Date: Tue, 21 Dec 1999 22:47:21 +0800 From: busta. Subject: Busta-9 In this Christmas day, I would like to thank you, David, for making everyday a Christmas day for me and [I believe] all the readers and writers of Nifty, cos' without you, there will never be us. Thank you, and may your day be as happy as all the days you have given us. From the silly author of busta Yuli ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Disclaimer: This has nothing to do with the celebrity mentioned. it's all just a story, NOT REAL! I repeat, it's a FICTION! Warning: DON'T bother unzipping your pants. Note: :D my fav part. 3 usual people to thank. :D Jon, Jam and Ton. These three are the only people whom I could bug day and night and I could still count on them to be my friend. :b thank you guys. :D To Tonny, you've just finish a very difficult part of writing. That is ending the story. I know that the feelings maybe overwhelming now, I just hope that...well, I wish that you'd be happy. :) and you know where to find me when you need me. Oh and Matt, [search and rescue] :) I like your story better! :D Lanze! hmm, :b did you get my mail? Fern! have you gotten away from the piano yet? Fred! what happen to your story? i'm already at nine man! :b Oh, and as you guys can see, there's no one else reading my story. :b I appolgies in taking up the space, but! I like writing and posting this too much to give up. So unless, you send me a hate mail, I will not stop writing. :) sorry. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Busta-We do what we can Was it only months ago that we had dinner with bushy and gang.why? The sun was shining brightly, just the perfect day for my walk. Unfortunately life is dark in here, we're in Justin's place now. There are lots of tall strangers walking in and out of the house, Justin's mother was screaming and shouting to the phone. Lance's mum, Joey's mum, I think everybody's moms is here. I crawled under the chair to avoid being stepped then a familiar hand held me by my waist and drag my head out. "HALO SUPERMAN!" I bark a happy welcome, but superman didn't bark...um I mean didn't reply back. I looked at him...his face seemed different...sad kind of different. I was carried in his hand, till he reached the backyard, where he placed me down on the grassy ground. "Play?" I ask. He sat quietly there, while behind him the noises continued. I corked my head to trying to bore a hole into his head so that I don't have to wait for him to speak. Finally, he opened his mouth and say, "You hang out here for a while, it's a mess inside. Ok? Good dog!" he said patting my head and then throwing the ball. By natural instinct I ran to get it, but when I turn back he's already in the house with the door closed. I stood on my hind-leg and started scratching the door. "SCRAP SCRAP SCRAP!" but it was useless, I can't seem to get in. I sat back, took a deep breath and started barking nonsensically. I bark till the time it takes for a tiny ant to walk from one end of the brick to another. But still no responds. 'Did they abandon me?' I panicked and run to the other side only to meet with the fences. I squeeze my head through the wooden thing, 'nope wouldn't work!' "MASTER! MASTER!" I bark and howled, still no use. 'Come on Busta think!' I walked around a bit, but still no solution. I continued barking and panicking, after barking for a long time, enough for a snail to walk one round of the house, I was exhausted and dizzy. The sun was getting to me. I tried to crawl under a tree but at that moment I was too far. I ended up whimpering on the floor. 'Dear God, please don't let me die now' I begged and fell to darkness. 'Mmm, cold.' I thought as my tongue got in contact with whatever was place on it. [AN: ice] "Finally," I heard some one let out a signed, I open my eyes to look around me. I'm in Master Chris's arms and the one who let out a sigh was Lance sitting beside me Master. "Joey hurt me master." I whimpered shamelessly, hoping to get some cookie on the table. "Jesus, Busta you scared us." Joey said as he looked at me in relief. "Really? Oh I didn't know you cared!" I bitched at him. "Oh damn me Joey! I didn't know you cared!" shouted Justin, "If it wasn't for you he wouldn't be out there!" "Hey, I was only trying to help, how many times must I repeat myself? There were a lot of people in here. He could get hurt!" "And he's a pug! Do you know what a pug is? His type requires proper temperature for survival Joey! SURVIVAL! I.E. HE COULD HAVE DIED!" "I DIDN'T KNOW!" "Stop shouting!" I tried to bark. "STOP IT!" JC shouted, "Please just...just stop this ok. We have enough shouting for the day." He let out a sighed and fell back to his seat, with Lance pacifying him. Surprisingly, Justin let it go and so did Joey. "What did I miss?" I ask Master Chris, who was holding me. "Master?" for the first time I've met him, Master Chris actually looked like his age...old and sad..."Master?" I struggle to nuzzle my nose on his hand, trying to tell him I care. He gave me a weak smile then broke another piece of ice and places it on my tongue. "It's ok Busta, everything would be alright." He said, comforting me instead. I think it was exhaustion from the barking or something but the next thing I knew was I went off to sleep land again. