Joe and Dianne: Life away from you

Whatever it takes

"Dev, I need to head to the bathroom quickly, but can you go over that first section a few more times until I get back." Dev nodded in response. Watching as his dance partner unplugged her phone from the speaker system before making her way out of the studio.

Last weekend had gone practically perfectly in Dev's eyes. Their couples choice routine was performed better than it ever had been, they got an incredible score of 36 and, much to his surprise, he had managed to get almost all of the blue paint off of his body by the Sunday evening.

But so far this week had been a completely different story. The Cha Cha was a nightmare. The choreography was confusing. The technique was endless and, the mood in the training room had been lacking its usual jovial chit-chat and laughter.

It was nearing the end of Tuesday, and despite the usual level of success Dev had been accustomed to over the past few weeks, this week he had felt sidetracked by one important thing that had unexpectedly taken over his life. A thing that took the name of one Miss Dianne Buswell.

Ever since Monday morning, there had been a perceptible air of sadness looming over the red head. The little things that were so innately 'her' seeming to be missing this week. Things such as the way she held her posture when she walked through the door. The smile she wore on her face, even when you could tell she was stressed beyond belief. The slight skip in her step and the random tunes she would hum to herself as she walked down the road. All of those little things, Dev had noticed, were gone. Overshadowed by the image of a young woman who looked well into her 30's. Dark bags underneath her eyes, accentuated by smudged makeup from the previous night. Knotted masses of red hair, with the dark roots showing through underneath. The slumped shoulders carrying her small frame, no hint of smile on her face and not even the slightest sound of any random tune anywhere near her.

It was odd, he thought, how this new mood of hers had only come on this week. There had been no inkling of it over the weekend, and the messages they had shared on the Sunday morning also had no indication of anything having upset her in any way, shape or form.

Dev felt his thought process get interrupted as he watched Dianne walk back into the studio. Her flushed cheeks and smudged mascara indicating one thing and one thing only. She had been crying.

This happy, sprightly girl that he had grown so close too over the past month or so had changed. Something had broken her, and Dev couldn't help but feel responsible as a thought flicked through his brain for barely a second before seeming to stick for eternity.

The bitter truth he was having to deal with being that she didn't feel this way last week. Nor did she on the Saturday when they were surrounded by all their friends and colleagues. But this weeks training sessions had been the first times the two of them had truly been alone since the accident on the Friday night. Since he had quite literally let her down.

"Have you gone through those steps again?" Dianne questioned as she walked back over to the speakers to plug in her phone.

"I-uh..." Dev felt himself hesitate. His mind coming out of its thought process and into the real world. Realising only now he had completely disregarded her request.

As Dianne turned on her heel, she looked at him expectantly. Her tear stained cheeks and shaky hands seeming much more distinct up close.

He wanted to ask her. He really did. He wanted to know if it was he who had put her in this mood that was so far from herself. But before he could ask, his conversation with Joe fell back into his mind for a moment.

"If she's pissed off or in thought she'll be really quiet. Like she'll zone out and stare into space. When she's like that, don't ask her if she's okay. In fact don't ask her to many questions at all."