Chapter XII

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Sunday August 30, 2009 1:00PM

Michael

As soon as I collapsed on my bed, sinking into the most comfortable mattress money could by... someone knocked on my bedroom door. My eyes snapped open and I cut them towards the door glaring it. By the aggressive knock I could only assume it was Jermaine. I closed my eyes tightly breathing a deep sigh before I struggled out of the bed and onto my feet. I yawned again and yanked open the door.

Arilynn stood there timidly. As soon as my eyes landed on her, she turned her face to the floor. I softened my expression a little realizing I probably didn't look too friendly just now.

"Sorry to bother you... Your sister... she..." she mumbled looking at the floor. "I'll just let them know you don't want to be bother- "

"Come in." I said cutting her off. This might be a good time for me to tell her like it is... gently. Friendship is all I could offer her at this time. Between this tour and chasing my sexual desires, I had no business trying to date or have a girlfriend. I did not want to be that boyfriend. I watched nearly all of my brothers two time women and those situations never ended well. I don't want to be the cause of someone else's emotional pain... especially to that degree.

Her head shot up and she looked at me with wide eyes. I smiled and gently took her wrist in my hand giving it a gentle tug. She stepped inside of my messy room and I shut the door behind her. On the wall next to the door were two large bookshelves full of movies and books. There was a pile of movies on the floor next to them. Arilynn's eyes traveled along the books and movies in awe.

"If you see something you like, take it as yours." I said softly watching her eyes continue to scan through the titles.

"Oh... sorry! I didn't meant to be nosey... I just... wow that's a lot of movies. You have like a blockbuster store's worth in here." She said looking across the room where there was another shelf with more movies on it.

I laughed. "No, I mean it. Any one you want or as many as you want. I don't have much time to sit around and watch them anymore. They're just collecting dust and taking up space. I'll probably collect a lot more while I'm on tour."

She looked a little hesitant and then shook her head vigorously. "No, no... I can't just..."

"Then I'll pick out the ones I want you to watch and you'll take them." I said stubbornly. I loved to give, but it seems like we live in a culture where some people find it hard to accept gift giving without expecting to have to provide something in return.

She giggled a little.  "Well..." she looked through the pile of DVDs on the floor that were mostly remastered old Disney classics. "The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast are my favorites. My mom still has our old VHSs stored somewhere but I no longer have a VHS player."

I saw Ariel on the cover and immediately thought of Vivian... That would be her favorite Disney classic... She held both DVDs to her chest.

"Thank you." She said. She did have a beautiful smile. It reached her almond shaped, brown eyes as she looked up at me. She had that same thankful look in her eyes that a fan gets when I grant them an autograph.

"Thank you, for putting up with my sister. She said that you've been there for her to lift her spirits during times she wasn't feeling so great. I know it's hard for her to watch our family drift apart, but... we're all adults now and life is taking us different places. It's natural." I said with a shrug. I moved towards my unmade bed and smoothed the blankets down a little so that she could sit next to me. She said down slowly and placed the DVDs in her lap.

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