June 14th, 2000
Mariah was looking through her screenplay feeling annoyed. She was waiting on Louise to get back to her about her singles, since Sony was blocking them from being released. By touring, she'd already held up her end of the contract so she couldn't understand why the label was still choosing to sabotage her career.
Ring.
Ring.
Mariah rolled her eyes and picked up her phone. “Hello?”
“Mariah.”
She sat up straight. “Tommy...Hi.”
Mariah half expected Tommy to yell at her for one reason or another, but his voice remained icily calm.
“Why are you posting inside information on your website where anybody can see it?”
She huffed. “Where are my singles Tommy? I did the tour, I did the appearances but you're still not promoting my singles.”
“And I'm not going to until you figure out who that child belongs to. I'm getting married in October, I don't need this hanging over me.”
Is he serious right now?
Mariah pinched the bridge of her nose. “Well, don't worry about it. I know who her dad is, my husband.”
“So you got the test?”
No.
“Yeah, but like I was saying about my singles-”
Click.
Mariah stared at her phone in irritation. “I know this asshole didn't just hang up on me-”
She put her phone back down on the table contemplating how she was going promote her album without her label backing her.
They’re gonna release my music whether they want to or not.
June 14th, 2000
Michael sighed in frustration as he walked down the hallway toward the master bedroom. The girls had toys scattered all over the house, and with his staff on vacation, he had to clean everything up.
“Noni!” He shouted.
“Huh?”
“Come here!” He replied.
“Huh, daddy?”
He shook his head. Anytime he’d try yelling at his girls from another room, they’d never move to go see what he wanted.
I don’t even know why I tried.
He picked up plushies and baby blocks on his way into the bedroom. As he turned the corner, he noticed Mariah sitting on the bed with his laptop, while Twizzie, his nickname for the twins and Elizabeth, played around on the floor.
Michael giggled as he placed the girls’ toys on the chair.
“Baby, what are you doing?” He asked glancing between Mariah and the girls. She peeked behind the computer screen, a smirk on her face. “Talkin’ to my fans.”
He smiled so that his teeth showed.
“Noni.” He started.
Noelle looked up at him, innocently.
“What did Daddy tell you about leaving your toys all over the place?”
She grew distressed. “That’s sister.” She replied, pointing at her baby sister.
Opposite her, Elizabeth sat on the floor, chewing and slobbering on any toy in sight.
Michael frowned. “Come on Noni, don‘t lie on the baby like that.” He sat on the floor and placed Elizabeth on his leg. “She so little and kind and sweet. She doesn’t leave toys all over the place.” He kissed her cheek.
“Uh huh!” Noelle shouted.
Elizabeth dropped the oversized Lego she’d been chewing on. She glanced to Michael for help.
Michael chuckled, reaching over to her baby bag to hand her a clean teething ring.
He glanced at Mariah. “So you talking to your fans, huh?”
She nodded, her eyes focused on the prize.
“What y’all talking about?”
“I’m telling them to request my singles.” She replied. “It makes no sense; I’ve released the album, gone on tour and everything. Where are my singles?”
“I was wondering why I hadn’t heard anything…Is somebody messing with you?”
“What do you mean?” She inquired, sitting up on the bed to look at her husband head on.
“I just find some of this stuff very convenient…”
“You too, huh?” She asked, her tone realizing something.
Michael nodded. “I thought we solved that problem a long time ago. What’s the issue now?”
“Assaulting your boss is not solving the problem.”
“Well, he ain’t been doing nothing since, has he?” Michael replied.
She raised an eyebrow--her face growing pale.
“Wait- Has he?”
Mariah shrugged.
Michael grimaced, placing Elizabeth back down on the floor. “Mariah, you need to tell me.”
“There’s nothing to tell, okay! I’m just annoyed at the way it was all handled. It’s hard not to think he’s plotting something big, ya know?”
Michael nodded, slowly. He stood up and walked over to the bed. “I’m sorry baby. I didn’t mean to say it like that. I know you’re scared but you don’t have to be.”
She adjusted the computer so that it sat perfectly in her lap. “I just want my album to sell is all. And they’re not even trying to promote it.”
“Okay, so then you’re doing the next best thing: taking it upon yourself.”
She smiled, turning her attention back to the computer. Michael laid down on his back, stroking Mariah’s exposed shoulder.
She leaned over onto his hand, warmth radiating from her cheek.
“Babe, look at what queenmariah2000 just said.” Mariah instructed, pointing at the username on the screen.
