The Room Across The Hall

Three - A Home?

Joe awoke the next morning, confused on his whereabouts until he remembered he was in Dianne's room.
A few moments later, the girl began to stir, smiling at him as she sat up.
“Morning Joe.”
“Morning Di.”
“How are you?”
“I'm good thanks.”
“Want to get changed and head down for breakfast?”
“Yeah, sounds good.”
Joe went back into his own room to change.

Joe shut the door to his room, turning around to see James and Max smirking at him.
“What are you two idiots staring at?”
“Oh, nothing.” James said, looking down, unable to hide his grin.
Joe got changed, waiting outside Di's room for her.
A few minutes later Dianne came out of her room, and they walked downstairs for breakfast.
They chatted whilst they ate, heading back up to Di's room once they'd finished.

“Di, I was thinking of heading for a walk, do you want to come?”
“Yeah, let me just grab a hoodie.” She said, grabbing one out of her wardrobe and throwing it on.
The pair told Rachel where they were going and headed out the front door.
“Come on, we can walk down to the park.”
They got to the park, sitting down on a bench.

“Di, odds on you climbing that tree?”
She looked at the tree, nodding her head.
“5.”
“Ok, 3, 2, 1.”
“2.”
“2.”
Dianne rolled her eyes playfully, walking over to the tree and beginning to climb up it. She made her way halfway up before realising she didn't know how to get back down. Whatever, she could cross that bridge when she had to, right now, she was focused on the view.
“Joe, come look at this view.” She called down.
“Coming, one second.” He called back, as he began to climb the tree himself.
He reached Dianne, sitting on the branch beside her.
“Woah.” He breathed.
“I know right.”
They stared at the view for a while, before deciding to climb back down.
Joe got down first without too much trouble.
“Uh, Joe!” Dianne called down.
“Yeah, are you ok?”
“Yes, and no.”
“What's wrong?”
“I can't get down.” She laughed.
“Oh, one second.”
Before she knew it, he was beside her again. He guided her down, jumping off the lowest branch then helping her down.
“Thanks, Joe.”
“No problem, you ready to head back?”
“Yeah let's go.”

They walked back to the care home, heading up to Dianne's room again.
“You alright?” Dianne asked Joe, who was staring off into space.
“Yeah, just, do you ever wonder if we'll get out of this place?”
“I do, all the time. I don't know Joe, no one wants a teenager.” She sighed, looking back at him.
He met her eyes, turning away as a single tear ran down his cheek.
Dianne stood up, walking over to sit beside him.
“It's ok to cry, Joe.”
He nodded, turning back to her.
“Hardly very manly though is it?” He forced a laugh.
“Joe, men can cry, it doesn't make you any less of a man. It just makes you human.”
“Thanks, Di.”
“It's alright Joe, that's what friends are for.” She said, smiling softly.
“I just want a real home. A proper one. I miss my old one every day.”
“Me too Joe, me too. What was it like?”
“I lived in a small village called Lacock in the west country, with my mum, and my dad, and my sister, Zoe. Our school was small, less than a hundred of us. I loved it so much.” He said, his voice cracking slightly.
“What about you? What was Australia like?”
“I lived in a small town called Bunbury with my mum, dad and my brothers, Andrew and Brendan. I started dancing when I was 3, and then a couple of months later, we moved here.”
Dianne sighed, wiping away a tear.
Joe opened his arms slowly, Dianne smiling and nodding gently at the gesture, accepting the hug.
They pulled away when there was a small knock on the door.
Dianne opened it to see Quinn on the other side. She bent down so she was level with the girl.
“Are you ok Quinn?”
The girl nodded her head.
“Joey.” She whispered.
Dianne nodded, letting the girl into the room.
She ran over to Joe, clinging onto his leg.
He picked her up and placed her in his lap.
“How did you know I was here?” He asked softly.
“James.” She whispered, barely audibly.
Joe nodded his head, “Are you alright?”
She nodded against his chest.
“Ok Quinn, I'll see you later, Dianne and I are busy right now.”
“She can stay if she wants.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah, of course.”
Dianne sat back down on the bed, watching the interaction between Joe and Quinn.
They continued talking until Rachel called them down for dinner.
Joe set Quinn down and she ran downstairs, the other two close behind her.

After dinner, Joe went back to his own room and Molly went back to hers.
“Did you have a good time with Freya and Daisy?”
“Yeah, we had so much fun.”
“That's good.”
“What about you, did you have a good time with Joe?” She smirked.
“Yes, I did actually.”
“Is he your boyfriend yet?”
“No, Molly, how many times do I have to tell you, I don't like him.”
“Sure you don't.”
Dianne rolled her eyes playfully at the girl.

Joe collapsed onto his bed, glancing over at James, who had stopped doing his homework and was now staring at him.
“Did you and Max have a good time?”
“Yeah, we did. How about you and Dianne?”
“We had a great time actually.”
“Did you ask her to be your girlfriend yet?”
“I don't like her James.”
“Sureeee.”
“Shut up.” Joe laughed, throwing a pillow at him.
“Hey!” James laughed, chucking it back.
“Seriously though, do you like Dianne?”
“No, I don't. She's my friend.”
“Give it a week.” James said.
“What do you mean?”
“I'm just saying, in a weeks time, if you and Dianne aren't dating, then I don't know what's happening.”
Joe was about to say something when he got a text.
He opened it, smiling as he read it.
Dianne - Good night x

Joe - What?

Dianne - Good night...

Joe - You do realise I'm less than 20 feet away from you right now.

Dianne - I'm trying to pretend that we don't live together

Joe - Oh, good night then
Joe laughed, putting his phone away.
“That was her, wasn't it?” James asked.
“How did you know?”
“I could tell by the look on your face. You just don't know it yet.”
James said, tapping his nose.
Joe flashed a confused look, deciding to say nothing.
“Anyway, it's late, I'm going to try to get some sleep, you should too.”
James nodded, climbing into his own bed.
“Night, man.”
“Night.”

Dianne smiled as she switched off her phone and climbed into bed.
“That was him wasn't it.” Molly said from her own bed.
“What was?”
“You were just texting Joe.”
“How did you know?”
“I could tell from your face. You'll understand one day.”
“Ok... Anyway, night Molls.”
“Night Di.”