Day 3 – The shell of rebellion…

XXXX

*SMASH!*

'What the-' Michael lifted his head from the pillow with an immediate alertness as he heard the loud echo of destruction.

'Rise and shine Mick!'

'Holly…' Michael hissed to himself as he hurriedly got out of bed and ran to grab a shirt out of his dresser. He tripped in the process (one of the very infrequent moments when he temporarily lost that steady balance that he was blessed with) and tumbled to the floor.

*SMASH!*

'Come on Mick, you wouldn't want me to 'get the water' on you would you?' Michael lowered his eyebrows and quickly rushed to get up and pull his black and red pajama bottoms on. '5…4…3…2…1…That's it Mick, you're out of time!' she yelled through the door and just when Michael was about to put his shirt on she opened the door. 'Eeew Mick! Cover up! You know better than to come out bare skinned, you'll give the camera man a heart attack. She said as the camera man came around the corner making sure to capture everything. Michael felt so embarrassed as he looked over at both of them. He noticed that Holly held a stack of plates in her hands.

'Holly! What are you doing?' Michael asked in a warning tone while pulling his shirt over his head.

'I have no idea what you're talking about…' she said ignorantly and walked out of his sight down the hallway. She chucked a plate carelessly over her shoulder and it smashed immediately on his marble floor. He saw the plate shatter through the doorway and his eyes widened.

'HOLLY!' he shouted as he pulled on his loafers and ran outside after her. She dropped plates as she went like they were noting but plastic cones. He stomped right over to her and attempted to grab them back but she snatched the plates out of his reach and hurried down the stairs.

'See. It isn't nice when someone takes your things away from you and smashes them is it?' she asked trying to prove a point as Michael followed her down whilst warily dodging pieces of shattered glass.

'Holly stop this! I thought we already sorted this out, you said it was fine!' Michael yelled and stopped at the bottom of the stairs to face her as she dropped the last plate.

'Oh really! Well then you really don't know me! You may not hold grudges, but I certainly do!' she said and suddenly grabbed a vase off of a nearby table, then raised one eyebrow spitefully a Michael. Michael's eyes suddenly grew comically wide as he flicked his focus from her to the vase and spread his legs in a stance with his arms out in front of him gesturing for her to stop exactly where she was.

'…Holly…put the vase back.' He said slowly and she knew that this vase must have meant something to him unlike the plates, this would be worth smashing. The corners of her mouth turned up in a demonic snarl.

'Why? Is it worth something to you?'

'Girl…put it back now.' She suddenly closed one eye and peered closely at it as if trying to guess its value. By the looks of it, it was nothing special and to her it didn't look worth more than a couple of bux, but seeing as Michael seemed to loved stuff that was extremely overrated and outrageously above the price they should be, she guessed it would probably be a couple thousand. No more than 5 grand though. If it got destroyed Michael could buy it back easily. Surely.

She tossed it onto one hand and held it up. Michael's eyes somehow managed to get wider than they already were as she then tossed it carelessly from one hand to the other. 'STOP THAT!' he shouted. She decided to test how far she could push him before he snapped. She continued tossing and then suddenly he leapt at it. Holly turned around swiftly so that he couldn't reach it. He gave up, deciding to try a new approach as he stood back and regained his composure. 'Girl I'm not gonna fight you for it. Unlike you I'm going to be adult about this, hand me the vase.'

'Um…nah…' she said and tossed it more rapidly from hand to hand.

'Holly. Stop acting like a child, hand it over.' Holly sighed.

'…Okay…' she said and stretched the vase out to him. He almost grabbed it until she pulled it back once again out of his grasp. 'Sike!'

'GIVE IT TO ME!' Holly had never heard him this frustrated since she'd been here. She decided to finally let him have it.

'Alright, alright…here!' she said and chucked the vase high and far in the air. Michael wasn't even given enough time to comprehend what she had just done. That she had just risked his precious vase in the midst of her foolish behavior just to prove a point. He just stood with his mouth agape as the vase fell right out of the air and crashed to the floor. It shattered into what seemed like a million pieces.

