AN: Hi everyone please no flames on this story I don't take to kindly to them, also this story is based on the BBC version of Oliver Twist, yah know the 2007 version? Well it's based on that, thank you for reading...BABYLIBBY96

I walked out into the garden and saw Charlotte scrubbing the new boy so hard his skin must have been coming off "Charlotte Mrs want's you back in to help her" I said quietly while staring at the ground, Charlotte gave me a disgusted look before going into the house,

I turned to the boy who was staring up at me with innocent eyes, I smiled a little before picking up the rough brush, I noticed the boy flinch from the corner of my eye and I sighed "Don't worry, I know it hurts" I said dropping the brush, he merely stared up at me and I sighed again while walking closer to him, he nodded and I grabbed the rag off the stool "This should be a little gentler"

I said hopefully while soaking it in the water "Can you bend over for me? I promise I won't go hard, and if I do you can tell me" I said reassuringly, he nodded and leaned over the washtub, I ran my hands gently through his hair to get rid of the nots before wiping it softly with the wet rag "Am I doing okay?" I asked, he nodded and I carried on in silence.

I poured some juice into the cups while Charlotte and Noah ate their food, the new boy who's name I had yet to learn was on the floor eating scraps, I felt so sorry for him being the new boy here, it was absolutely horrible living here and even worse when you had to sleep with the coffins, I myself had to sleep behind them all "Oi workus" Noah said not looking up from his food,

he turned around the face the new boy "I'm talking to you workus" he said more demanding, I rolled my eyes and resisted the urge to pour the juice over his head "You wanna be carefull workus, when your sleeping with all dem coffins, you wanna be careful a them what's dead, workus..." he said with gravy spilling out of his unclosed mouth, I grimaced "...Worms dripping outta their eyeholes"

he said "Noah!" Charlotte exclaimed though she was giggling "What d'you fink a that then workus?" he asked "My name's not workus, me names Oliver" the boys replied, I smiled a little and put down the jug.

I heard the door creaking and I peered over the coffin I was currently sleeping behind, I saw candlelight and heard footteps, Noah soon came into view and I rolled my eyes as he crouched down to Oliver's level "Workus, did you fink it was the dead coming for you?" Noah asked,

Oliver shook his head "Yeah you did, near cryin' you was. But it's just me" Noah said slightly annoyed "Noah" Charlotte called from inside "Coming" he called back before facing Oliver "Your under me workus, I'm above you, understand?" he asked, Oliver nodded "You scared?"

Noah asked "No" Oliver replied rather bravely, I had to admire him for that 'You should be...BOO" Noah exclaimed making Oliver jump, Noah chuckled before going back inside, I pulled away my thin rough blanket before going over to Oliver, I sat down in front of him "Don' worry about him, he's always like that"

I said, he nodded "I'm Annabeth" I introduced "Oliver" he replied, I smiled a little "Yeah I know, I 'eard you earlier" I said "Your a nice little lad you know that?" I asked, he sat up and crossed his legs like I had "Thanks" he said quietly, I tilted my head to the side a bit "You can talk to me yah know, I ain't like those lot I won't judge you, how about I tell you a secret and then you tell me a secret, you seem like a trustworthy lad"

I said hoping I had made the right judgmeant, he nodded and I thought for a moment "When I was 5 my mum died of an infection wound, my daddy left us before I was born, mum used to sleep round a lot but she was an amazing mum, she got shot and they sen me to a workhouse just like you little Oliver, before she died she gave me this..." I said showing him my locket,

he inspected it for a moment before nodding "...Someone took an interest in me and before I knew it I was working here. Okay now you" I said, he sighed and looked as though he was having a dibate with himself "I don't know my mum, or my dad, but I wanna find out what they were like, my mum especially, I've been in the work house since I was born" he said,

I knew it wasn't much of a story but it was still something "I hate it here, and you will too, you already do but that's not the point. The point is us workhouse kids gotta stick together, so how about it, we stick together" I suggested, he nodded and I held out my pinky, he gave me a confused look "What you never heard of a pinky swear before?" I asked in disbelief, he tilted his head

"Nope" he replied, I rolled my eyes "Basically, you do the same as me..." I said taking his pinky gently and sticking it out "...we link the pinky's..." I said locking them together "...and you kiss the fist" I finished kissing my fist, he shrugged and kissed the fist before pulling away

"There, we never break the pinky swear, it's a lock that can never be broken, I won't leave you and you won't leave me, how does that sound?" I asked, he smiled.