Rose Garden :: MJ

Chapter 11 : Little House

Little House

1988

Michael slowly shuffled his feet up the sidewalk with Amanda clutching his arm to steady him so he doesn't trip and fall.

His whole body was aching with black and blue bruises all over him. He didn't know why his father had to resort to this punishment again, just like when he was little.

"Amanda, I know you'll love Neverland. Over there is the amusement park and over there are the animals," he said with a small smile, slowly but surely lifting his arm to point out the different attractions Neverland had to offer.

Amanda looked around to allow her eyes to explore the grounds of her new home. It seemed to stretch on forever. She moved in yesterday while Michael's family, excluding his father, visited him in the hospital.

"It's beautiful Michael, really it is," she said clutching his arm tighter as he shakily walked up the front porch steps.

Yesterday when she was here she didn't pay much attention to her surroundings, she had too much on her mind.

She knew that Michael couldn't leave her because they were at his house. She had nothing to worry about, after all it was Michael, and he wouldn't do something like her father did anyway.

"You got your stuff in the guest house, right?" Michael said pulling her out of her thoughts.

"Yeah," she replied.

She wouldn't be staying in the main house, so that made her worries a little less than they were.

She hadn't even seen the main house yet, so she was a little surprised when Michael opened the front door to reveal a grand staircase in a beautiful foyer.

She heard herself gasp and Michael chuckle, "Its great isn't it?"

"You have a beautiful home Michael," she said smiling at him.

"Can you help me to my room?" He asked innocently.

"Sure," she said still looking around in awe.

Michael started walking slowly; he led her through the den, kitchen, and the dining room. They stopped at a set of double doors.

Amanda had to open them because Michael was still very weak from that night. She didn't even want to think about the terror she felt as she watched Michael's father slam him form wall to wall, screaming curse words at Michael, as laid on the floor motionless, like she suspected he did in his childhood.

Michael led her through another set of double that were open into a huge den. A fireplace was in the corner sandwiched between two wall sized windows on either side. The view from the windows was a beautiful garden with hundreds of flowers, their bright colors almost blinding in the sunlight.

A couch and two chairs with ottomans surrounded the grand fireplace, a huge painting hung over the fireplace. The other side of the room had a staircase leading to the loft with a white grand piano beside it.

Amanda didn't even realize that she had abandoned Michael to look around, "Your room is beautiful."

"Can you help me up the steps, please?" He said.

Amanda smiled and walked towards him, "Sure, sorry, I was just looking."

Amanda helped Michael up the stairs and they ended up in his actual bedroom area.

"Feel free to look around, I'll just sit here," Michael said sitting down in a chair beside his bed.

Michael had a king sized bed with a navy blue almost sparkly comforter on it. Amanda walked farther and looked to the left and saw a master bathroom, she walked in. She poked around and opened a door to reveal a huge walk in closet, she closed the door back. She walked out of the bathroom and down the hall farther. At the end of the hallway there was another door, she opened it and there was what appeared to be an office. She walked back towards Michael, he smiled shyly at her.