'My…vase…' he said in almost a whisper as he looked down slowly to see the mess at his feet. Holly found this whole situation hilarious. Just look at his face! She thought and was literally on the verge of tears as she saw him kneel down in front of it, picking up the biggest piece and sadly holding it close to him. She was trying to hold her laughter in and keep a straight face when in reality she wanted to just fall on the floor and die of this overwhelming hilarity. Some would say that this wasn't funny at all but they had to have been there to see his face, they really had to.

And…was that a tear she saw? Hahaha, this is just too good.

He closed his eyes just hugging the piece. Okay now this is getting a little weird…still funny though!

He picked up another piece and rubbed it to his face. Alright maybe he's overreacting I mean that vase can't mean that much could it? It's a V.A.S.E!

Michael held his head down for what seemed to him like a life time before taking a deep ragged breath and standing up. His eyes didn't quite manage to reach her face as he spat to her feet instead. 'Clean it up.'

He stated with a lot of enforcement behind his tone. As well as his obvious irritation Holly heard something else in his voice, something she hadn't heard before from him. It was hard to distinguish. He was angry, he was hurt, he was…well…p*ssed. The way he looked at the ground when he addressed her and hunched his shoulders over made him seem like a whole different person. A person that she didn't want to mess with.

'Y-yes sir.' She surprisingly felt herself stammering and with that he turned away from her and stomped back upstairs then slammed his door.

Uh, what just happened? He's angry, over a vase? And I'm actually going to do something someone told me to, first time? Has the world gone mad? She asked herself as she found herself walking subconsciously to the kitchen and picking up the broom, dustpan and brush. She paused when she got a grip of the handle. Wait what the hell am I doing? She thought but somehow she couldn't stop herself as she continued back out into the hallway. She quickly cleaned up all the glass plates first, from upstairs down and threw them away before starting on the vase. She swept the floor slowly. He did seem pretty torn up over it, maybe it wasn't all that funny after all. She thought as she scooped up the shards of painted clay and emptied the dustpan into the new bag she had fetched.

Soon Liz walked in from outside in a tracksuit and trainers, the most casual Holly had seen her all week. She froze dead when she saw Holly sweeping.

'Holly? You're up? Already?' Holly turned to look at her.

'Yeah…' she said quickly before returning to her work.

'And you're sweeping?'

'Well I appear to be, yes.' Liz walked right up to her and peered into her eyes.

'Who are you and what have you done with the real Holly?' Liz asked playfully.

'I swallowed her whole!' Holly played along and they both laughed before Liz looked suspicious again.

'So what are you sweeping?'

'Oh just the…uh…vase that was on this table here. I…I…I walked into the table and knocked it off by accident.' Holly lied. Liz peered at the table and her eyes widened almost as much as Michaels' did earlier.

'The vase?' Liz asked amazed. What was so special about this damn vase? Holly thought, getting all the more frustrated herself.

'Yeah…'

'The one that was right here? On this spot?' Liz pointed.

'Yes.' Liz gaped like a fish and covered her mouth with her hand.

'Oh my god! Does Michael know?'

'Uh…yeah…he saw me break it.' That wasn't totally a lie... Liz shook her head in disbelief.

'Really? What did he do?' Liz asked and Holly thought quickly.

'He told me I should be more careful…?' she said though it was more of a question.

'And nothing else?' Liz asked with her hand on her heart in shock. Holly slowly shook her head. 'Oh how awful…' Liz said, her voice riddled with tragedy.

'Why? What's so important about it?' Holly asked casually trying to hide her eagerness to actually find out.

It was a gift given to him a couple of years ago by a friend of his. You know Princess Diana?' Holly nodded starting to get a strange gut feeling. 'She gave it to him, and that was the last time he had seen her…before it happened…' Holly dropped the broom. It was the last gift from Princess Diana before she died…What have I done…? Holly thought. 'I know, it's sad isn't it? Are you sure that's all Michael said to you?'

'Yeah…but come to think of it, he was kinda upset…' Liz shook her head.

