Trust

Charlie POV

It was still dark when I woke up in the morning, and I already knew what was happening before I had even fully woke up. It was probably around midnight, not much later that that I doubted, and I could already hear the noises again.

It had happened last night too; scratching noises, seeming to get louder and louder, closer and closer. Like somebody fighting to get out, to be freed, to be found. I squeezed my eyes shut tight together, hating the sound of it.

There was too much pain in that one noise, and in my little, small bedroom, I hadn't a clue where it was coming from. If I could help, I would have but being so terrified of the shadows…what was under my bed…I often hid away from it like the coward I was.

And somewhere along in the sleepiness, the noise practically rocked me back to sleep, and then I slept right through to morning again…

I got dressed in a chequered dress, having a shower and making breakfast for me and Aunt Marie in the morning. Callum was due to be around later to pick me up but I hardly imagined he would be there at spot on twelve, ready for a drink and possibly some lunch.

But he was.

"You're a little…early?" I questioned him as I opened the door to see him standing there, looking very happy with himself. Oh, and possibly a little over the top too. He was wearing a nice, blue shirt for once, with black trousers and black shoes.

It was very unusual for him to look so nice.

"I was around in the neighbourhood…I thought I'd stop by and see if you was ready now." He admitted, trying to play it casual but failing instantly. And I couldn't help but laugh, because he was already in the neighbourhood anyway.

We both lived in Spalding, and that was possibly the smallest town city in England.

"Callum, we both live in Spalding…what are the chances of that?" I joked, with an easy laugh, just messing around with him really.

He smiled awkwardly, possibly realizing how corny it had sounded.

"Yeah, you have a point." He forced himself to admit in agreement, running a hand through the top of that awkwardly messy hair and smiling shyly in response. I laughed again, before I could stop myself.

"Ah, you do make me laugh." I joked, before shouting out to Aunt Marie that I was going now. Of course she was only too happy to wish I have a good time and see me later, making me roll my eyes in response.

I shut the door behind us, and followed him out into the garden, past the back gate at the very end of the garden. It was silent for a moment, a little awkward too before we got to his car just outside the gates.

"You look…nice, by the way." Callum commented as lightly as possible, as we got into the small Mini he had managed to buy with his college funds that he had saved up from weekly college EMA.

"Thank you, you look…different." I wasn't sure how else to put it; different was definitely a right word to use, I imagined. Because I wasn't used to him looking so smart, but he did look nice like that too.

"Yeah, I…thought I'd try a new look." He explained as he walked round to the driver's side, and got in whilst I fiddled with my seatbelt busily to occupy myself as he got into the car. I had never driven with Callum before, but I imagined him to be a good driver.

"It suits you." I commented, looking him up quickly once more, before he started to drive. He did look good though; the look suited him, and he had every right to make use of his college funds.

He worked hard to get where he had done, and I imagined that it wouldn't be very long until Callum was some kind of a famous actor or performer in a show. He was so talented that it really wouldn't be a surprise to me when he got his big break.

That was also one of the reasons why me and Callum even split up in the first place. He was a very determined Guy, determined to get somewhere in his career, to make something of himself.

That was the one thing that I adored about him.

His determination, his faith and devotion to his career, to get somewhere in the acting fields was something to admire.

Of course, as he parked up in town, there wasn't really a lot of places to go too, and I imagined us going to somewhere like Wimpy or McDonalds, rather than somewhere nice in Spalding, because I didn't even think there was one single nice restaurant in the city.

It didn't bother me too, because it was cheap enough in both restaurants and McDonald's always had a vegetarian burger for me to eat with a packet of crisps.

But you could imagine my surprise when Callum walked us across to the newest restaurant to open in Spalding; one that looked really posh, had fancy marble flooring, and people sat there in black suits and fancy dresses.

I looked down at myself, feeling so embarrassed now.

All I had on was a casual, summer dress with black converses, and that wasn't exactly very restaurant style wear.

