Hypnotized by the Carbon Monoxide

“Is everyone who’s coming here?!” Charlie yelled arms up looking at the group before her. “Now…” She stated finding both Billy and Linzi Martin leaning against the wall, waiting with Brendon and Tony. William stood in the back of the group, Lacey on his back watching her. Trace stood off to her left with Mason. Nicole, Joel and Harlow waiting right in front of her, ready to go as Nicole and Aimz talked softly. “Before we go, I have one thing to say.” She muttered lifting a finger in the air. “You look ridiculous with that strapped to your chest.” Charlie stated pointing at Joel with the baby harness on his chest, Harlow tucked inside it. “Alright let’s go!” She smiled at Joel, his eyes narrowed at her while he wrapped his arms around the baby harness and Harlow. “Aimz, lead!” She muttered, gasping Aimz did as told pointing out things people ought to know on the long street that would lead up straight down to Pier 39.

“No, see,” Joel paused lightly as he lifted one hand while he talked to the group watching him. “I don’t get the point to that. It just seems weird to think of it that way. I mean seriously… I know it works, but… it’s just weird.” He stated, the group had been walking for about fifteen minutes, a small group of kids were following them as everyone but Mason and Aimz listened to Joel talk. The group just laughed as Nicole slapped a hand to her forehead as if wondering why she was even with him.

“I see your point.” Charlie muttered the group looked at her. “But, that’s only because I know you’re mentally challenged.” She added making the group laugh. “So I hope to god, that kid you got there,” She stated pointing at Harlow still in the baby harness on his chest. “Get’s her genes, other wise she’s screwed.” Charlie mused lightly falling back behind the group as she tucked her hands behind her head while they watched her.

“What are you doing?” Lacey asked from her perch on William’s back. “Charlie?” She asked noticing the woman wasn’t paying attention to her as she slid back across the sidewalk as she walked backwards. “Char… it’s a Starbucks.” She laughed as Charlie pulled the large glass door open and vanished inside the establishment.

The smells of coffee swirled around her as she looked at the nearly empty coffee shop. It was a little weird to see it so empty, but none the less she liked it, it meant she got her coffee faster.

Sliding up to the counter she smiled at the young teenage boy behind the counter watching her with wide eyes behind his glasses. Waving lightly her eyes darted to the board of drinks as she slowly removed her sunglasses so she could see better in the dim light of the store.

“I’ll have a tall coffee, black with two pumps of sweetener.” She stated the guy nodded grabbing a cup and writing it down quickly on the cup as he rang her up at the same time. Charlie paid the kid in cash as she looked around, the others crowded around her looking at the board as well. “See, I have some good ideas.” She smiled at them as she slid along the counter waiting for her easy to make drink. “Thanks.” She smiled at the guy that set her drink up on the counter after calling it out.

Charlie took a seat next to Joel waiting at a table by himself everyone else still in line or debating what they wanted from the back of the group. Her eyes danced over the different heights of the group, the different cloths and coloring of it, the different hair styles. Charlie paused lifting a finger pointing at the back of William’s head and scanning the rest of the group, she couldn’t find her bleach blonde friends. Dipping her eyes down to everyone’s legs she sighed, nor could she find red pants.

“We lost Aimz and Mason.” She stated sipping the hot sweet drink. A smile slipped onto her face at the taste and the burning sensation trickling down the inside of her chest warming her from the inside as Joel looked around the group and shrugged. “It’s not a good thing.” She mused lightly taking another sip of the hot liquid.

“Why, was she the only one that knows how to get there?” He asked as the chair on the other side of him pulled out and Trace took a seat holding a vitamin water in his large hands with a confused look. “We lost Amy and Mason.” There was a few seconds where Trace just processed the words before he slapped his forehead with a groan. “And I think Amy’s the only one who knows how to get to the pier.” He asked, Trace let his head hit the table as he became completely dramatic for no reason.

“No, that’s not it, she’ll just freak out when she finds out we’re gone.” Charlie stated. “To get to the pier you just keep following this street towards the bay, and it’ll be right there.” She laughed. “It’s not hard to find from Beach Street, North Point Street, or Bay Street. I mean seriously.” She shrugged sipping her drink again as it warmed her hands and the warmth inside her chest faded. “It’s pretty easy to get around this city.” She finished still sipping her coffee as both men stared at her blankly knowing from experience that it was easier to get lost in the city than to find your way around. “You follow the 80, the 280 for one half of this island the other half all you have to do it find Geary Blvd or Divisadero street that turns into Castro Street. The two do interest at one point.” She muttered lightly.

“Yeah, well your best friend lives here you know where mostly everything is.” Trace shot as Nicole sat down next to Joel with a smile and a small cup of tea in her hand. Charlie shrugged lightly ready to debate the fact that, Amy hadn’t lived in San Francisco more than four years. “And William’s girlfriend lives here.” He added as Nicole watched the two a bit confused.

“Exactly.” Joel shot in pointing at her as well smiling lightly.

