The 26th Century

[rattyjol]

Name: Athalia Grey
Age: 17 (and three-quarters)
History: She was born in Ireland but moved to California when she was three and her parents divorced. After that she was raised by her single father who never remarried. She's had average-to-good grades throughout her school career and can't wait to graduate and get out into the world. She's tried to stay away from anything blatantly illegal (such as drugs, underage drinking, etc) and so far hasn't gotten into any trouble with the police. Overall a very normal, boring life.
Personality: Quiet and socially independent, Athalia mostly tries to keep her head down and not call attention to herself. She prefers to keep herself to herself and has few friends. She's kind of awkward around people she doesn't know, but if something piques her curiosity she won't let it go.
Physical description: She has wavy, reddish-brown hair that falls to her shoulders and is usually pulled back in a ponytail. Small in stature and occasionally wears round, dark blue glasses over her brown eyes in place of her usual contact lenses.

--

Athalia weaved her way through the crowd of teenagers that blocked the front steps, her AP Biology book tucked under her arm. The shrill school bell still echoed in her ears as she started down the sidewalk, her heavy backpack weighing her down. She was saving up for a car of her own, but till she got there she had to walk home from school, as her father was still at work in the city with the small family's red hatchback at this hour and they couldn't really afford another car.

"Hey, Athalia!"

Athalia turned around to see Cara, a fellow junior from her AP Bio class, wading through the crowd towards her. She wouldn't have considered Cara a friend, exactly, more of a . . . friend/aqquantaince. She was very particular about that. Call it a quirk.

"Yeah?"

"You're coming to the homecoming dance next week, aren't you?" Cara beamed at her, metal braces flashing in the sun.

"I . . . wasn't planning on it. Why?"

"A bunch of us from the Scifi Club are going as a group and I was hoping you would join us."

Athalia paused, quickly phrasing her thoughts in several different ways in her mind before picking one. "Sorry, dances aren't really my thing."

Cara's face fell a bit. "Well . . . all right."

"Actually, you know what? Fine. I could use something different." Athalia didn't like people much but she also hated disappointing them. "When is it again?"

"Next Friday night, in the gym, 7:30. Wear something nice!" Flashing another metallic grin, the other girl waved and ran off.

Hugging her textbook to her chest as if to stay grounded, Athalia turned back and began walking again. The majority of the crowd had dispersed, hopping into cars or wandering off to hang out at the nearby pizza place with friends, and she mostly had the sidewalk to herself.

" 'Wear something nice,' " she muttered to herself. "Did I really just agree to that?"

--

(( I know the sample paragraph has nothing to do with the Doctor, but she hasn't been chosen as a companion yet, sooo . . . ))