Revealing secrets

She had almost broken her silence before she'd scrambled for her notebook. Alec was staring at what she had written he'd been right, she had been hiding something but it wasn't what he had expected. She had turned the notebook towards him but he picked it up.

"Rose, it's okay, please talk to me. I know why you were hiding, it was because of your accent, I won't tell anyone."

Rose looked around like she was expecting the whole class to be there or someone listening but there was just the two of them. Alec moved his chair and put his hand on her arm.

"Please Rose, I know you were scared to talk in school, that's why I spoke up for you and answered the questions so you wouldn't be forced to talk. No-one would have bothered, well maybe except Moira and Kristy but if Kristy stuck up for me, that means she's no longer in charge, if she ever was. You know, don't you?" he asked her. "They were talking in the girl's room?"

Rose nodded again. She couldn't keep pretending to be shy or she may drive him away so she just wrote 'I'll only talk to you, outside school, okay?'

Alec nodded his agreement. He knew his dad would be home soon so what could he say?

"Rose, when my dad comes home, talk to him, he's not going to tell anyone, is he?"

Rose supposed not. She took the last of her drink to clear her throat, since she'd not spoken all day except to ask for her bus fare that morning, then she'd mumbled it. She knew Alec was concerned for her but she'd never had to confide in a boy before as she'd always had her friends. She put her glass down and leaned her head on her arms she had folded on the table, Alec waiting for her to say something.

"You still can't hide it forever Rose, you have to talk to a teacher, go see Mr Smith tomorrow, he's concerned about you, he was asking why Moira was wearing make-up," he smiled.

Rose knew they had been up to something in the toilets.

"Did Kristy really stick up for me?" he wanted to know, thinking he'd give her time to come round, now he knew why she'd stayed silent all day.

She'd talk when she was ready but he now wanted to know what she sounded like. This was all new to him, making friends with a girl and he was risking his friendship with Jamie for her but surely Jamie would understand and he was sure he'd heard his friend saying it happened to all boys eventually, they started taking notice of girls but he'd no idea what that actually entailed.

"Do you want to wait until my dad gets home?" he asked her.

Rose shook her head, she had to do this.

"No," she replied, trying to keep it to a minimum for now.

"Was that so bad?" Alec asked her. "See, I could hardly tell you are not from Scotland. So, what did Kristy say about me?"

"That you'd lost your mother, I'm so sorry Alec."

"That's okay Rose, you were not to know. Was Moira saying something about it?"

Rose nodded, Moira was being a right cow but she didn't want to repeat what she'd heard.

"It was about you sticking up for me, she was complaining she'd not had chance to get me on their side. If she thinks I'm gonna hang around with them, she can get lost. My old friends would have made a right meal out of them."

That made Alec smile.

"Alec, Moira's in charge, she reminded Kristy she was the brains and that she was only letting everyone think Kristy was the leader."

"I knew that all along, it was looking that way last term, a lot of the other girls began leaving their side. So Moira thinks she can win you over?" he asked her.

"Yeah, fat chance. Alec, I'm sorry, I just didn't know what else to do, in a strange school, I thought everyone would pick on me and it usually doesn't bother me but I don't want to be here, I wanted to be going back to my old school."

"It's okay Rose. Maybe you should talk to my dad?" he suggested.

Rose didn't want to bother anyone but it was him or Mr Smith. Maybe she would see how far she could get with him.

"Want to hear something funny?" Alec asked her. Rose nodded. "Mr Smith looks like my older cousin and they've got the same name."

Rose giggled, covering her face.

"You're kidding?" she asked.

"I thought it was him, he's been away for months, he writes for travel companies, does reviews and that. My aunt thinks I base my stories on him."

"Do you?" Rose asked.

"Maybe? Maybe it's just a coincidence he decided to travel the world, just not in a blue box?"

"Then are ya sure the teacher isn't your cousin? How can there be two of them looking alike?"

"Well he never said anything to me and Doctor Smith never did either. I've got another cousin but he's away so he wouldn't know. It can't be him Rose, why keep it a secret?"

"So it wouldn't look like he was favouring you?" Rose suggested. "Did he give any hints?"

Alec looked at her. "Now I think about it, maybe? He's just got back from a trip Rose."

"Does he come home during holidays?" Rose asked him, beginning to relax a little.

"He was late back this time but he comes and goes but if he's the new science and history teacher, how's he managed that? My aunt never said anything. Mind you . Rose, my cousin pretends to be English when he's travelling and now he won't drop the accent. My aunt's given up trying to get him to go back to his Scottish one."

"There ya go then Alec. It has to be him then. If it's not, then how did a teacher from England know about Scottish history, besides looking it up. He's been winding ya up Alec, he's been training and he just got lucky, getting your school and he didn't want anyone to know. Surely he'd have told the head teacher though?" she asked.

"No, he's my cousin on my mum's side though how his mother ended up being a Smith, I was never told. Rose, does the head know you're from England?"

"I had to take an exam, I just barely passed it. The thing is though, why didn't our class teacher say anything?" she wondered.

