Just Us
Scrutinized
The next day I recieved an unexpected call.
"Hello?" I answered.
"Uh hey Michael. It's Anne." My heart leaped in joy.
"Hey." I said trying not to sound too excited.
"Um, I know this is sort of short notice, but I need someone to come with me to a family party." She explained.
"I see. And you want me to go with you?" I asked. I began to jump up and down with excitement.
"Yeah. My family's always nagging me about not having a date for any family get-togethers, so I thought if I show up with someone they might leave me alone about it." She said with a giggle.
"Is it tonight?" I asked. I didn't have any plans but I wanted to sound like I was wavering over the thought.
"Yeah, but you don't have to come..." I cut her off.
"Of course I'll come." I blurted.
"Great! Uh, I'll pick you up at six. Wear something casual. Bye." I replied goodbye and hung up.
My heart was racing with excitement and adrenaline. I looked at the clock. 3:30. I have pleanty of time to get ready! I thought. I jumped into the shower, brushed my hair then decided that I should just put it up, found some jeans and a red shirt, and was torn on weither to wear a hat or not. I sat on my bed at 6:30 and contemplated over what to do about a hat. Blue hat or not? I thought that my hair was a mess so I slipped the hat over my unmanagable tangles and waited.
Anne picked me up at exactly six and we headed to her family get-together. She wore her dark hair in a bun, a green t-shirt under a varsity jacket, and jeans.
We stopped in front of a big white and green house with lights strung up on either side.
"How big is your family?" I asked nervously. She sat and thought for a moment.
"Oh, about 25 people." She said. I was so nervous as I stepped out of Anne's car. We walked to the back of the house to see several groups of people just talking. The smell of steak, burgers, and hot dogs hung in the air.
We entered the large yard and immediately all eyes were on us.
Some children started whispering to eachother and the adults were speechless. Anne grasped my hand and led me over to a group of people.
"Hi mom and dad." She said and hugged two older people who just kept starring at me.
"Hi Anne. Uh, is that..." Her mother was cut off.
"Yes, it's Michael Jackson mother." She said. her mother looked just like her aside form the different eye color which she inherited form her dad.
"Hi." I said shyly. She nodded and looked to her husband. Her husband retreated inside and Anne walked back over to me.
"You don't have to be nervous. They aren't going to judge you." She whispered to me. I relaxed a little and actually had a good time.
Near the end a little girl walked up to me with her mom and a camera.
"Mr. Jackson my daughter was wondering if she could take a picture of you?" Her mother asked. I smiled and nodded. The little girl squeeled with excitement as she focused the camera and took the photo. She ran off and began showing the picture to everyone. I laughed and wished I could stay in that moment forever. I turned to see I had lost Anne. I walked all over and asked her relatives if they had seen her but nobody had. I walked over to her mother and asked.
"Oh I believe she's in the house." She answered. I nodded a thanks and entered the house. The living room was green and dark since everyone was outside. Only a light coming form the kitchen illuminated the back of the room. I heard yelling as I approached the doorway. I didn't have to look to hear Anne's voice.
"What's wrong with him? He's just as normal as everyone else here!" She shouted angrily.
"He's a freak! He doesn't belong here. I'd rather have you die alone then to have come here with him!" Her father's voice boomed over Anne's tiny whispers. She gasped and slammed her hand on the counter.
"Are they talking about me?" I asked myself.
"He's not a freak! He's a special person. He cares, he doesn't see the world like you and I do. He sees the good in it!" She argued. Her father stormed past me as I hid in the shadows. I walked into the kitchen to find Anne frustartedly leaning over the counter.
"Are you ready to go?" I asked. She looked up in surprise and nodded. We left through the front door and didn't bid anyone goodbye.
"Are you okay?" I asked formt he passenger seat. Anne straightened her back against her seat and shook her head.
"My father..." She began but couldn't finish. I turned the radio on and tried to find a good song to cheer her up. Suddenly (Everything I Do) I Do It For You by Bryan Adams came on and I began to sing. She smiled and sang too. She glanced over at me in pure joy and I laughed with her.
"You have a beautiful voice you know?" I said. She blushed and looked at me. I peered into her eyes and saw a bright light behind her.
