Michael watched the sun come up that morning and he stood on the balcony.
Every morning, he hoped for the same thing he had hoped for the previous morning, to feel the sunlight.
He watched the pink rays bleed into orange and he held out his arms on either side.
He closed his eyes and the rays passed through his spirit. He felt no warmth, no awakening and he sighed.
He felt let down but he knew in the end it was a silly thing to hope for. Instead he smiled and said,
"Thank you god for another morning."
He disappeared into a mist and he moved into the hallway.
He slipped himself into the girls' rooms early in the morning to make sure they had slept okay, firstly he moved through Shan's door.
She wore her 'princess' sleeping mask across her eyes and the duvet on her bed was now a mess in the floor. Her curlers hung loosely and Michael shook his head smiling wide.
"Oh sweety.."
He recovered her softly and she turns over groaning, oblivious.
He patted her shoulder lovingly and he moved downstairs through the floor into Faith's room. Faith had fallen asleep at her computer and a webpage studying the behaviours of UV rays inside a color prism and Michael smiled,
"That stuff bores me too my love."
She wore her shower cap still and he layed her back, closing the laptop and closing her mouth. He covers her into her bed, comfortably and kisses her head.
He travels back up into Dee's room and he sees her bed empty. He looks around and it looked so made like she had never slept.
He became worried and zoomed to his phone upstairs. He sends her a text and it was apparent she was away from her phone. He worried even more and he looks at the calendar. It was Wednesday so Shania had lectures at 9 a.m. She was gonna be up the earliest.
He appeared in her door way and sat on the bed trying to be subtle.
He rubbed her forearm very lightly and he whispered,
"Shania, Shania darling. You've got lecture."
She pulled up her mask and she sleepily groaned, "Michael??..mike?"
She lied on her back and checked her phone,
"I had an alarm set, Mike."
He looked to her and he said with the worry now visible,
"I just wanted to ask where Dee was? I know she wasn't with you guys from that party last night. I'm worried. She isn't home.."
Shania rolled on her side and she says yawning,
"She went home with River last night.."
Michael stood up half furious but cutely and he sneers, "And you just let her go home with that guy?"
Shania pulled her mask back down and she says, "They've been seeing each other for months, momma Michael. It's gonna be okay. They probably just had some alone time."
Michael grimaced and he says, "Oh man that girl is in trouble when she gets home."
~ An hour later~
Michael sat pouting on the sofa that faced the door and Faith and Shania peeked out from the dining room. Michael huffed and puffed in that tantrum way and Shania giggles,
"Are we petty?"
Faith shushes her and she hears the door jiggle, "Sshhsshhhshhh, the ass whooping's about to start."
Michael stood up with a toe tapping sassily against the tile. Dee comes in smiling to the ground with her mini dress from the party still on and Michael clears his throat.
She looks up and immediately swallows in fear.
Michael scowled and he asks, "Where've you been, Dee?"
She smiled sweetly and innocent trying to calm him and she plays it off,
"I had a uhh... a sleepover.."
Michael crossed his arms like a true diva and he spits, "So. Did you do the tango, play find the piccolo?"
Dee rolls her eyes blushing and she hurries upstairs,
"I'm not discussing this with you, Michael." She sang and Michael follows,
"It's just a question.." he sang back in a higher key
She spun around with her purse dangling and sung even higher,
"Just a personal one.."
Michael decided with a false deep breath to let it be and he says,
"Well I suppose I'll let you get dressed..."
He scratched the back of his head and she tried to decipher why he was being so awkward,
"Everyone is missing you at breakfast..."
He turned on a dime and stepped down the stairs but she followed him with her eyes,
"Something fell outta your purse. Zip it up next time..."
She looks to the ground and beside her shoe was a forlorn pair of her underwear from her late night rendezvous and she screams now humiliated and slams the door fleeing to her room.
~~
Dee comes to the dining room with regular clothes and she poured a cup of coffee. Shania and Faith grinned silently and Dee was oblivious to their fun. Faith bounced her eyebrows and she coughs, "So..."
Dee sat down the coffee pot and sighs laughing, "Don't 'so' me right now, guys.."
She turns to see Shania and Faith too amused and she leaned agaisnt the counter,
"Come on Dee!" Faith pried, "I want details. Lots of 'em! Go!"
Dee cringed and she sat down reluctant to say but she shyly smiled, "It was nothing...I swear...it was just...just.I dunno.."
"Mmmnnhnmhhm." Faith tsked over her tea and bathrobe,
"Dee had a one night staaand."
Dee gawked and answers embarrased,
"It was not! No! It was not a-" her voice got very quiet,
"A one night stand.."
"Why are you whispering?" Shania asks with rollers still in her hair and she laughs,
"Sis, that's nothing to be ashamed of!"