"The same as you said Rose, not wanting to say anything. I'm going to ask my dad about John when he gets back, they were talking on Sunday when we went round, I bet now that John asked him not to tell me."

"I bet ya right, think about it Alec, then everyone would be getting you to do favours for them. Are ya mad at me?"

"What? No, I'm not mad at you Rose but why pretend to have a sore throat?" he asked.

"It was my mum's idea, I don't think she gave it a thought when she dragged me up here."

"So she's at work and leaves you to go home on your own, in a new place? What does she do?" he wanted to know, forgetting about John.

"She's a hairdresser, she used to have her own home business. She met a Scottish bloke and she followed him up here just as school broke up for the summer. She wanted me to go home early and start making tea, he thinks she does all the cooking but she just puts it in the oven or warms it up, I do it all to make her look good. I hate him Alec and she won't listen to me, she makes me do as he tells me."

Alec looked seriously at her.

"You have to tell my dad, he can maybe help you," he suggested.

"I can't let ya get involved Alec, I'd made up my mind I wasn't gonna make any friends."

"Yeah? Well tough Rose, you have a friend and I want to help you. Wait until he gets back but why does your mum make you do as he tells you?"

"I think he wants to marry her and moving up here was a test run. She doesn't make me call him 'dad' but it's heading that way and I'm not sure I like it. They whisper when they think I'm not paying any attention. Do ya think it's my imagination?" she asked him.

"Rose, if it is, you have a better imagination than I have. Want to see some of my stories?" Rose nodded. "I'll go get them, I started a new one, the others are in my room, you can borrow them if you want?"

"Can I just read them here? I told my mum that if I made some friends, I wouldn't be going straight home but I have to be back before six, Bob gets in around seven or so."

"So he's your mother's boyfriend?" he wanted to make sure.

"He's a jerk, he never leaves my mum alone. Even before we moved, well he was working on our estate, that's where they met and she started going out with him. The next thing I know, he's staying over the odd night or two and she tells me we're packing up and moving. I wish I'd been older, I could have stayed with a relative."

Alec was thinking no wonder she'd looked so far away when he'd seen her in the library, she was catching up about where she'd moved to and if she'd just passed the entrance exam, seeing what was different.

"Can I ask you something Rose?" he asked as he got up to take the glasses to the sink. "When I saw you in the library, you were trying to find your way around and trying not to make it look you were not from here?"

"Yeah, bet I was rubbish at it?" Rose grinned. "I'm sorry I never spoke to you then."

"Jamie was daring me to go over and talk to you," he had to admit, rinsing the two glasses under the running water. "It's okay Rose, I know now and I won't tell Jamie, not until you're ready to tell everyone else."

"I was gonna tell Sandra, she guessed I was faking it as well but I couldn't tell her before I told you," she replied.

"You made friends with her?" he asked. "You did not have to wait until you had told me Rose."

"Yeah, I did Alec, you were nice to me today. Sandra was in the girl's room when Moira and Kristy were talking, she thought it was funny how it came out Moira was in charge. Ya should have heard them Alec," she smiled. "Are ya friendly with all new arrivals?"

"Not really," he admitted. "You looked lost and I had seen you in the library and wanted to know who you were. So you think the new teacher is my cousin? Why would he do that?"

Rose was sure he'd already asked that.

"Ask your dad then. Alec, I should go before he comes home," she insisted.

"Rose, I want to help you, if you will let me?"

"No-one can help me Alec, I'm stuck here and I mean no offence against the town, it's a nice enough place, I just wish I was back home."

"I wasn't born here Rose but I was young when we moved here so I've known nowhere else. It must be hard on you?"

Rose nodded. "I miss my friends, I miss walking home with them and annoying this guy we know who lives on the estate and seeing how much I can get away with in class. I'm not usually so quiet but yeah, I felt lost when I entered the school."

"You looked more than lost Rose," Alec told her. "I'm going to get changed, promise you won't leave?"

"Yeah, I promise, what do I have to go back to but an empty apartment and get tea ready for my mum to take all the praise? If I leave it, with a bit of luck he'll kick us out and we can go back home," she replied as she flopped her head onto her arms.

"Don't say that Rose, you still might not get home, you might get stranded here and have to go into a hostel. Did you give up your home before you left?"

"Yeah, we had a flat, I grew up there Alec. You're probably right, she'd maybe get us back to London, then what? She'd have to get a relative to put us up. Sorry."

"Don't be sorry Rose. Still, maybe you can stay out a bit longer?"

"Only until six, my mum's home just after that but maybe I could go straight home, get everything ready and we could meet later, if ya wanted?" she suggested.

Alec considered it, was she offering to keep him company every night? Jamie wouldn't like that but if she went home for an hour, he could do his homework with Jamie then they could call for her before tea-time. That was if Jamie agreed, which if earlier was anything to go by, he wouldn't.

"What about your homework?" he asked her, picking up his school bag. "I'll get changed and bring one of my notebooks down for you to read, the first one."

