Chapter 16: Incessantly Humming
"Okay, for the last bloody time, I'm warning you. You hum that
again and they'll be finding your body for years," AJ warned Howie.
"Sorry man, I heard someone humming it this afternoon, and it's just stuck in my head. I've tried, but it just won't go away," Howie answered.
"And who do I owe for this form of torture?" asked AJ.
"Uh, I think I it was Kevin" he responded.
* * * *
"Kevin, stop that! As much as I love the sound of your voice, if I hear that melody one more time, no jury could convict me for the results!" Sarah warned.
"It's not my fault! Someone was humming the stupid thing this morning, and it's been stuck in my head ever since! I know what it is, but I just can't place it. It's driving me rather insane," Kevin explained, giving Sarah his puppy look.
"Just stop!" she said smiling.
* * * *
AJ met Brian in the hall. Brian was humming the exact same song that Howie had been minutes earlier.
"Don't tell me they got to you too, B!" AJ sighed in frustration. Brian looked at AJ like he'd grown a second head.
"What are you talking about, man? Got to me how?"
"That stupid song! Everywhere I've gone today, that stupid melody has been following me! I swear, the next person who even begins the first bar…death," AJ threatened.
"I heard it from Howie. Blame him," Brian supplied.
"Do you know what song that is?" AJ questioned.
"That's the funny thing. I know what the song is, I know I've heard it before, but I just can't quite figure it out. It is a rather great annoyance," Brian stated.
* * * *
Nick answered the door of his hotel room to see Kevin on the other side.
"What's up?"
"I just wanted to remind you about our interview before the concert tomorrow. After that, we're off to the next place," Kevin explained.
"Gotta love the traveling. Okay, so what time are we expected to make our appearances?" Nick question, sighing.
"About four or so. We'll get together a half hour or so before hand like we always do," Kevin answered, and continued on about what the interview was for. Nick tuned him out, and concentrated on determining the name of the song that been running through his head for the greater part of his day.
"Oh, don't you start that! Sarah threatened my life because of that song!" Kevin said, snapping Nick's attention back to him, making realize that he had been humming out loud.
"Huh?"
"That stupid song! Everywhere I go, it seems to be following me!"
"Yeah, same problem. I think I heard AJ humming it earlier today," Nick explained.
"We'll have to murder him then," Kevin said lightly.
* * * *
AJ was walking down the silent hall, ice bucket in hand. He noticed the wall paper on the walls, and thought about how many times he had seen the exact same print in many hotels, all around the world.
And then he caught himself. He was the next victim. He realized that he was humming the song that everyone had been all day.
"Shit!" he swore.
"AJ?" a voice asked from further down the hall. AJ squinted and saw Jacki and Damon walking towards him.
"What's up man?" Damon asked.
"Oh, I'm just been mercilessly driven mad by this song that seems to be everywhere I go. Howie, Brian and now me have had the thing stuck in our heads all day. And the annoying thing is the fact that I can't figure out the name of the song," AJ explained, frustrated.
"It's the Rose. It was from some movie. Bette Midler sang it," Damon answered easily. AJ thought about it for a moment, recalled the song in question, and realized he was right.
"How in the hell did you know that?"
"Oh, Lilia sang at every single Premiere practice. That's how she warmed up. She's attached to the song, her mom sang it to her," Damon explained.
"But I thought her mom-"
"Her aunt video taped it…Her mom's name was Rose," Damon said. AJ thought over this new development in silence. After a few minutes, he said goodbye and went along his way. After getting his ice, he noticed walking back that Jacki went into Damon's room with him. That's new, he thought curiously.