"Well it's certainly nothing to be encouraged!" Michael said disembodied and he appeared in the middle of the table with a poof.
The girls all jump startled and Faith snarks,
"Seriously, are you a genie? Did we rub your lamp?!"
Michael turns facing Dee and he says, "I would've never expected this outta you, Dee!"
She shrugged now feeling bad and she says, "Yeah I know."
"Like you've never had a one night stand, Mike?" Shania butts in trying to be realistic and Michael was reluctant to argue. That only meant one thing.
Faith scooted closer and she choked happy, "Wait a minute!"
"Have you?!" Dee squeaked and Michael grinned devious only telling them,
"Don't turn this around.."
The room exploded in their response and they smacked the table in pure fangirl joy,
"I wanna know!!" Shania said setting down her coffee and Michael checked his lip beginning to grin and he shrugs,
"I don't kiss and tell."
He hops down from the table then has a seat and it grew quiet. Quiet because they all stared with a beckoning face of those juicy details. Michael folded and he scoffed,
"Well I guess I can tell you one.."
Shania's watch began to beep and she stands suddenly,
"Crap man. I gotta get ready. My concepts of artistic literature lecture is an hour away. I'm sorry guys."
They all frowned but she hugged Michael's neck.
"Remember hon, we gotta make our order to Sharon at the interior store for those new drapes. Its gonna be fall soon and we need them in two weeks."
She kissed his cheek and promised, "I wouldn't miss it, I swear."
"Have a wonderful day dear.." he wished her and she ran back upstairs to change.
~~ Weeks later, Order Pick-up
"Am I the only one that thinks this Sharon chick had a thing for Michael?"
Faith asked as they parallel parked outside the warehouse in L.A.
Shania bent her lip and she mutters,
"Who didn't have a thing for Michael?"
Dee smiled but felt queasy as they left the car.
"You okay?" Faith asks and Dee nodded grimacing.
"Guess that breakfast burrito is getting to me.."
Shania petted her back and they lead her in the store only to be greeted by over cheerful, Sharon.
"My girls!!! Oh my Michael Jackson girls!"
She popped her leg from behind the counter happily and the girls wore their fake smiles.
"I have your order ready. I always kept Michael at the top of my list."
She held her chest adoringly,
"I did love that man, God rest his soul."
The all nodded just wanting to take the drapes and go.
She strutted in her red bottom Louis Vuittons and she comes to the back urging,
"You can follow."
They walk to the further back where displays of curtains and coordinated drapes and window sets hung in plastic and she presents,
"Burgundy Red!"
She smirked pretentious, "That was Michael's favorite color. Did you know that?"
Shania nodded hating to break it to her, "We did actually. Michael would've loved them."
Shania and Faith stepped forward to pick up the ginormous boxes until Sharon begs,
"Oh no, darlings. I'll have my men dolly it out to your vehicle. Its a crime to break a nail. Don't you worry."
Dee blinked now dizzy and she muttered returning to the front,
"Good.." she shuffled forward, "Cause I think I'm gonna hurl.."
Dee makes it back to the car watching the men load boxes into the back and Faith asks her quiet,
"Do you wanna just go straight home?"
She winced and says,
"I know we decided on Thai for lunch but I don't know if that's such a good idea."
Shan looked at how green she was turning and she pleaded to them both,
"I'm sure its just a bad burrito. Thai sounds great. I swear.."
~~
Dee comes back to the table after taking a trip to the bathroom and Shania scoots a glass close,
"I ordered you some ginger ale, sis."
Dee half smiled and started sipping.
Faith rummaged through her purse and mumbled,
"Got some benadryl in here.." she threw out a wadded ball of receipts,
"Somewhere...maybe.."
Dee giggled and said,
"That's okay babe. Benadryl knocks me out. I'll be fine. Enough about me.."
She talks with her hands and she asks,
"Faith, have you heard back from Stanford yet with that big test you took? With all that studying you and Mike did way back when, you should be in record books."
Faith brushed it off and said, "There was a few I'm sure I completely missed but no, I haven't heard back. I'd get a letter if they were even hopeful. But I'm gonna stay positive."
Dee nodded and Faith looked over,
"What about you, Shan? I noticed you're taking more art classes, what's on your mind here lately?"
Shan tsked around thinking and she says, "Well, I'm hoping if I study up enough and study the greats like Michael says, I can put one of my own paintings into an art show. Of course, I'll have to run it by you guys first. You'll be my pre-critics per say."
"I've seen Shania paint." Dee mentioned chugging, "She kicks ass. It would be a winner. It would be in France before noon."
Shan laughed blushing but Faith leans in with elbows on the table,
"Okay cut the crap, Dee. I wanna hear some details about this one night stand."
Dee rolled her eyes smiling and she pleaded,
"I mean, it was nice. Ya know.." she lost her sense of words and she stuttered,
"It was good. It was- I enjoyed it. Ya know."
