big headed boy ⋆˚࿔ part one ⋆˚࿔
𐙚⋆ pairing . young!michael x young blackreader
𐙚⋆ premise . what happens when you meet young michael jackson at just 4 years old just because your mother and his mother were good friends. will the two of you get along?
𐙚⋆ contains . humor, family cook out, cussing, playing outside, reader being anxious at first, michael being an annoying 5 year old, just a regular fun black cook out.
Summer, 1964 — Gary Indiana
Saturday mornings in the Reed house always started the same way.
The television was already on before the sun had fully climbed into the sky. The black and white cartoons crackled through the old set in the living room while the smell of bacon grease, pancakes, and blue magic hair dress filled the little house.
Four year old you, sat cross-legged on the floor in front of the television, completely invested in your cartoons playing on the screen. Your favorite barbie doll rested beside you, one arm twisted awkwardly after years of being carried everywhere. You didn't hear your mother the first time she called you, neither the second time.
The television went dark, you gasped dramatically before whipping your little head around, "mama!" You frowned your lips, attitude getting ready to flare up already. "I was watchin' that." You pouted your lips. Angela stood beside the television with one hand resting on the knob, raising her brow looking at you like you've lost your damn mind. "I know you were.", you crossed your arms, "you turned it off on the best part" your tiny eyebrows pulled together into the deepest frown a four-year old could manage. You were a very vocal little girl for a child so so young, you always spoke up for you felt.
"I don't like whe you do that." Angela folded her arms, "and I don't like repeating myself." Silence. You knew better to argue with your mouth especially a black mom. "...can you turn it back on?" You looked toward the blank television hopefully.
you sighed like you'd just been handed the weight of the world. "...why?" You looked up at your mom with big curious eyes, "cause we have somewhere to be." You instantly didn't wanna go. "I don't wanna go." Your mother already knew that. You had been saying it since yesterday. "I'd rather stay home." You huffed and crossed your arms.
"I wanna play outside with keisha."
"I wanna watch cartoons."
"I know." angela smiled. "But we're still going." You dropped backward onto the rug with an exaggerated groan. "This is the worst day ever." Angela covered her mouth to hide a laugh, "you've only been awake an hour." A little while later, you found yourself sitting on a wooden kitchen stool chair with a towel wrapped around your shoulders. Immediately, you knew what was going on.
Angela hadn't even plugged it in yet.
Angela walked over to the stove
Angela placed the old pressing comb on the burner, you whined, "mommyyy", Angela looked over her shoulder. "What?", you looked at her with big hopeful eyes, "I don't want it." You pouted your bottom lip sticking out. "You'll be alright." Angela smiled, and that made you have even more of an attitude. "No I won't."
You watched that hot comb like it was a monster coming to life. Every black little girl knew that comb, the hiss. The smell. The tiny accidental burns on ears and necks. The warning every mama gave, "hold still girl, it's only steam its not me buring you." Angela dipped her finger into the grease before working it gently into your thick hair. You sa there completely defeated, "my hair doesn't need that." Angela rolled her eyes, "it does."
"It don't, now sit still girl." You frowned, "it puffs back up anyway," angela sighs and rolls her eyes, parting your hair with a comb sectioning it. Very gently, she started at the roots a loud "hsss". You squeezed both eys shut, "owww," you said, squeezing your eyes then opening your eyes back open.
Nearly forty minutes later, angela leaned back to admire her work. The thick cloud of hair had been pressed just enough to make styling easier. Now came your favorite part. The ponytails. Angela parted your hair with precision before brushing it into four section twist, she reached into the little plastic container filled with colorful bobbles. Before selecting red, yellow, pink, orange, and white. Little plastic balls clicked together as she slipper them onto each twist. You couldn't stop smiling, "I like the balls." Humming to yourself. "I know you do," angela said with a smile. She shook one in her hand, making a clacking sound, earning a giggle out of your lips.