"I thought we were…just having a drink out?" I asked Callum hesitantly, feeling so embarrassed to have to walk through them doors like this.

He just smiled, holding the door open for me. "Thought I'd make the effort for once." He replied with easy casualness, making me roll my eyes in response.

"More like show off." I mumbled under my breathe quietly.

"What?"

"Oh nothing," I smiled, forcing myself to go through the door, despite how posh everyone looked. I looked a right mess compared to everyone else, but then, I guess it didn't really matter if we were just having a drink.

He booked a table for two, and I followed him over to a side table, which was perfectly fine with me as it was away from everyone else. I ordered a soft drink, but nothing else, same as how he did.

It was good to see that he kept to his promise off just a drink, rather than adding food to the meeting too. I could have called it a date, but that just sounded…too personal for me. It was just two friends having a drink at lunchtime.

Yes, it was exactly that.

"So how's the Shakespeare lines getting along?" Callum asked me curiously, pulling at the top of his hair as he took a sip of his diet coke.

"Urm…yeah, good," I replied casually, only just realizing that Callum had done this sort of thing all before. He was on the third level of Performing Arts, the BTEC diploma, and I was on the level one course, something Callum had achieved a year ago.

"Are you finding the coursework hard? I know that erm…when I first started the course, it was a lot for me to take on at the time. The diploma course is a lot more difficult though, I soon found that one out." He smiled, trying hard to make casual chit chat.

"No, I find the coursework easy to be honest. And I'm definitely a lot happier on this course then the Childcare one. I think I might have found the place where I want to be." I smiled at him truthfully.

And it was true too; I didn't feel truly happy unless I was performing, and I could now fully understand why Callum loved performing in front of so many people so much. It was a huge thrill; acting, performing and being on stage.

"That's good then…you know if you need any help with the coursework or anything at all…I've been through all of the coursework and rehearsals before, so I know how hard it can be." I looked up in time, catching him smiling, and forced a smile back before looking back down at the table again.

It was nice to know that he wanted me to know that he was here for me, but he was a little confusing in the way he explained which way. I knew that all we could have been is friends though anyway of course, because we both got so busy easily and we'd only make the same mistakes as last time.

And I didn't want things to end in disaster and tears again, and then lose his friendship all together.

Callum meant the world to me; I loved him still, I cared about him, I trusted him, but I was there for him as his friend and nothing else. That love had turned into a different love; a friendship sort of love rather than a love of a lover.

"Thank you Callum." I replied, continuously thinking about the dream I had last night, a completely different dream to the ones I'd had for years and years. It was a flashback to the night I had met The Doctor all them years ago.

It was different, strange…I was so used to seeing into the shadows, looking into the eyes of them monsters; both terrifying and deadly, sometimes even waking me up with the terror they could sometimes bring me under different circumstances in the dreams.

Callum busily talked whilst I listened; I had been so used to it being the opposite, with me talking constantly, and Callum being the one listening that I hadn't really noticed anything different until it suddenly just appeared to me that I was the one doing the thinking and not really listening this time.

I knew it was really rude of me, but I had things on my mind to think about. These dreams were always on my mind anyway, but now that the dreams had switched to something else again, jumping to the night I met him, and the day my nightmares began…I couldn't stop overanalysing things.

Did that mean that The Doctor was going to come back?

Oh, if only that was true! It would be amazing if he came back, to get rid of these monsters and save the day once again, just like how he had suddenly appeared all them years ago. Because he was the saviour, he was the hero; it was always him.

"Charlie…Charlie?" Callum waved a hand in front of my hand, probably checking to see if I was still alive as I thought over my dreams, overanalysing things and possibly getting things wrong at the same time.

I smiled politely back in response, hoping I hadn't missed anything too important from what he had been saying, because I felt rather rude to be sat here daydreaming, whilst he sat…well…talking to himself, really.

He laughed in response, rolling his eyes at me. "I was just saying about the rehearsals being done at Key Theatre next week. They've got rehearsals for that play and I was wondering if you were possibly going to go along."

