That morning the girls sat around the breakfast table half asleep. Dee fell asleep with her make up on and the eye liner faded down on each side if her face. Shania had her hood up with hoodie strings tight, always arguing that the mansion was cold enough without Michael lurking around. Faith wore her pink shower cap from the night before and crunched on her cereal in glasses before her contact routine.
Dee puts her tangled hair up into a bandana up do and goes back to sipping orange juice. Michael appears indian style on the counter, in the form he always has. Bright faced and joyful in his white chemise and black pants.
"Good Morning girls.."
He purrs and they all look over their shoulder. Michael giggles seeing them so disheveled and he jokes, "Y'all look like you just got outta prison."
Dee groans,
"Freaking feel like it.."
Michael comes close and he takes a new place, ontop of the table on the end.
"You guys haven't been sleeping well have you?"
They all shake their heads and Faith groans, "We've stayed up till 1am each night prepping for B&B season."
Shan looks up and says,
"Washing windows, scrubbing floors and making beds."
Dee pulls up her sleeve revealing the tarnish and dried polish water covering her hands,
"Don't forget shining silver."
Michael looks to them all and sees how tired they seemed. Although in the back of his mind he knew that the main motive of their efforts was to see him smile at others being happy.
He tsks and says,
"I'll go grab your mail for you."
Michael mists into the air and he travels himself outside. He gets to the outside patio and travels through the hedges, not worrying about walk ways. He approaches the mail tin until a small yapping noise catches his attention. There in the distance and now charging was a small, gray Schnauzer, barking wildly. Michael flinches and gasps until realizing, "Wait? I'm such a nut. What's he gonna do??"
Little dogs could always sense ghostly prescence and Michael resented that part of his eternity. He rather hated dogs after being bitten during his life.
"Now Oscar..." a soft voice answers approaching. Michael sees the neighbor from miles down the road, retrieve her little rat back to his leash.
"Don't you go running off like that. What are you barking at?"
Oscar continued his yapping towards Michaels form and Michael snarls, "Eh! Shut up!"
"Now, hush boy.." the calm, collected woman purred and Michael scoffs opening the mail box,
"Yeah Carol. Take your mutt and go."
Carol's eyes widen to the mail box opening on its own in her eyes and Michael freezes, "Oh boy. I've done it now."
Carol looks around suspicious, she notices the slight breeze and shrugs the incident away fanning herself to the heat.
"Yeah, yeah.." Michael grins spiteful, "Move along, Carol. Save some make up and Tang juice for the rest of humanity."
Michael takes the few envelopes from inside the tin and reenters the house, once inside he morphs back into vision and whistles as he reads the names on the letters.
"Faith..." he says dropping two beside her and then the same to Dee.
Michael flips to the last letter in the stack and sees that it has a very intricate wax seal to its front.
He hums excited and says,
"It's for Shania."
Shania opens the letter, breaking the artful seal and she mutters recognising the symbol stamped into the wax, "Please don't tell me......"
She scans over the contents of the letter and she groans for a straight several seconds into the ceiling.
The girls look to her curious along with Michael and she begins to explain disgusted.
"Alright. Here's the jist. Remember how I told you back home my family owns their own chain of well known jewelry stores?"
The girls nodded and Shan explains, "My father, head of the company, basically a diamond tycoon at this point, holds this really fancy get together and every year I have to go and dance with this guy."
Faith and Dee gawk confused and ask, "What guy? What do you mean?"
Shan scoffs explaining further,
"His name is Joseph and he's the son of my fathers rival store. Father has begged me for years to date him but ugghhh."
Dee and Faith share a glance interested and Dee wonders,
"Well why don't you? Is he bad looking?"
Shan stops herself and begins in a moderate calm tone, "If he was an apple of the ugly tree, he must've hit every branch on the way to the ground. This boy is ugly."
Dee and Faith chuckle while Michael shakes his head,
"Shan that's so mean.." he sighs.
Shan continues,
"Not only that. He talks with a lisp. Has this awkward and weird sense of humor and these awful, horrid set of braces, big bubble glasses god bless...Girls I just can't."
Dee and Faith cringe but Faith becomes struck with a sudden idea. "Hey. What if you convinced your folks to have that big party here. In Neverland?"
They all look to Michael and he shrugs agreeing, "I can't see why not."
"That way, with all of us here, we can get you away from that awkward creature of a betroved you've got."
Shan tsks thinking but she folds. "Alright. I'll see what I can do. But there's one problem."
Dee and Faith look to her unsure and she stutters,
"They wanna come and visit me before the event."
