The second time she saw him, she didn't pay him any heed.
Clara Oswald always thought that her own life was a miracle. It left her in awe how one simple leaf could turn out into a human being years later. Without realising, she started looking for a leaf of her own and soon had acquired tens of books which were filled with dry leaves of all sizes and colours. It became her private ritual: every leaf she'd deem as special would be carefully hidden between the pages of all the books she's read. That's how her room turned from pink to brown, black and smelled of worn book pages. Many a day she'd wake up on top of a book with a leaf stuck to her face. Today was one of those days.
"Clara!" her mother had called out. But of course no sound came from her room. Ellie wondered why she kept doing that when she knew her daughter most probably had her headphones on. She thought about calling out again but decided against it and made her way upstairs.
Peeking through the door she could see Clara's small frame, hunched over her desk with – of course – her headphones over her ears. Steadying herself on the doorframe she allowed herself to check out the room. Books stacked and scattered everywhere along with pencils, pens and clothes thrown carelessly here and there. Ellie hadn't been in her teenager's room for a while now. Clara had asked her mother to give her the key to the door a few months prior. It never occurred to her that Clara wouldn't keep it clean. She had always been such an organised young lady. When did the time go by?
She started making the bed and gathered all of the clothes, throwing the dirty ones in the hamper and folding the other ones neatly inside the wardrobe. All the pens and pencils were put back in their place and the shoes under the bed. What was left were the books which didn't have a placement pattern or even a place of their own. And even if they had, Ellie doubted that she'd ever touch them from where Clara had put them. She rather liked how they were in just about every corner and she beamed at the fact that most of them were travelling journals, books about the wonders of the world and adventure stories. However, if she had thought to throw a look at the ones under the bed, she would've noticed there was a growing collection of astronomy and medical books.
Only after she was done cleaning up had she noticed just how loud the music from the headphones was. The sound was booming even all the way to the window with a tune unrecognizable to Ellie. It was about time Clara was woken up from her power nap.
"Clara" she had said, slowly dragging the headphones off. The teen turned her head the other way and grunted sleepily. "Clara, baby. It's almost four p.m."
"I told you to not call me a baby anymore…" The small figure grunted again.
"I wasn't calling you a baby. I was calling you my baby. Anywho, you need to wake up. Your friends will be here soon."
"Now that you mention it, I do vaguely remember Amy and Rose giving me a splitting headache about which film to see at the cinema and me finally offering seeing both at my place." Clara said, rubbing her cheeks with both hands, the last sentence obviously receiving a better response than anything else her mother said.
"Whatever the reason, you need to get up. Your face looks like someone stepped on it. You might want to take that leaf off your face as well." Ellie laughed and got yet another groan in response. Clara seemed to groan a lot these days.
She peeled the leaf from her face carefully. "This always happens. Remember the splinter in my nose?"
"Of course. I was the one who had to probe around your nostril with tweezers!"
"Oh my God, mom! Don't even talk about it!" exclaimed Clara, digging her hands dramatically in her hair. "How does that even happen?"
"I have no idea, but I'm glad it changed your mind about that piercing."
"Yeah, let's not go there right now." Clara shook her head and got up. "Did you clean my room?" she looked around some more and under her bed. "If I wasn't so glad I don't have to stress about cleaning up anymore, I might have been mad." She laughed and gave her mom a smile. Ellie smiled back, happy that Clara's teenage years were far easier than some other teenagers she'd seen.
"I'll let you take a shower and change. I'll be downstairs making you some snacks. What do you reckon I should cook?" asked Ellie, with one foot outside the room.
"Don't worry too much about it. They're probably going to be too busy bickering to even notice the food.
"So…fish, chips and pizza?"
"Definitely."
"God, Mickey, do you not change your socks?! Like, ever?" the fiery red hair yelled.
"God, Mickey, do you not change your socks?! Like, ever?" the cheeky blonde mocked.
"Stop it, Rose! That's not funny." The red haired girl fired back.
"Stop it, Rose! That's not funny." Rose mocked once again, trying her hardest not to break out laughing and mimicking her movements as well.
"Rory, tell Rose to shut it!" the girl told a dirty blonde and lanky guy.
"Rory, tell Rose to shut it!" Rose burst out laughing and Amy yelled in exasperation.
"Why can't you two just get along, Amy? Better yet, why do you have to be so rude all the time?" Rory sighed deeply, looking over his shoulder at the two girls on the couch.
"Being straight forward is different from being rude!" Amy said, bracing herself for Rose's poor imitation – in her opinion – but it never came. She was still doubling from laughing.
"Actually, telling Mickey his socks stink is rude, Amy." This time it was Clara that intervened, coming back from the kitchen holding a really big tray full of food and drinks. She wasn't very steady on her feet and staggered lightly on her way to the table. "Nobody's going to help the short girl carry the tray? No? I thought so. Do you guys ever?"
