- Text Size +
Author's Chapter Notes:

All right, people, this chapter is one of the more important ones and I am sure you have been waiting for it. Hope you like reading as much as I enjoyed writing. Once again, thanks to MJFreak23 for sticking with me always. You're the best, girl. Love you! xoxo Anyhoo, there is drama and lousy table manners included. You have been warned. 


 

 

Michael and his children, as well as his entourage of bodyguards and Grace were on the plane the next morning, heading for home. Through some miracle, they got most of their shopping done the day before, but overall, the trip was so rushed it was exhausting. It wasn't an experience they wanted to repeat again. Once was more than enough.

 

So far the plane ride was relatively quiet. After breakfast, Prince, Paris, and Blanket had fallen asleep, as well as Nikki.  Those who remained awake were careful not to disturb them.

 

Kerri was looking out the window at all the puffy clouds, only turning once to glance at Nikki's sleeping form in the seat next to her. She smiled softly to herself. ‘Poor girl probably needs her beauty rest after getting up so early this morning. But then again, she has never been much of a morning person.'  Noting how uncomfortable Nikki's sleeping position was, she took out a travel sized pillow and carefully slid it behind her neck, not wanting it to get hurt. Nikki stirred and groaned softly, but remained asleep. Kerri chuckled a bit. ‘Wow. She is such a deep sleeper, just like Dad on the rare occasions he sleeps.'  She pondered what she should do during the flight, given that there were four more hours to kill. ‘Taking a nap actually sounds like a good idea, but I am wide awake now.'  She settled on reading, thinking maybe it would be a good way to pass the time. She pulled out a thick, hardcover novel from her knapsack, opened it and began to read.

 

Michael leaned back in his seat with his eyes closed.  He had hoped to get some much needed rest after another sleepless night, but no sleep would come to him. The fact that he had touched his breakfast at all came as a surprise to him.  He was sure there were bags under his eyes, but then again that was normal for him. The Arviso family and how he planned to deal with them was constantly on his mind. Something told him things would get ugly, but that didn't scare him in the least. ‘After all, you can't win for losing.' He forced himself to think of something much more pleasant, for he could feel his mood becoming positively foul. His mind switched to Mariann, and he wondered how she was doing. He didn't realize until now how much he wished she were with him at the moment. He had also begun to like her as more than a friend. ‘I wish I could tell her that, but her feelings for me may have faded.'  He let out a heavy sigh, running a hand through his hair.

 

After reading a few pages, Kerri decided she wasn't in a reading mood after all, and so she placed a bookmark in between the pages and placed the book back in her knapsack. She pulled out the sympathy card she and Nikki had put together to purchase for Rebecca and pulled out a pen from her purse. She opened the card and chewed on the pen cover, trying to think of a fitting heartfelt message to write. ‘Ugh...this is so hard. Nikki can write like there's no tomorrow. Oh how I envy her. Why did she have to entrust me with the task of writing on the card first?'  After some thinking, she finally wrote: "My condolences to you during this difficult time. I want you to know Nikki and I feel your pain and we'll be there if you need a shoulder to cry on. With love, Kerri."  She read it over and smiled slightly. ‘This should do. After all, Becky isn't insistent on grandiloquent speeches.' Due to the briefness of her message, there was plenty space for other signatures and short notes. She glanced over at Nikki again. ‘I hope Miss Sleepyhead wakes up before I seal this. At least Dad's awake though.'  "Dad?"

 

"Hmm?" Michael sat up straight, opened his eyes and looked at Kerri. She could tell he was stressed out from having to abbreviate the trip, but then again so was everyone else.

 

"Will you sign this, please?" asked Kerri in a soft tone, holding out the card. "And write a little note of encouragement if you'd like."

 

"Of course." Michael took the card away from his adopted daughter. He retrieved a pen from his pants pocket and looked thoughtful, trying to think of an appropriate message to write. The words came to him almost immediately. Licking his lips slightly, he composed the message on the card and handed it back to Kerri.

 

 The young woman silently read the note written in the pop star's slightly messy handwriting, mouthing the words: "I am truly sorry for your loss. I understand the pain you must be feeling right now, for I too, have lost a grandparent several years ago. There are still days when the wound feels fresh. Take your time grieving, but do not lose heart. Cherish the positive memories you have of her, and remember they will linger with you for as long as you live. I love you and may God bless you.-M."  She got choked up reading those words.  She blinked back the tears that threatened to fall from her eyes as she didn't want them to smudge up the ink. ‘He most certainly knows the right thing to say when comforting someone.'  She looked up with a tiny smile on her face, trying to shake off the weepy feeling. "These are great words. I'm sure Becky will appreciate them."

