That night as Michael walked into the house, Kenny Ortega stopped him in the hallway. Michael raised a brow at his producer's frustrated features.
Michael gave him a sheepish grin and held his arms out wide. "Honey, I'm home!" he said with a chuckle.
"Mike," he sighed. "Where have you been? I have been waiting for you for hours."
Michael shrugged. "I told you I needed a break."
Kenny rolled his eyes but decided not to push it. Michael was the boss, after all. He was the one who got to call the shots. "Did you get what you needed? Are you at peace now?" he asked sarcastically.
Michael looked at his feet, trying to hide the unmistakable twinkle in his eye. Saying he was at peace would be putting it lightly. In fact, he had no idea why, but he had never been more peaceful than he was at that very moment.
"Knock knock!" came a woman's smooth voice from the front door. Lisa Marie walked in and kissed her boyfriend on the cheek. "Hey sweetie, how was the concert?"
Michael almost grumbled. How could she not know about Bucharest? It was all over the news! "It was…eventful," he bit his tongue at the mere thought of that night.
Kenny raised his eyebrow at both of them. "Eventful wouldn't be the word of my choice, if you ask me."
"Michael shot him a warning look. "I didn't ask. What did you need, Kenny?"
He really didn't want Lisa to know the details of that night. If he knew her like he thought he did, she would be giving him a 2 hour long lecture about how he should have been more prepared for something like that. That was the last thing he needed right now, to feel stupid over something that was clearly not in his control.
'And that poor girl,' he shook his head and continued to give Kenny the eye.
Kenny froze for a moment before pulling out his notepad from his jacket pocket. "Colors, and lights, tempo. We need a lot actually."
"Ugh," Michael grumbled. "Okay, let's just head to the Staples Center tomorrow afternoon and I'll see what I can do."
"Um, honey, you can't go tomorrow. You will be busy," Lisa spoke up as Michael turned to walk away. She almost winced when his entire body froze up. She could feel his tension rising.
"Busy? Doing what, dare I ask?" he said in a frustrated tone.
"An interview," she said carefully. Kenny took a step back. He knew Michael hated interviews.
His shoulders slumped and he slowly turned to face her. Lisa almost huffed at his child like features. He looked like a kid getting ready to argue that he didn't want to go to school today. She hated it when he acted childish.
"Another interview? I hate this. Okay, who is it with and how long will it take? I have a life you know."
"I hate to break it to you, dear, but this is your life. Whatever it is you think is more important than publicity right now will just have to come in second. It's in Japan. You leave first thing in the morning."
"Pardon?" he asked, teeth clenched.
Great. You promised Ramona you would be spending the evenings with her. How can you just go back on that promise? his mind tormented him. He hated breaking promises of any kind, no matter what they were.
"You're going to Ja-"
"Don't say it again!" he held his hand in front of her face. "I need to go somewhere. I'll be back…whenever," he turned toward the front door. He just had to go see Ramona one more time. She deserved to know he was going away for a few days. He didn't want her to think he abandoned her.
"No, you need to go to bed, Mikey. It's almost midnight. You won't be as bright and cheery as you need to be for the cameras," Lisa perked.
He nearly rolled his eyes. 'Anything for publicity.' He glanced down at his watch and noticed how right Lisa was. It was rather late and Ramona would probably be asleep. He didn't want to wake her up just to make her sad.
"Fine. Goodnight everyone," Michael slumped his shoulders and headed for the stairs. He stopped next to Lisa and kissed her cheek. "Are you coming to bed with me?" he tried to be playful with her and when she paused to think. "Please?" he poked her and gave her his most adorable innocent look.
She slapped his hand away and snorted. "I can't go play around under the sheets with you, Mike. I have work to attend to. Besides, we have another interview to book with someone very big."
"Oh by all means, keep them coming," he mumbled. By that time, Kenny had slipped out of the room and left for the night. Lisa eyed him as he made his way to his bedroom for the night.
"What was that?" she asked.
Mike glanced over his shoulder and smiled sweetly. "I said I love you. Goodnight sweet buns," he almost laughed when she huffed.
"How many times do I have to tell you not to call me that?"
Michael shrugged and escaped to his room. Lisa folded her arms and shook her head as she left for the night as well. She wasn't too fond of dating Michael Jackson. Sure it sounded great to her at first, but after seeing how childish he was and that he couldn't be serious even for a second, it just itched at her nerves. Why couldn't he be more mature like her father?
Michael plopped down on his bed before he set his alarm and threw his hat across the room. 'I just hope Ramona will be okay.'
A couple of days later…
Ramona sat at her little tent and wrote the last of her story in her little notebook. She smiled as she held it in front of her.
"Finally finished," she said proudly. "I wonder if Michael would like something like this," she thought out loud.
