Alec was waiting outside in the playground, wondering if he should wait for his new friend or join the others as they headed for various buses. He had ten minutes to wait for his anyway, the bus company must have had complaints from adult passengers so before the end of last term, it had been changed so it arrived outside the school five minutes before any pupils who wanted it came out and only the sneaky ones had caught it but he wasn't too bothered.

He had the choice of calling at his aunt's house or going home and wait for his dad getting back at four thirty and thought maybe it was time he grew up and do that but with John being back, it may be worth calling to see him. Now, if Rose happened to live near him or got off at the stop before him, he could get off and offer to talk to her while seeing where she lived or maybe she could stay on and go to his house, if her mother was at work.

Rose was taking her time since she'd heard the mouthy Moira and her side-kick Kristy, whom she'd not heard say much and hadn't decided what name to give her yet were in the cloakroom as she was in a cubicle. She listened with interest as the two girls were talking, probably admiring themselves in the mirror, she thought.

She was in no rush to get back to an empty apartment and get the evening meal ready so her mother and Bob could 'make out' later while she tried to watch TV, something she was finding even more gross as she got older.

"Kristy, we weren't good enough today," Moira was saying as she pouted and got her lipstick out she'd 'borrowed' from her older sister and was trying to apply it as Moira leaned on the sink beside her.

"I'm doing my best Moira," Kristy replied, wondering who was in the two closed cubicles she could just see through the mirror as she turned around.

"We hardly cornered anyone today, thanks to Alec Hardy. I mean, we had new victims and one of them we couldn't get anywhere near," Moira complained, making a face to even out the lipstick, having watched her sister Gloria doing it when she was getting ready to meet her boyfriend Angus.

"Yeah, that's not like him, he was a real mouse last term but he'd just lost his mum," Kristy reminded her.

"Feeling sorry for him?" Moira asked her.

"Give him a break Moira, how would you like it?" Kristy asked her, shaking her head as she was offered the lipstick. "Anyway, in case you forgot, I'm supposed to be in charge so what's with you taking over today?"

"What?" Moira asked, Rose now just leaning on the cubicle door, waiting to leave.

Now she'd never catch the same bus as Alec, she was going to maybe catch him on his own and admit she was faking the lost voice. Now she'd have to wait until tomorrow or maybe catch the earlier bus and see if he was on his own but he probably met up with his friend Jamie. Since when did she start making friends with boys in her class?

"Come on Kristy, I'm the brains around here," Moira laughed. "Don't you forget it either unless you want me to find someone else?"

"I never said that Moira but everyone thinks it's me. Anyway, be careful what you say, others might be listening."

"Don't be so daft Kristy, no-one's in here but us. You know everyone likes to close the doors to make others think there's someone in, it would have been the new kids, goodness knows where they've come from. Come on or we'll miss the bus," Moira told her.

"Okay then but maybe tomorrow you might give the impression I'm in charge, we don't want the new girls getting the wrong idea," Kristy told her.

Rose heard the door close, then as she opened hers, the other one opened and it was Sandra, who just burst out laughing.

"I knew there was something about those two," she spluttered as she washed her hands, Rose doing the same. "I've been watching them all day, it's my hobby. I like to see who thinks they are the boss but it seems everyone got the wrong idea about them. Come on Rose, say something."

Rose nodded.

"I get it, if you're shy and don't want to talk but you won't get away with it forever. I think Moira was a bit annoyed Alec stuck up for you, more than once. Be careful Rose, at my last school, it didn't go down well if the girls made friends with the boys, unless they were older. We can be friends though, since we're both new?" she suggested.

Rose nodded again and held her hand out, once she'd dried them.

"Great. Well I have to go find where my bus goes from, see you tomorrow then and we can sit together in classes, if you want?"

Rose nodded again, picking up her school bag. She was glad someone else was wanting to make friends with her and together, once she decided to talk, they could bring the two school show-offs down a peg or two or whatever the phrase was in Scotland. There again, she couldn't talk to Sandra before she had spoken to Alec but neither of them may take too kindly to her trying to fool them but they had both hinted they suspected why she'd chosen to stay quiet.

They walked out together and into the playground, where Jamie had given up trying to persuade Alec not to wait for Rose coming out, reminding him that girls liked to take their time.

"How would you know?" Alec had asked him before Jamie had said he was going to the bus stop and that they'd miss it.