"Sorry, Clara! You know me and Rory would help you but the game just got more interesting." Answered the last of the group, Mickey.
"That's what you always say." Retorted Clara, finally putting the tray down, thankful that the ordeal is over.
"Also, my socks don't stink, Amy. You're just too posh for me."
Amy looked like she wanted to say something else and probably even more rude, but Rory threw her a look, pleading to not cause any more commotion. "Whatever." She settled on. She'd never admit it to anyone, but she felt happy when Rory smiled in approval.
"Well, now that's settled, what are we watching? We have exactly five hours and thirty five minutes until my mom will kick you out and make dad drive you home." Clara settled cozily between Rose and Amy on the couch, bringing her legs under her and resting her head on Rose's shoulder.
"Why don't you ever sit on my shoulder? It's always Rose!" Amelia said, obviously pouting at her friend's choice.
"Oh come on, Amy. You're not going to make a competition out of that, are you?" Clara said, just as obviously annoyed. She was started to get fed up with her best friends' pointless fights. She'd tried so many times to get them to be nice – she could even settle for civile - with each other, but she never managed. Call it a selfish reason, but it bothered her that she just could not get them to show their love for each other in a better way. She managed it with Mickey and Rory, why was it so difficult with those two?
"I'm not going to! It's just that you never do it. Makes me feel adored." Amy sulked deeper in the couch.
"Amy, you're just so goddamn tall. I can barely reach your shoulder! It would be extremely uncomfortable and painful for me later on. There's nothing more to it."
Amy's cheeks suddenly turned pink and Rose let out a chuckle, which only resulted in a crimson red faced Amelia. "Oh. Okay. That's fine, then." Was all she could muster. Clara took advantage of that moment of silence and slipped her arms under both Rose and Amy's, bringing them close to her.
"Alright, films?" she asked.
"I vote for horror!" Mickey chimed in, never taking his eyes off the screen.
"Ugh. Anything but, mate." Rory looked over to him looking disgusted at the idea.
"I think a sitcom marathon would be nicer." Put in Amy.
"Better yet: a romcom!" Said Rose excitedly. "It's been so long since I've seen a good one. But I wouldn't say no to a drama either."
"I'm fine with romance." Added Rory, giving the girls a thumbs up, earning a look full of scorn from Mickey.
"Right. I'm just going to grab whatever tape I have." Clara got up from her spot and took a sip from her drink. "Meanwile, close the game, guys." When they didn't move, Amy went and shut down the play station herself, the game shutting off and a normal channel popping up.
"You ruined it, Amy!" The guys yelled in unison which earned an eye roll from Amy.
"Oh, shut it. It's just a game! Watch this channel, bound to be more educative than playing Mario."
"Nothing is more educative than Mario." Rory retorted.
"Right." It was Clara's turn to roll her eyes now. As she rummaged through her parent's cupboard for their tape collection, she could faintly hear her friends in the living room having a discussion. A normal conversation for once. No fighting, just talking. Ah, this is music to my ears. She thought.
After finding a few tapes that seemed interesting she closed the door and started towards the room. As the TV became louder, she realised that none of her friends were talking anymore.
"What are you guys watching?" she asked as she let the tapes fall into Rose's lap,
"There's this interview BBC got of some blokes." Answered Rose.
"Some blokes got you all to shut up? I ought to meet them as soon as possible and learn their secrets." Clara joked.
"Me and Rory asked those two to shut up. They're some kind of geniuses in the astronomy field. Now shh." Rose added, not taking her eyes off the TV screen.
Clara did as she was told and turned to look at the screen as well. It was some kind of documentary where they took turns in showing three men talking about astronomy and answering questions. There was a brown haired one which Rose quickly recognised as David Tennant.
"Oooh, he's just so dreamy. And he's got really great hair, don't you think?"
The second man was called Christopher Eccleston and he had a pair of funny ears and a big nose. The last one, they noticed, didn't have a name. In its place there was only written "The Doctor" which they all found extremely odd.
"The Doctor? What kind of poor joke is that?" Mickey pointed his finger at the screen, laughing. "What, is he a doctor that tends to the stars? Finds them stranded on earth and puts them back together with ducktape?" He was clutching to his stomach, his own joke amusing him greatly.
Clara didn't pay him or the small quarell that issued between the four of them any attention and just continued watching. The man was starting to get gray hair, some strands being visible around his ears. His wrinkles weren't yet very deep but they were strewn across all over his face, especially on his forehead. He must knit those bushy eyebrows a lot. His features might have been that of a person approaching middle age, but his eyes, noticed Clara, were an icy blue. She could swear she saw them turn grey, but blamed it on the quality of the documentary.
"There's very few things I find as intriguing as I find the stars." The Doctor had said, his voice thick with a scottish accent.