 

"Thank you. I'm glad you think so." The last thing Michael wanted was to say something that would make Becky feel even worse. Of course, offering condolences in words didn't seem like enough for him. Something else was in order, too, like flowers or something. "Your message is quite beautiful as well. Becky is fortunate to have friends like you and Nikki."

 

Kerri put the modest face on before responding, "Thank you for saying that, and for signing the card. "

 

"You're very welcome," answered Michael, smiling warmly.

 

Kerri slid the card inside the envelope, making sure not to seal it yet since Nikki still had to sign."I hope she wakes up before lunchtime.'  She placed the card in the space between the two of them.

 


 

The Arviso children were in one of the guestrooms getting dressed so they could go have lunch. They were eventually allowed out of the basement after the security guards had decided they had enough punishment. The youngsters had been going stir crazy the entire time they were in there. Although their meals had been brought to them, the basement was practically free of any item that was capable of causing destruction. There went the idea of destroying the basement. They had come up with a plan to act up even worse than before as revenge, but being under heavy supervision whilst eating their meals squashed that idea. Not to mention they had lacked the energy at the time.

 

Davelin came out of the bathroom dressed and sat on the bed. She pushed her feet into her high top tennis shoes. She crossed her right leg on top of her left knee and tied her laces, then did the same with the other foot.  She turned to face her younger brothers, who were spraying themselves with cologne. "Don't spray too much now."

 

Gavin shrugged his shoulders. "Why not? A man needs to smell good."

 

"Yeah," agreed Star, putting his cologne back up and plopping down on the bed. Gavin did the same thing.

 

Davelin gave the boys an amused look at how they were already calling themselves men although they barely reached puberty. She laughed a bit. "First of all, you guys are not men. You're little boys and secondly, I am aware of the fact that you're trying to have good hygiene, although you're doing it all wrong. I'm just saying you two don't need to bathe yourselves in it, that's all."

 

Star gave Davelin a look for calling him a little boy, whilst Gavin muttered under his breath, "Yeah, yeah, whatever."

 

Davelin just shrugged her shoulders. She leaned forward and placed her hand under her chin, letting her long fluffy dark brown hair cover her face like a blanket. She removed her hairbrush from off the bureau and gave her hair a quick brushing, then took a small elastic scrunchie out of her pocket. She pulled her hair back from her face and wrapped the scrunchie around it into a ponytail. "Doesn't it feel good to not be in that musty old basement anymore?"

 

"Hell yeah it does! I thought I was gonna pass out." Star pretended to wheeze as if to show how deprived of fresh air he was.

 

"Well those goons weren't stupid enough to leave us in there because they knew all hell would break loose." Gavin sneered. "They're gonna get what's coming to them."

 

"They'll be sorry they messed with us!" added Star. He scratched his head.

 

"Guys..." Davelin began. She wanted revenge just as much as the next person, but being in the basement really got her thinking. "Don't you think we should at least pretend to have learned our lesson?"

 

Gavin and Star both stared at their sister, gaping. Ever since they had taken to causing chaos at Michael's ranch, she went along with what they did and even had ideas of her own. Now it looked like she was having a change of heart.

 

"Sis, what are you saying?" asked Gavin.

 

"Yeah, I thought you were on our side," chimed in Star. "You're trying to tell us you've been playing us all this time?"

 

Davelin let out a heavy sigh. This was a reaction she had been anticipating, but she felt her thoughts needed to be said. As the oldest, she felt compelled to set a good example for a change. "Look, it's not like that at all. I just don't want to go back to that basement. It was a living nightmare down there. "

 

Gavin considered what his sister said for a bit. He knew she was out for his and Star's best interest and would never steer them wrong. He and Star usually went along with what she did whether it was right or wrong. Although he couldn't speak for his little brother, he wasn't about to stop now. "I definitely agree with you there."

 

Star looked almost thoughtful. "I see what you're saying. I don't want to go back in there, either. "

 

Davelin smiled. "Good. So will you at least pretend you're sorry, even if you're not? At least until lunch time is over?"

