On February 8th, 1977, Michael and his brothers appear on The Mike Douglas Show. Michael is standing in front of the lighted vanity in the gaudy 橙子, 橙色 deco dressing room, adjusting his suit lapel. He sighs and looks up at his pimple-ridden face, the dark makeup trying to conceal as much as it can, but it is still noticeable. Michael sticks his tongue out at his reflection, utterly hating how he looks. “Could 你 be anymore uglier?” He whispers to himself. “Michael! Are 你 ready?” Katherine walks in looking for him. “Yes mother,” he turns around and faces her as she stands 由 the door admiring her son. “You look so grown up. Here, your 领, 衣领 is messed up in the back." She comes up and begins to flip it back for him; she looks up at his face and smiles. “Why are 你 smiling like that?” "Nothing, 你 just look handsome, my baby is all grown up and doesn't need me anymore." She smiles a sad smile, telling herself to hold back tears. "That's not true; I'll always need you." “You say that now, but one 日 你 will have a wife, and she will take care of you, as it should be.” Michael scoffs, "I'm not going to get married, mother, 你 know I only 爱情 performing, and that's it." Katherine stands back and smirks an all-knowing smile. “You’re only 18, Michael, it will change, just don't lose hope." The door swings open with Joseph standing in the doorframe with that scowl that still after all these years make Michael's hair stand up on the back of his neck. "Mike, where have 你 been? Mr. Douglas wants to speak to 你 guys before 你 go on. Katherine, stop babying him. 你 better be out there in two minutes." He slams the door shuts making both of them shudder from the noise. Katherine turns back to him and sighs, "Showtime."

The hallways to these shows always smell of dust, dander, and body odor. It always made Michael chuckle when people asked him what a glamorous life it must be to live the famous life, but unfortunately, this was the gritty reality. Going through dirty hallways to appear on a 显示 that 你 didn't want to be on was just one of the many obligations of this life. Walking past one open door he can hear a female gasp, "Is that Michael Jackson?" in hushed tones. He never understood what was so great about him? To the world, he was this budding teenager with a pimply face, but to him, he was merely Michael Joseph Jackson from Gary, Indiana, and it would always be that way. Just like he knew he would lead a lonely life without a girlfriend 或者 a wife, it will always be that way.

He sees his brothers in their equally flashy stage costumes at the end of the hallway talking to Mr. Douglas in his ill-fitting hairpiece. A stage manager once told him to pretend it was a sunset, take notice that it was there, but don’t stare at it for too long. As he approaches, Mr. Douglas notices him out of the corner of his eye, smiling infectiously towards him. “Michael! 你 just made it. Now listen guys, you’ve been on my 显示 before, just remember to relax and have some fun.” “We’ll try Mr. Douglas, as long as Randy hits his cues,” Tito chimes in, rubbing the 最佳, 返回页首 of Randy's head in a brotherly manner. Randy tries to shake him off, but they all crack up laughing. Mr. Douglas looks back up the hallway and signals for someone to come here. "It's ok Holly; they won't bite you." Michael turns his head to see a young girl, who looks hardly enough to be a teenager, walk down the hallway with a timid walk – slow and cautious. Michael knew that walk all too well. It was the same walk he had when he was ten and on the Ed Sullivan 显示 with his brothers for the first time. For some reason, it made him instantly connect with her.

The mysterious young girl walks up beside Mr. Douglas with a small smile playing on her lips; he touches her shoulders and turns her around to face them. “Boys, I would like to introduce 你 to 冬青, 冬青树 Williams. If 你 haven’t heard already, she is a rising 星, 星级 in the 音乐 industry, and we couldn’t be happier that she is making her debut with us." Mr. Douglas looks down at her sweetly as if she was his child, whom he was immensely proud to call his own. “Holly, this is the Jackson’s, Jackie, Jermaine, Tito, Marlon, Randy, and Michael.” "Hi," she mutters, giving a small wave. Michael couldn't help but notice her features. Being smaller in stature, she had long blonde hair, fair skin, and the purest pair of blue eyes he ever saw. For a younger girl, she was genuinely mesmerizing to admire.

Michael is wakened out of his trance as his brothers shake her hand politely, welcoming her to the 显示 and wishing her luck. When Michael finally touches her hand, he can't help but notice the bright fuchsia nail polish on her small fingernails, and the soft skin inside his hand. "It's nice to meet you, Holly." Ask her something! He thinks to himself. “What are 你 going to sing for us tonight?” He probes, hoping to bring her out of her shell. 冬青, 冬青树 blushes and looks down, obviously not yet seasoned in being asked these questions. “It’s called ‘Fearless Skies’ – I wrote it myself.” Her eyes light up at the words; it makes Michael want to know more. "And she just signed a contract with Virgin Records last month, didn't 你 Holly?" Michael couldn’t help but feel annoyance with Mr. Douglas’s piping in with comments; he wanted to hear from 冬青, 冬青树 herself.

