The Defender of Time

Fifteen

"I already know stuff! I don't need real school!"

"I'm not having this argument again," insisted Clara. "You've never had any proper schooling. Flying around in a box your whole life will do you no good."

"Well the uniform's rubbish."

The morning had been a two-hour long fight. Alessia didn't need school. She wasn't a child. She was grown-up and clever. She knew the specifics of time and space, and it made no sense that she would have to know her times tables. However violent she had been, however, her mother had not given in. And so, now, she was sat with her arms crossed in the console room as Clara tried to hold her legs still and tie her shoes and the Doctor mulled around the room, picking up all of the objects that Alessia had thrown out of her backpack.

"How come Dad doesn't have to go?" She tried, pulling out all the excuses she could think of. "This is ageism if you make me go and not him."

"I'm done with school!" He stated, tossing the backpack to Clara, who in turn held it out to Alessia.

"Doesn't matter! You're still stupid!"

Alessia earned herself a glare from Clara as she shrugged on a puffy coat and let Clara lead the backpack over both of her arms. "It'll be fun!" She insisted. "You'll meet some girls your age. Won't you like that?"

"I'm gonna tell them all my dad's a space travelling alien."

"You think anyone's going to believe that?"

Alessia tripped over her tongue, struggling for a comeback. All of her excuses had been shot down a lot faster than she expected.

"C'mon, family pictures!" Called the Doctor, holding a small camera in his hand. "First day of school for little Lessie!"

"I hate you," Alessia mumbled as Clara swept her up into her arms and forced her to smile.

"I'll walk you to school, okay?" The Doctor said, volunteering himself for the no doubt impossible job of keeping Alessia from running away. "Save you from the embarrassment of your mum dropping you off on your first day. Instead you get your cool dad."

"Okay," agreed Alessia as Clara brought her down to the ground. "I'll go if he walks me."

"See?" Said the Doctor, smiling broadly at Clara's look of awe. "Say bye to Clara, Lessie!"

Clara tightened a scarf around Alessia's neck and fitted a hat over her curls.

"Bye, Clara," drawled Alessia, her right hand instantly being grasped tightly by her father. As soon as the doors closed behind her and she felt the morning breeze through her school cardigan, she looked up, waiting for him to let her hand go and take her to the nearest ice cream shop.

"Nope." The Doctor looked down at Alessia, whose mouth had formed a sort of 'o' of offence. "No escape for you, my dear. You gotta learn."

Alessia tried to stop her feet from moving but her father kept a firm grip on her hand and continued the trek down the sidewalk. "August said I don't have to go!" She whined. "And he is my lawyer! He's looking for ghost law schools!"

The Doctor sighed and smiled down at Alessia. "Just try it for a day, alright?" He offered, his eyebrows raised. "One day. If you hate it, then you won't have to go tomorrow."

"Really?" Asked Alessia, turning her head to the side so her eyes met her father's. "Won't Clara be mad?"

"She'll manage."

The duo walked in silence for a few minutes, before the school building she'd seen on Clara's laptop came into view at the end of the road. The front of the building was almost all windows, save a strip at the top where large letters read "LYNNWOOD PRIMARY SCHOOL". A crowd of children of varying heights, wrapped in scarves and warm-looking coats, entered through a large set of double doors in the centre.