 

Gavin frowned, not liking the idea of pretending to be sorry for his actions when he truly wasn't. ‘Come on, it's just until lunch is over. I'm sure I could last until then or even longer if I wanted to. After all, we could always get our revenge later.'

 

"I guess we could do that," said Star.  He hated the idea just as much as Gavin did, but pulling the wool over people's eyes was something he and Gavin did best, whenever they were in the mood to.

 

Davelin looked relieved. "That's the spirit. Now let's go eat. I'm starving." She stood up and stretched.  

 

"Now you're talking." Gavin and his siblings exited the room and headed towards the kitchen. They noticed that the security guards didn't seem to be anywhere in sight. Gavin smirked evilly to himself.  ‘I wonder where those suits have gone off to. Not that it matters. The longer they stay away, the better. Maybe we could sneak a drink after lunch.'  He looked at all the choices for lunch, tapping his chin as he pondered what he wanted to have. ‘Mmmm. I'm in the mood for a nice juicy burger. Screw what the doctor said. I need my fun, too.' After having decided on their meals, Gavin and his siblings sat at the kitchen table, patiently waiting for someone to come and serve them.

 

Just then, Michael's chef entered the kitchen with the intention of preparing something special for when Michael and his family returned. She decided on something light that would be enough to hold them until dinner. Gavin and his siblings heard the footsteps and turned to face her, plastering big smiles on their faces. "Good afternoon, Ms. Natasha," the children chorused, as if they were students greeting a teacher.

 

Natasha just stared at the three children, her eyebrows arched up a bit. She wondered what they could be scheming this time. She knew whenever they acted polite, it meant they were setting her up for something unpleasant. ‘Might as well go along with their act, although I cannot help but wonder how long it will last.' "A very good afternoon to you, too. I trust you three are ready for lunch."

 

"Yes ma'am," Davelin answered for all of them.

 

Natasha smiled. "Of course. What will it be this time?"

 

Gavin tilted his head and tapped his chin as if he was still trying to make up his mind. "Um...I'd like a burger and fries with a milkshake, please."

 

"I'd like the same...but no pickles and onions on my burger," said Star, making a repulsive face.

 

Davelin giggled at how particular her little brother was, although she could be the same way at times. She had been deciding between what her brothers asked for and chicken nuggets. "Mmmm, make that three."

 

The chef furrowed her eyebrow as she memorized the children's requests in her head. "So that's three burgers and fries, one burger without pickles and onions, accompanied by milkshakes. Am I right?"

 

"Yes."

 

"All right.  Your food will be ready in fifteen to twenty minutes."

 

Davelin had the urge to make a remark like, "you had better hurry up, too.I don't have all day", but she remembered the plan. She merely nodded, and then her stomach growled loudly. "Okay. Thank you."

 

"You're welcome." Natasha went to prepare the food. She opted to work on the Arviso children's food first since it would take a shorter amount of time, not to mention Michael and his family were not due home for another two hours. As she got out the ingredients, she couldn't help but think of the children's courteous behavior towards her just a moment ago. She wanted to believe they had learnt their lesson and were not putting on a facade, but that wasn't what her instincts were telling her. ‘I know I should enjoy their politeness while it lasts, but I am unsettled by all this.'   Sighing, she turned on one of the stove burners, poured some oil into a large frying pan and got to work washing, peeling and chopping potatoes.

 

Davelin and her brothers sat quietly and listened to the sizzling sound, which made their stomachs rumble. It wasn't too long before the smell of the food invaded their nostrils. It was so arousing that Star started to fidget in his chair. He placed his foot out and hit something. His mouth formed an O shape when the object moved. ‘What the..?'

 

"Oww, that's my foot!" yelped Gavin. 

 

Star looked sheepish. "Oops, sorry. I thought it was the table leg."

 

Gavin rolled his eyes and gave his younger brother a funny look. "Why would you think that? Is your mind in the gutter or something?"

 

Star playfully punched Gavin on his bicep. "Haha, very funny...the smell of the food is making me so hungry I can't stand it!"

 

"Ah! That hurt, you know!" Gavin rubbed his arm. "Aside from that, I see what you mean. I'm so hungry I could eat a hippopotamus!"

 

"Yeah, because you're such a pig," Davelin jumped in after listening to the banter between the two boys. "If you're so hungry, why not stop complaining and get yourself something to eat since you have so much trouble waiting? "

 

"Who are you calling a pig?" asked Gavin, giving a look of mock offense.