“Lacey and Aimz are sisters, and they’ve lived her less than four years.” Charlie mumbled lightly not ever looking up from her cup. Trace sighed leaning on his hand.

“They’ve still live here, so they know their way around.” He muttered as the other joined them drinks in hand. Trace left it at that as she stood up still sipping her drink. Standing as well the group followed her out the door as she headed down the street sipping her drink.

Removing her sunglasses from the top of her head she placed them back on her face as the sun glared down at her through the tops of the tall buildings and the small trees lining the wide sidewalks. Everyone lingered around her as she walked, her hips swaying a bit as the sea breeze pushed and pulled at her black locks, her painted red lips seemed to be set into pout as she watched two people walking along about fifty or sixty yards in front of her.

“Found them.” Trace stated pointing at the two she’d already spotted. The bright red pants and the large brown jacket on one of them was a dead give away to who they were. Nodding Charlie sipped her drink ignoring him as the others passed them quickly hoping to catch up with Mason and Amy. “Should I say sorry?” Trace asked cracking the seal of his drink as he watched her from under his sunglasses.

“For what?” She asked lightly looking back at him. He shrugged lightly.

“I don’t know, but you seem angry at me I guess.” Trace muttered softly lifting the ring of the bottle to his lips, holding it there for a few seconds as he spoke before taking a drink. Her lips forced down a bit more as she shrugged a bit.

“I’m not mad.” She muttered lightly. “I just have coffee.” She stated holding the cup up to him with a smile.

“So, for future reference,” He stated placing the cap back on his orange vitamin water as he pursed his lips. “When you have coffee you’re a very unsocial person.” Smiling she nodded at him as they paused waiting for the light to change as they stopped at it, noticing the group have been divided quite a bit since they left the coffee shop. “Alright then.” He nodded opening his drink again as the two walked in silence down the long street listening to the cars pass them, the sounds of the trolley bells ringing as they came down the slightly slopped hill, the rustling of the trees, the sounds of boat horns, the chatter of people lifting in the air, and each other’s breathing and shoe’s scuffing against the pavement.

“Hey guys.” Charlie jumped startled by the sudden voice, she’d been enjoying the silence she had with Trace as they both just sipped on their drinks and took in the serene and calm moment surrounding them.

Turning Trace looked at the person then down at Charlie looking at what was left of her coffee running down the side of the Styrofoam cup and her pale and tattooed hands and fingers, an annoyed frown on her painted red lips, her nose scrunching up a bit in annoyance.

Turning Charlie looked at Ronnie walking closer.

“What’d you want?” She hissed at him as she wandered to the nearest trashcan, Trace followed knowing it was safer to stick on her good side then talk with Ronnie and possibly die.

“Max said something about you guys going to Pier 39…” Ronnie muttered lightly stuffing his hands in his pocket as she ran her hands over her black pants trying to get the coffee of them. Trace stepped back from the two wandering towards the store they stood in front of. “Is it… uh, just you two?” Ronnie asked his eyes watching her chest as the sun light glittered off the white exposed skin from the tan leather vest.

“Here.” Charlie stopped looking up at Trace holding out white napkins. Smiling she took them from him cleaning off her hands and her pants a little.

“Thanks.” She whispered softly. He shrugged a bit glancing at Ronnie glaring at him. Nodding lightly he watched as she threw the napkins away, a few still in his hands as he waited. Tossing them into the trashcan as well he followed Charlie. Ronnie glared at their backs but followed none the less falling into step with the two after a few moments.

“So is it just you two?” Ronnie asked lightly watching them, his eyes lingering on Charlie’s chest for a few seconds.

“No.” Trace growled lightly seeing Ronnie’s eyes linger. “The other’s are up there.” He stated pointing at them as Charlie looked up at Trace a bit confused by the sudden harsh and angry tone he was using. The fact that his blue eyes were covered my his large sunglasses she couldn’t tell what they looked at, if it was her, Ronnie or someone or something else, but she could tell her was angry.

“Oh, cool… so what are you guys going to do down there?” Ronnie asked trying to get Charlie to talk to him as he smirked down at her, but Trace held Charlie’s attention with his sudden anger.

“Don’t know yet, we haven’t figured that out yet.” Traced growled looking away from Ronnie, his jaw tight as he walked along next to Charlie; he just wanted to grab her by the wrist and walk away from Ronnie, but he know Ronnie would only follow.

“Oh… do you know what’s down there?” Ronnie asked still trying to get Charlie to talk to him, ignoring the negative and angry vibes he was getting from Trace. Truth be told, Ronnie was ingoing angering Trace, it seemed like some sort of sick game to him.

“Yeah.” Charlie muttered glancing over at him before she looked back at Trace pushing his long swiping fringe out of his face as he frowned at the ground in front of him, annoyed Charlie hadn’t noticed Ronnie’s eyes were fixed on her chest. “But that doesn’t mean we’ve figured out what we’re going to do.” She muttered lightly looking at Ronnie as he nodded his head slowly.

“Makes sense.” Ronnie mused softly watching Trace’s tight jaw, and narrowed brows with amusement.