Chapter 11,

February 1, 2004,

I was sitting in our huge four-bedroom hotel room when dad woke up and came into the sitting area. He took a piece of gum out of his pocket and put it in his mouth. Prince and Paris walked over and sat down in between the two of us. Dad detto "there's going to be someone coming here today to talk to te guys about some things." I detto "I already know what they are going to talk to us about and I think it is so stupid!" He detto "I know te do but; te have to talk to them… There's no way around it, trust me… I tried to negotiate a deal but it didn't work." Prince asked "what's AJ talking about daddy?" Dad detto "nothing Prince; just make sure that te tell this man o woman the truth, no matter what domande he o she asks you!" I detto "you don't have to worry about that; even if we wanted too, we have no reason to lie!"

About 20 minuti later, a woman walked into the room wearing a badge that detto "Child protective services" on it. She looked around the hotel room and detto "okay; I think I will domanda the two younger children first and then come back to domanda the oldest one." I arrogantly asked "you do know that I have a name; right?" Dad gave me a look of shock because he couldn't believe what had just come out of my mouth. The woman didn't say anything as she directed Prince and Paris into a separate room. Dad detto as the woman shut the door "don't talk like that to anyone! Especially; someone with a job like hers!" I detto with my arms crossed and feet propped up on the coffee tavolo "I'm just trying to make it very clear that I don't want her here!" He detto "I don't care! te are digging me into a deeper and deeper hole that's going to be really hard for me to get out of!"

The woman came back a half an ora later and detto "all right it's your turn." I detto as I got up and followed her into the other room "alright; I just want to get this over with!" She shut the door and sat down. She detto "my name is Andrea; what's yours?" I detto "AJ" and sat down in the chair across from her." She asked "do te know why I'm here today?" I detto "because someone lied." She detto "how do te know that they lied?" I detto "because my father would never ever do anything like that!" She detto "I'm not here to get your dad in trouble in any way; I just want to make sure that te kids are sicuro, cassetta di sicurezza here!" I detto "yeah; that's what te say now but; I know what all of te are really after… Don't act like you're not either! I know più than te think I do!"

She asked me a series of absolutely disgusting domande and I answered each one with a "no." As time went by; the domande got harder and harder to listen to. At one point, I detto "every answer to these domande will be a no so; can I be done here!" She wouldn't let me leave and it was getting point where I couldn't handle listening to anything coming out of her mouth anymore. She kept me in the longest; I'm assuming because I am the oldest and she could asked me più detailed types of questions.

Almost an ora later she detto "okay I think I've asked te everything that I need to know. I'll give te my number and te call it if te ever feel in danger!" I took it and the two of us walked out room. She detto "alright Mr. Jackson; I have all the information that I need and I'd like to thank te for allowing me to interview her children!" He detto as he shook her hand "you're welcome and I hope this clears everything up!" She shut the door and I felt so relieved that she was finally gone!

Dad looked at me and I was all shaken up. He asked "how did it go?" Before I could answer him; I ran to the bathroom and started violently throwing up. He ran after me and asked "are te okay?" I stood up and detto "daddy; te can't ever make me be interviewed like that again!" He detto as we walked into one of the bedrooms that were in our hotel room "let's talk about it then." We both sat down in the recliners and I detto "it was so gross daddy! The domande she asked me are things I hope I never hear again for as long as I live!" He detto "I knew that they would ask te the hardest domande because te understand più than Prince and Paris do! That's why I tried to get all three of te out of it! I only went along with it because I had no other choice! I'm sorry that te had to go through all of that and I don't think anyone will have to domanda te again." I detto "I hope you're right because that made me physically sick… Hearing her ask me if I ever saw anything wrong going on between te and Gavin. I tried to get her to stop going into so much detail about specifics but; she wouldn't listen to me!" He hugged me and detto while trying not to cry "I'm so sorry!!!"

February 13, 2004,

Today is Prince's 7th birthday and I'm curious to see what dad has planned since we are not at home. I woke up this morning and went out to Prince's bedroom in our hotel room and woke him up. When he opened his eyes I detto "happy birthday Prince!" He detto "thanks; is daddy awake yet?" I detto "yeah; he just woke up about five minuti ago." Prince got out of letto and walked into the corner kitchen. He looked at the pancake batter and Cioccolato chips on the counter and detto "yes!" I detto while laughing "I know; I detto the same thing when I saw that!"