'Oh my, I'm going to go and talk to him…see you later Holly.' Holly stayed silent as Liz walked on upstairs. Oh my god… She felt so cruel to have done that and now the joke didn't seem remotely funny at all. She stood idly shuffling from foot to foot. Biting her lip, not really knowing what to do with herself. She bent down again and remained sweeping, It was the least she could do…

XXXX

'Now as you both know, there was a little incident yesterday. Now as punishment for that, this will be your challenge for today.' Both of them gazed up at the towering collection of metal that most kids would bonkers over but just confused them.

'What are we supposed to do?' Jacob asked dumbfounded, and Liz pulled two buckets and two sponges into view.

'You're not serious…' Jacob said and then fell silent waiting for Holly to expand on his statement. She stayed silent and reached for a bucket.

'That's the spirit Holly. Liz smiled, which surprised Holly because she expected to be hypothetically 'disowned' after what she had done earlier today. Jacob raised one eyebrow and looked at Holly.

'You're actually going to do it?' he asked. Holly walked forward towards the Ferris wheel. Jacob sighed. 'Man this is cruel! I wasn't even the one who opened the gate in the first place. I smoked a fraction of a cigarette and you want me to clean the Ferris wheel? Geez who came up with this punishment anyway?' Jacob asked, clearly irked.

'It was a special request by Michael' Liz replied casually.

'Oh I see, he gave us this work and then doesn't show up because he knows there will be an argument. Surely he got this wrong, I shouldn't be doing this. Where is he?'

'He's in the house but don't you go bothering him. He doesn't fell well.' Liz's eyes darted over to Holly for a split-second before flashing up at the Ferris wheel. Holly got a sick guilty feeling which made her hold her head down ashamed.

'Fine, forget it…' Jacob said not realizing the awkward situation before him. '…but how are we supposed to clean this thing, anyway?'

'One cart at a time, Max over there is our control guy; he'll turn the wheel for you when you've done each one. Oh and make sure you get right between the metal, that's where the real grease tends to build up.' She said trying to be helpful but in reality was actually making the situation worse.

'Why would he want us to do this anyway? It's a Ferris wheel! Wouldn't it be more productive to clean a sink or toilet?'

'Again this is Michaels' punishment not mine.'

'Ugh!' Jacob groaned and slid reluctantly toward the ride. Holly moved to follow him but Liz took her arm and pulled her gently aside. Oh no…Holly thought as Liz looked down at her, she didn't seem angry though, when she spoke.

'Holly, Michael told me that it was all an accident.' Holly's brain halted for a second sort of confused. But it wasn't all an accident... She said to herself. She had expected Michael to have told Liz the truth and probably get her kicked out of his house A.S.A.P…but…he didn't? 'You know I was kind of worried, I had a deep feeling that you had lied to me, not to say that I don't trust you, but I just had a funny feeling.' Holly just nodded still baffled that Michael had defended her.

'U-um…so…is he still upset?' she asked.

'Yes he is, but he told me that he was only upset at losing the gift that was so close to him.' Holly's saliva got on notch thicker at Liz's words. Wow, I know if I were in Jacksons place, I would have had my bodyguards drag me out of the gate by my ears, kicking and screaming.

'I see...' Holly said. Although it felt good to not be in trouble, the fact that she wasn't made her feel worse because even though she did something so spiteful, he was still nice to her, in a way.

'Even though I never said out loud what I was thinking, I still want to say sorry for doubting you.' Liz said with a smile.

'Oh…uh…that's okay…um… thank you…' Liz continued to smile widely before stepping back and allowing Holly to go past her. Holly walked up to the Ferris wheel with a tight stomach as she moved to the other end of the first cart away from Jacobs side and she too started cleaning. Liz took a seat sitting there and watching them, doing the supervision that Michael had missed out on. This was going to be long boring work…

XXXX

Michael shook away his clenched fists, still angry as he sat down with his guitar. The one thing that could always guarantee to comfort and calm him was his music. He held the guitar with such elegance as he began to play. He got to about the fourth chord in the song before he felt his finger slip through the guitar strings and his song was messed up. 'What the-' he looked down assessing the problem that he doubted was caused by himself. He soon found one string missing. Michael sighed with his eyes closed before irately throwing the guitar back onto the stand. Great! That's just great! He swiftly moved onto the next instrument he sat at the piano bench and gently lifted the lid. He dusted off a few of the keys with his hand before resting his hands on the keys and playing a jazzy tune.