"Such as medicine, Doctor?" the interviewer asked.
"Yes. I find those two so remarkably alike that it was not even my choice when I started studying them. There was nothing I have ever liked more than using my telescope and wasting bandaids on my perfectly undamaged skin." He laughed. Clara smiled when she thought of herself doing that a few years back and getting scolded by her parents. She wondered if he ever got scolded by his.
"… -ow could you ever get tired of watching the stars? Every time you think you've got it all figured out, you spot something you haven't seen before or discover something you never thought of before. It's the same with medicine. The truth is, you never stop learning. When you think you're oh so clever, the human body or the Universe decides to give you a reality check. There is nothing more beautiful than being proven wrong when you think you know it all. It's an adventure, really. However-"
"Mickey! I was watching that!" Clara snapped at her friend who had just closed the TV. "What did you do that for?"
"Because it was getting boring, watching that old man talk about the stars. Besides, weren't we supposed to watch films?"
Clara looked at him blankly for a while and then remembered that they indeed were supposed to watch telly together. She forgot all about the Doctor and his stars and all that was left was a single big question: What do we watch now?
Clara Oswald never really remembered exactly where she had heard the speech drawn all over the wall above her bed. She didn't always care about who it was, but once in a while she wished she could search for the person and learn more about him. But, if she were completely honest to herself, it never truly bothered her. The life of a teenager wasn't a straight line where everyone knew from the start what they wanted to do. It was a bumpy road, one on which you found yourself often stranded on. Before she noticed, her fifteen birthday had come and gone and she had all but forgotten about the curly haired man on the telly.
"Who's moving across the street, Amy?"
"If I knew, I would've already told you, Rory."
"Haven't you seen anyone coming in?'
"No, it's only been the people with the moving agency going back and forth. Never seen anyone resembling a family."
Amy was paiting her nails on her bed while Rory was sitting on her windowsill. They were waiting for the rest of their friends to join them. That night was the one time a month where they would gather at one of their houses and sleep over. Not something normal fifteen year olds would do. Then again, they never considered themselves a normal group of friends. Everyone thought that they were as compatible as water and oil. But they never thought to check the inside, for there never were more loyal and trustworthy people.
"That's odd. Do you reckon it'll be used as a vacation home?"
"They must be stupid, then. Why buy such a huge and luxurious house just to see it once or twice a year?"
"You're being rude again." Warned Rory gravely.
"Shut up, Williams." Amy snapped.
"Pond."
"Shut up, please."
"Haha, much better! We're learning." But he never got a response. They spent their time in a comfortable silence, doing their own thing.
"Hey guys. What's up with the fancy Mercedes in the front?" Rose said, coming inside the room with Mickey and Clara behind her.
"Mercedes?" Rory asked, looking out of the window. "Oh, that wasn't there before."
"Really neat car." Added Mickey.
"So I supose it's not a vacation home, Amy."
"Good. It means they have their brains in the right place."
"Hey, there's someone coming out of the house." Said Clara. Everyone gathered around the window but it wasn't wide enough to allow everyone to see the street properly. Clara, Rory and Rose were in the front while the others tiptoed behind to get a better look.
"Well don't they look fancy." Said Rose.
"Do you think they're maried?" Asked Rory.
"By the looks of it." Provided Clara. "Awww! Look, guys! They have a dog."
"They don't look very friendly, do they?" added in Amy with a frown.
"Look who's talking. The Queen of The Cold Shoulder." Scoffed Mickey.
"Shut up, guys! We're trying to see." Interrupted Rose.
"Do you need ears to see, Rose?"
"I'll slap you, Mickey."
"Just like your mom, you are."
"I know I'm gorgeous, thanks."
"Hey, there's someone else coming out." Said Rory.
They all turned their attention on the new person that emerged from the house. It was a tall and thin boy, most probably around their age. He was walking stiffly towards the car and he looked positively freezing in his shirt and pants.
"What's he doing out in the cold in those clothes? If he wants pneumonia he should just sleep naked." Joked Mickey once again.
"Oh, I don't know. I rather like his outft. Nice tie, goes well with the straps." Clara mused.
"He looks like a dork, Clara. I swear, you always pick the geeks." Commented Rose, not paying any attention to the family anymore. "Not saying it's a bad thing, but you don't need those kind of guys."
"Oh come on, Rose. I'm only fifteen. I don't need any kind of guys right now. What can I do if I like bowties, ties and dress shirts? They're fancy."
"If by fancy you mean maths professor look, then yes."
"Not doing this right now, Rose. This is make up all over again."
"Truth be told, Clara, Rose is right. A little make up never hurt anybody." Added Amy.
