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Fic: Dating the Cleverest Boy in the World. Chapter 2.
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spikewriter and zanthinegirl. Hope life looks up for both of you soon! Until then, here's some escapism. :)
As usual lots of thanks to my invaluable beta,kathyh! First chapter and notes here.
Summary: Allison had always thought that university would be an adventure. But she'd not imagined that she'd end up dating Harold Saxon's son.
Setting: 2025 (AU post-Sound of Drums)
Characters: OCs, the Doctor (10th), Lucy, Jack.
Rating: PG-13
Wordcount: 3000 words.
Notes: Part of my Not the Last verse.
Chapter 2
There was always one, Professor Suzanne Trinder thought to herself. She’d hoped that maybe this year was the exception, but no. At least the lad seemed well-mannered.
Opening the door to her office she held it open and motioned for him to walk through, but he shook his head.
“Ladies first.”
Very well, she knew how to deal with kids like him. And it was preferable to those with crippled self-esteem who came and cried on her shoulder...
“Now, Alexander,” she started, once they were both sitting down facing each other across her large desk.
“Despite what you might think, I’ve dealt with young people like yourself before. You feel that you are wasting your time on my course, is that correct? And you think that I can teach you nothing, and that no one understands your specific talent. How am I doing?”
He grinned, too charming by half and entirely too aware of it.
“You have a sharp tongue, Professor. But yes, you are entirely correct.”
“H’m,” she said. “I would say that this is obviously coupled with a hint of notoriety from your father, something I should imagine you generally use to your advantage.”
To her surprise his entire demeanour changed, the amusement vanishing in an instant.
“If you’re suggesting that having a mass-murderer for a father is something that in any way improves my life, then I’m afraid you’re very much mistaken.”
Taken aback, she apologised. Clearly this was a much sorer spot than she had anticipated - she should have remembered how incredibly sensitive young people could be...
Alexander sighed as he noticed her subsequent hesitation, then leaned forward.
“OK, here’s the thing. My uncle made me come here, because he thought that I ought to get the university ‘experience’, even though I’ll be treading water academically for three years. Now it’s entirely possible that he’s onto something, he usually is, but I don’t see why I should re-do something that’s utterly elementary to me. So if you’ll just leave me alone, I can probably get a fair amount of work done during your classes - my own work, I mean, of which I have plenty - and when exam time comes I promise to make it worth your while.”
The boy was deadly earnest, and Suzanne began to realise that maybe she hadn’t come across anyone like him before. Well, variety was the spice of life and all that.
“Make it worth my while?” she asked carefully, and he suddenly laughed.
“Not the best choice of words, sorry. What I mean is, I’ll take the Natural Sciences and turn them inside out and upside down and make them dance a little jig. And since you’re my teacher... well people will draw their own conclusions.”
Studying him for a long moment, she slowly shook her head.
“Are you trying to bribe me with plaudits?”
He smiled, that perfectly self-assured Saxon smile that she could still vividly remember, even though it had been eighteen years since that election.
“Absolutely. Is it working?”
Clearly you could put the crooked politician in prison, but not stop the instincts from rearing their head in the next generation...
“I think you’re walking on very thin ice young man.”
He seemed to mull this over, then glanced at his watch, biting his lip.
“Oh I shouldn’t do this, but what the hell. Anything for a peaceful life.”
Pulling a pad and pen out of his bag he swiftly filled a page with calculations, then tore it off and handed it over.
“I’ve been looking into your research - good stuff, by the way, I was quite impressed. Anyway, I believe this might be helpful to your current project? As I said, all I want is to be left alone. I won’t be any trouble and I’ll even do all my homework, promise. Well most of it.”
Frowning Suzanne began reading, eyebrows sailing to the top of her head by the time she reached the end. It was a completely new angle from which to tackle the problem - one that might not work, but that was certainly worth exploring. And it was far, far beyond any first year student - beyond most graduates, probably. She looked up, flummoxed.
“This is extraordinary.”
“I know,” he answered matter-of-factly.
“How did you...”
Standing up he swung the bag over his shoulder, shrugging.
