Chapter 9,
January 12, 2002,

I am really starting to get irritated with how often Gavin and his family are coming to the ranch and dad decided to take Prince, Paris, and I down to New Jersey to spend time with the Cassio family for a week. I Amore going to their house because they are really family oriented people and they are some of the only people that don’t use dad for anything!!!
We walked in the doorway to their cozy house and Denise was standing in the cucina cooking. Dad dropped 4 duffle bags on the floor and I sat on the couch. Dad walked over and pulled the cappuccio from my felpa off of my head. He smiled and detto “I Amore te AJ.” I didn’t look up from my video game and detto “okay.” He sat down successivo to me and asked “what’s with the attitude?” I chewed on my gum and detto “I don’t know what you’re talking about dad!!!” He detto “you haven’t detto più than a few words to me in the last couple days and te have been calling me dad instead of daddy.” I turned off my video game and looked up at him. He knew that I wanted to say something but I just stared at him. He grabbed hold of my hand and asked “what’s a matter; please tell me?” I stood up and detto "I don't want to talk about it!" He said. "I wish te would because how I am I supposed to fix the problem?" I detto "what's the point? Once I tell you, te won't do anything anyway!" Frank looked at dad and asked "what's wrong with her?" Before dad had the chance to say anything I detto "I don't know; maybe it's because te let Gavin call te daddy! Dad asked "that bothers you?" I detto "of course it does! Why do te think I've been calling te dad instead of daddy?" I ran outside slamming the door behind me while he looked at Frank in shock.

Dad got up from his chair and Frank said. "Just give her some time to cool down. I don't think she'd respond well to te going after her." Dad detto "I know why she's mad and I'm getting concerned myself." Frank asked "why; what's going?" Dad detto "Gavin and his brother are out of control." Denise interrupted the conversation and asked "in what way are they out of control?" Dad detto "they destroy everything and te know how I feel about people swearing in front of the children, but; they do all the time. I have even pulled the two of them aside and asked them not to use swearwords in front of the children. I don't even like it when they swear in front of me. Then they eat tons of giunca, spazzatura Cibo and Alanna wonders why they are allowed to when she isn't. Frank detto "I hate to say it Michael but; maybe it's time to cut ties with them entirely. Gavin has been healthy for some time now and they seem like they're just using you." Dad got defensive and detto "I just can't tell them they can't come over anymore Frank!"

I came back inside after calming down and dad detto "come here AJ." I walked up to him as he sat back down on the divano and he gently guided me onto his lap. He asked as he grasped my hand. "Are te still mad at me?" I thought about it for a secondo and detto "kind of." He detto "I'll make sure that Gavin doesn't call me daddy anymore, okay?" I detto as I hugged him "okay; because you're our daddy, not his!"

January 13, 2002,

We were also getting ready to eat cena at the Cassio family home and dad detto he had an announcement to make. As he put some spaghetti on my plate, and sat back down in his chair, he detto "I got this call a couple of days fa from a reporter named Martin Bashir and he wants to produce a documentary about me." Frank practically choked on his Cibo and asked "you aren't going to do it… Are you?" Dad detto "I've really thought about it and talk to this guy for hours about keeping my reputation clean. He seems like a nice guy and I don't think he's going to manipulate anything to make it seem like I'm a bad person!" I detto "I hope he doesn't make te look like the bad daddy!" Dad detto "I'm going to allow the children to be a part of it. As long as they wear masks to keep their face hidden it will be fine." Frank detto "I don't think this sounds like a good idea Michael!" Dad asked "why?" Frank said. "Well; te don't know anything about this guy’s intentions! He may be getting paid to make te look bad! I mean, look at the past interviews you've had in the last few years, they haven't been the nicest." Dad detto "well; I really think that I am going to follow through with it. Besides, what's the worst that can happen?"