Faith pursed her lips and she says joking, "Well, I thought you guys were bound to hook up eventually."
"Yeah," Shania says, "You're practically inseparable. You gonna crash at his place more?"
Der winced knowing the answer and she says,
"Eh. River is kinda traveling around right now. He's doing some family visiting and things, I don't wanna bother him."
Her phone vibrated in her purse and she spat seeing the ID.
"Oh well speak of the devil."
She answered it stepping aside and River brings bad news on a day thay really wasn't good to begin with.
~
Dee sobbed in the back of the car. Shania held her to her chest and couldn't make out a word of her gasping.
"Okay..Dee.." Faith said heavy hearted in the drivers seat.
"Let's go over this one more time. What did River say?"
She leaned up from Shania's shoulder and she says trying to steady her breath,
"River...is moving back to Michigan cause his great aunt is in the hospital. I understand....but then again....he's the only guy that I like who isn't...a complete....dick head.."
She blubbered more and returned to Shania consoled her as much as possible and Faith shook her head sadly. Dee upset made the whole house upset.
~~
A knock came to Dee's door as she lied in bed still woozy and Michael poked his head through the door, his energy foaming around the frame,
"Dee, you decent?"
She turned over in bed nodding and Michael entered.
"Ah darling." He sighed, "You look pitiful."
He sat on the bed and said, "The girls told me what was going on. I'm sorry."
He petted her head lovingly and she sniffed, "It's whatever. Just wish my stomach would stop doing somersaults. I've been hunched over all day."
Michael frowned and he says,
"Sometimes Latoya used to cry so hard she would vomit. Maybe you just need to breathe a little more, little dove."
She shook her head laying on her back and she explained,
"It started this morning. Before River called.."
Michael rose his brow as she returned to her side and his expression shifted. He was piecing something together and he lied beside her not knowing how to say his next sentence.
"Dee.."
She turned to face him and waited for him to finish.
He looked at her with a careful look in his eyes and he says, "You know I would never ask you something unless it was for the welfare of you, right? Do you understand?"
She nodded,
"Of course. What is it Mike?"
Michael looked to her serious and he asked soft,
"Do you think that you may be pregnant?"
Dee dropped her jaw in thinking and she rose out of bed. She held her head and she goes to her paper calendar weakly.
She counted the weeks until the last set of red marked dots in the bottom which indicated her cycle and she held her mouth.
"I'm-...I'm.."
"You're late aren't you?"
Michael asks and she spun around.
Michael sat on the bed and he folded his hands together. She didn't like the look in his eyes or the tone in his voice.
Her lip quivered as her heart thought firstly that he was upset with her and tears rolled.
"Michael, please don't be mad. I'm so sorry. I'll take a test-"
He came close and he says stern,
"I could never be upset with you. Stop this. No more sadness. A child is a gift, Dee."
She sobbed into his arm and she says, "I don't want a child that I can't raise with a father. No-... I can't have this. I'm praying to God this has to be food poisoning."
Michael held her hands and he says,
"If you are, Dee, I'm not gonna be upset alright? I'm not let down. You are a grown woman and these are your choices."
He let her go and he kissed her head,
"You need rest."
"Don't tell the girls, Michael. Please?" She begged now with a solemn secret now on her shoulders and Michael turned,
"I'll leave that to you."
~~
"I feel so bad.." Faith sighs at the table that next afternoon, Shania nodded and she wrapped the scarf tighter around her neck. The room grows cold and Shania asks woth wondering eyes,
"What'd she say, Mike?"
Michael appeared translucently in the head of the table and he mutters,
"She's gonna go to town for a little while. She's gonna grab a few things. But she's gonna leave the room for once.."
Faith notices his cloudiness and she frowned, "Mike, you seem so dreary. Your form is so foggy.."
Mike shrugged and he said,
"I don't like it when you guys are upset. It makes my spirit depressed."
Dee came down the stairs and her lips trembled disdainful.
"Hey sis.." Faith eased her and Shania perked up.
Dee nodded to them with a half smile and she says,
"I wanted to head for the store for a few things.." she wrapped a headscarf around her hairdo,
"Gonna get some coffee or something.."
She had bags under her eyes and her voice seemed hoarse. Physically and mentally exhausted, she put on a show.
Faith nodded but Shania asks, "I was gonna pick up some dinner after my class discussion tonight, darling. Anything you hungry for?"
Dee shook her head and mused,
"Whatever you guys want. You know I'm not picky. I'll be back.."
"Be careful.." They mentioned from around the corner to only notice that Michael had disappeared. She got into her car and she turned to see Mike in the passenger seat.
"You're getting tested aren't you?"
Dee sighed and she put on her seat belt. She nodded to him and she adds,
"I hate lying to them. But, for the sake of what they think of me, I'm gonna stretch the truth as far as it'll go with this."