Michael smiled as he played without fault, the comfort was gradually working and for it to work properly everything had to go just right. He got to the bridge of the song before he pressed a certain high note and it practically screamed OUT-OF-TUNE! Death to his ears! He abruptly slammed down the lid causing the sound of shocked notes to echo though the room. That's it! Comforting process done! He thought annoyed again as he quickly stood up and stomped out of the room. He was stopped in his tracks when he saw his bodyguard Paul almost dying of laughter sitting on a chair in the hallway.

'Paul?' Michael asked his voice surprisingly harsh coming from him.

'Aaahahahahaahaha…and you, yo-ha! hahaha…kids- wash Ferris wheel, hahahahaha! Whew! You are one funny man Jackson! Hahaha you actually made them do it? Man, I thought you were joking!' Michael sighed.

'I was…' he said and then came closer to him.

'Yeah but isn't that kinda cruel?'

'Yeah well, so what, they brought it on themselves.'

'Aww man really? How?'

'Well long story short, they disobeyed my rules so now they gotta pay the consequences.'

'Geez Michael, I told you, you weren't fit for this.'

'What do you mean?'

'I mean look at you, you look so agitated and stressed and it's only been three days. Are you sure you're only upset over the rule breaking?' Michael lowered his eyebrows at the ground as he was forced to recall the tragedy of his vase.

'Yes. Bad teens upset me.' He said.

'I told you to stick to the little ones but you didn't listen to wise old Paul.' Paul said in fake disappointment as if he had thousands of years more experience than Michael had. 'And now you too gotta pay the consequences. Good luck.' He patted Michaels shoulder and then walked over to the window. 'Hey man, they look so tired like they don't even have the energy to do anything bad again. Hey maybe that's not such a bad punishment…' he said and then walked outside. Michael huffed and then walked upstairs.

XXXX

Holly and Jacob stared over at Elizabeth their mouths open as she sipped on ice cold lemonade. Arms aching, dirty and tired, both of them coveted her position so much. Liz smiled and waved at them teasingly while she took another sip.

'Okay I think that cart is clean enough now, turn the wheel Max!' Liz order from her deck chair at the base of the ride. Holly and Jacob practically crawled a safe distance away so the wheel could be turned. Both looking weary and fed up. They turned to Liz for reassurance. 'Come on guys, perk up. You're doing well…only 5 carts left look at that.' Holly sighed when hearing the amount of work they had left while Jacob threw down his sponge.

'Oh! I give up! I'm sick of this!' he shouted in exasperation.

'You can't give up Jake, this is your punishment.' Liz said in response.

'This!' he threw his arms up motioning towards the ride. 'Is not punishment! This! Is child abuse!'

'No it isn't, we checked the rules.' Liz said with a slight smile. 'And besides it's good that you're fed up because it means that your punishment is working.' She smiled and Jacob crossed his arms annoyed. Liz then opted for a different approach. 'Look, you're almost done; don't give up now you've come so far, you're doing well.'

'Yeah Jake, come on, we may as well just finish this.' Holly said.

'No you! May as well just finish this, you're the one who got us into this mess.'

'Me-?'

'Yes you! You and your stupid pathetic attempts to remain a rebel, why don't you just shut up and actually try to learn from this experience for once?' Jacob spat harshly.

'Huh-?'

'You just had to go and open the gate didn't you? Just one smart choice of yours! Now I'm here doing peasant work! Hell my mom owns a limo, I don't need this!'

'What? Oh no you cannot, just blame this all on me!' Holly said in defense.

'And then you just had to go and smoke didn't you? Smart choice number 2!'

'Don't you put this all on me! Not after you blatantly came over and smoked with me, nobody asked you to, so technically you can't blame me-'

'I blame yoooou!' he hissed 'You tempted me!'

'Yeah and you gave in.' Holly said back, her attitude slowly returning.

