Code

3

-- 3 --

The next day, Michael invited Isis back at his ranch. He was determined to find the root of their misplaced anger. They tapped their foot against the floor, inpatient. Michael came from a hall, hands in his pants pockets. He gave her a warm smile.

"Good evening." They greeted, standoffish. "Would you like to proceed with our last session?"

"Well, aren't you a glass of sunshine?" Michael asked with an amused tone. "Yes. We can take a walk around the ranch and discuss more about my early years."

"No."

"Don't tell me that's a phobia, too."

Isis shot him a glare. "Don't overstep."

"Or what?" Michael chuckled. "You're going to storm out like a child again?"

Isis bit their tongue. "Fine. Let's walk."

With their arms folded, Isis walked alongside Michael outside. They refused to look at him and had a bitter facial expression. What is their problem? He wondered.

"What's your vendetta against me, Isis?" Michael inquired, curious. "Yesterday, your behavior was very questionable to say the least. You appear to have a biased opinion on me, yet you decided to be my ghost writer."

"Celebrities deem themselves more than what they are based on the fame they have. They believe they are gods and we are their disciples."

"Didn't you attack me for making an assumption based on no factual evidence? Your assumptions of who I am is based on a generalization. I recruited you to write this book about my life to clear the assumptions the media has made about me, not have you added to the list."

Isis brought their lips in a firm line, feeling slightly regretful of their behavior. "Okay, I'm sorry. I always wanted to learn how fame constructed the God complex celebrities often have. That is why I accepted this job. You are the most famous celebrity in the world. I assumed yours would be the biggest."

"You assumed wrong."

Isis lightly joked. "Not entirely sure about that."

"Then these six months will prove to you who I truly am. Anything you ask, I will answer."

"Alright, then." Isis said, pondering. "Let's pick up from where we left off. Tell me about the Jackson Five. What toll did your child stardom have on your mental health?"

"That's a loaded question." Michael admitted, slightly uncomfortable. "My father created the group. If we weren't rehearsing or performing, we were in the studio. That had a negative toll on my mental health. My social life caused poor communication skills. Because of that, I have ruin many of my relationships. I sacrificed my childhood to produce entertainment. I try to compensate with my ranch and get ridiculed. There were no friends. My brothers were my friends. But I'm different from them. I didn't agree with some of the life choices they made while on tour, so that left me alienated. Being an entertainer is wonderful, but it costed my mental health."

Isis felt a small twinge in their chest. They treated him so harshly as if he didn't have enough to deal with. Isis looked at the amusement rides quietly, filled with guilt. All you could hear was their footsteps walking against the brick road.