"If you two want to cake up stuff on your face, then so be it. Guys don't like heavy make up
anyway." Clara looked at her two male best friends for reassurance but they didn't want anyting to do with the discussion so they looked away. Abandoning me, I see. I need new friends, thought Clara.
They looked at the family for a bit more while they carried a few stuff inside and then Rose spoke up.
"I'll give five quid to whoever goes down and introduces themselves to Poshvilles over there."
"I'll do it! Easiest five quid I've done in my life!" Mickey excclaimed.
"Actually…why doesn't Clara do it? She never joins in the fun." Amy smirked. "About time she took on a challenge."
"Me? Why me? I don't want to." Clara shook her head vigurously, widening her eyes.
"I told you to stop bulging out your eyes like that." Rose told Clara.
"Yeah, makes you look like a toad." Added Mickey.
"You're the one being rude now, Mickey! Leave her alone. It's not Clara's fault her eyes are big. Don't listen to them, Clara." Rory tried comforting her but Clara wasn't listening anymore.
"Shut up. All of you just shut up!" She had cried out. Everyone was looking at her without saying anything. She stormed out of the room and out of the house before anyone could say anything else.
They're so annoying! UGH. I'll show them. I'll go up to them and introduce myself and I I'll, I'll-
"Oh, hello there."
Clara stopped in mid-walk and stared at the boy in front of her, He was carrying a big messenger bag on his right side, another one on his left and two small boxes under both his underarms. The feature which stood out the most for Clara was his really long chin. He looked as if he still had yet to grow into it. She had to admit he looked rather cute standing there, looking confused while trying not to drop anything. Clara felt her cheeks redding. It's because of the cold. It's just the cold. Not flustered.
"Hi." She said, exhaling deeply and giving him a small smile and wave. "I'm Clara."
"Nice to meet you, Clara. I'm John." He smiled back, adjusting the bags under his arms. Clara hurried to him and caught a box right before it slipped from his grasp.
"Oh, easy there! Trying to carry a bit too much on your own, aren't ya?"
"Thanks. Yeah, I guess. But my parents already went inside and told me to get the rest. I'm not a two trip kind of guy." He laughed. That is one amazing laugh. Oh my stars.
"Haha." She smiled nervously. "I know what you mean. I mean, who likes making two trips, right? It's all about will. I mean, If you set your mind to it, anybody can carry double their weight in groceries and we'll soon become like ants, super humans, that is and I'm just rambling now, aren't I?" She had said everything extremely fast and inhaled sharply at the end.
"A little bit." He chuckled. "It's fine, though. I can be a pretty fast talker. It's the first time I met someone who comes close to my skills!"
"Glad I didn't make a complete fool out of myself." Clara said carefully.
"Not at all! I think it's charming." John smiled playfully and Clara could swear her knees turned to jelly. Another smile like that and I know I'll be a goner. Her thoughts were interrupted by John's sudden movement and she found herself looking straight into his eyes. He had pale green eyes, nothing like Amy and Rose's deep ones. His eyebrows were even more pale in comparison – so pale in fact, Clara thought he had none for a second. John's voice brought her back to the present.
"Look at you! You're shivering like mad." Clara never noticed that she was only in her thin, black turtle neck, twenty DEN tights and short skirt. She had also brought the box closer to herself, unconsciouly trying to keep her body warm. "Do you want to come inside? I'm sure I packed some tea bags somewhere. Might take a while to find them but it's better than freezing out here, no?" He kindly offered.
"Oh, I don't know if I should…I mean, my friends are waiting for me back inside and…" She gestured awkwardly towards Amy's house behind them. Stupid. Now he'll think I'm rude and possibly avoid me from now on. Good job, Clara Oswald.
"That's alright, then. I wouldn't want to keep your friends waiting. Maybe another time?" He backed away slightly and didn't look offended by Clara's words.
"Yeah…That sounds…" She started, but the image of her friends fighting back inside made her have a change of heart. "Actually, I'd love a cup of tea right now. My friends can wait. Show the way, chin boy." She said as she took a big step towards him and smiled broadly.
"Hey! My chin is not that big." John said as he scrunched up his face in such a way to make his chin look smaller. He recovered quickly, however. "This way, Clara." He said excitedly and moved out of her way, gesturing with his head towards the door.
Hey guys! Sorry I took so long to update but I'm on vacation right now and I'm going back on the 24th. Because I didn't want to make ou wait that long, I decided to write it a little bit every day before bed, so that took a while. I hope you guys liked it and I want to thank you for the reviews, favourites and follows! I appreciate em so so much. You're great! I'm goin to reply to reviews at the end of chpaters from now on:
AdorkableAlyssa: I'm glad you liked it! I thought it was a bit stiff but the first chater is always nerv wrecking! Thank you for the support, love!
Abcde: I think I am, yes! I never really hought it's similar to that but now that you mention it, it is alike! Thank you for your review, it makes me feel so loved 3