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Charlie was truly alone.
His family was killed, his kingdom was diminished in a genocide, and he was sent to live on an unknown planet. His only connection to his home and his life before this was a freedom fighter who had attempted to overthrow his crown and kill his family. How was he supposed to bond with this woman in a new world? Quill only served as a reminder that Charlie was now going to live out his life in a new world with no one that was like him, not really.
When he had first heard that screech of an old machine, overused and under kept, Charlie found himself in awe at the idea that legends could be true. There was in front of him a man so purely ensconced in myth that his grey hair, twisted mouth and thick eyebrows hardly stood up to the image that stories and playing pretend had created in his mind. He had been so thoroughly shocked by the events that were taking place in front of him, that Charlie had no hope of doing anything but following the Doctor into his blue box and travelling across the universe with him.
And here he was told to stay. To hide and protect himself. He was given a home and a name. He was no longer the future king. He was Charlie, a highschool student from Sheffield. Whatever that is and wherever that was. The Doctor had informed him that he should ‘google’ anything he didn’t understand, but how can one google google itself?
This new planet was alienating.
It’s life forms odd looking. They lacked stripes and gills but came in all sorts of colours, shapes, and sizes. It was extremely interesting.
And there were so many of them! They moved so quickly or stood so still looking at small rectangles in their hands. Charlie was very worried about the learning curve he would be facing on this planet.
It wasn’t even the worst part. Tomorrow he would be starting at Coal Hill. Quill and he had been informed they were to go to this bleak building five times a week and stay there for 7 to 8 hours.
This planet had nothing for him to look forward to.
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School was a blur.
There were too many students, too many classes, and too many things he didn’t know. Students discussed famous people he had never heard of, used terms he had never heard of, and generally ignored his existence.
The first person Charlie was even able to speak to was a friendly brunnette by the name of April. She was kind and willing to help Charlie work out his class schedule. She was quiet and a bit of loner herself. Perhaps Charlie was not destined to be as alone as he could be.
In fact, according to April they were sharing a lesson together. It just so happened to be Quill’s lesson.
“We can sit next to each other, yeah?” April bared her teeth in a movement he learned was called a smile. According to the google, which was explained to him by the nice man in the store that provided him with his own powerful rectangle (an iPhone he learned), was a show of friendly intentions.
Charlie copied the action, “I should think so. You are the only person I know.”
April laughed, surprised. “Right. Okay. Let’s head to lesson than, shall we?” She lead the way down the corridor and into a small square room, already filled with other students.
Charlie and April occupied two seats near each other.
April began to talk to some students next to her, making sure to introduce Charlie. Tanya seemed nice enough, and Charlie noted she may be another person that could ease his loneliness on this planet. Ram was hostile and a bit rude, but Charlie found he was attractive enough that he was willing to tolerate the confusing conversation. It was hard to take part in the conversation, and Charlie kept finding himself pulling out the iphone to look up definitions and human celebrities. This planet was large and old. Charlie had a lot of catching up to do.
As the class filled more and more, Charlie found himself becoming quieter. He listened to the humans around him, loud and brash and oh so alive. It was amazing how large a planet could be, how its inhabitants could be so powerful yet so unaware of the dangers around them. Quill and he were able to hide themselves within this group and live. Who knows how many other aliens were able to connect to this planet? Who was to say there wasn’t another alien making it’s way to the planet now, in search of the missing Prince and his prisoner. And yet, these humans lived. Happy and unaware of the worlds just beyond their planet’s gravity. Charlie found it endlessly interesting.
Charlie was jarred out of his thoughts as the bell rang for lesson.
Attention was turned to the front of the room as students waited for their new teacher to make her entrance. Some last minute stragglers entered the room just before Quill made a dramatic entrance, slamming the door behind her and demanding everyone’s attention.
Everyone’s that is but Charlie. He knew what to expect from Quill, so Charlie paid little mind to the harsh introductions made at the front of the class. Charlie’s eyes were drawn to the student who had entered just before their teacher.
Now this was the human specimen. Tall and chiseled with brown hair and deep eyes. Even lacking stripes and gills, Charlie could see that this was an attractive human. He watched the brunet walk to the only empty seat remaining in the room and regretted letting April seat them at the front of the room. He had to crane his head obviously around to watch the man take his seat.
Charlie continued to watch his classmate settle into his seat, leaning forward to take equipment out of his bag and providing Charlie with a wonderful view of neck and a peak into his loose top. Charlie had not been aware he would find human necks so attractive, but he found he was alright with the development.
He forced his attention to the front and catching April’s eye whispered, “Who is that?”
April looked to where he indicated, “Oh him? That’s Matteusz. He was the new kid before you came. Why?”
“I am looking to make friends. You are the first person to talk to me and so my first friend. But I should like a second, and he looks nice.”
April smiled, “We’re friends?” She looked at Charlie shyly.
“Is it not friendly to talk to each other? Have I misinterpreted?”
April laughed softly and smiled shyly once more. “No. I think we are friends. We should talk more too.”
Charlie nodded in assent, but he returned his attention to Matteusz behind him. He found he would very much like to be friends with him. It seemed he was a bit too obvious in his looking, as Matteusz’s attention moved from Quill to Charlie. He raised an eyebrow in question, and Charlie did not best know how to respond. He quickly turned his attention to the front in an attempt to act as if he had not been looking. He chanced a second look at the boy behind him and found Matteusz was still looking in his direction.
“Charlie. Perhaps you want to pay attention rather than waste your brain any further by daydreaming?”
Charlie quickly turned his attention to Quill, embarrassed that he should be caught out off task.
Satisfied, Quill began her lesson.
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Charlie spent his first week at Coal Hill googling unknown human terms; listening to April make plans for their new friendship; stealing glances at Matteusz, and contemplating how best to approach this gorgeous human in an attempt to make friends.
Charlie was certain now that he could find companions on this new planet. He was also certain that he wanted one more than any other. As he watched Matteusz across the corridor, Charlie decided he would speak with him. After all, even on Earth, Princes get what they want.