bad era (29)
(pretend thriller was released in 1983 instead of '82, once time machine is over play human nature for better experience)
"Baby, I have a.. no." Michael sighed while scribbled out the words and throwing the crumpled piece of paper in the trash. He inhaled and exhaled air out of his nose quickly, upset that he couldn't get the song together. The song that he'd been up for multiple nights in a row trying to put together, it had to be perfect, just how he wanted it, and at this point nothing was clicking.
Songwriting could be frustrating at times and this was one of those times. His irritation built up to the point of him throwing his mustard yellow note pad at the wall and slowly sinking under his black bedroom covers- inhaling the lavender scent of freshly washed sheets- and attempting to get the slightest bit of shut eye.
A voice startled him. "Michael! I'm here!" Y/N yelled up the staircase, practically running to him. Meanwhile, he had completely forgotten she was coming by to visit. She budged in and it only took her a second to realize he had been totally distraught. He had small bags that started to form underneath his sagging brown eyes.
"Oh, Michael, are you alright?" She cooed, reaching for his chin and examining his face.
"I have been working on this song for only three days. I'm fine." He stood up and went to grab his note pad once again. She looked at the wall to see chipped paint, coming from the notepad being thrown with such force.
"Have you been sleeping?" She asked him as he walked around her and sat back onto his bed, ignoring the question. Her nostrils slightly flared, he knew just the ways to piss her off, she hated being ignored.
"I've gotten a power nap." He says, lying through his clenched pearly whites.
"Answer my question. Mike, a power nap isn't sleep. Shoot, I doubt you even got a power nap."
"What do you think." He replied sharply, his eyebrows furrowing. He looked away from her burning gaze and continued writing. "Baby, I have a time machine. Let me take you back to-" he mumbled, once again crumbling his paper and throwing it into the mini red trash can.
She sat next to him on the bed, obviously not caring that she wasn't wanted at this time. "How 'bout this one. 'Baby, if I had a time machine- I say if because obviously they aren't invented- I'd go back to .... what year was Thriller released?"
He quietly replied. "Nineteen eighty three."
"Maybe I would chill with... Basquiat-" as he listened he began scribbling messy cursive furiously, not looking up once.
"I'd be out there playing make believe, I'd be on the streets of-" he continued, pulling ideas out of the back rooms of his brain, using some ideas and prior knowledge.
Not noticing his surroundings change. His time change. Him change.
Finally looking up from his notepad, he scanned the room noticing a familiar setting, and as he peeked out of his hotel window Michael finally realized where he was. "NYC." He finished his sentence. He looked back at his note pad and the lyrics weren't there anymore. He turned the page of his now black notepad and saw the title being 'Human Nature.'
'If this is what I think it is...' he thought to himself. 'Y/N will come into the room in 3,2-'
'1.'
"Michaellll!" Y/N said singsongy while dragging every word she spoke. She knocked on the door. "You busyyyy??" She poked her head in.
"Nah, wassup N/N?"
"Breakfast is served!" She began walking into the room- bumping the door with her hips so she could fully get in- with a tray of food and a glass of lemonade she lightly placed the tray onto his lap and the glass onto his night stand. He looked down at his plate. The exact same as back in.... wait.
"What year is it?"
"1993." She whispered sarcastically.
"Really?" His eyes widened as he searched for a mirror.
"It's 1983 doofus." She criscrossed her eyes.
"Oh, okay." He sighed, relieved. Wait, 1983? It was 1987 like two minutes ago... or am I losing it? Did I go back?
"You still working on that human nature song?"
"Uh, yeah."
I'll just go with it till I figure out what's happening to me.
"What part are you on now? Last time I check you were on 'the city winks a sleepless eye, hear her voice shake my window.'"
He bit his lip lightly, thinking of different ways to phrase his next statement. "Sweet seducing sighs."
For some reason that made Y/N a little shifty, if you know what I mean. She turned light in the cheeks. Michael was confused until he realized he was still looking at her with his lip tucked in between his teeth. "Oh sorry..."
"Get me out, into the nighttime," he began reminiscing on the sights that he had seen the night before, that night he stared out of the window, observing the beautiful twinkling stars that filled the night sky, his brown doe eyes illuminated by the moonlight that shone upon him. "Four walls won't hold me tonight."
"If this town, is just an apple." They looked at each other, a smile reaching their eyes and them thinking the same thing they said, "then let me take a bite."
She exhaled, sadly. "I'm sorry to interrupt our music session but I got another shift, I'm filling in for Alice at Mel's diner since Vera or Flo couldn't make it. I'll be back around 8:00 maybe 8:30 okay?"
He checked the clock, 11:15 pm. "Okay, make sure to come right back, Ms. Songwriter. Don't overwork yourself!"
She laughed. "Gotchu, boss."
***
8:45 am:
"I'm back..!" she grumbled, trying her best to force a yell out. She dragged her feet up the stairs and into his room. "I'm back.." she said quieter as she fell out at his bedroom door.
"Y/N? Ugh. What did I tell you?" He shook his head in disappointment while he dragged her to his bed. He removed her heels, throwing them to the side. She was knocked out.
"Guess I have to finish it alone, huh? It's alright though, get your beauty sleep. God knows you need it." He snickered, evilly, joking about her even while she was tired.
"I heard thattt, your not fun-" she began quietly snoring again.
"Looking out, across the morning. The city's heart begins to beat." He spoke softly while trying not to wake up his girl- his friend. He looked out of his window once again, seeing the many cars traveling up and down the highway, the flashing signs that lit up the night toned down for the bright morning to come in. The orange and yellow of the rising sun mixing together to form a beautiful sunrise. "Reaching out, I touch her shoulder..." he contemplates touching her, his fingers grazing the skin of her shoulder ever so lightly, he felt a faint spark even though she was dead to the world. "I'm dreaming of the street..." he smiled, hit by Cupid himself, the boy was in love.
She was awake still, she felt the spark too. She fell asleep for a second but jolted awake when she felt his tender touch. She smiled softly into the pillow, butterflies flying around in her stomach.
________________________________
song lyric for this chapter:
"she's givin' in by keeping him a'round."
(≖͠ ͜ʖ≖)👌
