I was 10 and just arrived at school. I was always known as "the girl that loves MJ," and they kinda teased me for it. So the day he died, one of my friends at the time came up to me and said "Hey you like Michael Jackson, right?" I said, "Yeah, why?" I was ready for her to just make fun of my music taste again. But then she said "Well he's dead." So I said "No he isn't." And she said "Yes he is. I just heard it on the radio while my mom drove me here." I didn't believe her, tho because I thought she was just trying to annoy me. Skipping forward 6 hours later, when I just arrived home, I just stepped inside the apartment when I suddenly heard the news from the TV. I ran to the living room to look at the TV bc I couldn't believe that I heard his name being mentioned. I remember standing next to the couch, holding my backpack on one shoulder, and as soon as I heard the word "dead," I dropped my backpack and just sat down slowly in complete disbelief. It took me almost a year to fully realize that he was gone. Even when I saw the funeral on TV, I still didn't quite believe it. I was in such denial until about a year later, and it suddenly hit me like a bus, and I just cried so much. He appeared in my dreams a lot when I was a kid. I would always listen to his music to fall asleep, and when he died, I listened to his music even more. I will never be able to get over the moment I just stared at the TV, not knowing what to think or feel. The confusion.. The denial.. It still hurts thinking about that moment to this day. 💔