Anouk’s POV
“Do we have everything?”
“Mom, we have everything. We got enough stuff to survive for a year on a desert island. Stop hyperventilating, please!”
Michael and Wayne chuckle and I throw them an evil glare. Men!
“Manny, we’re leaving! If you don’t hurry, you’re gonna remain here all alone!”
And here he comes with a huge army backpack, full to the brim. He can barely carry it.
“Jesus, Manny, what did you get in there? An elephant?”
“I have one at Neverland!”
I look at Michael, blinking.
“What?”
“I have like…like a zoo. I have an elephant…Liz Taylor gave it to me…and I have giraffes, llamas…”
“And now you’ll have two South Africans, as well. Seems legit!”
“Haha, Nooki, you’re so funny! Let me go help Manny.”
It’s great to see Michael and Manny being truly friends. It’s like my life is now full. My buddy and my guy are friends and there are no hidden jealousies between them.
“So, what’s in here, Manny?”
“I got all the cool games that we played. So, when Nooki starts acting like a girl, you can come over to my room and we can play!”
Michael throws back his head and starts laughing. He laughs so hard, that all his body is shaking.
“Manny, I got all the games at Neverland!”
“No, you don’t.”
“Yep, I do. I have pinball, and video games and arcade games, and I got a cool entertainment park with the Swisher, the Ferris wheel, the carousel…”
“No way…no one has stuff like that at home.”
“Well, I do. I have a big home with everything I need to have fun. I have a cinema theatre, too.”
Manny scratches his head.
“You’re bluffing.”
“No, I’m not. Honestly….Geez…do I look like I’m making it all up?”
And he puts up his most innocent face ever. Sigh! Stop that, Michael, or I’m afraid I’ll rape you once we’re in the plane!
Finally, we need two cars. One for the luggage, one for us.
“She’s complaining about me and my games, but she packed all those makeup and creams and perfumes stuff” whispers Manny to Michael. “Who needs all that stuff?”
“Girls like to make themselves pretty, Manny. That’s what they all do” answers back Michael in the same conspiring voice.
“Why?”
“Because…” now he is looking straight at me, “they want to impress a poor guy…who likes them anyway.”
“Do you like Nooki?”
“Yes, Manny, I like Nooki very much. She’s my girlfriend.”
Manny shakes his head and continues looking out of the window. I take the chance to lean over Michael and whisper in his ear:
“Now you believe me?”
He looks at me and nods. There’s an unspoken sadness in his eyes.
“Like I said, don’t be sad for him. We’re all grateful to have him with us.”
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Behind The Mask
FanfictionShe doesn't care that he is the King of Pop. He doesn't care that she keeps rejecting him. Because behind the mask there are feelings hidden, stifled, condemned to be left without expression. But nobody can wear a mask forever...can they?