“I’m the cleverest boy in the world, didn’t you know? But I have a date with a lovely brunette in a couple of minutes’ time, so please excuse me?”
Looking from him to the paper and back up she slowly nodded.
“Very well. Let’s try until Christmas?”
“Brilliant!” he grinned, and vanished out the door.
Suzanne was left wondering what on earth had just happened. Her project wasn’t exactly secret, but how had he...
Cleverest boy in the world indeed; she was definitely keeping an eye on him. If this was all some kind of ploy she’d catch him sooner or later. But she had a feeling that he was perfectly genuine, and somehow that was far more worrying.
***
The bookshop café was half full of students, but even so Allison immediately noticed Alexander when he came through the door, hovering for a moment trying to seek her out, before walking over to the tiny table she’d secured. Having missed breakfast thanks to her lateness she’d got herself a cup of tea and a bun, and she just about felt ready to engage in a conversation.
“I’m late, I know. Sorry.”
Allison glanced at her watch. “Only by... uh... a minute?”
“I take timekeeping very seriously,” Alexander replied earnestly as he sat down and dumped his bag on the floor. “But the talk was a little trickier than I had anticipated.”
“So... what happened?” she asked, then swiftly backtracked. “If you don’t mind telling me. I’m sorry I got you in trouble...”
“Oh no, don’t be. It would have come sooner or later, and this way I got a date out of it.” He smiled happily. “Anyway, I think it went rather well. By which I mean that our dear Professor has agreed to leave me alone to do my own thing.”
Well he was certainly not boring... She tilted her head, curious.
“Which might be what? Apart from trying to figure out Santa Claus I mean.”
He hesitated for a moment, absentmindedly tapping the table.
“I have a lot of... projects. And I often lend a hand to others who need it. Like... this summer I spent a lot of time with Luke Smith, working with him on his latest invention. Although right at the moment I’m busy upgrading all our household appliances.”
Her jaw dropped, and she didn’t hear a single word after ‘Luke Smith’.
“Luke Smith? The Luke Smith?”
“The one and only,” he smiled, but she just stared. Luke Smith was... Well he was Luke Smith. Boy genius and famous scientist, and he had been something of a hero to her ever since he’d first popped up on the science scene some 10 years earlier, effortlessly scooping up awards and famously refusing to work with UNIT to create anti-alien weaponry. And Alex knew him? Worked with him? She’d give her right arm to do that.
“You’re kidding!”
Looking somewhat abashed he shook his head. “No I’m not. He’s a family friend, and he likes having people around who understand what he’s doing.”
“Wow. That’s... wow. What’s he like?”
Alexander looked puzzled. “He’s just... Luke. I mean, I’ve always known him, so... Um, he’s... very nice. And exceptionally clever, of course. I... I didn’t mean to be name dropping. Really. I tend to think that I’m perfectly interesting in and of myself.”
He followed this statement with a cheeky grin, and she raised an eyebrow.
“Not hiding your light under a bushel, obviously.”
He shrugged. “I see no point in false modesty. And I don’t think you do either.”
His brown eyes were shrewd and she took a sip of her tea to avoid answering, since the words at the tip of her tongue were not exactly very polite. There was a difference between standing up for yourself, and jumping up and down going ‘I’m amazing!’.
“But,” he continued, “tell me about yourself. Maybe I’ve got you figured out all wrong.”
“You think you’ve got me figured out?” she asked, skeptical, and he chuckled.
“A good bit, yes.”
She sat back, studying him in earnest. As much as she’d tried to tune out her dad’s Girl-Power speeches when growing up, they had left her with a complete inability to take any kind of superior bullshit from men. And he was beginning to grate an awful lot.
“Go on then. Tell me about myself.”
He grinned, leaning forward and resting his hands in his folded hands.
“OK then. You’re very smart, and you don’t mind people knowing. And you speak your mind. Seriously, watching yours and Chen’s discussions has been the highlight of lessons so far.”
Allison tried her best not to show her surprise. He’d never even so much as looked at her as far as she knew. She wasn’t sure whether to be flattered or freaked out at his words.
