Youngblood

Chapter 23

Dianne's POV

"Ok, what's the surprise then?" I ask eagerly, clinging onto Joe's arm as we walk home.

"Not telling you," Joe grins. I roll my eyes.

"Just a hint?"

"It's a good surprise."

I sigh. "Very helpful," I say. Joe knocks on the door, still grinning, and Tracey opens it, also smiling with a knowing look on her face. This surprise is more than just a 'I got you some chocolate' surprise. This is something big.

"Andrew!" I say, hugging my brother. "Why are you still here? I mean, not that I don't want you to be, but aren't you going to visit Mum?"

"I could ask you why you come here every night rather than going home," Andrew says. Home... Where is home? Not Australia. Not now anyway. And Mum's house doesn't really have that homely environment. I guess home now is... Joe's. "I did go over to Mum's," Andrew continues. "But she was working. Constantly. You would think that she would be excited to see her own son?"

"You'd think," I mutter. "That's why I'm here so much. It's just so boring and lonely at Mum's."

"I see your point," Andrew says. "Anyway, time for that surprise!"

"Ooh, yay!" I say. Joe giggles at me, putting his arm around me when we sit down on the sofa. Zoe and Alfie are here too. It would be quite funny now if they just pulled out a bar of chocolate with this gathering.

"Well, last night me and Andrew did some research whilst you were dealing with that Katya," Tracey starts. "And we think we've found the perfect dance school for you."

My mouth drops open with shock. I can't believe that I may actually be dancing properly now, not just going by YouTube videos and Andrew's home teaching. This could finally be my opportunity. I may have started late, but better late than never, right?

"Thank you all so, so much!" I exclaim. I hug Tracey, then I hug my brother, who whispers something in my ear.

"You're going to be a great dancer one day. I just know it."

"Thank you," I say back, returning next to Joe. Everything seems to finally be looking up for me. Katya is dealt with, my mum may not give a damn about me but I know great people who do, and I'm finally going to get dance training!

I feel like the luckiest girl in the world.

"There's one thing," Zoe pipes up. Oh no. Here's the inevitable downside. Nothing can ever be one-hundred percent perfect. Why would anything totally good ever happen to me? But then I look at Joe, and realise I have him. He's totally good. He's one-hundred percent perfect. Ok, so maybe I can get one thing, but two? Now, that's just being ridiculous.

"What is it?" I ask.

"It starts tomorrow. So there really isn't any warning or preparation, so we have to go out and get everything now," Zoe says.

"That's fine!" I shout, quite loud as I'm just taken over by excitement. That's not a bad thing. Not at all. Where has all this luck come from? "If it's fine with you, of course," I add hastily.

"No problem," Alfie says. "Tracey, me or Zoe could drive them into town if you want?"

"No, no, I'll come," Tracey says. "It'll be like a family shopping trip!"

Family... And that includes me? I'm.... family?

I don't realise how shocked I must've looked, as Joe picks up on it.

"Yes, Dianne, you are family now," he says, squeezing me into a tight hug. "And you're the most perfect member," he adds.

"Hey!" Zoe says.

"Sorry," Joe says, rolling his eyes. "Can't help but say the truth."

Somebody might as well have rubbed red paint onto my face; I'm blushing so hard.

"Do you want me to go over to my mum's?" Andrew asks.

"Course not!" Tracey says. "You're the only one who actually knows what to get!"

Andrew giggles. I can't believe this is all happening... to me. I'm just Dianne Buswell. Two months ago, I was just.... Nobody. This random Australian with nothing interesting about her, unless you count the success of my brother. Now I'm about to be a dancer, and I've got an incredible boyfriend, and an amazing family. Even if my family is a bit muddled. Andrew is the only blood-relative of mine I even want to be associated to. Brendan's alright, but he's never there. The rest of my family, they're all because of Joe.

Andrew's POV

We all get into Tracey's seven-seater car. I go in the passenger seat, Joe and Dianne are in the middle and Zoe and Alfie are squeezed into the back. I'm so grateful that they all take such an interest in my little sister. She deserves all the happiness she can get, and this bunch of people are bringing her it.

We arrive in town and start to have a look around all the dance shops that I think would sell the right things. I'm so used to all the Australian shops that it takes a while to make sure we have everything.

"Now that it's already six, can we go to Pizza Express or something?" Joe asks.

"I don't see why not," Tracey says. Luckily, there's one right around the corner, so we head inside and grab a free table.

"Thank you all for this," Dianne says, still utterly bemused about how we managed this for her.

"Anytime Di," Zoe says. "I can't wait to see you perform."

"Oh gosh, there's pressure now!" Dianne says.

It's a nice time chatting to the Suggs and getting to know them, and it's quite clear that my sister is in great hands. She seems really happy and comfortable with them and that's all I can ask for.

We head home after a while and Tracey says that I can sleep in their spare room again, rather than being dumped with my mother who has no interest in me whatsoever. I just wish that she would take more of an interest in me and Dianne. We are her children after all.

Dianne can't seem to control her excitement for tomorrow. You wouldn't think she was fifteen by the way she was jumping around the room.

"Tomorrow I'm going to dance!" she squeals. "And it's all down to you. I can't thank you enough!"

"You thank us one more time we may not let you go!" Zoe teases. Dianne rolls her eyes and sits down next to Joe. Seeing how happy she is just brings me happiness. I always used to worry about Dianne and how she was getting on in England, but I know now that there was no need to worry. She is clearly being cared for and everyone here loves her.

And that's all I could ask for.