SWEETHEART • MJ [ORIGINAL]

Ten.

ARIAH'S NERVES WERE sky high ever since the moment she found out that Michael Jackson was coming over to visit. He did that sometimes when she was younger, but he would always bring one of his brothers or sisters with him. Unlike this particular time, it was never just him. This made Ariah want to do every extra thing she could to make herself look better, more appealing, and just gorgeous for Michael.

"He's going to be here any second, do I look okay?" Ariah asked as she rushed into Stella's bedroom. Her sister looked up at her with softened eyes and a faint smile appeared on her face.

"Sis, you look beautiful." Stella reassured her sister, pushing a strand of hair away from her sister's face. "Just relax, Ri. Mike will love you the way you are."

"He loves Brooke." Ariah mumbled and started to feel sorry for herself. "He can't love me."

"This is why you need to make him love you." A smirk appeared on Stella's face as she pulled out a rather intimate piece of clothing out of a nearby drawer Ariah's eyes widened, seeing a lingerie suit for the first time in reality. She had seen models wear them in movies or commercials, and even magazines. She had seen them in stores, but never had she ever touched one physically or seen one such as the one Stella had. Red and lacy, very lacy. Any guy would die looking at a girl wearing that. Ariah just knew it.

"I'm not wearing that! No, Stella!" Ariah shrieked, causing Stella to laugh hysterically. "Do you wear that for Jason?"

"Sometimes, sure." Stella shrugged nonchalantly. "We've gone hard a few times and it was because of this."

"Jeez.." Ariah was just embarrassed and couldn't believe what she was hearing. "I'm a shy girl, you already know this."

"Okay, forget it. It's killing you already, I can see it all over you." Stella sighed and Ariah groaned again, a bit louder this time. "Just let it happen naturally. Don't plan it out, just let it happen when the time feels right."

"Is that what you did with Jason?"

"Possibly." Stella winked at her and ran a hand through her hair. "It may or may not work for you though. Everyone is different."

"I know that if I tell him, I'll start talking nonsense and it'll get messy." Ariah whined and her sister just chuckled.

"Feelings are messy, sis, but you'll be okay." Stella nodded in confidence. "You will."

To Ariah, feelings were more than messy.

They were so complicated.

"Mike's just a buddy, he doesn't care about all of this, Linda!" Ariah heard her father's voice booming in the kitchen. The girl wasn't frightened, but she was more nervous. It sounded like he could get violent, but she knew her father well. He would never do that. It was just the tone and volume of his voice that was directed at her mother intimidated her sometimes.

"I just like to have the house neat, Paul!" Her mother insisted in power. "Leave me be!"

It was true, Linda did have a spirit of excellence. She hated any type of mess and clutter. Cleanliness was what she needed to be surrounded by at all times, it seemed like.

"Fine, I don't give a damn anymore."

Ariah's eyes shut tightly, hearing her father use such language in conversation with her mother. The young girl didn't like when her father spoke like that. She just wished they would quit arguing and make up. That's what she really wanted.