“You’re very organised and practical. You appreciate good design, but not at the expense of comfort, and you’re not particularly vain. I’d say a Times reader rather than the Guardian, but definitely left-leaning middle class. And I think you’re in halls. If not, then you live very, very close to the college. How am I doing?”
He beamed, like he expected a cookie, and she found herself nearly speechless.
“Um... that’s pretty accurate. How...”
He shrugged. “Elementary my dear Watson. I just notice stuff - can’t help it really. And I’ve been noticing your tea for a while now and am getting thirsty. Can I get you anything?”
She shook her head, and as he wandered off to get a drink she found her eyes following him without meaning to. It had recently gotten colder and he had added a denim jacket to his jeans-and-T-shirt combo, which made him look a bit like he’d escaped from an ‘80s movie. It was a look, she supposed, although not one she’d ever categorise as particularly fetching.
When he returned with a big coffee mug she decided to turn the tables and find out something about him - her powers of observation were clearly not as well developed as his... or he was just being odd on purpose. And saying ‘I think you’re deliberately wearing clothes as different from your father’s as possible’ - well, that’s where things got awkward.
“Um, Alexander-”
“Please, call me Alex!” he cut in. “Everyone does.”
“OK. Alex... I read this article-”
He pulled a face. “Oh, the ‘Young people to watch out for’? Meh. It was all we could do to keep my photo out of it. Horrible thing.”
“Actually I was wondering... did you do as many A levels as it said?”
He nodded. “Oh yes. I wanted to do more, but they wouldn’t let me.”
“More?” He couldn’t be serious. Next he’d shout ‘I’m the king of the world!’
“Absolutely. But there’s some rule about having to have done the course if you want to take the exam.” He sighed. “I could easily have added half a dozen languages for example...”
He seemed to be totally in earnest, and she shook her head, incredulous.
“Huh. Well I suck at languages. I did OK I suppose, but it’s always been numbers for me. There’s something soothing about them, you know? The way they always do what they should. Something’s either right or wrong, there’s no middle way. I love that.”
As she spoke a smile broke out on his face.
“Oh I’m just the same!”
“But... you just said...”
“Well...” he took a thoughtful sip of his coffee. “I’m good at everything, basically, but I still have... what’s the best word? Limitations? Like - I pick up languages like that, but I’m not a writer or a poet. I can draw with perfect precision, but I’m not an artist. I can play any instrument you give me, but I’m not a musician. Does that make sense?”
She nodded, wondering if maybe the showing off was some sort of over-compensation...
“I think so. What would you call yourself then?”
For a long moment he sat still, eyes far away and clearly taking great pains to find the correct answer.
“I... I guess the best word might be scientist. Or maybe more of a Renaissance man? I’m basically interested in everything. And I mean that quite literally. So being here, being told to study one thing for three years, is not exactly a dream come true. If I’d had my way I’d have done a Grand Tour instead of all this sitting around in the same place. Just imagine - every day new places, new people, new things to learn...”
Then a sudden grin flashed across his face.
“And now you’ve got that look in your eyes.”
“What look?” she asked unsure, and he shook his head.
“That look that says that I’m a spoiled brat and that lots of people more deserving than me would kill to be here. I see it all the time. And you’re absolutely right - I actually used that argument quite a lot when my uncle told me I had to go to Cambridge... Didn’t work. And I guess it isn’t so bad here - I’m sharing a flat with my two best friends, which is fun - so far at least.”
“Sounds great,” she said, trying not to imagine what state a flat inhabited by three boys might be in, and he smiled. “It is. Although I wanted to be in halls, but my mum wouldn’t let me.”
“Why not?” she asked, and he sighed.
“Because she’s a total snob. Guess she was worried that some of these horrible plebian students would corrupt her sweet little golden-haired boy, which is pretty funny, considering- well, everything.”
She wondered what he’d been meaning to say, but he swiftly continued before she could attempt to broach the subject.
“But I’ve been friends with Matt and Josh since we were all just four years old, so they just about pass the test. Are halls as much fun as I think?”
“It’s OK,” she replied, then remembered his earlier statement. “And... how did you know that I was in halls?”
There was a definite twinkle in his eyes as he answered. “Well this morning you looked like you’d fallen out of bed five minutes before arriving. No one who’s spent time on a bike or bus can look that sleepy.”
