4 days have passed and Janelle was still rehearsing. In 3 days, she'll be at the Motown Studios, auditioning for the Bad short film. She was nervous and at the same time, excited. She was perfecting it in all ways possible and needed to portray a shy girl from Korea. During the time she was taking breaks from rehearsing for the audition, she was uandishi Michael a thank wewe note. She really wanted to thank him properly for the card and the present, but she felt that a direct approach would be too public for her. Whenever she'd reread over the note, she would have to rewrite it because of spelling errors she'd make au it wouldn't make any sense to her. She actually had started uandishi it before she had gone to kitanda after putting Coraline to bed.
'Man, I'm gonna end up with arthritis faster than anyone else.' She thought. 'That is, if I keep this up.'
Once she finished rewriting it for the 7th time, she proofread through it, making sure she didn't have any zaidi spelling errors and it would make sense. Elizabeth had told her earlier that week that Michael wasn't gonna be there to judge the auditions. She kinda understood as to why he wasn't gonna be there...only because he had his own parts to study up on. Her character, the shy Lauren that moved to America from Korea, as she had read in the description, was gonna be falling for a secretive bad boy named Daryl who still lived with his mother in an apartment. At school, he'd be this nice guy, but with his Marafiki outside of school, he'd be his own bad boy and it would change how Lauren would be outside of school as well. Janelle couldn't wait to find out who would be playing Daryl. Elizabeth wouldn't tell, but she knew Michael had to have the lead in it.
Anyway, Elizabeth came into the room and checked up on Janelle.
"Janelle, how are your rehearsals going?" She asked.
Janelle turned to Elizabeth and nodded. "They are going fine, Aunt Liz. So far, that is. I'm excited...yet extremely nervous. What if I mess up?" Janelle said.
Elizabeth put a hand on her shoulder and looked at her. "Janelle, wewe can do this. You're a Taylor. wewe won't mess up. If wewe do, oh well. You've rehearsed for 4 days with barely any breaks, except for a quick snack and lunch and chajio, chakula cha jioni and maybe even a water break. wewe have 3 zaidi days to rehearse. wewe should rest for at least one day."
Janelle looked at her aunt. "But Aunt Liz...I need to perfect it. I can't stop right now."
Elizabeth giggled a little. "You are just like Michael like that. He's a perfectionist, too. You've seen what he did with The Making of Thriller and Thriller, haven't you?"
"Yeah I did see it. I didn't even think it would take him long to perfect anything like that, though..."
"There were times he'd take a break as well, even for a day. wewe should take a day's break and rest up. You'll lose your voice if wewe keep rehearsing at this rate, then wewe won't even be able to audition for it. wewe don't want that, do you?"
Janelle shook her head. "No, I don't want that."
"Then take a break. Besides, Coraline keeps saying that it seemed like wewe spend zaidi time in here than wewe do with her. Take her out for a siku and spend time with her before wewe go off rehearsing again, okay? Oh and kwa the way, it's already 8 in the morning. Take today off of rehearsing and spend the siku with your daughter. Okay?"
Janelle looked at her aunt again and nodded. "Alright. I'll take today off."
Elizabeth smiled and put her hand on Janelle's head. "Good. Now wewe better take Coraline out for a mother-daughter siku of fun, even if she has to wear a mask."
Janelle nodded and Elizabeth left the room. She got herself ready and went to Coraline's room and saw that she had woken up. She walked over to the kitanda and sat down inayofuata to her, putting her arm around her daughter.
"Morning sleepyhead."
She giggled. "Morning, mommy." She said. "Are wewe rehearsing today?"
"I've rehearsed myself to death already. Aunt Liz told me to take a break for a siku and spend some time with you. So are wewe ready for a mother-daughter outing?"
Her eyes were gleaming with excitement. "Of course!!!"
