Keeping Up With The Jackson's
(Family Vacation)
Ep - 2
CONFESSIONAL
You smile at the camera.
"So... we thought planning a relaxing family vacation would be a good idea."
You pause.
"It was not."
Saturday Morning
7:12 A.M.
The house is unusually quiet.
Michael quietly walks into the kitchen in fuzzy socks, humming to himself as he pours cereal into a bowl, followed by gummy worms and sour candy.
He looks toward the camera.
"Please don't tell Janet."
— — — —
Jermajesty is asleep face-first across the bed.
Half his body is hanging off the mattress.
You slowly pull the blanket off him.
"Babe."
"Jermajesty."
Nothing.
"We need to leave in less than an hour."
His eyes immediately flew open.
"What time is it?"
--- --- ---
The camera cuts to the kitchen.
Janet walks in already dressed.
Perfect hair.
Perfect outfit.
Perfect makeup.
She takes one look around the house.
"...Nobody else is ready, are they?"
Production shakes the camera "no."
"I knew it."
8:00 A.M.
"Everybody was told to be ready by 8:00 A.M."
— — — — — — —
8:47 A.M.
Nobody is ready.
- - - - - - - -
Michael is sitting on the living room floor surrounded by books.
Jaafar is walking around with one shoe on.
Jermaine is eating breakfast.
Randy Jr. is still looking for his hoodie.
Jermajesty is carrying an empty suitcase.
— – — – — – — –
You finally decide to inspect everybody's luggage before leaving.
Big mistake.
Michael wheels over three enormous suitcases.
"Why do you have three?"
Michael smiles.
"I packed light."
You unzip one.
Books.
Nothing but books.
Animal books.
Photography books.
History books.
Children's books.
A dictionary.
"Michael."
"What?"
"...Where are your clothes?"
"Second suitcase."
You slowly close the zipper.
"I'm not even gonna ask what's in the third one."
"...More books."
— — — — — —
CONFESSIONAL: MICHAEL
"I like being prepared."
Production:
"For...?"
Michael just smiles.
— – — – — – — –
Next comes Jaafar.
He tosses one duffel bag onto the couch.
"I'm packed."
You unzip it.
Four pairs of shoes.
One hoodie.
Three chains.
No toiletries.
No towels.
No shirts.
"Jaafar."
"What?"
"You packed... shoes."
"Yeah."
"...Only shoes."
"They're important."
CONFESSIONAL: Jaafar
"I don't understand why everybody keeps acting like shoes aren't important."
“They make your outfit.”
— — — — — —
Jermajesty drags over his suitcase.
"I actually packed everything."
You smile.
"I'm proud of you."
You open it.
Eight identical black hoodies.
Five identical sweatpants.
Nothing else.
"...Babe."
"What?"
"Why are there eight of the same hoodie?"
"They're not the same."
“They literally are.”
“They’re all different shades of black, though.”
— — — — — — —
Jermaine casually walks past, carrying a single backpack.
"I'm good."
You look inside.
Wallet.
Phone charger.
Toothbrush.
That's it.
"That's all you're bringing?"
"I'll buy everything else when we get there."
— – — – — – — – —
CONFESSIONAL: JERMAINE
"Traveling light builds character."
– – — —
Janet quietly walks past, pulling one designer suitcase.
You look at it.
"That doesn't look too bad."
Janet smiles.
"Oh."
"That's just my skincare."
— – — – —
CONFESSIONAL: JANET
"You never know what your skin is gonna need."
— — — — — —
Finally
Mama Katherine rolls one tiny suitcase into the hallway.
You smile.
"I just know yours actually makes sense."
She smiles right back.
"I packed two outfits."
"...And my dominoes."
You nod respectfully.
"As you should."
— — — — — —
Outside the airport.
Production films everybody dragging their luggage toward the entrance.
Michael is still carrying a book.
CONFESSIONAL: JANET
"I don't know how"
"...but somehow we're actually making good time."
She smiles confidently.
— – — – — – — – — –
The camera cuts to everyone in line getting screened by airport security.
Everybody lines up.
Mama Katherine is holding everyone's boarding passes.
Jermaine is eating a muffin. (Always eating)
Jaafar has his camera out already.
Randy Jr. is filming everybody on his phone.
Jermajesty is trying to convince you to carry one of his bags.
"I carried it all the way from the house."
"And?"
"My arm hurts."
"You literally packed eight hoodies."
"Exactly."
Everything is going surprisingly smoothly.
Too smoothly.
Michael casually reaches into his jacket pocket.
Then another.
Then his jeans.
Then the inside pocket.