"There she is." Angela smiled, "my happy girl." You immediately remembered why you supposed to be upset, your smile disappeared. "I still don't wanna go." Angela laughed so hard she had to lean against the counter. "You've been mad since breakfast." You crossed your arms trying to look serious, "I don't know them people mommy, i don't wan' go" angela listened putting away the hair products. "They've got children, you won't be bored." For an four year old you certainly always had your mind made up about everything.
"You can buy a cake mommy." angela pointed a finger at you, "you've got an answer for everything girl damn," you whined protesting about not wanting to go at all. She stood back one last time, smoothing down the front of your bright pink pineapple dress before brushing an invisible speck of lint from the fabric. "My beautiful girl." Angela said smiling, you glanced at yourself in the hallway mirror. Angela ended up leaving you in the living by yourself to go get ready real quick.
you sat on the couch, tapping your little sandals on the ground, wondering what this party you're going to would be like.
"I wonder if they have great cake."
Eventually angela came out her room carrying her purse and keys, you sighed and got up off the couch walking towards the door with your mom. You both walked outside, angela making sure to lock the door. Outside, the summer air wrapped around them the second they stepped onto the porch. Somewhere down the street, children laughed as they chased each other through sprinklers. Radios played motown from open windows, and the scent of somebody's barbecue drifted through the neighborhood.
one of angelas friends saw her, veronica yelling out from across the street, "hey ang girll!". Angela looking waving her hand while you looked longingly toward the kids playing hopscotch two houses down from the backseat window. "Where you off to?, veronica asked curiously. Angela sighed trying to just make small talk but damnit did veronica talk too much. "I'm heading to a friend's house for dinner, I'll tell you all about it when I get back!" She yelled getting inside the driver's before veronica could reply. She sighed putting her seat belt on, "damn all that lady do is talk."
you sat in the backseat of the car putting your seat belt on. "Isn't that your friend mama?" You asked curiously, angela starting the car then pulling the car out the driveway, "girl mind your business, stay in a child's place." She drove heading towards the jackson family's cookout. You sat in the backseat completely unaware that one ordinary summer afternoon would become the beginning of a friendship neither family could have imagined.
the drive across Gary didn't take long. Back then, Gary felt like one big neighborhood. Everybody seemed to know everybody. Ms Johnson waved from her porch while hanging clothes on the line. Mr Lewis tipped his hat as he swept his front steps. Children zigzagged through the streets on bicycles, their laughter carrying through the warm July air. You rested her chin against the window, watching everything pass by with the biggest pout imaginable. Angela glanced over and smiled, "you still mad?" You looked up at your mom, "....mhm", she continued driving paying attention to the road. "You been mad since yesterday.", another "mhm" escaping your lips. Angela laughed, shaking her head. "Lord help me."
The radio played softly as they drove, Martha and the vandellas filing the little car with music. Angela tapped the steering wheel. You remained committed to being unhappy even when you secretly liked the song. A few minutes later, angela slowed the car to a stop. "There we are" you looked out the window, it wasn't just a house, it looked like the entire neighborhood had gathered there. Smoke curled into the sky from a charcoal grill. The yard was full of folding chairs, long picnic tables were covered with homemade food. Women stood together laughing so hard one of them had to grab her stomach. Men crowded around the grill, arguing over whose barbecue was better.
"you flipped them too early!"
"They seasoned!" The men erupted into laughter, children ran barefoot through the grass playing tag, some were chasing one another with toy cap guns. Other played hopscotch on the sidewalk, little girls sat together under the a tree making daisy chains. Someone had turned a radio up loud enough for nearly the whole block to hear. The supremes echoed through the neighborhood.
you looked at everything, then looked back at your mother. "....it's a lotta people." Angela smiled, "it sure is." You sighed, an exaggerated sigh, "I don't like a lotta people." Angela parked the car, "you ain't even meet 'em." Once the car came to a stop you unbuckled your seat belt. Before you could think of another excuse, your mom had already opened your door. "Come on." You didn't move, angela leaned back inside, "baby, let's go." she said voice soft yet stern in that black mom voice leaving no argument.