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 'WAKE UP!' I jolt out of sleep, rudely awaken by my stomach. 'Very hungry, ' thought to myself. I look around to see that I was in Master Chris's room being held down by his palm. I easily squirm out of it, I was about to bark when I saw the look on his face, and even in his sleep he was frowning. I decided that I should disturb one of the other humanoid. I jumped off the bed and head for the door, and I pushed it with my head. 'Damn! It's closed' Master Chris normally don't close his door cos' I normally sleep outside. 'Ok, now what?' I ask myself, and then a light attracted me to it. 'Hmm, must be the door to the slippery room. [AN: bathroom] I moved towards it and started to scrap the door. I scraped hard, till my paws got sore. Lucky me, the person behind the door heard me and I was pushed back by the door to my back, I quickly got up and stood at the light. "Busta, what are you doing up?" ask Lance, who looked like an Angel cos' of the light shining through his hair. Which was kinda of creepy cos' I almost died and now I'm looking at an Angel? Hmmm. "I'm hungry," I whined giving him the puppy look thing and trying very hard to convince myself that he's not the Angel of death. "You must be hungry, keep quiet and I'll get some food for you. Don't make a sound, I don't want to wake Chris up, he was worried all day for you." He quietly closed the door and tiptoed to the other side of the slippery room. Carrying me, we entered another bedroom, whereby Lance placed me on the chair and got into a robe. "Hurry up!" I barked at him. "Mmg, Love?" ask a voice. 'Pops, I woke sleeping-carrot up. "Hi JC!" I barked. "Busta, keep quiet!" Lance hissed at me, then turn lovingly to his boyfriend, "Go back to your sleep Josh, I'm just gonna go get Busta some milk and dog biscuit." "It's ok, I'm up. I can't sleep anyway." said JC as he got up and kissed Lance in his forehead, "Let's go together, I don't want to lie in bed without you." He smiled, Lance smiled, and I grumbled. "I'm hungry." I whine again. It's the truth! My tummy is booming at me to go get food. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Minutes later, I was placed on the table with my doggy bowl filled with milk and doggie treat. 'I'm in heaven.' I thought to myself and attacked it with gusto. "Look at him eat." laughed Lance. 'Sure laugh at me you over-sized cucumber!' I ignored him and continue to fill my noisy tummy. They sat silently watching me fill my tummy, "What?" I barked at them spilling some milk over the tabletop. "Busta! Don't be so sloppy." Scolded Lance, then he got up and went to the sink to get the tablecloth. 'Oh gees look who's talking!' I thought about the time when he was stuffing carrot, he was sloppier than I was. JC picked me up, causing more drips on the table. Lance wiped it up and then I was placed back to my food again. He walked to the sink with the cloth and silently washed it. "Do you think we can make it?" his voice so soft, I was surprised that JC's human ears could hear him. "Make what?" I barked at him in confusion, as usual, the human-cucumber ignored me. JC silently walk to Lance and hug him from the back. "Are you talking about us or the suit? If it's about us, we'll make it." he said as he kisses Lance back. "What suit?" I ask with my mouth full, sputtering a cookie to the table. I quickly lap it up before Lance went off to his whiny mode again. "It's just not fair...we worked so hard for this..." I could hear Lance's voice breaking and I knew he was crying. The arms around Lance's shoulder tighten. "We thought he was our friend...how...how could I have been so blind...how could I have trust him so much." Lance said the last words with venom on his mouth as he threw the rag into the sink. JC turn Lance around and buried Lance's head into his shoulder, "Hush..." he whispered as he stroke the boy's back. "We didn't know...come on love don't be so harsh on yourself." "They attacked us." I jumped from the table and turn to look at the source of the voice. "Gees Justin, what are you trying to do? Give me a heart attack?" I growled at him. But Justin ignored me and sat on the floor beside the counter. "They attack us...I thought we were friends." The light shining from Mr. Moon showed me that pretty boy's face is streaked with tears. "Oh Just." JC and Lance both let out a sigh and walked to his figure and pull him to a hug. "They don't hate us...its just business." Lance tried to explain. "It's...it's all about money and business, if...if we are in the same label together, it would...it would be cram." "Excuse me, I'm confuse here. Who are you guys talking about?" I asked, :( and they ignored me. "So it's our fault?" Justin asks through his sobs. It's times like this, that I'm reminded that he's still a kid