Book 5- 1969 (Michael Jackson)

Chapter 14- Warning Sign

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                Chapter 14- Warning Sign

                Date: Saturday, August 16, 1969

                Time: 7:27PM

                MICHAEL'S POV

"These are the most garish shirts I've ever laid my poor eyes on," Jackie muttered. He wore an exaggerated grimace as he buttoned up the top of his chartreuse vest. "We look like we're all wearing flamenco suits."

"I dunno," Marlon voiced. "I kinda like the shirts. They're colorful and catch attention."

"The shirts are fine; it's the ugly pants and vests that aren't," Kayla interjected. "These... are homely. Do I have to wear pants, too?"

Joseph gave off an exasperated gasp. "You were supposed to be in those ten minutes ago! Kayla, you guys are on in five minutes. What do you all think you're doin' back here?" Everyone could tell he was a bit beyond mad due to the fact that his words merged. He spouted off several other things, but no-one could make any meaning of the senseless jargon.

"Okay, okay... I'm pulling these on." She took her little pair of yellow-green slacks and pulled them to her waist. She took a momentary pause to reflect on her pants. "Yuck."

"Get over it," whined Tito. "We all gotta wear this, so there's no point in complaining."

"And there's Tito, the all-powerful voice of reason." Jermaine used jazz hands, as if to emphasize his sarcasm. "He's here to shut whiny girls up and take cotton candy from babies."

"What did that come from?" I, for one, was perplexed; what did cotton candy have to do with Kayla?

 "It was supposed to be a joke, Mike-Ike," he said flatly. "Gee, you've been taking things rather literally for a while now, haven't you?"

Jermaine intercepted once again. "He's just cranky because he didn't get enough sleep. C'mon, we all know a couple extra hours of snooze time wouldn't hurt."

"Once again, it's Jermaine, all-powerful and fair voice of reason. He will reign-"

"Fellas?" Diana Ross's head peeked through the partition separating us from the others laying behind the stage. "You almost ready? Your parts start in just a couple minutes."

I took a moment just to exhume her in person. She, like Florence and Mary, was wearing a regal-looking gown. Her hair was in that beehive style that all the girls liked, and her eyes were just as colossal and gooey-soft as in the photos... if not more so. Her skin was just as smooth and snowflake-frail as in the magazines.

She was a looker, and a cute one.

Joseph answered for all of us. "Yeah, they're nearly done. I'm just helping Kayla with the buttons to the vest and that should be it." As if on default, he leaned toward Kayla and re-tied a knot into the back of her vest.

She scowled. "That was already done. I'm ten, Joseph."

"And you're still a kid. Plus, you're telling the public that you're eight. Remember?"

"How could I forget?" She muttered sardonically. "I'm reminded every time we run into Gordy or Suzanne." When Joseph stopped paying attention, she whispered, "It's literally impossible to get their nagging voices out of my head."

"Mmm, someone's a grumpy gus, isn't she?" Jackie teased. His usual enigmatic expression folded into a teasing smirk. "Little 8-year-old Kayla needs to rest her head and take a little nappy-wappy-"