So, here is part two.

Unfortunately, I'm not going to be able to get this all out before the end of the month. I'm gonna have to write part three tomorrow (hopefully). I'm kinda annoyed with myself that I'm late with it, but I had a really bad day today and, to be honest, over the last month have found myself not feeling like I want to write anything. So that's my excuse. I guess because of work and certain issues at home, I just haven't had the time or been in the right frame of mind. Plus the fact that this whole idea has been bugging me since I started trying to write it. Seriously, I can't wait to have it finished so I can move on to something else.

Anyway, I'll do my best to upload tomorrow.

On the bright side, at least the majority of it was up on time!

- Emma :)

On Saturday morning, John awoke to the sound of his phone buzzing on his bedside table. Groaning, he grabbed the offending object and pressed the button, squinting as the light made his eyes hurt in the still darkened room.

One message from Donna.

Another from Jack.

John groaned again cursing the moment he told them about Rose's visit. He should've known better than to let the two of them know; he'd never hear the end of it now – regardless of the outcome.

Grudgingly, however, he opened the messages. Donna's was merely just a reminder telling him not to worry and to not get nervous. Which, John knew, was a subtle Donna way of way of telling him 'don't fuck this up'. Jack's on the other hand, was nothing more than a winky face. It didn't take a genius to work out what that meant. But John knew for certain that none of what Jack was referring to was likely to happen.

At least not yet, the darker – more Jack – part of his mind told him.

Eventually, he hauled himself out of bed and into the shower. Once out he changed quickly before looking at the clock in his room. He had three hours before he was due to meet Rose and he was determined to be early. Time wasn't exactly his strong point – he was always late for things (not that it was ever his fault, mind you!) – but he was going to make sure that he got it right this time. The last thing he wanted was to make a bad impression.

What on earth was he saying? This was Rose he was talking about. And this was not a date.

But still, being on time once in his life wouldn't such a bad thing, now would it?

…

Yet, as was typically him, John managed to leave later than he wanted. He had thought that leaving at half twelve would provide him enough time to walk up the town and into the Costa with time to spare! However, for some reason or other, he managed to leave ten minutes late. One day, he thought, one day.

So here he was, half running up the town, on what seemed like one of the hottest days of the year so far.

He made it to their rendezvous at just after five past one, sweating buckets and praying that Rose had got caught up somewhere. However, he was in no such luck, since the moment he walked into the building, he saw Rose sitting at one of the tables at the far end with a drink on the table.

He bypassed the counter and headed straight for her. She noticed him almost immediately and gave him a smile.

"Hey, you made it," she said. "You okay?" John could tell that she was trying to hold back a laugh.

Sitting down, John tried to catch his breath. "Yeah, I'm fine," he breathed. "Sorry, I left later than I wanted and landed up almost running here."

Rose just giggled. "There was no rush, honestly. I've only just got here myself, so you're not that late."

"Still."

"Do you not drive yet, then?" She asked him.

"No, I failed my test three times. Figured I'd leave it until after Uni now."

"Three times? Blimey, what did you do?"

"You don't wanna know."

Rose just shook her head fondly at him. "You haven't changed much, I see."

"Hey!" John replied with a smile.

"'S true, though. I remember you on a bike!"

"Well…"

Rose just laughed again and, this time, John joined her.

"Right," he said once he had calmed down. "I'm going to go and get a drink; be back in a sec."

"Okay, I won't go anywhere."

"I should hope not, you're holding the table for us!"

John smiled at her once more before getting up out of his seat and headed towards the counter.

The queue wasn't long as such, but long enough for him to be waiting a few minutes to be served. All the while, he continued to look at Rose. The first time she noticed him, she stuck her tongue out cheekily and he could do nothing but return the same gesture. It carried on for a little while before John found himself in front of one of the baristas, who was looking at him strangely. Rose just laughed at him and John ordered his drink feeling a touch embarrassed at having been caught out.

"What did you get?" Rose asked as John sat back down at their table.

"Just a tea – got a thing for it, y'know. That, and it's cheap."

"You're such a student," she laughed.

"Well, I better start now. I'm moving to Cambridge after all, it's not exactly the cheapest place."

"You're going to Cambridge?" Rose asked.

"Yeah, hopefully."