and everything should be Disney to him. "No...it's just that..." Lance look to JC for help. "It's just business for us too. We wanted a better marketing strategy. Jives could give us more coverage as compared to other record labels. Nobody told us that we could indirectly cause the backstreet boys to leave. We had no one, no one to tell us stuff, we're just push and manipulated to it." said JC, they had manipulated Justin to the chair by the table and Justin just slum in it. "I should have known...I'm the one that's keeping a close watch on the business, I should have seen it all coming." This times its Lance that broke down and JC quickly rush to his side and held him as he cries. "It's not your fault Lance, I mean I've been in the so call business for years now and...well, basically you gotta experience it to know such stuff happens. And...and they don't teach you this sort of stuff in school." Said JC as he stroke Lance's back, then pulled back to look at him, "Besides that, we all know you worked hard enough for us, remember? This almost took your life away." I look to Lance and then to Justin, I decided that Justin needed a little love more so I trotted to his side and nuzzle his palm. 'It'll be ok.' he took me in his arms and nuzzle my head with his chin and kiss me on the top of my head. "Thanks." He whispered and placed me back on the table, leaving his hands on my back. I settled quietly till I saw movement in the darkness. "Boo!" I barked to it, they turn to see Joey's figure moving unsteadily into the room. "Hey guys." He whispered, "hi Busta." He tried to smile. "You're still not forgiven." I barked back agitatedly. Which means I wagged my tail and he mistook it for forgiven. :b Joey walk towards the table and took the chair opposite Justin's, "We sell millions of album. Suppose to make millions of dollars that we didn't get and now we're being sued for money we never even touched before. To top that up, the boyz had to sue Jives.it's like they are trying to say, 'it's either them or us.'...This is just so fucked up!" he bang his fist on the table. And me being the chicken jump to Justin's arms. "Sorry Busta, didn't mean to scare ya'" said Joey when he saw me jumping. "No problem, none at all." I said still nervous from all the crying and the anger in the room. "Joey..." Justin started. "Don't Joey me! I just...don't you guys see, it's done finished. We're over. We lost everything." Said Joey as he clutched his head and cry. JC let out a chuckle and I look at him weirdly, his chuckle was cynical. His eyes had tears as he looked around to the people. "Look at us. Just look at us! It's like we're being condamned because we have talent, because we could sing...I felt like we're being abandon...punished." Said JC, as he became the next to crumble. I couldn't move, as I was crushed into Justin's arms as he cried. With JC, the last strong pillar in this room crumbling down, there's no hope in other's staying stable. So Lance is crying with as he held on to JC, and Joey is just holding his head rocking in his chair. 'Oh shit! Now what.' It seems that is the theme for the day. I panicked till I smelt a familiar smell, "Master Chris!" I barked and wagged my tail excitedly. Chris, my master, calmly walked towards Justin and took me in his arms. He got over to the counter and sat on it, holding me in his arms. "Master?" I ask uncertainly. But me Master just sat there quietly taking all the crying in front of him, calmly. He sat there stroking my head and through the little light, I could see his soft smile. "How long have we known each other?" he suddenly asked, breaking the sadness in the air. "3 years...why do you ask?" said Lance as he sniffed back his tears. Master Chris smiled and continued, "do you remember the days we spent planning and dreaming for this?" "Yeah, we would hang out here. In this very kitchen thinking about who to approach...and wondering where the hell are we gonna get a bass." Said JC as he recalled the past events. "I remember Justin suddenly jumping up, spilling his cereals all over the place when he tried to tell us about his voice-coach whom we could approach." Continued Joey. "I remembered coming all the way down here and to my surprise feeling welcomed." Smiled Lance. "We were surprise when you started talking, your voice was just what we were looking for, and when you sang. That was it." smiled Justin. "I definitely remembered your voice, I stun." Smiled JC. "You were drooling." Teased Justin. "But what's the use of talking now? In a matter of weeks we may be finished, we've lost everything." Said Joey. "Shit! Did you have to do that!" I barked at Joey disapprovingly, trust him to be the mood spoiler. "Finished?...What finish?...What did we lose?...Better yet, what did we gain?" ask Master Chris in a calm manner, cupping my mouth at the same time. 