 

"Who do you think?"

 

"It can't be me."

 

"Oh yes it's you!"

 

"Take that back!"

 

"You know I'm right!"

 

Gavin blew a raspberry at Davelin and went, "Nyah, nyah, nyah, nyah, nyah!"

 

Davelin rolled her eyes. "That's real mature."

 

Gavin smirked. "Well, thank you for noticing."

 

"I was being sarcastic."

 

"Whatever."  Gavin got up and tiptoed to the cabinet, pulling out a pack of Oreos. He got 2 juice boxes for himself and Star before sitting down. He placed the pack of Oreos on the table and gave Star his juice box.

 

"Oh, thanks!"

 

Davelin looked around as if she were lost when she realized Gavin hadn't gotten anything for her. "Hold on a minute. Where's my juice? What am I, chopped liver?"

 

"I thought you were gonna wait for lunch to be ready and plus you didn't ask," answered Gavin, ripping open the pack of Oreos and grabbing a handful of them. He stuffed two of them in his mouth, wanting it to be full so his sister would take the hint and not ask him any more questions. 

 

Star also took out several cookies and began to eat them as if he hadn't had any in ages.

 

Davelin shook her head and sucked her teeth. "Stinker," she muttered under her breath. She got up, dragging her feet to go get her own juice box. ‘I swear, he could be so impossible sometimes.' After getting herself a juice box, she sat back down and lowered her eyes a bit when they met Gavin's. She removed the straw from the plastic and poked it inside the hole, taking a sip.

 

Gavin could feel the tension rising in the room although Davelin was silent. He shrugged, pretending not to notice her sudden change in mood and just kept wolfing down the cookies. ‘I wonder who peed in her Cheerios.' He and Star continued munching on cookies and before they knew it, more than half of the pack was gone. Gavin decided he had enough and rubbed his stomach. ‘Come to think of it, my stomach is a little sick. I hope I can handle lunch.'  He placed the straw in the hole of his juice box and began to drink it, hoping to wash away the sweetness.

 

Star started to reach for just one more cookie, but then pulled his hand back, not wanting to spoil his appetite for lunch more than he already had. He had almost forgotten about it until he heard the sound of the blender whirring. He decided to drink his juice while he waited.

 

Natasha paid no attention to the bickering amongst the three children, but remained hard at work preparing their lunch. Once she was done making the milkshakes, she fixed their plates and placed them on a tray along with the shakes. She carefully picked up the tray and brought it out, giving each youngster their respective meal, saying, "Here you are. "

 

"Thank you," the Arviso children mumbled without looking at the woman. The aroma of the food made their mouths water, but they could still see steam rising. ‘Oh man!'

 

"You're welcome. Enjoy."  Natasha left the children to their lunch.

 

The three children looked at the food and then at each other. "What do you say we eat in the dining room?" suggested Gavin. He leaned over towards Star, whispering, "Something about that woman is giving me the creeps."

 

"You said it. Let's go."  Star rested his mostly empty box of juice on the table and stood up, grabbing his plate of food and milkshake. Gavin did the same and the two boys walked away from the table, not caring that they left a mess.

 

Without saying anything, Davelin grabbed her food and milkshake, and followed her two brothers out of the kitchen into the dining room. They each chose a spot they wanted to sit at and placed their meals down before sitting.  Gavin made sure he wasn't too close to Davelin just in case she had another set of mood swings.

 

"Now this is more like it," said Gavin, looking around the somewhat fancy dining room.

 

Star took a small sip of his milkshake before answering, "Yeah and the best thing is those security people aren't here to make us go back."

 

"Quite frankly that rule about not eating in here unsupervised is stupid," Davelin spoke up after moments upon moments of silence. "What's the point of it, anyway?"

 

Gavin let out a humor filled huff. "Who knows? All I could say is that the staff members are not right in their heads. " He picked up his burger and took a large bite, smacking his lips as he chewed.

 

"Amen!" agreed Star. "If I were Michael Jackson I would get rid of them already."  He picked up a few fries and shoved them in his mouth.

 

"Right?"  Gavin had taken another bite of his burger by then and ended up spraying a piece of it across the table onto Davelin's arm.  

 

Star started laughing so hard he nearly fell out of his chair. He had to hold onto the table to steady himself. He took one look at Davelin and started laughing again.   She gave him a dirty look, silencing him instantly.

