A/N: This is just a short piece that I came up with thanks to my sister's newest obsession. It is also the first break in my writers block that I've had in over a year and a half, so please be gentle. Also, if it seems that I know a little too much about Chuck E. Cheese's policies, it's because I do. Unfortunately, I've worked there for four years.
Disclaimer: I do not own Big Time Rush or Chuck E. Cheese's. They each belong to their respective owners, and no copy write infringement is intended.
Big Time Boredom
I sighed for what seemed like the millionth time today. "I'm bored," Carlos complained for somewhere to my left.
"We know," Kendall and James echoed from my right. We had been sitting here for the last half hour listening to Carlos complain and it was getting kind of old. Gustavo had given us the rare day off and already we had exhausted our to do list. So far, we had played hockey in our living room until we had almost hit Mrs. Knight upside the head with the puck and she had decided that we needed to get out of the apartment and out of the Palm Woods apparently, as she had stuffed us all into her car and dropped us off at the nearest mall. That had gone well until we got kicked out for playing mall tag. Now we were stuck here on the curb bored out of our minds until Mrs. Knight decided to come for us.
I sighed again, leaning my chin on my hand.
"I'm. . ." Carlos began again until we all cut him off with a resounding,
"Shut up!"
"Fine," he said turning from us pouting, "I won't talk, but I'm still bored. Hey, what's that?" he asked pointing across the street.
We all turned to look and I groaned, a feeling of dread settling into the pit of my stomach, as bright smiles lit up the other guys faces, for across from us stood any sane person's worst nightmare, a Chuck E. Cheese's.
"No, absolutely not!" I exclaimed as they all looked towards me, a wicked gleam in their eyes. "No!"
"Yes," they all said as Kendall and James grabbed me by my arms and began dragging me towards that brightly colored building.
"It'll be fun," Kendall insisted as I struggled against him.
"Yeah," Carlos agreed, "I mean kids have been coming here for years. What's the worst that could happen?"
"Dude, really?" I stared at him. He just smiled at me as Kendall and James continued to drag me toward the front door. I groaned as I was propelled through the door and instantly I was bombarded with the smell of pizza and sweat. Bad music played in the background intermingled with the joyful screams of little kids running wild.
"Please," I begged as we got in line. I absolutely hated Chuck E. Cheese's. There was just something about the whole concept of a kid's place having a giant mouse as a mascot that creeped me out. James just shook his head and pushed me forward when the line moved. Closing my eyes and taking a deep breath, I finally gave in as we reached the front of the line.
Behind the ropes stood a short blond girl whose face looked like she had run into a brick wall one too many times. In one hand, she held a stamper and she had a large, overly fake smile on her face as she began her spiel. "Hi! Welcome to. . ." she trailed off as she stared at us. "Wait, how old are you guys?"
"I don't know. How old do we have to be?" Kendall asked smiling at her and doing his best to be charming.
"18," she replied sounding bored.
"Then we're 18."
She looked at us appraisingly, her arms now crossed over her chest and one eyebrow raised. "Really? Then let me see your ID please."
"What?"
"Let me see your ID," she repeated.
"Why?" James asked sounding confused.
"You say your 18, but I don't believe you. So prove it. Let me see your ID." Her overly bright smile was back but this time instead of looking fake, it looked arrogant. She had us and she knew it. I grimaced and Kendall broke down.
"Fine," he said. "We're only 16, but we're not going to cause any problems. I promise." He turned pleading eyes on her as Carlos nodded eagerly behind him. Katie wasn't the only Knight who knew how to use the kicked puppy look to her advantage, and Kendall was definitely giving it all he had. It wasn't often that someone could say no to Kendall when he used "the eyes," but this girl seemed to be made out of stone as she stubbornly continued to shake her head at us.
"No, company policy states that all minors must be accompanied by an adult at all times while one the premises. And as all of you are minors and you are not accompanied by an adult, you are not allowed entry."
"But, but. . ." Carlos stuttered, completely stunned that someone had actually managed to resist Kendall's "face."
"I'm going to have to ask you to leave," the girl persisted.
"But, but. . ."
"Now."
Shoulders slumped in defeat, we turned and left the building, but now I was determined. I may have been reluctant to go, but it was something about the way that Carlos's eyes had lit up in awe at the flashing lights of the games and the looks on both Kendall and James's faces as we left that swayed me to their side. Kendall had the same maniac gleam in his eyes that he always got when he was concocting some crazy plan and I knew that no matter how hard I tried I would never be able to resist.
