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 ব্যক্ত "there's going to be someone coming here today to talk to আপনি guys about some things." I ব্যক্ত "I already know what they are going to talk to us about and I think it is so stupid!" He ব্যক্ত "I know আপনি do but; আপনি 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 ব্যক্ত "nothing Prince; just make sure that আপনি tell this man অথবা woman the truth, no matter what প্রশ্ন he অথবা she asks you!" I ব্যক্ত "you don't have to worry about that; even if we wanted too, we have no reason to lie!"

About 20 মিনিট later, a woman walked into the room wearing a badge that ব্যক্ত "Child protective services" on it. She looked around the hotel room and ব্যক্ত "okay; I think I will প্রশ্ন the two younger children first and then come back to প্রশ্ন 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 ব্যক্ত as the woman shut the door "don't talk like that to anyone! Especially; someone with a job like hers!" I ব্যক্ত with my arms crossed and feet propped up on the coffee টেবিল "I'm just trying to make it very clear that I don't want her here!" He ব্যক্ত "I don't care! আপনি 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 ঘন্টা later and ব্যক্ত "all right it's your turn." I ব্যক্ত 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 ব্যক্ত "my name is Andrea; what's yours?" I ব্যক্ত "AJ" and sat down in the chair across from her." She asked "do আপনি know why I'm here today?" I ব্যক্ত "because someone lied." She ব্যক্ত "how do আপনি know that they lied?" I ব্যক্ত "because my father would never ever do anything like that!" She ব্যক্ত "I'm not here to get your dad in trouble in any way; I just want to make sure that আপনি kids are নিরাপদ here!" I ব্যক্ত "yeah; that's what আপনি say now but; I know what all of আপনি are really after… Don't act like you're not either! I know আরো than আপনি think I do!"

She asked me a series of absolutely disgusting প্রশ্ন and I answered each one with a "no." As time went by; the প্রশ্ন got harder and harder to listen to. At one point, I ব্যক্ত "every answer to these প্রশ্ন 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 আরো detailed types of questions.

Almost an ঘন্টা later she ব্যক্ত "okay I think I've asked আপনি everything that I need to know. I'll give আপনি my number and আপনি call it if আপনি ever feel in danger!" I took it and the two of us walked out room. She ব্যক্ত "alright Mr. Jackson; I have all the information that I need and I'd like to thank আপনি for allowing me to interview her children!" He ব্যক্ত 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 আপনি okay?" I stood up and ব্যক্ত "daddy; আপনি can't ever make me be interviewed like that again!" He ব্যক্ত 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 ব্যক্ত "it was so gross daddy! The প্রশ্ন she asked me are things I hope I never hear again for as long as I live!" He ব্যক্ত "I knew that they would ask আপনি the hardest প্রশ্ন because আপনি understand আরো than Prince and Paris do! That's why I tried to get all three of আপনি out of it! I only went along with it because I had no other choice! I'm sorry that আপনি had to go through all of that and I don't think anyone will have to প্রশ্ন আপনি again." I ব্যক্ত "I hope you're right because that made me physically sick… Hearing her ask me if I ever saw anything wrong going on between আপনি 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 ব্যক্ত 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 ব্যক্ত "happy birthday Prince!" He ব্যক্ত "thanks; is daddy awake yet?" I ব্যক্ত "yeah; he just woke up about five মিনিট ago." Prince got out of বিছানা and walked into the corner kitchen. He looked at the pancake batter and চকোলেট chips on the counter and ব্যক্ত "yes!" I ব্যক্ত while laughing "I know; I ব্যক্ত 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 ব্যক্ত "happy birthday আপেল head!" Prince ব্যক্ত "thank আপনি daddy!" Dad ব্যক্ত "that pancake batter on the counter is extra just in case we need it. I had Grace start making প্যানকেকস 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 ব্যক্ত "I just think it's one of those days where everything is funny; right Blanket?" Blanket ব্যক্ত "I get down?" Dad ব্যক্ত "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 আপনি want to do today for your birthday?" Prince ব্যক্ত "I want to ride go carts!" Dad ব্যক্ত "alright; I'll try to find a place. If I can't; what else would আপনি want to do?" I asked "why would we not be able to go to the go কার্ট track?" Dad ব্যক্ত "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 আপনি 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 ব্যক্ত that he would want to go to the চলচ্চিত্র 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 পছন্দ প্রদর্শনী on TV called "this suite life of Zack and Cody" on ডিজনি channel. Dad came into my hotel bedroom and looked at the TV. He ব্যক্ত "oh my gosh… I can't believe you're watching this again!" I ব্যক্ত "this is a new episode; I haven't seen it yet!" He sat down পরবর্তি to me and ব্যক্ত "after this, আপনি have to take a ঝরনা and go to bed." I asked "can I watch TV until I fall asleep?" He ব্যক্ত "as long as you're not up until three in the morning and আপনি take your ADHD medication!" I ব্যক্ত "I promise that I'll do what আপনি 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 ব্যক্ত "nothing; nothing at all!" He asked "who is that guy?" I ব্যক্ত "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 ব্যক্ত "no… I don't know where আপনি got that idea from!" He ব্যক্ত "I don't know, maybe it's because your bright red and আপনি 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 বালিশ and ব্যক্ত "I do not have a crush on him!" He ব্যক্ত "yes আপনি do! I can tell because আপনি can't even look at him without blushing!" I ব্যক্ত "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 ব্যক্ত "I know that and I don't think that will ever change! I think I worked with that boy on "what আরো 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 পরবর্তি 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 দিন after Paris's six birthday; all he has done is sleep and every once in a while come into the রান্নাঘর area to eat something.

