A/N: Hello! So sorry for all of the waiting and such, I Had been dealing with being a senior and I've come to the conclusion that I don't want to grow up. I'm going to eternally stay an overgrown child and consider work that consists of mainly sleeping and eating... I know I can't actually do that but I'm gonna think it! Anyways! I have the next chapter here all polished and clean for you, I need to stop with the hording if I can't find a lot of time to write a load at a time, it's not nice to the ones who have been wanting it. I won't keep you from reading, enjoy!
Chapter 22
Alli tugged at her tie to pull it out of the itchy, gray sweater as she stomped up the stairs towards her next class. She struggled with the heavy Physics book, even though she argued with the Doctor that she didn't need it since she already technically read it.
"I already know what's in the book. Why do I have to carry it around though? It's really heavy!"
"You have to pretend to be a foreign exchange student. You're going to have to carry the books to do the part and sorry, most students don't already know what's in the book."
"I'll just say I'm an avid reader or something. Please? This thing weighs like twenty pounds!"
"Nope, sorry. It's already a stretch since you've skipped a couple grades. Just try and blend in for now and focus on any differences in the curriculum."
"Fine. Anything else I have to do then?"
"Not really, we-ell, try not to answer too many questions. I already know you know them and so do you. Can't be attracting too much attention."
She was about to turn into the classroom but instead found her path suddenly blocked by a foreboding figure. She turned her gaze upwards to find the immaculately suited headmaster, Mr. Finch, stand before her. He absent-mindedly twiddled his fingers in one hand with a look of confusion as he stared down at her, his scowl harboring his effort in trying to remember where he saw her before.
"Ah." He immediately said after a beat, wiping his face of any doubt. "Miss Alli Rose was it? You were our new foreign exchange student. Tell me, how are you liking it so far?"
Alli put on a bright grin and bit her tongue to prevent any rude comments she could say about their choice in uniforms.
"I find it absolutely brilliant Mr. Finch, thank you. I was actually on my way over to physics class. I was looking forward to learning what level they teach it at, although I'm not fond of carrying around the book. It's really quite heavy."
"Sadly, it would be necessary to have the book on you if you wanted to see what level it's at, my child." He condescendingly joked towards her.
"Oh I already know everything that's in the book and all the principles for it. I just want to see the differences in the way you teach it."
Mr. Finch raised his eyebrow at her remark that she unknowingly let slip. "Well that's wonderful. So, have you had lunch yet?"
"No, I didn't have lunch yet. It's after class though isn't it?"
A sinisterly, knowing smile spread across his calm demeanor as he calculated the uses for the impossibly intelligent, young human. She would definitely be beneficial to the plan.
"Yes it is, do try the chips. Or as you Americans call it, fries. You should be heading off to class now though, wouldn't want to be late now do you?"
Even though the reply wasn't the outcome she desired, her smile never faltered.
"Of course, Mr. Finch. Bye-bye!" Way too much work just to get rid of book, honestly. She thought to herself as she bid the headmaster goodbye.
She begrudgingly made her way through the door into the bright classroom and thankfully tossed her heavy book down with a thud. She pulled her tiny self up the tall stools and ignoring the staring kids that still, for some reason, couldn't comprehend a foreign exchange student from
America be as young and small as she is, even after two full days already. Would high school really be like this? She wondered to herself as she kept smiling and waving at all the blank, open-mouthed, children still ogling at the sight of her.
After most the class had finally settled into their seats and one last kid rushed in to beat the bell, she saw the familiar man she was so used to enter the classroom with the same maniacal beam of a smile shining towards everyone, sporting a pair of glasses on that she knew he didn't need.
"Good morning class!" The Doctor posing as a Mr. John Smith happily exclaimed, "Are we sitting comfortably?"
"Yep!" Alli responded, equally as cheerful. She seemed to be the only one happy to be there in the room, besides the Doctor of course. He turned around and picked up a red marker to sprawl his rather sloppy writing across the board.
