36 Questions: A Joanne Fanfiction

Question Seven:

Do you have a secret hunch about how you will die?

It was your average Friday at Elstree during strictly season. Everyone was either running around like they were on borrowed time, which they most likely were, or like Joe, Dianne, Stacey and Kevin were left hanging around without anything to do, but were not allowed to leave. Luckily for Stacey and Kevin, they were next to rehearse, whereas Joe and Dianne had a while to wait. The "fantastic foursome" as they liked to call themselves, had grown close over the past month, and sought each other out during those longs days at Elstree. Despite this, Stacey and Kevin were convinced the strictly curse was at play.

"How are you two?" Stacey asked the pair, who were currently sat right up close, and despite the fact that they were sat on separate chairs, had no personal space between them, Dianne's head comfortably on Joe's shoulder. She hadn't slept too well this past week, although Stacey didn't need to know that.

"We're good," said Joe, speaking for the two of them which didn't go unnoticed by Kevin. "How are you guys?"

"You alright Dianne? He pushed, as it was very unlike Dianne to be so quiet, she was usually the life and soul of a conversation. He'd known Dianne for years and years, and she was almost never quiet without good reason.

She smiled noticing his concern, "I'm good."

"Sorry Joe," continued Stacey, "we're doing alright thanks, not so stressed about the Jive this week are we Kev?"

"No we're a lot more confident this week, you've got it in the bag!"

"I bet you do," agreed Joe. "I wish we could say the same! Our American smooth is about as smooth as sandpaper." He joked, using his usual method to cope with stress-humour.

Having remained pretty quiet up until now, Dianne hit his chest, causing him to apologise softly. Stacey and Kevin looked at each other, bemused until Joe quickly explained, "Dianne hates when joke about like that to cover up when I'm scared of something."

Dianne smiled at this, not expecting Joe to admit this to Stacey and Kevin. Maybe the questions were beginning to work already, she thought. 

"How do you know what the other is thinking?" Stacey asked, curiosity evident in her voice.

"We do these quest-" Joe started before deciding against it, it felt wrong to talk about the questions other than with Dianne, and besides he didn't want to get teased about it by the others. The questions felt private somehow, he didn't want to share them. "We do these trust exercises." He corrected, "and Dianne was kind enough to watch all my videos" he rolled his eyes jokingly, at least the second part was true.

"What is it?" Dianne asked him quietly, her voice slightly muffled to Stacey and Kevin as she spoke into his side, for she sensed that Joe, despite appearing relaxed, was worried. "I'll tell you later," he said quickly. The pair moved slightly apart from each other, and turned their chairs so they were properly focused on Stacey and Kevin. The four chatted for a while until Stacey and Kevin's names were called, and they went off to rehearse.

As soon as they were out of earshot, Stacey turned to Kevin "they're awfully close for two people that had barely met a month ago, don't you think?"

"I do."

"Like you're great Kev but I have no idea what you're thinking half the time. They're just so in tune!"

"They are. Do you think there's something going on, you're the investigative journalist what can you tell us from that conversation?" he teased and she laughed, knowing how much he loved her documentaries.

"They're the closest pair on the show right now. Their connection is enviable. They'd be cute together, but I'll bet you they've never considered it."

"Really?"

"What do you think? You're the dancer, and you've known Dianne for longer than me, is it just a professional connection or more?"

"I'm not sure," he replied carefully. "Are you sure that they haven't considered it?"

"Yeah. You can see the care in Joe's face, but that's all it is."

"If you say so."

Meanwhile, Joe and Dianne moved further away from the stage, to the back of the studio now that there wasn't anyone else to talk to. They were sat next to each other, Dianne huddled into Joe's side in the cold studio." You alright Di, you've been quite quiet?" he asked, looking down at her.

"I'm still not sleeping well." She revealed.

"Bless you," thought Joe to himself, making a mental note to make sure she got into bed early, a stressed and tired Dianne was a Dianne he'd prefer not to see tomorrow. "Anything I can do?" he asked her, already knowing the answer.

"Nope, I'll be fine." He nodded, knowing she was telling the truth. "But can we do the next question?" she asked, perking up slightly.

"Are you sure, it's your turn first Di?" he asked, having read the next question secretly (going against their earlier pact to not pre-read the questions).

"I'm sure."

"Ok, coming right up!"

He cleared his throat quietly, before reading the next question "do you have a secret hunch about how you will die?"

"Woah we're getting to the deep ones now aren't we?" she joked, becoming more like herself by the second. He smiled at this, now realising just how much Dianne did enjoy the questions. "Umm the short answer is no. I haven't really considered it much to be honest. I'm doing some mindfulness things at the moment, and they're all about living in the present. I've never really liked heights or flying but that's not how I think I'll die. In all honesty, I don't mind all too much, as long as I've had the chance to say goodbye to everyone, and have done everything I'd like, I'll die by I don't know, falling out of bed I'm not fussed." She confessed.

"Well I'm the opposite," laughed Joe. "The complete opposite. Dying is something that really terrifies me to be honest. When I was a kid I was convinced I wasn't going to live to 25, I thought I would get cancer or some other equally horrible disease and then pop it."

"I suppose I'm not scared of it actually now I think about it. I'm not really scared of it at all only, only-"she paused, mulling over the words that we about to leave her mouth. "Never mind."

"No I'm not having you force me to continue and you don't do the same. Spill Buswell." He said, poking her side and making her smile gently.

"I'm not scared of death, only dying alone." She finished. "That's a big worry for me."

"Thank you," he murmured, bringing her in for a gentle side hug, before releasing her.

She smiled at him, slightly weaker than usual, "Your turn. Do you have a secret hunch about how you will die?"

"Now I'm not too sure. A plane crash maybe? I really hate flying too."

"How can you thatch a roof then?"

"I'm not scared of heights Dianne, just planes." He explained, trying not to giggle.

"Oh yeah." She said, the two both laughing at her mistake.

"What were you going to tell me earlier?"

"I'm scared about this one, I'm sorry for not telling you sooner, but I really want one to go well, and I've struggled with this one more than the others."

"You've told me now. What's bothering you about it?"

He began to speak quietly, as she reassured him. By the end of the conversation, his nerves had disappeared and they were back to their playful, carefree banter.

Little did they know, Stacey was watching them both. She saw them interact in a way she hadn't seen them do before, as if they had shut out the rest of the world and it was only them that mattered. She smiled as they burst into hysterical laughter at a comment one of them had made, a connection as strong and quick as theirs was hard to reach. She'd have to ask them the secret to it.

As the two moved impossibly closer unconsciously, she decided against it, and re-joined Kevin for their next run-through.