~~Chapter 4~~
~~Virtual Insanity Index~~
"I mean, you and Michael separated, and Mike's trying to move on." Janet added.
Lisa sighed and sat down on the whiled cushions of her couch.
"I've sent him emails, telephone calls, everything, and he still hasn't said anything back. I've realized I made a horrible mistake by leaving him. Janet..." She paused. "Has he found someone else by now?"
There was a moment of silence on the phone.
"To be honest, I think he's fallen into a state of depression. He's such a recluse now. I mean, he's really changed."
"Oh my god, Jan, I could help him!" Lisa said. "I could make him happy again, if only he would..."
"No Lisa. You can't." Janet said.
Lisa fell silent for a moment.
"I'm sorry. You've caused too much damage." Janet stopped, trying not to be too harsh with her words. "Michael is going to have to help himself, and you interfering will only slow that process. Hey, I've got to go. We'll talk about it later, okay? Bye."
"Bye." Lisa said.
She slowly hung up the phone. Looking at her watch she knew she was running late. She went upstairs to the bathroom and applied a light red shade of lipstick while looking at herself in the mirror. She didn't believe Janet. She could help Michael. All he needed was someone to love again and that someone was her. She smoothed out her long black shirt and fixed the collar of her fancy white blouse. She made sure her shoulder-length hair looked fine and smiled at the way she looked. Then she hurried out the door, ready to impress the man of her dreams.
"The contacts always sting a little." Michael said softly.
His eyes burned and he blinked many times to stop them from watering as he sat up in the chair. Mark, the make-up artist, went around the chair to get a good look at Michael. With the make-up, he had brought out Michael's facial bone structure more and made him look deathly pale with light shades of green and yellow.
"Wow, you look awesome." Mark said.
Michael smiled revealing the fake teeth he had in his mouth.
"Michael," Steven Speilberg came in the room that was full of face models and paint.
"Wow, scary Michael," Steve said. He glanced at Mark, who was quite tall, had short blond hair, and a black T-shirt that read "Art Is My Life" across it. Michael put his hands out and growled at Steven like a monster. Steven laughed.
"Okay, Dracula. Someone's here to see you."
"Who?" The teeth in his mouth muffled Michael's voice.
Suddenly Lisa Marie Presley came into the room.
"Hey Mike." She said.
Michael gazed at her with his weird-looking red eyes. He took a paper towel that was on the small ledge in front of him and took out the teeth.
"Should we leave you two alone?" Mark asked.
"Yes, please." Lisa said.
Steven nodded. "Okay." Steven and Mark left the room.
"What are you doing here?" Michael asked softly.
Lisa expected him to yell, but even though he was clearly irritated he spook shyly. He looked at himself in the mirror in front of him.
"I just wanted to see how you were doing." Lisa made her voice gentle with Michael. She never felt she had to do that. Ever.
"Well, you see now. I'm trying to create a short film." This time he looked straight at her. "I'm doing fine."
Just by the way he seemed so bashful, she knew that wasn't true.
"Trying?" Lisa asked.
"Trying. It may not even get finished." Michael looked thoughtful, as if he was holding in anger about something.
"Michael," Steven poked his head though the door. "Lights, camera, action. Let's go."
Michael stood and put on his long black trenchcoat that was lying on the back of the chair he was sitting in. He to the paper towel with the fake teeth in it and walked past Lisa to the set of "Threatened".
Lisa followed him. The scene they were going to film would be taped on a set built like a dark bedroom. Halle Barry, who was leading lady of the short, got last minute touch ups before filming. Lisa just watched, standing out of the way. Steven and the ghastly looking Michael came up to Halle and started talking. Lisa couldn't take her eyes off her. Halle had on a white sleeping qown for her costume and her make up was done just right. She even possibly had a slimmer frame than Lisa did and she could see how brown and perfect her skin was from where she stood. She was beautiful and Lisa hated the way Michael looked at her. Lisa watched as Halle said something, and Michael smiled bashfully at whatever she had said. Lisa's heart nearly skipped a beat when Halle gave Michael a hug. Then Steven patted Michael on the shoulder and yelled, "Places everyone!" into his bullhorn.
The cameramen positioned themselves as Michael and Halle got on to the set. Halle got into the bed of the "bedroom" and Michael, dressed completely in black, stood by her bedside waiting for the cue. The place got quiet.
"Alright, I want you to look in the camera, Michael. As much as you can. We want to see those eyes." Steven said into the horn. He was now in the director's chair. "Ready?"
Michael nodded.
"Action!"
The music for Threatened started to blast. Michael mouthed the words, looking dead at the camera in front of him. Halle acted as if she were a sleep. Lisa figured out the concept was that Michael were Halle's nightmare.
" And when you scream, it's cuz of me--"
"CUT!"
The music stopped.
"Perfect! Now I want you to--" Steven stopped.
Lisa gazed at Michael, who was so hiper, he was bouncing on his toes. Then Lisa looked at Steven. Jeff, Michael's head bodyguard, was whispering something in Steven's ear. He was dressed in a uniform black suit. Lisa looked past Steven to find eight bodyguards, all in black suits, standing at the door. Michael went off the set to Steven and asked, "What's going on?"
Crystal absently flipped the TV channels while lying on the couch. She felt miserable. She woke up with a horrible headache and worst of all, James just fucked her and left the house. Leaving her alone. She stayed online for a while, but it got boring quickly because Innocence29 wasn't there. Where is James? Crystal wondered. She then decided she didn't really want to know.