I stared at the huge pile of Black & Blue CDs on the table and realized that we'd been majorly suckered. "Hey, Everyone, think you could just take a little Time off from your vacations and come in to sign a few CDs, they're for a benefit..." Yada yada yada. The message had seemed so innocent and harmless. Who of us couldn't spare a couple hours to come down to the studio and sign a few CDs. A few? More like a few *hundred*. Like it's a fun afternoon to sit around and sign your name over and over again. Don't get me wrong, I don't mind signing stuff for the fans and all, ya know, but it's just a lot more fun when the fans are actually there giving you the motivation to do it. But, I guess that's the price of fame for you. Usually I love it, but sometimes it's a major inconvenience.

May as well get it over with, though, I guess. I sat down and picked up one of the gold eversharps and the first CD case. I noticed that none of the other guys had done their signing yet. I could have sworn that all four of them had told me that they were going to be here yesterday to do it. On the other hand, since they hadn't they'd probably be coming in today so it wouldn't be quite so dull sitting around by myself doing the signing.

Sure enough, I'd only gotten a few of the CDs and booklets done when my best friend came storming into the room. I looked up and had to fight to keep myself from bursting out laughing. Somehow I didn't think that he'd appreciate it if I laughed at the wire contraption on his head. He just didn't look amused about it.

"Frack? What...?" I gestured to the thing.

"I oak eye aw," he replied, giving me a look that just dared me to ask what the heck he'd just said.

So I did. "What?"

He made a frustrated sound then tried again. "I eeeeaaaa, 'I oooooak eeeeeeyee aaaaaaaaaw.'"

That really helped. Although I was beginning to suspect that maybe he'd broken his jaw or something.

OH!

"You broke your jaw?"

He made a flourishing "there you go" sort of gesture.

I grimaced and gave him a sympathetic look. "How'd you do that?"

"Eell ooo eee, I uhhh eyein ooo--"

I held up my hand to stop him. That really wasn't going to work. "Maybe you could...write it down or something?"

He grabbed up one of the pens and then looked around for something to write on. Besides the huge pile of CDs there really wasn't anything. He sighed then grabbed one of the CDs and set it down in front of me, pointing to it. I looked up at him questioningly. He rolled his eyes and tapped in insistently. I looked to where exactly his finger was pointing and started snickering. "How Did I Fall in Love With You? You're in love with me, Frack? Awww, buddy, you know you're my Shining Star, too." I knew darn well that's not what he was trying to say, but how often would it ever happen that he couldn't talk back to me? "But, I'm sorry I can't love you back. Would get all messy with divorcing Leighanne and all. But I Promise You...With Everything I Am, that--"

He cuffed me in the back of the head to shut me up then made an exasperated sound and pointed again at the same song title. This time he made a point of covering up all the other words of the title and just left the word "Fall" visible.

"Fall. You fell?" I looked at him doubtfully. "Something tells me that there's More Than That to the story." He began blushing. I grinned triumphantly. "So It's True! There is more to the story! So what happened?"

"Elll eeee eeh ahhh aaahreh eeeh--"

I gave him a look and he rolled his eyes. He looked back down at the CD, frowning. He scratched his head a couple times then his eyebrows raised and he pointed to another song title. "Shape of My Heart?" What could that have to do with anything? I furrowed my brow and looked at him for an explanation. But the expectant look on his face made it impossible to resist one more dig. "Frack, you know I love you, but it wouldn't work out. You and me...that is just not The Answer to Our Life. I'm sorry, but you're just Not For Me." I pretended to let him down easily, then added (mock) solemnly, "You'll have to Get Another Boyfriend." He made a growling sound deep in his throat and I started laughing again. "Okay, okay. But, I'm sorry I don't get it. What does Shape of My Heart have to do with you breaking your jaw?"

He held up his finger in a wait gesture as he seemed to be going over something in his head. Then he started "singing" the tune of the song. I use the term "singing" extremely loosely considering that he made no intelligible sounds.

