Alec walked back home, now worried for his new friend. He'd only known her properly for a day after weeks of not knowing who she was as she'd been sitting in the library. Now he knew why – she had been left on her own all day and by what she had just said, even when her mother and her boyfriend were in, it didn't sound like fun.
At least he had been able to go to his aunt's house and John had finally come home but if he was the new teacher, this was going to be difficult. He was glad though he'd got Rose to talk but she'd never answered him as she'd pressed the code to get in the apartment block.
She seemed to have liked his story though, it had cheered her up a little at least. He got back home and his dad was waiting for him.
"So, you finally found out who the mysterious girl from the library was?" he asked Alec.
"Yeah, it was driving me mad and there she was, in the corridor and looking lost. She wouldn't talk though and sorry but she did not have a sore throat, I wasn't sure she'd speak to you."
"That's okay Alec, you were just looking out for her on her first day. So where exactly has she come from and what is she doing here?"
Alec quickly explained some of what Rose had told him.
"So her mother works, gets Rose to do the housework and cooking and this man she lives with thinks she does it?" his dad asked, to make sure he'd heard right.
"From what she said and I'm worried about her Dad," Alec replied.
"Sounds like you need to be, that's not right. Why did they move though? It must have been a shock for her?"
"She never exactly said," Alec told him. "I thought she was never going to talk to me. Did you talk to John?"
"Yes and you were right, he never even told your aunt and uncle, he was training and writing at the same time, goodness knows how he managed. That means you have to be careful Alec, no-one should know you two are related, understand?"
"Yeah but Jamie sort of knows about John, he'll ask questions," Alec replied.
"Well be careful Alec or John may be asked to leave even though he's only temporary. At least you'll have someone on your side? He said he was more determined to get qualified when your mother died, he thought it would help, if he got placed at your school. So, is Rose coming around often?" he asked.
Alec wasn't sure but she'd said about her homework.
"Maybe? I don't expect her to come over every night though but she's not made any more friends yet, she may do though, once she starts talking. John kept his English accent so Rose felt more like she can get away with it."
"Well let's hope so eh?" his dad asked. "If she's coming round after school, a few ground rules Alec, understand?"
"Dad, she's just a school friend," Alec insisted, remembering his cousin teasing him a few days ago.
"Yes and what about when you get older?" his dad wanted to know. "I know you are both only thirteen but no going to your room with her and if I think I can trust you both then maybe, when it starts getting dark early and you don't go out so much, I may consider it, then there will be a few more rules. Now, why don't you call your cousin and see how you are both going to avoid the fact you are related?"
Alec went to the phone and asked his aunt if he could speak to John, who had been expecting him to call.
"Sorry little Cous, I knew you'd figure it out, you're quite the detective, watch out Sherlock Holmes," he joked.
"You sort of gave the game away, the famous Scottish battle?" Alec laughed.
"Yeah, I knew that would give me away but only you caught on. So, your new friend, has she talked to you yet?" John asked him.
"Yes, she's from London somewhere and now she's heard you talking with an English accent she may start talking. She never asked why you had an English accent though."
"Just explain it to her but Alec, I had no idea she wasn't from here in Scotland. So, did you see her home on the bus?"
"She only lives two streets away, I just walked her back. She was going back to an empty flat until her mother gets home, I could not have just left her, could I?"
John smiled to himself – his little cousin had got himself a girlfriend!
"You be careful Alec, your other friends may take it the wrong way," John warned him.
"Well if they do, they are not my friends, are they?" Alec asked him. "They had better get used to it."
"Yes, they will. Now, remember to call me Sir at school but in class, I'll tell everyone they can call me 'Doctor' to make it easier for you, okay?"
"Thanks John," Alec replied. "Rose won't say anything, if she talks tomorrow but she wrote down earlier she would only talk to me. She talked to my dad though but John, I'm worried about her," Alec admitted.
"That she's on her own when she's not at school?" John asked him.
"Yeah and what about weekends? I think she feels alone even when her mother is there."
"Alec, all you can do is be her friend," John reminded him. "Try not to let it worry you eh?"
Alec thought that was easier said than done. He hung up and went to the living room, after picking up his latest story notebook and went to sit at the table by the window.
"You got sorted?" his dad asked him.
"Yes. Dad, maybe we can get Rose to start having tea with us, then she won't have to go back so early?" he suggested.
"Alec, we can't interfere with the arrangements Rose's mother has made, it's up to Rose to try and get around it. Give her time eh?"
Alec didn't want to give her time, his friends had mothers who worked and were only expected to keep their rooms tidy, not the whole house and do the cooking. He didn't however want to cause trouble for her but he knew he had to try to convince her to talk to her mother and say she wasn't happy doing it.
Rose had got in the apartment, tidied up a bit and was just starting to make the evening meal when her mother walked in.
"So, how was your new school?" she asked Rose.
"Fine, I took your advice and didn't talk, it wasn't difficult, I felt lost," she replied. "I made a couple of friends though, another new girl and a boy I kept seeing at the library and his friend."
"Don't start hanging around with the boys Rose, you never used to," her mother reminded her.