 

"Ewwww! You're so gross! Didn't anyone ever teach you to say it, don't spray it?" Davelin made a disgusted face as she grabbed a napkin and wiped the wet food off her arm.

 

"Oops, sorry," said Gavin after he swallowed. He ate some fries and drank some of the milkshake. ‘Hmm. This would taste better with alcohol in it.'

 

"Hmph!" Davelin scoffed under her breath. She glowered at Gavin whilst picking up a fry and biting into it. ‘I knew I should have stayed in the kitchen. Being around these two knuckleheads will make me lose my appetite. ‘   She ate more of her food, opting to not continue the banter with either of her brothers.

 

The two Arviso boys continued to devour their food, and at one point Star set his half-eaten burger on his plate, glanced at his elder brother and asked, "Want me to do something funny?"

 

A big grin spread across Gavin's face. He knew how rude Star's humor could be and he loved everything about it. "Hell yeah! Do it!!"  He drank more of his milkshake.

 

Star gave a devilish grin as he thought of what he was about to do. "Watch this." He placed his hand under his armpit and started flapping his elbow, making a noise that sounded like someone passing gas.

 

Gavin threw his head back and roared with laughter. Luckily he wasn't sipping his milkshake at the moment, otherwise he would have choked. "Dude, that is so hilarious." He joined Star in his armpit noise making, causing a cacophony. The two of them soon stopped, though, because they didn't want any of Michael's workers coming to check on them. Just as Gavin was about to pick up his burger to take a bite, he passed gas. The odious stench spread over to Davelin's side.

 

Davelin wrinkled her nose in disgust. "Ewwww, Gavin, that's disgusting! You are so nasty!"  She fanned the scent but that didn't help at all.

 

"That's what she said," Gavin joked, smirking.

 

The young teen shook her head. "Okay, that's it. I'm going back to the kitchen."  As she said those words, however, she let out a loud burp. "Oops. That wasn't supposed to happen." She covered her mouth.

 

Gavin and Star snickered. "Yeah. Sure it wasn't," remarked Gavin.

 

"Now who's the nasty one?" taunted Star, still laughing. He always got pleasure from seeing his sister act less than glamorous when she generally thought she was more sophisticated than him and Gavin.

 

Davelin's cheeks turned red. "Oh you hush!" She swatted Star on the arm.

 

"Hey!" Star raised his hand to swat at his sister, but she ducked her head.

 

"You can't catch me!" Davelin stuck her tongue out at Star.  Star stuck his own back out at her.

 

Gavin shook his head laughing at his siblings. "At least she's ragging on someone else for a change," he muttered under his breath. He started to eat the remainder of his food.

 

All of a sudden the three youngsters heard footsteps approaching the dining room. Gavin kept on eating. ‘I wonder who it could be. I hope it's Mom and not one of those security goons.' But his hopes were shattered when John and Darren entered the dining room, hands on their hips. Gavin nearly choked on his burger. ‘Didn't think they would be back this soon.'

 

John gave the Arviso children the sternest look he could muster. "All right, you three! Everyone back to the kitchen! You know you're not allowed in the dining room unsupervised!"

 

"But we're not finished," whined Star.

 

"You can finish your meal in the kitchen! Now let's go!" Darren barked, snapping his fingers.

 

Gavin swallowed his bite of food, giving the security guards a look of defiance. "What if we don't feel like it? You can't make us do anything we don't want to do. Our mom doesn't."

 

The two men sighed heavily. They began to think maybe the children didn't have enough punishment after all. "Well as you can see, I'm not your mother," Darren stated calmly but firmly.

 

"That's right," agreed John. "Now get moving before we physically make you."

 

Gavin cringed at the thought of facing a repeat of the previous day. ‘No way in hell am I gonna allow him to put his hands on me again.' And what was worse was that he and his siblings had to concede defeat since the guards were so much stronger than them.

 

Davelin looked stoic as she listened to her two brothers argue with the guards. ‘Good grief. They could be difficult sometimes. I mean, sure I hate the goons, but who could sit here and eat with the room so smelly? I'm actually glad to leave the dining room.'  She dutifully stood up and grabbed her unfinished meal, ignoring her brothers when they gave her funny looks.

 

John averted his eyes towards Davelin and gave her a look of approval. "Well well, I see one person knows how to follow instructions. Now unless you want us to use force, I suggest you follow your sister's example."

