If I had of known that my day was going to be weird, I never would have left my house that morning. In fact, the minute I noticed Clara wasn't in the house, I should have gone straight back to bed. Come to think of it, I probably should have called the police and filed a missing persons report. But then again, when you have a mother who is constantly running off on little trips with her work, it wasn't unusual for me to wake up to an empty house. What was unusual, however, was for there to be no note left anywhere in the house, no instructions as to how long she would be gone, or what I was supposed to do while she was away. Being the amazing daughter I am, I ignored it, getting ready for school like it was any other day, the only difference being I didn't have someone shouting at me to hurry up before I was late. The second weird encounter of the day came as I was walking to school. The whole way there, I was more than positive I was being followed, but the minute I arrived at the school gates the black Toyota disappeared and I forgot all about anything that happened that morning. Well, until science at least.
"Everyone please take out your textbooks and turn to page 317." A collective sigh rang out through our class as we came to the realization that we were subject to another afternoon of boredom. Science used to be fun until our teacher left on maternity leave, leaving us in the not so capable hands of Miss Mackles, a teacher by title but a bitch by trade. Now most of us loathe last period of Wednesday, with all of us looking for something exciting to replace the boredom we were forced to sit through.
"Madison Oswald?" I lazily raise my hand in the arm, letting it flop down beside me when she acknowledges my attendance.
"You could have more enthusiasm, Maddie. We're not going anywhere … might as well make the most of it, yeah?" My closest friend, Riley, whispers from beside me, a lopsided grin on his face as he mocks Miss Mackles. I'm about to reply with something witty when a bang sounds from outside the class, leaving a short silence before a flustered man appears in the doorway.
"Madison Oswald?" He asks, entering the classroom without a second thought and flitting quickly in and out of the tables until he came to rest in front of my desk. The hand that had been previously rummaging in his pocket was taken out and revealed to be holding some sort of screwdriver, which he promptly proceeded to wave around in my face, smiling in satisfaction when it whirred and beeped before something flashed along its side. "Ah. You look just like your mother," he announced, grinning at me as if he wanted a response. All I could do was stare.
"And you are?" I didn't think I would ever be glad to hear Miss Mackles speak.
"The Doctor," the man in front of me replied, never taking his eyes from my face.
"Doctor who?" I asked, finally finding my voice. I felt like I recognized him from somewhere, but couldn't quite work out where from.
"Just The Doctor," he answered, pushing his hair to the side and away from his eyes, the grin still ever present on his face. "I'm here to collect Madison Oswald." He was met with once again, another silence.
"Madison? Do you know this man?" Miss Mackles asks me, and I shake my head in response. Even though I feel I should know who he is, the face and name rings no bells, leaving me confused and puzzled as to why this man has chosen me to annoy.
"Of course she knows me," The Doctor responded, sounding quite shocked. "Why wouldn't she know me? I'm The Doctor." Spinning around from facing Miss Mackles he placed his hands on the edge of my desk, bringing his face down till it was level with mine. "I am a friend of your mothers, Madison. And she is in trouble."
"Trouble?" I ask, a horrible feeling of dread spreading through my body. He nods. "I don't even know who you are!" I yelled, raising my voice and pushing myself to my feet.
His facial expression changes abruptly, an emotion I couldn't reognise very evident on his face.
"What is the one place The Doctor must never go, the one place he must never go, but the one place I went, the one place I went where I never should have gone?" His voice was a whisper now, yet he still spoke quickly, reciting his words almost as if he had said them many, many times over. And I recognized what he was saying. It was something my mother told me a while ago. If she was ever in trouble, a man would come to me, and I would trust him without question. He would say to me something only the three of us knew, and I was to reply with the answer to his question, the answer that would confirm for him that I am the right person.
"Trenzalore." I whispered, watching recognition flash across his face before he once more placed a smile on his face, his bright and bubbly self becoming evident once again. Without a second thought I reached for my bag, ignoring the whispers of people around me, and turned to Miss Mackles.
"Sorry Miss, but I have somewhere else to be." I couldn't help but laugh at her dumbfounded face.
"Excellent," I heard The Doctor exclaim from behind me, before a hand gripped mine and I was pulled along behind him towards the door. If I had only known what would have come from that encounter, then I would never, ever have gone with him.
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