Hola! So, this is my first multi-chapter story! YAY! Read and review please. Also did you all hear that River Song is coming back for season nine? (confetti and balloons)
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John sat up with a jolt, momentarily disoriented. He took in his surroundings. He was in a bedroom with blue painted walls. Only a dresser and a chair occupied this room.
It came back to him. He had just moved from London to Chicago, USA. This was his new flat. Funny how sleeping can make it seem like you hadn't a life before you wake up.
It then came to him that his alarm clock was still blaring. He switched it off and looked to see what time it was. 7:43 am. He blinked at it and did a double take. 7:43! Why on earth had he set his clock for that time? He was supposed to be at the school by eight o'clock for the orientation meeting and he had to walk since he had no car.
John flung himself out of bed and dashed to the closet to get a suit. All the suits he owned were either brown pinstriped or plain blue. He grabbed a brown one and threw it on. He didn't even glance in the mirror, but he knew his hair was a mess. Finally, at 7:50, he was out the door and sprinting down the sidewalk.
He arrived at Washington Elementary School with two minutes to spare. As he burst through the doors, he saw the principal and the other teachers through closed glass doors in a meeting that he was supposed to be in.
Without thinking, he threw open the doors. Everybody stared at him like he was an alien invading Earth and he just stood there, completely out of breath. It came to him that he might want to explain his presence. "I'm-I'm John. John Smith." He hoped that that would relieve them. If anything they looked even more confused. "Th-the new English teacher?" He said the last part uncertainly, as if it were a question.
The principal, a balding man called Dunstan, seemed to understand and came forward with a great smile. "So nice to finally meet you, John. Everybody, this is your new colleague, John Smith. He has just come from London to Chicago and will now be working as our English teacher. I hope that you will all welcome him and remember that this is a new system to him. Let's get back to the meeting."
The meeting continued. It looked mostly to John like it was just an orientation meeting to let everybody get to know each other. Afterwards, Mr. Dunstan pulled him aside and called to a blonde girl. "Here is somebody I think you might like to meet, John." The girl walked up to them. She was pretty, but not gorgeous. She looked like she had a good personality though.
Mr. Dunstan introduced them. "John, this is Rose Tyler. She is our new librarian and is also from London. You two should get to know each other and do whatever you Brits do. Birds of a feather flock together and all that."
He patted John on the back and left them. John smiled shyly at her. They began to walk out to the hall and John spoke first. "So you're from London, then? What part?"
"Um, East End, actually." She replied.
Hmm. He's have to remember that. "What brought you here to Chicago?"
"Oh, just travelin'. Me an' my friend. We're not staying here long. Pretty soon we'll be on our way again." She looked sad. That was not a good look on her. He determined right then and there that Rose Tyler should never look sad. She interrupted his thoughts with another question. "What about you? Where are you from?"
"I'm actually not directly from London. Was born in Essex." He replied.
Rose nodded. "Neat."
They walked in awkward silence for a bit until Rose stopped. He looked questioningly at her. "Why'd we stop?" She nodded to the door. He looked back at it and then back at her. "What?" She sighed and pointed at the sign on the wall. Room 102. "What?"
She rolled her eyes and looked like she was trying hard not to smile. "Your classroom?"
He stared at it again. "Oh. My classroom. Yes. Yes. That's good. Good. I'll just, um, go…teach, then." He turned to walk through the door. Bam! was the noise John made when his body hit the door and fell backwards into Rose. The end result was them both on the floor with John's papers surrounding them.
They sat there for a few moments, trying to work out just what happened. Then they burst into laughs. First day and he was already bumbling around and falling into things. This was going to have to stop soon, or he'd kill himself. He stood up, grinning from ear to ear and grabbed Rose's hand to help her to her feet.
"Maybe next time, you should try opening the door. I find that it helps tremendously." She laughed as they picked up the fallen papers.
He smirked at her, pleased with her humor. "Does it? Hmm. I'll have to try it sometime. As it comes so highly recommended."
Rose laughed again and he declared that he loved that laugh. He was going to need to make a list. She turned to go. "Good luck on your first day. Try not to die." Rose walked away, still laughing.
He watched after her, noting the way she walked. She talked like she was so carefree, but her gait told otherwise. She looked as if she were distressed or troubled. But why? It's interesting what you can tell from somebody's walk. He filed it away to ponder on later.
John walked into his classroom, remembering to open the door, and set his stuff down at his desk. This day was going too fast. In under an hour, he's woken up, gotten ready for work, been late to work, been in a meeting, met a fellow Londoner, and he's about to start his first class. This was sure to be a full day.
After a few minutes, second graders began trickling in and John began his first day at Washington Elementary.