“Oh,” she replied, trying not to blush and silently cursing her alarm, but his smile just widened.
“I think it’s a good look. Much preferable to those who can’t leave the house without an hour-long session in front of the mirror!”
Despite being a compliment of sorts, she still felt like a fool, and - short of a real excuse - checked her watch.
“I’m sorry, but I’m going to have to run-”
“Of course,” he replied. “You probably had plans before I came and interrupted everything. But thank you for your time - it’s very much appreciated.”
And there was that seriousness again. She really couldn’t make heads or tails of him.
“See you tomorrow?” she said, pulling on her black woollen trench coat, and he smiled.
“Absolutely.”
She smiled back, thinking to herself that this had definitely been the weirdest date ever. People had told her that she’d meet lots of interesting people at university, and she was certainly getting her quota.
***
Muniba had gone off to her lesson when Allison got back to their room, and she relished the peace as she settled down to see what exactly was the matter with her alarm clock.
But by the time Muniba returned the clock was spread over the whole desk, and Allison was looking at it forlornly.
“What happened?” Muniba - as usual effortlessly elegant in a shalwar kameez - asked. She could roll out of bed and look gorgeous without even trying. Life wasn’t fair, Allison decided.
“It didn’t wake me this morning, so I’ve been trying to work out what’s wrong. I think I can probably fix it, except I don’t have any proper tools. You don’t happen to have a soldering iron anywhere?”
Muniba shook her head silently, and Allison sighed.
“I know it’s just an alarm clock, but it was pretty expensive and I hate to throw things away if they’re fixable.”
Making-do had been a way of life for years - her parents had lost most of their savings when she had been a toddler, and making ends meet with five kids had been hard work. The four R’s had been endlessly repeated: Reduce, recycle, re-use, repair...
She bit her lip. “Maybe I could borrow something from the faculty. Or...” Her eyes narrowed. “Alex said something... I wasn’t paying attention, but...”
Muniba looked curious. “Alex who?”
Realising that she’d completely forgotten to tell about her ‘date’, Allison smiled a little nervously.
“Alexander Saxon. He’s in my class and we kinda went on a date today after the lecture.”
Muniba’s interest was definitely piqued. “Really? What’s he like?”
Allison thought for moment. “Ridiculously intelligent, according to himself. To be honest he’s not really my type, but he’s definitely... different. And sorta charming I guess.”
Muniba raised an eyebrow, and Allison couldn’t help grinning. “And he might just have a soldering iron. That’s not taking advantage or... leading him on, is it?”
She didn’t want to ‘send out the wrong signals’, but on the other hand... On the other hand she did want to get to know him better, she realised... and she most definitely wanted her alarm fixed.
Decisions, decisions.
Chapter 3.
spikewriter and zanthinegirl. Hope life looks up for both of you soon! Until then, here's some escapism. :)As usual lots of thanks to my invaluable beta,
kathyh! First chapter and notes here.Summary: Allison had always thought that university would be an adventure. But she'd not imagined that she'd end up dating Harold Saxon's son.
Setting: 2025 (AU post-Sound of Drums)
Characters: OCs, the Doctor (10th), Lucy, Jack.
Rating: PG-13
Wordcount: 3000 words.
Notes: Part of my Not the Last verse.
There was always one, Professor Suzanne Trinder thought to herself. She’d hoped that maybe this year was the exception, but no. At least the lad seemed well-mannered.
Opening the door to her office she held it open and motioned for him to walk through, but he shook his head.
“Ladies first.”
Very well, she knew how to deal with kids like him. And it was preferable to those with crippled self-esteem who came and cried on her shoulder...
“Now, Alexander,” she started, once they were both sitting down facing each other across her large desk.
“Despite what you might think, I’ve dealt with young people like yourself before. You feel that you are wasting your time on my course, is that correct? And you think that I can teach you nothing, and that no one understands your specific talent. How am I doing?”
He grinned, too charming by half and entirely too aware of it.
“You have a sharp tongue, Professor. But yes, you are entirely correct.”
