Brooke

huckstering

    It's  very late into the night when I finally leave my bedroom. The only reason I go out is because I'm sure that Mum and Dad will be in bed. I head to the Tardis control room to get some water and food, but I ran straight into the door with a loud clunk.
    "Eargh!" I grunt, rubbing my head. How long have we had a door there? I start looking for a way to get through, when I hear my parents voices on the other side. They obviously think I'm asleep, because they're talking with some considerable volume. I press my door up to the door and silently beg Sexy to let me hear the conversation. At first I hear the usual crap. The it gets interesting. Something new... their voices take on a worried edge. But this time, it's my Mum talking first.
    "She won't let us...can't..."
    "Feel like I'm failing Rose..."
   "...she's trying to protect Brooke..." my heart nearly stops at that. Trying to protect me? WHAT. Who is? Am I in actual danger? I start scampering back to my room. I didn't want to hear anymore. But I couldn't ignore the next outburst from my Dad if I tried.
   "It's child abuse River! CHILD. ABUSE." I stop dead in my tracks. What? Child abuse? Who? Was I missing something so completely obvious that it was ridiculous not to? Suddenly, I hear footsteps heading toward the new door, and I run back to my room and jump onto my bed. I burrow into the covers. I hear my Mum walk in, and pretend to be asleep, she heaves a big sigh and leaves the room, I try to fall asleep but it's not likely that I'm going to. There are way to many thought swirling around in my head. Who's protecting me? What does it have to do with the mysterious Rose lady? Who's getting abused? Was someone being tortured this very minute? At roughly three in the morning, earth time, I fall into a light, fit full sleep.
---
   Brynna was curled over on her knees with her hands chained behind her back to the bed in her cold, carpetless bedroom. She took a minute to survey her surroundings. There wasn't much to look at. Just the small, dirty, bed with no blankets that was bolted down to the floor, and an empty closet. The only thing she valued in this room was her communicator that had saved her life so many times. Brynna thought about her resolve she had made the night before: she would not call for the Doctor. No matter how bad or painful things got. Brooke needed her space, and she got to close to the truth in their fight. Suddenly, a well dressed woman entered the room, long thin stick in hand and glared down at Brynna. Brynna immediately stared down at the red stained floor again.
   "Has someone been wicked?" The woman crooned 
   " yes ma'am."  Came the barely audible reply.
   "Yes. You have. You were gone for a whole day and night. And you still won't tell me where you went."
   "No ma'am." Brynna whimpered.
   The woman raised the stick.
---
   I wandered into the kitchen/dining room. My parents were already in it. Dad was sitting at the table. Eating a muffin and reading a book. He barely glanced up at me. I sat down across from him. Neither of us saying a word. My Mum placed a bowl of warm oatmeal in front of me.
   "Good morning!" She said extra cheerfully. "You look like you didn't sleep a wink!" She was obviously trying to fill up the awkward silence in the room. Dad grunted. "So, what are we planning on doing today?" My mum asked. I'd forgotten that it was Tuesday, and we always do something fun then. Dad looked up.
   "I thought we'd go to Bull Run. Where the first battle of the Civil War was fought. I groaned. American history! He was obviously doing this to punish me. But we went. My Dad lectured on the Civil War. It was really boring.
   A week had passed with my fight with Brynna. I was starting to miss her. It's no fun fighting with your best friend. Finally, one morning when we were flying to some remote planet, Dad said,
   "Okay, Brooke. I'm done with you avoiding any mention of Brynna. You two are making up, and you're doing it today." I looked him in the eye.
   "Fine." I said. "I want to see her again. I think I've almost found every room in the Tardis I've been so bored." He gave me a funny look.
   "You've been exploring the Tardis?"
   "Uh, yeah. I like exploring. You got a problem with that?" He gave me his infuriating you're-adorable-when-you're-trying-to-be-as-sassy-as-me. Look and chuckled under his breath. I wandered back to my room to watch Sherlock.
   Maybe two hours later, Brynna nervously walked into my bedroom. She had a bad limp. But what caught my attention was her large purple and yellow shiner. "Oh my precious bowtie!" I exclaimed (a phrase picked up from Dad) "what happened?!" Brynna gave a small, strained smile and moved her hands as if to dismiss any worries.
    "nothing, nothing. She said, with kind of a croaky voice.
   "Hmmm." I said, but I didn't really believe her. I didn't pry. "Okay!" I said. "Let's go ask Dad where we're going." We wander into the library, where he usually is when he finishes a book. "Hey Dad," I say, "are you taking us somewhere fun?"
   "Well," he says, "Do you think that space centers from Russia are fun?"
   Thirty seconds later, we're in Russia, Mum and Dad have gone off somewhere, they were muttering something about a "Vogon" fleet trying to end the world or something.  So, Brynna and I were on our own,  staring at unused rockets.
   "Uuunnnnngggggrrrrreeehhh." Brynna moaned. Banging her head on the aluminum rocket. I laughed. Same old Brynna, she's always hated space stations in the middle of nowhere in the desert. (Long story.)
    "Hey, careful," I warned, "this isn't very steady. You could probably blow it over with your breath." I blew out my mouth to demonstrate. Then, with a creak, the entire. Thing. Fell. Over. My communicator buzzed. It was Dad.
    "Did you have anything to do with that loud crash?" He said off handedly.
   "What?! A haha haha no. Absolutely not."
   "Are you sure?"
   "YES. Got to go, bye!"
I hung up. Brynna burst out laughing,
   "You are really such a bad liar." she said.
  "Yes, well, let's go."
We wandered away from the crashed ship.
   Thirty minutes later, we were running for our lives. Again. That happens a lot. Mum and Dad's "peaceful" attempt had failed. Brynna and me were ahead. "So, now that we're friends again," I conversationally yelled over to Brynna, "where  should we go together?"
Brynna limped along thoughtfully,
   "Well, I heard there was this place where the skies are made of Diamonds!"
   "Well, that sounds like some sort of awesome Utopia!" we started to nod, but just then, my Dad ran by.
   "No!" He yelled, "just...shut up!"