He stopped at the line "kept you in the dark" and repeated that a couple times, looking at me pointedly.

I frowned. "Okay. You were kept in the dark?"

He gestured for me to try again.

"It was dark?"

He pointed at me, raising his eyebrows in an "you got it" look.

"Okay. Sooooo...."

He pointed up at the light fixture.

"You turned on the lights? Very good, Frack, you're always good at solving problems like that."

He growled again, his eyes narrowing. "Uuuhk oooo."

I gasped comically, knowing darn well what he said. "Frack! If you could open your mouth I'd be washing it out with soap right now."

His eyes narrowed farther and I shut up. For a few moments. "Okay so it was dark and you turned on the light."

He shook his head. And pointed at the lights again then made a little exploding gesture with his hands.

"The lights exploded?"

He rolled his eyes and made the "try again" gesture again.

"The light burned out."

Again he pointed and raised his eyebrows.

I strongly suspected that this was going to be an extremely long story the way he was telling it. And it was about to get a lot longer. I looked up as my cousin came into the room. With a wire contraption on his head that looked suspiciously like Frack's.

"Hey, cuz, what...?" I gestured at the contraption.

"I...oak...eye...aw," he replied.

I nodded knowingly, trying not to smile. I know it's not funny when two of your friends are hurt but...I couldn't help it.

Make that three of your friends. I looked up as Bone came in. "Eeeey, E-awk," he greeted. At least I assumed that was a greeting.

"Let me guess," I said, gesturing at the wire contraption on his head. "Ooo ooak ooor aaaaw?"

He glared for a moment and gave me a finger gesture quite different than the one Frack had been giving me. I'd threaten to wash his hands with soap but hopefully that was something he did anyway.

I looked at each of them for a moment still trying to figure out just what had happened. How had all three of them managed to break their jaws? On the same day? Maybe they were just playing me. That was probably it. Then again, none of them seemed to be at all amused by the situation. Frack and my cousin are good at faking, but not Bone. His eyes would give him away, he'd be far too amused looking. He could never keep a secret.

Remembering Frack's attempt at telling me what had happened, it had something to do with a light being burnt out. Maybe they'd all tripped or something. I frowned thinking that was just about as stupid sounding an explanation as I could come up with.

"Maybe you guys could shed some light on what happened?" I suggested. They all cringed at my wording. What the heck had happened? "Or maybe I should call D? He was going to be with you guys yesterday, right?"

"Eee aaaaah," they all three responded.

"I aaaah," a fourth voice added. Oh no. No way. I glanced over at D as he made his way into the room. With a wire contraption on his head.

This time I just couldn't help it. I started laughing. There was no way they'd all broken their jaws. This had to be a joke. I'd have to compliment Bone later on managing not to give it away.

All four of them just sat down and glared at me as I laughed so hard tears started to fall.

"Eeeh awww uuueeee!" Frack snapped. I wasn't positive, but I think maybe he was telling me that it wasn't funny. I made myself stop laughing and wiped the tears from my eyes. I looked at each of them and realized that they weren't kidding. It didn't matter, I couldn't help it. It was still funny. But I did feel bad that they were in pain. I forced myself to not laugh again.

"I'm sorry guys. It's just...what...? What happened?!"

"Eeel ooo eeeee," they all started at the same time.

"I know, you came down here to sign CDs after you got The Call, it was dark and the light had burnt out."

They all held up hands in a 'sort of' gesture. "Eh uuh eeeh eh ooow aahh. Aaah eeere uuuh eeeeh aaaaheeer..." D continued. I nodded pretending that I could understand him.

"I eeeye eeeeh uuurr," Frack supplied. "Uuuuh eh uuh ooo uheahee o I eeeh uuh aaah oooaheeee oooh ooool eh--"

This just wasn't working.

