North America / California (Neverland Ranch): February 27th, 1993.
It was a beautiful day for the world. The birds were chirping their songs as mankind went about their daily routines with smiles on their faces at beauty of the city, but also sad looks on their faces at the horror of it whether it be financially, emotionally or physically, yet if you were to look closely in california. To be more specific, at neverland ranch. You could see a very famous man sitting inside of a luxurious office with a thoughtful look on his face while the aftermath of the grammys still lingered in the air like perfume after somebody beautiful leaves the room.
(Michael's POV)
Michael jackson was currently sitting behind his large polished desk in a black silk shirt with the top buttons undone a little, black tailored trousers and black loafers on while a stack of newspapers, magazines and reports were spread all across his desk.
His manager sat across from him in a dark suit with a nervous look on his face while adjusting the papers in his lap.
The office was silent. Only the soft ticking of the clock on the wall and the faint sound of rides moving outside in the distance at neverland could be heard.
Michael's eyes slowly moved over one of the newspaper headlines and read it softly underneath his breath.
"Crystal steals the grammys without winning." Said michael quietly while his fingers tapped lightly on the armrest of his chair.
Another magazine beside it had a picture of me standing on stage with the microphone in my hand and my crystal drenched train spread behind me like broken light and under it was bold writing that said:
THE NIGHT CRYSTAL HUMILIATED THE ACADEMY.
Michael blinked once and sat the paper back down on the desk with a thoughtful look on his face.
His manager adjusted his throat and said with a careful tone "The whole world is still talking about it. Every station. Every magazine. Every radio host. They are all calling it one of the greatest impromptu live performances of the decade."
Michael was silent for a moment and then said softly "It was."
The office was silent again.
His manager adjusted his tie and said while glancing down at the papers in his hand "Unfortunately some of the press are also trying to say that your own performance is being overshadowed by the drama of that moment."
Michael's eyes slowly lifted toward his manager and he said in a soft voice "Overshadowed."
His manager swallowed and nodded carefully. "Yes. They are saying that her appearance, the eleven honorary legend awards and then her singing after being snubbed became the true story of the night."
Michael leaned back slightly into his chair and looked down at the desk again while thinking "Of course it became the story of the night. How could it not. She was robbed in front of the whole room and still made the whole room kneel without even trying to scream or argue. That's the type of woman she is."
He stared down at my face on the magazine for a moment too long and suddenly looked away.
The manager cleared his throat and said "There is more, michael."
Michael rubbed his chin lightly and said with a soft sigh "Go on."
"Some executives at sony have been using the grammy aftermath to shift attention onto other artists and there are conversations happening about how your current value could be…restructured." Said the manager carefully.
Michael's face did not change in the slightest.
"Restructured." Said michael softly.
The manager nodded and continued "They are talking about your masters again. Quietly. There is tension over ownership and future profit control. I thought you should know."
The office went silent.
Michael's fingers slowly stopped tapping on the chair arm and a thoughtful look appeared in his eyes.
"My masters" Thought michael while looking down at the reports on the desk.
He had already paid off the debts that once sat like a chain around his neck. The money I gave him had settled everything and left him breathing in a way he had not done in years.
No more calls about overdue balances.
No more sleepless nights calculating loss.
No more quiet embarrassment behind perfect public smiles.
And now that the debt was gone.
He could think clearly.
He could see clearly.
He could feel clearly.
Michael slowly looked over at the crystal glass paperweight on the desk and thought with a tired but calm look on his face "She really saved me. Not just my finances. Me"
The office was silent.
His manager adjusted his throat again and asked carefully "Michael…are you alright."
Michael blinked once and said softly "I'm fine."
But he knew he wasn't just fine.
He was something much worse.
He was in love.
His eyes drifted slightly toward the window and the thought hit him again stronger this time.
"I love her." Thought michael with a stunned look in his eyes.
He had tried to ignore it.
Tried to treat it like admiration.
Like friendship.
Like gratitude.
But it wasn't.
It was the way his chest tightened when I smiled. The way he thought about me at random hours. The way my voice lingered in his mind longer than his own music sometimes. The way my anger even felt beautiful to him.
"Oh my god. I'm in love with crystal" Thought michael with his eyes widened in mild disbelief as he looked down at his own hands.
"And on the business side of things we should also talk about your idea for the clothing brand. The billie jean concept could be profitable if marketed right. Luxury streetwear, performance jackets, black loafers, embellished gloves, signature trousers, maybe even a perfume line if we…" Said the manager while pulling out another folder.
Michael's eyes slowly shifted back to him.