"How long have ya been writing Alec?" she asked him.

"A few years, I was sick and laid in bed with nothing to do so I started thinking. Then mum brought me a notebook and pencil when I told her I wanted to write them down. That was before she got sick herself. No-one knew she was ill though, she never told anyone."

"Sorry Alec. I grew up without my dad, I know what it's like. So these stories are about that programme on TV? I like that one, he wears that cricket gear all the time but the other one, I got one of my aunts to knit me a scarf like his, I had to leave it behind."

Alec didn't want to say anything but his aunt has knitted him one. Should he offer it to Rose? Maybe at some point, if she didn't start hanging around with the other new girl. Still, it wasn't up to him, she could spend her time with whoever she wanted and have as many friends, it sounded like she'd had a lot before moving here.

He went upstairs to get changed and hoped he wouldn't hear the kitchen door slamming before he got back down again. She only had to go to the end of the road and she'd know where she was. He somehow didn't think she'd leave though, she'd stuck pretty close to him all day but had given him the chance to talk to his friends.

Rose was sat listening to the radio, feeling nervous about meeting Alec's dad. What would he think of her? She didn't think Alec had brought a girl home before after school and hoped he wouldn't take it the wrong way but she couldn't tell him she was worried about things at home. Maybe she could talk to the teacher, or was he really Alec's cousin? Why pretend though? Was it really to save Alec the embarrassment or didn't he want the head teacher to know they were related? Surely though he would have gone to the same school and some of the teachers would remember him?

Over the road at Alec's aunt Mary's house, John had got home, trying not to feel guilty for pretending Alec wasn't his cousin but it had been a last minute decision for him to fill in for two teachers who were absent. The agency had called him after he'd seen his young cousin and he'd not even told his mother where he was going, he'd just told her he was filling in somewhere. Hell, he'd not even told her what he'd really been doing, training in Edinburgh inbetween doing odd writing jobs but his talents were wasted on that and he knew it.

It had only been a matter of time before work dried up so he'd taken advantage of doing two part-time courses in science and history and hoped he'd get qualified. So he'd put his name down at the agency the education department used and crossed his fingers and admitted to his mother after Alec and his dad had left on Sunday. To say she'd told him off had been putting it mildly.

"Really John, why did you never say anything?" she'd asked him as his father glared at him.

"Sorry Mum. I just wanted to do something with my life and the travelling was good for a while but I'm sorry Mum, I had to keep up the pretence. Did you not notice when I was coming home?"

"Why would we John?" his dad asked him. "Why were you so late back this time?"

"Ah, I got the chance to add another subject so I took it, not that they need me for english at present, they've got a perfectly good english teacher but you never know when one might be needed. The thing is though, what if I end up at Alec's school?"

"Is it against the rules to teach at a relative's school?" his mother asked him.

"I'm not sure about that but it could make things awkward," he had grinned.

"So that's what the accent's for?" his dad had asked him.

"Yep, I had to have an excuse for working part time and then take the extra course. Still, I reckon the kids might think it's a laugh and try to wind me up. I can still take writing jobs inbetween, just cut them short if I have to. So, it's the life of the substitute teacher for me then," he laughed. "Blimey, if I get Alec's school, I'd best not give myself away. He said you and his dad think he's gonna look like me when he gets older poor kid!"

So when he'd got the call asking him to fill in for the science and history teachers at the grammar school, he hoped no-one remembered him and asked any awkward questions but he'd been fine until Alec had walked into the classroom. He'd seen the way Alec had defended a new girl and knew instantly she had to be the one from the library. This was going to be a very interesting assignment.

He thought though maybe he'd given the game away when his first subject was a famous Scottish battle and Alec saying he wanted to be a detective, would soon get to the truth and had expected him to be waiting but he'd then thought either Alec would be being brave and fending for himself or he'd invited Rose to his house. Maybe he'd gone a bit far telling his cousin to call him 'Doctor' though, he still had to take his doctorate in science so he may as well take the history one as well.

Something was troubling him about the girl though, not just the fact she was refusing to talk. Something was very wrong with her, she either felt out of place or she had something to hide, maybe both but he knew his cousin would maybe forget about writing his stories and do a little investigating, since he was determined he wanted to join the police.

So when he'd seen those two troublemakers going after her at lunchtime, he'd felt compelled to do something then after school, take the two of them down a peg or two because he instinctively knew they had something to do with why Alec was anxiously waiting in the playground. He bet anything Rose lived near Alec and he was offering to help her find her way home.

Now he was waiting for Alec to figure out it was him, who had decided to keep an eye on them, tactfully of course but he hoped if Alec discovered the truth, he wouldn't take advantage and tell all his friends though Jamie may work it out. Would Jamie think he was having his nose pushed out if Alec made friends with Rose, which it seemed to him he had and all that from Alec himself who said he wasn't interested in girls had gone totally out of the window on the first day back at school because his young cousin was definitely having his head turned by Rose Tyler, whether he knew it or not.