“Three 分钟 Mr. Douglas! Jacksons, please take your seats.” A stage manager shouts from across the other end of the hallway. He smiles, patting Holly’s shoulders, "Showtime everybody. Holly, remember, wait in the wings until I call 你 out for your song." Holly's head slowly nods and processes, looking terrified at the prospect of actually doing this. Michael had this overwhelming urge to comfort her and tell her it gets better, but he knew it was impossible to talk to her one-on-one.

As the theme song goes off, and the applause dies down, Mr. Douglas looks over at the Jacksons with a broad grin. Michael knew he was going to be asked the first 问题 it always was that way. Whether his brothers understood 或者 not, it was the protocol. “So fellas, how is life going? Michael, I heard through the grapevine that 你 will be twenty this year." There are some shouts and whistles from the crowd. Michael can already feel his face warming under the scrutiny. "Yes, that's true, I am very excited about it." Lies, all lies, he thinks to himself. “God anybody special to spend it with?” Mr. Douglas gives a wink, making the audience going even wilder. God not this 问题 again. "Nope, just my family and I." "Well 你 heard it here first ladies, Michael Jackson is single." The 评论 makes everybody laugh, but Michael doesn't see how it is funny at all. To him, it was embarrassing that he couldn't find one girl to take an active and real interest in him. "Speaking of women," Mr. Douglas continues, "Jermaine, I also heard 你 and your wife just welcomed your 秒 child." As Jermaine foams at the mouth of his son, Michael notices 冬青, 冬青树 out of the corner of his eye. She looks so small standing there, peeking ever so slightly out to the audience to absorb all the eyes that will be on her. He heard his name being mentioned again, making him look back at his host. “You all have an album coming out this year, is that right?” “Yes,” Michael begins, “It is called Goin’ Places, and we are very excited. This time we got to be involved in every aspect of the recording process. Hopefully, the 粉丝 will enjoy it as much as we enjoyed making it." Yes! I remembered the script! He thinks. “I’m sure we all will. Speaking of new music, we got a special surprise for 你 all tonight.” Mr. Douglas looks into the camera and reads off of the cue cards being presented right beside. “She is a rising 星, 星级 in the 音乐 industry, with her new hit single ‘Fearless Skies,’ this thirteen-year-old has the voice of a twenty-five-year-old, and her name is 冬青, 冬青树 Williams. 冬青, 冬青树 come on out.”

She hesitates slightly, but something deep within her pushes her 前锋, 期待 out into the spotlight. 冬青, 冬青树 can feel her 心 beating rapidly in her chest, making it feel like she was losing her breath. She slowly approaches the middle of the performing area where the crew instructed her hours earlier. Suddenly she feels too warm from the stage lights and feels too exposed. Both Mr. Douglas and the Jacksons were staring at her, especially the one named Michael, she already knew who he was from the magazines she read when she was younger. He seemed nice, but it was probably out of politeness. Mr. Douglas leans 前锋, 期待 in his chair; his smiling is too much for her. “How are 你 tonight Holly?” “Good,” she talks into the microphone; making her voice vibrate inside the studio, which she despises every single second. “You told me when we were backstage that 你 wrote this song yourself, how old were you?” “Six,” she mutters again, making everybody gasp at her age till they were in applause. She never understood why that was so impressive, for her it was normal. "Well, if 你 are ready, we would 爱情 to hear you." She nods her head and waits until the little relaxing rhythm begins. She mentally tries to remember to look towards the crowd and not to keep her head down as she takes a deep breath to sing the first note, feeling her voice take over and truly relax.

Her 唱歌 blows Michael away, which is beyond her years. Reaching higher notes than he could ever dream, he can feel there is something special about her. Just three 分钟 earlier he saw this timid little girl in the stage wings, and now she was like a 花 that blossomed in front of them all. He felt like he related 更多 to her than anyone else he ever met. Why are 你 feeling this pull towards her? She is only thirteen; she could be your little sister! He admonishes himself as his eyes travel with her as she sashays back and forth with the boom of her voice overtaking him. But he can’t help feel a connection in some odd way.

When 冬青, 冬青树 finishes on a high note, she hears thunderous applause. She feels incredibly shy; wanting to hide her face, but she knows her mother is watching from the wings. I must remember to walk over to Mr. Douglas; she reminds herself. 冬青, 冬青树 walks over to where the group is sitting and plops herself down in the chair that is now placed in-between Mr. Douglas and Michael. “Holly that was fantastic! Let’s give her another round of applause.” Everyone follows Mr. Douglas’s lead. 冬青, 冬青树 can feel the flush spreading on her face, forcing her to look down at her wedge shoes that are a size too large for her still growing feet. “For a little girl 你 certainly do have a large voice, where does it come from?” “Ummm from my heart, I guess.” It makes everyone chuckle. Michael can see the shyness playing on her face; it makes his 心 ache for her. Mr. Douglas laughs, "Michael, she sounds just like you, if only she were a few years older, huh?" Everyone busts out laughing; it makes 冬青, 冬青树 look over at him, her blue eyes piercing into his brown ones. Wow, they were even 更多 beautiful than he saw earlier. If only she were older.




**I originally 发布 this story five years ago, but it is time to revamp the original story to give it 更多 depth. Hope 你 all enjoy.