Jamie had declined to answer, just shrugging his shoulders.

"If you miss the bus, I'll see you in the morning, unless you were planning on walking down to the next stop to meet Rose?"

"I'm only making sure she gets the right bus," Alec tried to explain, seeing Kristy and Moira coming out and nudging each other.

He hoped they'd not been taunting poor Rose.

"Waiting for your girlfriend Alec?" Moira teased him.

"Him, having a girlfriend?" Kristy laughed, trying to give the impression she really was the leader.

"Leave Rose alone, she's new around here," Alec tried to defend her. "Where is she, have you been trying to get her on your side again after I warned you?" he asked them.

"Chill out Alec, we've not even seen her unless she was hiding in the girl's room," Moira laughed. "Come on Kristy, he's not worth missing our bus over."

Alec knew they'd seen Rose, why else was Rose late coming out when she didn't know anyone?

"Something wrong?" an English voice asked from behind Alec.

"No Sir, I was waiting for Rose Tyler coming out, I was asking these two if they had seen her," Alec replied, not used to making up excuses on the spot but he'd been doing it all day, since he'd first found out Rose was the girl from the library.

"You're all going to miss your buses at this rate," Mr Smith told them. "You don't have to keep calling me 'Sir' all the time, you can address me as just 'Doctor' when not in class. So, where is she?" he asked the two troublemakers as he considered them to be.

"Why ask us Sir?" Moira spoke up, confirming to him she was in charge.

"Weeell," he prolonged the word. "Seeing as you are both girls and have probably been applying lipstick in there, you may have seen her in there. Are there no rules about wearing lipstick in school? I'll have to look that one up."

"Sir, I mean Doctor, school's finished for the day," Moira tried to correct him.

He could see they were going to make life difficult for him but that was what he was there for, teenagers were more of a challenge than five year olds but he would maybe have to have a rethink once they got to sixteen.

The teacher looked at them instead, then saw Rose approaching, Rose hoping they'd not been talking about her but of course they were talking about her, she was the new arrival and Alec was waiting for her!

"Ah, there you are Rose," the teacher stated, giving the other two girls a frown and he'd not even had them in any of his classes yet. "You two girls, haven't you got a bus to catch?" he asked Moira and Kristy.

They both went off, nudging each other, Rose staring after them.

"Are you okay Rose?" Alec asked her, concerned the pair of them had confronted her.

"She's fine Alec, aren't you Rose?" the teacher asked her. Rose nodded. "I reckon you can look after yourself eh?"

Rose wished he wouldn't speak for her, she didn't want Alec to be put off defending her until she was ready to start talking and even then, it was sort of sweet of him to be concerned for her.

She looked over at Alec, hoping he wouldn't be disappointed once she did start sticking up for herself. The teacher though was just doing his job, unlike those at her old school who left the pupils to sort out their own problems most of the time.

"Come on Rose, if we hurry, we'll just catch the bus," Alec suggested. "Thank you, Doctor Smith."

"You're welcome Alec. Making sure she gets home?" the teacher asked, as Rose started going towards the gate.

"Yes Sir, she gets the same one as me and my friend, well I think she does," Alec replied.

The teacher watched him run to catch up with Rose, shaking his head. It seemed the boy had a crush on her and heaven forbid if anyone upset her, by the way he'd been defending her now and earlier plus answering for her in the classroom.

"Hey Rose, wait up," Alec was calling after her as she tried to remember which bus she had to catch.

She knew she'd maybe have to rely on him at least for tonight as he grabbed her arm and hurried towards a bus where pupils were still getting on, thankfully. Now Rose was panicking that he'd hear her saying how much her fare was but he knew it was the same as his, his stop was the last one before it went up in price.

"Have you got your money out?" he asked as the boy in front asked for his.

He stepped up to the driver and asked for two of the same fare, Rose passing him her money. He looked around, not seeing Jamie and indicated for Rose to go upstairs, thankful only two or three from their class got that bus and they were too busy hanging over the seats at each other to notice as he let Rose go first, just as the bus set off. Rose glanced as she went to the stairs, it was just as bad as it had been that morning but maybe since Alec was there to talk to her, it wouldn't be as boring, though he'd be doing all the talking.

She saw an empty seat, having noticed Jamie talking to someone else a few seats further back and assumed Alec would just go to join them but he sat beside her.

"Do you know where to get off?" he asked her. Rose nodded. "Well let's see if you get off before me then?"