Michael sat up, maneuvering so that his legs wrapped around Mariah. He held onto her waist, his head resting on her shoulder.
He read the comment aloud. “‘Tommy on some bullshit, I hope he burns in hell! Queen Mariah all day! RIP Lil Rae. Free my cousin Jeremy.’”
“That last part’s her signature.” Mariah informed, giggling.
Michael smiled. “I know. I be on these websites.”
“You be lurking in the dark, babe?”
He gave a slight nod.
“You ever talk to your fans?”
“All the time.” He replied.
“I mean on your website.”
“I know what you meant.” He replied, snarkily. “Yes, I talk to them.”
“As yourself?” She asked.
“Noooo! Never. They’d never talk to me normally if I did.”
“What do you mean?”
He scratched the crease of his eye. “They’d just go crazy. Always say ‘Mike I love you!’ or something instead of just conversing with me like a regular person.”
“So then what do you do?”
“I go undercover. I pretend to be a fan. I talk to them about their lives and stuff. I’ve made a lot of friends on there, but we just talk on my site.” He explained.
“So what do you do when they want to talk about you?” She asked.
“I may comment or something. But I usually just change the subject.” He responded.
“How?”
He glanced up at the ceiling, thinking. “Well, I just say things like. ‘I love his song HIStory. What’s your favorite song and why?’”
“So it’s an ego boost?” She joked.
“No. It’s a segue into another topic. Like if I say that, they’ll be like, ‘I love Beat It because of its message against violence’ or something. Then they start talking about how they work with kids in afterschool programs so they can stay out the streets and stuff. It’s usually stuff like that.”
Mariah’s face read: ‘not bad’.
“Yeah. If I ever went on there under my account they wouldn’t do stuff like that. They’d just lose their minds.” He added.
“I wanna do that. Go in there, all inconspicuous and stuff, and pretend to not be me.”
“Who would you be if you didn’t have to be you?” He questioned.
She tilted her head to the side. “I don’t know...maybe- Well- My life is better than a lot of peoples’. I don’t know who I’d be.”
“Well, I can tell you who I’d be.”
“Who?” She asked.
“Tyrone Jenkins.”
She chuckled. “Who the hell is that?”
“A guy from Chicago. Born in 1960. Grew up on the Jacksons and Chaka Khan and Donna Summer- And all the disco greats.”
“You have a wild imagination.” She replied.
“No, really. I’ve always wanted to make a movie like this. But I don’t know how a fan of me would act. That’s why I created him.”
“Michael, this sounds like an ego trip.” She joked.
“No, no, no! The movie is not about him being a fan of me. It’s about him wanting to change the world through his own craft. The music is just a sidenote about his personality.” He explained.
She didn’t seem to believe his explanation.
Michael took a deep sigh. “Point is, I can’t go online as myself. So I chose to be Tyrone. And it works.”
“I could do that…” Mariah commented.
“Yeah.” He gave her a kiss. “You could.”
June 16th, 2000
“Nicole, Noelle slow down!” Mariah instructed as she gripped their hands a little tighter.
Nina had gone into labor the night before and early that morning had delivered a healthy baby girl. Dawn wouldn't say much else over the phone, but she invited Michael, Mariah, and the girls to the hospital to meet the new addition.
Michael pointed toward one of the doors. “She should be in here.”
Mariah followed him into the room.
Nina was sitting on the bed, her hair pinned up in a large bun. Noah was sitting in the chair beside the bed, while Dawn was holding her newborn so that Noah could see her.
“Noah!” Noelle exclaimed, pulling Mariah's arm.
“You gotta be quiet, Noni.” Mariah said, pulling her daughter back.
Mariah turned to Nina, loosening her grip on the twins’ hands. “Hey, how are you feeling?”
Nina grinned. “I'm happy she's out.”
Noah got up from Dawn's side and walked over to Nicole and Noelle.
“Thas sister.” He announced, pointing in Dawn's direction.
Nicole and Noelle peeked at the baby then looked back at Noah.
Standing beside Dawn, Michael gazed at the newborn.
“She is so beautiful. What's her name?”
Dawn answered. “Ava Marie.”
Mariah made her way over to Dawn. “She's so tiny.”
“You guys wanna hold her?” Dawn asked.
Mariah looked at Michael to see if he wanted to, and of course, he did.
Dawn cheesed as she handed the baby over to Michael, who was clearly a natural.
Michael sat down with her in the rocking chair across from Nina. He cooed and ooed and awed at the blinking baby.