“H’m,” she said. “I would say that this is obviously coupled with a hint of notoriety from your father, something I should imagine you generally use to your advantage.”
To her surprise his entire demeanour changed, the amusement vanishing in an instant.
“If you’re suggesting that having a mass-murderer for a father is something that in any way improves my life, then I’m afraid you’re very much mistaken.”
Taken aback, she apologised. Clearly this was a much sorer spot than she had anticipated - she should have remembered how incredibly sensitive young people could be...
Alexander sighed as he noticed her subsequent hesitation, then leaned forward.
“OK, here’s the thing. My uncle made me come here, because he thought that I ought to get the university ‘experience’, even though I’ll be treading water academically for three years. Now it’s entirely possible that he’s onto something, he usually is, but I don’t see why I should re-do something that’s utterly elementary to me. So if you’ll just leave me alone, I can probably get a fair amount of work done during your classes - my own work, I mean, of which I have plenty - and when exam time comes I promise to make it worth your while.”
The boy was deadly earnest, and Suzanne began to realise that maybe she hadn’t come across anyone like him before. Well, variety was the spice of life and all that.
“Make it worth my while?” she asked carefully, and he suddenly laughed.
“Not the best choice of words, sorry. What I mean is, I’ll take the Natural Sciences and turn them inside out and upside down and make them dance a little jig. And since you’re my teacher... well people will draw their own conclusions.”
Studying him for a long moment, she slowly shook her head.
“Are you trying to bribe me with plaudits?”
He smiled, that perfectly self-assured Saxon smile that she could still vividly remember, even though it had been eighteen years since that election.
“Absolutely. Is it working?”
Clearly you could put the crooked politician in prison, but not stop the instincts from rearing their head in the next generation...
“I think you’re walking on very thin ice young man.”
He seemed to mull this over, then glanced at his watch, biting his lip.
“Oh I shouldn’t do this, but what the hell. Anything for a peaceful life.”
Pulling a pad and pen out of his bag he swiftly filled a page with calculations, then tore it off and handed it over.
“I’ve been looking into your research - good stuff, by the way, I was quite impressed. Anyway, I believe this might be helpful to your current project? As I said, all I want is to be left alone. I won’t be any trouble and I’ll even do all my homework, promise. Well most of it.”
Frowning Suzanne began reading, eyebrows sailing to the top of her head by the time she reached the end. It was a completely new angle from which to tackle the problem - one that might not work, but that was certainly worth exploring. And it was far, far beyond any first year student - beyond most graduates, probably. She looked up, flummoxed.
“This is extraordinary.”
“I know,” he answered matter-of-factly.
“How did you...”
Standing up he swung the bag over his shoulder, shrugging.
“I’m the cleverest boy in the world, didn’t you know? But I have a date with a lovely brunette in a couple of minutes’ time, so please excuse me?”
Looking from him to the paper and back up she slowly nodded.
“Very well. Let’s try until Christmas?”
“Brilliant!” he grinned, and vanished out the door.
Suzanne was left wondering what on earth had just happened. Her project wasn’t exactly secret, but how had he...
Cleverest boy in the world indeed; she was definitely keeping an eye on him. If this was all some kind of ploy she’d catch him sooner or later. But she had a feeling that he was perfectly genuine, and somehow that was far more worrying.
The bookshop café was half full of students, but even so Allison immediately noticed Alexander when he came through the door, hovering for a moment trying to seek her out, before walking over to the tiny table she’d secured. Having missed breakfast thanks to her lateness she’d got herself a cup of tea and a bun, and she just about felt ready to engage in a conversation.
“I’m late, I know. Sorry.”
Allison glanced at her watch. “Only by... uh... a minute?”
“I take timekeeping very seriously,” Alexander replied earnestly as he sat down and dumped his bag on the floor. “But the talk was a little trickier than I had anticipated.”
“So... what happened?” she asked, then swiftly backtracked. “If you don’t mind telling me. I’m sorry I got you in trouble...”
“Oh no, don’t be. It would have come sooner or later, and this way I got a date out of it.” He smiled happily. “Anyway, I think it went rather well. By which I mean that our dear Professor has agreed to leave me alone to do my own thing.”