Dad walked over to us and put his hands on each of our shoulders. We turned around and dad detto "happy birthday mela, apple head!" Prince detto "thank te daddy!" Dad detto "that pancake batter on the counter is extra just in case we need it. I had Grace start making pancakes, pancake and their almost done! I'm going to wake up Paris and Blanket, I'll be right back!"


Dad came back into the room carrying Blanket in one arm and holding hands with Paris with the other arm. Blanket stared at me and started laughing. Dad asked while smiling at him "what's so funny?" I detto "I just think it's one of those days where everything is funny; right Blanket?" Blanket detto "I get down?" Dad detto "no buddy; we're going to eat breakfast!" Dad put Blanket in his high chair and set the table. All of us sat down and started eating. Dad asked "Prince what te want to do today for your birthday?" Prince detto "I want to ride go carts!" Dad detto "alright; I'll try to find a place. If I can't; what else would te want to do?" I asked "why would we not be able to go to the go carrello track?" Dad detto "it's not that we can't go but; it would be hard to find a place that is willing to shut their doors so I could go with te guys without anyone else finding out."

Unfortunately, dad was unable to find a go kart track that would shut their doors so he could go with us. Prince had detto that he would want to go to the Film to see "are we there yet?" Dad was able to go in disguise and he surprisingly pulled it off!"

February, 19, 2004,

I was watching my new preferito mostra on TV called "this suite life of Zack and Cody" on Disney channel. Dad came into my hotel bedroom and looked at the TV. He detto "oh my gosh… I can't believe you're watching this again!" I detto "this is a new episode; I haven't seen it yet!" He sat down successivo to me and detto "after this, te have to take a doccia and go to bed." I asked "can I watch TV until I fall asleep?" He detto "as long as you're not up until three in the morning and te take your ADHD medication!" I detto "I promise that I'll do what te say."

During the episode a boy came on screen and started singing. I tried my hardest not to blush but; dad caught me." He started laughing and asked "what's wrong?" I detto "nothing; nothing at all!" He asked "who is that guy?" I detto "Jesse McCartney!" I started blushing even worse than before and dad asked "you'll like him; don't you?" I didn't answer him at first because I was trying to come up with an excuse. I detto "no… I don't know where te got that idea from!" He detto "I don't know, maybe it's because your bright red and te can't even say his name without smiling! I think my tomboys got a little celebrity crush on this Jesse kid!" I covered my face with a throw cuscino and detto "I do not have a crush on him!" He detto "yes te do! I can tell because te can't even look at him without blushing!" I detto "okay; maybe I have a crush on him but; that doesn't mean I'm going to be a girlie girl; I'm tomboy all the way!" He detto "I know that and I don't think that will ever change! I think I worked with that boy on "what più can I give?” When he was still in Dream Street!"

April 9, 2004,

I'm starting to get sick of living in one hotel room to the successivo and that's how it's been for a while now. The boredom is driving me insane and I think dad is starting to notice it as well. He has no clue where to live because he has not bought a permanent residence since Neverland Ranch back in the 1980s. I can definitely tell that dad is really stressed out because all he has done since the giorno after Paris's six birthday; all he has done is sleep and every once in a while come into the cucina area to eat something.

It was the middle of the giorno and I was sitting at the tavolo in our hotel room doing my schoolwork. Grace was playing with Blanket, Prince, and Paris when dad finally came out of his bedroom. He was dressed in his pajamas and his hair wasn't brushed yet. One of the things that I've always loved about him is that he never let us see how much he was struggling but; I'm old enough now to where it harder for him to hide it from me. He came over and sat down successivo to me. He asked "how's it going?" I detto "it's going alright; why do te ask?" He detto as he rubbed his eyes "I know you're not happy with the fact that we are staying in a hotel for so long! I just want te to know that I really am trying to get us out of here." I detto "I know te are daddy and I'm not mad at you! I just can't take being stuck in here were too much longer!" He detto "well; I'm going to check out some rental houses for us to use until after the trial ends. Do te want to go with me? It will get te out of this hotel for a while!" I detto "okay… Is it just going to be the two of us?" He detto "yes; we will be able to see più houses that way.”

After I finished my last page of school work, dad and I headed out into central Los Angeles to look at rental houses. A realtor brought us to house after house but; nothing seemed like a perfect fit. He always made sure wherever we were that each of us has our own bedrooms no matter what. Either the houses we visited were too small o dad thought that the rent was way too high.


