The Following Day
Janelle woke up to the sound of chirping birds outside the window. She looked at her phone and saw that it was about 7:30am. She looked over at Coraline and saw that she was still asleep. She was debating on whether to take Coraline back to Sally's house today या bring her to rehearsals. She would've asked Martin yesterday if she was thinking that, but she wasn't. So she decided that she'll ask him today if on different days, she could bring Coraline with her to rehearsals so she would know what to do when she gets older. She got up quietly and gathered some clothes and went to take a shower. She was humming The Girl Is Mine since it was stuck in her head all night. All throughout the shower, she got to thinking about what she did last night before she had gone to bed.
'Why did I do that? Was...was it because I always do that? No...I don't do that to everyone...only to people I like...do...do I like him? Do I like Michael? Don't tell me I'm falling for him! This is too soon...' She thought.
She was hitting the side of her head lightly. She couldn't describe what was happening with her. Once she finished her shower, she turned the water off and grabbed a towel, drying her body off and putting her clothes on. Once she was dressed, she grabbed the blow-dryer and started drying her hair. Her phone went off and she quickly grabbed it before it woke Coraline up and went back into the bathroom and answered it.
"Hello?" She asked.
"Janelle, it's your Aunt Liz." Elizabeth responded.
"Oh hey, Aunt Liz. What's up?"
"Just checking up on आप and Coraline. How have the rehearsals been coming along?"
"Oh just great, Aunt Liz. Other than the seizure I had during it, it's all good."
"Wait...you had a seizure?"
"...yeah...Martin accidentally got upset at me on दिन one yesterday because I apparently wasn't putting my all into my character. But it's all good. Michael straightened things out with him."
"Speaking of Michael...he told me that you, him and Coraline went to रात का खाना last night. How did that go? How did it turn out that way?"
Janelle blushed a little. "Uh...w-well, Aunt Liz...he helped me through my seizure. So I had told him that I'd take him to dinner."
Elizabeth giggled. "Oh? So now he knows you're Coraline's mother?"
"Yeah...he knows I am. He figured out yesterday when we were getting to know each other before we started rehearsals."
"How did he take it?"
"He found it rather interesting, actually."
She giggled. "Wouldn't surprise me one bit. He finds everything interesting."
"He does?"
"Yeah, he does. He finds everything interesting. Piercings, tattoos, आप name it."
Janelle was shocked that he could like piercings and tattoos. He doesn't even know about her टैटू that she got! She never told him about the टैटू she had. "Well, Aunt Liz, I gotta continue getting ready for rehearsals today. I gotta drop Coraline off at Sally's and then head on out to the studio to rehearse."
"How many days of regular rehearsals are there before आप start dress rehearsal?"
"Just a few और days of regular rehearsal before the dress rehearsal. We're just going through the part where my character goes into the school and gets to be Daryl's partner in classes and such and gets to eat with him at lunch and walk घर with him every day."
"Oh? So basically, he is her first friend?"
"Basically, yeah."
"Okay. Well, I'll let आप continue getting ready for rehearsals. Tell me how they went after आप get back to the hotel room, okay?"
"I will. Later, Aunt Liz!"
"Later!"
Then they hung up. Janelle finished blow-drying her hair and started to flat iron it. When she finished flat ironing her hair, she straightened out her clothes and headed out of the bathroom. Coraline had just woken up a couple मिनटों ago. Janelle smiled at her.
"Morning sleepyhead."
Coraline looked at her and giggled. "Morning, mommy." She said.
She got up and started getting the clothes she wanted to wear today and brought them over to Janelle. Janelle helped her change into them and pulled out her black and red sparkle mask and put it on her. She looked at her phone and saw that it was almost 9 and rehearsals started at 10. They got their things together and headed out of the room and saw that Michael was getting out of his room. He saw them and smiled.
"Hey lovely ladies." He said.
Coraline giggled. "Hi Michael!"
He took one of her hands and Janelle took the other and they headed to the elevator. His bodyguards were behind them and people looked out their doors and asked others 'are they married?' 'Is that their kid?' 'When were we gonna know about this?' and other such questions. Once they got to the first floor, from being in the elevator for a few minutes, they headed out to the car and got in and started driving off to Sally's house first to drop Coraline off.
At Sally's House
कद्दू was waiting outside the house with Sally, waiting for Coraline and Janelle to दिखाना up. कद्दू couldn't wait to see her buddy again so they could play dress up and such in her room. They saw a car pull up and saw Coraline and Janelle get out...with Michael. Sally was shocked to know that he'd be coming with them. Coraline ran up to कद्दू and they headed inside to play. Janelle and Michael went up to Sally.
"Hey Sal, thanks again for watching her. I'll alert आप when I get to bring her to rehearsal with me." She said.
She smiled. "It's no trouble at all, Jan. So..." She started to smirk. "Are आप two a couple now?" She asked.
Janelle and Michael blushed. "N-No we aren't."
"I thought आप were, considering that आप two came together last time to pick Coraline up and then came together today to drop her off."
Michael blushed even more. 'She better not know that I have a crush on Janelle.' He thought.
He looked at his watch and saw that it was 9:30. "Oh gosh. We gotta get to rehearsals!" He कहा rather fast.
She looked at him and looked at her watch and saw the time as well. She went wide-eyed. "Oh gosh, we do!" She turned to Sally. "Sorry, we gotta go now. Later! We'll see आप after rehearsal!"
