Banana Girl: a thatcherjoe love story

Chapter 17- Rings

*Brrrring! Brrrrrring! Brrrrrrrring!"
"Hello?"
Joe was in the shower, so I picked up the phone.
"Yeah, this is She. Speaking? Oh, hi, Zo! Hmm? Tea tonight? Oh, uh... Yeah, we'd love to! Huh? Yeah, sure, see you then! Okay... Okay, Zoe? Zoe? I have to go! Okay, yeah, bye! Bye!" Zoe always did talk far too much on the phone. As I thought this, I heard the shower being turned off and Joe get out.
"Who was that?" Asked Joe, smiling as he came out the bathroom with a towel round his waist, bare feet and bare chest, leaving a trail of drips behind him. I used a small towel to mop up the floor as he walked.
"Zoe. We're going to theirs' tonight. For tea. Okay?" He smiled and nodded, "And I'm not your slave!" I added, thrusting the wet towel into his body and kissing him lightly on the lips. He chuckled and walked away into the bedroom.

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Later that evening, Joe and I stood outside our friends' door. I looked across at Joe. He wore a pale blue shirt and smart black jeans. I wore a tight black dress, black strappy heels and my hair was up in a cute messy bun; I actually looked okay. I knocked lightly on the door, smiling to Joe.
Zoe answered, wearing a bubblegum-pink dress and a white flower in her hair. Her cheeks were flushed and her smile was broad and welcoming.
"Hey!" She said, hugging me and inviting us in. She ushered us to the table, Alfie and Zoe on one side, Joe and I on the other.

"You guys? We have something we wanna say." Said Alfie, actually standing up while he was saying it. Weird. 'It must be pretty important, then,' I thought.
"You see," He began, "We... Um...."
"-we're getting married!" Interrupted Zoe, holding up her right hand and pointing to the ring in her left. It was silver with a diamond heart on it- beautiful.
"Congrats!" I smiled, hugging them both, while Joe stood up quietly and hugged them too, just not as enthusiastically. I wondered what had gotten into him, but it was probably just some sort of overly-protective older brother thing.
"And, And, And!" We looked at Zoe, Alfie nervously smiling.
"I'm pregnant!" Cried Zoe. This elicited the same remark from Joe- shocked, confused, and slightly fearful silence. However, I was ecstatic. I hadn't known Zoe long, but she was already my best friend, and hearing such amazing news made me feel... well, very, very happy.

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When we got back home an hour later, Joe undid his top button and slumped into an armchair, staring into space, and not saying a word. He'd been sombre and solemn all night and for seemingly no reason.
"What's wrong with you?" I said jokingly, though he didn't seem to hear me. It was as though a thick, miserable smoke was surrounding him, rather than the mist of joy and happiness that seemed to be clouding the heads of the rest of us.
"Let's do it." He said, frustratingly vaguely.
"What?" I had no idea what he was on about- did he mean sex? It wasn't as though we hadn't done it already.
"Let's get married."