"Be careful okay." Dee said hugging Faith's neck with her small purple overnight bag by the door.
Faith was attending her first session of counseling for the fall semester at Standford university and the girls knew their time with their friend was reaching short.
"I'll be okay, I promise. Just nervous."
Faith promised them both in a group hug and Shania picked up a box of tea for her stay in the motel away from home and Faith zipped it into her backpack.
"Thanks. I'll need a Prozac too if that's okay." They all laughed and the room grew cold.
"He knows his cues doesn't he?"
Michael appeared beside Faith, coming from a misty figure and into full clarity, full bodied.
She smiled and he wrapped her into a hug with his illusion. Michael kissed her cheek and said firmly with a grip on her shoulders,
"Be careful. Call the Inn when you get there."
"I will."
Michael patted her back with a loving smile and Dee tossed her the keys to her car for the trip.
The door closed, Dee and Shan sighed to sit on the bottom of the steps.
"Honestly, it's starting to finally dawn on me that we'll be a hostess short coming this fall." Dee said half frowning.
Shan kicked off her heels for a moment and she said rubbing her achey feet. "It won't be the same around here."
Michael appeared behind them and began talking, making them both jump out of their skin.
They heaved for air after jumping a mile and Michael laughs seeing their faces.
"Was that scary?"
He asks laughing and Shan spits,
"Geez. Give me a heart attack next time, huh?"
Michael laughs and suddenly he stopped. He looks to the door and he was frozen. Shan and Dee were confused seeing him so solid and focused.
He noticed the sound of footsteps outside that the girls couldn't hear and he sees something outside the gates.
He listened with his spirit ability and he said,
"Someone is standing outside our gates. Someone is leaving the Inn, walking to the gates."
Shan and Dee stand up to find two girls walking in their pajamas and keeping their heads on a swivel as they sneak to the front gates, down the gravel road.
The girls sneak out the patio doors and see what they're up to. They hid behind Michael's tree in the front lawn and see them approach the gate, still looking over their shoulder every second.
"What is going on?" Dee whispered and Michael appeared in the tree on the lower limb. He looked through the leaves and he said,
"There's some clown dressed like me!"
Dee and Shan look around the tree trunk and the two girls were swooning after a Michael Jackson impersonator.
He was dressed in the typical sparkly black jacket with with socks coming from his loafers and reflective aviators over his eyes.
Although the outfit was total thrift store material, the guy genuinely resembled a young michael.
"Not bad." Dee shrugged quietly and Shan made the so-so gesture.
Michael rolled his eyes and he called down,
"This guy is a poser. What's he doing outside anyhow?"
Shan and Dee looked closer and they see the girls flirtatiously walking away and the girls hid back behind the tree.
"It looks like he's getting those girls' numbers." Dee said as they shuffled along trying to stay hidden. They moved behind a bush but looked back to the gates to see the impersonator adding those digits to his phone and they hid back behind the shrub.
"Do we confront him? He's technically on Michael's property?"
"Another reason why I think we should have a security team!"
"Michael is our security team!"
They argued until Michael poofed behind them again and he says,
"If you're going to do anything, you better do it now, Mini-Me is leaving!"
They look over and they see the impersonator adjusting his jacket and checking his watch to leave and the girls begin their approach nervous at their first attempt at being stern.
"Hey!" They shouted and the man spun around. He quickly saw them and was stunned. The Neverland hostesses actually approaching him.
He removes his sunglasses and fedora in a flash and he held out his hand,
"It's a pleasure to meet you!"
Shan and Dee saw through his assumed fasad and they tried to be strict,
"Listen, we can't have bad press."
They began to cross their arms in a confrontation until Shan stopped.
She grabbed Dee's arm and she spat,
"I recognise you!"
They all stood confused and Shan began that fangirl smile she wore so proudly,
"You're Romeo Camirez! You're the hottest Michael impersonator on Instagram right now!"
'Romeo' shrugged and he was humbled by her statement. Dee didn't take the bait as he seemed too proud.
He blushed and he said,
"I've been working all week to stand infront of these gates."
He let his fingers wrap around the black iron bars and his eyes looked up to the golden emblem Michael worked so hard to establish and just then Michael intervened,
"Let him in, Dee."
She couldn't look Michael in the eye but she listened as he went on.
"If he needs work on his impersonating, I'll give him a few pointers."
Dee and Shan maliciously smiled and the keys were revealed from Shan's pocket.
Romeo perked up and his eyes bugged out, "Are- are you letting me in?!?"
The lock turned and Dee said pushing the gate aside,
"Michael would want us to let you inside. Step on in."
Romeo stepped inside and his eyes were as big as anyone whoever entered the Neverland gates.
The girls locked the gate behind him and Michael appeared in a fog,
"Let's see how much this poser really knows."
~~~
Romeo goes up the steps as guests nearly trampled him for selfies and autographs. Romeo obviously knew his way around Neverland without their help and it was impressive. The girls were impressed to find someone so committed to their art. As everyone roared around Romeo, Dee stood confused.
Shan was starstruck with the rest of the guests while Dee realized she may be playing the stick in the mud.
She feels a hand tug her away from the bottom of the stairs. Michael lead his apparition into the dining room, dragging her along and he asks carefully.
"What's wrong?"
Dee sighs and she muttered, "I feel like this is the wrong kind of attention."
Michael peeped out seeing Romeo do a gliding motion across the floor like his own iconic dance move and he tells Dee,
"I know that you think anything other than the best is no good. But honey, I don't find this insulting. Do you?"