January 17, 2002,

We will be going back to Neverland in just a couple of days and dad really isn't looking inoltrare, avanti to it because he knows that Gavin will want to come over. I started recitazione out because I know we'll be going home soon, and I don't want to. The worst part is; dad left my ADHD medication at Neverland da mistake and I'm bouncing off the walls!

We had just gotten back to the Cassio family home after seeing a movie. The best part about being down here is the fact that the last place te would think to find Michael Jackson would be here in New Jersey, Prince, Paris, and I were all sitting on the divano watching SpongeBob when I decided to do a flip off the back of the couch. I had done it 1000 times before, even though dad had told me not to. This time, instead of landing on my feet, I twisted my ankle and fell to the ground on superiore, in alto of my foot. I let out a bloodcurdling scream and dad quickly ran over to see what was a matter. He asked "what's wrong?" I didn't want to admit that I was doing a backflip off the couch, but I confessed because I was in so much pain and couldn't think of a lie to tell him. da the look on his face, I knew he wanted to tell me "I told te so!" But he was too concerned about the amount of pain I was in.

He picked me up and put me on the couch. My foot was bruised and throbbing; anyone could tell that it was clearly broken. Frank said. "We have to take her to the ER Michael!" Dad said. "You guys will have to take a da yourself because there's no way I can go into the hospital without getting mauled, even here!" Frank detto as he picked me up. "Okay, I'll take her da myself!" I quickly snatched my mask from the tavolo before we left and got in the car.

About an ora later; I walked into the Cassio house using crutches and wearing a cast. I walked up to dad and he asked as he looked up at Frank "so how bad is it?" Frank said. "Her foot is broken and so are three of her toes!!!" Dad shook his head in disbelief and detto "I've told te so many times AJ not to jump o do flips off of the couch." I detto "I know te have… And I won't do it anymore; I promise!" He detto "I hate to say it but, I don't believe you!" I asked "why?" He detto "you told have me te won't do something about the times but, then te just go and do it anyway! How do te expect me to believe te anymore? te really need to change your attitude because my patience is wearing thin. I'm not saying that I'm mad at te because I'm not! I'm very disappointed in te though and it's going to take a lot of proving to me to change that. te have to remember that your only seven years old!" I detto "I'm almost 8 years old!" He detto "that's not the point at all Alanna, te need to behave… That's all I'm trying to say. te also have to remember that I'm your father and what I say goes. I only tell te not to do things because I'm looking at for your best interest." I looked up at Frank hoping that he would cover for me; but all te detto was "your dad's right." I asked "so… I'm in trouble, aren't I?" Dad detto "well; I think you've learned your lesson because te broke your foot! Just promise me te won't jump off of anymore couches… And that you'll listen to me when I tell te not to do something successivo time?" I detto "okay I won't!" Knowing full well that I would probably defy him within the successivo five minutes… But I was willing to say anything to get him off my back!

After we had eaten dinner, all of us sat in the living room and dad detto "I've come to my decision about the "living with Michael Jackson" documentary." We all looked up at him in suspended silence and then he detto "I'm going to go through with it!" te could tell that Frank was completely baffled da what had just come out of my father's mouth and quite frankly; so was I!" Thinking of dad's past track record with interviewers in the past few years and how terrible they made him look. I don't understand why he would want to do this again! I just hope it turns out as good as he thinks it will for his reputation!

January 19, 2002,

We pulled up in front of the gates to the ranch after just getting back from our flight! Dad had asked Frank to come back to the ranch with us because he was contemplating telling Gavin and his family that they couldn't come over anymore. Dad planned one last weekend sleepover and… Then he would just keep contact with them over the phone. He wants to let them down easy so they aren't too disappointed but; without Frank there I don't think he would be able to follow through with it!

I walked through the front door and there were a few messages on the answering machine. I detto "someone called here daddy!" Dad walked over and detto "thank te sweetheart!" He pressed the play button and it was a woman talking about the baby she was carrying for dad. Her due data is successivo mese and I can't wait to meet my new baby brother. I can't believe that dad is naming him Prince Michael the second… If I was him I would pick something totally different than my other brother's name.