His smile slowly disappears.
"..."
Production zooms in.
"...Michael?"
He quietly pats every pocket again.
"..."
He looks up.
"I can't find my passport."
Janet slowly lowers her glasses.
"You WHAT?"
Jaafar takes off one headphone.
"No."
Janet closes her eyes.
"Michael."
Mama Katherine sighs.
"I told everybody to check before we left."
Michael starts checking every pocket again.
"It's probably in my bag."
— —
Twenty-three minutes later.
The entire family is sitting on the airport floor while Michael's luggage has been completely unpacked.
Books everywhere.
Animal encyclopedia.
Photography guide.
Bird guide.
Three different poetry books.
Still no passport.
— — — — — —
CONFESSIONAL:
"I don't know what's crazier."
"The fact that he lost his passport"
"...or the fact he somehow packed twenty-seven books, and seven dictionaries."
— — — —
Jermajesty just rolls over and goes to take a nap.
"I cannot believe this."
Jaafar starts laughing.
"I'm sorry."
"I'm really trying to be supportive"
"...but this is insane."
Airport staff slowly begin recognizing Michael.
One employee whispers to another.
"That's Michael Jackson."
The second employee looks over.
"...it is."
A supervisor walks over.
"Mr. Jackson?"
Michael looks up.
"...Yes?"
"We'll take care of it."
"Come with me."
Everybody watches him disappear through a staff door.
Five minutes later
Michael walks back out.
Smiling.
Holding a temporary travel document.
"We're good."
— —
Everybody just stares at him.
Jermaine finally speaks.
"I’m so glad we're related."
— — — — —
CONFESSIONAL: RANDY JR.
"If I lose MY passport"
"I'm sleeping in the airport."
— — — — — —
While waiting to board
Production loses sight of Michael.
Again.
You look around.
"Where'd he go?"
Nobody knows.
A tiny airport bookstore.
Michael is sitting in the children's section.
Reading a book about whales.
You walk over.
"Michael."
He looks up.
"Look."
He holds up the book excitedly.
"Did you know blue whales can communicate hundreds of miles apart?"
You smile.
"No."
"And that's fascinating."
He lights up immediately.
"I KNOW."
— — — — —
You gently take his hand.
"Our plane boards in ten minutes."
"...Right."
He buys the book anyway.
CONFESSIONAL: MICHAEL
"I wasn't shopping."
"...I was learning."
CONFESSIONAL
"I have accepted that this man will somehow find books literally anywhere."
"And honestly..."
"...it's one of my favorite things about him."
— — — —
Production follows everybody down the plane bridge.
Jermajesty immediately tries to trade seats.
"I'm not sitting by Randy."
Randy Jr. looks offended.
"What did I even do?"
"You breathe loud."
"I WHAT?"
CONFESSIONAL — RANDY JR.
"I have literally never been accused of breathing too aggressively before."
He pauses.
"...I'm kinda offended."
— — — — —
Janet already has her headphones on before she even reaches her seat.
Mama Katherine settles into her seat peacefully.
Jermaine somehow falls asleep before takeoff.
The plane hasn't even left the gate.
— — — — —
The flight attendant walks by.
"Would anyone like anything to drink?"
Jaafar:
"Can I get four ginger ales?"
Production immediately zooms in.
"Four?"
"...I'm thirsty."
— — — — —
The family finally arrives at the villa.
Production films a gorgeous beachfront property.
Palm trees.
Infinity pool.
Private beach.
Everybody stops walking and just marvels at the view.
Michael smiles.
"It's beautiful."
— — — — — —
CONFESSIONAL — MICHAEL
"I've always loved places like this."
"It reminds me to slow down and just live."
— — — — — —
Production follows everybody inside.
Immediately
Trouble.
Jermajesty throws his suitcase into the biggest bedroom.
"DIBS."
Immediately
Jaafar walks in.
"No."
"I called it."
"You literally whispered 'dibs' to yourself."
"I still called it."
— — — — — —
They both just stand there staring at each other.
Neither moves.
— — — — — — —
CONFESSIONAL — Jaafar
"I would've let him have the room."
"But now it's about principle."
— — — —
Janet opens her bedroom door.
Looks around once.
"This'll work."
Closes the door.
Nobody sees her again for thirty minutes.
— — — —
You and Jermajesty walk into your room together.
He immediately jumps onto the bed.
"This mattress expensive."
You laugh.
"How can you tell?"
"I bounced."
CONFESSIONAL — JERMAJESTY
"I judge hotels based on mattresses."
"It’s gotta be good, I mean, you don't want it to break when you fucking."
