Remember the Time

Chapter 21

The front cover was a picture of Michael and Diana holding hands on the red carpet at the 1980 Academy Awards that read: "Diana and Michael: Rising Stars of Show Business". Michael had went as Diana's hot young escort that year. Mariah was only ten years old.

Michael wrote little notes all over the cover. Some legible, some not so much. Mariah looked up at the ceiling and said a silent prayer to prepare herself for what she was about to read. She looked down at the front cover and read the first little note, written on Diana's collarbone:

How wonderful is this? Gorgeous Diamond studded necklace compliments her frame.

Another note, written in gold gel pen read:

Very tasteful. Beuty and grace all in one photograph.

Michael had written on his side of the picture:

I love this bowtie. It's a little big but it works. Remind Sally to find this one for me.

At the very top of the cover, Michael wrote in dramatic cursive:

You saved my life, and for that I am eternaly thankful. Thank you for always being their for me.

Mariah looked away, choking back tears. She replayed the note at the top of the cover over and over again in her mind. It was so easy to imagine him saying it, she couldn't help herself. The tears pooled out of her eyes as she sniffled and huffed and puffed. She wailed loudly as snot and slobber dripped down her face onto the floor. Her face was a bright red with veins bulging out of her forehead and neck. A slight throbbing sensation began to form at the front of her head and she screamed out in pain.

Still teary eyed and covered in mucus, she packed the magazine back into the box and sat it at the back of the closet. Her vision blurred and she sniffled up an ugly cry as she walked into the kitchen. She searched for the Merlot until she found a good enough alternative. She opened a new bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon and drank it straight until it was half finished.

Now with dry, prickly, eyes and no tears left to cry, she picked up the phone and dialed Janet.

The phone went straight into voicemail. She moaned aloud and rubbed her forehead.

Soon, the phone rang.

"Janet?" Mariah asked in a whiny voice.

"Hey girl, I'm sorry about that I don't know what's going on with this phone." Janet explained. "What's up?"

"You know, I know I shouldn't have, but I did it anyway. And now I can't stop thinking about it." Mariah replied, hastily.

"Huh?"

Mariah started again, this time twice as fast. "I shouldn't have opened the damn thing and now I can't stop-"

"Wait! Wait. What happened? What did you open?"

"Okay so I was cleaning up from remodeling, right?"

"And then what happened?" Janet asked.

"And I found all his magazines and stuff. And there were a lot of them with pictures of her. He had all these little writings all over them about how perfect she was and all that she had helped him through."

"Oh god." Janet replied, worriedly. Mariah figured Janet knew exactly what she was talking about. "Mariah...the love Mike got for Diana is different, okay? It's just...different. But you need to realize he's never loved another girl the way he loves you."

"Except her." Mariah bit back.

Janet sighed. "I'm telling you, it's different with them. Don't even try to compete with that."