Best Of Joy

Chapter 2

I stumbled as Michael led me to a loveseat in the corner of the room. He sat me down and went to turn the music off.

I sat there. Just looking off into the past.

Michael had no idea what to do. He came and sat down beside me, just waiting for my ability to speak to resurface.

"So.. I take it you know that one?" He was adorable.

I moved my mouth in a failed attempt to speak. I just could not.

Of course I knew it. And I knew HIM, too. Or at least I had, at one time.

I had just experienced the MOTHER of all coincidences. I was in "the" little boy's house. Sitting beside "THE" little boy. I began to hypervinilate. I tried to stop in fear that he would get freaked out and ask me to leave.

He could see it was affecting me physically. He did what I never imagined him to do...touched my arm and began to stroke it, in an effort to calm me. This did not help.

Michael consoled me, let me have my moment, and a few minutes passed. I found my speech again.

I turned to look at him. I saw the light in his eyes had faded to a lesser degree than a few minutes before he'd played the record. This saddened me. He had been excited that I didn't know him. Now he was afraid he wouldn't be just a person to me anymore.

I looked at him apologetically. "Michael..."

He looked up at me and half-smiled. His shyness was back.

"Michael. I'm sorry. I...couldn't help it. This is just...a major coincidence for me. I--"

"Don't apologize. I'm very used to it."

"My mother and I used to stay up watching the Ed Sullivan Show every other night, we loved you guys so much. You guys were the only band I've ever really cared about. I'm sorry, this is just..sort of huge for me. I've spent most of my life wondering where you guys went and what became of you. But especially YOU. I never stopped wondering. And now...now here you are. And. Michael, I swear this doesn't change anything. Please don't ask me to leave. Ple--"

"Ask you to leave? Why would I do that?" He asked puzzled.

"Well. I thought maybe now that I know who you are, well who you WERE, you wouldn't want me around. I'd be just another fan. But I'm not, this doesn't change anything, I swear. The hypervinilating was due to shock. Nothing else. Just shock. It was a huge coincidence, that's all. I swear to you."

Michael giggled and looked at his feet. "It wouldn't matter if you were just a fan." He looked back up at me. "I'd still like to keep you around. If you don't mind..." Michael said, with a twinkle in his eyes.

I about melted.

"O-Oh. Okay..." He was so charming.

He stood up from the couch, seeing that I was over my episode. Well, for the most part.

"Anything else you'd like to hear, Ms. Summers?"