"So, what's the plan?" I asked, suddenly nervous as Kendall turned to look at me, a wicked smirk on his face.
"You still have that wig?"
I couldn't believe I was doing this. Again. Somehow, and I'm not sure I really want to know, James had produced a wig and a dress, and somehow they convinced me to actually wear them. "You're the smartest on out of all of us, Logan," Kendall had said, "Besides, it's not like you haven't done it before." I really, really needed new friends.
Entering the building once more, I couldn't believe we were actually going through with this, but most of all as we were greeted by the same blond as before, I couldn't believe it was actually working.
"Hi, welcome back," she said, her eyes narrowing suspiciously and her fake smile once more plastered across her face. "Is this your mom?"
"Yeah," Kendall slung his arm around me.
"What happened to the other one?"
"He, uh, had to leave." James ground out, nervous.
"Doctor's appointment," Kendall coughed.
Luckily for us, she seemed to buy our lie. "Oh, that's too bad. He was kind of cute." I blushed and Kendall's arm tightened around my shoulders. "Can I get your left hands, please?"
Starting with James, she stamped us all just about our wrists until she got to me. That's when it happened. As she leaned over to stamp my hand, she suddenly reached up, grabbed my hair, and pulled. Gasping, the wig slid off and I was left standing there in a dress, my face bright red. "Ha!" she crowed waving the wig around. "I knew it. Nice dress by the way. You almost had me."
James punched the air in front of him. "Dang it."
"I'm sorry," she said not sounding sorry at all, "but. . ."
"We're going to have to leave. Yeah, we know," we all said in unison shuffling out the door.
That left us right back where we started; sitting on the curb bored out of our minds.
"There's gotta be some way to get in there," Carlos complained.
We must have sat on that curb for over an hour, brainstorming. Each idea was even more ridiculous than the last. Finally, we ran out of options. Then it hit me. I could have smacked myself; I mean it was so obvious.
"Kendall, why didn't we just call your mom?"
He turned to me his mouth hanging open. It was like the proverbial light bulb had gone off in his head.
"Duh! Why didn't I think of that?" He pulled out his cell phone and dialed the familiar number.
"Mom? Yeah. . . We're at Chuck E. Cheese's. . . No, it's right across the street. . . Actually, they won't let us in without you. . . Yeah. . . Could you. . . Thanks, mom. Love you. Bye."
He turned to us. "She's on her way."
"Yes!"
Ten minutes later, we were on our way into the building for the third and hopefully last time. Reaching the front of the line, the girl had her back turned towards us, reading off the numbers stamped on the wrists of the family she was letting out the door. Turning back towards us with a "Have a Magical Day!" she groaned. "You again? How many times do I have to tell you that. . .?"
"We have to have an adult? Well we have one." Kendall pulled his mom forward.
The girl just laughed. "You know that didn't work the last time, so why do you think it's going to work this time? Although," she said giving Mrs. Knight a once over, "You are much more convincing that he was."
"Huh?" Mrs. Knight looked at us confused.
"I mean, I know you're a guy pretending to be a girl, but you could actually pass for one."
"What are you talking about," Mrs. Knight asked as Kendall exclaimed, "Hey that really is my mom."
"Whatever, I'm not stupid. I know you're a guy pretending to be a girl by wearing a wig. See?" With that, the girl reached up and began to yank on Mrs. Knight's hair trying to rip the "wig" off.
"Hey!"
"Get off her!"
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" the manager yelled as she ran out from behind the counter. "I'm so sorry. I don't know what came over her. You," she whirled around to face the girl. "Clock out! Now! You're fired!"
"But, but. . ."
"But nothing, there is absolutely no excuse for attacking a guest." Turing back to us the manager continued to ramble on as she led us to the counter, dragging the girl with her. After ensuring the girl was off the clock and one of the other managers had escorted her out the door, she apologized again.
"I really am sorry," she said, handing an ice pack to Mrs. Knight, who stood rubbing her head where she had hit it when the girl had tackled her attempting to remove the wig. "What can I get for you? It's on the house."
Grabbing our tokens as they were dispensed, Carlos took off running straight for the Skee Ball machines, the others not far behind. I shrugged, smiled at Mrs. Knight, and took off behind them screaming, "Hey, wait for me!" I may have been reluctant to go to Chuck E. Cheese's but my friend's laughter was infectious and I couldn't help but get caught up in the excitement. After all you know what they say, if you can't beat them, join them.