It was the middle of the দিন and I was sitting at the টেবিল 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 পরবর্তি to me. He asked "how's it going?" I ব্যক্ত "it's going alright; why do আপনি ask?" He ব্যক্ত 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 আপনি to know that I really am trying to get us out of here." I ব্যক্ত "I know আপনি are daddy and I'm not mad at you! I just can't take being stuck in here were too much longer!" He ব্যক্ত "well; I'm going to check out some rental houses for us to use until after the trial ends. Do আপনি want to go with me? It will get আপনি out of this hotel for a while!" I ব্যক্ত "okay… Is it just going to be the two of us?" He ব্যক্ত "yes; we will be able to see আরো 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 অথবা 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 সরানো 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 আপনি so happy for?" He ব্যক্ত "we have a place to live!" I ব্যক্ত while smiling "where?" He ব্যক্ত "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 ব্যক্ত "yes; right on the সৈকত too!" I ব্যক্ত "that's going to be so awesome daddy! How are আপনি going to be back here in Los Angeles for the trial when it starts পরবর্তি year?" He ব্যক্ত "I will just travel back and forth until it's over and আপনি guys will come with me! Oh my gosh; I'm so excited! I'll help আপনি pack your bags because were leaving in a few hours on a private jet."

Prince and Paris came running into my room and ব্যক্ত "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 ব্যক্ত "oh yeah; I forgot to give that to আপনি AJ! I meant to give আপনি on your birthday but; I হারিয়ে গেছে it when we were switching hotels!" I took it from Grace and unraveled it. It was a poster of Jesse McCartney and I ব্যক্ত "thank আপনি daddy; even though I told আপনি that I only have a little crush on him!" Dad ব্যক্ত "you've been listening to his CD that I got আপনি for your birthday over and over again. For someone that only has only has a little crush on him; আপনি sure do talk about him a lot!" Grace started laughing and ব্যক্ত "I never thought I would see Alanna blushing over a boy!"

April 11, 2004,

We are finally here in Bahrain and it is আরো 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 বিছানা looking around my new bedroom. My পছন্দ part দ্বারা far is that I have my own bathroom for the first time! Then when আপনি look out the উপসাগর window আপনি can see the perfect view of the shore. My room is pretty much a disaster because I haven't had time to decorate অথবা put things away due to the fact that we got here so late last night.

I got out of বিছানা and decided to put my new Jesse McCartney poster up on the দেওয়াল 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 ব্যক্ত "I knew আপনি would put it up!" Blanket came into my room with my dog পাতিহাঁস (yes, I am aware that I haven't talked about the dog in a long time!) And পাতিহাঁস climbed on my bed. Dad ব্যক্ত "after we eat, Prince Al-KhalifaI coming over to welcome us to Bahrain. Don't worry, আপনি 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 মিনিট 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 ব্যক্ত "they are for the gate to the outdoor বাস্কেটবল court! Your father told me that that's your পছন্দ American sport." I ব্যক্ত "that's so cool; I didn't even notice that there was a বাস্কেটবল court outside! Daddy; can I go play basketball?" Dad ব্যক্ত "sure আপনি can; just make sure that আপনি lock the door when আপনি leave so Blanket can't get out! “Al laughed at how excited I was and dad ব্যক্ত "I can't even begin to tell আপনি how thankful I am to আপনি for letting us stay here!" Al ব্যক্ত "of course Michael; I enjoy having আপনি here and I hope this will be the first place আপনি perform when আপনি stage আপনি come back!" Dad ব্যক্ত "without a doubt; I will! I am loving it here already and as আপনি 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 আরো 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 প্রথমপাতা again!

