Later That Night
Janelle spent about an hour, trying to get Coraline to sleep bởi telling her stories of Peter Pan and Pinocchio. Now, Coraline was a curious child and she often asked her mother about her life as a child. Janelle told her that she did have to wear a mask, just like the one Coraline would always wear, as a child up until she was 10. Her mother didn't want her to be known at such a young age. She đã đưa ý kiến that it was Elizabeth who convinced her to stop wearing the mask.
"Really? Great Aunt Liz had bạn stop?" Coraline asked.
Janelle nodded. "That's correct, sweetheart. She told me that being famous would be fun, depending on what I would do." She said.
Janelle had to be straightforward with her daughter. She, other than her aunt, was her only family left. Her father, Howard, disowned her, her mother had died almost 11 years ago...she now only has Coraline and Elizabeth. She looked at Coraline and saw that she fell asleep. Janelle got up, tucked her in and kissed her head.
"Goodnight, Coraline. Sweet dreams."
She walked toward the door, turned to Coraline, turned the light off, seeing her nightlight go on and exited her room. She walked down the hallway to her own room and started thinking.
'Who does she look like? Aunt Liz đã đưa ý kiến that she has pictures of her and Michael Jackson in an album somewhere...I'll look for it later. Right now, I'm tired.' She thought, entering her room.
She went up to her dresser and pulled out a t-shirt, shorts and undergarments and went to the bathroom to shower, thinking of where to look first for that bức ảnh album Aunt Liz has.
After Her Shower
She walked out of her bathroom, walked up to her giường and soon laid down. She pulled a blanket over herself and got to thinking again.
'I can't believe that in 2 weeks...I'll be 21. God, the years just flew bởi like that.' She thought.
She closed her eyes and sighed. "I hope something good happens on hoặc after my birthday." She muttered.
She wasn't one for thinking things like that, but since her diễn xuất career had taken off because of Aunt Liz's help, she couldn't wait to see what would happen. Then, she soon fell asleep.
She started having a dream where she and her step-brother, Ryan were playing outside with Coraline and she and her daughter met Michael Jackson for the first time. Ryan told her that he was super sweet and kind to anyone. There were times, in the dream, where she and Michael would catch each others eyes bởi "accident" and she would see Michael playing with Coraline. She could tell he would make a great father since he told her that he wanted kids of his own one day. Ryan had come up to them and đã đưa ý kiến that she would be willing to give him kids. Michael never knew that Coraline was her daughter. He just assumed that she was her cousin hoặc her baby sister. She didn't want to tell him what happened to her.
"You would?" He asked.
She blushed a little, thinking back to when she had been raped and showed sadness in her eyes. She had already been hurt and she didn't want to be hurt again. Michael saw the sadness in her eyes and walked up to her and put a hand on her shoulder. She looked up at him.
"I just don't want to be considered a 'Billie Jean'..." She said.
"You won't be considered one." He put his hand on her cheek and stroked it. "I wouldn't allow anyone to call bạn that."
"Y-You...you wouldn't?"
He gently smiled at her. "Not at all."
He was about to Kiss her...until her phone woke her up. She was rather disappointed that her dream had to end and she couldn't get back to it. She sat up and checked her phone to see that she had gotten a voice-mail message from Katie. She rolled her eyes and dialed her code and listened to the message.
"Hey Janelle! Yes, this is Katie. Listen, don't listen to what Bryan đã đưa ý kiến about having your party at a club. I know your aunt doesn't approve of clubs. And bạn told me that your mother wouldn't allow it, either. Bryan just needed to be reminded that and I told him that. Just do what bạn wanna do for your 21st birthday. tình yêu you! Text me!!! Bye!" Katie đã đưa ý kiến in the message.
She smiled a little, knowing that Katie got it through Bryan's head about the club idea. She wanted to be a kid forever and so did Katie. She decided on what to do for her 21st birthday party, so she texted the details of the party to Katie that she was gonna have a super soaker/water balloon fight. Katie thought it was a brilliant idea and she was all in for it. Then, Janelle went back to sleep since it was at least 3 in the morning.
2 Weeks Later
Janelle was still asleep. Coraline had kept her up almost until 2 in the morning last night. She couldn't believe that Coraline could be like her in ways of sleeping: unable to sleep until after midnight. When she was a baby, Janelle had to really get her to sleep. Her dream did continue last night because she wrote what happened in her journal. It ended the same way...Michael almost kissing her because some people would interrupt. (Me: Hey, same with me lol. That happens a lot.) Anyway, her door opened and she felt someone climbing into her bed. She opened her eyes and turned tiếp theo to her to see Coraline smiling.
"Coraline? What are bạn doing up?" Janelle asked.
Coraline giggled and handed her a half-folded paper. "I made this for you, mommy." She said.
Janelle took the paper and looked at it and read it out loud. "Mommy, since I didn't have the money to buy one, Great Aunt Liz told me that bạn like things that are made from the heart, especially if it's from family." Then she opened it up and saw a drawing on the inside of it. "Happy Birthday, mommy. I tình yêu bạn lots. Love, Coraline."
She looked at her and smiled a little. "Do bạn like it, mommy?"
Janelle nodded, a tear falling down her cheek. She put it down and hugged her and kissed her head. "I tình yêu it, Coraline. Thank bạn so much."
She hugged back and giggled. Aunt Liz came into the room with her own card and breakfast for Janelle. They released the hug and she placed the standing tray of thực phẩm over Janelle's lap. There were eggs, toast, fresh trái cây from the trees outside and freshly squeezed trái cam, màu da cam juice. Aunt Liz handed her card to her and she took it and read it out loud as well.
"Janelle, there comes a ngày where bạn must make your own decisions in life. bạn had that chance with Coraline when bạn were 17, giving birth to her. bạn had it since bạn were 10 when I taught bạn how to act. bạn have grown so much and bạn felt like my own daughter. I tình yêu you, Janelle. You're the best niece I could ever ask for. Happy birthday. Love, Aunt Liz."
Now her aunt's card to her made her cry a little. It was so touching. She put the card down and Aunt Liz hugged her and she hugged back.
"Happy birthday, Janelle." She said.
"Thank you, Aunt Liz."
They released the hug and she started eating her breakfast. She hadn't had a breakfast like this since she was really little. She was really looking phía trước, chuyển tiếp to today anyway; having a super soaker/water balloon fight outside. Maybe being able to dance for everyone, too. Aunt Liz knew she could sing, dance and now act and thought that she'd get along well with Michael Jackson since he does the same thing. Only, he rarely acts. She knew he only acted for Thriller and The Wiz and that was about it. She knew of The Jacksons Variety Show, but knew that it was just faked funny lines they used because of CBS.
Once she finished her breakfast, Aunt Liz took the tray and left with Coraline. They had lots to do today and they let Janelle hang out with Katie that day. What Janelle didn't know was that there was one card that Aunt Liz had...that would make her the happiest 21-year-old girl ever.