 

 Davelin looked away from John. ‘Don't misunderstand, you stuffed shirt. I only listened to you willingly because I'm on the verge of losing my appetite.'

 

Gavin gave his sister another strange look, then he turned to glare at the security guards. "Okay, okay. We're coming. Now go."

 

Star took a sip of his milkshake again before cutting in, "Yeah, you're not the boss of us."

 

John folded his arms tightly across his chest, his patience wearing thin. It boggled his mind how his mother didn't seem to care that the children were following the path of destruction. "No no. We're not moving until you get up. You don't call the shots around here."

 

Gavin looked at the men standing there with their arms folded. The authoritative air about them was very overwhelming. Finally he gritted his teeth and let out a growl of frustration, knowing that neither he nor his siblings would win against them.

 

With heavy sighs, the young boys stood up, shuffled their feet, grabbed their meals and proceeded to exit the dining room with Davelin. They dragged their feet as they walked. The security guards were right on their trail to make sure they didn't try anything. ‘It's only a matter of time before Mr. Jackson gets back.'

 


 

(two hours later)

 

Natasha was in the kitchen, putting the finishing touches on the refreshments she had been preparing for Michael and his family.  She was covering each foil pan with saran wrap when she heard the front door open and close. ‘I wonder who that could be. Mr. Jackson and his family have arrived twenty minutes ago.' She placed the pans onto a large circular tray, carried it to the dining room and set the pans of food on the hutch. She made sure to arrange them just the way her boss liked. She also double-checked to make sure the mess that the Arviso children had made in the dining room had been cleaned up. ‘Those children will be the death of me. I hope Mr. Jackson will be all right. He looked pretty worn out, and I imagine dealing with their behavior will not help matters at all. '  One thing that made her worry was the stress possibly causing Michael to skip meals. She headed back to the kitchen to retrieve the drinks so she could set them up, too. She placed the drinks on the tray. Whilst she was carrying the tray of drinks to the dining room, she passed Janet Arviso on the way. She gave the woman a polite nod in greeting.

 

Mrs. Arviso gave a polite nod back, only it seemed forced. "Have you seen my children?" she asked.

 

"Yes, ma'am. I believe they're in the security guards' living quarters," answered the chef.

 

Mrs. Arviso opened her mouth, about to ask what on earth they were doing there, but she closed it and pursed her lips together, deciding it would be best to question the guards and not Natasha. "All right then. Thank you for letting me know."

 

"Of course. I shall be going now. Good day." Natasha continued to make her way to the dining room.

 

Mrs. Arviso had a bad taste in her mouth as she headed to the security's living quarters. ‘Those men had better not have touched a hair on my children's head or else.' She had the strongest urge to throttle one of the guards if they had mistreated her children. She took a few deep breaths to calm herself down. It would not be a pretty sight if she had to be dragged out of the home, although she had no qualms risking it if she had to. She came to a closed door that led to another portion of the ranch and she heard voices discussing something. ‘That must be where the security lives.'  She tapped lightly on the door.

 

"Who is it?" asked a deep voice.

 

"Janet Arviso."

 

"Enter."

 

Mrs. Arviso slowly turned the doorknob and entered, closing the door behind her. The sight she saw was unexpected. Her three children were sitting in chairs, looking sour. She could only guess why they looked that way. She imagined the guards would tell her the children misbehaved again. Her head felt like it was about to explode. It was all she could do not to lose her temper and yell that she was fed up with hearing complaints about her children.

 

The security guards studied the mother of the Arviso children. They knew it was pointless to report her children's bad behavior, as chances were she would not handle it accordingly. It boggled their minds how she believed her children could do no wrong, but they decided it didn't matter anymore. "So, Mrs. Arviso, you have finally returned," said John. "It so happens you have arrived in the nick of time. Mr. Jackson has requested the presence of you and your children. It is rather urgent."

 

Mrs. Arviso furrowed her eyebrows before raising them, wondering what could be wrong for the pop star to want to see the entire family. ‘Maybe it's another of his pleasant surprises, but judging from the look on this gentleman's face I highly doubt it.' "He has?"

 

"Yes. To say the least, he didn't sound very happy."

 

Mrs. Arviso frowned slightly upon hearing that. A small tinge of panic rose within her as well. ‘Has he found out I have been using his bank account for my hair and wax appointments?' She wore a blank expression on her face to show her indifference for her actions. "I see. Where is he?"