"We could position it around your stage persona and use the recent publicity from the super bowl and the grammys to launch the brand. If sony sees enough projected revenue they might even be willing to bargain more seriously around your masters." Said the manager while opening the folder and showing a few sketches.
Michael stared at the designs and thought "Billie hean. That's what I want it to be called. A brand people can wear and feel like stars in. Sharp. Elegant. Dangerous. Timeless"
Michael's eyes softened slightly for a moment and looked down at the black and silver designs.
"Of course if we're being realistic, the brand would probably do better if we keep it separate from your current emotional instability. The grammys thing made you look weak. Too sentimental. Too affected by her." Said the manager with a dry tone while flipping another page.
The office was absolutely silent.
Michael's head slowly tilted.
His face changed.
The softness vanished.
The manager noticed a second to late.
Michael stood up from the chair so suddenly that it rolled back slightly.
"What did you just say." Asked michael softly.
The manager had a startled look on his face and adjusted his throat and said "I only meant that from a business perspective…"
Michael walked around the desk slowly.
The office was silent except for the sound of his footsteps.
*Tak* *Tak* *Tak*
The manager swallowed his spit and stood up halfway out of his seat and said nervously "Michael, calm d…"
*BOOM*
Michael's fist connected with the side of his manager's face so hard that the man fell sideways out of the chair and onto the floor.
*SPLAT*
The office was silent.
The manager groaned and touched his cheek with wide stunned eyes.
Michael stood over him breathing lightly, his face unreadable.
Then his voice came out. Deep. Cold.
Nothing like the soft voice he used with the world.
"Don't you ever in your life speak on her like that again." Said michael with a deep tone that made the air in the room feel heavier.
The manager froze on the floor.
Michael stepped closer and looked down at him with dark eyes and said in that same deep voice "You don't know what weakness is. She stood in front of that whole room after being robbed and made every last one of them remember her name. That is not weakness. That is power."
The manager's lips trembled slightly and he nodded quickly.
Michael crouched slightly and grabbed the man by his tie and said with a dangerous calm "Now listen closely. I want dirt on sony. I want everything. Hidden contracts. Side deals. Manipulated royalties. Quiet meetings. Financial games. Affairs. Executive secrets. I don't care what you have to do or who you have to pay. Get me dirt."
The manager stared at him in shock and asked softly "A…all of it."
Michael's jaw clenched and his grip tightened on the tie as he said with the deep voice still there "All of it. I want enough filth to make them choke on their own name."
The manager nodded repeatedly and said "Y…yes. I'll get it."
Michael let him go and stood back up.
The manager stayed on the floor for a moment breathing shakily.
Michael turned away from him and adjusted the cuff of his black silk shirt while saying without looking back "And while you're at it, start the paperwork for buying my masters. I don't care what it costs. I am done letting other men profit off my life."
The manager slowly got up from the floor with one hand still touching his bruised face and asked carefully "And the billie jean brand."
Michael looked toward the sketch folder on the desk and said calmly, his voice now lighter but still firm "We move forward with it. Luxury stagewear. Sharp tailoring. Black, white, silver, red. One glove line. One loafer line. Signature jackets. The whole thing. I want it elegant."
The manager nodded quickly and said "Understood."
Michael stared at the desk for a moment and then said softly "And make sure every design feels expensive. I don't want nothing cheap attached to me."
"Yes, michael." Said the manager with a cautious tone.
The office was silent again.
Michael walked slowly toward the huge office window and placed both hands behind his back while staring out over neverland ranch.
From here he could see pieces of the rides, the greenery, the bright open land and the strange little kingdom he had built to shelter himself from the world.
But shelter was not enough anymore.
He had spent years letting people manage pieces of him. Control pieces of him. Profit from pieces of him. Reduce him into something he no longer wanted to be.
No more.
He thought of sony.
His masters.
The grammy aftermath.
The way I had walked into that room and made it smaller for everyone else.
The money I had given him.
The way she had looked under all those lights.
The way she I had sung like I wasn't even trying to impress anyone anymore.
A small smile formed on michael's lips.
"Starting today…I'm a new man." Said michael calmly while staring out at the world beyond the glass.
The office was silent.
The manager stood there behind him not saying a word.
Michael kept his eyes on the view and thought with a calm resolve in his heart "No more fear. No more chains. No more giving pieces of myself away. Not to sony. Not to the industry. Not to anybody"
And somewhere deep down behind all of that steel, one thought remained the softest and most dangerous of all.
"I'll stand beside you crystal. Even if you never let me stand too close" Thought michael as the sunlight poured through the office window and covered him in gold.
…
THE END…