"That's great news! You always were smart, y'know?"

"Well, I have my moments, I guess," he took a sip of his drink. "What about you, where are you going in September?"

Rose looked down at her drink briefly before looking back up at him. "I'm not going to University. I didn't do A Levels."

"Really? What did you do after your GCSEs, then? Did you go to College, instead?"

Rose just shook her head.

"No, I left at sixteen. I got a job instead." She admitted.

"Hey, that's good!"

"Not really, I barely earn more than minimum wage."

"It's not the end of the world, you know."

"I just regret not carrying on with my education, so it feels like I've failed."

John looked at her. He could see the regret behind her eyes. It was sad for him to hear that she hadn't fulfilled the potential that he knew she had.

"Why did you leave?"

"It was stupid really; I left because I thought I had fallen in love with this guy I met," Rose looked at John, judging his reaction. She saw that he was silently urging her to continue, so she took in a deep breath and continued her story. "It started out pretty normal. I was nearly sixteen when we met – he was eighteen – we would meet up after school and hang out – all pretty normal and it wasn't interfering with school or anything.

"It was just before my GCSEs that he asked me to move in with him. I was sixteen by then, and I was starting to get bored with the monotony of school life; I thought it was what I wanted; I thought it would be an adventure and that it would better than continuing with school for at least another two years. Mum didn't like the idea, of course: told me that I was throwing my life away and that I would land up regretting it in a few years' time. But I was adamant, and I ignored her and did it anyway. I got a job before school ended, working full time, so that I could leave school completely, and three weeks later moved in with Jimmy."

"I take it, it didn't go well,"

"No, it didn't. We lived together barely six months before he started going out with another girl. He also made me pay all the bills – he took out loans at the bank since I wasn't yet old enough to do so, but made me pay him to pay them back. Eventually, it got so bad that I told him that I was leaving. That night, I packed up my bags and made my way back to my mothers. I was nearly a thousand pounds in debt and I had no pride whatsoever. I'll always be thankful to my mother for taking me back with open arms, though."

"God, Rose, I'm so sorry," John told her.

"It's alright, it's in the past now, but it does mean that I've missed out on so much. That's life I s'pose."

"You're eighteen, though," John reminded her. "So it's not too late to do something."

"I know," Rose nodded. "And I'm thinking of looking into some A Level courses. I thought about studying in Cambridge, too, y'know. I just need a new scene."

"Well then, there you go, sounds like you got a plan."

"That's if I get in. Because of all the stuff going on before, I didn't get amazing GCSE grades."

"Did you pass?"

"Well, yeah…"

"Then don't worry."

"Thanks," Rose smiled shyly as she picked up her drink.

"What for?" John asked, confused.

"For, y'know, not judging me."

"Why on earth would I do that?"

"Because so many people do," she told him. "They hear I'm a school drop-out and they immediately look at you in ways that make you feel small. It hasn't happened much, since I tend not to tell people, but it does happen. I think you're the first person, other than my mother, who hasn't judged me for my decisions these past few years."

"People are just too quick to judge," John told her. "Just ignore anyone who does that."

They lapsed into silence for a few moments before Rose pipped up.

"So, what is it that you're going to be doing at Cambridge, then?" She asked. "I bet it's something science-y."

John looked shy for a second before answering. "I'm doing Astro Physics,"

"Blimey," Rose smiled. "See, I told you, you always were smart."

Again, there was a brief silence between them as they drank their drinks.

"So, other than what you said earlier, how have you been?" John asked. "I mean, it's been ten years since I last saw you."

"Oh, not too bad. What about you?"

"Same, not much has happened really."

"That's good, I suppose."

"Yeah, suppose so."

Pause.

"I missed you, y'know."

It wasn't until the words were out, that John cringed at the way they sounded. How on earth was Rose supposed to reply to that?

"I missed you, too. I'm sorry that I stopped sending cards."

"Oh, that's alright, it happens," John told her, neglecting to tell her that it hurt a little the first year he received nothing from her. She didn't need to know that, after all.

"I guess life got in the way, huh?"

"Yeah," John nodded. "But you're back now, so you don't need to send cards."

Rose laughed. She seemed to be doing that a lot. John took it as a good sign.