"Oh god." The two spill.
~One week later
Faith rushes down the stairs still running a comb through her hair. Dee rushes with her mascara in a wall mirror and Shan stands perfectly still not trying to impress her parents anymore. Michael appears beside her and morphs to full apparition.
"So." He begins firstly, "What's the deal with your parents? You seem like you don't get along with them very well."
Shania sighs and she says,
"I'm sure you somehow understand. My parents were always involved in things they thought were bigger than raising a daughter. I was always put to the side when it came to the family business. Business is everything to them. When I told them I was leaving home with Faith and Dee, they were totally in disbelief. I thought it was the saddest thing. They never saw how unhappy I was. Not even once."
Michael tsked and he shook his head, "I'm glad you made yourself happy. Always do what you love. Because in the end darling, you have to make this life your own. Not anyone elses." Shania smiled thanking Michael.
Then, tires move the gravel and two black luxury Cadillacs become parked in the turn about. Shania goes to the window and peek through the drapes to see not only her parents but Joseph's family as well.
She shrieks covering her mouth and screams,
"No! They didn't tell me! Nooo!"
Dee and Faith come to the window beside her, assessing what was happening. A woman in all white with beige heels clacking on the pavement stepped out and the girls gawk,
"Is that all Michael Kors?! Head to toe?!"
Shania nods,
"Mom's favorite designer. He made three bags just for her because she designed a 24 karat gold watch just for him. 2k down."
The girls nearly faint and Shania sighs as they continue to spy out the window.
"Yes. That's my mother, Marisha."
A man comes beside Marisha looking into the house and Dee asks,
"Is that your father?"
Shania nodded,
"His name is Vincent. He's the head of the business and the tycoon I've told you about."
Vincent wore dark ray ban sunglasses and the Ralph Lauren stitched clothes told no lies either.
He handed her hand bag and flags the other primped polished couple over close.
"So what's the deal with Joseph's parents?"
Dee looks closer and giggles to see a woman with a large flowy sunhat that almost blows away.
"That's Barbara. She doesn't have the sense God gave a shetland pony. She's a trophy wife to Patrick over there. Him and my father sit around with Cuban cigars and lemon Ciroc and boast of their slendid lavish lives as billionaires."
Dee and Faith hum discontented until a voice says whispy beside them, "Whose the nut knee deep in my damn flower bed?" Michael spits.
Dee jumps as Michael's sudden presence scares her and Shania shuts the drapes scoffing,
"Probably Joseph."
She begins down the steps to greet them, stomping with a new disgust at his name.
Dee and Faith see the sight and see the fabled Joseph turned away from the window. He stood dead center of Michael's front flower bed and picked gardenias and yellow daisies.
"Money can't fix awful unfortunately."
Dee grumbles until Joseph turned to face the window. His blonde locks tossed aside in the wind and his brown eyes seemed to turn amber brown in the glowing sun. He had no braces, no weird glasses, this boy wasn't anything Shan was talking about. Atleast not anymore. Now, today, he had metamorphosized.
Dee and Faith begin to howl in excitement but begin to race to Shania.
"Shan!!! Waitwaitwaitwait!!"
"Don't open that door! We need to talk, Shania!!!"
Shania swings open the door before she could hear her upstairs friends and there Barbara attacked her in an awkward, constricting bear hug.
"Oh my little dove! Shania! Darling dear! Haven't seen you in ages! Oh you're so pretty. What a beautiful girl! Oh my!"
She gurgled and Shania flopped her arms unable to move.
"Hello Barbara! Yes, hello."
Dee and Faith make it downstairs and see the intriguing sight.
Barbara releases her and her mother comes next into the hug fest.
"Mother...why are Barabara and Patrick here? I thought this visit would be personal.." she whispered lowly but direct.
Marisha flips her brown hair to one side and promises,
"I figured you'd be elated to see Joseph, dear. You've not seen your groom to be in a year. Such a bittersweet period."
Barbara looks around the foyer with wide eyes and Dee and Faith begin their introductions.
But rushingly they needed to tell Shania their discovery. The fortunate becoming of mister Joseph.
Shania grimaced hearing his name and Vincent pats her back looking out to the stoop.
"There he is dear. Don't worry."
She kept an amused attitude until she saw him. There, Joseph stepped inside. Dee and Faith look over in deeper disbelief but the most shocked face came from Shan. He was nothing like he used to be. He was very, very rather attractive. He held one hand behind his back and then revealed the makeshift bouquet of flower bed daisies. She takes them in her grips still in utter disbelief and to her, the world stopped turning just for one moment.