"So, physics! Physics, eh? Physics. Physics. Physics! Physics. Physics, physics, physics, physics, physics, physics, physics!" The Doctor glanced around to find nearly everyone staring at him like he was mad. "I hope one of you is getting all this down. Okay, let's see what you know. Two identical strips of nylon are charged with static electricity and hung from a string so they can swing freely. What would happen if they were brought near each other?"
Both Alli Rose and another young boy in glasses shot their hand up. The Doctor gave a side glance to Alli to remind her not to answer too many of the questions. Seeing as she didn't get the hint, he called instead on the young boy.
"Yes, uh, what's your name?"
"Milo."
"Milo!" He repeated enthusiastically, "Off you go."
"They'd repel each other because they have the same charge." Milo answered in a monotonous tone.
"Correctamundo! A word I have never used before and hopefully never will again." He muttered after all the strange faces were made towards his direction. "Question two. I coil up a thin piece of microwire and place it in a glass, of, water. Then, I turn on the electricity and measure to see if the water's temperature is affected. My question is this. How do I measure the electrical power going into the coil?"
Once again, the same two hands shot up in the classroom, everyone else still appeared to be in a lull.
"Someone else." He looked around the room finding no volunteers except for the jittery girl and stoic boy. He gave Alli a stern stare as he pointed in her direction, "Not you, so put your hand down."
Alli just sighed as she lowered her hand in defeat.
"No? Okay, Milo, go for it."
"Measure the current and PDs in an ammeter and a voltmeter." Some of the classmates were turning their tired heads now, raising their eyebrows with surprise.
"Two to Milo. Right then, Milo, tell me this. True or false. The greater the dampening of the system the quicker it loses energy to its surroundings."
Without a seconds notice, Milo immediately answered. "False."
"What is non-coding DNA?"
"DNA that doesn't code for a protein."
The interest of both the Doctor and Alli weren't the only ones piqued now, nearly the whole class were watching the match back and forth like tennis.
"Sixty-five thousand nine hundred and eighty-three times five?" He asked in an attempt to stump him.
"Three hundred and twenty-nine thousand nine hundred and fifteen."
The fact that he didn't pause for a moment just to think screamed the fact that something was off about him. In a last ditch attempt, he decided to ask a question that no human even on Earth at the time should know.
"How do you travel faster than light?"
"By opening a quantum tunnel with an FTL factor of thirty-six point seven recurring."
All the jaws dropped in the room as they turned to stare at the unfazed child, Alli turned toward him with a large grin setting in.
"Best... school... ever."
Come lunch time, the Doctor and Alli Rose made their way through the lunch line, Alli trailed right behind the Doctor, just barely seeing over the counter from her short height. Her mouth suddenly watered as the golden chips were placed in her tray. She couldn't tell if the lunch lady saw her sneak a few, but she assumed she must have when she placed an additional few on her pile. She glanced up red-handed to see the steely face of the woman have a smirk on her face.
Relieved from getting away with it, she dragged her plate down the line and felt a splatter of gravy of some kind sprinkle her cheek. She wiped it away to see the venomous glare the Doctor received from Rose with a spoonful of gravy dumped in his potatoes, which he gladly accepted with a bright smile. Don't think I want gravy now. She thought to herself as she gave Rose a smile as bright as the Doctor's.
Alli still sat instinctively next to the Doctor as she dove into the extra pile of chips he offered her. After trying a bite of one, he made a face and just pushed the pile away towards her.
"We should call Rose over, tell her about that kid in class this morning." She murmured through a mouthful of the best french fries she's ever had.
"Good idea, could ask her about what they're serving for dessert too." He joked, earning a giggle.
"She's so gonna kill you."
He caught her attention and motioned for her to come over, she begrudgingly dragged her feet over with a rag and half-heartedly started to wipe the tables. "Two days."
The Doctor, more than glad to jump on this opportunity to tease her, motioned to a spot on the table, "Sorry, could you just? There's a bit of gravy." She glanced up towards him to stare as he kept his poker face. "No, no, just, just there."
She exasperatedly reached over to wipe the smudge that he apparently noticed. "Two days we've been here." She repeated.
"Blame your boyfriend, he's the one who put us onto this. And he was right. Boy in class this morning, got a knowledge way beyond planet Earth."
