Hypnotized by the Carbon Monoxide

“Come on.” Trace muttered grabbing Charlie’s wrist leading her into the first shop on the pier he saw. It was a souvenir store, but he really didn’t care and neither did Charlie. All she wanted to know was why he was so egger to get into the store. He could find plenty of them on the pier. “Look.” He muttered pointing at some shirts near the back and pulling her along as he turned looking back at Ronnie walking over looking a bit annoyed by the fact Charlie was being dragged away from him.

“What’s the hurry?” Charlie asked softly as Trace crouched down hiding behind the display as Charlie stood a bit hunched over looking at it. “And why are you crouching?” She added lightly watching him with curious eyes. Biting on his bottom lip he stood up a bit more, staying hunched over.

“Promise you won’t kill me?” He asked softly, she nodded sinking down a bit more to him. Wrapping an arm around her shoulders he moved them along around the display as he saw Ronnie a bit. “Well, I’m tired of watching Ronnie look down your shirt and visually rape you.” Smiling Charlie hugged him, making him freeze.

“Thank you.” She whispered he nodded as they ended up near the front of the store and out the door around the back of it on the boardwalk on the pier that would lead them straight to the seals.

“So you don’t have a problem dih…” Trace trailed off as Ronnie walked up smiling hands in his pockets, a small annoyed smile on his lips. “Hey Ronnie.” He mumbled waving lightly as he crossed his arms over his chest looking down at Charlie who frowned. “What?” He asked seeing the small glare behind her sunglasses. With a whine and a groan Charlie let her head fall against his chest startling him as she slid her arms around his waist just under his crossed arms. “What?” He asked lightly unfolding his arms and placing them on her shoulders. He was a bit surprised by the sudden contact, but wasn’t pushing it away.

“Let’s go see the seals.” Charlie muttered pulling away from Trace and grabbing his wrist dragging him along this time. They didn’t move nearly as fast as Trace had and Ronnie kept up easily, but she wasn’t trying to lose Ronnie.

She let Trace’s wrist go as they got to the seals, she hadn’t been the only one with the idea to go see the seals. Nicole and Joel stood at the railing as they tried to get Harlow to look.

“Don’t drop the poor thing in; I don’t think she can swim yet.” Charlie joked as she leaned on the railing a few feet away as both glared at her. “I was joking I know you won’t drop her.” Both turned their attention back to the seals before switching the baby harness so Joel wasn’t carrying Harlow anymore as he began taking pictures.

“Hey Charlie…” She looked up from the seals and made a face at him and his camera. “That’s going up in my blog as the annoying, man eating, fun sucking sarcastic guitarist.” He smiled at her. Frowning she snatched the camera and took a picture of him as closes as she could get, making him fall over a bit startled by the action.

“And last time I checked I don’t eat people...that’s gross.” Charlie muttered tossing Joel his camera back as he stood up. Gasping he fumbled with the camera trying to catch it and not drop it.

“Be nice.” Nicole laughed as she watched the two. Slowly she walked to Charlie who turned around looking back down at the seals. “When’d Ronnie get here?” She whispered leaning her head against Charlie’s shoulder lightly.

“He caught up with us while we were walking.” Charlie whispered. “I really don’t wanna deal with him.” She added watching as the seals lounged a few playing in the water, she took note of the numbers on them to keep track of them and keep them safe.

A shoulder bumped against hers as she leaned on the railing. Glancing over at Ronnie for a second she let her eyes fall back on the seals only to freeze at the pair of arm falling over her with a large shadow. Glancing up she noticed Trace leaning over her and smiled tugging on his shirt and bit childishly.

“Look at number thirty-six.” She stated pointing at the small baby seal laying on a bard all by it’s self, it’s cream colored belly pointed in the air as it’s large, glossy black eyes watched everyone on the pier with interest.

“Which one?” Traced asked leaning down a bit more, Charlie glanced at Joel and Nicole staring at them with raised brows at the odd sight of Trace leaning over Charlie and Charlie not actually freaking out by the sudden close contact of the guitarist.

“Thirty-six.” She muttered pulling her phone out and quickly texting Nicole she’d tell her and Joel what was going on later. Nicole nodded and whispered Joel who looked away from the two.

“The small one?” Trace asked pointing at it. She nodded eagerly. “What about it?” He asked looking down at her as she smiled up at him. Trace had to admit, WiL was a lucky guy and he’d at that moment felt like he’d give anything to have Charlie be his.

“It’s cute isn’t it?” She asked, Trace shrugged not to sure he understood the terms of cute in a girls world. “Nod and agree.” Charlie sighed. Smiling Trace nodded down at her.

“Damn cute.” He added she laughed leaning on the banister a bit more and lifting her legs. “I’m behind you.” Trace gasped spreading his legs as her feet lifted between them. Instantly she dropped them with small giggle.

“Sorry.” Charlie gasped looking up at him. “Do you think I could get him to come home with me?” Trace’s narrowed his brows at her and looked down at her.