'Gee, I was only trying to help.' I grumbled in my head. "We got money." Said Lance, the business one. "Fame," said JC, the spotlight person. "We get to do what we love most, to sing." Said Justin, the play one. "...We got friends." Said Joey, the one who suddenly found his brain. "...Great friends." Added Lance. "...And love," said JC as he looked at Lance lovingly. "...I got myself 3 new brothers." Said Justin as he smiled sheepishly at the guys, "whom I know I could depend on if I get into trouble." "And I," started Master Chris, "I got all of what you got and all the memories of it.... So what did we lose?" The room became silent as everyone got lost in their own thoughts. Me being me, well I didn't really understand the whole crap, but I was still hungry. After waiting for a very long 10seconds, "Sorry to bother you guys but can I have my doggie treat now, I'm hungry." I barked, and that got their attention, but [sigh] humans. They never ever once consider that I'm hungry, instead they just smiled at me. 'What are you smiling about?' I grumbled in my head. 'Very hungry.' I whined but Master Chris just stroke my head. "We lost fame and fortune." Said Lance, no longer holding the sad look. In fact, the only one in the room with the sad look was me. 'I'm hungry.' Master Chris got off the counter and walked towards the table and place me back beside my bowl. "Thank you Master." And I went back to eat my soggy meal. 'Soggy, but still good...needs some sugar though.' I looked up to Master Chris who was smiling back at me stroking my neck as he watched me eat for a moment. Then suddenly he straightened up and moved back to the counter facing the guys and me as we hang near the dinning table. "I may lose all the money that I have by tomorrow because of this law suit, I may lose all the fortune. But I, Christopher Alan Kirkpatrick, will be damn if I lose all the fun I'm having now. In singing, in spending my time with you guys...basically, in life." He pause for a moment looking at the surprise faces around him then Master Chris broke to smile, "Nothing's gonna stop me from that." "I love you," said JC looking straight into Lance's startled eyes, "I love you and I love singing, both are gifts given to me by God. I'll treasure both," he lean down to kiss Lance, "Forever and nothing's gonna stop me from losing interest in it." "God gave me friends whom I can call family," started Justin, "family whom I can trust in life...people who will support me for life...nothings gonna change that...that's what being in N'Sync is all about." "N'Sync...I wonder how long we can use that name...but you're right, all of you. Nothing's gonna stop me from singing, if it means starting all over again, I'll do it. Because it's fun, and it's meant to be." Said Joey, at last with some hope in his eyes. "...What's the big deal?" I barked in curiosity, then the five pairs of eyes looked at me, "The sky's not going to fall...is it?" I suddenly felt very scared. My biggest nightmare is the sky falling. Lance started laughing, "Gosh, even Busta's scared." He continued to laugh. "Hey you were scared too." Accused JC in a joking manner as he grabbed Lance by his waist and tried to tickle him, but Lance quickly move to the sink and stopped JC in his track. "Ok, I just thought of something." He grin his charming grin to matched JC's mischievous looks, "We're not going down. At least not quietly, heck, whom am I kidding? Do you know how many awards we won? How many people approaching us to do a collaboration with them? And finally, our fans, we have enough of them to...to fill up the pacific ocean. We wouldn't go down." Then he held out his hand to motion for Joey to keep his peace, "even if we did go down, Chris is right, I don't think God told me to come all the way from Mississippi to Florida to get a pot of gold in a figurative manner. I think He wanted me to get richness in terms of friends and love." Said Lance finally moving towards JC and held on to his hands. They both got lost in their little world again, I do that sometimes when I'm catching little colorful flying thing [butterflies]. Me? well currently, I'm on my back upside-down keeping my little legs up on the air. "Hey Chris, what's Busta up to now?" ask Joey, the only one who notice me and was staring at my position weirdly. I jump back to position, then looked at him irritatingly, "you don't have much of a brain do you!" I barked at him, when he looked surprised at me I sighed and sat my butt back and explained to him, "from the way I see your conversations, the sky is obviously falling tomorrow..." "Maybe he thinks the sky is falling tomorrow," said Justin with an amusing chuckle, then he looked to the surprised glances and said, "What? That's what it looks like, I suppose he thinks his pudgy little can hold the sky?" he mocked at me. I scoff his attempt to get me angry, "One does what one can," I barked at him and lay back in my hold-the-sky position again. Ignoring all the laughter around me. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Well, that's all folk...untill further inspiration. :) anyways, the way i see it, whether as human or as animal, we do what we can. and worrying? um...seriously, i think smiling is a better form of facial excercise. :b