tabloid junkie (Michael Jackson)

March 18ᵗʰ ─ 5:00 ᵖᵐ

I'd never had a father figure in my life, and after coming down stairs and seeing the chaotic mess Michael's dad had made, I didn't want one either.

The window was broken through, I'm guessing he punched it, he was a crazy man. I don't see how Katherine could have married someone like him.

Right now, he had just gotten done shoving all the things off the table, and people were screaming. Joshua and Vanessa shocked.

In memory of Freya Cartwright

The cake was extra large and Michael had had it made for the after-funeral gathering. Charles lugged his arms back to knock it over.

"NO, STOP!" I screamed, pretty sure I was going to bawl if anything happened to the cake. I lifted the hem of my skirt as I whipped in between Charles and the Freya Cake. "Don't touch that."

Charles squinted at me. "Michael?"

I squinted back in confusion. "What?"

"Rowan was your brother," Charles barked at me. Yeah, he was completely drunk. "You let him die out there, all alone?"

"Mr. Jackson, I have no idea what you're-"

Charles drew his hand back, releasing it toward my face. I was slapped hotly across the face, thrown back into the food table. My rear slamming into the Freya Cake, mushy dessert vanilla cream caking my dress.

I slid off the table, my hands mucky with cake.

Grubby hot tears wailed from my eyes. "No," I said, my chest heaving tears. "You bastard!" I flungy myself at Charles Jackson, beating him with my fists.

I felt familiar, cold hands on my arms. Michael was pulling me away from his father. When I clung to Charles's shoulders, Michael tugged a bit harder and we both flew back.

Unable to get up and dust off the incident, I grabbed onto Michael's collar. "I'm sorry," I cried into his ear, slipping my arms around his neck and breathing deeply into his collar. "I didn't mean to."

"Annie, it's okay." It wasn't okay. Not what I did. But the sound of my given nickname calmed me.