'I wouldn't have had to give in if you never bought the damn cigarettes and alcohol here in the first place! Excellent choice number 3 and ding ding ding! I think we have found the source of this whole problem!' Holly was slightly hurt by Jacobs' sudden turn on her, but she'd be damned if she ever los an argument against anybody.

'…Oh yeah Jake? Well-'

'Children, children come on now stop fighting, your both as much to blame as each other, you both did wrong and you both need to pay the price of it.' Liz said simply, but Jacob wasn't having any of it.

'No! She needs to pay the price for this, I've already paid mine! Good luck Holly!' he waved and then moved to walk off.

'I don't know why your acting like you hate me all of a sudden, we both know you brought me that pizza slice the other day!' Jacob span around on his heel.

'What pizza slice? I have no idea what you're talking about so stop trying to hold something that didn't happen over my head!' he said vexed and then stomped back along the pathway towards the mansion. Holly was left with a confused look on her face. Jake didn't give me the pizza slice? Then who did? She looked over at Liz who stared back looking slightly confused herself. 'Was it you?' she asked and Liz shook her head.

'Holly…Michael gave you that pizza slice…' Holly raised both eyebrows I disbelief.

'b-but I thought…'

'That Michael was some mean control freak who loves to enforce his power and send teens to bed without food? Well that's what he should be acting like, but really he's quite the opposite, he refused to let it happen so he snuck it to you.' Liz said and Holly stood there amazed with her mouth open. 'Personally I don't think he should have been so soft on you, but that's Michael for ya.' She said giggling and then she stood up. 'Well I guess I had better go and get Jacob, you stay here and continue this while I'm gone…Max! Remember the walkie talkie…' she mouthed and max nodded. Before Liz shot Holly a final smile and slowly walked the same long path as Jacob.

Holly took a while to just stand there and let all the information sink in. Guilt trip or what! She thought to herself as she stared at her feet that seemed to be shuffling all by themselves. Wow I really am a b*tch… she thought remembering everything bad she had said and done to Michael. The last straw should have really been the incident with the fans but Michael had put up with Holly and even tried to make up with her after that. Maybe it was her turn. But she was scared. She had never been the one to do the apologizing and had always been the one to judge anothers' techniques on making it up to her. She didn't know how to say sorry so she may as well just stick to her self made moral.

'Not trying is the first step to not failing and to not making a fool out of one's self.'

She nodded to herself in approval. But then again…it seemed kind of awful to leave things as they were, she should at least make the effort. Holly subconsciously took two steps towards the stairs leading off from the ride when she heard Max behind her.

'Hey Liz? Liz! The eagle is moving! I repeat, the eagle is moving!' she turned around with one raised eyebrow and saw Max swiftly pull the walkie talkie behind his back and give her a wide smile and a polite wave. She cut her eye and then went back to work. Whatever! He just made my mind up for me anyway… she said to herself and went back to work.

XXXX

When Jacob walked inside he saw Michael walking down the stairs. He looked down as he went to walk past him up in the hallway but Michael stopped him with a firm hand on his shoulder.

'Where are you going?' Michael asked sternly. Jacob swallowed as he looked at him. Was it just him or was there something different about him? He didn't look as soft as he had done the past few days. He looked a little like this yesterday but Jacob just thought that he was in a bad mood. Bad moods didn't last this long though did they?

'Upstairs…' Jacob said and Michael eyed him with scrutiny.

'What for?' Jacob inhaled and then put on a brave face.

'I'm done with my chores.'

'Says who?' Jacob thought back and remembered how angry he had been for being forced to clean half the damn Ferris wheel when all he had done was take about three drags of a cigarette. He didn't answer and Michael folded his arms. 'No, you're not.' Michael nodded to the door. And Jacob sighed and turned to do as he was told, he took a few steps towards the door before turning back agitatedly.

'Look, why do I have to do this? Holly was the one who-'

'You're both as equally guilty as each other.' Michael cut in.

'well… I don't think so.' Jacob said trying not to get angry.

'I'm not asking you Jake, I'm telling you. Go and return to your work.'

'No.' Jake said and Michael jolted his head back in surprise. Jacob had never been difficult before.

'What?'

'I said no. It's not fair.'

