True colours

Kristy was following behind her so-called friend who had on the first day shown her true colours and declared she was now the leader. Maybe she had been planning this right from the beginning of last term when they had both agreed those not of their standard should be excluded from their little club after being asked if they wanted to join and Alec Hardy had been one of them.

Since then though, Moira had declared girls only but now it seemed she had changed her tune since they'd tried most of the girls in their year and the year below and even Moira wouldn't dare try any of the classes above them. She stopped dead behind Moira, who turned to her.

"Tell me what's wrong with this picture Kristy?" Moira asked her.

"How am I supposed to know, you took charge," Kristy huffed, looking around to see if anyone was taking any notice.

"Don't tell me you're surprised?" Moira teased her.

"Well I say we did better on that score before you took over, we have no-one yet and it's the third day of term. Are you really going to try the boys?"

"Have you got a better idea then? That English new girl already has Alec on her side, this is war Kristy, she can't just waltz in here and get him on her side. If he joined us, the other boys would follow."

"We've no chance, they're as thick as thieves those two but we could try Jamie, he doesn't look too happy about it."

"Well come on then, if he joins us, that Rose Tyler will have a fight on her hands because Jamie was Alec's best friend until she arrived, Jamie must be really annoyed about that," Moira told her.

"Wonder what those two are up to?" Rose asked Alec as he was looking to see where Jamie was. "Alec, go join your friends if ya want?"

"What? No, it's fine, they don't seem that bothered. You could make more friends if you wanted to you know?"

"Like those two?" Rose laughed as Kristy and Moira were stood talking. "I wonder where Sandra disappeared to?"

"Go find her then?" Alec suggested.

"Why, do ya wanna add some more to your new story?" Rose wondered.

"Not here, I sometimes used to go around the other side to be on my own, Jamie used to keep me company sometimes."

"Well if I go round with ya, everyone will be talking more than they already are," Rose laughed.

Alec smiled at the thought.

"I thought you would have a crowd around you when the word got round?"

"Me? Alec, I acted all tough at my last school just to survive, it wasn't what I wanted. Looks like I may not have a choice here either?"

"Yes you do Rose, you can choose to stay out of the way and not make a fuss you upset those two," Alec replied.

"I can't let them just walk over everyone Alec. You have to stand up to them."

"I already do," Alec reminded her. "Let's just try to stay out of their way?"

"Yeah, long as they stay out of mine? Alec, I asked my mum if she'd get Bob to put a lock on my room door."

"That's good Rose. Do you think he will agree?"

"I don't know but if his friends keep calling, I don't want any of them wandering in, do I?" Rose asked him.

"Are you sure it's to keep his friends out?" Alec wanted to know. "Rose, you seem really scared of him."

"He just gives me the creeps that's all. I've no idea what my mother agreed to when she dragged us up here. I think I'm right Alec, they mean to get married or at least engaged and he'll want to adopt me. I don't want him to."

"Why are you scared of that Rose?"

"I just get these feelings Alec, like if he's watching TV that he's got one eye on me if I'm not paying much interest."

"That may be just you Rose," Alec smiled. "So do you go to your room then?"

"Yeah. Last night my mum came in and my heart pounded 'cos I thought it was him. What do I do about it Alec?"

"Speak to my dad or I can get John to meet us somewhere?"

"I don't know about that? John tricked me yesterday, remember?"

"Yes, I know Rose. You need someone to talk to though."

"I know, I've got you," Rose replied, wondering why no-one was taking any notice of them. "I'm keeping you from your other friends though."

"Forget them Rose, they'll get used to it. Why don't we both go over and talk to them?" he suggested.

"After the bus ride this morning?" Rose asked. "I think it'll take a while."

"Well we sometimes get together on Saturdays, can you get out?"

"Yeah but I was thinking of going into town this Saturday and visit the big library, the history teacher got me with the subject this morning, we didn't learn much of Scottish history at my old school."

"I can't imagine why," Alec teased her.

Rose nudged his elbow and they both started laughing.

"Just look at those two over there," Billy was pointing out.

"Don't make me look," Jamie told him, making the others laugh.

"Are you going to do something about it?" one of the others asked him.

"Yeah, ignore him the next time he calls for me and she's with him," Jamie replied.

"We've not let you off the hook yet for not telling us Alec gave you a choice last night," Billy reminded him.

"Would you have gone with them?" Jamie asked him. "Thought not. Even if he calls on Saturday on his own, I still might not bother."

"Well what else do you have to spend your time on?" Billy wanted to know. "Watch out, here come Kristy and Moira."

"Hey you lot, wanna let us join you?" Moira asked. "We could join forces and show that new English girl who's in charge around here."

"We don't need your help Moira," Billy hissed at her. "You two have no chance now, have they?" he asked the others, who began shaking their heads.

"That new girl has a lot to answer to," Moira huffed as they walked away and seeing Rose and Alec laughing about something.

"We have to do something then," Kristy agreed, forgetting she was annoyed Moira had taken over.

"I'm open to suggestions," Moira replied as everyone began making their way to the entrance.

It seemed everyone was still determined to keep Rose and Alec sat together during the afternoon lessons until the final bell went and they called at their lockers.

"Matching lockers as well?" Jamie teased Alec.

"Stop if Jamie, what's wrong with you?" Alec wanted to know.

Rose stopped as she was putting her blazer on.

"What do ya want Jamie?" she asked him.

"My friend back," Jamie replied as he walked off.