"Well I don't have a lot of choice since two girls are going around gathering support and I don't want to be a part of it," Rose told her.
"Sounds like you and Shareen," her mother replied. "Are they the school troublemakers then?"
"Yeah, ya could say that, Alec rescued me from them, twice 'cos I wasn't talking."
"Who's this Alec then?"
"I told ya Mum, from the library," Rose tried to tell her.
"You never mentioned anyone at the library. Is that why you went so often?" her mother wanted to know.
Rose knew now it was, though she had considered it was worthwhile going to see him being prodded by his friend to cross over and talk to her.
"Well if he has his own friends, he's not likely to give them up, is he?" her mother asked.
"He made sure I got home Mum, his friends were on the bus and his best friend Jamie didn't seem bothered. I'm setting off a bit earlier in the mornings, the bus gives me more time when I get to school and I won't have to wait around when you leave."
Rose was just glad her mother went the opposite way down the street to what she did. She wasn't quite ready for her to meet her new friend yet. Just before Bob was due back, Rose decided to bring up the subject of tea.
"What?" her mother asked when Rose said she wanted to stay out longer and had been offered her tea at Alec's house. "What am I supposed to do?" she continued.
"Mum you can cook, we used to manage when I was younger," she reminded her.
"Well Bob's got used to it, what if he complains?" she argued.
"Then tell him you're trying something different Mum," Rose suggested. "Besides, ya won't have to make any for me."
"No," her mother simply said. "Rose, I can't risk him throwing us out, can I?" she asked.
"Mum, he won't do that, will he?" Rose asked, thinking her mother was over-reacting.
"Rose, you don't know him like I do," her mother replied.
So that was it, Rose thought. Bob had been on his own and wanted to play house with them and her mother couldn't see it.
"Mum, ya never used to bother back home," she reminded her.
"That was before Bob and I were seeing each other. Ya can have an extra half hour out, that's it and ya will have to fit the tidying up in while you wait for tea to cook. I don't want ya disappearing at weekends either, you can come shopping with us or stay in."
"Can't I even go to the library?" Rose objected.
"Where ya will go meeting your new friend? Rose, you're too young to be hanging around with boys on ya own. You'll have to make do with seeing him after school, until you're fourteen, then we'll see, understand?" her mother asked. "Don't say anything to Bob that you're making friends with a boy."
Rose wondered what Bob had to do with it but she'd not been liking the way he kept watching her but that may be her suspicious mind.
"Well I'm not staying in all day Sunday with the two of ya gettin' cosy on the sofa," Rose protested.
"Then go to ya room," her mother suggested. "So are ya gonna talk at school tomorrow or not?"
"It was your idea Mum," Rose reminded her.
When Bob got home, Rose quickly ate then said she was going to her room to do some studying, wishing there was a lock on her door so she got the chair and wedged it under the handle, she was still suspicious of Bob.
Rose was up earlier the next morning, making sure Bob had already left and her mother was just getting ready to leave.
"So, is this Alec on the same bus?" she asked Rose.
"He only lives two streets away Mum. I'll be back around the same time as you but I may eat at Alec's."
"What does his mother say?"
"Mum, she died a few months ago, he's just got a dad," Rose replied, trying to get ready or Alec would think she had changed her mind. "Gotta go, I said I'd meet Alec there, bye Mum," she called as she grabbed her school bag.
That left her mother puzzled since Rose hadn't wanted to go at all yesterday and had half expected a call at work to say Rose hadn't shown up. Maybe she would settle in after all but she wasn't so sure about her daughter making friends with a boy, considering she used to torment poor Mickey all the time. She knew now that Bob would find out and he wouldn't be pleased so now she would just have to appease him somehow.
Alec had set off to the stop Rose got on at and hoped Jamie wasn't too mad with him but they could all sit upstairs together and have a laugh together, couldn't they? He looked up ahead and didn't cross the road until he was sure Rose was walking up her street, or down it, however she considered it. He had just got to the corner when she came out of the small driveway the flats were situated in and he waved to her.
"Alec, ya really didn't have to walk down, ya know?" she smiled at him.
"I said I would Rose. So how did you get on last night, asking your mum?"
"I got an extra half hour and I still have to tidy up but it's better than no extra time," she told him as they looked to cross the road.
They still had a few yards to the bus stop but Rose looked and made sure the bus wasn't approaching, it had just got to the stop before, she could just make out.
"Alec, I'm not talking to anyone but you so don't think I'm ignoring you, will ya?" she asked him.
"No, I won't, I understand Rose but John's got an English accent, remember? It is him, he admitted it last night after I walked you home. I know I can trust you."
They rushed to the bus shelter as the bus approached and Rose was relieved there were less getting on this one, not that she'd seen any of them from the previous morning in her class, thankfully. She didn't have time to ask him why his cousin had an English accent, that she'd forgotten to ask Alec last night. They went upstairs and saw Jamie and the other boys near the back and Rose sat in front of them and Alec, without thinking sat next to her.
Jamie turned around and tapped Alec on his shoulder.
"Come and sit here Alec," Jamie suggested.