“What, number thirty-six?” He asked she nodded. “Maybe, but I don’t think Puff would be happy.” Trace muttered watching as Charlie frowned thinking about it. “Besides even if Puff didn’t mind and number thirty-six didn’t eat Puff,” Charlie gasped looking up at Trace with wide blue eyes at the thought of the seal eating her beloved hamster. “Which would be horrible,” He added watching as she nodded slowly thinking about it. “Where would you put it? I mean you’re on a tour bus and I know you’re not putting it in your Mustang.” He muttered she sighed leaning back against the railing.

“But he’s cute.” She muttered softly.

“And he’d probably try and eat you.” Charlie looked at Ronnie and his comment.

“I could feed him you… or Brendon.” She smiled looking towards Trace as he shook his head laughing softly. “What, I could.” She muttered and looked at Ronnie. “You wouldn’t mind being eaten by a baby seal would you?” She asked smiling at him and leaning towards him a bit.

“Actually I would.” Ronnie muttered pulling away from her and sitting on the large block like bench. He wasn’t too happy that Trace was closer to Charlie, got her attention more, got to actually touch her and even got to be alone with her.

“Spoil sport.” She grumbled as she went back to watching the seals, Trace was keeping a close tab on Ronnie waiting for a moment where he could grab Charlie and duck away from Ronnie. He really didn’t like the guy for some reason. “Wanna go to the sock store?” She asked softly.

“In a… wait what?” Trace asked looking down at her a bit startled by the words sock and store. He was acting as if she’d said sex store instead. “They have a sock store?” He mumbled, nodding she smiled up at him. “Okay let me get this,” He stated placing a hand over his mouth as he pulled away from her, giving Charlie enough room to turn around and watch him; his black and dark brown hair sweeping in front of his large black sunglasses hiding his bright blue eyes, his large lips twisting into a lopsided grin under his long slender fingers, both his Monroe’s glistening in the bright San Francisco sun; all as he tried to gather his thoughts. “You look like a bad ass and could probably kick my ass, yet if I held up a cup of coffee, a hamster- preferably you’re hamster,” He stated removing his long slender fingers from his lips to point them at her. “Or mention something about socks you’d more than likely not kick my ass?” He asked softly still pointing at her as he crossing his other arm over his upper stomach, fingers clutching the fabric of his black shirt.

“More than likely.” Charlie muttered smiling up at him as she gripped the railing with a smile.

“I’m going to start carrying around a pair of nice socks in my back pocket.” Trace muttered watching as she smiled at him, getting the teasing joke.

“Or you could stick them in the front of your pants.” Both stopped looking at Ronnie glaring at them from his spot on the bench.

“You really shouldn’t be looking at Trace’s junk. People might start thinking your gay.” Charlie muttered wiggling her hips a bit as the man glared at her, ready to push her over the railing and into the seal and possibly shark infested waters of the marina and bay.

“Whatever.” Ronnie mumbled standing up and walking off before he did push the teasing woman and evil woman into the bay. He’s idea of her had just flipped in all of two seconds; sure he still wanted in her pants, but he was done chasing her after only two days and getting no where.

Trace and Charlie watched as Ronnie walked away, both a bit surprised. Throwing her Arms up Charlie quickly hugged Trace startling him by the action.

“Spill.” Both teens looked at Nicole pointing at them from behind a baby harness.

“So, Ronnie’s a jerk right?” Charlie started still leaning on the railing as Nicole nodded. “Well Trace isn’t.” She muttered watching Nicole look at Trace before back at her. “And Trace was being awesome and trying to save me from Ronnie’s pervertedness, and that’s how all that kinda started. He’s my protector from Ronnie.” She smiled Nicole nodded lightly as Joel rolled his eyes out how stupid it all sounded. “Now, to the sock store.” Charlie muttered grabbing Trace’s wrist pulling him along.

“But I don’t wanna go to the sock store.” He whined with a frown following her none the less though. “Can we go some where else?” He asked lightly watching the back of her head despite the fact that his eyes seemed to want to drop a little lower.

“No.” She stated flatly pulling him into the sock store moments later. His eyes trialing over the plastic legs displaying the different socks, his eyes lingered on thigh high rainbows. “I have those somewhere.” Charlie mused pointing at them as she finally let go of his wrist and began to wonder the store. Trace glance to his right, it was nothing but fish-net stockings. The women behind the counter were staring at him as he stood awkwardly in the door way removing his sunglasses as Charlie vanished behind a display. “Trace come here!” she gasped. Doing as told Trace wandered to the last place he saw her and stopped as she held up a pair of a hot pink fish-net thigh highs. “What’d you think?” Trace closed his eyes shaking his head as the image of Charlie in a skirt or shorts in the pink fish-nets flashed in his mind.

“Would you actually wear them?” He asked opening his eyes to look at her, his eyes falling over his long curvy, slender calves up to her rounded, perfectly shaped tights before they trailed back down. Charlie watched his eyes. “I seriously can’t see you in pink fish-nets.” He muttered his eyes snapping up to meet her blue ones.

“Really?” Charlie asked holding them out a bit. He nodded.

“But that’s just me.” He shrugged looking around still feel very awkward in the store. Charlie frowned a bit at the fish-nets, she really like the color, but in all honesty she knew she probably wouldn’t wear them. Putting them back she wandered away, a frown still set on her lips.