My Lost Love

Chapter 18 - Burned

I've always been called a brat. And I admit, growing up I was. My father gave me any and everything and after his death, to compensate, my family acquired the same habit. My mother has always been the only person in my life to say no to me. No one else knew how. Not even Michael. But he learned.

After our argument on Michella's birthday, I went with Mario for my surprise. And it was a big surprise alright. He showed me a house he bought right there in Encino. It was for all of us to live as a family. I was hesitant at first but after walking around for an hour or so, I fell in love with it. And I guess him. All over again. We wasted no time moving in. My mother wasn't happy about it and neither was my grandparents. My aunt seemed okay with it. No one was truly happy. Maybe Janet and Latoya. They were the only ones I think. They were constantly over my new house for a visit. It wasn't too far from Hayvenhurst. Of course when I told Michael, it didn't go over well. He told me I was selfish. I didn't understand what he meant but he just kept saying I was selfish. Then he hung up on me. I was in no state of mind to beg for anything from him. Not even an explanation so I just let it go. When he would call, I'd make up an excuse to not see him. Eventually I just stopped answering. From September to January, I didn't hear from him once and he didn't hear from me. I wouldn't know who to blame for the distance. But it didn't matter. I knew I would see him again. I knew we would one day get over this. It wasn't the first time something like that had happened. The only difference was someone else was involved. Michella. And I knew he must've been hurting not being able to see her.

The day we actually did see each other again was on the 27th of January in 1984.

My house phone rang in the middle of me painting my fingernails. I ignored it, not wanting to mess up my paint job but the caller was very persistent. "Hello?" I answered annoyed.

"Nya? Oh my God, you're home." It was Lauren. "What happened to Michael?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," I snapped at her.

"I'm on the set of his Pepsi commercial. And something happened."

"What were you doing on set?"

"They called for extras. I was in a crowd. Anyway, Michael was on stage dancing or whatever, I couldn't see it well because of all of the smoke, but then all of a sudden a mob of people rushed on stage to his aid and he disappeared with them," she explained frantically. "People are saying he was shot! But I didn't hear anything like that! Well maybe I did. There was a lot of pops and stuff but I don't know. I'm so confused."

I grabbed the remote and flicked the channel to a news station. "Where are you?"

"Shrine auditorium." It was only about a half hour away from me. "But they took him to the hospital I think."

"I don't see anything. There's commercials everywhere." Finally, I saw footage of Michael being taken away on a stretcher. "I see him!"

"Was he shot? Is he okay? I'm still in the building on their payphone. Some of us can't get out. It's a madhouse over here."

I could hear all of the deafening noise in the background. Sirens and people yelling... "He's waving to the camera. With his glove..."

"Glove? What glove?"

I smiled to myself because I knew he must've been coherent enough to come up with the idea to even keep it on. "His rhinestone glove."

"What the hell? Well what happened? Does he look like he got shot?"

I studied him for the quick seconds they were showing him. "Hmm...I don't see any blood. He has gauze wrapped all around his head. Something happened to his head I guess?"