Running

Chapter Twenty-Three

PERRY SOLO
Perry jumped on to Sare's back once they hopped off the bus. "Dang it Perry! Why you do this?" Sare asked, trying her best not to laugh. The teen jumped off and shrugged, happy to have bragging rights over the soccer game. She'll be sure to use it later.

"I never asked this, why are you in town?"

Sare laughed, taking out her pony tail. "Well my boyfriend, Lucas, had gotten me "addicted" to soccer. So, we decided to come up here to watch this team." She smiled fondly at the thought of her Irish boyfriend. "He is still pretty salty about Ireland not qualifying."

She laughed, it was cool how they managed to find each other after years of being a part. "Oh, can I get your number before someone side tracks me?"

"Sure," Sare took out her phone. Once Perry took out her phone, they switched phones and put in each other's number.

*Two Hours Later*

Perry knocked on Julie's door. In her hands was an apple juice and a bag of chips she snitched from Hope. "J, its me, Perry." she said, ready to enter the room. Then Julie opened the door giving Perry a smile.

"Sorry, I was texting my boyfriend." She pushed the door farther open for Perry to enter.

It felt like her heart fell to her feet. Of course Julie would have a boyfriend. What pretty, young blond wouldn't? Well there is Ashlyn. Is she young? Is she even straight? Thought Perry, sitting down on Julie's bed. The girl bit her lip as Julie went to the TV guide.

"Is there any movie that you want to watch?" Julie questioned, raising an eyebrow at Perry. She was a bit excited to watch a movie with her. Hopefully it won't be filled with awkward silence. She glanced over at the TV quickly. It was about eight and the sky was still somewhat light.

Perry shook her head "Nope, nothing in mind." She then sprouted a gleeful mmile on her lips. "Wait, how about Monsters Inc. ? That movie will always be a special thing in my heart." She has loved the movie ever since she was young. It was one of the few things she remembered doing with her Dad.

Julie nodded, sitting next to her. "It is a pretty good movie." She clicked on the movie, and it then began.

HOPE SOLO

Hope ran nervous finger through her hair as she kept reading the email over and over again. It was about the dates set for Perry's adoptive parent's trial. The dates happened the span out through the week after the World Cup ends. Even though it is still weeks away, Hope will definitly have stuff on her plate. "Carli, why do our schedules always have to be so full?"

Her brunette friend shrugged, turning on the news. "It's just something that comes with this job." Carli turned her head to look at Hope. She frowned, disliking the stressed look on her face. "What's wrong." Carli didn't ask it like a question, she demanded it.

She got off of the swivvle chair and sat down on her bed. "Perry's trial is the week after the World Cup. I'm afraid I won't be able to be there with her. If we win there is bound to be something, and if we lose there is bound to be something." She rubbed her tempals, a little worried, upset, and a tiny bit stressed out.

Carli turned her attention back to the TV. "Don't take this in any offensive way, but are you sure this is the right thing for you? Don't get me wrong, she is a good kid, I like her." She said. "It feels like she is taking your attention away from the game. She is stressing you out."

Hope remained silent as she stared at the foot of her bed. "This is the thing that I've been most sure of more than anything else. Carli, I'm impacting someone's life. She doesn't care who I was a day ago, hell even years ago. Perry cares about who I am today. And sure it's stressful, but I would swim across an ocean just to make her life worth wild."

Carli faintly smiled as she turned the TV off. "You really do love her." Hope nodded. "I'm glad you're stepping up to the plate and helping her. She doesn't deserve those piece of trash parents, no one does for that matter. Just promise me you wont give up one her."

"Carli, since when have I been known to give up?" Hope asked, knitting her eyebrows tightly together.