"I'm tiredddd," you said with a whine, "you wasn't tired two minutes ago, now let's go." She said with a stern voice. Leaving absolutely no room to argue. You climbed out from the car, smoothing out the wrinkles in your pink dress. The moment katherine jackson spotted them her entire face lit up.
"Angela!" She hurried across the yard, carefully stepping around children racing past her. The two women embraced tightly, between the hug katherine smiled saying, "its so good to see you." Angela smiled saying, "you too". After awhile they separated, katherine looked down, "so this is your little girl." You stared up at her silently. "My goodness." She crouched until she was eye level with you, "you are just beautiful." You looked at your shoes nervously, "....thank you." Angela gave your shoulder the gentlest nudge, "look at ms katherine when she talks to you."
very slowly, you looked back up, katherine smiles, "your mama says your hair reaches halfway down your back." You nodded proudly, "it do." Katherine laughed softly, "I can see that." Angela smiled, "whew girl it takes forever." She laughs lightly. Eventually all three of you wandered somewhere, you followed your mother every single where. When she left you alone for a second helping katherine organize some pots.
A football rolled across the yard before bumping lightly into your shiny sandals, you looked down then back up. A little boy came jogging after it. He couldn't have been much older than five. He wore a bright blue pole tucked neatly into dark pants, and his round cheeks lifted into a shy smile as he reached the ball. "Oh." He said, stopping in front of you, "sorry" his voice was soft, almost quiet. You didn't answer, you simply looked at him. He looked back, neither child Saif a word for several seconds. Finally, the little boy smiled again. "I'm michael." Still nothing, eventually angela came back with katherine, and still you hadn't say anything. Angela cleared her throat softly making you snap out of it.
Without taking your eyes off him, you answered in the smallest voice. "I'm (name)." Michael grinned sheepishly, "I like your hair." You instinctively reached up and touched one of the colorful bobbles in your hair. "....thank you." Michael tilted his head looking at your hair with wide curious eyes, "my sisters wear beads too, her names Latoya she loves them." You nodded once, silence returned. Michael wasn't bothered by it. He simply rocked back on his heels, football tucked under one arm. "You wanna play?" You answered immediately.
".....no." Angela closed her eyes sitting next to her daughter while she prepared their plates. Michael didn't seem offended, he simply tilted his head again. "...you sure?", a quick "mhm" coming out your mouth.
michael looked genuinely puzzled, "what do you like?" You answered without hesitation, "my barbies." Michael nodded thoughtfully, as if this were important information. "....I don't got barbies." You looked at him, "I know." He smiled hoping to cheer you up. "I got toy cars.", "I don't want toy cars." Another pause. Then michael smiled even wider. "....You're funny." For the first time all day, the corner of your mouth twitched upward.
Only for a second, just enough for michael to notice. "There it is!" He said, pointing excitedly. "You smiled!", you looked at him like he practically saw a ghost, "I did not." Michael laughed, "you were smiling." You folded your arms tightly across your chest. He grinned, clutching the football under his arm. "My mama says when people smile, they usually wanna be friends."
you gave him a look only a four year old with an outsized attitude could manage. ".....your mama wrong." Michael blinked, then instead of getting upset, he burst into giggles so contagious that even you almost started to laugh. From the porch, one of michaels older brothers which was tito called out, "michael! Come on!" Michael turned toward the voice, then looked back at you.
"I gotta go." You gave a tiny nod. He started jogging away, then stopped after a few steps. Turning back, he cupped his hands around his mouth. "I'm gonna ask you again later!" You watched him disappear into the crowd of children before quietly muttering to yourself, ".....I'm still gonna say no."
Angela heard every word and simply smiled to herself, somehow she had a feeling this wasn't the last conversation those two stubborn little children were going to have.
