While Prince was on his way to the Goose Lady's residence, Everett Daniels awoke from a long night of drinking and dancing late the same afternoon. He turned on his radio only to hear his number one hit record, The Humpty Dance, being played. He quickly shut it off. After turning on his TV and quickly did the same. As he got out of bed and walked towards his bathroom, he grabbed his clothes which were carefully picked and laid out for him by his stylist.

Thirty minutes later, Everett came down the steps of the two million dollar, three-story condo, which he shares with his group, All the Kings Men. He proceeded to the kitchen where everyone was seated, awaiting for Everett so they could have the first of several daily meetings. Everett took a seat on one of the bar stools and said, "Hey everybody. How's it goin'?"

The four members who make up the group all looked at Everett with a mixture of complete annoyance and disdain. The de-facto leader of the group, because he was the most assertive, King, has been in the music industry since he was a teenager. As time went on and his sales started to slip, his record company has turned him into Everett's best-friend, a role he hates. Queen, a soft-spoken R&B singer with a penchant for freestyles, was added to the group because she was the level headed one, the one to keep the others in line. Night, a hardcore gangster rapper who has several court cases pending, was added to give Everett, as Humpty Dumpty, a more 'street' image. The final member, Jester, was recently arrested on three accounts of child pornography and prostitution. No one knows why he's a member.

Wanting to get the meeting over with, King tries to move everything along, "Saltine, shut the fuck. Nobody wants to hear a word from your cracker-ass, got it. I don't need your howdy doodie shit today."

"Sorry, dude. I didn't know…"

"I fuckin' told yo ass bout that dude shit!! Ya need to dead that fore you get fucked up," King screams at Everett, knocking his own chair over and jumping into his face.

Queen gets in between the two men and pushes King away from Everett, who never moved from his chair. "King, chill out. Everett, you been reading the cards we gave you?"

"Uhh… yeah, it's just that… well, I haven't been able to fully remember them all yet."

"Well, you better Saltine, I'm not goin to have yo ass makin us look dumb again when we do Total Request, tomorrow. Talkin shit like, 'Yo, bro… me and mines be mad, bad jiggy, you know'. I shoulda smacked yo ass for sayin that shit. And Jester, when we go there, keep yo fuckin hands to yoself. Last time we was there they cut our segment cause you nutted on that fuckin preteen little bitch."

Jester picked his head up from the magazine he was reading and said in his own defense, "No the fuck I didn't. I pissed on her. She asked for it. I'm telling you. There ain't no way in hell, I'd nut without touchin something first. I ain't that fucked up."

"Whatever, just keep yo shit in yo pants. Oh and Saltine, don't try and be the only motherfucka talkin on that bitch either. We all got other shit to say besides talkin bout yo sorry ass album."

"No problem…" Everett says as he plays with something in his coat pocket.

Knight walks over to Everett and says, "Don't worry about that fucka, yo. He just made cause they never wanna hear his old black ass talk. Some people just don't know when to quit."

"Yo ass say something, you fuckin bum!!"

"Don't start with me, bitch. I'll fuckin kill you. I mean it," Knight screams back as he pulls one of his many guns out of it's holster.

Queen again gets in between the two men and slaps Knight across the face. "What the fuck is wrong with you? Put that shit away. I swear to god I can't take this shit. All of you act like fucking idiots. If we got our fucking act together maybe we could start enjoying all this fucking money we're making, instead I'm playing the fucking babysitter to two dumb fucks who don't want to get along with anything, a fucking hyperactive pedophile, and I swear Jester the next time I walk in on one of your fucking 'slumber parties' I'm going to kick your fucking ass. Then there's the white boy, and I know you trying Everett, but get your shit together. Lately you walk around and talk like your dick just fell off. We got to pull this shit together right now."

Everyone just sits quietly, thinking about what Queen just said. They all know she's right, none of them could be making the money they are if they weren't in the group. King and Knight shake hands and Queen walks over to the fridge to get something else to drink. When they all return to the table, King restarts the meeting.

"Ok, well we've got a day free before we gotta be on Total Request. Do whatever, just be back here early tonight so we can all be ready for tomorrow."

Everyone shakes their heads and begin to leave from the table when Everett speaks up, "Ummm, dud… fellas. I'm not goin on Total Request."

All heads turn towards Everett and in unison the group all ask, "What?"

"I'm not goin."

"Saltine, yo ass better shut the fuck up and play yo part like everyone else."

"Look, King. You know as well as I do that I don't belong here. You guys have been doing this stuff cause you love it, I don't have anything else. If it wasn't for the three of you telling me what to say or dressing me or writing my lines, I'd still be singing karaoke back home in Kentucky. It took me three years just to not sound like a fuckin inbred redneck anymore. I owe you guys everything, but… but… I… I met someone."

The group, again in unison, begin to laugh. After several minutes, Knight says,"You gotta be jokin. You gotta be. Just tell me your jokin and I'll forget you just went all Saturday morning 'Did You Know' cartoon special on my ass."

"I'm not joking. I've met someone and… I think I love her."

Queen tries to quiet the others down. "You mean that Blue lady you've been with the past few weeks?"

"Yeah. She's so beautiful and perfect."

"She's married."

"I know, but we've talked about that and she said she was goin' to leave her husband so we could be together."

"Why the fuck would that fine ass bitch wanna be with yo ass, Saltine. Yo ain't got a fuckin thing we ain't give yo fuckin ass. Yo gonna go back to wearin overalls and chewin on straw and fuckin goats or some shit. Play yo fuckin part and shut up. Be back here tonight and be ready for tomorrow."

"I can't. See I'm goin to see her tonight and I'm goin to ask her to marry me," Everett says as he pulls out of his coat pocket a small box. He opens it and shows everyone the engagement ring he bought for Blue Fairy.

Everyone begins arguing and fighting. Through it all, Everett simply slipped away from all of the noise and walked out the front door. Like it's always been in the group, the white boy was just the shadow, no real substance and gone when the lights got too bright.

*****

Blue Fairy sits in her bedroom staring at her husband's wooden sex doll. She sits and cries at the thought of him with it. Curled into a ball at her feet lays her husband. He knows what he is doing is wrong, but simply can't control himself. He has asked for help dozen of times, but his agent and best friend Jiminy wouldn't allow him to, for fear of tarnishing his image.

Pinocchio kisses Blue's feet and then looks up into her face, "I'm sorry, Honney. I'm so sorry."

Her eyes burning with tears, Blue stood up, knocking Pinocchio off of her legs, and walks towards the door. Before she leaves the room, she turns and looks once more at her husband. "I'm sorry too, Ochi. I want a divorce." Then she walks out of the room, leaving Pinocchio completely alone.

To be continued…

Author's Notes

Thanks to everyone who reviewed. Keep em coming. I should have another maybe two chapters up during this week.