She just hoped she did remember but she'd made a note of a few things and once the bus joined the route the one into the town did, she'd be okay.

"So will your mum be at home?" he asked her, hearing some laughing from behind them and if was about him or Rose, he'd have something to say about it.

One of the other boys was asking why Alec wasn't joining them, trying to get Jamie to admit something.

"How do I know?" Jamie was protesting and turning back to see Alec sitting next to the new girl.

"We saw him talking to her earlier," one of them opposite told him.

"So, it doesn't mean anything," Jamie was saying, wondering why now, he was defending her as well as Alec was.

He wondered if she had that effect on everyone, well except Moira and Kristy.

"Take no notice of the laughing," Alec was telling Rose as she tried to turn around. "So will your mum be in?" he asked her again. Rose shook her head. "Is she working? My mum was always in when I got home, now I have to wait for my dad getting back but he said I can wait on my own, I used to go to my aunt's just around the corner. We've no homework tonight but tomorrow, well maybe you can come round and we can do it together? I mean until you get used to the school's way of doing things?" he added.

Rose had warned her mother if she made friends, she'd stay out a while but she couldn't use Alec as an excuse though. There again, she would have been out with her mates getting into trouble had she stayed in London. She nodded her agreement, giving him half a smile and nudging him.

Alec was hoping she'd break her silence but maybe tomorrow, she'd get around to writing something down? Rose recognized where she was and knew there was one more stop before hers as the bus set off again and indicated to Alec by putting the strap of her bag on her shoulder.

"Is yours the next one?" Alec asked her. Rose shook her head and held one finger up. "Next but one?" he guessed.

That was the one before his. "Want me to walk you from the bus stop?" he suggested. Rose shook her head, she wasn't ready to tell anyone where she lived just yet. Alec was persistent though as they approached the next stop. "I can get off there, I only go to the other one because it's a bit nearer and in the mornings, not as many get on there. We can talk for a while, if you want?"

He hoped that once away from school, she may admit something. As the bus set off again, Rose indicated for him to let her up. He did so, picking up his school bag from the floor and getting up, surprising her by walking to the steps as she followed him.

"Why is Alec getting off here?" one of the boys asked Jamie, who turned around to see Rose disappearing down the steps.

"He gets off here to go to his aunt's," Jamie lied but he knew either stop would do for the both of them really and Alec had got off there before the summer holidays. "Don't you remember?" he added.

Alec had rung the bell at the top of the steps even though others would be getting off but he hoped they wouldn't be paying any attention just the same as when they'd got on. Once the bus stopped, Rose thought she was going to get trampled on as everyone got up at the last second and descended on her and Alec, including some almost falling down the steps.

Once off, Rose went to stand behind the bus shelter until everyone had gone off.

"It's okay Rose, they're always like that. Have you never got on a school bus before?" he asked her as she saw they were alone. She shook her head. "Neither did I until I started at the grammar school, it's a bit daunting. I used to go to a nearby school. You used to walk home with your mum or your friends?"

Rose nodded, indicting to cross the road and hoping he wouldn't follow.

"I only live down the next but one street but my aunt lives just down on this side, the next street. She might be expecting me but my dad mentioned to her I was going to try going back on my own. It's not the same, going back to an empty house. Sorry Rose, I never meant anything."

Rose scrambled in her bag and brought a notebook out, then found a pencil she'd not put back in the case.

She wrote 'Moira was making fun of you in the girls room. Kristy stuck up for you, saying something about your mum not being at home. What happened Alec?'

If he couldn't trust her, who could he trust at school but the bit about Kristy defending him surprised him.

"Kristy defended me?" he questioned her. Rose nodded. "Rose, my mum died a few months ago, my aunt insisted I went to her house every night until my dad got back. Now he says I only have to go if I want to. I was going during the holidays instead of being on my own when Jamie wasn't around."

Rose patted his arm, still leaning on the wall and hoping someone wouldn't tell her off but she wasn't tall enough to climb on it. Alec could see she wanted to sit on the wall though. Instead, she began writing something.

'I'm sorry you lost your mum Alec. I never knew my dad, he died when I was a baby. Alec, do ya promise not to get mad at me?'

"What for?" he wanted to know as he read it.

Rose thought about it. Should she say anything just yet? Maybe she should wait but he was looking at her now. She decided to write something else instead, to just give him half of it.

