When We Were Younger...(Book Two)

6: Expect The Unexpected

*Michael POV*
September 30, 1979

Today, just like the days before, I wake up in the same place I was in last night. Lounged over the soundboard in the Jackson's home studio, with the demos I recorded before hand blasting through the speakers as if they were sweet lullabies to me. After a quick shower and such, I rush back down to continue what I don't remember falling asleep on, a song I've been writing for a while now called 'For All Time'.

It would be hard to argue and say that the song isn't written about Shanelle and how I feel about her with lyrics such as "Somebody once said, it's the soul that matters. Baby who can really tell, when two hearts belong so well" I'm sure anyone in their right mind could guess it. I began writing the piece just weeks after her gifting me my first song book back on one of me and my brothers most infamous tours. Back then, she was my only muse for love songs and now...nothing's really changed much.

I tend to think about her more than I should but I can't seem to stop the more I go without seeing her, speaking with her. I wonder if she still thinks about me or if I cross her mind during her writing sessions. I wonder if she's even heard my work, more importantly, the songs I've written just for her. I wonder if she's got a new man or dating to find one. Judging how every time I see her on tv or magazines with her eyes holding nothing but sadness, my answer is no. I'm not even sure she has enough time to with all the work she's been taking on lately. Every song I hear nowadays seems to be written by her and every time I turn on the TV set, there she is, fake smiling and waving to the screaming fans she grew rapidly over the years. Even Stevie can see she is working herself to death which may be the reason her eyes holds so much hurt or maybe she's just lonely, like me. Her and I always been so similar, that's what drew us to one another. Maybe she just needs someone to talk to, someone who knows about the business and knows what she's been going through. Someone who will understand her every thought, every emotion. Someone like me.

"Yo, Mike! I thought today was our off day? What you doing up in here." Marlon's voice pulls me from my thoughts, catching his questioning eyes as he takes a seat next to me.

"I'm always working, you know that." I say, clicking off the melodies and unrehearsed vocals spilling from the speakers around us.

"You gotta give yourself a break sometime. Hang out with your girlfriend or something." He says, adding in, "How are you and Tatum by the way?"

"We are alright. I spent time with her days ago before she kicked me out. All because I wasn't in the mood to make love to her."

"Why? I wouldn't mind hitting that all day everyday of the week. What's the problem?"

"That's my problem. She's letting other guys do just that. I know she is."

"How?"

"I have this gut feeling. It's the way she acts towards me now. All she want is sex and the moment I don't give it to her, she is quick to kick me out, ignore me for a week or two then call me back over. It's the same cycle over and over."

"Y'all need therapy." He comments before pointing towards the soundboard. "New song for the album?"

I nod. "Yes, but for my album."

"Yeah, Jermaine was telling us about that." He nods back. "Something about zombies and shit."

"Yeah." I chuckle. "He doesn't think it will sell at all."

Shrugging he replies, "I'm sure it will. Not just because of your name, although some will only buy it because of that fact alone, but the idea isn't half bad. It's something fresh, something nobody else is doing. I'm sure you will score big with this one, more than Off The Wall, maybe."