She sways her hips thinking and it was clear. Dee and the girls never allowed impersonators because they were insulting to Michael. Or so they assumed.
"Dee?" Michael asked, "I think most impersonators are insulting. They get the whitest skin paint, walk around grabbing their crotch and pencil in the sides of their nose. That's insulting because it's making a joke out of me."
Michael pulled her along to show her the view outside the door. Romeo moonwalked across the floor like a pro which Dee found very impressive. Romeo spun just like Michael and it was all very realistic. Michael saw the change in her eyes and he said,
"This is flattery, not comedy."
He closed the dining room door then said half smiling,
"Give him a chance you spoiled brat."
Dee was in disbelief to that sudden dish out from Michael but he laughed.
Dee gasped and she said through his laughter,
"How am I spoiled?"
Michael giggled and he said, "Because you will not accept any other version of me. I've practically made you a brat."
She blushed and he crossed his arms as he knew he was right. Dee huffed out and she admitted,
"I guess I am a little demanding. But I just try to keep you in mind with every decision we make here. None of this would exist without you, Mike."
Michael grinned and he said softly,
"And I am so gracious that you do that. You've not let me down yet, Dee. I swear it."
She was relieved and Michael began escorting her back to the room full of guests. He held her back and said,
"Give whatshisname a chance, Dee. And who nows, if he meets our perfectionist requirements, maybe we'll have our first Neverland Host."
Dee was in shock and she turns to Michael in a second needing to hear it again,
"Are you serious? You want to hire him?"
Michael became worried and he asks seeing her so on edge suddenly,
"Dee, it might be good for business. Shan and yourself will need extra help around here when Faith leaves for college."
Dee felt guilty realizing she may be looking at a new member of the team but she knew Michael was right.
"How do we tell him about you?"
"We'll burn that bridge when we come to it."
Michael answered and then he faded into his mist, drifting to translucency until he was gone. Dee felt sick to her stomach but she knew Michael was doing what was right for the Inn.
Shan stood with Romeo at the top of the steps chatting and Dee approached them and she pulled Shania aside as respectful as possible.
"You talked to Michael, didn't you?"
She asked as they got into the library.
Dee adjusted her jacket and she muttered,
"Michael wants to hire him, if he's any good. Like not as just an impersonator, but possibly a host."
Shan thought with her eyes looking around and she shrugged,
"I guess it couldn't hurt."
Dee felt worse with her answer and Shan held her shoulder, consoling her,
"Listen. It's gonna be just you and me when Faith has to go to Stanford. That's gonna be a lot on just us. Michael, as always, I think is just looking out for us."
Dee nodded and they prepared their selves. They stepped back into the hall where Romeo still stood in his Michael garb and they cleared their throats,
"Would you like a tour?"
Shan asked firstly and he nodded obliged. They began towards Michael's bedroom and Dee said as they roamed,
"I'm gonna cut the theatrics. But firstly, My name is Deidra I'm one of the three hostesses, it's nice to meet you. Call me Dee."
Romeo smiled and he looked over,
"This tour seems to have tension for you. I know some people don't like impersonators. I don't mean to offend."
"You haven't offended anybody." Shania says speaking up and she smiled, "I'm Shania by the way."
"Where's the third hostess, if I can ask?" Romeo inquired and they came to Michael's doorway. They unfastened the red ropes and they let him inside.
His eyes widened but he removed his fedora. He was hesitant but they encouraged him,
"Its okay. Turn the knob."
He opens one of the double doors and the door creaked on its hinge.
Romeo looked around with eyes of wonder just as they did the first time they were in Michael's lavish bedroom and they stayed quiet.
The mirrors glinted with his reflection and it seemed so eerily cold. The girls looked over and Michael sat hidden from Romeo but visible to them.
He watched him move across the floor, not daring to step too far or look too much. Michael watched and he tells the girls,
"Offer the job before you scare him away, girls. One thing you don't know is, our boy is homeless. Not a dime to his name, only an Instagram."
Michael already knew from his mind reading and Dee and Shania were moved. Someone so famous was penniless doing the thing that they loved and the girls knew that exact struggle.
Dee cleared her throat and she says,
"As you asked, Faith, our third hostess was just accepted to Standford University. We can't keep her here, she's away at advising."
Shania went in for the kill and she says, "We need a new team member. And our head of management wants to know if you're interested in a job."
He spun around and his heart raced. The room seemed to spin and he asked shakily, "You want to hire me? But I'm nobody. I don't even have the cab faire to get back and forth."
"Our boss.." Shania said with leading eyes, "Thinks you have potential. And your talent will be most beneficial for our project here at Neverland. And cab faire won't be necessary. Once you work at Neverland, you live in Neverland."
He looked around and couldn't speak until he whispered,
"When can I start?"
The girls let Michael answer before they did and Michael crossed his legs and said with you careful eyes,
"Whenever he's ready."
Dee and Shania smiled, pretending to be thinking and they repeated.
Romeo cheered with hands in the air and they all come into a hug.
Dee felt heavy in their embrace and her heart felt worse. She looks to Michael's chair and sees him gone. Mentally, she knew this was one of the trials, she'd have to face without Michael's help.
Romeo was offered to start the day Faith returned which was that weekend, he was going to file his official application and get fitted for a suit. All of it seemed so incredibly fast.
That night, The girls lied in Shania's bed, late after all the other guests were asleep and Dee sat lost.
Shania falls asleep reading and Dee lied there numb to what was happening.
Tomorrow wasn't going to be a good day.