He spoke soft and lisp-less saying, "It's been a while, Shania. Its wonderful to see you again."
She couldn't form a sentence for what she was feeling. Not one phrase in English could translate what just happened. Dee and Faith nudge back and forth the entire day. Michael kept watch but at a distance. They gave every drop of credit to Michael when they mentioned the luxury of the mansion.
"Michael had immaculate taste."
Shania said proving to them that the family gathering would be best to held here.
After what seemed like hours of debate, Marisha and Vincent figured that there could be no downside to having the mansion to their own devices free for a night. Throughout the entire night, even in all the madness, Shania's thoughts never left the new Joseph.
After bidding everyone a 'glamorous' week, the in-laws left in their luxury town car brigade. The vehicles faded away Neverland's drive way and Shan shuts the door calmly. Dee and Faith wait for some kind of reaction. Seeing how monotone Shania was staying, Dee and Faith conclude that she simply didn't want to talk about the whole ordeal. That is until Michael poofs onto the top of the steps cheering,
"So Joseph is a hunk now huh?"
Dee and Faith cringe muttering low and distorted under their breath, "Thanks...Michael.."
Shan sighs and she says,
"Listen guys, I've had a very strange day. I'd like to get some shut eye." After she says this, silence was all to be heard. Loud silence.
They all respect her objection and she begins to her room. Before she can open the door she turns, and very plain she says,
"Do you think I can borrow some dance lessons Michael? I'll definitely need them if I'm gonna be swaying my hunk of man candy across the floor."
~~Later that night.
"Shan, darling. You could be barefooted for all I care. We just need to get started.."
Michael pleaded as Shan changed into something 'suitable' in the library closet. Michael had used his power to move the area rug from the floor and all the arm chairs to the side. The bare hardwood was the closest to a ballroom floor to Michael. She comes out in black tiny track shoes and yoga pants.
Michael smiles and he says,
"Are you ready now dancing queen?"
Shan chuckles and says,
"I'm really bad at dancing Michael. When Joseph and I would dance before, I'd BS the entire thing. But now. Now I want to actually do well."
Michael blinks his eyes, fixing his form into his illusion. He becomes full and non ghostlike, becoming artificially alive and steps forward to Shan. Shan looks up to him with a sudden jolt in her pulse and Michael tsks looking down,
"I am much too taller than you. Give me a moment."
Shan looks to him confused and he instructs,
"Blink your eyes a few times. Let me fix my height."
Shan looks to him unsure and she does as she's told. Twice she blinked and there, before her, stood a different version of Michael. A version that came from the eighties. His skin darker and his stature just a bit shorter. He wore a tan pants suit but Shan only squawked,
"I love that you can do that!!!"
Michael giggles seeing his voice changed slightly as well,
"I was a little shorter in the eighties. Let's begin, it'll be a little easier."
There they began dancing but Shan stumbled almost making a wrong step. She wasn't discouraged until a second time turned into a third. Michael was patient. He took her hand and placed her arm on his shoulder and says, "Trust your feet. Hum the music in your head."
They stand face to face again and they begin. Michael begins to sing the waltz in low tones and he nods his head with her steps. Shan was dancing and she felt herself giggle. Michael becomes curious as they move across the floor and he asks chuckling, "What's funny?"
Shan gains a breath and she says, "I've always wanted to dance with you. This feels so real. I know it's only an illusion."
Michael spins her around and asks, "What makes it unreal? I'm here with you aren't I? Tomorrow I will still be here."
Shan looks down smiling sweet and she says,
"I just never thought this would happen is all."
Michael stops his humming to say soft, "Like I've told you, you have to make life as your own. If you believe in your heart its real, it is."
~~ The Night of the Get Together
"Atleast all our hard work hasn't gone to waste."
Dee said as she wrapped a piece of Shan's hair around a curling rod. Faith dug around for a reasonable highlight to Shania's tan skin and she spat, "Yeah that's true. I'm glad we did prepare even though a grand ball with millionaires, wasn't what we were preparing for."
Dee giggles but Shan sat there in the silence. Dee moves her bangs aside and asks,
"Something on your mind, Shan?"
Shan is woke from her empty expression and she struggles to say, "Girls..will Michael always be here?"
Dee and Faith look to each other and still looked unsure to her question.
Faith stops her rummaging in the make up bag. She comes to a hault and says,
"Spirits, they move on eventually don't they? They...go into the big bright light?"
Dee lets her eyes becomes sad and she remembers the conversation she had with Michael on the day of the first opening. About passing on.