'I'm not from Scotland at all, sorry I mislead you.'

"Rose, you never mislead me, I did mention a few English places," he told her. "So you're not from the north of England then?"

Rose decided she had to give him something, since he'd been nice to her all day. She was about to write again when he stopped her.

"Rose, would you like to go to my house maybe?"

Rose thought it would be better than getting tea ready and being on her own for two hours.

'Sure your dad won't mind?' she wrote before putting her notebook away.

"He says I spend too much time with Jamie, he'll be glad I made a new friend. We could go to my aunt's?" he suggested.

Rose thought maybe that would be better but she'd get asked all kinds of questions. She shook her head.

"Okay, it's this way then," he indicated.

Rose followed him, dropping her pencil into her bag and trying to keep up with him as they crossed the road. He walked across the next street then in the distance, she could see the other bus stop and supposed he could really use either but as they approached where he lived, Jamie was waiting on the corner.

"You two took your time," he told Rose and Alec. "I had to cover for you when you got off back there Alec."

"I never asked you to Jamie but thanks. Rose was going to be on her own, her mother is at work so I invited her back. Are you coming?" he asked Jamie, surprising Rose.

So he invited everyone back then or was he trying to make her feel better by not making her think he had a habit of inviting just girls back? She gave him the benefit of the doubt.

"No, I should get back, see you in the morning? Are you going to be at this bus stop or the one you just got off at?" he asked Alec, already knowing the answer.

Now he was going to have to cover up for his friend and he was going to get his nose pushed out by the way Rose was looking at him. He'd never known Alec defend anyone before and he was covering for a girl of all people. When did that happen? He waved to Rose and set off home, it was no different to when Alec had lost his mother and gone to his aunt's every night he supposed but he'd been hoping to hang around for a while or call later on and go to the park or somewhere.

Alec could tell his friend was disappointed they weren't hanging around with each other but Rose knew no-one else in the area and now, he had a load more places to guess where she had come from.

"This is my house," he told Rose as he stopped in front of a driveway, wishing his mother was waiting in the kitchen for him. What would she think about him bringing a girl home with him though?

His aunt would find it amusing and so would John, since they'd both teased him. He got his key out and went to the side door, allowing Rose in first. She stepped into a fair-sized room, the other door leading to the living room half open and Alec indicated for her to put her school bag on a chair and went to the fridge, getting out a bottle of juice. He indicated to Rose, who nodded.

"So, what time does your mum get home then?" he asked, hoping she wouldn't have to leave early, he wanted to introduce her to his dad because he had a feeling there was more to Rose Tyler than she had so far let on. Why had she moved to Paisley of all places was one question he had to ask, if she would talk to him and why was she pretending she couldn't talk? He knew she was shy but he had to get her to talk to him before someone beat him to it.

Rose sat at the table, Alec switching the radio on and going to hang up his blazer. He offered to take Rose's as she took it off.

"Does she work until six maybe?" he asked, thinking he may as well ask questions and get some practice in again. Rose nodded. "Well how long can you stay?"

Rose wanted to say until her mother got home but she was expected to have everything ready but she could safely stay until after five, it wouldn't take her that long and from tomorrow, she was going to tell her mother she'd made a friend and that they were going to do their homework together. She just wasn't going to admit her friend was a boy called Alec so maybe she could say it was Sandra instead? Her mother wouldn't know any differently until she was ready to admit it and Sandra had said she wanted them to be friends, she could use that to her advantage.

Rose got her notebook out, then changed her mind.

"It's okay Rose, I know you're pretending that you've lost your voice, I won't tell anyone, I promise. I get that you are shy on your first day, you can't hide it forever. So, tell me why Rose, I hope we can be friends, that we can get to know each other. Can we be friends?" he asked her.

Rose took a drink then nodded. He hoped she would make a start soon.

"If it's meant to be a secret, why you're here, you can tell me. I told you my secret, well part of it. I like to write stories but not about things I know," he admitted. He saw her looking up. "Rose, I write stories about travelling but not around the world. I write about going to other planets, like that programme on TV. I never told anyone except Jamie, they'd all laugh at me. My aunt thinks they're about my cousin who does travel reviews. Do you think that I'm wasting my time?"

Rose shook her head. He had a secret and so did she, he trusted her with his and she had to trust someone.

'Alec, I'm from London and my mother dragged me up here to live with her boyfriend and I don't want to be here.' she wrote in her notebook.