December 19, 1963
Garnett Elementary School
Gary, Indiana
7:00 p.m.
Before Winter Break
Michelle's Point of View:
"Okay, little ones, places..." Miss Childress says as we were preparing for our talent show. It was two days before winter break, and we have been preparing for this talent show for the last two weeks.
"Are you nervous, Michael?" I asked my best friend as we stood backstage.
"A little bit...are you?" He asked me.
"Yeah..." I tap my patent leather Mary Jane shoes to the beat of James White playing the drums from our class.
"This is the moment, Shelly. I am going to prove to Joseph that I need to be in the band, too." Michael says, calling me by the nickname he gave me.
"I know you can do it, Applehead." I say back using my nickname. He smiles at me, and we slap hands into a high five.
"Okay, thank you for that display James, next coming to the stage is a young lady who has the sweetest voice, welcome Michelle Porter." Miss Childress says, and I take a deep breath.
"You can do this Shelly; you are a star." Michael says one last time as I walk out on stage. I noticed my mother, who waved to me, and I waved back.
Daddy was holding a camera, and Nana was giving me a warm smile. I noticed the Jackson family, too, and I took one final deep breath. I pretended that I was back on the block at Michael's house. We were in the living room watching my daddy and his play music.
The notes begin to play, and with the mic in my hand, I begin belting the words to God Bless The Child by Ms. Aretha Franklin. I made sure to project my voice like she does when I hear it on the record player my daddy would play.
The more I sung, the less I got nervous, and before long, I felt excited and happy to be onstage. I began waving and smiling to the crowd, and I felt at home onstage. Once I came to the final note, I sung it the way I remember hearing Ms. Aretha Franklin sings it. After that, the crowd got silent, and I got nervous again until loud clapping and whistling was heard.
Everyone was cheering me on, and I noticed even the Jacksons cheered for me. I took a bow, letting my long hair that my mommy did in ponytails sway. I was wearing my favorite yellow dress that made me feel like a princess, but now I felt like a star.
I returned backstage, where Michael gave me a hug, which made me smile. All the kids cheered me on, and I felt like Ms. Aretha Franklin herself.
"That was awesome, Shelly." Michael says, and I smile again, feeling my cheeks turn red.
"Thank you, I practice a long time to get it perfect." I say to him.
"Yeah, that's what you're supposed to do. Joseph says practice is what makes all the famous musicians great. That's why I practiced every day, too. How did it feel to be up there, Shelly?" Michael asked me.
"Like home." I say to him as we listen to Linda Holland sing Try A Little Tenderness by Aretha Franklin.
"I can't wait." Michael says as we listen to Linda attempt to sing. After her performance, it was Michael's turn.
"Coming to the stage is a sweet little boy who will make your heart sing when you hear him, Michael Jackson." Ms. Childress says, introducing Michael.
"You can do this, Applehead. You're a star." I say to Michael, repeating the same words he said to me. He smiles at me and attempts to wink, which I find to be funny, and he heads out onstage.
The music begins to play, and Michael starts singing Climb Every Mountain from the movie Sound of Music. But the way he sings it was so much better. I start to smile as I watch my best friend sing and shine like a star. He felt completely at home as he moved across the stage like a natural.
"You kids are surely talented." My daddy says after the talent show as we walked home with the Jacksons.
"Did you see it, Paul? I mean, Michael is definitely going to be a star. You are joining your brothers as the lead singer of the band." Joseph says excitedly.
"Really Joseph?" Michael asked, smiling.
"You bet your mother is going to add your outfits to the mix. Katie, we got us a real star here. Those other kids ain't got nothing on you, my boy." Joseph says.
"Whoa, now slow your roll Joe, my princess is just as good as Michael." My daddy says.
"Yeah, she is, but I was talking about all of them other boys. Yup, I got big plans for you, Michael." Joseph says, which made Michael smile.
"You did it Applehead you're in the band." I whispered to Michael as our parents talked.
"Yeah, you did awesome, Shelly. Hey, would you come watch my shows when I become a big star like James Brown?" Michael asked me.
"Yeah, I will be cheering you on, Michael." I say smiling as we run and talk about all of Michael's dreams of being a star. I am so happy for him because Michael is going to see the world, and I will get to watch him at every step of the way.
-A/N: Hope you enjoy this chapter; I am slowly building up the kids' chapters as we go through Michael's entire journey from Michelle's point of view. Please vote and comment, letting me know what you think, and I can't wait as we move along.
Stay tuned Misfitgang,
Xoxo,
Scorpionmisfit27
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