She lets the curled piece of hair fall in place from the wand and says,
"I never want Michael to think that we're inclining him to stay.."
Shan sighs continuing and says,
"At the same time, I'm not sure how long I'd stay if he moved on. I'd miss him too much. I mean, of course we we're surprised when we found him here, but now I've grown comfortable with him everyday, I can't see my life without him."
Dee finds her lip quivering from imagining it and she sniffs,
"I love Michael too much to let him leave."
"I know Dee." Shan sniffs as well. In the emotion that started to flood the room, Faith stood up
"Girls. We gotta promise. We have to promise that if something happened, if Michael ever passed on, we would accept it. We can't be upset or angry. We have to carry on the way he'd want us to."
The girls all share a glance knowing it was only right. Even though in that scenario, everything would be so bittersweet and difficult.
They all nodded and put their hands in the circle to swear. There on the sofa against the wall sat Michael, hidden from their eye. In his idle stage where he couldn't be seen. He smiled seeing them all promise and he felt proud. He'd never find any other fans that could be so loyal and in his heart he realized that. He stood and loomed his spirit to the door frame to act like he wasn't eavesdropping. He appears to them, playing the part of walking into the room and he shows off a new suit he imagined for himself. It was an all red, tailored outfit with a black pocket square peeking out on his chest.
He smiled as he came into view and asks,
"Is this ballroom ready or what?"
The girls all gasp then charge him cheering,
"That's so neat. You look so good! Definitely, Mike!"
Shan stands up from her makeup chair and he pretends to see her in her gown for the first time,
"Oh Shan. You look beautiful. That's so lovely, darling."
She smiles wide and tosses her curled hair over her shoulder.
"Do you think it'll be okay for a dance?"
He takes her hand planting a kiss ontop, then jokes
"It'll be perfect. If Joseph doesn't dance, you let me know."
~~ Later that evening, Mid Occasion~
"So tell me?" Shan spoke as the slow dance with Joseph began. She was very nervous and remembered Michael telling her to never completely think about your movements.
It was the 'worst decision' a dancer could make.
"I'll be honest. The last time I saw you....you were-"
"Different?" Joseph mentions finishing her sentence and she nods.
"Well I guess it is a little startling. I've probably changed dramatically."
Joseph looks in her eyes and pulls her close. He leans into her ear closely then explains,
"During the summer, my parents took me to a vacation in the big apple. There, seeing all the big city and all the buzz of new things and new money, I remade myself. I got my braces off, ditched my glasses for contacts and had to wear a retainer to calm my lisp. I learned how to dress, how to behave. Mother and Father couldn't believe who I'd turned into. I could almost say they were proud."
Shania blushes and she admits,
"I'll confess, I really do like it. It's surprised me a lot."
He smiles to her words and he whispers, "Can I confess something too?" She nodded.
"I did this for you. I wanted to impress you."
Shania gasped and she asks,
"Did you?"
Joseph lets his eyes grow almost to a pleading and he begins,
"I know that our parents are pushing us together like horses in a stable. Its not the most convenient ways of finding romance. I understand. I'm dumb but I'm not an idiot. But with an open mind, I'd like to atleast try. I mean, with another confession, I've liked you for a long time, Shan."
She felt more than flattered and her blush began heavy and red. She couldn't find words just yet and he spun her around there, making her dress softly flail out.
Michael stood at the top of the stairwell and looked out onto the people dancing in the dimlight below.
A slow song played and the colors of black tie shown all around the floor.
In the library, it was so echo driven that the sound was distorted from where he stood but he could tell that Shania was keeping rhythm with her feet wonderfully.
A shadow begins up the steps towards him and he pays it no attention knowing they won't see him.
The shadow came to the light and it was Dee. She wore a black and white pants suit playing the role of a waitress tonight to help Shan's family. Michael had made a ton of Maître-"Dee" jokes which she cringed too a couple of times.
She approached him and took out her phone. She placed it to her ear and said, "I'll do this so it won't look like I'm talking to the bookshelves."
Michael giggles. Dee smiled and she said motioning down to Shania,
"What do you think?"
Shan held Joseph close and Joseph held her waist careful. They both smiled in glances to one another, very evident signs of falling slow yet quickly in love.
Michael hums thinking and he says, "You know that I'm very protective of you girls, I've been reading this boy all night. Every little river that's ran through his mind."
"And?" Dee asks.
Michael looks over sternly and says, "Well he's certainly one of the more duller crayons we have in this lovely box. He's one of those people that search their house for keys not realizing they left 'em hanging from the lock. His brown hair ain't fooling me."