Funnily enough, Twoah, Mariah’s nickname for the twins and Noah, seemed equally as fascinated with baby Ava. They’d followed Michael all the way onto the other side of the room.
Michael glanced at the kids. He picked up Ava’s arm. “Say, ‘what’s up, Noni!’”
“Whuhs up, Noni!” Noelle parroted.
Michael chuckled. “Aww, not you, baby. I’m telling Ava to say hi.”
“Can I hold?” Noelle asked.
Michael shook his head. “I’m sorry baby, you’re too small.”
Noelle always wanted to hold babies--even though she was just a baby herself. She’d been that way ever since Mariah had Elizabeth, who, for the day, stayed back at Neverland with Janet while the rest of the family went to meet Ava.
Noelle smiled a giddy smile, holding her hands together like a prayer warrior. Nicole, beside her, fell back toward Dawn.
Noah reached out for his sister’s hand. The infant firmly grasped his finger.
He giggled lightly tugging back every time her grip grew stronger.
“Here, I try.” Noelle said, playing with Ava’s other hand.
Soon, Ava had a vice grip on both of the older kids.
Mariah could feel her heart just about melt at the sight.
Ava yawned, blinking her eyes shut.
Michael marvelled at her. “Look how cute she is!”
Nina smiled, her eyes watering. “Dawn, look at our babies.”
Noelle chuckled. “She sleep?”
Michael nodded.
“Ah!” Noelle exclaimed. “Night night, baby!”
Noelle slid her finger out of Ava’s loosening grasp, Noah followed suit.
“Night night, sister.” Noah said. He planted a wet kiss on the baby’s cheek.
Nicole chimed in from Dawn’s lap.
“Night night, baby!”
June 20th, 2000
Pat was walking through the streets of New York, thankful for the warm June air. She hadn't eaten in about two days and was in search of her next meal. She usually came down this street to wait for one of the pizzerias to throw out their leftover food around midnight. As she turned the corner, she saw something that made her stomach turn.
Alfred? And- Katie?
She could just see her baby daddy walking out of a restaurant, hand in hand, with none other than Katherine Jackson.
He's with her?
She stopped dead in her tracks, unable to take her eyes off the pair. Alfred was carrying a bag of leftovers in his free hand as he walked towards Pat, though he was focused on whatever Katherine was saying.
Pat contemplated hiding from the two for a moment, but figured it would be better for her to talk to Alfred. He always looked out for her when it mattered most.
“Alfred!” She shouted.
Alfred looked up and they immediately locked eyes. Katherine also noticed her, and leaned in to whisper something to Alfred.
Pat approached them. “Hello you two.”
“What do you want Patricia?” Alfred inquired.
Pat looked Katherine up and down. “The boy's mother Al? Really?”
“That's none of your business.” Katherine spat.
Pat chuckled. “No need to get defensive, Katie. It was just a question.”
“The real question is: what happened to you?” Alfred interjected. “You look horrible.”
“Well, if your daughter would stop being so vindictive and help me get a place to stay I'd be fine.”
Katherine smirked. “So you're homeless?”
Pat went quiet a moment.
“I could use somewhere to stay…”
Alfred looked between Katherine and Pat.
“Why don't you go stay with your family?” He asked.
Pat rolled her eyes. “You know why that's not happening.”
“I see you’re still blaming me for something that happened almost forty years ago.” Alfred bit.
Pat suppressed an eyeroll. “I have no place to go, Al.”
Alfred raised an eyebrow. “What are you asking me?”
Pat folded her arms, peering innocently at her ex husband.
“There you go doing that mess again.” Alfred muttered. “Are you asking us to move you in?”
“Okay, well we better be going or we'll miss our movie, Al.” Katherine said, pulling on his arm.
Really?
“I caught that, Al. ‘Us?’ So you two are living together too?” Pat inquired.
Alfred took a deep breath. “At least I have somewhere to live. I wish you would just come out and say what you want, though. You are cutting into my time.”
“I want somewhere to stay until I get back on my feet.” Pat explained.
Alfred seemed to contemplate it a bit, Katherine squeezing his hand in disapproval.
Oh, you bitch.
“Fine, you can stay with us.” Alfred relented.
Katherine sent him a glare, but she remained quiet.
Pat smirked. He’s still mine, girlie.
Alfred proceeded to pull out his wallet. “Since I know you haven't eaten, here's twenty dollars for you to eat while we go to our show. Meet us here in two hours.”