April 10, 2004,

After not being able to find a temporary place for us to rent, dad is obviously frustrated and hates the fact we have to sposta in the first place. I was sitting in my hotel room and could hear dad cheering down the hall. I opened the door and asked "what the heck are te so happy for?" He detto "we have a place to live!" I detto while smiling "where?" He detto "the Prince of Bahrain who is a good friend of mine just offered to let us use one of his mansions for as long as we need to." I looked at him confused and asked "so we're moving to Bahrain?" He detto "yes; right on the spiaggia too!" I detto "that's going to be so awesome daddy! How are te going to be back here in Los Angeles for the trial when it starts successivo year?" He detto "I will just travel back and forth until it's over and te guys will come with me! Oh my gosh; I'm so excited! I'll help te pack your bags because were leaving in a few hours on a private jet."

Prince and Paris came running into my room and detto "we are moving to the beach!" Grace came into and asked "what is this rolled up piece of paper that was in your room Michael?" Dad detto "oh yeah; I forgot to give that to te AJ! I meant to give te on your birthday but; I Lost it when we were switching hotels!" I took it from Grace and unraveled it. It was a poster of Jesse McCartney and I detto "thank te daddy; even though I told te that I only have a little crush on him!" Dad detto "you've been listening to his CD that I got te for your birthday over and over again. For someone that only has only has a little crush on him; te sure do talk about him a lot!" Grace started laughing and detto "I never thought I would see Alanna blushing over a boy!"

April 11, 2004,

We are finally here in Bahrain and it is più amazing than I could have ever imagined! Our bedrooms are three times as big as the ones we had back in Neverland. I woke up this morning and just lay in letto looking around my new bedroom. My preferito part da far is that I have my own bathroom for the first time! Then when te look out the baia window te can see the perfect view of the shore. My room is pretty much a disaster because I haven't had time to decorate o put things away due to the fact that we got here so late last night.

I got out of letto and decided to put my new Jesse McCartney poster up on the bacheca because I knew it would make dad happy. I grabbed a roll of tape out of one of the cardboard boxes in my room hung the poster on the wall. Dad walked in and detto "I knew te would put it up!" Blanket came into my room with my dog drake (yes, I am aware that I haven't talked about the dog in a long time!) And drake climbed on my bed. Dad detto "after we eat, Prince Al-KhalifaI coming over to welcome us to Bahrain. Don't worry, te don't have to call him that; just call him Al. That's what I call him because I always forget his name."

Just as dad said; Prince Al showed up minuti after we had finished eating breakfast and he seemed like such a nice person. He took the time to get to know each of us and he actually told me a few jokes that were really funny. He passed a set of keys to me and I asked "what are these for?" He detto "they are for the gate to the outdoor pallacanestro, basket court! Your father told me that that's your preferito American sport." I detto "that's so cool; I didn't even notice that there was a pallacanestro, basket court outside! Daddy; can I go play basketball?" Dad detto "sure te can; just make sure that te lock the door when te leave so Blanket can't get out! “Al laughed at how excited I was and dad detto "I can't even begin to tell te how thankful I am to te for letting us stay here!" Al detto "of course Michael; I enjoy having te here and I hope this will be the first place te perform when te stage te come back!" Dad detto "without a doubt; I will! I am loving it here already and as te can tell, so are the children! Maybe if all goes well; I will stay here and live here permanently after the trial is over!"

May 7, 2004

I'm definitely getting più comfortable here in Bahrain and my typical attitude is getting back to normal. I'm not the only one who seems back to themselves because dad hasn't been depressed since we moved here and he's back to laughing and having fun. Whenever we need something, Prince Al is always willing to get it for us and for the first time in a long time I finally feel like we have our home again!

I was chasing Prince around and pinned him down on the ground. Dad detto "Alanna; be careful because te are stronger than he is!" I looked down at Prince and detto "say uncle, say it, say it!" He detto "okay; uncle! Please let me go now!" Dad detto "AJ; that's enough now!" I got up and Paris came into the kitchen. She asked "daddy; I want to find my Princess dress!" He asked "where was the last place te saw it?" Paris detto as she shrugged her shoulders "I don't know." He detto "that doesn't help me out at all; are te sure te don't know where it is? Did te even look for it?" Paris detto "yes; all over my room!" Dad detto "as soon as I'm done making lunch for everyone I will help te look for it." She detto "I need it now though!" Dad looked at me and smiled. I detto "oh no; if te think I'm helping her look for that te are out of your mind!" He laughed and asked "please Alanna, for me?" I would my eyes and went upstairs with Paris to her bedroom.

