to hold hands. They kissed halfway through Journey to the Centre of the Earth and by Fantastic Voyage they were almost inseparable. He’d lovingly introduced her to Star Wars in the original film release order, and she realised she loved him at the end of Raiders of the Lost Ark . By Back to the Future III he’d confessed he felt the same, inspired by the scene between Clara and Doc Brown stargazing together.
It would have been perfect if it hadn’t been for the curse, but in a way that only deepened her trust. He didn’t mind waiting, thinking that her reluctance to do more than kiss was a wound from a childhood with religious extremists.
As they walked, he told her about what he’d been doing while she’d been away, but all she could think about was how and where to tell him. Did she spend one last morning with him and tell him over lunch? Did she do it now, before it got too difficult?
Then they were in the shop, greeted warmly by the bloke behind the counter, and Josh was bouncing about the latest reboot.
“I need a cup of tea,” she said and he put the comic down.
“Are you feeling poorly?”
“I didn’t sleep well.”
“How come?”
“I really need some tea,” she said, and hurried out of the shop.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, following her out and catching hold of her hand. “Is it your aunt? Is she really sick?”
“No.” Her voice wobbled and she looked up at the bright shop sign, avoiding his eyes.
“You can tell me, Cathy, come on.”
“I’m leaving Manchester.”
There was a long pause. “When?”
She shrugged. “In the next couple of days… by next week I think.”
“But what about your course?”
“I can’t do it any more.”
“Have you talked to your tutor?”
“No, I mean, I… it’s not too hard, I mean… I can’t.”
He frowned, standing directly in front of her, drawing her eyes, and she immediately regretted it. She hadn’t realised how much she’d planned ahead until it was all over. She’d finish her degree, they’d get a place together and see if it worked out. She’d find a way to unravel the curse, they’d–
“Has this got something to do with your weird family?”
“I can’t talk to you about it.”
“Shit. Are they putting pressure on you?”
“I said–”
“Because they can’t make you leave, you know. They don’t pay for your course, you’re in control.”
She frowned at his chest, trying to work out how to end it cleanly, with respect and love. This was heading in the wrong direction.
“It’s not that simple,” she said, pulling away from him, feeling sick. “We have to split up.”
She felt like she’d just kicked a puppy. His eyes widened and for a few moments he just looked confused.
“Why?”
“Because they won’t let me see anyone.”
“What, they’re going to lock you away and tell you who you see and who you don’t?”
Hearing the truth, she started to walk away, fearing she’d make it worse if she said any more.
“Cathy! Are you really dumping me?”
She stopped and turned around slowly. “Yeah.”
“What the fuck?”
“It isn’t anything to do with you, it’s my family! You just have to accept it. OK?”
“No, it’s not fucking OK! We’ve been going out with each other for over a year. I’ve tried to understand all that baggage you’ve got from them. I’ve been patient, I never pushed it with you, and you’re just–”
“What, you waited all that time to get into bed with me and now you’re pissed off because you didn’t get what you wanted?”
“No, I’m just saying that–”
“Because I thought you were with me because you wanted to be with me, not just waiting around until we could have sex.”
“Jesus, Cathy, what is wrong with you? You’re sounding like some mad woman. What the hell happened in London? Did they put the fear of God in you again?”
She closed her eyes, put her hands over her face as she tried to string her tiny beaded thoughts into something
It would have been perfect if it hadn’t been for the curse, but in a way that only deepened her trust. He didn’t mind waiting, thinking that her reluctance to do more than kiss was a wound from a childhood with religious extremists.
As they walked, he told her about what he’d been doing while she’d been away, but all she could think about was how and where to tell him. Did she spend one last morning with him and tell him over lunch? Did she do it now, before it got too difficult?
Then they were in the shop, greeted warmly by the bloke behind the counter, and Josh was bouncing about the latest reboot.
“I need a cup of tea,” she said and he put the comic down.
“Are you feeling poorly?”
“I didn’t sleep well.”
“How come?”
“I really need some tea,” she said, and hurried out of the shop.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, following her out and catching hold of her hand. “Is it your aunt? Is she really sick?”
“No.” Her voice wobbled and she looked up at the bright shop sign, avoiding his eyes.
“You can tell me, Cathy, come on.”
“I’m leaving Manchester.”
There was a long pause. “When?”
She shrugged. “In the next couple of days… by next week I think.”
“But what about your course?”
“I can’t do it any more.”
“Have you talked to your tutor?”
“No, I mean, I… it’s not too hard, I mean… I can’t.”
He frowned, standing directly in front of her, drawing her eyes, and she immediately regretted it. She hadn’t realised how much she’d planned ahead until it was all over. She’d finish her degree, they’d get a place together and see if it worked out. She’d find a way to unravel the curse, they’d–
“Has this got something to do with your weird family?”
“I can’t talk to you about it.”
“Shit. Are they putting pressure on you?”
“I said–”
“Because they can’t make you leave, you know. They don’t pay for your course, you’re in control.”
She frowned at his chest, trying to work out how to end it cleanly, with respect and love. This was heading in the wrong direction.
“It’s not that simple,” she said, pulling away from him, feeling sick. “We have to split up.”
She felt like she’d just kicked a puppy. His eyes widened and for a few moments he just looked confused.
“Why?”
“Because they won’t let me see anyone.”
“What, they’re going to lock you away and tell you who you see and who you don’t?”
Hearing the truth, she started to walk away, fearing she’d make it worse if she said any more.
“Cathy! Are you really dumping me?”
She stopped and turned around slowly. “Yeah.”
“What the fuck?”
“It isn’t anything to do with you, it’s my family! You just have to accept it. OK?”
“No, it’s not fucking OK! We’ve been going out with each other for over a year. I’ve tried to understand all that baggage you’ve got from them. I’ve been patient, I never pushed it with you, and you’re just–”
“What, you waited all that time to get into bed with me and now you’re pissed off because you didn’t get what you wanted?”
“No, I’m just saying that–”
“Because I thought you were with me because you wanted to be with me, not just waiting around until we could have sex.”
“Jesus, Cathy, what is wrong with you? You’re sounding like some mad woman. What the hell happened in London? Did they put the fear of God in you again?”
She closed her eyes, put her hands over her face as she tried to string her tiny beaded thoughts into something
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