Time and Earth: A Doctor Who and PJO Crossover (Bk 1)

Chapter 2: Coal Hill

Chapter 2: Coal Hill

"Well done, Lucy," congratulated my English teacher, Ms Oswald, as I walked down from the front of the class, "I'm sure your speech was enlightening to us all."

Returning to my desk, I'd never felt more adrenaline in my life. Wrapped in my navy school uniform, I pulled the sleeves of my jumper over my fingers, hoping that no one, especially Daniel, saw them shaking.

Ms. Oswald, standing on the raised landing in front of the class in a tea dress of vibrant red dotted with white, smiled brilliantly.

Over the course of this project, we'd become close. She knew how much of my heart I'd put into that speech. The story of my adoption. How hard Dorothy had fought with the London Orphanage, the day I'd left that place. The look on Peter's face as I packed my things and the last words he'd ever said to me.

"Goodbye, Prank Queen of London Orphanage."

I exhaled, not noticing that Ms. Oswald had already launched into the next part of the curriculum.

"Admittedly, I think The Great Gatsby is a little too old for you guys, but what can we do, I'm not in charge," Ms. Oswald sighed, sitting down at her desk and pulling out the slim volume.

I reached for my own copy, fingers splaying into the vacuum of my desk and with a foreboding sense of dread, realizing I hadn't brought my copy. I'd read the book over the holidays, done the holiday homework, and yet I just had to leave it home when we started to study it. Why did I have become so forgetful when I was stressed?

Ms. Oswald had already opened the novel, "Now, since we have half the lesson to go, we'll just read it for a bit. Does anyone not have their copy?"

I waited for a few others to raise their hands, all of them at the very back of the room- Daniel's friends -before I meekly raised mine.

Ms. Oswald sighed when she saw their palms, but stopped short when she saw mine. I'd already recounted my entire life story to her, so there was no chance I'd fail English this semester. "Right. You three at the back, find someone else to share with. Lucy, you can share with Daniel."

My heart faltered as I looked to my right.

He screeched his desk over to mine, body shifting underneath his uniform. The overcast day failed to fill his auburn hair with sunlight, leaving it dull. In summer, he became a ruby freshly polished.

The classroom was silent as he did so. The oddity of it, Daniel Kane, sport extraordinaire, partnered with Lucy Evergreen, the school freak, was a sight to be cherished by some, gossiped by others.

Daniel didn't seem to be aware of the whispers of his friends behind him, who he refused to sit in the back with, nor the panic attack my heart was currently having.

Ms. Oswald began reading, and the sounds of the words, which used to be my saviors, drowned out in my closeness to my crush. Underneath my desk, I rubbed my palms on my tartan skirt, hoping all of the sweat was safely removed. I wished on every mauve cloud outside that no one could see the swift decrease of my attention or my increased breaths.

Inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale. It didn't help that his scent of a forest filled with wind and leaves filled my nose with every breath.

Daniel, despite how close he was, didn't seem to note the turmoil I was in. He followed the text with his finger, seemingly understanding and hearing every word that was being said. Stupid perfect jock kid.

By the time I'd looked up at the clock, desperate for release, I saw only fifteen minutes had passed. Halfway there.

Ms. Oswald promptly stopped reading. "Well, since you all have done the holiday homework, I'll assign you your partners for your upcoming presentation on key scenes in the text."