Chapter 2:
A Day Early
"What?" Heather exclaimed, spinning back to the Doctor. "How is that possible? I'm right here."
The Doctor looked at his watch, "no, it can't be," he groaned.
"What is it?"
The Doctor looked around and saw a man reading a newspaper and jumped up, "sorry, sorry, sorry. Is that today's newspaper?"
The man looked at him weirdly and nodded. The Doctor looked for the date and when he found it he exclaimed, "no."
"What is it?" Heather asked, careful not to be too loud.
"We're a day early." The Doctor said.
"What?"
"We're a day early." The Doctor said, sitting back down with Heather. The other Heather was already out of sight.
"Not only did you miss the suburb, but you missed the day too." Heather sniggered.
The Doctor glared at her.
"You're rubbish." Heather continued.
"Oi, I won't help you, if you can't settle down."
"Of course you will." Heather smiled at him, "What are we going to do then?"
"Well, since we got more time than I expected," he looked down at his clothes, "why not go shopping for a bit? I want to be out of this suit. It isn't...me."
"How's this?" the Doctor asked as he walked out. He was dressed in a pair of jeans, black hiking boots, navy blue polo shirt and a black leather jacket.
"No, that looks like you had a ten-year old bikie enthusiast dress you." Heather said.
A bit later, the Doctor came out in a black-and-white tuxedo, black dress shoes and a baseball cap. "What about now?"
Heather laughed out loud, "you're either, a gangster getting married or a rapping penguin."
"What?" the Doctor looked down at the tuxedo, "no I don't."
"Yeah you do." Heather insisted.
"Third time's the charm" the Doctor said as he walked out in a plain-grey suit and black runners.
Heather looked at him all over and nodded slowly. "That actually doesn't look too bad. But, isn't it just the same thing that you were wearing, only instead of blue, it's now grey?"
"Don't forget the shoes, I love my new shoes."
"I think your other pair of shoes are better."
The Doctor looked distraught, "fine then! Don't support my new look!"
"Calm down, it's not the end of the world." Heather complained.
The Doctor smiled, "I'll take it!" he exclaimed to the salesperson.
"Why?" the Doctor groaned.
"Hey, stop complaining. You're the one that had the idea to start investigating the area aroung where I live to see if there was anything out-of-place." Heather said flatly.
"Yeah, but did we need to get there in a bus?" the Doctor complained.
"You wouldn't move the Tardis any closer."
"I didn't say 'wouldn't', I said 'couldn't'." The Doctor defended himself.
"Yeah, well, walking there all the way from Box Hill will just be a waste of time. It's much faster to take the bus." Heather explained.
"And much bumpier." The Doctor groaned as the bus shook.
Heather shook her head.
The bus arrived at the local shopping centre, "are we there yet?" the Doctor said, hoping.
"No, this is only Forest Hill Chase. There's about six or seven more stops till we get there."
The Doctor groaned and mumbled something in frustration.
People started getting on the bus at the front, and when someone that Heather wasn't expecting to see came on she froze. The Doctor sensed the tenseness of her body and looked at her, "I thought I was tense, look at you."
Heather turned to look out the window and tried to cover her face, "what? What's wrong Heather?" the Doctor asked her again. She nudged him hard, trying to get him to stop talking.
At the mention of Heather's name, a man turned and cautiously approached the Doctor and Heather, "Heather? Is that you?"
Heather pretended that she didn't hear the man. The Doctor leaned in close to her and said quietly, "Heather, someone's trying to speak to you."
"I know, I'm hoping he gives up."
"Is that you Heather?" the man asked again, "Heather Langford?"
Giving up, Heather turned around and pretended to be surprised, "Oh, John! I didn't see you. How are you?"
The man, John, smiled as he sat down in the same row, pleased that he got the right person. "I'm good thanks, you're looking good too I reckon."
"Yeah, I'm fine." Heather said awkwardly.
The Doctor leaned close to her and whispered, "who is this man?"
"Hang on," Heather whispered back to him.
"Is this," John hesitated, "someone you know?"
"Oh, him? Yeah, he's a friend of mine." Heather answered.
The Doctor held his hand out, "hi, the name's John Smith."
John looked shocked, "wow, what a coincidence, my name's John Smith too!"
The Doctor's jaw dropped in shock, "really?"
"Yeah," John laughed, "you're not a long-lost half-brother of mine or something, are you?"
The Doctor laughed uncomfortably, "no, no. I'm quite sure I'm not."
"I guess John Smith is a common name after all." John smiled.
"Yeah, yeah." The Doctor managed to say.
"So, what brings you to take a bus? Don't you have a car?" John asked Heather.
"Uh, we've just had some lunch at Box Hill. I didn't take my car there." Heather answered.
"Fair enough. Fair enough. You still teaching at the kindergarten?"
"Yes, I am. Still loving it." Heather answered and attempted to smile at him. "What are you doing with yourself now? Still photographing?"
"Nah, I decided to use that journalism diploma and actually get a real job. I'm a reporter now." John explained. "I'm on my way to a story right now."
"Great! Anything interesting?" Heather asked, secretly wishing that this whole awkward conversation would stop.
"Yeah, I'm on my way to interview a teenager who claimed he saw a ghost." John said.
"A ghost?" Heather and the Doctor asked at the same time.
John looked at them, at the Doctor first then Heather, for a little bit, "yeah. The kid's convinced himself that the house near the park behind a line of houses is haunted.
"He saw a ghost?" Heather asked.
"Yeah, he believes he did."
"There's a haunted house near your house and you never told me?" the Doctor asked Heather.
"What? This is the first time I've heard of this." Heather exclaimed.
"Yeah, anyway," John said uncomfortably, "this is my stop. I might see you some time." John said.
They watched John get off the bus and as the line of people who came on the bus started to diminish, he quickly jumped up and got out of the bus with Heather racing after him, "what are you doing?"
"One, we're a day early from when we're supposed to come here. Two, there might be a haunted house – you can't say you're not a tiny bit curious. Three, I wanted to get out of the bus. I hate buses."
"What are we going to do now then?" Heather asked.
"We catch up to Mr. John Smith."
"Is John Smith really a common name?" Heather asked.
"No. Never actually met anyone else with that name." The Doctor said.
Here we go, ghosts! Chapter 3 will be out as soon as possible. And who is this John Smith, who for some reason, is making Heather so uncomfortable?
Kid W25