Falling In Love With Him

Chapter 6

    "What?" I asked with confusion. Nicole had been asking me another one of her riddles. We were taking our morning walk on the streets of Los Angeles. I loved the scenery of cars passing by, families playing on the beach and roller bladers rolling down the boardwalk. I took a sip of my strawberry banana smoothie through it's pink colored straw, as Nicole repeated the riddle.

    "Okay. I am the beginning of end, and the end of time and space. I am essential to creation, and I surround every place. What am I?" I started to laugh. I couldn't even comprehend what Nicole was saying. "I have no idea. What are you?" I took another sip of my smoothie, waiting for Nicole to tell me the answer. "I'm the letter e." I looked at Nicole. I could tell the look of irritation was there resting on my face. She never could just have a simple conversation without some sort of riddle coming out of it. "And how are you the letter e?" I questioned. "End begins with e, the words time and space also end with the letter e, and e surrounds every place. Get it?"
I had to give the riddle deep thought, before I had comprehended what was said. It didn't take me long.
    "Alright, so I get the first part of it. Except how is it that e surrounds every place?" I always had to try and find an error in these riddles. "Because every starts with e, and place ends with e. So, therefore they're surrounded by the letter e." "Ohhhhh.. Gotcha." I nodded. "I guess that was a good one. Where'd you get it from?"
"I don't know. I think I got this one from a newspaper, or something." We both giggled, and continued our walk.

    During our walk, a couple of teenagers recognized me from my work, and had asked for my autograph. Autographs were another one of my favorite things of being a celebrity.
The most important to me, was hearing people tell me how I was an inspiration to them, and how they looked up to me. Those moments were when I felt the most proud.

"So Mariah, I was thinking maybe later we could go to the beach. I mean, it looks like it's gonna be really nice out, and I don't feel like staying inside." I nodded at the suggestion. "Yeah, that'd be good. Plus, I have this new swim suit that Calvin Kl--" I was interrupted by Nicoles' scream.
"Oh my gosh, what?" I panicked. She pointed over toward a magazine cart. "Look, it's you and Michael!" I looked to my right, and there we were. On the cover of JET magazine. JET had used the photo of Michael and I standing in a backyard in our swim suits, with me spraying Michael with a hose, laughing. That was the chosen cover for the Summer Lovin'! cover.

It'd been over 4 weeks since the photo shoot, and JET had finally published the magazine. I took a copy off of the rack, and opened it up to see the rest of our photos. Nicole handed the cart owner a crisp $10 bill telling him to keep the change, and grabbed two more copies off the rack. "Look, Nic they used your favorite picture!" I said. Nicole and I continued to flip through the magazine, for more photos. We smiled more geeky with each picture. We flipped to my personal favorite picture, when Michael and his brothers were all spraying me with water guns as I stood there shielding myself.
We continued our walk, flipping through the magazine.
"This is going to get some serious attention." Nicole said. "You two actually look like a real couple!" I smiled to myself. Nicole was right and for some reason seeing those photos made me want to tell Michael how I felt sooner than I had originally planned.

**Michaels' Point of View**

    "Marlon, pass the ball!" I yelled. I caught the basketball and made a lay up into the hoop. "Game!" Jackie said. "That's 15-12. You guys lose." Jackie, Marlon and I high-five one another. "Come on man, another re-match!"
The guys were all panting, and out of breath.
"Come on man, you lost. Game over. I'm tired." Jackie took a sip of his water and began making his way inside. Marlon threw the ball into the air. "Whatever!" Jermaine mocked, while watching his brothers walk back into the house. "Wimps."

    "Boys, hurry up and get cleaned up. Dinner is almost ready." Katherine Jackson said, while stirring around a large pot of spaghetti. The boys nodded and each ran up the stairs, to their bedrooms. Without noticing, Michael had ran past his father Joseph. "Quit that running in here, boy. You out your damn mind?" Michael has stopped. He looked down at the hard wooden floors. "Sorry, Joseph." "Come on in here, I need to talk to you." Michael walked into his parents' bedroom and sat down in the arm chair, near the window. "Yes, Joseph?"
"The Grammy awards are coming up." I sighed. "Yes, I know. Are you excited for the performances?" I had a feeling where this conversation was going. Truthfully, I didn't want to have it.
"I don't care about no damn performances." Joe mocked. "I'm just making sure, you know what to do with Priscilla."
"I know, we're going to present an award together." "Alright. And?" Joseph had an irritated look.

Rest assured I knew exactly what the plan was. But I didn't know how I could pretend to have interest in someone, when the girl I truly loved was going to be in the audience watching. If it was up to me, this conversation wouldn't be had at all.
"Boy if you don't answer my question." snapped Joe. "I don't know, Joseph."
"You don't know?" Joseph had a ill look on his face. A look so scolding it could just burn right through you. I was afraid to say anything else, so I just looked away whilst shaking my head. Joseph got out of his seat and walked toward me. I could feel my heart beat faster. "Well you better know. And fast." I stood up from my chair, which made Joseph take a few steps back.

"I don't want to do it, Joseph. I'll present the award with Priscilla, but I won't lie to the world. Or to all my fans."
"Boy, are you crazy or just stuck on stupid?" Joseph started to come closer. "We all agreed on this plan and you're not going to cancel at the last minute. This arrangement will get more exposure for her, and more money for us!"
"It's not always about the money!" I snapped. "I don't love her, and I am not going to pretend that I do." I plead. "Well since when did you care? You're not marrying the girl, it's just some exposure. You're not going to back out now!"
"I don't love her, Joseph!" I yelled.

"You know you only care about yourself! You and your big nose! You don't love nobody!" I could feel tears start to form in my eyes. I knew I wasn't being selfish. "That's where your wrong, Joseph. I love my family, I love my fans." I said. "I'm also in love with a beautiful girl. Who's amazing, and she means a lot to me. If I don't tell her how I feel it could be done."

"I don't care about that girl, or your feelings. You'll go through with the plan, whether you like it or not. Now get out of my sight." Joseph scolded me. He sat back down in his armchair, and shooed me. I turned to leave. Just then Joseph had called my name. I stopped to slow turn around facing him. "Whoever that girl is that's making you go against your own flesh, and blood she's no good." Joe continued. "Leave her alone, or you'll be dealing with me."