Break the Distance

Chapter 16

Saturday 27th of August, 2016

Toronto, Canada

Noah Williams

I still haven't told Marylou I'm going on tour again. Like it was yesterday I remember how she cried the day I left last tour. We're just really close and before that I had never been longer away than a few days. She missed me a lot and of course I missed her, but it ended up fine and I face timed her regularly. Last tour is an half year ago, she's a little older now so maybe it will all be different. I'm still super nervous to tell her, but I'll be leaving in 17 days.

"Marylou?" I say when I walk into her room. "Look," Marylou says excited and shows me her doll. " Richelle has a new dress!" she says. "Wow," I say it's beautiful. "I made it with mommy!" she says proud. It's a plain dress with like a million little flowers on it in all the colors of the rainbow. "I love it!" I say and smile at the doll.

"Why were you looking for me?" Marylou asks. "Can't I be looking for my favorite little sister?" I ask her and lift her up. Marylou giggles. "Only because you're my favorite brother," she says. "I HEARD THAT," I hear Matthew yell from the hallway and we laugh. I walk over to Marylou's bed and sit down with her on my lap. "I've to tell you something," I say and look serious. "What?" she asks. Her smile disappears as soon as she sees me looking serious.

"In September and October I'll be going on tour again," I say. Marylou looks at me for a moment, not really reacting to what I said. I try to see in her eyes what she's thinking, but she just stares emotionless in my eyes. All of the sudden she pushes me away and climbs off my lap. "Marylou!" I call her behind when she runs out of her room, but she doesn't react. I stand up and sigh, that went well...

She completely ignores me and it pisses me of. I don't want her to be sad or mad, she's my little sister! Always when Max complains to me about his jealous girlfriend, he tells me how lucky I am that I don't have a girlfriend. But I've a little sister who doesn't like to share me with anyone else either.

Back in my room I check my social media. Well, actually only i********:. i********: is by far my favorite social media, just seeing photos from everyone is nice. Without even realizing what I'm doing I find myself scrolling through the private messages seeing if Richelle sent something. I haven't talked to her in days. Well, not since Monday, but it feels long. She didn't sent me something, and messaging her out of nowhere feels strange. In the end she's just a fan just like all the others and I don't want to favor anyone.

But I keep myself looking if she did send something and I have no idea why. Maybe I should send her a message.

'Hi, how are you doing?" I send. No I don't know what's going on with me and no, I don't want to know, I just liked talking to her and that she's a fan doesn't mean we can't be friends.

Surprisingly fast I get a text back. "Hii, I'm good, you?" she sends. "Good, I'm doing fine I think," I send. 'What's up?' she asks. "Nothing much, just that my little sister ignores me," I send.

Wait. Why am I being so honest? I'm not even thinking about what I'm sending, I should think about what I send! What if she just puts our conversations on the internet?! Beside that that will be the most embarrassing thing ever, people don't have to know things about my family!

"Haha, what happened?" Richelle sends. Maybe I should trust her, in the end she is different. It looks like she doesn't see me different than just someone living on the others side of the world who apparently has more than 150 thousand followers on i********:.

"I told her I'm going on tour again," I send. I think I just should be honest and trust on that she won't put it somewhere on the internet. From what I know of her she doesn't seem like a girl who would do that.

I laugh at myself. I don't even know her, we just had some small talks.

"That's so cute!" Richelle sends, "I'm sure it will be alright though." "I hope so," I send, "I feel kind of lost." "Why that?" she sends. Should I be honest? I mean I've been honest with her without thinking, but should I trust her with this too?

I doubt for a while and am just about to answer when I get called. "Hello?" I say. "Hé Noah," I hear Max say, "where are you?" "Home," I say casual, "why?" "Forgot something?" he says, "rehearsal?" "Rehearsal?" I say confused and then I remember. "Rehearsal!" I say, "what time is it?" "11:15 am," Max says. "I'm there before you know," I say jumping up already walking to my closet to get my dance clothes. "You better tell the truth," Max says and he hangs up.

I totally forgot! Yesterday evening I talked about the early rehearsal we have today with Max, but my brain clearly doesn't bother to remember.

Luckily I'm not as distracted as last week. I'm 100% focused on dance.

"Okay I'm done," our dance teacher Phoebe says halfway through rehearsal, " Max and Noah you can leave." Max and I burst into laughing. "Yes ma’am," we say in unison before we walk out of the studio.

I was focused on dance! Just not the right dance... We were having some ballet and Max and I kept messing around with pulling silly faces and laughing until the point where Phoebe got really annoyed with us. Max and I walk into studio B and continue our silliness.

"Hé Noah," Max says at some point, "we should throw it in a duet." "Dude," I says enthusiast, "that's such a sick idea." We completely fail. Every time we do something we end up laughing so hard we can't even dance anymore.

"I'm so going to miss you man," Max says after we calmed down a bit. "Too bad you're not coming," I say. I'm truly sad he isn't coming, I think he would've definitely added something to the show, besides, he has won internationals 3 times too.

"Hopefully next tour," I say. "Yea that would be sick," Max says, "but changes are small." "Why that?" I ask. "I’m going to university next year,” he says, “I won’t be spending as much time dancing.”

I sigh, unfortunately he's right.