~~Chapter 10~~
~~Virtual Insanity Index~~
�� How am I supposed to "follow him"? Crystal thought.
Crystal stood, obediently, as the police screamed at the angry fans to stay away from the car. The fans tried to fight the police but it just made them angrier because they couldn't get though. Suddenly someone tapped her on the shoulder. She saw an African American man. He was tall and had a well built body. He was wearing a black suit.
�� "Is your name Crystal?" the man asked.
Crystal nodded.
�� "Follow me." the man took her hand and led her away from the fans. They turned a corner and they found Michael's limo stopped at a stop sign.
�� "Michael...Michael Jackson...wants to see me?" Crystal stimmered as they came closer to the limo. She still couldn't believe this was happening to her.
The man chuckled. "Yeah apparently."
They reached to limo and the man opened the door for her. She looked inside the limo to see Michael Jackson drinking bottled water by the window. There were two sets of seats, and they were both facing each other with a lot of space between them. The car was huge.� Crystal couldn't even move. Michael turned his head to her and took of his shades. He smiled broadly.
�� "MsGhostRyder." He said softly. He took a deep breath.
�� "Innocence29." Crystal said, finally being able to smile.
Her racing heart began to slow as she began to see that this was the same dorky guy that she talked to on the Internet. It had finally occurred to her that Michael Jackson and Innocence29 was the same person. Michael the superstar Jackson was just a regular person like her. Crystal got into the car and slid next to Michael. The man that escorted her to the limo sat across from them. Michael's cologne seemed to fill the car with aroma. Crystal saw that Michael looked so much better in person.
�� "So this is why you kept so much from me." Crystal said to him.
The car began to move. Michael sat back and enjoyed the ride. He rested his elbow by the window and started playing with his long soft hair with his finger. He gazed at her.
�� "You're beautiful." Michael said, smiling. "More than I could imagine. "
Michael gazed at her with so much happiness. It was so great to meet her in person; it was as if something sparked between them in which the computer screen had prevented when they had talked through instant messaging. She seemed so beautiful; Michael completely ignored the fact that she looked very tired and pale. But Michael did know that that is how he looks most of the time in public.� Crystal smiled at his compliment and looked at her feet.
�� "Well...you look very good also"
Michael smiled wider, and then turned his attention to the man in front of him.
�� "Hey Jeff, did you see any fans following you when you were out there?" Jeff sat back, stretched his arms and put his hands behind his head.
"Eeehhh, nope."
Michael nodded.
�� "Michael, doesn't this feel odd?" Crystal said suddenly.
Michael's expression turned into one of concern.
�� "I mean, you know, here we are...together. I mean...gee, I don't know how to explain it. I mean, we talked together for so long, not knowing who we were talking to, and now we meet each other....I mean, I might not turn out to be the person you thought I was."
�� Michael frowned. "Cristy, you've talked to me, ever since you sat in this limo, like we've known each other for so long."
Michael paused and Crystal just gazed at his brown eyes for a moment. He called her "Cristy".
�� "I mean, not once have you screamed in my face. Not once did you go into hysterics yelling in my ear how much you love me. Not once did you act like it was a miracle that I actually rode down this very street. All while I was looking at you from the limo."
Crystal looked at her feet again. Michael softy rubbed her shoulder with his large hand.
�� "i love my fans very much. But I need someone who can see..." he stopped.
Crystal then looked up at him. His eyes were watering. Michael blinked.
�� "I need someone who can see me, for who I really am. Not the large spectacle. Just me. The human."
Crystal smiled and touched his cheek with her hand. All her nervousness faded away.
�� "I think I love you." she whispered. "Michael, I think I feel something for you." Her voice quivered.
Michael just gazed at her.
�� "You sound like that's a bad thing." He was serious.
James drove his car down the street to find a mob of fans walking down the street chanting. "Down with Sony!" He parked at the curb. He felt the heavy metal in the inside of his jacket. Before leaving he took the bottle of alcohol and drank big swallows from it. He dropped it on the passenger's seat and got out of the car to join the mob of fans.
He saw a girl with black dull hair going down her back and brown eyes holding a "Sony Sucks" sign. He went up to her.
