When We Were Younger... (Book One) (MJ Fan Fic)

25~ Say What?!?!

•Michael POV•

"Suzanne. Don't you think I should be up front when we sing my song?" Jermaine quizzes just as the last note of Ben is played.

"Well.." Mrs. De Passe drawls, staring at each of us for input or protests to the discussion. "If we try to incorporate that in now, we will have to change up the choreography a bit and the show is tonight."

"We can learn a few new steps before the show if that's what you're worried about." Jermaine shoots back, tuning his bass for to perfection to play his song 'Daddy's Home' which is truly just a cover, the original sung by Shep & The Limelight's back in the early 60s. "It would just be weird if I'm singing my song in the shadows of my little brother whose belting out background vocals."

"Jermaine, I think you are fine right there. I mean, why fix something that ain't broke?" Marlon cuts in, wiping the sweat trickling from his forehead with his towel.

With the glare Jermaine throws in Marlon's direction, we all groan with annoyance and hop off the stage to sit down for we knew his daily whining was about to start and that could take a pretty long time like yesterday. He was upset about how I much I broke off from the routine to entertain the crowd during our performance and didn't mind telling me off in the car about how 'unprofessional' that was.

"You making it seem like your the star."
I remember him saying to me. "No one's bigger than the group, Michael."

I remember beginning to defend my case but with a a small shake of the head from Jackie not to, just to avoid us bickering all the way back to the hotel, I let him go on and on. He nagged my ear off so bad about it, I refused to share a room with him that night and decided to bunk with Randy and Marlon. Matter of fact, we all slept in Marlon and Randy's room that night, leaving Jermaine to whine and nag to himself.

"How come Michael gets to be up front during every song we do but I can't be up front during my one song?" He now throws me daggers as those words freefall from his lips. I roll my eyes at him, plopping down in a front row seat with a huff. "This seems more like favoritism to me. No one is bigger than the group. Nobody."

"Really, Jermaine? I feel as though us singing your stupid boring song is good enough. Now you just being greedy." Randy adds in his two cents causing the death stares that were being thrown at me and marking a few seconds ago to switch to him in seconds.

From my left, I hear small chuckles making me turn and find Marlon chuckling away in his hand. "It's not being greedy. It's jealousy." He manages to say through his obnoxious laughter and that was like a time bomb for Jermaine as he begins to blow up in everyone's face.

"Shut up Marlon! How about you learn to sing on key before you start talking and Randy how about you find me one person who actually knows who you are instead of that 'little man in the back'. Maybe then your two cents will actually count up to something!"

And just like that, all five of my brothers begin to argue while I sit, sighing with frustration as I drag a weary hand down my sweaty face. It doesn't take long for me to grow tired of everything that surrounds me. So, after eyeing them one more time, I stand and move past my wrestling brothers up to Mrs. De Passe who was chatting away on the phone with Mr. Gordy I assume.

I tap on her shoulder and once I gain her full attention, I say softly, "Just let him be up front if that's what he really wants. It is his song so he does have the right to have a couple of minutes to interact with the fans if we are being honest."

She nods. "I'm discussing that with Berry right now."

She turns to continue just that while I turn and face my brothers who were still going at it like never before. I let out a tired sigh and make my way pass them again, on route to my private dressing room that I seem to always have no matter what city we go to, just to get away from Joseph, my brothers and even Berry from time to time. The only people who truly knows about it though is me, Mrs. De Passe, and Shanelle of course.