tabloid junkie (Michael Jackson)

January 6ᵗʰ ─ 3:25 ᵖᵐ

{Edited}

Jan. 6th

3:25 pm

"Annie? Annie, wake up, Annie." I groaned, groggily opening my eyes to see a wide pale face blotting out the hotel ceiling. "Hey."

I sat up in bed, excessively scratching itches that weren't there. It was a habit.

Sunlight spilled into the hotel room in slits through the blinds. "I got you breakfast," said Michael, placing a plastic bowl of ranch-drenched salad and another filled with fruit onto my lap.

"Thanks." I muttered, though I was kind of in the mood for eggs, bacon and possibly a burger? Still, I acted grateful and popped a grape in my mouth, grinning as he strolled to the other side of the bed with plates of his own and crawled into bed beside me.

"Sorry I didn't get you real food," he said apologetically. "Everyone kept giving me comments about how I 'reminded them of someone,' or 'looked familiar,' I knew I had to get out of there."

I laughed hoarsely. "It's alright."

I pretended to mix my salad while watching him in the corner of my eye as he stabbed the lettuce with his fork and brought it to his mouth. He must eat healthy alot. To have this slim body at 35.

I reached over to the desk beside the bed and grabbed the remote. I clicked the TV on and nearly dropped the orange slice when I saw a large picture of me up on 24HOUR News.

Michael put his food away the second he saw my real face, I was as white as a sheet. My mouth hanging ajar. I looked back at the photo on the TV screen. My hair had been a darker shade of brown, and my skin had a more healthy olive glow to it.

How did they get a photo of me? Unless...

"We contacted the family of Diana Cartwright," said James Bartholomew on the TV, scrunching his eyebrows seriously. "Here's what they have to say."

I stiffened when, my Mother's face popped onto the screen, Gloria was standing beside her, looking contorted and I could see the Cartwright House behind them.

"My Diana has always held an unhealthy obsession with Mr. Jackson," she shook her head. "I just never thought she'd ever do something like this."

I clenched my jaw angrily, and sadly. Did she really hate me that much?

An unhealthy obsession?

I could see Michael's sympathetic expression from the corner of my eye, but I gaze up at the TV screen, gulping. I was already embarrassed.

Oh god.

Richard's face comes up on the screen, I can see my sister, and mother in the background. "She lied to us about where she worked, where she lived, we have no idea where she is. Even her cell phone goes straight to voicemail."

I blinked again, I can't stand to look at the lying son of a bitch.

"Right now, we can only assume that she's on the run." He shakes his head at the screen.

And then it goes back to James's charming face.

"As of now, Diana Cartwright is wanted for questioning at the Brooklyn Police Department. We are looking forward to seeing you, Diana." He stares directly at me, suddenly I feel a weird sensation in my stomach.

I slam my food onto the bedside desk and race toward the bathroom, I open the toilet lid and vomit. I hear Michael behind me, I feel his knees in my back as he sits behind me on the floor.

"Diana—"

"I thought it was going to be okay," I groaned. I never liked to cry, but right now, I don't care. A simple tear dripped down my cheek. "I didn't think it would come this far!"

"Neither did I," he placed a hand on my back. "But you're going to be okay, Diana, I pr—"

"You what? You promise?" I look back at him. "All I look like to them is a mentally-obsessed fangirl who abducted her idol!" I shut my eyes, wiping away my tears until my face was dry. "I just want this to be over." I said impassively.

"Then I'll leave." Said Michael, standing. As if disappointed.

I shook my head. "That's not what I meant, Michael." I sighed, flushing the toilet and going for the sink. "What I want, is beyond your control."