— — —
Production gathers everybody downstairs.
"Alright, everybody."
"House tour!"
Everybody groans.
Except Michael.
"Ooo."
Michael immediately starts asking questions.
"How old is this house?"
"What kind of wood is that?"
"Do those trees attract birds?"
— — — — — —
Jaafar walks toward the pool.
Everybody immediately yells
"STOP."
He freezes.
"What?"
Jermajesty:
"...Just making sure."
Production cuts back to Episode 1 footage of Jaafar walking straight into the pool.
— — — — —
CONFESSIONAL — Jaafar
"...I'm never escaping that, am I?"
— — — —
CONFESSIONAL
"This is probably my favorite part."
"The craziness slows down for about five minutes"
"and everybody remembers why they love spending time together."
— — — — —
The next morning
Everybody is gathered around the pool.
Music is playing.
Jermaine is attempting to grill.
Mama Katherine is sitting comfortably under an umbrella.
Michael is already in the pool...for some reason wearing a life jacket.
— — — — —
CONFESSIONAL — MICHAEL
"I can swim."
He nods seriously.
"...I just like being extra safe."
— — — — — —
Jermajesty walks outside carrying a giant inflatable swan.
"Who wants to race?"
— — — — —
Jaafar walks toward the pool carrying drinks.
Production immediately zooms in.
Dramatic music begins playing.
Jermajesty notices first.
"Y'all..."
"Watch this."
Everyone turns.
Jaafar keeps walking.
One step
Two step
Three…
He walks directly into the pool.
Again.
Drinks spill out everywhere.
— — — — —
Jermajesty immediately falls to the ground laughing.
"I'm crying"
"You did it AGAIN!"
"...How?!"
— — — — —
Jaafar slowly stands up in waist-deep water.
"..."
"...I genuinely thought I was walking around it."
— — — — — —
CONFESSIONAL — Jaafar
"I don't wanna talk about it."
— — — — —
Nobody remembers who started it.
One second, everybody was relaxing.
The next
Water balloons.
Water guns.
Buckets.
Michael ends up double-wielding two water guns.
"I'm winning!"
The camera cuts to him getting hit by three balloons at once.
— — —
Prince and Bigi immediately join forces against him.
Janet acts like she isn't participating...
Until she starts throwing water balloons directly at Jermaine.
— — — —
CONFESSIONAL — JANET
"He deserved it."
"For what?"
"...Existing."
— — — — —
By evening
Everybody is exhausted.
Wrapped in towels.
Changed into comfortable clothes.
The grill is finally going.
— — — —
Michael insists on helping.
Jermaine insists he's already helping.
Nobody can actually figure out who's cooking.
— — —
CONFESSIONAL — JERMAINE
"I was supervising."
— — —
CONFESSIONAL — MICHAEL
"He touched one burger."
"...One."
— — —
Production cuts to slow-motion footage of Jermaine flipping exactly one burger and walking away.
— — — — — —
Dinner is finally served.
Everybody gathers around one long table.
People talk over each other.
It’s loud, but it’s Home.
— — — —
After dinner
Mama Katherine sets down the dominoes.
Everybody knows what time it is.
— — —
"...We're about to lose bad."
— — —
Twenty minutes later
Mama Katherine hasn't lost a single round.
Production:
"Mama Katherine"
"...Do you cheat?"
She looks directly into the camera.
"No."
Everybody immediately speaks up.
"No."
"Absolutely not."
"Mama doesn't cheat."
“How could you even ask that?”
— — — — —
CONFESSIONAL — Jermajesty
"I don't know if she cheats."
"I'm also not brave enough to accuse her."
— — — — — —
Eventually
The games quiet down.
Everybody drifts toward the beach.
Production follows from a distance.
Nobody really says much.
The ocean is calm.
The sky turns orange.
Then pink.
Then purple.
— — — —
Jermajesty reaches over and holds your hand.
Without looking away from the sunset
"I think moments like this are my favorite."
You smile.
"Mine too."
— — — — —
11:58 P.M.
Production walks into the kitchen.
The lights are off.
Only the refrigerator light is visible.
— —
Michael is standing there.
Pouring milk straight into the cereal box.
He freezes up when he notices the camera.
"...Don't judge me."
CONFESSIONAL
"I think that's what makes this family special."
"No matter how crazy they get"
"No matter how much arguing happens"
"Somehow we always end up together."
You smile.
"Usually eating."
— — — — —
FINAL CONFESSIONAL — MICHAEL
"When I was younger..."
"I always said I wanted a really big family."
"I think..."
"...I got exactly what I wished for."
END OF EPISODE 2
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