Perri and Mitch- the sixth book special to series 'Perri and Me' about Perri Kiely.

Chapter 2 Part 1

I usually get that excited bubbly feeling inside of me. The morning before I leave on tour. I had that same feeling the first time I went on tour, after I won The Dance Factor. The same feeling when 'The Biggest Picture' went on tour.

But when I wake up on the morning of the Danceworks tour, I just feel...empty.

Bloody exhausted....and empty.

If Pel didn't shake me awake I would have never woken up.

"Ambs..." He says. "Wake up..."

My vision focuses and Pel is dressed. He's wearing a DV hoodie, baggy jeans and converse.

I stare at the clock on my phone screen and it is four o'clock. That means I only got thirty minutes of sleep. Of course the dream about Mitch kept me awake again.

"Why are we getting up so early?" I ask, sitting up.

"We meet in the studio in an hour. We have to pack Reid's stuff and get him to Natalie's."

"Okay..." I say, struggling out of bed.

"Aren't you excited?" Pel asks, smiling.

"Yeah..." I say, smiling back.

The truth is I'm really not excited at all. If I don't start getting some proper sleep, I am not going to survive. And I have to face Pel seeing my duet with Mitch in Newcastle tonight. He's going to find out that it's not bad...it's amazing.

It takes me about twenty minutes to get showered and dressed, because I'm tired so I automatically do everything in slow motion.

Then I find myself in Reid's room packing his stuff while Pel tells Danielle on the phone that we're going to be a litlle bit late.

"Can I pack my Christmas presents? Like the car and the remote control?" Reid asks.

"Umm..." I say, looking around. "Sure...only one more thing though."

Reid dumps the three hundred and fifty pound (I know) automatic car Pel bought him into his suitcase.

"And can I take my teddy...Naomi likes to play with it."

I sigh.

"Okay then..." I say.

I have a hard time zipping up the suitcase but after that everything is all packed.

"When will I see you again?" Reid says sadly, sitting on his suitcase.

I pick him up to carry him.

"In London..." I say. "When you come and watch the show."

"Okay Mummy..." He says.

"I love you..." I say, kissing him on the cheek.

Then I drag his suitcase and join Pel outside...who is also loading the car with our stuff.

"Okay Danielle..." He says on the phone, shutting the boot.

He sighs then ends the call.

"What did she say?" I ask.

"Of course she started shouting at me..." Pel says.

I roll my eyes. "It's not like we're all going to leave at exactly five..."

"Let's just go then..." Pel says, taking Reid from me and putting him in the back seat.

We say goodbye to Reid at Natalie's....which is just tragic because he starts crying. And then Naomi starts crying because Tel is leaving. Natalie eventually manages to calm them down. We pick up Tel (more things to add to our luggage collection) and head to the studio.