"Point one for Mickey." Alli murmured as she tossed a chip in the air and caught it in her mouth.
"You eating all those chips yourself?" She asked Alli, sitting down next to her and taking a chip anyway.
"Yup, he didn't like them."
"Yeah they're a bit, different." The Doctor worded carefully as his mouth puckered at the thought of the pungent taste.
"Is he honestly this picky about everything?" She joked as she chomped down another bite.
Rose chuckled, "I think they're gorgeous. Wish I had school dinners like this."
"Me too, they got all healthy and gross in the future."
"It's very well-behaved, this place." The Doctor said, leaning back in his seat and folding his arms over, steering the conversation back to the matter at hand. Earning just a hum of agreement from the two, still eating the mound of greasy, deep-fried goodness.
"I thought there'd be happy slapping hoodies. Happy slapping hoodies with ASBO's. Happy slapping hoodies with ASBO's and ringtones. Huh? Huh? Oh, yeah. Don't tell me I don't fit in."
"I would tell you otherwise, but I honestly don't know if that's right or not. I really don't think it is." She admitted, laughing at his smugness.
Their smiles were short lived as the stern head dinner lady stalked up to the table, Rose jumped to her feet at the sight of her.
"You are not permitted to leave you station during a sitting." She chastised in an eerily calm tone, sending that much more shivers to run down her spine.
"I was just talking to this teacher." She hastily replied, pointing over towards the Doctor.
"Hello!" He chided, backing her up.
"He doesn't like the chips." Rose whispered towards her, causing the woman to turn towards him.
"The menu has been specifically designed by the headmaster to improve concentration and performance." She turned back her steely glare towards Rose, "Now get back to work." She marched off back towards the canteen, Rose unwillingly moving to follow.
"See? This, is me." She spun around motioning to the gaudy ensemble, "Dinner lady."
Alli poked him in his ribs to remind him of something, "I'll have the crumble!" He called out to her, knowing that she was grinning.
"I'm so gonna kill ya." She answered, the tone of bitterness she had before long gone from her voice. Both of their giggles and the sound of Alli chortling 'I told you so.' echoed from behind her.
Without warning, a towering, dark teacher came up behind Alli, startling her with his colossal hand covering her entire shoulder. She jumped slightly as she looked up at him and remembered that it was Mr. Wagner.
"Alli Rose. You'll be joining my class for the next period. Milo's failed me, so it's time we moved you up to the top class." He looked over at the table next to them and saw one of her classmates dejectedly eating his lunch he brought from home.
"Kenny, not eating the chips?"
"I'm not allowed." He softly muttered. During the two's short conversation, Alli turned towards the Doctor.
"What's wrong with Milo, seemed pretty smart to me." The Doctor just shrugged as he hadn't a clue as to why.
"Alli. Extra class. Now." He suddenly barked, silencing their conversation. He turned to stare upon Alli and jerkingly motioned for her to follow. She swiftly jumped up without a moment's hesitation and trailed closely beside him as he led her out of the cafeteria. She looked behind to reassure the Doctor with a smile, seeing his concern and suspicion brewing in his old eyes.
He hunched over the table, resting on his arms as he looked up and noticed someone up in the catwalk.
Headmaster Finch overlooked the room on the balcony running along the wall above the large canteen. He stood in his erect posture taking note of all the strange encounters he had observed from Mr. John Smith's table.
He considered it odd that the foreign exchange student had chosen to sit with the teacher instead of her fellow peers, but it was stranger yet that the new lunch lady he had to hire along with the new teacher joined them as well. Were these three all connected somehow?
It was no matter, they were even closer to their goal now, and this new student would accelerate the work even faster now that she had been moved up to the top class. He'll keep his eye on them for the time being, seeing as there wasn't much time left.
A/N: Now, Alli may have slipped up, but look at the bright side! She got extra chips! I really do apologize for my constant delays in posting, it seems I do actually have a life, I just tend to ignore it. I don't know how the chapter sizes are looking, so if you want them longer or shorter, just yell mercilessly at me in the reviews.