"Anne look out!" I screamed, but I was too late
"Hello?" I answered.
"Uh hey Michael. It's Anne." My heart leaped in joy.
"Hey." I said trying not to sound too excited.
"Um, I know this is sort of short notice, but I need someone to come with me to a family party." She explained.
"I see. And you want me to go with you?" I asked. I began to jump up and down with excitement.
"Yeah. My family's always nagging me about not having a date for any family get-togethers, so I thought if I show up with someone they might leave me alone about it." She said with a giggle.
"Is it tonight?" I asked. I didn't have any plans but I wanted to sound like I was wavering over the thought.
"Yeah, but you don't have to come..." I cut her off.
"Of course I'll come." I blurted.
"Great! Uh, I'll pick you up at six. Wear something casual. Bye." I replied goodbye and hung up.
My heart was racing with excitement and adrenaline. I looked at the clock. 3:30. I have pleanty of time to get ready! I thought. I jumped into the shower, brushed my hair then decided that I should just put it up, found some jeans and a red shirt, and was torn on weither to wear a hat or not. I sat on my bed at 6:30 and contemplated over what to do about a hat. Blue hat or not? I thought that my hair was a mess so I slipped the hat over my unmanagable tangles and waited.
Anne picked me up at exactly six and we headed to her family get-together. She wore her dark hair in a bun, a green t-shirt under a varsity jacket, and jeans.
We stopped in front of a big white and green house with lights strung up on either side.
"How big is your family?" I asked nervously. She sat and thought for a moment.
"Oh, about 25 people." She said. I was so nervous as I stepped out of Anne's car. We walked to the back of the house to see several groups of people just talking. The smell of steak, burgers, and hot dogs hung in the air.
We entered the large yard and immediately all eyes were on us.
Some children started whispering to eachother and the adults were speechless. Anne grasped my hand and led me over to a group of people.
"Hi mom and dad." She said and hugged two older people who just kept starring at me.
"Hi Anne. Uh, is that..." Her mother was cut off.
"Yes, it's Michael Jackson mother." She said. her mother looked just like her aside form the different eye color which she inherited form her dad.
"Hi." I said shyly. She nodded and looked to her husband. Her husband retreated inside and Anne walked back over to me.
"You don't have to be nervous. They aren't going to judge you." She whispered to me. I relaxed a little and actually had a good time.
Near the end a little girl walked up to me with her mom and a camera.
"Mr. Jackson my daughter was wondering if she could take a picture of you?" Her mother asked. I smiled and nodded. The little girl squeeled with excitement as she focused the camera and took the photo. She ran off and began showing the picture to everyone. I laughed and wished I could stay in that moment forever. I turned to see I had lost Anne. I walked all over and asked her relatives if they had seen her but nobody had. I walked over to her mother and asked.
"Oh I believe she's in the house." She answered. I nodded a thanks and entered the house. The living room was green and dark since everyone was outside. Only a light coming form the kitchen illuminated the back of the room. I heard yelling as I approached the doorway. I didn't have to look to hear Anne's voice.
"What's wrong with him? He's just as normal as everyone else here!" She shouted angrily.
"He's a freak! He doesn't belong here. I'd rather have you die alone then to have come here with him!" Her father's voice boomed over Anne's tiny whispers. She gasped and slammed her hand on the counter.
"Are they talking about me?" I asked myself.
"He's not a freak! He's a special person. He cares, he doesn't see the world like you and I do. He sees the good in it!" She argued. Her father stormed past me as I hid in the shadows. I walked into the kitchen to find Anne frustartedly leaning over the counter.
"Are you ready to go?" I asked. She looked up in surprise and nodded. We left through the front door and didn't bid anyone goodbye.
"Are you okay?" I asked formt he passenger seat. Anne straightened her back against her seat and shook her head.
"My father..." She began but couldn't finish. I turned the radio on and tried to find a good song to cheer her up. Suddenly (Everything I Do) I Do It For You by Bryan Adams came on and I began to sing. She smiled and sang too. She glanced over at me in pure joy and I laughed with her.
"You have a beautiful voice you know?" I said. She blushed and looked at me. I peered into her eyes and saw a bright light behind her.
"Anne look out!" I screamed, but I was too late