she pries, the more danger she'll be in. With that thought in mind, I struck the cue ball harshly and sent three striped balls into several pockets and strategically missing the eight-ball.

"Do you stay here because you're frightened of them?" Dawn asked in a quiet voice as though that would prevent anyone from hearing her.

"I stay for my family. I am not frightened of my boys, Dawn. I am frightened for my boys."

"What about your husband?"

Katherine was quiet for a long time. I could hear her slowly shuffling around the room, taking the books she had scattered about the coffee table and putting them back in their proper place on the bookshelf.

I walked around the table to get a better angle for my next shot, but I was hardly paying attention to the score. My ears were too alert.

"Michael told me you had a rough weekend, Dear, and I am honored that you thought enough of me to return despite everything." Katherine sighed. "I know we're not being fair by keeping you in dark, but we are trying to be smart. I do not blame you for having difficulty trusting us and would understand if you can no longer work here."

I uncoordinatedly struck the ball the same time mother finished talking. Her words had me sending the poor cue ball flying off the table and crashing into Joseph's dragon statue posted in the corner of the room. The right side of the serpent's head shattered on impact.

"What was that?" Dawn asked, no doubt hearing the destruction I had caused.

"Oh dear," Katherine uttered tiredly, seemingly to herself. "Nothing for you to worry about."

"I don't think I can ever not worry while I'm in this house."

"Which is why I will not ask you to stay. I thoroughly enjoy your help and your company, but it is your decision. You may leave, if you wish."

I understood what mother was doing but I didn't want to agree with it. Dawn wasn't just helping her. Dawn was helping me too and I hadn't figured out how she was even doing it.

I rubbed the back of my neck and sighed stressfully when I took in the damage I had done to Joseph's statue. He had hundreds of them all around the house but that didn't mean I was safe from chastisement. For some reason, Joseph worshipped the dragon and therefore treasured every one of his eerie decorations.

Dawn's voice got my attention again. "I've decided to tell my father about working here. I've been keeping him in the dark for too long and I'm ready to do things differently with him. He also has no idea that I'm planning to move out soon. So, we'll most likely have an uncomfortable conversation about that as well."