Hiya, I have had this idea swirling around in my head since I saw the film last Friday so now I'm actually getting it down on paper. I hope you enjoy!
(I own nothing)
Buster sighed, turning restlessly in the make-shift bed that Eddie had set up on the floor of the pool house for him whilst the theatre was rebuilt. It wasn't that it was uncomfortable, he had slept in his desk draw before now after all, it was more along the lines of him finding it hard to… not concentrate. His mind was whizzing with new ideas for shows and concerts that could highlight his new cast. Ash, with her loud and strong music, Rosita and Gunter with their… flamboyant dancing and voices, Mike with his mature and experienced vocals, Meena and her powerful voice, and Johnny with his natural-born talent. They were such a miss-matched group that whenever Buster thought of an idea he had to quickly dismiss it due to it not fitting with one of the cast members. He felt a personal connection with each of them and he really didn't like the idea of leaving any of them out, not to mention how popular they all were now. Most, if not all, of the city had heard of them and thanks to the internet there were thousands of people outside of the city that had heard of them too, and the majority of the comments were all positive and begging for more music from each of them. For now, with no theatre, there wasn't really much any of them could do in that department. They were popular, sure, but if they wanted to make it on their own, outside of the theatre, they needed more experience and they needed to really get their names out there, then they might stand a chance of being scouted by big record labels and shows. Whilst Buster secretly wished that that day would never come, he knew it would and eventually his cast would slowly fall apart as they were individually picked off by talent scouts, preforming arts schools, and agents. After all, that eventually happens to every amateur performer group like theirs. But part of him still secretly wished that it didn't happen to theirs. He finally found his star cast and he didn't want it taken away from him.
He sighed, pulling the pillow over his head and using it to cover his ears in an attempt to drown out his own thoughts. He needed to sleep, that's all that mattered right now. He was just dozing off when Eddie's phone buzzed somewhere on his right. Then again. And again. And then three more times. Buster growled, lifting a corner of the pillow to check to see if his friend had woken up. He hadn't. Eddie was out cold on the sofa he called a bed, one leg and an arm hanging over the edge. The phone was right below his arm, looking as if it had been dropped so it probably had been. He reached over and grabbed the phone, deciding that privacy could go to hell if it was going to keep him awake all night. He tried not to read the message previews as he pressed and held the power button on the phone, but one caught his eye.
New camping equipment in stock now at…
Buster eyed the message with curiosity, camping equipment? He hadn't been camping since he was a child. He'd gone with his dad and spent a week in the woods. It had been fun for the young koala who had never sat in front of a campfire or eaten a toasted marshmallow before since he lived in the city. It made him surprisingly happy to be out in the open, away from any noise, just him and his dad.
He eventually tore his eyes away from the message and shutting off the phone. He rolled back onto his back and stared at the ceiling. Great. Now he was wide awake again. He forced himself to close his eyes and try to drift off, but, as he did, one thought stuck in his head.
…
"Alright! Now since everyone is here we can get started!" Buster announced, standing on the diving board over the pool, smiling at the animals that were gathered in front of him. It was 8am on a Saturday and by the faces that some of them were pulling (mainly the youngest three members of the group, Johnny, Meena and Ash) it showed. Gunter was jumping up and down, lunging occasionally as if he were warming up for a seven mile jog, Mike was tapping his foot impatiently whilst checking his watch every two minutes, Rosita had her phone to her ear, trying to calmly explain to her husband how to quieten the kids down, Mrs Crawley was watching him intently, Johnny looked half asleep with his back resting against the wall of the pool house, Ash was glaring at the sun as if it had done her a personal injustice, and Meena was yawning and rubbing her eyes every so often. Eddie was still asleep in the pool house but he knew about all of this anyway. All eyes turned to him as he spoke and he gave another big smile before continuing "I bet you're all wandering why I called you all here today?" He clapped, not giving anyone a chance to answer the rhetorical question "Well! I have an announcement! I've decided that we are going on a group camping trip for a week!"
To say that Buster had been expecting a better reaction would be an understatement. Apart from Gunter and Meena the majority of the group looked at him like he had just suggested they all go bungee jumping without the bungee.
"Well? What do you all think?" He asked tentatively, starting to worry about the answer.
"I think it's a great idea Mr Moon…" Meena muttered, but of course she was cut off by the ever-obnoxious Mike.
"Whist that sounds like fun, I have important business to take care of! I can't afford to miss a week!"
"Your business iz just gamblin' money you don't have ja?" (sorry for my pathetic attempt at a German accent) Gunter asked, a smirk on his face as Mike scrunched his face up.
"Keep your snout out of it Pork-Chop!" Mike snapped, turning back to Buster "Point is, I have stuff to do! You can't expect me to drop it with an hours' notice."
"He has a point…" Rosita muttered "I have my kids to think about, I can't leave Norman alone with them that long, he works so late…"
"Which is why," Buster smiles "I am giving you all until tomorrow. We leave then. And if anyone needs any help with sorting out anything like child care, I have managed to convince dear old Nana to provide some financial support."
"How did you manage that?" Johnny asked, pulling away from the wall with genuine curiousness on his face.
"I simply told her this was a group bonding trip to help us become closer. I told her it is essential for us as a theatre group."
"So you lied." Mike stated bluntly.
"No Mike, I did not lie. This trip really is essential if we want to become closer and know more about each other." Buster folded his arms as if to say that it was the last he'd hear of it.
"Well, I don't want to know any more about any of you lot, so." Mike turned on his heels and made his way through the legs of the larger animals.
"It's obligatory Mike." Buster raised his voice a little to make sure he could be heard. When Mike stopped walking he continued "If you opt out without a good enough reason then I will have no choice but to remove you from the group." That got his attention. He spun around to face the koala again.
"Hey, hey, hey. Who said anything about me opting out? I was just heading off to cancel my plans!" Mike put his hands up in surrender. Buster smiled and turned his attention back to the larger animals.
"Anyone else not wanting to come?" he waited for a minute before clapping "Alright then. If anyone needs help cancelling their plans or arranging anything then come speak to me, if not then I will see you all back here at the same time tomorrow!" he dismissed them and slowly the animals trickled away from the pool and around the front of the house as Rosita approached him. He caught a glimpse of the retreating gorilla in the corner of his eye and quickly called "Johnny!" Johnny jumped, looking around to face him quizzically.
"Yeah Mr Moon?"
"You have a truck right?" Buster asked.
"Uhhhh… yeah?"
"GREAT! Bring it along will you, we'll need it to help carry some of the camping equipment and not all of us will fit in Rosita's car!" The pig next to him squealed, turning to face him.
"My car?!"
