The Girl on the Estate
Rose had insisted they go home. Being the kind and worldly gentleman that the Doctor was, he agreed. It had nothing to do with the fact that her jeans showed her bottom off beautifully.
It had been a week since he had met Bronte in the café, and he'd quite forgotten about her. His encounter with Bronte wouldn't happen for another twelve years, and the only chance of him meeting her again, was if he bumped into her thirteen-year-old self in the street.
Jackie had asked Rose to go and get some milk from the corner shop, so The Doctor went with her, frightened at the thought of staying in the flat with Jackie.
They walked down the street, ignoring the crude remarks of the hoodies that sat on their bikes and hung around the streetlights.
A girl of about thirteen walked across the tarmac courtyard of the Powell estate. She wore an old-fashioned school uniform, with Italian designer shoes and a Louis Vuitton bag. Her hair was impeccably neat and tidy, held back with a clip of real silver. Every now and then, she checked the piece of paper in her hand.
The Doctor and Rose stood outside she corner shop, the Doctor moaning and whining because he was sure the woman behind the counter had short changed him.
Rose, on the other hand was staring at the group of hoodies. They seemed excited or something, and were shouting lots of abuse at someone.
One of the group moved away from the circle, letting Rose get a good look at what was going on.
A teenage girl was being pursued by the hoodies. They were following her and making a special effort to make her uncomfortable.
"So, yes. That woman short changed me!" The Doctor stopped talking suddenly, realising that Rose was taking no notice.
"Rose Tyler, are you listening to me?" The Doctor glared at his companion.
"No." she replied bluntly.
"Look over there." Rose instructed as the girl started to run. The hoodies chased her and started looking violent.
"Oh my god. We've got to stop them."
Rose ran forward.
The hoodies caught up with the girl and yanked her backpack away from her, spilling the contents on to the floor.
"OI!" Rose yelled. " Leave her alone or you'll have me to deal with."
The hoodies laughed.
"Fine then. Leave her alone or you'll have my mum to deal with."
That did it. The Hoodies mumbled something and turned around.
The girl was staring at the ground, trying desperately to gather her belongings together.
"My god. You're a Palmer's girl. What're you doing here, sweetheart? Coming around here dressed like that is just asking for trouble."
"Yes, thank you." The girl replied with a terribly upper-class voice.
She saw her book on the floor and scrambled to reach it. However the Doctor got there first.
"Pride and Prejudice. A great classic, I prefer Wuthering Heights myself." The Doctor handed over the book and gave the girl one of his grins.
"So, what are you doing here?" Rose asked.
"I was looking for this address." She said. She handed Rose the piece of paper.
"Oh, that's over in that block there." Rose pointed to a tower adjacent to them.
"Thank you. May I ask, what's your name?"
"I'm Rose and this is The Doctor." The Doctor waved.
"That's not really a name. That's a title."
"Well, books have titles, but you still say that they are called something." The Doctor replied, tugging his left ear as he always did when he was trying to come up with an answer.
"Oh…"
"And what's your name, sweetheart?" Rose piped up.
"Bronte. Bronte Jennings." And with that she walked off, in the direction Rose had earlier pointed out.
The Doctor stood, momentarily paralysed.
'It can't be. I'm sure there are lots of thirteen-year-old brown haired girls in London called Bronte.
Oh Shit'.