Running

Chapter Thirty-Six

PERRY SOLO
A few days had passed by. Perry hadn't really interacted with the team due to their suddenly hectic, or more hectic, schedule. It didn't really take a toll on her. She was able to talk to the girls via text and she texted Sare when she got bored.

Perry sat on her bed flipping through a magazine she had bought the day before. There was nothing particularly interesting to read in it. Virtually every article was about how to have better sex or dieting tips. There really was no in-between to it. She finally had enough of the magazine and threw it aside. Perry needed something to read. Something that wasn't a crappy relationship magazine.

She got off her bed and knocked on the door connecting her to Hope and Carli. Perry knew that the team had off on that particular day. Maybe Hope can go to a local bookstore with me...

The door was pulled open to reveal Hope wrapped in a towel. "Hey, do you need anything?" She questioned, resting her head against the door frame.

"Yeah, could we go to a bookstore? I'm getting sick of reading relationship magazines."

She nodded, "Give me ten minutes, then we can go look for a store."

"Alright!"

*Ten Minutes Later*

The two Solos exited the hotel with no direction in mind. They both decided to wing it and see what happens. Sure, it wasn't the best plan to take place in a new country. To be honest, they had hours to kill and could care less.

"I take it that relationship magazines aren't your thing?" Hope jokingly said, nudging the girl with her elbow.

Perry rolled her eyes and laugh, "Ugh, no! They are so annoying. I would much rather read a novel than read one of those in a sitting."

The two walked to a quaint little book store on the corner of the street. There appearef to be very little foot traffic, so Hope drug Perry in that direction. Upon entering there was an elderly couple sitting behind the counter. Both of them were focused on their own thick books that smelled of old paper.

Perry scrunched her nose up at the scent. She hated the smell of old books. The scent always managed to clog her nose up. Causing her to breath through her mouth like some kind of animal.

She wondered off to a book shelf labeld "Traveling" in bold letters. Perry's finger tips trailed over the spine of each book. She had always wanted to travel to some far off land. It seemed like a great thing to expand your knowledge on other cultures. A thick book about Norway caught her eye. Perry gently slid the book from its place and flipped through it. Just within a few pages she learned quite a few things about the northern country. She learned: The Lærdal Tunnel is the world’s longest road tunnel at 15 miles long, The highest peak in Norway is Galdhøpiggen at 2,469 meters above the sea, and the currency is the Norwegian Krone.

"Are you finding everything all right?" Came the inquiring voice of a lady. Perry turned around to see that it was on of the store owners.

"Yes," she replied with a nod.

The older lady looked at the book in Perry's hands and grew a wide grin. "I was born in Norway. It is such a beautiful place."

"It really is."

"Have you ever been to Italy or Japan?" The lady further inquired.

She shook her head, "Nope. Have you?"

"I have," she picked up two books from the shelf and placed it on top of the Norwegian book. "These are all on the house, okay? I can't let a fellow traveler out in the rain, can I?"

"Ma'am, you really don't have to do this." Despite it being a nice gesture, Perry didn't feel like it was right taking the books without paying.

"No, no, please take them. As my payment you will travel to those countries, yeah?" She explained, pushing Perry to the check out counter.

"Are you sure?"

"I've never been more sure in my life!" The woman exclaimed.

Hope was already stood at the counter paying for her own books. "Get everything you wanted?" She questioned, pulling out her credit card.

"Yeah. Um, and my books are free."

"Huh?"

Perry felt her cheeks grow hotter as she explained, "The storeowner gave them to make as a gift."

Hope gave the lady a smile and held out her hand for a shaking. "Thank you very much! Now, how much are my books?"

Author's Note: Long time no see guys! I promise you that I will not disappear after updaing like last time! I plan on having a mass uploading on Friday, so please be ready for that. And so sorry for how short this chapter is! It is more of a filler than anything.