I was chasing Prince around and pinned him down on the ground. Dad ব্যক্ত "Alanna; be careful because আপনি are stronger than he is!" I looked down at Prince and ব্যক্ত "say uncle, say it, say it!" He ব্যক্ত "okay; uncle! Please let me go now!" Dad ব্যক্ত "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 আপনি saw it?" Paris ব্যক্ত as she shrugged her shoulders "I don't know." He ব্যক্ত "that doesn't help me out at all; are আপনি sure আপনি don't know where it is? Did আপনি even look for it?" Paris ব্যক্ত "yes; all over my room!" Dad ব্যক্ত "as soon as I'm done making lunch for everyone I will help আপনি look for it." She ব্যক্ত "I need it now though!" Dad looked at me and smiled. I ব্যক্ত "oh no; if আপনি think I'm helping her look for that আপনি 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 ব্যক্ত "no wonder why আপনি can't find it in here! It's a disaster!" She ব্যক্ত "it's not my fault; I was looking all over for my সিন্ড্রেলা dress!" I ব্যক্ত as I picked up a few T-shirts "yeah but; did আপনি 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 ব্যক্ত "I've put it in there before because Prince ব্যক্ত he was going to rip it when he was mad at me one time!" I asked "how do আপনি expect me to find it in all this mess?" She ব্যক্ত "daddy always finds stuff when it's missing!" I ব্যক্ত "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 টেবিল with everyone else. Dad asked as he took a bite of his স্যান্ডউইচ "how did the খুঁজুন for the সিন্ড্রেলা dress go?" Paris ব্যক্ত "AJ wouldn't help me find it!" I ব্যক্ত "I tried to help you! Daddy; আপনি 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 আপনি could find it in there! He ব্যক্ত "Paris; if I go up there to help আপনি find your dress and your room is a mess আপনি will have to clean it!" She ব্যক্ত "I don't think it's a mess in there at all." I ব্যক্ত "you're kidding me Paris! I stepped on at least 50 of those little Polly pocket doll pieces!" Dad ব্যক্ত "you're going to end up losing all of those if আপনি don't keep them all in the same place and picked up off the floor because they are so small." I ব্যক্ত "I bet আপনি if আপনি clean your room আপনি would find that সিন্ড্রেলা dress!" Dad looked at Paris and ব্যক্ত "AJ's right!"

After we all at lunch, I helped dad and Prince clear the table. Paris ব্যক্ত "I don't need to find my সিন্ড্রেলা dress anymore daddy!" He ব্যক্ত "okay; but that's not going to get আপনি out of cleaning your bedroom." Paris ব্যক্ত "why do I have to clean it?" He ব্যক্ত "because I saw it a few মিনিট পূর্বে when I went upstairs to get something out of my bedroom and there is everything from puzzle pieces to videotapes all over the floor! আপনি 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.

পাতিহাঁস jumped on the পালঙ্ক and lay his head on my lap. I looked for the remote and found it underneath one of the পালঙ্ক cushions. I noticed something blue underneath the other one so; I lifted it up! It was the সিন্ড্রেলা dress that Paris wanted and just as I grabbed it dad ব্যক্ত "you found it! I wonder what it was doing under there?" I ব্যক্ত "Paris is lucky that I had to look for the remote-control." He ব্যক্ত "please watch something other than that Zack and Cody প্রদর্শনী on the ডিজনি channel. I ব্যক্ত "that's my পছন্দ প্রদর্শনী though!" He ব্যক্ত "I know it is; practically everyone that knows আপনি knows that that's your পছন্দ show! I know for a fact that আপনি 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 ব্যক্ত "you have seen that one about seven times! Why don't আপনি just buy the DVD with that episode on it?" I ব্যক্ত while laughing "fine; if আপনি don't want to watch this then I will go to my room and watch it দ্বারা myself on my TV!"

May 12, 2004,

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

Blanket came into my room and dad picked him up. I walked up to him and ব্যক্ত "look at his hair daddy; it's sticking up all over the place!" He ব্যক্ত "I think we should go comb your hair Blanket!" Dad took him out of my room and I turned on the desktop আপেল Computer that was in my room. I stared at my Jesse McCartney দেওয়ালপত্র for a few মিনিট and then clicked on the "Firefox" icon. I went on YouTube.com and searched "Jesse McCartney সঙ্গীতানুষ্ঠান 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 ব্যক্ত 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 সঙ্গীতানুষ্ঠান 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 সঙ্গীতানুষ্ঠান due to a দিন in court!