Janelle giggled and helped Coraline find a cute outfit to go with her mask for today. Her mask, actually, was a masquerade mask of purple, green and dhahabu with a black sheer cloth headband to cover her face, but still giving her the ability to see where she'd be going. She found a cute yellow juu and her purple and green plaid patterned skirt, upindo and Janelle helped her change into them. Janelle, having to be mysterious, was wearing red and black most of the time and her shades that she had gotten for her birthday (like Michael's that he'd use most of the time since the Bad era, before his aviator sunglasses for Dangerous onward). She pulled Coraline's curly black hair into a ponytail and tied it with a red bow to seem like she had just one zaidi color on her. Once she was fully dressed with her clothes and her socks and dress shoes were on, she put on her the little purple military style koti, jacket she had gotten a while back. She was adorable looking when she wore masquerade colors plus a little bit of red. She didn't have the slightest idea on how Coraline, her own flesh and blood, liked military style clothing. Was it because of seeing Michael Jackson wear it when it would be on the news? au was it because she had seen her own mother, Janelle, wear it so many times? She didn't even know that Coraline met Michael when Elizabeth went over to Hayvenhurst. She then led her out of the room, down the stairs, grabbed her keys and headed out to her car. Coraline, since California law and just American laws in general stated that children should be with the parent(s) if under the age of 7 and in a car-seat. They never alisema that the car-seat could be in the passenger seat. Janelle often thought it was best if Coraline was behind the passenger seat, for safety precautions. She was afraid that if Coraline was up front with her, and she got into an accident, she wouldn't be able to survive since she was only 4-years-old, gonna be turning 5 later on that year. Anyway, Janelle buckled Coraline in her car-seat and got in the driver side and started the car and drove off. Elizabeth, once Janelle left with Coraline, got in the limo and Kenan drove her off to Michael's house to drop off the 'thank you' note that Janelle wrote for him.
During The Drive
Janelle wasn't really paying much attention to what Coraline was doing, even looking in the rear-view mirror, coming to find out that she had fallen asleep. Most kids wouldn't fall asleep during a car ride anywhere. Well, that's what most parents told her. She kept thinking on the maswali Katie brought up about Coraline.
'Why would Katie ask that? I really don't like telling anyone about Coraline, even though she is my closest friend.' She thought. She looked in the rear-view mirror again and smiled when Coraline was starting to wake up. "Hey sleepyhead. Enjoy your nap?" She asked.
Coraline giggled and nodded a little. "Yes, mommy. Are we there yet?" She said.
"Almost, just hold on a little longer."
Coraline knew that her mother would take her to a school playground when the kids were at recess and have her play with them without her mask on. That was one thing she wanted Coraline to experience when having a normal childhood...she wanted Coraline to make Marafiki before she'd start kindergarten. They were about 20 dakika away from the playground and Coraline turned to see Michael outside his house. He saw the car and when he saw her in it, he waved and she waved back, giggling. Janelle raised an eyebrow.
"What are wewe giggling about, Coraline?"
"Oh nothing, mommy. Just waving at a friend."
Janelle was shocked to hear that she already had a friend. "Who's your friend?"
"We just passed him. He was outside his house back there." She pointed with her little finger behind her.
Janelle looked at her side door mirror and saw no one out there. "Are wewe sure, sweetie? I don't see him."
"If he's out there when we leave the playground, you'll see him. He's sweet and kind."
Janelle couldn't understand what hints Coraline was dropping on who her friend was. She continued driving the now 10 dakika they had left of the drive to the playground. Once they got to the playground, she parked the car and got out and got Coraline out of her car-seat and saw two parents out there already with their kids playing with the school children. The school had no problem with parents coming in with their kids to play with other school kids, so Janelle went inside the playground, holding Coraline's hand and sat down at a nearby bench. Coraline got in front of her and she took off her mask and her sheer black veiled headband and Coraline then ran off to play, Janelle following close behind. Janelle still had her shades on and she held onto Coraline's mask and veil. The two parents that were there looked at her and went over to her.
"Excuse us, but who are you?" One of them asked.
Janelle looked at them and was shocked that they didn't know who she was. Something she actually expected. "I'm Janelle."
"I'm Krista and this is my friend Haley. She and I were wondering why you'd be here."
"I needed a break from doing things, so I had brought my daughter here."
"You have a daughter?"
"Yes, I do."
"Where is she?"
Janelle pointed to Coraline, who was running around, playing tag with other children. "She's right there in gold, purple and green clothes and she's got her purple military style koti, jacket on."
"Aw, she's adorable! What's her name?" Haley asked.
"Her name is Coraline."
"How old is she?" Krista asked, curiously.
"She's 4. She'll be 5 this year."
Haley's eyes went wide a little. "How old are you? If wewe don't mind me asking, that is."
"I don't mind it at all. I just turned 21 4 days ago."
"You still look like a baby yourself, Janelle! When was Coraline born?"
"She was born 6 months after I had turned 17. But that's all I can say."
Soon, she saw news cameras everywhere! She looked around and saw a few news reporters as well. She saw her daughter run up to her and she quickly put her mask and veil headband on her and rushed to the car, got her in and drove off before the news reporters even caught her. They assumed that she was escaping from someone who had seen her...and that was the press.