She and Michael ran off back to the car and got in and drove off. Sally went inside, smirking a little.
"Something tells me that they are gonna be together at some point...and be the cutest couple ever."
She headed to the living room and watched TV while Coraline and कद्दू played in her room.
At The Set
Michael and Janelle made it just in time for rehearsals. Well, about 5 मिनटों early, so they got to calm down a bit.
'Phew! Thank heavens we made it! Time to relax for 5 मिनटों before we start.' Michael thought.
He looked over at Janelle and saw that she looked like she was gonna pass out any minute. He saw that she was holding her head and looking down a bit.
"Are आप okay, Janelle?" He asked.
She nodded. "I'm fine, Michael. Just...just a little light headed, that's all." She said.
"Maybe आप should sit down. Come on. Sit अगला to me."
She started to walk toward him, but before she got to him, she collapsed. Michael caught her before she hit the ground.
"Janelle, are आप sure you're okay?"
She shook her head. "No...I'm not okay. I think it's a delayed after effect from my seizure yesterday. My legs are so weak. I can barely even walk."
He knew she was telling the truth about it. They were lucky enough to only be rehearsing their lines for a few days before going onto the actual rehearsal and in full dress. Janelle shivered a little and Michael saw it.
"Are आप cold?"
She nodded a little. "I'm very cold..."
He took off his sweater and put it on her. "There आप go. I don't want my co-star to be cold during a rehearsal."
She looked at him. "But what about you?"
"I'll be fine. Don't worry. If I get cold, I have a trench कोट to wear, making me seem mysterious."
She giggled a little when he कहा that. She still had no idea why she liked him in the first place. Was it because he was himself? Was it because he was funny? What could it have been? Martin came into the studio and saw them.
"Alright. They are in here. Let's get to rehearsing our lines, shall we? Janelle, can आप put a little bit और of a shyness into your character today?" Martin asked.
Janelle nodded. "I can try." She sat up and sat अगला to Michael.
"Alright! Let's get to rehearsing!"
Michael looked around, but he didn't have his script. "Uh...I don't have my script."
Janelle put hers between them. "Don't worry. We can share mine."
He blushed a little and so did she. "O...Okay."
He smiled a little and he took one side of the script and Janelle took the other and they started rehearsing the lines. Michael knew he had to work on the dance sooner या later...and they gave him a time of two days when they get to the song in the dress rehearsal. He was planning on asking Janelle something during break...but something must have slipped his mind.
Break Time
Janelle was stuck on the loveseat they had set up in the studio and Michael had just came back with some water and a couple apples. He handed one to her and she took it and she took a cup of water.
"Thank you, Michael. आप didn't have to." She said.
"But I wanted to. Plus, your legs are still rather weak, aren't they?" He asked.
"Yes, but still..."
"Besides, I'm gonna be treating आप and Coraline to रात का खाना tonight anyway. I just wanted to do something nice, like I always do."
She giggled a little. "You are so not like Daryl, Michael."
He giggled. "I figured you'd say that. Daryl, this bad boy outside of school from the ghetto...God. As true as it is, it's rather funny. That's how it seems to be in Gary a lot, too."
She looked at him. "I had no clue आप were from Indiana."
He looked back at her. "Well now आप know. I'm from that small town of Gary, Indiana. Born and raised for about maybe 6-7 years, then moved to California and lived the rest of my 'childhood' life there."
She raised her eyebrow. "'Childhood' life? I forgot आप didn't have much of one..."
He nodded, looking down. "I never usually talk about it...it was just work for me. I enjoyed working as a child, but...sometimes...I wish I could go back and be able to play like other children. Have और friends...other than my brothers. Just...be a normal person. People see me now just as Michael Jackson, the most famous millionaire alive, the most successful since the Jackson 5 days...they don't see me as normal at all. Just another famous person."
Janelle felt like she was gonna cry. She looked down, after putting down her सेब and cup. "I'm the same way, Michael. Even though my mother...even though she had me wearing a mask up until her death when I was 10...my childhood was lost, too. I was only known as the famous Howard Taylor's daughter and then later known as Elizabeth Taylor's niece and then as a famous actress and singer anyone has ever known. I was so tired of it, yet...I rather enjoyed working, too. Even when I was 5, I started गाना and acting. I use to watch Phantom Of The Opera with my mom a lot. We'd act and sing out a bunch before Ryan was born."
Michael looked up at her in shock. "Really?"
She nodded. "Yeah...so, in a way, we are alike द्वारा that. We both liked to work during our childhood, yet wish to go back and do things how we wanted to do them and be normal."
He smiled a little and let a tear fall down his cheek. She lifted her hand and wiped it away for him and it made him smile more.
"Janelle, I have to ask आप something." Michael कहा rather fast.
"What is it?"
"Um...when we get to the song...um...would you...would आप like to help me come up with the dance for it?"
"Like...be a co-choreographer?"
He nodded. "Yeah."
She smiled a little and nodded. "Sure. I'd प्यार to help."
He smiled and hugged her. "Thank आप so much!! I need all the help I can get!"
She hugged him back. "It's no trouble at all." She giggled.
They broke away from the hug and ate their apples and drank their water. They couldn't wait to get to work on the dance together. It was gonna be so much fun. But now they have a new worry on their minds...their unexpressed feelings for each other...have started to grow, little द्वारा little.