"Oh, erm…maybe….possibly." I added, because I imagined I would do. It had sounded good when I heard about it last week at college, but I hadn't really been paying enough attention to what Callum had been saying to give a straight yes or no answer.

"Are you alright?" Callum asked me anxiously, watching me warily as if he expected some long story about how bad life was right now. Well…he wasn't going to get one. I was fine really; a little confused about my dreams, but…I was feeling alright.

"Yeah, I'm fine thanks. Just thinking a lot through."

"About the course?"

"Yeah, erm…you could say that." I forced myself to agree, just because Callum didn't have a clue what was going on right now, same as everyone else in my life. They didn't know about any dreams, any Doctor, or anything…and that was the way I liked it to be.

"Yeah, it's a lot to think about and take on, but I reckon you can handle that." Callum replied with complete faith. I just smiled in response, before turning to look out of the window, watching the shoppers pass by.

And as I took everyone in going past the restaurant window, looking as everyone went home with their shopping or headed into town to get their groceries and clothes…I saw it in the corner of my eyes.

I turned my head instantly, gasping in shock as right at the very edge of the window, at the back of town square, just besides the park, it was there. The box, the blue box that he flew in…the TARDIS!

"He's here!" I exclaimed, probably not looking like the sanest person alive as I jumped from the restaurant chair, ignoring Callum's strange looks and questions as I ran out of the restaurant as fast as my little legs could carry me.

"He's actually here…he's actually came back!" I gasped with such happiness, hearing Callum asking me what was going on behind me. I ignored him, running as fast as I could over to the park to see where it had gone.

It had definitely been right besides the park, but as I ran there, I couldn't see it anywhere. But there was no mistaking the big, blue box that he travelled in. It definitely had to be him! It just had to be!

"What's wrong?" Callum asked from behind me as I tried to gasp my breathe back, looking round before running into the park, and hearing Callum chase after me still. I couldn't just accept that he'd just gone, not after he had been so close again!

"He was HERE! He was just HERE; how can he just disappear again? He's obviously going to come back. He just HAS to!" I shouted in rage, throwing branches out of my face as I moved into the forest, desperate to find him again.

"Charlie, slow down!" Callum called out, trying so hard to catch up with me, but it was no use. As soon as I was out into the clearing, I sighed with complete sadness, feeling like I had failed myself.

He had been right in front of me, so close to me! And I had let him escape, without catching up with him at all. I had had my chance, and I had lost it again, after all these years of waiting for him!

"What did you see?"

"It was HIM Callum! It's always him; the one in my dreams every single night. The box was right here, and I let him get away!" I exclaimed in rage, feeling ready to burst into tears because of how sad I now felt.

I had missed my chance.

He always said he'd come back for me; yeah, he had got the months and years mixed up, but I didn't care. He had promised me he would come back for me, and he had, and now my chance was gone!

"Who Charlie, who did you see?" Callum asked me in a panic, trying to figure out my strange, unrealistic behaviour.

I looked at him warily, because I wasn't even sure if I could trust him if I did decide to tell him this, everything. He was a trusting Guy, but…could I do the same and take a risk in trusting him? I wasn't really so sure.

I wanted to, because now I had lost my chance, it was likely that I was never going to get the chance to see him again, and the idea of just confessing everyone to Callum was a tempting idea right now.

"Callum…you have to trust me." I begged him, hoping and praying that he wouldn't laugh at me. He could handle weird, he often handled 'weird' situations at college, with his course and everything else.

But…could he seriously handle this? Would he even believe me?

"You know I trust you Charlie already." He promised me, the same panic written deep within them desperate green eyes which were still searching mine as he stepped forward with overdone hesitation.

"Okay…" I forced myself to agree, taking a deep breathe and forcing myself to do this. After all, if I could trust anyone, I could always trust Callum, especially on handling weirdness. "I'll tell you everything."

***