 

"In his office. I trust you know how to find it."

 

Mrs. Arviso nodded slightly. "Of course. Thank you." She turned to face her children. "Come along, Gavin, Star, and Davelin. Let's go."

 

Gavin and his siblings immediately ran to their mother. They threw their arms around her waist, greeting her with happy smiles. She chuckled lightly, hugging them back. They all exited the room together. They told her all that had happened the previous day between them and the security guards on the way to the office.

 

Janet gritted her teeth and clenched one of her fists. She wanted to go back and give the men a piece of her mind as well as pound them to the ground. She didn't tolerate anyone disciplining her children without permission. ‘I'll deal with them later.'  "Well it's all right now. I'm here."

 

"I'm so glad," said Star. "I was wondering when you were coming back. We all were."

 

Janet smiled over at her children. They were some of the few people who brought joy in her life.

 

Soon, the Arviso family came to Michael's office and they saw that the door to it was open. They quietly entered and spotted Michael sitting at his desk. He whirled his chair around to face them. When his eyes met theirs, they could tell the security guards were not kidding when they said he wasn't happy. He certainly didn't look happy. He was stone-faced and looked awfully tense. Neither Janet nor her children ever recalled seeing him in such a way. Star found it rather funny. ‘Well, not like he scares me.'

 

Gavin decided to try and lighten the mood. "Well, well, well. Look who finally decided to return after being absent without leave. " His siblings burst into giggles and covered their mouths to muffle their laughter. Janet looked at them, frowning a bit and they quieted down.

 

Michael didn't look amused. He frowned and simply said, "Good afternoon to you, too, Gavin."

 

Star and Davelin bit their lips to keep from bursting into giggles again.

 

Janet stepped forward. "So Michael, you asked to see us?" She looked over at her children, avoiding the pop king's eyes.

 

"Yes I did.  Close the door and have a seat."

 

Without saying a word, Janet closed the door, then she and her children sat down. Gavin squirmed a bit in his seat. Davelin rubbed her hands together in order to keep calm.  Star leaned over towards Gavin and whispered something into his ear. Gavin let out a snicker, and mouthed "you're a mess" to him. Their mother just looked bored.

 

Michael frowned deeply when he noticed the children were not being attentive. He felt like a high school teacher dealing with unruly children. He cleared his throat loudly.

 

The three children and Janet were so startled that they almost fell out of their chairs.  They instantly focused their eyes on Michael, waiting for him to speak. Davelin discreetly rolled her eyes.

 

"I see I have your attention now. Good. I want you to pay very close attention to what I'm about to say. "

 

"Well, what are you waiting for?" asked Davelin. "We're all ears."

 

Janet shot her daughter a reproachful look. "Davelin!!" she exclaimed softly. 

 

Davelin looked meek. "Sorry."

 

Janet turned to face Michael again. "Sorry about that, Michael. My daughter can be very high strung. Go on."

 

There was something about Mrs. Arviso's tone that made her apology sound insincere, but Michael decided to ignore it. "I see that." His facial expression then turned into an all-business one. He fixed his gaze directly upon the children. "I have received several reports from my staff about you during the times I was absent over the past several months and they were atrocious. According to them you have challenged their authority, demolished my daughters' bedroom, terrorized my fans and attacked my animals. That is unacceptable behavior and will not be tolerated." His voice was calm, but there was still a hint of anger in it.

 

 Janet looked as if smoke was going to rise from her ears. She coughed loudly, trying to keep her indignity under control. ‘The nerve of these people!!'

 

Davelin smirked. ‘Who would have thought he was this tough? Oh well. He's probably just pretending. What's he gonna do? Sing us to death?'  She stifled a laugh.

 

Gavin and Star widened their eyes and their mouths dropped open. They then started protesting at once. "They're lying! We didn't do any of those things! They just-"  Michael gave them a hard look and put a hand up for silence. They quieted down at once.  

 

Gavin let out a barely audible whistle. 'Seeing this side of Mr. Pop star here is almost scary.'

 

Michael shook his head to show he wasn't buying any of the boys' defenses for a minute. Although he had been deceived by former staff members in the past, he was absolutely sure his current staff was telling the truth. There was a time he was willing to give the Arvisos the benefit of the doubt, but he had passed that stage for quite some time. "I want you to apologize to my staff for your disrespectful behavior, and to my daughters for destroying their room."

