Chapter 8

( Back at the hotel - around 11:30PM )

“Girl you’re crazy!” Jeremy laughed as they entered the hotel lobby.

“I’m not crazy!  I’m just….” Kerrigan paused in a hazy thought.  “drunk?” she finally asked, when nothing else came to mind.  And all the guys laughed.

After leaving the tattoo shop, they had stopped off at a local bar and grill to get something to eat.  After their long day at the park and then the few hours they spent at the tattoo shop while Greg was getting his tattoo touched up and Kerrigan getting her navel pierced, they were all quite hungry.

The guys had all ordered beers and a few shots at the restaurant, and not wanting to leave Kerrigan out, even though he knew she wasn’t twenty one yet.  Cody had slipped her a few drinks as well.  Apparently he had slipped her a few too many because the girl was trashed.  She couldn’t even walk on her own without his assistance.

Standing off to the side of the lobby talking to a couple of the hotel’s female staff members, were Chris and Trace.  They had gotten bored upstairs, and had been wandering around the hotel in search of something to do when they had spotted a couple cute hotel clerks in the lobby.  Of course they had to stop and say hello.

But then they heard all the ruckus coming from the entrance and turned to see what was going on.  Nothing prepared them for the site of an obviously inebriated Kerrigan, virtually being carried through the lobby.  While pulling her shirt up to nearly everyone that she came in contact with.

Immediately concerned with what the hell was going on, both Chris and Trace abruptly left the girls they had been speaking to without a word and rushed over to where Kerrigan and the guys were waiting for the elevators.

“Kerrigan?” Trace said as they approached.

Kerrigan looked up and seen Chris and Trace approaching.  She broke free from Cody’s hold and stumbled over to them.  “CHRIS!  TRACE!” she called, a lot louder than necessary.  “LOOK!” she told them, as she pulled up her shirt.

Trace quickly grabbed her hands and pulled her shirt back down to it’s appropriate position.  “What are you doing, Kerr?  Trying to flash us?” he asked, baffled.  He’d never seen her like this before.

“No, you dumbass.  LOOK!” she said, again pulling up her shirt and then pointing out her navel.  “I got it pierced!” she smiled, proudly.

Chris and Trace shared a concerned look.  What the hell had gotten into her?  “How much have you had to drink?” Chris questioned.

“Drink?” Kerrigan gave him a lost look.  “I haven’t had anything to drink.” she said and then turned to the group of guys she had just been with.  “Have I?” she asked them.

Each of the guys nodded somewhat guiltily.  They could all tell by the looks on Trace and Chris’ face that they weren’t too pleased to find their friend in her condition.  In fact Trace looked pretty pissed off, if they were judging the glare he was giving them correctly.

“What did you guys give her?” Trace asked, glaring at the men.

Cody stepped forward from the group.  “She had a couple beers and a shot or two of whisky.”

“You do know she’s not twenty one?” Chris asked.

“Yeah, I know.  But we were all drinking and she said she wanted a beer, so I got her one.” he shrugged.  “She said she’d be twenty one in like a month, so I didn’t think it was a big deal.”

Chris shook his head in disappointment.  So far he’d thought that Cody was a pretty decent guy.  But from this show of events, he was quickly changing his mind about the man.  “You shouldn’t have given her anything.” he said and then turned his attention back to Trace.  “How are we gonna get her past Justin?  He’ll flip if he sees her like this.”

“Well, they were all in Joey’s room when we left.  Maybe we’ll luck out and they’ll still be in there and we can get her to her room without him seeing.” Trace shrugged.

“I can’t believe this shit.” Chris grumbled, looking at Kerrigan.  She was completely off in her own world.  Totally oblivious to anything Chris and Trace were talking about.  “Ok, let’s get you to bed.” he finally said, motioning her to move towards the elevator when the door opened.

“I was gonna make sure she got to her room ok.” Cody spoke up, as Trace and Chris stepped inside with Kerrigan.  None of the other guys made a move for that particular elevator.  It was more than obvious they weren’t welcome to join them.

“Well, it’s nice to know you were thinking ahead.” Trace growled as the doors closed.  He then turned his attention to Chris.  “I can’t believe he got her drunk.”

Chris only sighed and shook his head.  He wasn’t sure what to think.