Well he was certainly not boring... She tilted her head, curious.
“Which might be what? Apart from trying to figure out Santa Claus I mean.”
He hesitated for a moment, absentmindedly tapping the table.
“I have a lot of... projects. And I often lend a hand to others who need it. Like... this summer I spent a lot of time with Luke Smith, working with him on his latest invention. Although right at the moment I’m busy upgrading all our household appliances.”
Her jaw dropped, and she didn’t hear a single word after ‘Luke Smith’.
“Luke Smith? The Luke Smith?”
“The one and only,” he smiled, but she just stared. Luke Smith was... Well he was Luke Smith. Boy genius and famous scientist, and he had been something of a hero to her ever since he’d first popped up on the science scene some 10 years earlier, effortlessly scooping up awards and famously refusing to work with UNIT to create anti-alien weaponry. And Alex knew him? Worked with him? She’d give her right arm to do that.
“You’re kidding!”
Looking somewhat abashed he shook his head. “No I’m not. He’s a family friend, and he likes having people around who understand what he’s doing.”
“Wow. That’s... wow. What’s he like?”
Alexander looked puzzled. “He’s just... Luke. I mean, I’ve always known him, so... Um, he’s... very nice. And exceptionally clever, of course. I... I didn’t mean to be name dropping. Really. I tend to think that I’m perfectly interesting in and of myself.”
He followed this statement with a cheeky grin, and she raised an eyebrow.
“Not hiding your light under a bushel, obviously.”
He shrugged. “I see no point in false modesty. And I don’t think you do either.”
His brown eyes were shrewd and she took a sip of her tea to avoid answering, since the words at the tip of her tongue were not exactly very polite. There was a difference between standing up for yourself, and jumping up and down going ‘I’m amazing!’.
“But,” he continued, “tell me about yourself. Maybe I’ve got you figured out all wrong.”
“You think you’ve got me figured out?” she asked, skeptical, and he chuckled.
“A good bit, yes.”
She sat back, studying him in earnest. As much as she’d tried to tune out her dad’s Girl-Power speeches when growing up, they had left her with a complete inability to take any kind of superior bullshit from men. And he was beginning to grate an awful lot.
“Go on then. Tell me about myself.”
He grinned, leaning forward and resting his hands in his folded hands.
“OK then. You’re very smart, and you don’t mind people knowing. And you speak your mind. Seriously, watching yours and Chen’s discussions has been the highlight of lessons so far.”
Allison tried her best not to show her surprise. He’d never even so much as looked at her as far as she knew. She wasn’t sure whether to be flattered or freaked out at his words.
“You’re very organised and practical. You appreciate good design, but not at the expense of comfort, and you’re not particularly vain. I’d say a Times reader rather than the Guardian, but definitely left-leaning middle class. And I think you’re in halls. If not, then you live very, very close to the college. How am I doing?”
He beamed, like he expected a cookie, and she found herself nearly speechless.
“Um... that’s pretty accurate. How...”
He shrugged. “Elementary my dear Watson. I just notice stuff - can’t help it really. And I’ve been noticing your tea for a while now and am getting thirsty. Can I get you anything?”
She shook her head, and as he wandered off to get a drink she found her eyes following him without meaning to. It had recently gotten colder and he had added a denim jacket to his jeans-and-T-shirt combo, which made him look a bit like he’d escaped from an ‘80s movie. It was a look, she supposed, although not one she’d ever categorise as particularly fetching.
When he returned with a big coffee mug she decided to turn the tables and find out something about him - her powers of observation were clearly not as well developed as his... or he was just being odd on purpose. And saying ‘I think you’re deliberately wearing clothes as different from your father’s as possible’ - well, that’s where things got awkward.
“Um, Alexander-”
“Please, call me Alex!” he cut in. “Everyone does.”
“OK. Alex... I read this article-”
He pulled a face. “Oh, the ‘Young people to watch out for’? Meh. It was all we could do to keep my photo out of it. Horrible thing.”
“Actually I was wondering... did you do as many A levels as it said?”
He nodded. “Oh yes. I wanted to do more, but they wouldn’t let me.”