'Oh well guess what, life's not fair.' Jacob looked to the floor feeling slightly defeated. Michael continued. 'Sometimes you're gonna have to do stuff you don't want to, and the sooner you realize that the sooner both you kids can stop acting like spoilt little brats.' Michael slipped out and then looked to the ground, surprised at what he just said. Jacob looked up looking hurt and a little surprised himself. He immediately got defensive.

'So that's what you think we are huh? Then fine I'm going to act like one.'

'Come on Jacob, what I meant to say was that you should just go back to your chores and don't act so-'

'And I'm not cleaning your Ferris wheel!' Jacob snapped suddenly.

'Hey Jacob don't you dare start this.'

'No I think I will, I tried my best to do every challenge you set me, I do one thing wrong and suddenly I'm as bad as Holly. Which I'm not! At least I was actually polite to you. But now you wanna make me do this? No.' Michael was getting more and more fed up he had, had enough of disobedient teens already this week.

'Jacob-'

'No.' Jacob said in defiance. Michael stepped towards him looking irritated.

'Look Jake I really don't have the patients for this anymore so you had better just go and do it now.'

'Really? Well you don't have to, why don't you just drop the subject and we'll call it quits, then I don't have to do anything and you don't have to get stressed. See…win win.' Michael clenched his fist shaking his head.

'Boy you have this all wrong; you do not do what you want to! I tell you what to do. It's all in the rules' he stated.

'Yeah? Well I'm fed up of these damn rules.' He said and then walked past Michael up the stairs.

'You better get back down here Jacob. I'm really not in the mood…'

'That's a shame because neither am I.' Jacob said making it to the top of the stairs. Michael decided to try a different approach and get more personal.

'Boy didn't your father ever discipline you at all?' Jacob stopped where he was before angrily turning on his heel.

'SHUT UP!'

'Excuse me?'

'YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT MY FATHER, OR ME FOR THAT MATTER, SO KEEP OUT OF MY PRIVATE LIFE!'

'I am asking you a question and by the looks of it he aint teach you nuthin!' Michael called back.

'Oh just piss off!'

'Jacob!'

'Jackson!' Jacob mocked and then turned around walking off again.

'Fine just do whatever the hell you want, because that's gonna get you far in life!' Michael yelled sarcastically.

'Well it seemed to work for you.' Jacob muttered loud enough for Michael to hear.

'Yes but I actually had to work hard to earn the privilege of being able to do what I wanted, you kids don't wanna work for a damn thing! You just expect life to fall right onto your lap well guess what? It's not gonna happen!'

'No maybe not so we may as well all just say f*ck it right?'

'Wrong! And I swear if I hear one more curse in this house-!'

'F*CK!' Jacob shouted and then slammed his door from upstairs. Michael was shaking with frustration now and was about to just drop and give Jacob some time to cool off before his legs marched him straight upstairs without his own consent. He burst right into Jacobs' room.

'I am so fed up with you teens acting like children! You're gonna get downstairs and your gonna finish the task right now!'

'I don't feel like it!'

'Jacob you better get the hell up off your bed right now!'

'Okay fine! Sheesh!' he said and then got up. Michael stared at him infuriated as he swung the door wide open for him. On the way Jacob accidentally (and it really was accidental) knocked down one of Michaels small artifacts that was resting on a side table. Without warning Michael grabbed Jacobs arm and swung him up against the wall.

'YOU WANNA PAY 15, 000 DOLLARS FOR A NEW ORNAMENT?' Jacob stared back at him shocked.

'No I-'

'THEN I SUGGEST YOU WALK WITH CARE!' Michael shouted in his face. He was surprised at how rough he was acting but he guessed it was just one effect of having two unruly teens for what had only been about half a week. He eased up and let Jacob past him.

'Geez man I'm sorry, it was an accident…-'

'I don't care, Go.' He said. As Michael turned he saw Liz standing at the front door with stunned look on her face. Jacob was red in the face and looked slightly terrified as he walked straight past Liz without a word. When he had disappeared through the door, Liz turned back to Michael.

'Michael, can I have a word?' she said and led Michael away.

XXXX