Meant To Be - Michael & Angela

Chapter 6 - The Calm Before...

19th of January, 1989
Michael is 30, Angela is 24

Angela: Another week of school went by.

The semester just started, and I was already drowning in my responsibilities.

By the time New Years' came and went, I was coming down from the holiday season, only to go back to school.

I was in non-stop mode; not the good kind.

Whether it was my extra curricular activities, study sessions with Julia and Lori, and making it in time for classes, I was swamped.

And my mornings had become a nightmare.

I was jolted awake every day at 5 AM by that stubborn nausea.

After throwing up, I'd drag myself back to bed, only to be yelled awake by the girls telling me class already started.

Just when we returned from winter break, the tiredness set in, and it was definitely more than just a typical fatigue.

I found myself dozing off in class, fighting to keep my eyes open, no matter how many cups of coffee I'd drink.

With the constant lack of sleep, I felt like a zombie, going through it all without truly being present.

The headaches were the worst, though.

They were there, all day every day, making the simplest tasks feel hard.

There were days I couldn't even get out of bed because of them.

It was hard, especially because I came back from LA about three weeks ago.

Michael left the morning after Christmas, promising he'd call when he got home.

He did, of course. Our nightly calls turned into an escape for me, where I'd lock myself in the bathroom of our dorm so the girls wouldn't hear my hoarse, tired voice.

I tried to convince him I was fine, but I could hear the concern in his tone every time we talked.

It was around 10 that night when he called to check up on me.

"Maybe you need a break." he suggested.

"I just had a break. A long one. I'll be fine, I swear. I just need to push through this last semester and that's it, I'm done. No more school for the rest of my life." I insisted, trying to sound more confident than I felt.

"But you're not feeling well, babe. You gotta take care of yourself," he continued. "You don't have classes Fridays, right? How about you come to Neverland for the weekend? I'll be there Saturday. Gotta finish some things here in New York. Frank, can you get Angie a car for tomorrow...?"

I could hear Frank's confirmation, and my heart raced at the thought of seeing Michael.

"Mike, I can't just leave school-"

"You've done it before, you can do it again. Come on, it's just a weekend. You need this, baby. And, you'll get to see me. I have a surprise for you..."

I sighed. It is just a weekend, and it's feels like an eternity since I've seen him.

"Okay," I finally agreed. "But I have to get back early on Sunday."

"Great! Frank said a driver will be there tomorrow at 9:30."

We talked for a few more minutes.

He told me he'd been working on a new album, already figuring out some of the major details.

That's what he was doing in New York, meeting potential produces for this upcoming giant project.

Before hanging up, he said he couldn't wait for Saturday, throwing in a quick 'I love you'.