Thank you for the reviews.
A lighter chapter this one. More of Clara and the Doctor.
I Shouldn't
Clara laughed as the Doctor told her his story of an incident that happened at the last school he worked at. It surprised her about how natural it seemed. She felt like it was good that she was laughing as hard as she was. And it was the Doctor making her do that.
She just felt so carefree with him. It scared her slightly.
She was glad that she could have the time that they were in school together. She hoped that she could keep the balance of school and home right. What John didn't know, wouldn't hurt him and that was the way that she had to think about the situation, otherwise she would allow herself to be filled with guilt when she knew that she had nothing to feel guilty about.
The Doctor cleared his throat as their laughter died down. "Clara. Question."
"Go ahead."
"Why have I been told by Adrian and Danny to stay away from you?"
She couldn't lie, she had been waiting for the question. She had spoken to Adrian once she had found out that he had said something to him and told him that it wasn't his place to say anything. She liked the Doctor. She liked the way he would speak freely to her. The moment he knew or suspected what was happening to her, he would be like every other person in the staff room and treat her either like glass or stay as far away from her as possible. She hadn't realised Danny had said anything as well.
"My … my husband is a little bit protective of me."
"A little bit?" The Doctor questioned, looking at her. "Danny said that he was almost beaten up by him..."
"That is an exaggeration." Clara spoke over him. She knew it was. He only managed to get in a few punches.
"...The only thing that stopped him was you…."
"I wasn't going to stand back and allow Danny or John to get hurt."
"… One of the teachers even confirmed that he told Danny to keep his grubby little hands off you. Or something to that description."
"John just likes to remain in control." That was the only reason he did what he did. John felt like he was losing her, even though he wasn't.
"Coming from the control freak."
Clara stopped walking. No one had called her a control freak before. Was she a control freak?
Maybe she could have been after her mother died but not now. Definitely not now. If anyone was a control freak, it was John.
"I am not a control freak."
"Yes ma'am." He said jokingly.
A smile spread across his face and she matched it. She was still angry at him for calling her a control freak but the fact that she was just trying to control what she could in her work life made her wonder if he was correct.
"Anyway, there is a difference between losing control and being an idiot."
"Look, I don't want to talk about it. If anything they are looking out more for me than you. I am sure nothing will happen to you."
"Is that why you have stopped texting me?"
She felt all her defences come up at once. "You said question. I have answered your question. Just stay out of my life. It is mine and I can also chose who I want to text and who I don't text. Alright?" She shouted at him before storming off.
The more Clara thought over the conversation she had with the Doctor, the more she realised that there was definitely a different way that she could have gone about it. She could have just told him yes and that John only went for Danny because he thought that she was having an affair with him.
She could have told him the truth and she was sure that he would have understood.
With parent's evening that night, she knew that everyone would stay behind to either help set up or to get some marking done or just getting their notes together. The Doctor was still in his room when Clara had finished her marking. She took the opportunity to make two cups of teas, one for her and for him.
She pushed open his door. "Knock, knock." She said, echoing what he had done to her. "Peace offering." She held up the tea to him.
He gave her a smile before nodded his head, telling her to come in.
Clara handed him one. "I think that is the one that is more sugar than tea."
"Sweet tooth."
"That was noticeable."
They fell into silence. Clara sipped on her tea just to make some noise.
"I am sorry I was so defensive earlier."
"It is one way to make someone worry that something is up." The Doctor looked up at her. "You can talk to me."
She took a deep breath. "He has asked me to stay away from you. He says that he doesn't trust you because you are like every lonely man. He won't believe me that it is just friendship."
She let it sink in. She watched him open his mouth but didn't allow him to speak.
"In John's eyes, I shouldn't be here. I shouldn't be talking to you. I shouldn't even make eye contact with you, probably. He just … I can't do that to you. I want to be your friend."
"You are making it hard."
"I know."
"Come on Mrs Smith, we have parents to see." He said, getting up out of his chair.
Clara watched him go before slipping off the desk she was sat on. It was a start. Little steps.
They had come to some sort of agreement. They would only talk about John when Clara brought him up. It was probably better that way. While that was happening, Clara was trying to work out how she could tell him everything that was happening. She couldn't tell her dad about it, how was she going to talk to someone that she had met only a few weeks ago.
"Clara, it is dark. Are you sure you want to walk home?" The Doctor asked.
She pulled her coat around herself as they stepped out of the school. "Maybe you're right."
"Look I can drop you where I dropped you last time."
Clara nodded before taking her place in the passenger seat.
She blamed it on the fact that she had been thinking about him most of the day. She blamed it on the fact that he was telling her another story. She blamed it on the fact that he was handsome for his age. She blamed it on the fact that she did feel safe with him. She blamed it on the fact that he had stopped the car and turned to look at her.
It was like in a movie, it just didn't seem like it would happen in real life. By the time her brain had caught up with her action, the Doctor had also come out of shock and had started kissing her back. Clara pulled back, keeping her hand on his cheek.
"I am so sorry." She said before removing her hand and picking up her bags as quickly as she could, getting out of the car in a hurry.
She was quite glad that he hadn't said anything and just let her go, driving off as soon as she started walking down the road.
Her thoughts immediately turned to the man waiting for her at home. She had kissed another man. How was she going to lie her way through that?
