The Beginning

Wish

 1977

Ever since he knew he would be staring on The Wiz, it was all Michael could think about. He would go on and on about it with whoever he started a conversation with. His siblings could barely take it any longer. Even his mother had started to show signs of tiredness.

Fortunately for him, and his family, the filming process had already started. Michael was living with LaToya in a small apartment in New York. And now they were headed to the second week of shooting.

Michael was radiant. As much as he absolutely adored playing the Scarecrow and the plot of the movie in general, he couldn't deny the main reason for his overall happiness.

She was there.

Diana. Diana. Diana.
His mind wouldn't shut up about it. Spending so much time with her was all Michael could have wished for.
Finally, since he was a child living in her apartment with his brothers, he got to experience that feeling again. The feeling of waking up everyday knowing he would see her.

He couldn't really recall when he started developing feelings for her. For all he knew, they had always been there, and they had only grown and grown as the years went by, until it began to overwhelm him. And seeing her everyday, despite making his heart melt in pure joy, only made it completely take over his mind.

She was the first thing he thought of when he woke up in the morning.
He longed to get up from bed and meet her, see her smile as she noticed him arriving, feel her perfume and her soft curls brushing against his face as she hugged him, feel her soft lips on his cheek when she gave him a kiss.
He longed to wrap his arms around her and hear her casual good morning baby.
If she only knew what it did to him.
If she only knew.
She was all he could think about while he was on the set, which sometimes even made him mess up his lines.
She was the last thing he thought of before going to sleep. And she was the main subject of almost every single dream he had.

If that was all of it, maybe he would be able to handle it fine. But it wasn't. She was making it worse.
Or should he say better.
She was different.
The way she looked at him was different. Sometimes he would catch her eyes and they would share this long, unexplainable gaze, that would make his heart skip several beats.
The way she talked to him was different. She would sometimes say these totally out of context flattering comments to him, then throw him a playful wink when he looked for some kind of explanation.
The way she touched him was different. Sometimes he would feel her hands wandering around when they hugged, on his arms, his back, his chest.
It was different. He was sure of it.

But was it really?

At times he could swear she was flirting with him. But then a second later, she would act like it never happened. He was starting to doubt his own eyes and ears, and his mind was twisting around itself.

"Michael!" Diana called for the third time.

"Huh?"

"You're coming, right?" She asked with a smile while she hugged Lena. They had just finished shooting for the day. Michael had already removed his costume and makeup and he was waiting to say goodbye to her.

"Where?" He was still half absorbed in his daze.

"The dinner!" She exclaimed. She had spent the last two days inviting everyone to come and appreciate 'a wonderful meal, made by yours truly' at her apartment, to celebrate the end of the first week of shooting.

"Uh, yeah. I'm going."

Diana walked in his direction with a big smile, grabbed his face and smacked a loud kiss on his cheek. "Of course you are."

Without much thought, he delicately wrapped both arms around her waist, hoping she would stay a little longer. "Don't get so cocky."

"I'm not." She said between giggles.

Michael sketched a shy smile when he noticed Lena and Nipsey staring at their exchange of affection. He let her go, putting both hands in his pockets.

"You be a good brother and make sure LaToya comes too. Don't leave her all alone in that apartment." Diana said while she walked away, leaving Michael behind to wait for his driver to come pick him up.

While he watched her go, he appreciated the sight of her confident figure from behind. She was stunning. From each and every angle.

She occupied his thoughts during the whole time Michael waited for his driver, until he finally arrived to drop him by his apartment.

"How was it?" LaToya asked enthusiastically from the couch when he arrived.

"Awesome. Tiring." He responded, closing the door behind him.

"Figures."

"Diana is making a dinner for the crew tonight." Michael informed.

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah... She asked you to come, too."

LaToya chuckled.

"And ruin your night? No thanks."

LaToya was well aware of Michael's  disconcerting crush on Diana Ross
She knew he would be excruciatingly shy the whole night if she came along, since she teased him so much about it.

"Come on Toya, knock it off." He rolled his eyes, taking off his jacket.

"No but seriously, I can't go tonight. I got a date myself." She beamed.
"Tell her I appreciate the invitation."

"Yeah right."

"What? You think I can't get a date?"

"I'm telling Mother."

"Oh you do that Mikey."
She narrowed her eyes.
"And I'll tell her you got a date with Diana Ross."

"Shut up." Michael walked towards his room, attempting to hide his growing embarrassment behind a smile.
"It's not a date."
I wish.

"Yeah right."

"I gotta take a shower and change clothes."

"Bet you do." She sang, changing channels on the TV.
"Wear something nice. Maybe she'll fall for you tonight."

I wish.