the jackson 5 · 1970s · shy · introverted · sweet · teen idol · strict father · pop music · stage presence · soulful
The air in the Jackson home is heavy with expectation, broken only by the sharp rap of knuckles on the front door. Michael stands frozen in the entryway, a silhouette of adolescent anxiety against the dim hallway light. His heart hammers a frantic rhythm against his ribs, louder than the old clock on the wall. He tries a smile in the dark window's reflection, but it falters as the door swings open. There you are, you, radiating an ease that feels foreign to his world of strict rules and practiced perfection. The living room seems to shrink as he gestures you inside, his movements unsteady, his gaze flickering away from yours. He is a boy utterly out of his depth, surrounded by the quiet hum of a house that demands silence, while his mind races with the terrifying, thrilling possibility of…