Michael…she wondered where he was. The last time she saw him, he had said he would be seeing her the next night. She didn't think too much into why he did this to her and all of that drama. Ramona just didn't see things the way most females did. She was sure he had gotten busy with something else.
"As long as he's okay, then so am I," she said.
She stood up and stretched in the sun. Her head tilted back as she enjoyed the way the sun warmed her skin. She went back into her tent and changed into a simple bathing suit and her jean shorts and decided to go for a swim. Her suit was a one piece red suit that covered most of her body. She had a bad scar she didn't want to show off, so she left the two pieces in the store windows where they belonged.
The sides had cut outs on both sides to show what she figured was the only decent part of her body. She ran along the shore to get out her exercise for the day before she jumped into an oncoming wave. She loved swimming in the ocean. Another one of God's greatest creations.
She lay back and floated for a few moments. The waves weren't that harsh today, so floating wasn't risky for now. There were only a handful of tourists on the beach today and a few surfers swam her way.
"What's cookin' good lookin'?" one of them asked. Ramona sat up and squinted her eyes from the sunlight. He was a tall blonde man, maybe in his early 30's. Typical surfer attitude and looks. His friends floated around him, all on their own surf boards. Ramona wasn't the least bit impressed.
"I was cooking before you blocked my sun. Now if you will excuse me, I have a life to get back to," she swam back to shore and shook her head.
'Some guys are just complete airheads,' she thought. When she reached the shore, she rung out her hair and flipped it over one shoulder. She glanced back at the guys to see if they were watching her and was relieved when she saw them already scouting after another woman on the beach. She went back to her tent and grabbed a towel and a change of clothes before she headed for the local gym.
After working out for a bit and taking a quick shower, she decided to grab some food and head back to her beach. When her feet hit the sand, the wind suddenly changed. A storm was moving in. It didn't bother her all that much. She simply staked down her tent and buried herself in her sleeping bag for the night. The boulders usually kept her small home well protected from Mother Nature's violent mood swings.
As she hunkered down for the night, she pulled out her lantern and her journal and began to write.
This is week 24 since I have moved into my little beach tent. I guess I really should be looking for a better place to live. I like it here, though. No one seems to bother me. A few surfers were spying on me during my afternoon swim. I hated being so mean to them, but I hate being interrupted during my peaceful time.
The funny thing is, I haven't been completely peaceful since the last night I spent with Michael. Being in his presence is like being one with his spirit. It's hard to explain. When he's next to me, I feel his heart beating in tune with mine and all I want to do is lay back and relax.
It's silly to say that about a man I just recently met, but it's very true. Now I know what all of his friends meant about being in his presence when I saw them being interviewed on TV.
I'm really starting to miss my best friend. I know he didn't leave me on purpose. I just hope he's okay…
Ramona jumped as a crash of thunder ripped through the sky and her tent started to come unlatched. "Oh boy…" she grasped the sides of the tent, trying to hold it down. The wind was rather violent this time around.
Meanwhile…
"Hurricane has just hit the coast of Santa Monica. Winds are being reported up to 80 mph and is expected to get worse as the storm approaches. Anyone in the area is advised to stay indoors. This is a very deadly storm…"
"Turn it off, Charlie. Head toward the beach," Michael demanded. He sat on the edge of his seat in the SUV and bit his nails.
His trip to Japan had certainly not been a fun one. He landed a few hours ago only to learn that a hurricane was approaching Santa Monica beach where Ramona currently resided. His stomach churned.
"I don't know how close I can get without the car being flipped, Mr. Jackson," Charlie replied, stepping on the gas and avoiding tree branches flying across the road.
"Just get as close as you can. I'll run if I have to," he gritted his teeth. "I shouldn't have left, Charlie. She could be hurt because of me," he mumbled.
"Don't do that to yourself, Mr. Jackson. There was no predicting this monster storm. And I'm sure she is fine. If she has been on that beach for as long as you say she has, I think she can take care of herself."
"Yeah, you're right," he hesitated and then took a deep breath as they neared the beach. A rather large tree uprooted and fell onto the road in front of them. Michael stumbled into the floor as Charlie slammed on the breaks.
"That's as far as I can go, Mr. Jackson," Charlie said hesitantly.
"Alright, keep your headlights on and watch for me. Agent M is on a rescue mission this time," he jumped out of the SUV and ran as fast as his legs could carry him toward those 2 familiar boulders.
As he rounded the corner, the tent was nearly in shreds. Ramona's things were scattered around everywhere and Michael felt like he could cry. Before he could think, a large wave crashed into the back of his legs and almost knocked him over. The water was moving in fast and Ramona's little home would be swept away in minutes.