 

That was the breaking point for Mrs. Arviso. She narrowed her eyes and stood up as if there was some kind of vermin in her chair. She placed her hands on her hips and glowered at Michael. "Now you listen! My children don't have to apologize for anything! You didn't even bother to find out their side of the story!!"  She heaved several loud breaths. One would think she was hyperventilating.

 

Michael looked a bit taken aback at the woman's outburst. A part of him wondered if he should just keep going or just drop it. ‘No no, Michael. This must be resolved once and for all. No time for backing down,' a voice inside his head reminded him. He frowned again. "All right, first of all, there is no need for a recount from the children. Their belligerent and indifferent behavior speaks for itself. And secondly, I was addressing them, not you."  He turned his attention back to the children and gave them that "I'm waiting" look.

 

Gavin began to see red. "Don't talk to Mommy like that! And there's no way in hell I'm going to apologize to anyone! Your staff and your stupid daughters got what they deserved!!"  Star folded his arms, nodding in agreement with his brother. Both of them stuck their jaws out defiantly.

 

"I'm not apologizing, either," spoke up Davelin. She looked at her watch.

 

Michael's eyes narrowed at Gavin's comment about his daughters. He could handle the insults dealt towards him and let them roll off his back, but disrespecting the ones he held most dear was something he refused to tolerate. He looked at the young boy and said in a stone cold voice, "Don't you dare speak about my daughters or anyone in my family that way. Is that understood?"

 

Gavin snorted. "Yeah, yeah. Whatever. You're just wasting your time, because I don't give a rip."

 

Michael let out a loud groan of frustration. ‘I swear, this family is driving me up the freaking wall!' He never had this much trouble dealing with children before, and he could feel what was left of his energy being zapped. He wasn't about to spend the entire afternoon battling with them. He rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Fine, have it your way. Janet, it is clear that your children have no regard for the rules and regulations of this ranch. You don't seem to be concerned about their well-being and speaking from a parent's perspective, that is sad. "

 

Janet's facial expression grew pinched.  Who was he to tell her how to raise her children?  "For your information, Michael---"

 

Michael put up a hand and said, "I'm not finished. From this day forward, you and your children will no longer be welcome here."

 

Janet's eyes popped open so wide that they looked bugged out. "Wait a minute. What are you saying? That you want us to leave?"

 

"Precisely."

 

Mrs. Arviso started to tremble with anger, her tan skin turning pale. She could feel her cheeks becoming red hot. "Y-You can't be serious!"

 

"I am. If you don't leave, I will have my security escort you off the premises, along with your children. I'm giving you 15 minutes to pack up and leave. The same thing goes for Gavin, Star and Davelin."

 

"All right, fine! We'll go. But know this! One day you'll be sorry for the way you treated us, after everything we've been through!"  Mrs. Arviso wagged her finger at Michael, and then gestured for her children to get up. "Come, children. We're leaving."

 

"Okay." The three children obediently got up and walked over to their mother. Gavin looked over his shoulder at Michael. "You know what? I'm glad you're kicking us out! I hate this place, anyway!"

 

"I hope this overpriced house rots and collapses to the ground!" 

 

"Goodbye and good riddance, weirdo."  The Arviso family stormed out of the office, slamming the door behind them. The force was so strong that one of the plaques nearly fell off the wall. It was a miracle the door didn't come off of  the hinge.

 

Michael sighed heavily, rubbing his forehead to alleviate the severe headache that was starting to form. He slumped a little in his chair. He placed his head in his hands, stunned. ‘I do all I can to help them and this is how they repay me?'  He expected that confronting the family would go roughly, but not quite at this level. He wasn't sure if he should be relieved or worried. He was definitely relieved that they would be out of his life forever, but worried that Janet would turn into a vengeful maniac like many of the people he had cut ties with and devise a scheme to destroy him. He also had this bad feeling that if she did, she would involve her children in whatever diabolical scheme she concocted.  Not to mention there was no telling how malicious she could be. ‘Regardless of what their anger might drive them to do to me, I do not regret my decision.'  

 

 

 

Chapter End Notes:

I hope you guys like how it came together..sadly we haven't seen the last of the Arviso family..but at least he can be rid of their toxicity for a bit. Here is what Natasha the chef looks like:

Natashalikeness

(Natasha Edwards)

You must login (register) to review.