Pat happily took the twenty. “I'll be right here.”
She watched Alfred and Katherine head down the street to the theater in tense silence.
“Mrs. Carey, I don’t know how you do it.” She said to herself, people on the street staring at her like she’d just escaped Bellevue Psychiatric.
She ignored the onlookers, rejoicing in her own triumph.
“But you’ve still got it.”
June 25th, 2000
“Yeah so I'm doing the promo my damn self at this point.” Mariah said. She sat across from Janet in the living room watching the girls. With Janet working on her album and a movie, it had been awhile since they were able to just sit down and have a conversation.
“Damn. They really don't want you to win.”
Mariah frowned.
“Don’t say that!” Noelle shouted, looking in a general direction.
Mariah raised an eyebrow. “Noni, stop yelling.”
Noelle threw her head around toward her mother. “Okay!” She shouted.
Janet giggled, Mariah did too. Noelle wasn't the best at taking direction.
Noelle continued to mutter to herself, occasionally shouting random words between Nicole and the air in front of her.
Janet took a sip of her coffee, peeking at Noelle.
She put her mug down.
“Wanna play blocks?” Noelle asked, staring into the void of the living room. Mariah pulled back.
“Who is she talking to?” She asked, glancing at Janet.
“That's what I'm trying to-”
“Mommy, I have water?” Nicole interrupted.
“Yeah baby, come here.”
Nicole hurried over to Mariah, who held the straw from Nicole’s cup up to her mouth. Instead of sipping the water, the toddler snatched the cup and ran back over to her spot on the floor.
“Hey!” Mariah shouted.
Nicole ignored her mother. “Want some?” She asked, talking to the air.
Mariah raised alarmed eyebrows. “Who the fuck are they talking to?”
Noelle burst out laughing.
Nicole giggled too. Whatever they were talking to was quite funny.
“Where your mommy?” Nicole asked.
She seemed to wait for a response.
Janet shot her head over to Mariah. “Girl, what the hell is going on?”
“Nick!” Mariah called out.
Nicole turned around. “Huh?”
“What are you talking to?”
“What my talking?” She parroted.
“Yes.”
“My friends.” Nicole replied.
“Your friends?”
“Yes!” Nicole turned back around to her ‘friends’. “See!” She shouted, pointing at nothing.
Mariah raised a troubled eyebrow. “Uhh, I can't see her, baby.”
“No like mommies!” Noelle explained.
Janet stared at her family like they were characters out of Alice in Wonderland.
“What do you mean?” Mariah questioned.
“What do you mean what do they mean?” Janet asked in an unnecessarily aggressive whisper. “Yo kids are saying crazy stuff! Don't feed into it!”
Nicole grimaced at her mother. She stood up from the floor, taking what Mariah could only assume was her ‘friend’s’ hand. “Come on.”
“Nicki, where are you guys going?” Mariah asked.
Janet facepalmed. “I told you not to feed into it!”
“You mean!” Noelle replied.
“How am I mean? Is your friend a boy?”
“Yes!” Nicole said, nearly rolling her neck.
“Hey, calm down! I'm just curious.”
“No, Mommy!” Nicole shouted angrily.
Janet looked at Mariah as if to say ‘you gonna take that?’
Mariah frowned. “You can't leave the living room, Nicki.”
Nicole pouted, and whispered to her ‘friend’.
Mariah was growing uneasy. The air in the room seemed to shift.
She turned her attention to Noelle. “Noni, where did you meet your friend?”
Noelle spoke up, but it was like she was walking on eggshells. “Outside.”
“Where at outside? Are they from the neighbors?”
Janet squinted at her sister in law. “Y'all don't have neighbors, Mariah...they're talking to kids that don't exist.”
Mariah ignored Janet. “Noni…”
“Huh?”
“Where did you meet these kids?” Mariah pressed.
“When we playing.” Noelle explained.
“Okay honey, but where?”
Noelle shrugged and turned back to her twin and their ‘friend’.
Janet slid closer to Mariah on the couch. The two women studied how the twins interacted with their ‘friend’, not saying anything altogether.
Janet, weirded out, broke the silence.
“Are the twins smoking?”
Mariah frowned, rolling her eyes at her sister in law.
“What?” Janet questioned. “Look at them and tell me you wouldn't think the same thing!”
“Are they smoking, Janet? Really?”
“I'm just asking! You never know.” She replied.
“No girl!” Mariah shouted. She took a sip out of her cup that sat on the side table.
“They've got an imaginary friend.”