Haley's POV:
I was having another dream. I'd been having them a lot lately. They were always about a guy; a pale, freckled guy with curly red hair and purple glasses. We were always together, surrounded by people in lab coats. He always spoke to me in a lightly squeaky voice, but what he said was different each time. This time, he said, "Don't forget me. We'll meet again soon; I promise." I nodded, and a man in a green suit came out and dragged him away.
I woke up back in my room, everything a big blob of color without my contacts. I put on the glasses I wear in the morning on the way to the bathroom, and my dark blue walls came into focus, covered in posters of Matt Smith. I took a moment to stare at the posters, and then got up. After lunch today, I would be going to a big science fiction convention, wearing my Amelia Pond costume. I was completely obsessed with Doctor Who, and I loved science more than anything.
I walked over to my dresser, my light blue night gown swishing around my legs. The red shirt and denim jacket and mini-skirt I had set out the night before sat on top of the wooden dresser, folded just as they had been last night. I quickly changed into the costume, but decided to wait a while before putting on my red wig. It would just get messy if I wore it when I didn't have to.
I went to the bathroom to put my contacts in, and went downstairs when I was finished, leaving my glasses on the bathroom counter.
My dad had already been to Paul Bunyan's Pancake House and back. I could tell because I smelled pancakes, Dad never cooks, and Mom had to go to work really early today. I sat at the table and ate my pancakes in silence, while my brother, Jay, did his best to annoy me. It didn't work today; I was lost in thought about later today. It was going to rock!
The rest of the morning was pretty boring. I pretty much just watched old Doctor Who episodes to make sure I had the details right. Jay went to the park to play with his friends, but I stayed home to keep my costume clean. I made myself a peanut-butter sandwich (while wearing an apron) for lunch and put on my wig.
Dad drove me to the Googolplex Mall and dropped me off in the parking lot. I walked inside and followed the signs to the convention center. My friend Jan came over to meet me. She was dressed as a Weeping Angel, and her costume was almost perfect. Her skin, hair, and robe were painted gray and she wore gray wings. She had even gotten a wig that was the perfect length and style of hair. The only flaw was that she moved even when people were looking and didn't send people back in time.
"Hey! Nice costume!" Jan said.
"Mine? Yours is way better!"
Jan smiled shyly. "Thanks. It took a lot of work."
We walked around together and looked at everyone else's costumes. Later there would be a contest to see which Doctor Who costume was most accurate. I saw lots of Doctors and Rose Tylers and Amy Ponds. There was even a Dalek! But Jan was the only Weeping Angel. We wandered around for a few more minutes, and then we heard an announcement over the mall's intercom that the costume contest was about to begin. Jan and I looked at each other and squealed, then started run-walking toward the makeshift stage.
"Alright, we'll go through the rules first, and then we'll start the contest," the announcer, a man in a trench coat and bow tie, said. "First, you must be dressed as a character, monster, or important item from the new series; as in the 9th, 10th, and 11th Doctors. Second, your outfit must be homemade. Third and last, we will be picking three of the best Doctors, companions, villains, friends, and items to receive awards. Let the competition begin!"
He called up all the Doctors first. The judges, a pale lady with long, blonde hair and two brunette men, voted and eliminated most of them quickly and soon it was down to three. The announcer and judges chose which was best by the audience's applause, and it went on to companions. I went up, but I got eliminated somewhere around the middle. The three winners were a Rose, an Amy, and a Donna.
Jan had to go up next, because the announcer called up the villains. I saw the Dalek from earlier, and it actually flew up the tree stairs to get to the stage! It was amazing! The judges started to eliminate people, and the last three were Jan, the Dalek, and a really cool Cyberman. You couldn't really see who the Dalek and Cyberman were, but maybe that was intentional.
After the contest, Jan wore her third place medal proudly as we walked around, looking at the other costumes from other sci-fi shows, movies, and books. I saw the Dalek again, and it was headed towards the bathrooms. It had won first place, and the medal hung around the thicker part of its head, before the design started to come out in spherical bumps in the metal.
Jan and I stopped for a moment at a food stand to get a snack. I could see the Dalek from there, and it went into the men's room. So it was either a very confused girl, or a guy.
I sat down at a bench to eat my chips from the food stand, still watching the bathroom door. I didn't really care at that moment that I was acting like a stalker; I just wanted to congratulate whoever the Dalek was on their costume. It was really cool.
Jan noticed I was staring and followed my gaze to the bathroom door. "What are you doing?" she asked.
"I'm waiting for that Dalek to come out of the bathroom so I can congratulate him."
"How do you know he's in there, if it's even a him?"
"I saw him go in, and it's the men's room, for crying out loud! Of course it's a him!"
Jan rolled her eyes and held her hands up in defeat. "Whatever."
Just then, the Dalek came out. He wasn't wearing the dead part of the costume, and the guy's face looked familiar. I knew that curly red hair and those thick, purple glasses from somewhere… Then it hit me.
He was the guy from my dream!