He jumped forward and tore into what was left of the tent. He pulled the stakes away and the tent flew away and wrapped around a tree about a mile away. Ramona's lantern flew back and shattered on the boulder behind where the tent used to be. There in the center of it all, was a little ball rolled up into a sleeping back.
Michael fell to his knees as another wave hit. He pulled open the bag to meet a pair of blue eyes full of fear and now, an ounce of relief. Without speaking, she hugged him tightly.
"Michael, you're alright!" she yelled.
He hugged her back without hesitation and let out a sigh of relief. "Ramona, are you hurt?"
She pulled back and looked around. "No, I think I'm alright. What now?" she asked as another wave approached. She pulled her notebook and journal away from the water as it rushed in, knocking them both against the boulders. Michael shielded her from the pounding waves and she clung on to him to keep him from being pulled into the current.
"I have us a ride waiting. Let's get out of here before it gets worse!" he yelled over the loud rumbles of thunder and waves. She nodded and took his hand and together they ran toward the SUV. Charlie saw them and pulled the door open just as they neared the vehicle. They both jumped in at the same time and Ramona landed on Michael.
She collapsed on his chest as he slammed the door shut and Charlie took off toward Michael's home.
"That was insane," she panted.
"But fun," Michael panted back. They both paused as they noticed their positions. Michael was lying on his back on the floor and Ramona was lying on his chest. Faces merely inches apart. Ramona blushed a rather bright shade of red and Michael cleared his throat as they both sat up quickly. "Agent M, mission complete."
Ramona raised her brow at him and he shrugged. "Agent M? From Men in Black?" he nodded and she burst into giggles. "That's awesome."
"Why yes, yes I am," Michael smiled and brushed his shoulders off.
Ramona rolled her eyes and then picked herself off of the floor and into the seat. She sighed after a moment and looked over her notebook and journal. "Damn, looks like the only entry of my journal that didn't get destroyed is my first entry," she paused as she looked at her notebook. "At least my story made it."
"How many entries did you have?" Michael asked as he sat up in the seat next to her.
"About 24 weeks worth. It was full of all the things I've been through since I arrived on that beach."
"Can I see what you have?"
Ramona shot her head up after a moment. "Uh, no. I think not. You can read my story though," she grinned at him, hoping he would drop it. She wasn't so lucky.
"I'll read the story, but I want to read the journal first," he leaned forward and reached for it and she snatched it away.
"No way! A journal is a personal thing. Don't you have a journal?"
Michael bit his lip in amusement. "Yes but I never have the time to write in it."
"Well maybe you should start so you can leave mine alone," she snorted and he laughed. She smiled before sighing again. "What am I gonna do now?" she thought out loud. She almost forgot Michael was right next to her. She was used to asking herself for advice.
"Well, for tonight at least, you are going to come stay with me. I have a nice guest room with locks on every door. High security too," Michael crossed his leg over the other and sat back in thought.
"I don't want to impose," she started.
"You aren't imposing and don't argue with me, Ray. I'm stubborn and I will win," Mike brushed his damp hair over his shoulder like a snooty cheerleader and Ramona bit back a laugh.
"Yeah, okay but I am not going to be some freeloader. I will do some work around the house while I'm there. In the mean time, I will look for a new place to live."
"If you count playing games with me as work, then sure. Work all you want. But you will have some fun. Being under my roof…"
"I live by your rules, I know, I get it. Sheesh…" Ramona crossed her arms and he chuckled. His smile slowly faded for a moment.
"Hey, you don't mind me calling you Ray, do you?"
"Nah, I like nick names. You can call me whatever you want," she winked at him and he grinned widely.
"How about, Snookie?"
"Only if I can call you Sugar Tits," she shot back without hesitation and he nearly fell out of his chair in laughter.
"That, I wasn't expecting. Okay, I'll make you a deal. You can call me Sugar Tits and I can call you Snookie, as long as we're not in public."
Ramona nodded and shook his hand. "Deal," Charlie cleared his throat from the driver seat as they pulled inside the gates of Neverland. "Well…sort of."
Michael laughed and took Ramona's hand as they ran through the rain inside the house. He gave her a quick tour and took her to the guest room before retreating to his own room for the night. Both took showers and crawled into bed. Ramona fell asleep instantly, having been in the first bed she's touched in a very long time.
Before Michael fell asleep, he stared at the ceiling wondering what to do next. He really wanted to help her get a new place of her own, but would she freak out if he spent money on her?
Like it matters. Your rules, remember?
"My rules, yes. And my heart," he thought for a moment. "My heart is telling me to do everything I can for her. She's my best friend, and she deserves the best."
Michael turned over a few plans in his mind before he yawned deeply and stretched out across his bed. "A new place for Ramona, and for me, I will find out what that first journal entry says."