A/N HI! I've been working on this one a while, and it's almost halfway done. MOST CHAPTERS, I WOULD LIKE TO ADD, ARE LONGER THAN THIS ONE. IT'S JUST THE PROLOGUE. SORRY. Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who. Updates will not really be constant, but I'm uploading the second chapter either tonight or tomorrow.

Day -9: Prologue

Clara Eleanor Oswald slumped back on her bed, a mixture of relief and ecstasy flooding through her. The last bookshelf had been set up, the last poster had been tacked to the wall, and her wifi network had finally stopped sending her error messages. The new Oswald house of Neptune Creek was finally set up and ready for business.

That being said, she hadn't seen much of Neptune Creek so far- and the little she had was not exactly promising. The library wasn't exactly extensive, but what she had seen of Oswin's new school was not bad, if not big. The entire town seemed sleepy to her, and right now, more than anything, she needed to be awake.

She sat up. "OS-WIN!"

"YEAH, CLARA?" Oswin shouted back from across the hall.

"I'M GOING TO GO EXPLORE A BIT."

"WHAT IS THERE TO EXPLORE? I HEARD THAT THE CLOSEST BOOKSTORE IS IN THE NEXT TOWN OVER." came Oswin's scathing reply.

"HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO KNOW WHAT THERE IS? I HAVEN'T BEEN YET. YOU STAY HERE, OKAY?"

"NO OTHER REAL OPTION, IS THERE?" A pause, and then- "IS NETFLIX WORKING AGAIN?"

Clara huffed, rolling off the bed and grabbing her keys. "YEAH. THE PASSWORD'S TAPED TO THE WALL IN THE LIVING ROOM."

She heard Oswin's door opening, and looked around on the floor for her bag- wait, it was by the front door.

There was the sound of crinkling paper- presumably Oswin finding the password- and another yell."YOU COULDN'T THINK OF ANYTHING BETTER THAN RYCBAR?"

"NOPE. BYE!"

"BYE!" Oswin yelled back.

Clara walked down the hall, slung her bag over her shoulder and paused, hand on door. "WOULD YOU ACCEPT RYCBAR123?"

"GOOD-BYE, CLARA."

Clara walked down the sidewalk, exhaling sharply. She was glad that she had the AC working again, because it was extremely hot out here, even for the middle of July. She hated to think what august would be like.

It wasn't long before she reached the inner part of town- the whole place was set up close together. A few people Clara vaguely remembered seeing before smiled and said hello. Clara smiled and said hello back.

A tall man brushed past her, accidentally tagging her shoulder. He instantly turned, and she got a chance to look at his face more- he had very striking features, and, for some reason, a brown pinstripe suit.

"I am so sorry I hit you- are you okay? I've got to run, sorry, sorry-" and he turned and dashed the other way. Clara blinked and turned back, only to be confronted by a blonde girl.

"Which way did he go?"

"Hm?"

"David. Guy in brown suit, white converse, incredible hair-" Then the girl seemed to register Clara as a human being and not an information stand. "I don't know you." It was a statement.

"And I don't know you."

"No. That's not right. I know everyone in Neptune Creek. We've barely got a population of 600."

Clara put out her hand. "Just moved here with my sister. I'm Clara Oswald- you are?"

"Rose. Rose Tyler."

"That your boyfriend?" Clara jerked her head toward where David had run off to.

Rose rolled her eyes. "Kind of. Don't suppose you know where he's run off to?"

"Not a clue."

"Might as well get a lemonade or something then, because it's absolutely sweltering and he's not coming back. Been out to the coffee shop yet?"

Clara shook her head. "Haven't been anywhere yet."

"Come on, then. Where'd you say you were from?"

She didn't know it, then, but Rose Tyler was the beginning of something new, something better than she had ever imagined could happen in a place like Neptune Creek. The day was July 23, and there were nine days left until Clara Oswald's new life began.