Dee begins lowering her head in soft laughter making Michael digress, "But overall."
Dee looks up as he finishes,
"A good guy. Honest. Open-minded. He's got a young soul."
Shania is seen leaning into a whisper from Joseph and she leans her head back laughing. She looked truly and honestly content. She looked happy.
Dee nodded and she states,
"I'm glad. Guys like that are hard to find."
He looks over knowing she's being real and he pats her shoulder.
"You're next, Dee. You'll find somebody. I know you will."
Dee shakes her head,
"Yeah but I can't see someones soul like you can."
Michael half smiles and answers her, "A soul isn't something you see, Deidra. It's something that you feel. In other people, its the way they make you feel."
Michael smiles and he outstretched his hands. He balls fists and opens them soft, as the song ended he formed a dozen silver, shimmering butterflies from his palms to float whimsical across the room. From their wings seemed to fall dust that glowed as bright as they were and the entire party stopped in awe. They watched them fly and flap around until they disappeared like smoke into the air. They applauded when the song ended but Shania applauded for creator of the act unlike anyone else.
Dee smiled and she says, "That's your theory huh? One's effect on others is the blurred view of their soul."
Michael nodded and he says,
"I guess it's an afterlife thing. Reading the living becomes a involuntary reflex once you're dead."
Dee nodded and she said,
"Then can I make my own theory?"
Mike smiled and tsked,
"Go ahead, shoot."
Dee inches closer and she leans in saying, "Then your soul is beautiful. Luminous even. Brighter than bright and radiant beyond compare."
Michael smirks and says,
"How did you conclude that?"
"That is your effect on me." She answered making Michael slowly smile.
Vincent, Shan's father, takes stage and begins to speak into the microphone. He began thanking everyone for a wonderful year and telling everyone that they deserved rewards. Becoming quickly bored, Shan found Faith and they made their way to the top of steps.
The girls all looked to Shan along with Michael and they pry gentle.
"Soo...is Joseph all that you hoped he'd be?"
She blushed dark and she says,
"He surprised me a lot tonight."
The girls waited for a sure fire answer but Shania still stood unsure.
"I didn't give him a clear answer. He wants to give the whole relationship course a try. I'll be honest. I do like him."
Dee and Faith cheer on,
"Then where's the harm of saying no? This arrangement could be a godsend. It might even be that destiny thing. Shan, do this."
She looks to Michael and he stood with the last vote to even the score.
He comes close and she asks with a needing tone,
"What do you think?"
He remained drained of an expression and only takes her hand in a grasp. He kisses her knuckles sweetly and he mutters,
"Don't listen to what others are thinking. Don't even listen to what you are thinking."
He taps at her heart soft,
"Listen to what you're feeling. Your heart is smarter than your brain."
She smiles and she looks down to Joseph. He sat with a wine glass in his grip, listening to Shania's father speak on and give thanks for the successful year. She remembered the way he held her and the way he smiled. She found herself smiling as well and she hugs Michael's neck in a grab. He holds her back gentle with a grin on his lips and she mutters,
"I do love you."
The audience erupts with applause after Shania's father finishes his lengthy speech and another slow song begins to come over the loud speakers.
"I love you more. I want you to be happy."
She lets him go and she goes to the girls taking their hands.
"Let's promise something else. Promise that no matter what happens. Even if we all find somebody. We'll still stay together. Together at Neverland. Okay?"
They all giggle and join hands beginning down the stairs,
"We can be like The Golden Girls. It'll be fun lets do it!" Dee says.
Michael watches them follow one another in suite and he stays there at the top of the steps. Opening his hand once, he fabricates another luminescent butterfly to float across the room.
It was only one this time. It was more feather like and thriving with life than the others before. He sent it straight down to the girls in there happiness huddle against the wall. Shan points to the sight and they all stand in awe as it approaches. It flutters gentle towards them and unsure, Dee holds out her hand.
Like a whisp of air, it lands into her palm. They watch it glow and shimmer in its supernatural beauty. Faith leans in and she hears whispering from the butterfly.
"Listen.." she says in shock and they all lean one ear in to make out what it could be saying.
Listening close they hear in Michael's silky soft voice,
"This is forever, my girls. Neverland is forever. I love you."
They all look up to the balcony but Michael was gone. Although they didn't see him they looked to their ghostly butterfly and smiled.
It fluttered off into the distance of the people and their dancing. Like smoke in the wind, it vanished slow then all at once. That's always how Michael disappeared and that was their reminder. The reminder that Michael could always be with them, even when he vanishes from their eyes.
Luminous and beautiful was his soul just like those butterflies.