Slipping Away

Chapter 8

September 2nd, 1993

Mariah heard her beeper go off. Rolling over, she found that it was Brenda was telling her to call her. Michael had left before she had gotten up and she didn't feel like looking for him yet.

She dialed Brenda's number. "What's up?"

"Girl, turn on the news right now."

Mariah lunged for the remote and flipped through the channels until she got to the news station. "What's going on?'

"Just keep watching."

Mariah quietly watched the news and after a weather segment, there seemed to be a press conference going on.

Gloria Allred, the new attorney for Michael Jackson's accusers, announced today that the boy is willing to testify against Jackson in court. Could this lead to a conviction?

Mariah almost dropped her phone. "Brenda, this doesn't make any sense."

"I don't know, girl. Are you sure-"

"Positive. Michael's innocent." 

Mariah rolled her eyes at Brenda suggesting that Michael was guilty. 

"You know him better than most people. Say something in your next interview or something, you know they're gonna be asking you the...what are you guys now?"

"I have no idea. I'm just kind of going with the flow, he says we're working on us so that could mean we're dating or it could mean that we're just sleeping together-"

"Wait, you guys are screwing again?"

Mariah sighed. "Yes, Brenda."

"Yes, girl. Get that, he better be blowing your back out."

Mariah covered her mouth. "I can't deal with you. Yes, it's good. You've seen him dance."

She could hear Brenda clapping over the phone.  "I see you, girl."

Mariah could hear the door opening. "That's Michael, I'll call you later."

"Alright, I'll be praying for you guys."

"Thanks."

Mariah hung up the phone and went to give Michael a peck on the lips. "Where'd you run off to?"

"I went to pick up some snacks with, Bill. I got your favorite." He handed her a roll of Oreos.

Mariah grimaced. "Michael, sit down."

She watched the smile fade from his face. "What? Are you unhappy with-"

"No, no, no. Brenda called." She explained.

He sat down on the bed. "Go on..."

"The Chandlers just held a press conference with a new lawyer, they said Jordan would testify against you if it goes to a criminal trial." 

Michael bit his lip and got up from the bed.

"Babe...?" She murmured.

He continued walking out of the door 

"Michael!"

She heard the door slam and Mariah sighed in frustration. She had known from the start that the Chandlers were trouble, but she wished she had known how bad things would've been. 

It was late at night  when she heard Michael stumbling back into their hotel room.

Is he drunk? No, he can't be, he can't just go to a bar.

Crash.

What in the entire fuck?

She reluctantly threw the covers off herself and went into the living room area where Michael was laying on the floor face down . She rolled her eyes and shook him.

"Mike? Babe?"

She heard him mumble something. "I can't understand you."

He turned his head. "Just-just leave me here."

"If you don't get your ass up and come to bed. Where did you go anyway?"  She shook him again.

He groaned and turned away from her. "Go to sleep Mariah. It's late."

"So you think you're gonna have me waiting up and then not sleep in the bed with me? Nah, not gonna happen." She got up and went back into the bedroom, pulling the comforter off the bed. If he was sleeping on the floor, she was sleeping on the floor.

She threw the blanket on top of him and laid down next to him. 

"What are you doing?"

She giggled. "You said 'go to sleep'. Let's sleep."

"Go sleep in the bed." He slurred.

I don't smell alcohol, but he's acting drunk. I don't get it.

She shook her head. "No, I wanna sleep with you."

"You can't. I have someone." He muttered.

Okay, he's definitely out of it.

She raised an eyebrow. "Really? Who?"

"Her name is Mariah. She's gorgeous and has one of the best voice I've ever heard. I love her to death." He slurred.

Mariah suppressed a giggle. "She loves you too."

"I know. She's great, she's so supportive. I'm gonna marry her." He declared.

She chuckled. "I'm sure you are. Let's go to sleep."

"I can't" He slurred. "She's gonna be mad at me."

"No she won't." Mariah assured him. She rubbed his shoulders gently and helped him settle down as he dozed off. She wondered if he had taken another of his aspirins while he was gone. Michael's inebriated rant was probably the cutest thing she had heard from him in a while, but she was starting to become concerned. 

September 14th, 1993

The Chandlers had fired Gloria Allred and hired Larry Feldman as their current lawyer; their current lawyer who had just filed a $30 million dollar lawsuit against him.

Mariah was reading it to him because he didn't have the heart to look. "$30 million for sexual battery, battery, seduction, willful misconduct, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligence, and fraud. Have they lost their fucking minds? What the fuck?"

She threw down the paper, curling her lip. "These people are crazy. They're all suing each other and you. I'm so-" 

She sighed. "I quit."

Michael frowned. "I don't know Mimi. I just don't know."

She picked up the paper again. "Fraud, that's stupid. Negligence, how can they charge you with negligence? Stupid. Emotional distress, nobody's been to therapy so that's out. And everything else gets thrown out because you didn't do it. Ta-dah!"

"Mariah, it''s not that simple-"

"How come?" She raised an eyebrow.

He sighed. "If the Chandlers come up with an airtight-"

"They won't. People can't keep up with lies. They're going to be cross examined on their own statements and with each other's statements. If there's even a shadow of a doubt, the jury has to rule in your favor. Plus, the tapes and the fact that they tried to negotiate money out of you. Shit, you have me. I'm your star witness."

What Mariah was saying made a lot of sense, but Michael was afraid. Public opinion kept his career alive, and if he couldn't convince them he was innocent, then he was always going to be guilty. He would be the victim of mocking jokes and scorn for a crime that he did not commit. 

Even in his innocence, he was guilty.

A post for you all on April Fools Day aka my birthday.