We had only been in the house for less than five minuti before the phone started ringing off the hook. The caller ID read Gavin's name and the first few times he called dad ignored him, but after a while it started to get really ridiculous because he wasn't giving up! Finally, dad picked up the phone and detto "if te and your brother want to come over for the weekend te can. I know I miss te too. We'll see te then." Dad sighed and detto "the two of them will be here tomorrow." I was far from thrilled to see them again, I know my dad loves having them around but; I think the only reason why they have a relationship with him still is because of the money that he provides them! I'm glad that Frank sees how they are too and I'm not the only one. It's not my place to say anything because what do I know? I'm only a little kid!!!

January 20, 2002,

Gavin and stella, star got here just a few minuti fa and they're already back to their old ways. They ran into the cucina and I followed them. Gavin ripped open a bag of cheese doodles and they scattered everywhere. The dog was clearly excited that all this Cibo had fallen on the ground because drake hardly ever gets to eat human food. I asked as dad walked into the room "can I eat some of those too daddy?" He asked "how many are left in the bag? Look at this mess!" I detto "they are the ones who spilled them; not me! There's only a few left in the bag!" I know that dad could tell that I was very irritated with them and he detto "it's all right; I'll have one of the bodyguards da some più for te tomorrow!" I looked at him as a bend down to help him pick up the cheese doodles off the floor. He raised his eyebrows and I knew exactly what he was thinking "did they really just walk out of the room without even offering to help pick up this mess that they made? We must have been the cucina for over 45 minuti cleaning up the small cheese doodles. When I detto they were everywhere… I mean it! Every time I would go to pick up one of them, I would accidentally step on another one; which obviously made the mess worse!

A few hours later, I was up in my room da myself when dad came in to check on me. I was laying in my letto working on some school work and he came over and detto "move over." He lay down on the letto successivo to me and asked "are te okay?" I sighed and detto "yes; I guess." He saw that I was struggling to understand the word problem that I was working on and asked "do te need my help with figuring that out?" I threw my hands up in frustration and detto "yes please!!!" He spent over 15 minuti going over the problem with me but, I was still confused. Just as I started to understand what he was saying; Gavin came barreling through my bedroom without even knocking on the door. I couldn't keep my mouth shut anymore and detto "hey; I'm trying to do my school work! te didn't even knock on the door before coming in and that's not okay with me! Dad detto "it's okay AJ; there's no need to get so frustrated and start yelling at him!" I looked Gavin's right in the eyes and detto "you better get out of my room right now!!!" Gavin laughed at me and asked "what are te going to do about it if I don't?" I tried punching him but I was so much shorter than he is! Dad was shouting at this point, saying "Alanna please stop!"

Frank must've heard the commotion coming from upstairs because he eventually came to my bedroom. He detto shocked with how red my face was "hey; stop it!! Dad pulled me off from Gavin, who was still laughing at my attempt to attack him. Gavin ran out of the room and shut the door behind him. I threw my shoe at the door and dad looked at me, still trying to comprehend what just happened. I detto "I'm getting so sick of them, they are annoying!" He detto "that doesn't give te the right to hit him!" I detto "I'm tired of being nice to him; he doesn't deserve it!" Dad detto "you need to cool off… I'm going downstairs, te stay in here." I was più than happy to have some time away from the two of them.