Kerrigan looked at the two.  “I like Cody.  He’s a fun guy.  And REALLY hot!” she smiled.

“Oh, jeez!” Trace groaned.  This is not what he needed to hear at the moment.

But before Kerrigan could go on any further the elevator doors opened to their floor.  Chris stuck his head out to check the hall and it was clear, with the exception of their security staff.  He looked back and nodded at Trace that it was ok to go and they both took one of Kerrigan’s arms to lead her off the elevator and down the hall.

When they finally made their way to her door, they stopped and Trace turned his attention to Kerrigan.  “Where’s your room key, Kerr?”

“Um….my back pocket?” she shrugged, unsure.

“Get it out.” he told her.

“You get it out.” she shot back.

“I’m not sticking my hand in your pocket.  You get the damn key out.” Trace argued with her.

“I can’t.  You do it.” she replied lazily.

Chris chuckled lightly at the two.  He knew he shouldn’t be laughing, but he couldn’t help himself.  It was funny.

“It’s not funny, Chris.” Trace growled when he finally relented and stuck his hand in Kerrigan’s back pocket, only to find it empty.

“The other one.” Kerrigan instructed.

“Why didn’t you say that in the first place?” Trace glared at her.

Kerrigan shrugged then smirked at him flirtatiously.  “I know you’ve always wanted to touch my ass, so I gave you your chance.”

At that Chris out right laughed.  Never had he heard anything like that come out of Kerrigan’s mouth.  And by the look on Trace’s face he hadn’t either.  Well, that or he had just been totally busted by Kerrigan.

“SHUT UP, CHRIS!” Trace yelled at him, when Chris’ laughing only increased.

“I can’t.  You shoulda….shoulda seen your face!” he stuttered in response.

And with that Kerrigan started laughing as well.  She wasn’t really sure what she was laughing at, but Chris was laughing, and whatever he was laughing at seemed to be funny.  And just watching Chris laugh at the moment was funny to her, so she laughed too.

“Ugh” Trace groaned at the two laughing hyenas at his side.  “Would you two shut up?”

Chris was about to reply, when suddenly they heard Justin’s voice.  “What’s going on down there?” Both Chris and Trace froze.  Chris no longer laughing, although Kerrigan hadn’t stopped.

“Shit!” Trace mumbled under his breath.

“Kerrigan, is that you?” Justin asked, hearing her laughter.

Both Chris and Trace were trying to hide her behind them, but considering that they were both short and Kerrigan was pretty tall for a girl, it was pretty much useless.  Especially, with her laughing the way she was.  You couldn’t hide something as loud as she was.

Kerrigan’s laughter died off and she looked to Justin as he made his way down the hall.  “J!” she yelled, breaking free from both Chris and Trace, stumbling off.

“Shit, shit, shit!” Trace cursed under his breath.  They were SO busted.

Chris and Trace turned around, watching Kerrigan stumble her way towards Justin, who was heading their way.  Joey, JC and Lance following closely behind him.

“LOOK!” Kerrigan said loudly pulling up her shirt.

Justin’s eyes nearly bulged out of his head, and he quickly closed the distance between him and Kerrigan.  Grabbing her shirt and pulling it down.  “What the hell is wrong with you?  What are you doing?” he asked her.  He couldn’t believe she had just pulled her shirt up in front of him.  And not only him, but all the other guys in the hall as well.

“Look!” Kerrigan said, again pulling her shirt up and pointing to her stomach.

Justin wasn’t really looking at her stomach.  He was trying to keep his eyes focused elsewhere to prevent from seeing her bra again, but when he noticed her pointing to her navel, something shiny caught his eye.  “What the hell did you do?” he cried out, her exposed bra forgotten.  His eyes were now locked on her navel and the hoop that was clearly pierced through it.

“I got it pierced.” she nodded her head, smiling proudly.

Joey, Lance and JC joined Justin’s side and inspected her stomach.  “That you did.” JC stated.

Justin looked up at Kerrigan’s face and suddenly realized, and he wasn’t sure how he had missed it before, but the girl was drunk off her ass.  And then he remembered her shirt was still pulled up, and the other guys were just standing there gawking at her.