“More?” He couldn’t be serious. Next he’d shout ‘I’m the king of the world!’
“Absolutely. But there’s some rule about having to have done the course if you want to take the exam.” He sighed. “I could easily have added half a dozen languages for example...”
He seemed to be totally in earnest, and she shook her head, incredulous.
“Huh. Well I suck at languages. I did OK I suppose, but it’s always been numbers for me. There’s something soothing about them, you know? The way they always do what they should. Something’s either right or wrong, there’s no middle way. I love that.”
As she spoke a smile broke out on his face.
“Oh I’m just the same!”
“But... you just said...”
“Well...” he took a thoughtful sip of his coffee. “I’m good at everything, basically, but I still have... what’s the best word? Limitations? Like - I pick up languages like that, but I’m not a writer or a poet. I can draw with perfect precision, but I’m not an artist. I can play any instrument you give me, but I’m not a musician. Does that make sense?”
She nodded, wondering if maybe the showing off was some sort of over-compensation...
“I think so. What would you call yourself then?”
For a long moment he sat still, eyes far away and clearly taking great pains to find the correct answer.
“I... I guess the best word might be scientist. Or maybe more of a Renaissance man? I’m basically interested in everything. And I mean that quite literally. So being here, being told to study one thing for three years, is not exactly a dream come true. If I’d had my way I’d have done a Grand Tour instead of all this sitting around in the same place. Just imagine - every day new places, new people, new things to learn...”
Then a sudden grin flashed across his face.
“And now you’ve got that look in your eyes.”
“What look?” she asked unsure, and he shook his head.
“That look that says that I’m a spoiled brat and that lots of people more deserving than me would kill to be here. I see it all the time. And you’re absolutely right - I actually used that argument quite a lot when my uncle told me I had to go to Cambridge... Didn’t work. And I guess it isn’t so bad here - I’m sharing a flat with my two best friends, which is fun - so far at least.”
“Sounds great,” she said, trying not to imagine what state a flat inhabited by three boys might be in, and he smiled. “It is. Although I wanted to be in halls, but my mum wouldn’t let me.”
“Why not?” she asked, and he sighed.
“Because she’s a total snob. Guess she was worried that some of these horrible plebian students would corrupt her sweet little golden-haired boy, which is pretty funny, considering- well, everything.”
She wondered what he’d been meaning to say, but he swiftly continued before she could attempt to broach the subject.
“But I’ve been friends with Matt and Josh since we were all just four years old, so they just about pass the test. Are halls as much fun as I think?”
“It’s OK,” she replied, then remembered his earlier statement. “And... how did you know that I was in halls?”
There was a definite twinkle in his eyes as he answered. “Well this morning you looked like you’d fallen out of bed five minutes before arriving. No one who’s spent time on a bike or bus can look that sleepy.”
“Oh,” she replied, trying not to blush and silently cursing her alarm, but his smile just widened.
“I think it’s a good look. Much preferable to those who can’t leave the house without an hour-long session in front of the mirror!”
Despite being a compliment of sorts, she still felt like a fool, and - short of a real excuse - checked her watch.
“I’m sorry, but I’m going to have to run-”
“Of course,” he replied. “You probably had plans before I came and interrupted everything. But thank you for your time - it’s very much appreciated.”
And there was that seriousness again. She really couldn’t make heads or tails of him.
“See you tomorrow?” she said, pulling on her black woollen trench coat, and he smiled.
“Absolutely.”
She smiled back, thinking to herself that this had definitely been the weirdest date ever. People had told her that she’d meet lots of interesting people at university, and she was certainly getting her quota.
Muniba had gone off to her lesson when Allison got back to their room, and she relished the peace as she settled down to see what exactly was the matter with her alarm clock.
But by the time Muniba returned the clock was spread over the whole desk, and Allison was looking at it forlornly.
“What happened?” Muniba - as usual effortlessly elegant in a shalwar kameez - asked. She could roll out of bed and look gorgeous without even trying. Life wasn’t fair, Allison decided.
“It didn’t wake me this morning, so I’ve been trying to work out what’s wrong. I think I can probably fix it, except I don’t have any proper tools. You don’t happen to have a soldering iron anywhere?”
