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

31~ Reuinted

•Michael POV•

I wake up to the smell of bacon serenading my nostrils but when becoming fully awake, I spring up from my bed to the sound of arguing coming from just downstairs I believe. It's been no one but me, Marlon, the girls and mother since Marlon and I returned for about a day or two now but I knew it would be just a matter of time before Joseph and the others showed up to drag us back on tour, with us kicking and screaming of course because that's just his style. I maneuver through the hallway as quiet as I could, surprisingly meeting Janet at the top of the steps. She stood off to the side, one hand gripping the railing while the other held a firm fist. She was biting her lip viciously, something she seemed to do when she was nervous, and stared in the direction where the voices were coming from.

I place a hand on her shoulder, cooing quietly at her when she jumps out of fear. "He's here." She whispers to me just as he raises his voice again.

"Them boys need to be beat, Katy! Can't you see the shit they done caused! They are costing everyone money! We have bills to pay every month, Katy, and that can't happen when one of them decides to run off and play victim! They need to know that they can't just up and leave whenever they want to!" He shouts as if wanting Marlon and I to hear him loud and clear wether we were present in the house or not.

"They are stressed, Joseph. You working these boys too hard, now. They need to rest." Mother tried to argue but it falls onto deaf ears because Joseph is back to ranting some more while I ease slowly down the staircase to obtain a better look.

"They need to get their asses in one of them vans out front so we can make the next venue in time! We had to cancel three shows already, Katherine!"

"Joseph, all I'm saying is that if you just-"

"Did he tell you, Katy?" Joseph cuts her off. "Did Marlon tell you what he did? Did he tell you why he ran back home to ya?"

"He and Michael told me exactly why they both came home, Joseph. Everything they did and everything you said."

"Everything I said?" He scoffed back. "He went and got some groupie pregnant. Am I suppose to be all happy, telling him how proud I am of him? Hell no!"

"You don't even know the girl Joseph. She isn't just some hoochie working the late night curb. Now I've had time to spend with her and she is very sweet. Respectful and pretty. I agree that Marlon is too young to be settling down and starting a family of his own but it's already done Joseph. What can we do? You're gonna' beat these boys black and blue if you whoop them for every bad decision they make."

Joseph scowls at her with eyes of pure fire as I watch his jaw muscles clench harshly against his skin. "If that's what I gotta do then so be it. Them boys gotta' learn sooner or later."

He goes to storm off, looking to be heading towards the kitchen with mother following behind, continuing their discussion as I take that as a my warning to evacuate the house as quick as possible without Joseph finding me. He seems to be in one of his favorite moods and I would hate to be on the end of the belt he plans on clenching ahold of when he finally sees Marlon or myself.

I get to my room as fast and quiet as I can, rummaging through my drawers for an outfit to place on my body. I could hear Joseph shouting from downstairs, sounds of clinging pots and pans were sounded seconds after causing me to speed up my dressing process just a tad. It was like someone pressed the fast forward button on their remote how fast I was getting dressed but still it wasn't fast enough. I soon heard footsteps stomping their way up the stairs along with mother pleading for him to stop. Thinking on my feet though, I rush to my bathroom, locking it behind me as I struggled to calm my anxiety just a tad.