He quickly pulled her shirt back down and stared at her.  “Kerrigan, you’re drunk!” he stated.  And his statement was met with a blank stare in return.  “You’re beyond drunk.” he added.

Kerrigan smiled at him.  “I had fun today, J.  You shoulda come.” she slurred.

Justin shook his head in disbelief.  The anger growing inside of him.  He knew something like this was going to happen.  Well, maybe not this exactly but something had told him not to trust that guy Cody, and this was all the proof he needed.

The guy had taken Kerrigan out.  Got her drunk.  And somehow talked her into getting her navel pierced, and God only knows what else.  He just could not believe this.  He was going to kill the him.

Chris noticed Justin clenching his free fist together.  He could tell from that simple action that Justin was beyond pissed, and he could only imagine the things that were rolling through his mind at that moment.  This was not good.  Not good at all.

“Where is he?” Justin asked in a low growl.

“Who?” Chris asked innocently, knowing exactly who Justin was talking about.

“Dammit, you know who!  Cody!  Where the hell is he?” Justin demanded.

“Probably in his room, J.  They were all waiting for the elevators when we seen them.” Chris relented.

“He was going to take her to his room?” Justin growled, growing even more pissed.

“NO!  He said he was going to make sure she got back to her room ok.  I don’t think he’s that stupid.” Chris explained, but Justin didn’t respond.

Instead he started to move away from Kerrigan to head for the elevators.  His mission was clear to everyone there but Kerrigan.  Again she was off in her own little world, totally oblivious to the others surrounding her.

Joey quickly grabbed Justin by the arm.  “J.” he said.

“Let me go, Joe.” Justin growled in return.

“Justin, calm down.  You can’t go down there and start a fight with the guy.  So he gave her a few drinks.  He brought her back to the hotel safe and sound.” Lance tried to reason with him.

“She’s not even twenty one!” Justin defended.

“That hasn’t stopped you in the past from giving her drinks.  Or any of us for that matter.” JC pointed out.

“I’ve never gotten her sloppy drunk before.”

“Yes you have.  Even Chris got her drunk one night.  You didn’t have a fit about that.” Lance continued.

“That’s different!” he objected.

“How’s it different?” Lance asked.

“Because I trust Chris.  I know Chris wouldn’t get her drunk and try to take advantage of her.  I don’t know shit about this guy!  All I know is he took her out, and then he brings her back drunk and pierced.  God only knows what else could have happened.  Or did happen for that matter!”

“J, I’m upset with this guy too.  I think we all are, but going down there and starting a fight isn’t going to solve anything.  Right now you need to look out for Kerrigan, and while I know that beating the snot out of the guy is one of your ideas of doing just that, she needs you more right now.” JC said.

Justin looked over at Kerrigan.  She was watching the guys, but not saying anything.  It was evident by the blank expression on her face that she had no clue what was going.  And just seeing her like that pulled at his heart strings.

She was vulnerable.  Truly vulnerable.  Justin had never seen Kerrigan vulnerable like this.  He’d never seen her drunk like this before.  And that angered him even more so, but at the same time just seeing her like that also calmed him.  He would deal with Cody later.  JC was right.  Right now Kerrigan needed him more.

He sighed and looked at the guys.  “Fine, I won't go down their tonight.  Right now I’m gonna take Kerrigan to her room, and put her to bed.  But I’m warning you right now.  When I see that guy, you better fucking hold me back, because I cannot be held responsible for what I’ll do to him if you don’t.”

All the guys nodded in understanding, and Justin took Kerrigan by her arm.  “Come on, Kerr.  Let’s get you to your room.” he told her.

At his words Kerrigan seemed to perk up.  The blank expression on her face suddenly gone.  She smiled at Justin.  “Do you wanna touch my ass too?” she asked him.

Justin froze.  “What?” he looked at her in shock.

“Well, Trace was touching my ass a little bit ago.  I was just going to tell you that he already got the key out of my pocket so you can’t touch my ass.  You’ll have to wait till next time.” she smiled.

Justin didn’t know weather to laugh or scream.  Instead he looked back at Trace who only shrugged as Chris chuckled, and then turned his attention back to Kerrigan.  “There’s not gonna be a next time, Kerr.  Not if I have anything to do with it.” he said, and then lead her down the hall to her room.