The Doctor's Mistress (Doctor Who Fanfiction) - Watty Awards 2012

V - Homecoming

Homecoming

"Please, Zera, stop that!" Jessica complained as I skipped to class, holding my books. "People already think you're a freak, don't give them a reason to!"

Jessica: the only girl who made the effort to talk to me when I first arrived and she seemed to regret it. Though I completely changed places, somehow, the Zera the weirdo followed me. But it didn't really matter since I knew what I saw and did and Craig believed me. He was there, he's seen the Doctor, he was his friend. Was.

After the Doctor left me back at the orphanage, I cried for days and weeks. I don't think I ever got over him. He was just some strange man who appeared twice in my life and who I've barely had to the chance to really talk to besides telling him a story, yet it was like losing a best friend.

Three years after I last saw him, the year that he brought me too when he went to see Craig, I was adopted. It was rare for people to come into the orphanage to adopt, but when there was, I was never the one picked - not that I showed any interest in being picked plus they preferred to adopt much younger kids.

But one day, only a few days after the thing in the store happened, a couple arrived at the orphanage.

Sophie and Craig walked in and I smiled widely when he told me he was here to take me in. When I asked them why, Craig simply responded that he's doing a favor for an old friend. So of course, I understood that the Doctor asked him to adopt me.

And now, another three years later - also three years, I know, right? - I'm skipping in the hallways with Jessica who walked by me, pretending she didn't know me.

"Stop it! You look like you've gone mad!" she said.

"So? Why should I care?" I asked like I always did when she said something like that.

I figured a long time ago there were things much worse than being known as the weird girl. Sure, at 16 years old, everything is about fitting in and being prom queen, I on the other hand, wanted to live.

"You should care! Why are you so weird?" she asked, rolling her eyes.

"Because it's more fun," I smiled. "Always, later," I said and skipped away to the art room.

"You have to stop painting that guy, you're like obsessed!" she yelled from down the hall.

I stunk out my tongue at her and entered the room. I didn't quite feel like painting, so I opened my drawing book and my pencils. My drawing book was almost full of pictures of him. His face, his eyes, his bow tie. He was everywhere in my room, paintings of him looking at me made me almost believe he was still out there.

As I drew his perfect eyes, someone sat down next to me. I looked to see Jacob Henrison smiling at me.

"Hello?" I asked him, confused.

Jacob was this big jock, captain of the football team and most popular guy in school, he's never said two words to me besides "watch it, freak" when I bumped into him in the hall once. It was very unusual for him to be sitting there.

"Hello. Zera right?" Jacob said charmingly.

"Yes and you are Jacob. So?" I answered and looked back down to my drawings.

"So... I was wondering if you'd want to go to the homecoming dance with me?" he asked and I dropped my pencil.

"What? You are asked me? You must be kidding," I laughed and shook my head.

"Not at all. I think you're cute. I've been trying to build up the nerve to talk to you for a while. So what do you say?"

"I'm flattered, but-" I started.