You had managed to find a used bookstore after only a little aimless walking around. Well actually, you had managed to find someone who knew of a used bookstore nearby that had been able to give you directions. Very good directions in fact. It had meant another fifteen minutes of walking, but this time you had a goal in mind. When you had reached the store front, neatly tucked back out of the way where you would have missed it if you hadn't been told it was there, you dropped Andy off your back and then chased after Bert. You had only caught up to him after he had burst in through the front door and exclaimed “Books! Sweet wonderful books! I have come to buy you ALL!” loudly into the medium sized store. You had groaned and grabbed a hold of his outstretched arms and dragged him off to a secluded corner before the owner tried kicking you out for his loud mouth. Turned out the owner hadn't really minded, actually had gotten a chuckle out of the whole ordeal. So an hour or so later you found yourself still in the used bookstore, tucked away in an offset room curled up in a giant comfy leather chair with a book in your lap, reading to your heart’s content. So caught up in what you were reading that you startled a bit when your phone vibrated in your pocket. Sliding it out you saw you had a text from Jimmy.

“Where are you?”

“Used bookstore with Bert, Sixx and Purdy. What’s up?” you sent back quickly.

“Nothing. Came back, you were gone. People thought Bert had run away. Have fun. Hope your head is ok. Xoxo” came Jimmy’s quick response.

Smiling you sent back a quick “xoxoxo” response before sliding your phone back into your pocket. Current book reverie broken you stretched out your legs from underneath you and wiggled your toes in your unlaced, falling apart black combat boots. Once comfortable again you let your eyes stroll about the room the four of you had been holed up in, it was so quiet you almost forgot who you had come with. There across from you with his black skinny jean and black cowboy boot clad legs and feet up on a round table in front of him was Ashley, his black cowboy hat cocked back so he could read the book in his hands. God that boy was a looker, and you couldn't decide which was better; Ashley in stage get up or Ashley in regular clothes. Either way the boy was ridiculously good looking. And as if knowing you were thinking about him Ashley looked up from his book, he looked directly in your eyes before offering you a small knowing half smile before returning to his reading. Shaking it off you found Andy next. He was sitting on top of the circular table that Ashley had his feet on. He was sitting Indian style, his bare white knees protruding through the enormous frayed holes in both the knees of his black skinniness. The black slouchy hat he had been wearing had started to slip off the back of his head while he had been reading and he was absentmindedly chewing on the pull string of the black and white sleeveless hoodie we has wearing over his gray t-shirt. Again, that boy was waaay too good looking for his own health and young to boot! There was just something about his feral bone structure and those damn fucking day glow eyes that just captivated you. But he was so young you didn't think there was enough booze in the world to make you sleep with him. Purdy on the other hand, well Purdy was right about your age. . .

Shaking your head you dislodged any further ideas from straying down that path. And the best cure when you were in short supply of a cold shower was Bert, who your eyes found last as he was tucked away and being unusually silent. Unusually silent only because he was nose deep in a new book luckily, not causing trouble which is what a silent Bert usually meant. Bert had somehow managed to take over the only space no one but him would ever possibly want, he was laying on his stomach underneath the table Andy was sitting on. And he had somehow managed to build himself a fort out of books on all sides. And there wasn't a doubt in your mind that he was going to be buying at least half of them, the other half you knew he would meticulously put back right where he had found them. If there was one place you knew Bert shone in, besides on stage, it was in a bookstore of any type.

“Hey you guys want to go get some coffee or something? We've been here long over an hour and I’m parched,” you spoke up as you dog-eared the book you were reading since you intended to buy it along with two or three others you had stacked next to you on the floor.

“I’m game!” Andy offered as he jumped down off his table and nearly collapsed, he would have hit the floor if Ashley hadn't caught him.

“Apparently I have dead leg,” Andy offered as he crawled into the one remaining chair next to Ashley to get feeling back in his legs before attempting walking again. Ashley merely grinned at Andy like he was an idiot and went back to finishing the page he was on you presumed.

“Oh decisions, decisions. What am I going to buy?” Bert sang sadly as he scooted out from under the table on all fours before turning around and crawling part ways back underneath so he could scoop out all the books he had under there. Once he had them all out and placed on top of the table he clambered up and gazed down at them woefully

“Well I know for a fact that you’re going to buy at least half of them,” you offered as you stood and stretched out the kinks of sitting curled up so long with a book. When you released your stretch and came back down flat on your feet you noticed Ashley staring approvingly at you. Coughing you pulled your shirt down to cover your tattooed midsection you just realized had been showing.

“Yes but what haaalf,” Bert whined, taking your attention off of Ashley.

“Here, let me help,” you offered and bumped Bert out of the way with your hip. Looking down at the titles he had picked you began mentally sorting them.

“Here,” you finally said, shoving five books into Bert’s hands.

“This should be enough to last you until we hit another rest stop and can go find you more,” you offered with a knowing smile.

“Oh, okay,” Bert replied glumly as he took the five books. You knew he had wanted to buy the entire eleven or so but you figured Quinn and Dan would hate you if he came back with that many from one trip. If they didn't hate you already you thought as Bert went about putting the rest of the books from his fort away. You knew Bert would never hate you because of something like this, but you didn't quite know where Quinn and Dan stood on the whole thing since you and Jeph split. What if they had sided with them? What if you had awkwardly placed them in a situation where they had to choose between a friend and a band mate? Of course they’d never choose you. Why would they? You could feel the tension building as a headache in the back of your skull.

“Hey,” a voice broke your spiraling misery with a warm hand to your shoulder.

“Let’s go get some coffee remember?” Ashley offered, his hand still on your shoulder.

“Yeah, coffee,” you offered with a halfhearted smile.

“I call Ashley’s back!” Andy called loudly as we made our way out the front door, Bert’s ridiculous purchase made.

“I get Kailey Mae’s!” Bert chortled after Andy. You braced yourself for impact and were lucky you had since Bert’s weight crashed down on your back unceremoniously.

“Jesus Bert, that bag feels a lot heavier than five books!” you groaned as you pushed the aforementioned bag off of where it had slammed into your hip.

“Well I may have added one or two more. Plus your books are in here too!” Bert pouted from behind my head.

“Fine, whatever. Give the bag to Andy,” you replied with a knowing shake of your head.

“Hey why do I have to be mule bitch? I already have mine and Ashley’s!” Andy grumbled as he stuck out his hand for Bert’s bag containing both your book purchases.

“Because you are tiny and weight like ten pounds, hence you carry the extra weight baby rock star!” Bert offered cheerfully.

Andy simply rolled his eyes as Ashley and you made your awkward way down the path and back onto the main street in search for a coffee place that wouldn't kick you out the minute you got there. Maybe one that even was devoid of screaming fan girls. If only you could hope!

Notes

I don't know why but this chapter and the one before it just make me grin.
I do so like them for their cuteness!