Rose wanted to turn around and tell him to get lost and that Alec could sit where he wanted but she resisted. There would come a time though when she would tell him, Alec's friend or not.
"I'm okay here Jamie, it's rude to leave Rose on her own," Alec replied.
"Then maybe she'd be better sitting at the front with the girls?" Jamie asked him.
"She doesn't know them Jamie, they are in the class above us anyway, they are hardly likely to welcome her, are they?" he asked his friend.
"So are you two going to hang around all day then?" Jamie wondered, half-turning to the other boys, who Rose swore she could hear sniggering.
She thought just let them wait until she was talking, they would wish they had left her alone, she'd show them as soon as she got over being accepted as an outsider but Alec wouldn't desert her, that she was sure of.
Alec just ignored them and turned to Rose.
"Should be good today Rose, we have double maths," he grinned at her.
Rose hated maths but the teacher seemed okay, considering it was their class teacher.
"We have history again this afternoon," he added, hoping he wouldn't give the game away about his cousin and get John fired or moved to another school. He still couldn't believe John had done that, just for him but now John could also help Rose get over her shyness or was she just pretending to be shy like yesterday, to get his attention? The question was though, was he bothered she was only trying to get his attention? He'd been trying to get hers all summer.
Rose got her notebook out and wrote 'I'll only talk to you today during breaks if no-one's watching'
Alec read it and replied, "Okay Rose, save your voice," for the benefit of those behind them.
Rose was relieved he was willing to play along. They found a bench to sit on outside the school but Rose was still pretending not to talk and Alec was still worried about it, wondering why she was so reluctant. He knew she wanted to be back in her old school, was this a protest? Still, he couldn't tell on her but they were joined by John.
"Come on you two, nearly time to go in," John grinned at them. "How's the voice Rose?"
Rose just nodded, not sure if Alec had told him or not.
"Rose, it's okay, I know. Did Alec tell you I just put this accent on to get through teacher training?" he asked her. Rose shook her head. "You won't be the only one so give it a try eh?" he asked her. "Talk to her about it Alec and mind you don't say who I am," he reminded them.
Kristy and Moira had seen the teacher talking to them and were debating what to do about it.
"Seems they've got some protection?" Kristy asked.
"Forget those two losers, they deserve each other. Let's have another go at the other new girl in our year and if not we'll just have to have some fun going after year one," Moira told her. "Mind you, it could be fun watching those two? I bet she's putting that on to get attention?" Moira told her.
Rose was getting up after Alec, him waiting for her.
"Seems like she got it?" Kristy laughed.
"I think I feel sick," Moira replied. "If I have to watch those two every break I will be. Who'd be wanted to be friends with him, apart from the boys?"
Kristy patted her friend's shoulder as they walked towards the main entrance.
"Never mind Moira, we can have some fun teasing them," she suggested.
"And have that teacher onto us again? No thanks," Moira replied.
Kristy shrugged her shoulders and followed her friend up the stairs. They spied Sandra and went up behind her, putting a hand each on her shoulders.
"Hey, wanna have a bit of fun?" Moira asked her. Sandra just shrugged her shoulders as best she could. "We want to know if the other new girl has really lost her voice or she's faking it, we want you to find out."
"Get lost you two, I told Rose I'd be her friend," Sandra replied as she closed her locker.
"Well you might not want to be," Moira replied. "She was sat outside with Alec Hardy, all the girls were chasing after him last year," she lied. "We wouldn't want you to get jealous,"
They went off when the bell sounded, leaving Sandra wandering towards the classroom and just seeing Alec following Rose inside, whispering something to her. Were those two telling the truth or just winding her up, could she trust them after hearing them talking last night? She went into the classroom, Alec went to sit with Jamie, who seemed indifferent towards him and Sandra went to sit with Rose.
"Did you two arrive together?" Sandra asked her, nodding at Alec.
Rose nodded and scribbled, 'we get the same bus' on her notepad.
Sandra nodded back and went back to listening for her name being called, then in the other classes, she was going to see if Alec defended Rose again. If he did, then those two could be right, not that Alec or any boy in the class was worth a second look, she had only just begun to realise she liked older boys and had her eye on one she'd seen yesterday lunchtime playing football with some other year four pupils, not that he would have noticed her. She'd only been watching them because she'd seen Alec leave some other boys to go talk to Rose.
She raised her hand when her name was called and glanced at Rose, was she putting on the lost voice or not? She bet Alec knew the answer to that question. Throughout the rest of the morning, Alec only defended Rose once in a class they'd not had the day before, which had got a snigger out of some of the others and a frown from the teacher so when the lunch bell went, Rose was waiting outside for Alec.
"Not sitting with us then?" Billy asked him as he looked across at Rose.
Alec shrugged his shoulders, catching up with Rose who whispered, "Go join your friends."
Alec didn't know if he wanted to or not since they had done nothing but sneer all morning. Billy caught up with Jamie.
"Alec's gone off with the new girl again Jamie, what are you going to do about it?" Billy asked him.
Jamie knew what he wanted to do – Rose Tyler was stealing his best friend from right under his nose and he didn't like it.
