Hypnotized by the Carbon Monoxide

Everyone eyed their cards closely before tossing in their first item of clothing. Most the items on the table were shoes or a belt, no major article of clothing set out to be lost yet. No one was angling to get naked first.

Trace swallowed as he sat in his chair in nothing but his boxers nearly an hour later. He glanced at everyone around the table. He wasn’t the only one stripped down. The two girls form the party were almost completely naked like him. Ronnie, Mason, Max and Aimz were in the similar boat as him. Ronnie was in his boxer and had someone else shirt on the table, Max was putting up a strappy high-heel to keep his boxers, Mason was getting rid of his shirt to keep his boxers, and Aimz was putting up someone’s pants to keep her bra and underwear. Ant and Charlie on the other hand, had yet to lose hardly anything. Ant had lost both his shoes, socks, belt and shirt. Charlie had lost both her shoes and a sock, which was the only other item Trace currently had to bet other than his own boxers.

Placing the small black sock on the table he frowned at his cards, not sure if he should’ve bet it or not. Sighing he looked around the table at everyone. Ant tossed in a pair of pants and a shirt, Trace sat up seeing his shirt and jeans back on the table. He had to win this hand. Charlie tossed Ronnie’s shoes on the table with a shrug and a small head nod.

Trace groaned at the river along with Ronnie and Max. They’re turned into bad poker players once they’d lost both their pants and their shirts. Aimz let out a small squeal while Mason waved his hands around for the flop.

“Shit.” Mason huffed as Aimz slouched back in her chair.

“I win.” Charlie stated taking the articles or clothing off the table and putting them in her pile.

“Why are you so good at cards?” Mason asked softly. Charlie looked at him, a smile etched into her full lips.

“I’m not, you guys are just really bad.” It was true they’d been over enthusiastic with their betting where she and Ant had been more cautious with how and what they bet.

“Can I just not play anymore?” Max asked softly, his eyes darting over to the corner of the room where Brendon was currently making out with some random girls that had shown up, they weren’t even the ones playing strip poker with them. “That looks more fun than this, to be honest.” He stated softly. Everyone rolled there eyes at him but nodded none the less.

“I say we call it quits.” Charlie muttered softly. The whole game had been bothering her, the completely naked blonde they’d been playing with kept touching Trace’s bare shoulder. She wasn’t sure if he’d even noticed with how focused and determined he was to try and win the next hand, but it was starting to really piss Charlie off.

“Can I have my cloths back then?” Mason asked with a hopeful smile, Trace lifted his hand in the air agreeing. Laughing Charlie stood with her loot.

“No. You bet it, I won it. Makes it mine.” She stated leaving quickly. Aimz gasped.

“You have my shirt you whore!” She yelled as the closed door. “And my pants.” She whispered softly to her self. Mason complained a bit as well while looking at Ant’s cloths.

“I don’t see why you’re complaining.” Ant muttered softly as he passed out the cloths he had. “This is your room.” Mason got up in a huffed and moved to his bags.

“You wanna lend me a pair of pants or something?” Trace asked as he watched Mason dig through his cloths.

“No.” Mason stated throwing a shirt at Aimz. “Sorry.” He gasped as he smacked her in the face. She waved a hand and pulled on the long shirt.

“Sorry Trace…” Trace turned at Ant’s words. “I lost your cloths.” He stated with a small frown. He nodded slowly noticing Ronnie was squeezing into Max’s small jeans.

“That’s a disturbing sight.” Trace muttered to himself softly as he stood up. “I’m out of here.” He added wandering to the door. Aimz followed him with a wave of her hand. “I can’t believe she just stole my cloths.” He whispered as they wandered to the elevator, his hands covering his front. He felt oddly exposed for having boxers on.

Knocking on Charlie’s door he sighed waiting, he tried to not look around at anyone passing him. It was rather embarrassing, Aimz had even ditched him for her room not carring. But He had to go up several more floors to get to his room so he was going to try and get his cloths first.

“What are you doing?” Turning Trace smiled at Matt.

“Hoping to get my cloths back.” Trace stated lightly before knocking again, ignoring Matt as best he could.

“Why does she have your cloths?” He asked a bit annoyed.

“Because we were playing strip poker and she won them and she didn’t give them back and I really need my pants, they have my room key still in them.” Matt stopped.

“Who all played?” He asked softly.