Muniba shook her head silently, and Allison sighed.
“I know it’s just an alarm clock, but it was pretty expensive and I hate to throw things away if they’re fixable.”
Making-do had been a way of life for years - her parents had lost most of their savings when she had been a toddler, and making ends meet with five kids had been hard work. The four R’s had been endlessly repeated: Reduce, recycle, re-use, repair...
She bit her lip. “Maybe I could borrow something from the faculty. Or...” Her eyes narrowed. “Alex said something... I wasn’t paying attention, but...”
Muniba looked curious. “Alex who?”
Realising that she’d completely forgotten to tell about her ‘date’, Allison smiled a little nervously.
“Alexander Saxon. He’s in my class and we kinda went on a date today after the lecture.”
Muniba’s interest was definitely piqued. “Really? What’s he like?”
Allison thought for moment. “Ridiculously intelligent, according to himself. To be honest he’s not really my type, but he’s definitely... different. And sorta charming I guess.”
Muniba raised an eyebrow, and Allison couldn’t help grinning. “And he might just have a soldering iron. That’s not taking advantage or... leading him on, is it?”
She didn’t want to ‘send out the wrong signals’, but on the other hand... On the other hand she did want to get to know him better, she realised... and she most definitely wanted her alarm fixed.
Decisions, decisions.
Chapter 3.
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In which case I'm happy to have provided you with some. :)
Very nice chapter, Alex just keeps getting more and more interesting.
Thank you! He's lots of fun to write, so its nice to know that people like him!
I'm looking forward to seeing where this goes from here.
Just give me time...
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Hee! Luke grows up to be a famous scientist? Of course he does! I have a deep fondness for the Sarah Jane adventures. It's always good to see some ties there!
I am curious about the Hall vs flat issue. At my school you were required to live on campus ("Halls") for your freshman year unless you lived at home; you could move into an off-campus apartment after that. I know it's different at other universities, but I didn't know there was a social stigma involved. Just curious!
Really enjoying this story BTW and looking forward to more adventures of Alex and Allison! She still needs to fix her alarm clock after all!
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Aw, thanks! I hope it won't disappoint, because it might not go the way you expect...
University a good time to be exploring Alex IMO. It's a time (maybe the last time?) in your life when you can completely re-invent yourself and where you find your own identity.
Yes! This exactly! And the Doctor of course sees this, which is why he's put his foot down. Alex - although grasping the idea - is just impatient and wants to go off and *do* things! (He is also used to getting his own way, and rather sulky because the Doctor won't budge. *g*)
It's a great setting for Alex, and I'm rapidly falling in love with Allison.
I'm having entirely too much fun with them both - I'm glad others feel the same. :)
Hee! Luke grows up to be a famous scientist? Of course he does!
There's plenty to sort out in the world, and I can't imagine anyone better suited to it than Luke.
I have a deep fondness for the Sarah Jane adventures. It's always good to see some ties there!
Just watched the very first ep yesterday (have seen the odd one, but missed the start) and they're all just utterly adorable.
I am curious about the Hall vs flat issue.
I think *most* students live in Halls (of some sort) in their first year, but I also know that there are parents who buy properties for their children to live in (renting out the rest of the rooms, and thus making money!). Dunno that there's any social stigma though.
Really enjoying this story BTW and looking forward to more adventures of Alex and Allison! She still needs to fix her alarm clock after all!
Heh. Silly trick, I know, but I needed something... And Alex can be quite persistent too! (But now I shall try to concentrate on 'My Immortal' for a while.)
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I love it when stories don't go the way I expect (well, for value of "love it" that don't involve OOC weirdness for it's own sake...) And I'm curious to see what you'll pull off...
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Heh. Although for starters I'm doing FitBs that are very... different.
I love it when stories don't go the way I expect (well, for value of "love it" that don't involve OOC weirdness for it's own sake...) And I'm curious to see what you'll pull off...
Now, I don't actually *know* what you expect, so you might not be surprised at all! ;)
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:)
And Alex is growing up to be just as manipulative as his father, eh?
Oh absolutely!