After 10 Minutes
Once Janelle couldn't see the reporters, she sighed in relief and started slowing down a little zaidi than her normal driving speed. Coraline was scared as heck from the press and looked out of the window to seek comfort in a smile of her friend. Her mother had to pay attention to the road, so when it would come to it, she couldn't see who Coraline was talking about. Coraline looked out of the window and saw her friend outside still. Janelle and her habit of slowing down, had slowed down zaidi since they were coming up on a turn to the house. Michael saw Coraline again and smiled and waved at her again and she smiled and waved back at him. She now got her comfort she needed and her smile was her way of saying to him 'thank you'. Janelle turned the radio on and heard that the reporters say that they saw a mother and her child rushed to their car and drove off like they were getting away from the law. She rolled her eyes.
'My God...they need to quit with these lies about me...now I can really relate to what Michael Jackson's been going through...seeing those lies about him...hearing about those lies and those doggone rumors.' She thought.
Once they got back to the house, Janelle thought it would be salama for Coraline if they stayed within house distance playing games in the yard au in her room. She was zaidi afraid of the press catching Coraline without her mask on and she'd be introduced to the public too soon. And she was zaidi afraid of people finding out about her being her daughter. Janelle took her inside and they headed up to her room to play imaginary games while playing the Off The Wall and Thriller albums, even the occasional Jackson 5 albums as well going along with the games. They also played Monopoly and Scrabble (which for some reason Coraline always won) and they would just play around with her toys. Coraline liked it when Janelle would play with her because she liked her mother uigizaji like a kid. She knew that her mother didn't have much of a childhood and she was smart enough to know that she wouldn't have a childhood if her mother didn't have her wear her masks for protection. Although, Coraline seemed to be talking about her friend she had made with Elizabeth.
"Who is your friend, sweetie?" Janelle asked.
"He's a sweet guy, mommy. I can't tell wewe who it is because he wouldn't like it." She said.
They continued playing games until it was time for Coraline to be in bed. She had a fun siku with her mother and Janelle appreciated Elizabeth for telling her to take a break. She needed a siku with Coraline and she got it. She then made it a task that she'll only rehearse half of the siku (maybe up until 2 au 3pm from when she wakes up at 8am) then spend the rest of the siku playing with Coraline. She needed zaidi time with her before she'd be ready for the auditions in the inayofuata 3 days. After that, it's full dedication to that one day.
After 3 Days
Over the inayofuata three days, Janelle had kept her promise of rehearsing half of the siku and playing with Coraline the other half of it. Coraline wished her mother luck when she left the house to go to the Motown Studios to audition for the Bad short film. She was told that once the auditions were over, then they'd call whoever got the part. Once she got to the studio, she checked in and went into the sound room to see about 5 other girls auditioning who had heard about it. They honestly thought Michael would be there so they could crowd around him. Janelle wouldn't be following suite because she knows that he would desire his space, even if she hadn't met him before. After the other 5 girls auditioned, they left, hoping they'd get the part. Janelle wanted to be alone in there, anyway, so she wouldn't have any distractions.
"Okay, what we want wewe to do is act as shy as wewe can be. That's how shy Lauren is." Martin Scorsese instructed.
Janelle nodded and she pretended to walk around with vitabu in her arms and studder when she'd talk and be really quiet during "long lectures" during class. She also pretended to be embarrassed when it came to her introducing herself to the "class". Martin wrote down the notes and had her stand up straight and be normal again.
"Alright, thank you, Ms. Janelle Taylor. Wait..." He looked at the notes and her kwingineko and looked back at her. "You're Elizabeth Taylor's niece??" He asked.
She nodded. "Yes, I am." She said.
"Well, we never thought that you'd audition for such a small role in a short film. But anyway, Janelle, be waiting kwa the phone when wewe get home."
She nodded and left, smiling a little, knowing that she gave them all she had to offer with her uigizaji talent.
As soon as she got nyumbani and got inside, the phone rang. She picked it up.
"Hello?"
"Janelle? This is Martin Scorsese. Congratulations. wewe got the part!"
Her eyes went wide and she gasped. "I got it?!"
"Yes wewe did! Oh our lead boy is gonna be ecstatic when he sees you."
"Who's your lead boy?"
"Michael Jackson."
Her eyes widened even more. She knew she'd be working with him, but she never knew she'd be working close to him like that! She was sure she'd faint any minute, but she didn't.
"We'll see wewe in New York City in 2 weeks, Janelle. I bet he can't wait to meet you. Come kwa Motown Studios tomorrow and I'll give wewe your plane ticket, okay?"
"A-Alright, Mr. Scorsese."
"Call me Martin, Janelle."
"Alright, Martin. I'll see wewe tomorrow."
"Later, Janelle."
"Later."
Then they hung up the phone. She was shocked to get the part...and it had only been about 20 minutes!! Did they really need to think it over on who got the part? Apparently not. Janelle couldn't wait until she would go to New York City to start rehearsing Bad...with the one and only...Michael Jackson.