About an ora after we had dinner, I had just taken a doccia and dad came upstairs, carrying pillows and blankets into one of the guest rooms. Gavin and stella, star came running upstairs behind him and dad detto "okay; the guestroom is all set up for te guys. I have to go bring AJ some clothes, I'll be right back! A few minuti later, I went into dad's bedroom and asked "can I sleep in here tonight?" Dad detto "of course te can!" I climbed up on the letto and he kissed my forehead. Then Gavin knocked on the door and asked "can we sleep in there with te too Michael?" I looked at dad and shook my head "no" he detto "hang on a second." Dad yelled "Frank, can te come here?" Frank walked out of the master bathroom and asked "yeah?" Dad whispered "Gavin and stella, star want to sleep in here!" Frank's eyes widened and he detto "I really don't think te should do that Michael!" Dad detto “here’s what te and I are going to do, you're going to sleep in here with me! The two of them will sleep on the bed, you, AJ, and I will sleep on the floor! I don't want there to be any reason for any accusations and this seems to be the only logical way around that!" I was really upset that dad had agreed to let the boys sleep in his bedroom because I was looking inoltrare, avanti to spending quality time with him! The three of us lay on blankets on the floor, while the boys were lying in dad's bed. After watching three Disney Film in a row, I curled myself up against dad and he wrapped his arms around me. Even though I was asleep, I could hear all of them laughing and having fun. Nothing out of the ordinary went on that night and I know that for a fact!!!! After that, we didn't see much of the boys o their family until we started taping the "living with Michael Jackson" documentary.

February 29, 2002,

My baby brother, Prince Michael the secondo was born yesterday and dad has nicknamed him "Blanket." I had asked him why he came up with that nickname and he detto "because he's a blanket of Amore and a sweet Angel of God!" I think dad starting to realize how long it's been since he has had to take care of a newborn baby. He looks exhausted and every time he tries to take a break the baby starts crying again! It just makes me appreciate dad a lot more!!!

I was sitting on the divano with my crutches successivo to me. We had just gotten back from a trip to Disneyland Paris and were settling in back at the ranch. I hate having my foot broken because I can't really do the things that I'm used to doing. If my foot wasn't broken I would be outside right now climbing trees o jumping on the trampoline. Instead I am stuck in your watching TV and doing school work. One thing's for sure; broken limbs and ADHD don't mix.

After dad had put Blanket down for a nap, he came over and sat successivo to me. He detto "you look unhappy… What's up?" I detto "I'm just tired of sitting here!" He detto "I know te are; but te need to stay off your feet for a while so te can heal." Prince came over and detto "I'll sit here with you!" I detto "you don't have to!" He detto "I know but, I want too." Dad detto "that's so sweet of te Prince! You're such a good little brother!" Dad got up from his chair and detto as he rubbed his eyes "I think I'm going to go take a nap… I'll be back in 40 minuti o so."

I think it will take all of us a little while to adjust to having a baby in the house again. I don't think dad remembered how much work it is to take care of a newborn baby because it's been so long. He will get used to soon though.
March 23, 2002,

Filming begins for the "living with Michael Jackson" documentary tomorrow and Martin Bashir is coming over today to get più acquainted with the family. I was having a very difficult giorno behavior wise and Grace is clearly frustrated with me. Dad was getting ready for the giorno and none of us had seen him yet this morning. I was in the cucina sitting at the tavolo playing with the rubber ball that I had won as a prize at the arcade we went to yesterday. I kept bouncing the ball higher and higher and Grace detto "please stop that before te break something." I detto "no." She came over and took it from me and I stomped upstairs to my room.

I repeatedly slammed the door to my bedroom to mostra Grace how upset how upset I was with her. Dad was just coming out of his bedroom and he detto "hey, hey, hey, what are te doing that for?" I detto as I crossed my arms "I'm mad because Grace took the ball away!" He detto "that doesn't give te the right to slam your bedroom door AJ." I kicked the door and he detto "if you're going to act like that then te don't deserve to have the ball anyway!" I whined "but its mine daddy!!!" He detto "you know I won't let te get away with recitazione like a brat and Mr. Bashir is coming over today so te need to be on your best behavior… Understood?" I didn't answer him and gave him a look of irritation. He knelt down and detto "that's what I'm talking about right there! Enough of that… There is no reason for it and if te keep that up te will be up here in your room da yourself while everyone else is having fun." I knew I didn't want that so; after a few minuti of calming down I went downstairs.