�� "Hey were are you guys going?" He asked. He tried to look as friendly as possible.
�� "Michael's hotel. He's headed in that direction."
James nodded. "I see. I wouldn't mind seeing the King Of Pop myself, may I join you guys?"
�� "Of course. No need to ask. We're all here to support Michael." She smiled.
�� "Most definitely." James said.
The limo reached the fancy hotel. As they went through the lobby and towards the elevator, Crystal said "So you're staying at a hotel? Isn't neverland just..."
�� "It is. But I do this just so the fans can get their dose..." he giggled. "They have more access to me at the hotels than at neverland"
Crystal nodded. When Michael, Crystal and Michael's security team got into the elevator, Michael pushed the button labeled "3"
�� "My room is on the 5th floor, but I wanna give the fans some fun and stay close to them. Besides, I can see their signs better that way. They should be right outside the hotel door by the time we get to the balcony."
Crystal smiled.
�� "So anyways, what were you saying?" Michael asked Crystal as the elevator stopped at their floor.
Crystal sighed. "You see I have a husband."
�� "That IS a problem." Michael said thoughtfully.
Crystal nodded. "But really, it's no big deal...I mean, we aren't in a relationship or anything, right?"
Michael nodded. Jeff opened the door to a random room and Michael and Crystal stepped inside. Both the third and fifth floor was closed down for Michael. The room was huge and had a lot of space. There was a king size bed, a stereo, a big screen TV...anything a superstar could ask for. At the far end of the room was a curtain with a glass door behind it.
�� "Your husband doesn't...um....treat you well?" Michael asked before opening the curtain. "That's what you told me on the Internet....not to be in your business, just...I'm concerned."
Crystal's sickliness seemed more and more noticeable to Michael.
�� "Nothing has changed, Michael. Absolutely nothing." Crystal said. They could hear screaming and chanting outside.
�� "I hope things are better for you." Michael said, with sincere honesty. Crystal nodded. "You don't have to worry about my problems, Mike. I account for them. Not you."
Michael nodded slightly, not looking like he was agreeing with her. He finally opened the curtain. Once he opened the doors, there was a loud roar of fans' cheers.
James snuck behind the crowd when he saw Michael on the balcony. There was no sign of Crystal, although he did see a silhouette of someone behind the curtains. He quietly walked around the cheering crowd looking for a good angle. He was closer to the fans than usual which was an advantage to him. All that was required was for him to was move a little closer and turn in his direction.
Since he was at the corner of the street he could easily run and hide to someplace safe. No one would even notice.
Crystal watched Michael wave at the crowd.
�� "Crystal! Come out here and see this!" Michael turned around to Crystal with his eyes sparkling. He looked so happy.
�� "I don't know..." Crystal said.
Michael put one finger up at the crowd and went back inside the room.
�� "What's the matter? It's amazing out there." he said. He put his hands on her sides. "C'mon....please?"
Crystal smiled. She loved looking into his big brown eyes.
�� "That's not the way you usually say that! That's not how it's done." Crystal teased.
Michael smirked. He pulled her close and kissed her on the lips. Crystal didn't resist. When they pulled away, they stared into each other's eyes.
�� "I wanted you to say 'Shamon'..." Crystal said softly, dazed.
Michael shook his head and ran his fingers through his hair. "I'm so sorry..."
Crystal nodded.
�� "You don't have to come on the balcony if you don't want to" He said, letting go of her.
�� "No, I want to." Crystal said.
James waited patiently. Soon enough Michael walked on the balcony again.
Then someone else came on the balcony.
Crystal.
Anger resurfaced, even stronger this time.
Move in the right space, Michael. Just move in the right space. James thought.
Michael stepped forward and began blowing kisses. James smiled and slowly pulled the weapon half way out of his inside coat pocket. He made sure everyone's eyes were fixated on Michael.
He then pulled out the gun.
He aimed it perfectly at his heart.
�� "This is what you get, Crystal..." He took the safety off. "...for being a bitch. And this is what you get, Michael..."
He pulled the trigger.
�� "For being an ass." he said as he went into a sprint.
Before the crowd had a chance to get a gasp out of their mouths, James had already turned the corner and was escaping down the street.