Michael looked away and he stepped out into the driveway. He shut the door only to say through the window,
"Dee, do you really think that Faith and Shania would ever judge you like that?"
She turned the key in the ignition and she shifted gears muttering,
"I'd hate to chance it. I lost the last time I gambled, obviously."
She pulled away and drifted off down the road to town and Michael glinted away as her headlights passed him by. His spirit found its way back inside to the others.
~~
Faith poked her cheerios around and she exhaled heavy. The atmosphere didn't feel right in the house and Shania clicked her laptop off, shutting it closed.
"I'm gonna head to class."
She said packing her book bag and Faith asks half alert,
"What do you wanna do for dinner? Pizza?"
Shania shrugged on her laptop bag and she says, "I was thinking chicken wings from that deli down the road. Dee loves those, since she's feeling bad and all."
Faith dropped her spoon in the bowl and she takes it to the sink, "Well she's not the only one. Its not easy waiting for a letter that's gonna decide if you have to abandon your dream to create new ones. I hate that Stanford is so far away.."
Shania frowned and she says, "Faith, if your score is that good and they actually want you there, that's a lifetime opportunity."
As frustrating as it was, Faith had gone through these motions with herself millions of times before. The pros and the cons of moving. Sometimes the cons breaking her heart entirely as she lied there in bed. She pursed her lip sadly and she says with drooped shoulders over the faucet,
"Yeah I know. It's worth so much.."
Shania put hands in her pockets, trying to console herself and she says,
"I would understand if you left, Sis. Michael would."
Faith sat back down at the table and she says,
"Yeah but try telling my heart that."
~~
Faith found herself alone in the worst kind of way after Shania had left. The alone where you sit in the house without Michael. Although she knew he was there, just not in the apparition mood.
The chandelier stood a new kind of still and it sent shivers down her spine. She storms from the room and stomps up to her bed, although Michael was away, he wasn't far. He sat on the main stoop with a letter in his hand.
He unfolded its contents and read the text. He rubbed his bottom lip and his expression stayed mundane as he continued. He hated being nosey, but this test was one of those things that was deciding the fate of one of his hostesses. That unfortunately was a risk he was taking.
He let the letter fall through his fingers and he held his face.
Neverland Inn wasn't going to be the same.
~~
Faith hugged her pillow for dear life as tears bleed through the case. She sputtered and sobbed into the duvets until her phone buzzes. Shania's number flashed across the screen and she sniffed to try and gain even a halfway deep breath. She took off her glasses as they were already fogged and she answered,
"Yeah?"
"Hey, sorry to bug you. I wanted to call and say thanks for letting me loan your car. You okay?" Shania asks with static clicking and Faith shrugs,
"I'll be fine. Its nothing, girl. What's up?"
Shania looks through her rear view to confirm once again what she's saw and she says,
"For some reason, Dee is at the Planned Parenthood clinic right now."
Faith sat up in bed and she asks with a new tone, "Where?"
"Yeah. I know. I have no idea but that's her car for sure, it's got our tags on the back. She's there at the clinic."
Shania pulled into traffic and still on the phone.
Faith looked around in deep confusion and she gawks,
"Wait a second, you don't think...maybe?"
Shania dropped the phone into belt space between her car's console and she curses trying to pick it up and drive. She pays no attention to the upcoming stop sign.
She put the phone back on her shoulder trying to respond but she passes the white line. Speeding through the four way was a truck that had no time for braking. Faith hears Shania curse though the phone again and the call was ended with the sound of a car horn and glass shattering.
She dropped the phone in shock and screamed through the hallways,
"SHANIA!"
~~
Michael loomed through the garden and the evening breeze moved the bushes and willows in a dance. He sat on the tire swing until a voice too familiar echoes in the air,
"Michael. Michael?"
He would know if one of the girls was near but this was unlike anything he's ever experienced. Shania's voice was ringing in his mind and he looks around without a clue to what happened.
He became confused and he calls out,
"Shan!?" His head swung around on a swivel, "Are you home, baby?"
Her voice seemed happy, more cheerful than she was less than an hour ago. Mike couldn't see her anywhere around, it was a disembodied cry.
Faith stormed onto Michael's balcony frantic and she screamed,
"MICHAEL! MIKE?! WHERE ARE YOU?!"
Michael came to view in the garden and he stood in middle of the lawn, looking up,
"What's going on?!"
"It's Shania!" Faith blubbered with a sudden panic, "She's had an accident."
"Michael..Michael.." that voice called again and Michael nearly jumped.
The living can never be inside the mind of the dead. It's always vice versa by the way of the other side. The dead talk to the living but never the other way.
Only if, the living were now further dead than alive.
"We've gotta get to her.." Michael gasped.