Disclaimer- not mine. I can dream though, can't I?

A/N- This didn't really go the way I was expecting, and I came really close to not posting it because I don't really like it but I think it's about as close as I'm going to get to liking it. Hope you enjoy it!

When We Were Young

It was Roses first day of high school and she was worried, but it wasn't like she didn't have a good reason to be. She had a bit of a record for completely embarrassing herself on her first day of every year when she came back to school. And as far as she was concerned, this was probably going to be exactly the same.

Rose stood in front of the doors, trying to look casual and not like she was actually just too afraid to open a stupid door. People her age and a bit older rushed around her, not stopping to find out why this girl was just standing in front of the doors but not going in. They didn't really looked like they cared either, Rose thought.

She stood there for about two minutes more, then a girl that looked to be about her age stopped and looked at her, "you new?" she asked. Rose didn't know what to say, but she did seem to be doing a good impression of a goldfish, while she got her head around the fact that someone other than her best friend- Theta Sigma Quinn- was talking to her. She wasn't exactly the kind that people stop to talk to.

" Ah, yeah… I am, yeah. I'm just ah," Rose tried to think of a reasonable excuse to explain why she was standing around looking stupid, "waiting for my friend?" it came out as more of a question than a statement but it was the best she could come up with. Mental note- Work on your lying before you do anything you'd need to lie about. Rose thought to herself."Right." The girl said in a disbelieving tone, but it left her voice almost as soon as it had arrived there. "Names Shereen," the girl said, holding out her hand. "What's yours?"

"Rose Tyler" Rose answered; taking Shereens offered hand, happy that the conversation was off her horrible lie. Just as she started taking to Shereen, she heard her name being called over the common noise of the students. She turned around and saw a head of untamed hair bobbing towards her, pushing through the sea of other students to get to her. Soon enough a face emerged, with a full-blown smile on it. One that Rose found herself matching.

"That your friend?" Shereen asked when she saw the tall boy dressed in a button up shirt with a t-shirt under it, suit jacket and pants with Converse. "Yep" Rose answered shortly, still grinning stupidly. "You didn't say he was gorgeous!" her new friend gushed as they both walked towards him. Soon enough Theta was standing next to them and Rose was doing introductions. "Theta this is Shereen, Shereen this is Theta."

"Hey," Shereen said and battered her eyelashes at him. Rose had to struggle to hold in the giggle that was forming when Theta just looked at her confusedly. But that didn't last long because a second later he asked, "do you have something in your eye?" and she couldn't help but erupt into a fit of giggles.

Just as she got herself under control, the bell went to tell them to get their timetables and go to their homeroom. Rose was standing in line at the reception to get her class list, holding Thetas hand when Shereen came up next to them, but instead of commenting on their joint hands, she asked "so how long've you guys known each other?"

"'Bout twelve years," Theta answered, and smiled down at Rose.

Shereen, who was standing next to Rose, leaned in and whispered in to Roses ear, "lucky you," just as they reached the front of the line. Rose just squeezed Thetas hand and smiled.

They were walking towards their lockers that they had been given, when Shereen asked, "so Theta, do you have a nickname?"

"Ah, no."

"Well, that's goin' to change" Shereen said winking at Rose.

"Why? What's wrong with my name?" Theta asked a bit indignantly.

"Oh nothin'. But I ain't goin' up to my friends and sayin' 'hi guys this is my friend Theta Sigma!'" Shereen said. Rose realised with a bit of surprise that her proper words slipped the more involved in the argument she got.

"Why not?"

"Because, Theta Sigma's a number not a name!"

"Well I don't want a nickname" Rose could tell that he agreed with Shereen but was just being stubborn. After all, he had been complaining about his name since he found out what it meant in first grade.

"Any way!" Rose interrupted them before anything could get out of hand. "What have you guys got first?"

"Biology" Shereen replied first.

"Physics" Theta said a second or so after her.

"I feel sorry for you" Shereen said.

"Why's that?" Theta asked looking a bit lost after the conversation they had just had.

"Physics, first class on the first day back. You'll die of boredom before your second class!" Shereen answered in a tone that made it sound like it was the most obvious answer in the world. Which for most of the students in the school, it probably was.

Theta looked down at his feet and mumbled something that neither girl could understand, but Rose had a fair idea what he had said. "What was that?" Shereen asked.

"I said, I quite like physics..." Shereen just looked at him like he had grown a second head.

"But it's so useless! When will we ever need to use any of the stuff we learn in that class?"

"Oh, please Shereen, do not get him started!" Rose protested but she went unnoticed.

"How 'bout if you want to study physics?"

"Who would want to study physics?" Shereen asked with a slight frown on her face.

"Shereen. Really, not now!" Rose tried again, and got the same result as before.

"I do!"

"Oh, okay then Doctor Quinn… No, that sounds wrong. Just Doctor. The Doctor" Shereen said with a smug grin.

"You just got played" Rose said in a singsong voice. Then "c'mon Shereen we're goin' to be late, see you later Doctor." Rose said with a grin and her tongue sticking out between her teeth.

Rose and Shereen were sitting up the back of their biology class, talking. "So what's the deal between you and your Doctor?" Shereen asked. Rose blushed. She didn't know how to describe her relationship with The Doctor- when had he become The Doctor in her head? It was like he had always been The Doctor- it just suited him. Stop avoiding the question Rose thought to herself.

"He's my best friend" was the answer she settled on even if it didn't explain their relationship, because he was a lot more than just her best friend.

"Best friends with benefits?" Shereen asked in a tone that sounded strangely hopeful.

"No" Rose said straight out.

"Girl what is wrong with you?" Shereen asked, with a frustrated look on her face.

Before Rose could answer their teacher, Mr Collins, saved her. But just put her in a worse position with the question he asked next "Miss Tyler perhaps you could tell me what influences the form or function of an organism?"

"Ah, yeah, ah" she had been through this with The Doctor last year when their teacher had given them a test to see if they needed to go up a class. Then she remembered. "DNA!" she yelled, surprised that she had remembered it.

"Thank-you Miss Tyler, there is no need to yell" Mr Collins said looking mildly surprised that she had known the answer, then he turned back to the picture that was being projected onto the whiteboard. Rose turned back to Shereen to find her looking at her in surprise. "Me an' The Doctor went through it last year" she answered Shereens unasked question quietly.

"'Course you did," Shereen said and laughed quietly. Rose blushed and ducked her head, but then she started to laugh quietly with Shereen.

Theta was sitting in his physics class when a boy with dark skin and hair, wearing jeans and a t-shirt sat next to him. "I don't understand a word he's sayin', do you?"

"Yeah" Theta answered, sounding disinterested.

"How?" The boy asked with a frown on his face.

"Oh, I'm very clever" Theta answered with a sniff.

"Right" the boy said with a bit of a chuckle, "the names Mickey Smith, what's yours?"

"Ah, Theta but," Theta paused, not sure if he liked his new nickname enough to be called by it. Anything was better than Theta, he decided. "My friends call me The Doctor." He finished.

"All right then Doctor, can you explain this to me?" Mickey said pointing at the chalkboard.

A/N- So? Is it reasonable? Review and let me know what you think or how I can improve.