Dinner went smoothly—well as smooth as a Jackson family dinner can go. Despite Michael and Jermaine and Janet and Randy's bickering, dinner was good. What would family dinner be without a little bit of drama anyways? Especially in the Jackson household.
"Can I have everyone's attention?" Katherine speaks, connecting her fork with her glass to create the perfect clink sound. Almost immediately all eleven heads turn. "Michael got very important mail today."
"Mother you stopped our conversations to tell us that? This is definitely a conversation for..." Before Jermaine could even finish, Jackie nudges his arm. He looks to Jackie with a smug look, but when he looks to Katherine it was all seriousness. "...please Mother continue."
"That's what I thought. I was saying, Michael you got important mail today and I'd like you to open it in front of the family."
Michael suddenly becomes nervous thinking about what the mail could be about. Had he gotten bad grades? That was impossible because Michael was strictly a straight A student. Surely neither Joseph nor Katherine would be happy if that were the case. That only heightens his nerves making him rapidly bounce his leg up and down underneath the table.
Naila places her hand on his leg calming his nerves down a great deal. "Hey," Naila whispers while rubbing his leg. "Relax everything is going to be okay."
She knew him. His fear of his parents, his nervousness, and sometimes his anxiety.
Michael places his hand atop of hers and holds it tightly. "I feel at ease because you're here."
Katherine pulls the mail from behind her back and tells Rebbie to hand the mail down to Michael. From Rebbie, to Tito, to Randy, to Janet the mail was being passed. "Naila give this to Michael," Janet whispers placing it in her hand.
Michael removes his hand from atop of Naila's which is still gently gripping his thigh. Everyone sat around watching in anticipation as Michael observes the piece of mail before him.
Finally, Joseph asks, "What is it boy?"
"It's a letter from Stanford," Michael gulps still staring at the piece of mail. One part of him was at ease knowing it wasn't a grade report. The other part was nervous, but now for the thought of what could make or break him—his number one school choice.
"Well are you going to open it or are you going to stare at it all night?" Jackie questions becoming inpatient with his brother's antics.
Michael says a mental prayer and the final squeeze of comfort from Naila was all he needed. He peels the piece of mail open and takes the letter out slowly. It takes him a minute to open the paper and fixate his vision on the words.
"Dear Michael, Congratulations—"
Before he could even finish Katherine screams to the top of her lungs while Joe leans back in his chair with a wide grin on his face. Every one of Michael's siblings, including Naila begin congratulating him. Michael was in a trance though—shock.
"I got into Stanford," he mumbles to himself while still looking at the word 'Congratulations!'. He slowly scans over the rest of the letter taking mental notes of the requirements but none of that truly mattered to him in this moment. "I really got into my dream school."
Katherine walks over to Michael holding her arms out with single tears streaming down her face. It was in that moment it finally clicked to Michael.
"Mother I did it," he says, standing to his feet to join his mother's open arms. Once in them all of the fears, anxiety, nervousness, and doubts were gone. They were now replaced with happiness, relief, excitement, and tears—ones that slowly made their way down his cheek and onto her shoulder. "I did it. I got into Stanford."
"I know baby and I'm so proud of you." Katherine pulls back to place a kiss on his cheek.
When they let go of the embrace, Jackie says, "I'm proud of you little bro. All of those late nights and early mornings really paid off."
"They sure did," Michael smiles wiping the little tears that had fallen. "Thank you Jackie."
"Michael you are doing something that not many of us can say did when we had the opportunity. Please know that you have made me the proudest big sister ever," LaToya tells Michael with a soft smile.
The rest of Michael's siblings continue to congratulate him with heartfelt—kind words. All Michael could do was just delve deep into the moment and appreciate what was before him. It wouldn't be long before he was five hours away from them in a dorm—living the college life.
Michael sits back down and briefly glances at Naila's hand before grabbing it and intertwining their fingers. Naila smiles at the his soft touch and lightly squeezes his hand.
"Now that Michael's leaving, can I have his room to turn into my hair studio?"
The room erupts into laughter at Janet's question creating another fond memory Michael wouldn't forget. The joys of being accepted into college.
~
Once Michael was sure everyone in the house was sleep, he and Naila snuck out of the house. It was 12 in the morning and they managed to sneak out and make it to the park—where Michael desperately wanted to go.
Hand in hand they walk to their favorite bench in silence, the only sound coming from the crickets and the bottom of their feet touching the gravel.
"We're both college-bound now Mr. Stanford," Naila speaks, finally breaking their silence.
Michael laughs, "Mr. Stanford has a nice ring to it."
He approaches the bench and takes a seat. Then, without warning or a care in the world, he pulls Naila into his lap.
"Ahh Michael!" Naila exclaims following it was a soft giggle. "What are you doing?"
"Radiating our body heat since it's really chilly this early morning."
Naila wraps are arms around his neck pulling herself closer into his body. It was a little chilly but not to the point of their new position. But she enjoyed it because the idea of this being more than what it is was meaningful to her. Plus she couldn't deny the pull she felt being this close to him—wrapped in his arms.
"We wouldn't be chilly if someone didn't want to come outside," Naila makes known. She moves one hand from around his neck into his Afro and lets her fingers get lost in it. "By the way, I love the feel of your hair."
"Trust me I've taken notice," Michael chuckles, securing his hold around her waist. "I enjoy the feel of your fingers in it too."
Silence surrounds the early morning again—a comfortable silence they both enjoyed. Naila finds herself lying her head on his shoulder breathing in his natural scent while Michael sits in thought of what could possibly become of them.
