The New Girl

[January] - Tours and Troubles (2)

"Miss Buswell, wait up!" Oti's singsong voice broke Dianne out of her haze as she walked down yet another back hallway of yet another arena. The Strictly tour was coming to a close, and though  she had loved every minute of it, she couldn't deny the physical toll it had begun to take on her. Her feet hurt, her muscles ached, and she felt like she had a constant headache behind her eyes. 

Probably, she thought with a grimace, due to the lack of sleep she'd been getting. She was never great at sleeping at different hotels every night - it was the one downfall of her energetic personality, and ever-churning mind. Not to mention, her tendency to worry over things she had no control over.

"Yes, Miss Mabuse?" Dianne mustered up a smile and a cheery tone as she turned in the hall to find her friend skipping her way. "What's got you all excited?"

"We just finished our last show on the road!" Oti exclaimed. "Tomorrow we're back in good old London - four more shows, and boom - tour is over!"

Dianne couldn't help but smile - she had nearly forgotten this was the last city outside of London - and the reminder that she'd be back in her own bed soon was like a weight off her shoulders.

"Thank God," she mumbled, reaching out to grasp her foot and stretch her quad muscle out.

"Feeling it too?" Oti smiled sympathetically. "This tour has been rough, hasn't it?"

"Yeah, and I'm not sure why," Dianne furrowed her brow as they continued walking toward the dressing room. "It's only three weeks...we've gone so much longer before."

"Yeah, but I've got a celeb to drag behind me, and you're in practically every dance," Oti sighed. "It's a lot, this post-show tour." 

Dianne nodded in agreement, flopping down on to a chair to release her feet from her ballroom shoes as they entered the dressing room. She couldn't wait to wipe her makeup off and take the pins out of her hair.

"Plus, I think someone is missing a certain someone," Oti wiggle her eyebrows. 

"Someone?" Dianne asked, already annoyed by her friend's oncoming jokes about Joe, "I miss all my roommates, Oti. Not just one."

Oti stared at her for a second, before letting out a loud peal of laughter, "Roommates? Di, I meant your BOYFRIEND. Andy? Remember him?"

Dianne felt her cheeks heat up as she averted her eyes back toward the buckle on her shoes, hoping Oti would just let this particular moment drop. Of course, she groaned, as Oti continued to cackle, she wouldn't be so lucky.

"Please tell me you've talked to him today?" Oti finally calmed down enough to ask. "I heard you telling Amy yesterday it had been a few days."

Dianne bit back the urge to roll her eyes. It had been a few days. Today made it four to be exact. Four days since she'd talked to Andy, and over a week since she'd tried the silent treatment tactic she'd thought up when she'd talked to Joe. It had worked - at first. Andy had called her constantly for a few days, making sure she was okay and attempting to chat about his day. But then his calls had become few and far between - though Dianne had stuck to her word to make him put in more effort. The result - four days with no communication - had left her feeling rather fed up. 

"No," she finally murmured when Oti's gaze didn't falter. "It's been four days, Oti."

"Are you kidding me?" Oti exclaimed, louder than Dianne would have liked, as the other dancers began to filter into the room. 

Shooting her friend a glare, she shook her head. 

"Di," Oti spoke in a hushed voice as she came to sit in the chair next to her, "That's fucking ridiculous."