Two Birds of a Feather

Count on Me

Dianne woke up in the middle of the hotel bed, the room pitch black. She could tell it was early, too early to be awake. An ill feeling seemed to be sitting on her chest as she laid in the silence, the only noise being that of her laboured breaths. With a groan, Dianne felt her body flush with heat as she began to shiver from the cold. Typical, she thought. I've got a week without a break and my body chooses this week to be ill. Just typical. Dianne took a deep breath before turning over her pillows, sighing gently as her face rested against the cool fabric. It took longer than she would have liked but eventually, Dianne fell back into a dreamless sleep.

•••

"I'm knackered." Dianne had crashed during the break between the matinee and evening performances, having fallen asleep on top of a pile of coats on the floor of the girls dressing room. The others, knowing how rubbish she had been feeling, left her to sleep without any interruptions- they all wanted her better. She sat down in the makeup chair heavily and let her head rest on her hand. "How many days until we get one off?"
"4" Liv replied, "and then you can go and get yourself better. I'm not trying to be mean but you sound so ill."
"I feel it" Dianne croaked. "I know I'm only just 30 but I feel so much older."
"Only because you are pushing yourself to the limit every night when, ideally, you should be resting."
"No rest for the wicked Liv."
"I'll be having words with that boyfriend of yours."
"Joe? Why?"
"To make sure you actually give yourself a decent break and a chance to throw off whatever you've got."
"It's just a cold Liv."

That night, after the show, Dianne got ready for bed as soon as she had walked through the door of her hotel room. She climbed under the covers and let her head sink into the middle of the pillows. To Dianne, feeling ill was the worst feeling going and she was thankful she had dance to take her mind away from it, yet it was the endless dancing each might that made her feel much worse. She only had four more shows to get through before she could have a well-earned day off, and only two until she could see Joe- Dianne just needed to put up with her symptoms.

•••

Before long, Dianne and the rest of the cast found themselves going back to London. With only three more shows to go before she could have a lie in, Dianne found herself willing time to go quicker. As she laid in between cold sheets on her own, feeling worse than ever, the only thing that seemed to get her out of bed and give her enough motivation for the day was that Joe would be in her hotel room in London for when she got there after performing in Birmingham. All the late nights of travelling from one location to the next weren't helping her either but at least she knew tonight she might actually be able to sleep. It took all the effort in the world to get out of bed and go downstairs to get some food but she managed it. 

Only three more and then you can have a day off. Dianne seemed to be telling herself every ten minutes. When she was on stage, she didn't feel as bad because her body was rushing with adrenaline; it was the breaks in between dances or acts when it hit her. This leg of the tour had gone a lot slower than the others and Dianne was in need of a pick-me-up who just happened to come in the form of Joe, who she would get to see tonight. A weak feeling of excitement bubbled away in her body as she sat in the makeup chair, pretty much falling asleep whilst Liv transformed her from, what felt like a walking zombie, to somebody who was actually alive.
"You're all done." Liv patted Dianne's shoulders as she stood up, "You can do this Di, I believe in you."
"Thanks Liv" she croaked, "I need all the help I can get to even get up in a morning, so me being here is like a god-send." Liv chuckled softly before she gave Dianne a hug and beckoned over the next pro. Dianne walked away to sit back on the sofa to try and get as much rest as possible before the show. 

One more dance. Just one more dance. Backstage in the wings, Dianne stood yawning every three seconds- the adrenalin that kept her from acting like a zombie was beginning to wear off but she still had one more dance to do. Hearing her cue to come on, Dianne plastered a smile on her face before walking out onto the stage with a false spring in her step.

"Dianne" Katya whispered, shaking Dianne's shoulders gently, "Dianne, we are in London."
"Mhm?" She was beginning to come out of her restless sleep.
"We are only five minutes from the hotel. You need to wake up" the Russian said softly. Dianne opened her eyes slowly and smiled at Katya. Seeing she was awake, Katya smiled back before going back to her own seat to collect her things together. A very sleepy Dianne yawned widely before she too started getting ready to leave the bus.

A few minutes later, she climbed down off the bus and stood on the pavement waiting for her case to be lifted out of the hold. Feeling a strong wind whip round her neck, Dianne drew her jacket tighter around her already shivering body. Having been to check everyone in, two tour managers came out of the hotel with all of the dancers key cards. They went round the crowd of professionals dishing out keys and room numbers to them, reaching Dianne last.
"Joe's already in your room" he said kindly.
"Ah, thank you."
"You're in 102."
"Thank you." Dianne smiled weakly before passing the group and going into the hotel. She found the lift and went up to her floor. Her room was seconds from the lift so she found it easily and knocked.

Hearing a knock, a very excitable Joe jumped up from the bed and rushed to the door. He opened it to see a very dishevelled-looking Dianne, her bright red hair not matching her personality like it normally did. Reaching out, he took the handle of Dianne's case from her and wheeled it into the room, leaving it beside his backpack. As she followed him into the room, Dianne felt a lump rise in her throat as her lip began to tremble. She bit down on her lip and looked at the floor as she walked, dropping her back-pack by her case. Once he'd pushed her case against the wall, Joe turned around, opened his arms and said, "hi gorgeous." Sod it, Dianne thought. She stopped trying to fight the tears and let them fall. Joe caught her as she staggered into his arms, tears falling thick and fast. Wrapping his arms around her, Joe picked up his girlfriend easily and carried her over to a chair in the corner of the room, sitting down in it with Dianne on his knee. Dianne tucked her knees into her chest as she turned to lean her side against Joe's body, the tears dripping from her face to his shoulder. Neither of them spoke, Joe was too busy trying to comfort her with soft forehead kisses and gentle cuddles.

After a little while, the tears slowed to a stop.
"You okay now?" Joe asked, somewhat cautiously as he rubbed his hand over her arm.
"I just feel like a massive pile of shit." Dianne sat up on Joe's knee and looked at him properly for the first time.
"Do you need anything?"
"A day off."
"You've only got two more shows and then you can sleep all day."
"With you." Dianne's brow furrowed. "Wait." Joe burst out laughing.
"That came out wrong Di."
"It did a bit." She giggled softly and wiped the tears from her face, seeing mascara on her hands. "I need to get this shit off my face."
"I'll do it for you, if you want."
"Aw please."
"Go and get your things for me." Joe patted Dianne's leg before she stood up and found her makeup remover. She went back over to Joe and handed them to him.
"Sit in the chair" he said as he stood up. Dianne did as she was told. "You're gonna have to take your lashes off Di, I can't do that. They freak me out."
"Weirdo." She giggled as she pulled them from her eyes and left them on the desk. Joe wiped over her face gently until it was clean and then, having spotted her hairbrush poking out of her bag, he grabbed it and started to brush out some of the hairspray, giving her a head and neck massage as he did so.

Twenty minutes later, they both turned off the lamps on each bedside table and snuggled together in the middle of the bed.
"Can you kiss me goodnight? Not on the lips though. You'll get poorly."
"I don't care Dianne." Joe tipped her chin up with his index finger and kissed her lips gently before settling into the bed, Dianne's head resting against his chest. "Night gorgeous."
"Night, I love you...." she murmured as she fell asleep.
"I love you too."