Those were often his thoughts and since finding out he got into Stanford that was the main thing he thought about. If he told her how he felt about her, how he wanted to be more than just her best friend—how would that work out for them?
Yes, they did have seven more months left of school—he knew that part. But his mind was in the future with the thought of being five hours away from her by plane. She would be on the other side of the country. How would that even work?
"Michael?" Naila calls, removing her head from his shoulder.
"Yes Naila?"
"I didn't get to tell you in the house but now that we're alone I want you to know that I'm very proud of you." She smiles feeling him squeeze her side. "You make me so proud to call you my best friend."
In that moment it was like a burst of confidence took over Michael. Any other girl the confidence would've been there the moment he felt he wanted to be an item, but with Naila everything was so different. She tapped into his weaknesses—something Brittany nor Amelia could do. She belonged to him and he to her.
"I want you to be proud to call me your boyfriend," Michael confesses softly.
Naila sits quietly trying to figure out if she'd heard correctly... because she was almost sure she heard Michael say—
"And I want to be proud to call you my girlfriend because I no longer want to be just your best friend," he continues. "I want you to be mine Naila. I can no longer hide the feelings I have for you or live in fear of what the future will be like when we both go off to college. I'd be a fool to waste this time just being your best friend when I know I want to be much more."
Naila lets out a deep breath, completely speechless. "You can't be serious, there's just no way."
"The girl that I was trying to tell you about earlier in the room... it's you."
Naila replays in her mind the conversation in the room and laughs thinking about how she didn't think it was about herself.
Michael's face falls seeing her laugh at his statement—or so he thought. "You don't feel the same way?"
"YES!" She shouts but just as swiftly, covers her mouth. "Sorry I didn't mean to yell that loud but of course Michael. I've felt this way since last year."
"So. Have. I," Michael says.
"Why didn't you tell me," they both say at the same time.
Both of them laugh filling the quiet park with their boisterous laughter.
"It doesn't matter, just know I've had these feelings for a good while. I just didn't want to tell you because I wasn't sure you'd feel the same," Naila speaks, truthfully. "Plus you weren't really in the position to be in a relationship with another person."
"Yeah, that was a huge mistake on my part but I had already messed up when I said—"
"It's okay Michael you don't have to repeat it."
"I can't even repeat it and I'll never repeat it because it was very uncalled for and unlike me. Naila I apologize for what I said that day and I will continue to apologize," Michael speaks firmly, still fully disgusted with what he told her—which was the cause of their fall out.
"Hey..." Naila says softly, "I don't even think about that anymore and neither should you. I've accepted your apology and you need to stop beating yourself up about it. It happened and we've moved far from it—we're much better than the past."
"We are much better than the past," Michael agrees reciting one of their many mantras. Suddenly a question comes to mind. "Why me?"
Naila sighs, trying to find the right words. "You make me appreciate the fact that I'm blind because most people are driven by people's looks. The fact that I can't see you yet you compel such feelings from me based on your personality lets me know you are the one."
"Girl I'm not even going to tell you all that you do to me yet. Just know I feel a connection with you, one too deep to really put into words right now—and you know I'm good with words," he chuckles. "Now that I'm sure from your loud, sudden outburst that you feel the same way..."
Naila smacks his arm and he laughs, continuing with his coming question. "Will you be mine Naila?"
Nobody could stop the huge smile that etched Naila's features in that moment. Never had she thought she'd ever hear those words come out of Michael's mouth—words she never thought she'd hear in general because of her condition. Yet, here they were.
"Yes Michael, I'd be honored to be your girlfriend."
Michael pulls Naila close placing his head in the crook of her neck. "I'm such a lucky guy." He kisses her neck then leans back examining her lips.
It was as if Naila knew his thoughts—feeling the same exact way because she leans forward until their foreheads connect. Michael removes one hand from around her waist and cups her cheek, rubbing it softly.
With baited breath they sit like that for a minute before Naila whispers, "Kiss me..."
Without second thought Michael tilts his head to the side and captures her wanting lips. Time stopped with a collision of senses and they felt it. In that kiss was the sweetness of passion and love wrapped into one. Naila clings onto his shirt, fisting it in her hand to pull him closer and express her longing for this exact moment. Their lips continue to move in perfect sync with Michael taking lead with his tongue. Heat rises in her cheeks at the feel of his tongue touching hers and she does her best to fight for dominance. Michael submits, only for a moment to let her explore before he was back in control.
After a couple more seconds they both pull away, heavy breathing and rapid heart beats.
"Wow..." That was all Naila could manage to say in that moment.
Michael smiles, then leans forward again to place light pecks on her now swollen lips. "Glad to know I'm not the only one who's been waiting for that."
They both laugh before Naila places her head back on his shoulder.
As they sat comfortably under the stars in each others arms they were in pure bliss—wrapped in their own bubble of love. A new couple that was destined for greatness filled with complete happiness.
But none of them would be prepared for the events that were about to approach in the coming weeks.
—
Uh oh 😬... Anyways finally these two knuckleheads got together. I had to drag it out and maybe 17 chapters was a bit exaggerated 🌚 but I couldn't have them get together in the first couple of chapters—that's too typical. Get this though.. as I was writing the second part of this chapter with Michael confessing his feelings, Heaven Knows I Love You Girl came on shuffle 😭. That song is made for Naila now, locked in stone. Well expect a lot these next couple of chapters.. that's all imma say 🤐.
To be continued...
I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! More to come ;)
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