I looked around Paris's bedroom and toys were scattered everywhere. I could barely see the carpet and detto "no wonder why te can't find it in here! It's a disaster!" She detto "it's not my fault; I was looking all over for my Cenerentola dress!" I detto as I picked up a few T-shirts "yeah but; did te really need to take all the clothes out of your dresser and closet? Why would it be in there? I've never seen any of your dress-up stuff in there!" She detto "I've put it in there before because Prince detto he was going to rip it when he was mad at me one time!" I asked "how do te expect me to find it in all this mess?" She detto "daddy always finds stuff when it's missing!" I detto "yeah well; I'm not daddy. I'm a 10-year-old with a very short attention span! I don't know what he was thinking when he sent me up here to look for a dress!"

Dad yelled from downstairs "lunch is ready." Paris and I went downstairs and sat down at the tavolo with everyone else. Dad asked as he took a bite of his sandwich, panino "how did the cerca for the Cenerentola dress go?" Paris detto "AJ wouldn't help me find it!" I detto "I tried to help you! Daddy; te have to see her room! There has to be every one of her toys on the floor in there! There's no way I would be able to find that dress. I don't even think te could find it in there! He detto "Paris; if I go up there to help te find your dress and your room is a mess te will have to clean it!" She detto "I don't think it's a mess in there at all." I detto "you're kidding me Paris! I stepped on at least 50 of those little Polly pocket doll pieces!" Dad detto "you're going to end up losing all of those if te don't keep them all in the same place and picked up off the floor because they are so small." I detto "I bet te if te clean your room te would find that Cenerentola dress!" Dad looked at Paris and detto "AJ's right!"

After we all at lunch, I helped dad and Prince clear the table. Paris detto "I don't need to find my Cenerentola dress anymore daddy!" He detto "okay; but that's not going to get te out of cleaning your bedroom." Paris detto "why do I have to clean it?" He detto "because I saw it a few minuti fa when I went upstairs to get something out of my bedroom and there is everything from puzzle pieces to videotapes all over the floor! te need to go clean it; right now please!" Paris reluctantly went upstairs to clean her room and I went into the living room to watch TV.

drake jumped on the divano and lay his head on my lap. I looked for the remote and found it underneath one of the divano cushions. I noticed something blue underneath the other one so; I lifted it up! It was the Cenerentola dress that Paris wanted and just as I grabbed it dad detto "you found it! I wonder what it was doing under there?" I detto "Paris is lucky that I had to look for the remote-control." He detto "please watch something other than that Zack and Cody mostra on the Disney channel. I detto "that's my preferito mostra though!" He detto "I know it is; practically everyone that knows te knows that that's your preferito show! I know for a fact that te have seen the episode that's on right now because I've seen it!" I asked "what if the episode with Jesse McCartney comes on after this one?" He detto "you have seen that one about seven times! Why don't te just buy the DVD with that episode on it?" I detto while laughing "fine; if te don't want to watch this then I will go to my room and watch it da myself on my TV!"

May 12, 2004,

I was listening to my Jesse McCartney CD in my room and Canto along to the words when dad came. He asked "is that te singing? Wow; you've gotten really good at singing!" I asked "do te really think that I'm a good singer o are te just saying that because te are my dad?" He detto "no I mean it; you're really good AJ!" I detto "thanks!" He detto "you sound a lot like me when I sing! It's actually uncanny how much we sound alike!" I detto "I still want to be a famous singer like te when I grow up! Dad detto "wow; te detto that when te were only three years old and that's still what te want to be when te grow up!"

Blanket came into my room and dad picked him up. I walked up to him and detto "look at his hair daddy; it's sticking up all over the place!" He detto "I think we should go comb your hair Blanket!" Dad took him out of my room and I turned on the desktop mela, apple Computer that was in my room. I stared at my Jesse McCartney wallpaper for a few minuti and then clicked on the "Firefox" icon. I went on YouTube.com and searched "Jesse McCartney concerto 2004." Jesse has been performing a few concerts at city fairs and charity benefits. I obviously really want to go to one of his concerts but; I haven't detto anything to dad about it and I don't plan to! I don't feel that now is the right time for me to ask for concerto tickets because dad has his trial starting soon and I don't want him to be worried that he would not be able to take me to the concerto due to a giorno in court!