The New Girl

[July] - One Year

"Alright, what's going on?" Caspar yawned, as he rubbed his sleepy eyes, clearly not mentally prepared for the conversation Joe wanted to have this early in the morning.

"It's July," Joe stated simply, flopping down on his bed as both Caspar and Oli slid down his bedroom wall, looking exhausted. 

"So?" Oli asked bluntly, yawning loudly, which sent Caspar right into another one.

"Do you remember what happened a year ago?" Joe quirked an eyebrow toward his roommates that looked like zombies. He'd gotten quite used to waking up early, especially since the Energizer Buswell had taken up residence in his room. 

"Um," Caspar looked off into the distance as if thinking made his brain hurt.

"We watched that one movie," Oli squinted his eyes, also looking as if he was in pain. "That one about the...thing."

"God, you two are useless," Joe muttered. "Dianne moved in! Dianne moved in a year ago."

"Ohhh," Caspar nodded, stifling another yawn. "Right."

"So..." Joe tried to see if they'd catch on to what he was trying to get at. 

"So what?" Caspar snapped. "My eyes aren't even open yet Joe, just spit it out."

Joe rolled his eyes, "I think we should throw her a party."

He watched as Caspar and Oli both stared at him as if he'd grown a second head. 

"What kind of party?" Oli asked, looking suspicious.

"What do you mean what kind of party?" Joe asked, exasperated. "Just a party! Like a 'One Year In London" party.   

"Someone is feeling guilty for not celebrating Dianne's birthday a few months ago," Caspar smirked. 

Joe blushed, "She told me she didn't want to do anything for her birthday. Besides, I made her dinner and I never do that."

Caspar rolled his eyes. 

"Anyway," Joe cleared his throat, "What do you guys think? I don't want it to be like a boyfriend/girlfriend thing. She's a roommate to all of us...and I think we can all agree if she didn't move in, our lives would be totally different right now."

"Yeah we wouldn't have a shower stained red from hair dye," Caspar grumbled, but Joe noticed a small smile creeping across his face.

"I'm in. Eves will be too," Oli shrugged. Joe knew he would be the easiest sell, so he grinned, turning his full attention toward Caspar. 

"Come on Caspar," Joe teased, tossing a pillow toward his blonde friend. "You know you love her."

"Not as much as you," Caspar rolled his eyes, his somewhat casual words causing Joe to spontaneously choke on the sharp breath he sucked in. "Alright there, bud?"

Joe coughed again, nodding, knowing his face was bright red. That word - the L word - had held a lot of of weight in his mind the last few weeks...especially since he'd grown closer to Dianne's family the month before. He knew it was too early - he and Dianne had only been together a few months. But that didn't stop the weird and surprising desire to say it - pretty much all the time. Just like the urge to call her his girlfriend had snuck up on him, this was yet another big step that surprised him half to death.

"Ooh, someone's in loooove," Oli teased, and Joe reached behind him to fire another pillow their direction. 

"Shut up," Joe muttered. 

"You know, for as long as you two resisted being together, you're surely making up for lost time now," Caspar grinned. "Might as well buy a ring, Sugg."