Return III

Chapter 37

Blanket's POV

It feels weird to be back in school after so long. I had gotten so used to sleeping in lately, that I can actually feel the bags under my eyes. 

My friends greet me happily, and I try my hardest to return the emotions. Things have not been bothering me as much as they used to, but grandma's death still affects me more than anything.

"Welcome back, Jackson kid!" a good friend of mine, Tanner, raises his hand for a high five. I smile and nod, slapping my hand against his. 

"Where's that hot sister of yours?" he asks and I roll my eyes. 

"You're gross." I say and Tanner laughs. Soon, our other friends join us, and we all engage in a conversation that consists of catching up and talking about how long I will be back. 

I see Natalie across the hall, and she waves at me with a smile. Her friend Sheyenne is walking with her, and she excitedly waves at me, too. I blush and nod my head at her, then turn back to my friends. 

Seeing Natalie with her old friend takes me back to the first day we met. When we were assigned to be partners for that lame English project. When I first talked to her. Just by looking at her, I knew there was something different. I could feel it. 

*Flashback*

I walked over to her desk and stood over it. "You're Natalie, right?" I asked and she nodded. "We can just stay here." I said and she nodded again. "Okay."

"Why is it always me and you?" I asked with a smirk and she shrugged. "I don't know, I was just wondering the same thing." I slid myself into the desk in front of her and stared at her eyes. They looked strangely familiar

"So what do we have to do?" I asked after a very awkward moment of silence.

"Basically we just talk about if we were each other what we think our lives would be like. You know, because we don't know what each others lives are like." she talked really fast, telling me that she was obviously nervous. 

"Sounds easy enough." I said. "Yeah, so you wanna start?" she asked and I frowned.

"I think you should go first, so I can get more of an understanding." I said and she sighed and smiled again.

"Okay..." she said. "if I were you, I think I'd have a hard life."

"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked with a frown.

"Well, I mean losing your dad and all... plus going to a new school and having all these people hounding you about being a celebrity's kid."

"I don't get hounded." 

"Oh... well I still think it'd be hard. But I also think that it'd be interesting and loads of fun."

"Why's that?" 

"Because you're Michael Jackson's son. Why wouldn't it be fun?"

*Pause Flashback*

She really had no idea. She still doesn't.

"What's the matter, Jacko?" Landon asks and I shake my head and glare at him.

"Don't call me that." I warn and he throws his hands up in defense. I continue to watch Natalie and Sheyenne until they disappear around the corner, then turn my body to face my group.

"What, did you still wanna be called Michael?" Tanner teases and I send him another warning glare. 

"Shut the hell up."