The doorbell started ringing and I answered it. I detto "daddy; I think it's for you!" It was a tall man with a tan and brown hair who was wearing glasses. Dad came over and detto as he shook hands with him "nice to finally meet te face to face Martin!" Martin detto "I'm so glad te agreed to do this documentary." I asked Martin "where are all the cameras at?" Dad and Martin laughed and Martin detto "they won't be here till tomorrow." I asked "daddy; how come the cameras aren't here today?" Dad looked down at me and detto "I wanted to give Mr. Bashir sometime te get to know us before we started filming." I detto "oh" and hobbled away using my crutches.

Dad and Martin sat down at the cucina tavolo and Martin asked "how did Alanna break her foot?" Dad detto as he took a sip of his tè "she was doing a back flip off of my Friends divano and she landed on her foot." Martin asked "is Debbie her mother also?" Dad detto "yes; as well as Prince and Paris's." Martin detto "I have to say Michael; your kids really do look like you, especially Blanket!" Dad detto "I just want to make sure before we start filming tomorrow that you're not going to ruin my reputation!" Martin detto "of course not Michael! One of the reasons for doing this documentary is to defend you!"

Just as dad was about to respond, he could hear Prince and I arguing in the living room and went to so see what was going on. Martin followed dad into the living room and dad asked "what's going on here?" Prince detto "AJ took the remote from me!" I detto "I don't want to watch the fairly odd parents daddy!" Dad asked "well; what do te want to watch?" I detto "I was going to watch the Disney Channel!" Dad asked "a Disney channel cartoon, o one with real people?" I detto "one with real people!" Dad detto "that's not going to hold your brother's interest like a cartoon would AJ. Would te please put it on a cartoon?" I detto "but daddy I don't want to!" He detto "I guarantee te that you've probably seen that episode 1000 times… I'll let te watch Disney channel later! Do te remember what we talked about this morning?" I detto "yeah" and he detto "I'm still willing to send te to your room for the rest of the day. Now please give Prince the remote!" I tossed Prince the remote control and detto "Prince always gets what he wants!" Dad detto "no he doesn't and te better stop it." I rolled my eyes and dad and Martin went back to the kitchen.

Then two them went back into the cucina and Martin "why do te call Alanna AJ? Dad detto "it stands for Alanna Jackson. She prefers that as opposed to just her first name because she is a tomboy. Martin detto "I spent a lot of time with te today and I'm shocked da how different AJ is; compared to Prince and Paris." Dad chuckled and detto "she's definitely a handful that's for sure!" Martin asked "so are we all set to start filming tomorrow Michael?" Dad detto "yes, just as long as te agree to only film the children once and make sure they are wearing masks when te do so?" Martin detto "I really agree with te Michael; overexposure for the children is not a good thing! We will be here around 9 o'clock tomorrow morning to set up equipment!" Dad detto as he walked Martin to the door "okay we'll see te then! I'm counting on te to make me look good… Don't let me down!"

May 5, 2002,

Dad has been being interviewed da Martin Bashir for many months now. He had already filmed Prince, Paris, and I. We were in a hotel room in Berlin Germany, just a few hours after dad had decided to mostra the fan outside Blanket. da this point; every news broadcast network all over the world was mostrare footage of what they thought was dad "dangling" the baby over the balcony. Of course the tabloids slowed the footage down to make it seem awful but; that's not at all what happened!

I can honestly say that my father had a very tight grip on Blanket. Under no circumstances would dad have let the baby fall. Of course Martin absolutely had to domanda dad about what had actually happened and dad was really reluctant to say anything for fear that it would be taken the wrong way. Today's the last giorno of filming and all I can say is that I hope when "living with Michael Jackson" premieres in early 2003… It will be 100% truthful and depict my father in a positive way!