"Well, what about when you go to Uni, huh?" I'll have to start sending cards then. You won't be here all the time, will you?"

"No, but I won't be far away. Cambridge is only a bus ride away." As he told her this, it only just occurred to him that, yes, he was going to go away in a few months. He had only just met her again, he wasn't sure he was going to be ready to say goodbye to her again. He worried that they would fall out of contact with each other.

Rose seemed to notice that his words didn't match his mood. She took one of her hands in his and he looked up at her, startled by the gesture.

"Don't worry, I will come and see you," she told him. "And hey, if I start studying Cambridge next September then I'll be around a lot. And like you said, it's only a bus ride away. Plus, I've got my car, so I can drive to you."

"I didn't realise you'd passed your test! Here you were asking me if I had passed mine and I forgot to ask you the same thing."

"Well, now you don't need to ask," Rose smiled, taking her hand back. John wouldn't admit this to anyone, but he missed her touch as soon as it was gone.

"How many tests did you take?"

"Just the one," she replied. "I was lucky I think."

"Nah, I'm sure it was more than luck."

"You've not seen me drive."

"Not yet, I suppose."

"Hey, tell you what, I'll give you a lift back and then you can tell me again if you think it wasn't luck." She laughed.

"You're on."

…

"Oh my God, never drive me anywhere ever again." John said as he climbed out of Rose's car, panting, after she parked outside of his house.

"I wasn't that bad, surely?"

"Nah, I'm only playing with you, you were fine, honestly," John told her. "Like I said, it was more than just luck that meant you passed your test. You're a good driver."

"Well, thank you." She said. "I wish I could same the same for you, but you don't drive and, to be honest, the image of you behind the wheel of a car is something that I will have nightmares about."

"Hey!"

"John, the bike, remember?"

"That was a bike, not a car."

"My point exactly."

"So I fell crashed a few times and then managed to steer it into a ditch – several times – doesn't mean I'll be a bad driver. I was a kid after all."

"You were pretending it was a car and that you were in the midst of a high-speed chase. Plus, I remember you saying 'I can't wait to do this with a real car'."

"Now you're just being mean," John pouted and Rose thought he looked adorable as she patted his shoulder sympathetically.

"Yes, yes I am." Rose then looked at her watch. "Anyway, I'd better go. I have things to prepare for tomorrow and mum wants me to help with the house since we've got people round tomorrow."

"Oh, okay," John said, trying to hide his disappointment, but knowing he probably failed.

Rose noticed and went to reassure him. "Hey, we can meet again at some point next week, though, can't we?"

"Of course we can! I can do pretty much any day – as long as it's after school. What about you?"

"Well, I work during the week, but I have weekends off. How about I meet you here on Saturday morning?"

"That sounds good to me."

Rose took out her phone and looked at John to do the same. "Here, let's exchange numbers and I'll text you a bit later on."

"Okay, sure."

Once they exchanged their details, John smiled at her again. "Thanks for that."

"No worries," Rose replied. "Right, I shall let you get inside and I shall speak with you later."

"Sure thing," John nodded. "Speak later then,"

"Yup,"

Rose gave John one last smile before making her way back to her car and waving at him once before getting inside.

John wanted back and watched as she drove off. Once she was gone, he turned around and went inside his house with a smile on his face. Today had gone pretty well if he did say so himself. He hadn't made a fool of himself and Rose was happy to meet up with him again. That was a good sign, right? He certainly thought so. Also, she was going to visit him when he went to University. Until today, he hadn't thought about that much, but hearing that Rose would come and visit him meant he didn't have to dwell on that thought for the entire summer. He just hoped that it wasn't going to be a repeat of the card issue. He didn't think he could take it if he lost her again.

Gosh, he sounded like a sappy romantic.

Maybe he was.

Maybe he wanted to be for Rose.

But what if that wasn't what she wanted?

Well, right now, he wasn't sure if he wanted that either. He was more than happy to keep her as a friend. After all, he had been without her friendship for so long. It would be a shame to go and ruin it almost immediately after finding it again.

But time would tell.

It always did.

For now, he was just excited at the prospect of seeing Rose again.

From now until the day he went to University (excluding all the days in was in school for), he had so much time in which he could see her.

And he wasn't planning on wasting a day of opportunity.