"Maybe you should show me?" I suggested, shaking my head. "I can't understand a thing you're saying."

They all four rolled their eyes, looked at each other, and turned to go out of the room. Curiously, I followed them as they headed for the sound stage.

When we got there, I saw that the light was, indeed, burnt out. Under it was a ladder. Sitting on the top rung of the ladder was a light bulb. I looked at the other guys, confused.

Frack held up a finger to let me know and explanation was coming. He walked over to the ladder and carefully started to climb. The ladder began to wobble terribly after just a couple steps and he quickly got down.

Okay, so the second piece of the puzzle was in place. The ladder was wobbly. So...? "So why not just get someone to hold it?" I suggested. They all gave each other knowing looks.

"Eee iiih," they replied in unison.

Frack waved Bone over and motioned to the ladder. Bone's eyes widened for a moment and he backed away. "Uh uh. Auuu aaaaii." Though the words were unintelligible I figured them to be "not again" from the look on his face. Frack shook his head and gave Bone a patient look. Bone hesitated for a moment, then held the ladder and Frack carefully started to climb. Bone stepped back as far as he could while still holding on to the ladder.

Frack stopped a few steps up and put his hand on one of the ladder rungs. He pressed down on it and I watched as it turned slightly. Yikes. That could easily make someone fall if they stepped on it...ohhhh! "So you fell?" Frack made the "sort of" motion again then continued pushing down on the rung. He climbed a couple more steps, but stopped before he reached the broken rung. He looked at me again. And then gave a nod. He pretended like he was falling and reached out as if grabbing for something. His hand gripped onto the little handle on the side of the ladder and he looked down at Bone for a moment before pulling it. A little shelf swung upward on the other side of the ladder. At a height where it would have smacked anyone standing there pretty hard in the face...or since it was coming from below, probably in the jaw.

Ouch.

And that would have made whichever one was holding the ladder let go. Which probably would have made the ladder fall...I was getting the picture. I bit my lip as not to laugh at the idea that not just one, but four of my friends had gotten injured trying to change a lightbulb. Especially since after two of them had tried, apparently the other two had done exactly the same thing. I wondered which pair had been stupid enough to make the same mistake as the first.

Frack climbed back down from the ladder and looked relieved to be back on solid ground again. "Ahh aah uuh aheeheh."

I nodded carefully, still trying not to laugh. Then I made my way over to the ladder. "Okay, so, Frack, how about you hold the ladder for me and I'll change the bulb, okay?"

He shook his head, his eyes wide. "Uh uh. Ooo aaaa."

I rolled my eyes. "Just hold it from the side, don't stand in front of it and the shelf won't hit you."

He sighed but nodded and reached out to hold the ladder.

"E-Awk? Aayee...ooo...ouleeh...ooo...ahh?" my cousin suggested putting his hand on my shoulder to stop me.

I shrugged his hand off. "It's okay, Cuz. I just don't want to start a round of How Many Backstreet Boys does it take to change a lightbulb jokes." I teased them.

"Oool Eee aaeeeeuuuuul, iii?" D asked.

I figured he was asking me to be careful, so I nodded, "Yes, I Will, D."

I made my way up the ladder, carefully stepping over the broken rung. When I got there, I took the bulb and reached up to grab the burnt out one only to find that my reach wasn't quite long enough. Darn vaulted ceilings. Sometimes it's a major inconvenience being short.

"Looks like it's more than five," I muttered under my breath, creating a punchline for the aforementioned lightbulb "joke" and started back down the ladder.

Just one more major inconvenience.

I forgot about the broken rung.

I started to slip and reached out to grab onto something. The handle. Thank GOD Frack wasn't standing in front of the ladder...

I take that back.

THWACK!

The shelf didn't stop swinging upward until it struck me full in the face.

Next thing I knew I was waking up in the hospital.

"Oh uuuuhk."

"If you could open your mouth, I'd wash it out with soap," Leighanne chided me.

The End