“Obviously my self and your sister, then there was Ronnie, Ant, Mason, Aimz, Max and I think a few drunk people who I’ve never met before.” Matt nodded as the door swung open and Charlie stood in Trace’s shirt. “That’s my shirt.” He gasped softly pointing at it.

“Well technically it’s mine since I won it.” She stated smiling at him.

“Can I at least have my pants?” Trace asked softly. “Or the room key out of the pocket?” He asked hopefully.

“Well…” Charlie mused, leaning against the door as both Trace and Matt watched her. “Technically I won your pants, and the contents in them. So… no.” She closed the door in his face.

“But… I need the key to get… damnit!” Trace gasped as Matt patted him on the back and ventured down the hall. “You wanna go get me another room key?” Trace asked hopefully.

“Nope.” Matt stated as he turned the corner to get to his room.

“Damnit!” Trace gasped again. The door to Charlie’s room swung open.

“Get in here.” Charlie stated a bit roughly. Nodding Trace did as told.

“So can I have my pants?” He asked softly. Charlie leaned against the door, arms crossed over her chest.

“Why do you want your room key?”

“So I can go get cloths…” He mused softly.

“Or is it because you wanna take that little whore to your room?” Charlie snapped at him. Trace’s brows narrowed at her.

“Whoa, time out. I don’t have a little whore, last time I checked I was your little whore.” He stated, in all honesty Charlie ruled their sex life making him the toy or in this case the whore.

Charlie laughed bitterly.

“SO you don’t want fuck her?”

“Who’s her?” Trace asked, throwing his arms up.

“The naked girl that was hitting on you all night long.” Charlie snapped. Trace’s shoulder dropped as he licked his lips thinking.

“I didn’t get hit on at all. I got teased by the guys because I was the first one to lose my pants, but… that’s it.” He stated trying to recall a moment when he realized he was being hit on. Nothing came to mind.

“Bullshit.” Charlie hissed at him. “She was sitting next to you and touching you all night long even more so when you lost your shirt.” She snapped bitterly at him. Trace laughed lightly at her.

“Just because some bitch, who I don’t even remember, was touching me doesn’t mean I’m going to go fuck her.” He snapped back. “Besides if it wasn’t for Aimz I wouldn’t even have played, I would have stayed in my room and watched T.V. Do you know why I didn’t want to play?” Charlie shrugged, she really didn’t care. “Because of you.” Her face fell lightly. “I didn’t want to watch you strip for a game, I didn’t want to have to watch Ronnie eye you all night long. But Aimz, being the deceiving little woman she is, got me to play anyway.”

“Oh, so you want to see Amy naked, is that it?” Charlie hissed at him.

“No, she got to me to play by telling me if I didn’t and you did lose all your cloths Ronnie would jump you and that I might need to be there to beat the shit out of him. She forgot to mention to some degree that you are a master at strip poker!” Trace lied, he’d known all about her skills in the game but he couldn’t just say she knows how to play and leave her to preyed on by Ronnie. “I didn’t want to play. I didn’t want to strip, I didn’t want to play poker, and I have no clue what woman you’re talking about, but I don’t see why you even care.” Laughing bitterly she opened her mouth. “We’re not even dating, I’m just your rebound.” Trace hissed at her as he looked for his pants. “That’s all I am, nothing more.”

“Like you don’t like.” Charlie hissed at him. Turning around he threw his hands in the air.

“No I do, but I’m not all about sex. You don’t get it.” He whispered softly. Charlie blocked the door and rolled a hand from him to explain. “I thought WiL was the luckiest man on the planet because he had you, and now I’m so close to being that guy but I can’t have you the same way he had you because all you want from me is my fucking dick.” He hissed at her. “I want to go to the movies with you, I want to take you to dinner, I was to give you gifts you don’t need, to hold your hand and kiss you and not care if your brother or anyone else knows or see’s because your mine, mine. That’s what I want, but you just want my dick. If I could take it off and give it to you. I would.” Trace pushed her aside and left. “Now I need another effin room key.” He whispered to himself as he left the room.

Charlie stood there, the door still open, arms wrapped tightly around herself as she watched the door. She wanted him to come back, to say something else or give her the chance to say something.

“You were never a rebound.” She whispered to herself, hoping he’d hear. Biting on her bottom lip she closed the door softly and locked it. She sank to the ground hugging her knees close to her chest. She took a deep breath of Trace’s shirt and smiled softly. She liked the way he smelled.