"Forget it Rose, he'll soon come round. Let's get to the bus early tonight?" Alec suggested.

They were about to leave when John caught up with them.

"Don't need rescuing tonight then?" he grinned.

Rose thought he was in the habit of catching them, did he want everyone to know who he was?

"No Sir, thanks though," Rose replied.

"That's okay Rose, maybe it wasn't so bad starting to talk after all?" he asked.

Rose thought that was his fault. She had been happy to stay as she was a bit longer.

They got back to Alec's house, getting off at the next stop but Jamie just continued to ignore them.

"I'm going to call round later and see if he will talk to me," Alec told Rose as he let them in.

Rose agreed he should and they set about their homework.

"What you were saying, about the history subject. I can tell you most of it," Alec told her.

"It gives me an excuse not to spend time with Bob, thanks though."

"I thought you were going shopping with your mum?"

"Yeah but he'll be there and I don't know if he'll go off on his own or not," Rose replied.

"Why don't I call John and get him to come round?" Alec suggested.

Rose shook her head, Alec wondering why she was so against it. After accepting a sandwich again, Rose and Alec went in the opposite direction to the park and wandered down to the river.

"Tell me what else bothers you?" Alec asked her.

"How long have ya got?" Rose joked.

"I know you don't want to be here Rose but you are, there's nothing you can do about it but try and make it better. My dad can help, he'll tell you how to feel safe, talk to him."

"Okay but not tonight, maybe tomorrow?"

"Then can I tell him?" he asked. "I told him you don't like being in on your own."

"Yeah, then he'll tell me to just put up with it."

"No he won't Rose, give him a chance? He helped me when my mum died. Did I tell you about our last holiday, before we knew there was something wrong with her?"

"No. I've never really had a holiday, except in one of mum's friend's caravans in Southend. I thought the thing was gonna tipple over, the floor moved every time we moved around."

Alec had to smile.

"We went all the way down to the south coast on the train, it took hours. We stayed in a caravan on a cliff top for a week though it was late when we got there. We had a long walk down this narrow lane to get to the camp site, then so we didn't have to climb back up it every day, we walked along a path and down onto the beach. Mum and dad were arguing about it because she thought the camp was right on the harbour but that was another one."

"Was it okay though, apart from that?" Rose asked as they threw pebbles in the water.

"It was okay, there wasn't a lot to do though. What was Southend like?"

"Busy and loads of seagulls trying to steal your food."

Alec let out a laugh and Rose nudged him. He thought she was making a habit of that. They walked back to where Rose was living, Alec being careful to walk off before her mother got home.

"She'll want to meet ya," Rose warned him before he left. "Stay around a bit longer?"

"I have to go see if Jamie will talk to me," he replied.

"I'm sure he will Alec, it's just me that puts him off," Rose told him.

"It would have happened no matter whoever it had been I made friends with. Promise not to laugh?" he asked her. Rose nodded. "Jamie's brother has a girlfriend and Jamie said he'd never get one in a million years but Connor said it happens to all boys eventually."

"Yeah but it happens to girls as well. Did I tell ya Mickey from the garage was gonna ask me out when I was old enough?"

"I think you did Rose. I think you said the same as Jamie."

Rose started laughing.

"Yeah, I think I may have done? See ya tomorrow and I hope Jamie talks to you."

Alec had just left but Rose's mother saw him leaving the driveway from a distance and asked Rose, who had got upstairs a few minutes earlier having stayed out a bit longer.

"Was a boy just leaving?" she asked Rose.

"Yeah, Alec walked back with me Mum, I told ya about him. Did ya ask Bob about that lock on my door?"

"He said he'll think about it. What do ya think's gonna happen?" she asked Rose, not wanting to say she'd covered for her last night.

"I told ya Mum, I don't want any of his friends wandering in, do I? What if I'm out and they decide to use it for more than putting their coats on my bed?"

"Rose, don't ask such questions. Bob trusts them enough to invite them so should you. I'll ask him if he's decided, it's up to him."

Rose thought that was all she was going to get.

Alec had gone back to Jamie's but his mother had gone to the door to say he was in his room and didn't want to go out.

"Have you fallen out?" she asked Alec.

"We may have done Mrs Stevens, Jamie's a bit mad with me because I made a new friend."

"Don't worry about it Alec but why doesn't Jamie also want to be friends?"

"He just doesn't," Alec replied, not wanting to say because it was a girl.

"Oh, it's not that girl you kept seeing in the library?" she asked him. "Jamie mentioned it to his brother. Does she go to your school?"

"Yes, she just moved here but Jamie was okay until I stuck up for her the first day. Now he hardly talks to me."

"I'm sure he will get over it Alec. Maybe he's a little jealous?"

"He wanted me to go over and talk to her in the library," Alec admitted.

Then it hit him, Jamie had wanted him to go talk to Rose because he was afraid to and was annoyed it had worked. Was this what it was like, to be interested in girls? If it was, Jamie would never come round now, since his older brother Connor had a girlfriend and Jamie had been denying he wanted anything to do with girls and his slightly older brother Alan always teased him.

So that's what it had all been about, the nudging Rose was giving him, the hints Jamie had been dropping in the library to go talk to Rose and then Rose not objecting to him helping her the first few days of the new term? Then there was John teasing him and trying to give him advice. They were only thirteen, weren't they too young to be thinking in the terms of boyfriends and girlfriends?

Rose had told him of someone who had she stayed in London was going to ask her out and now, she wasn't shy towards him, just everyone else. Had he just begun thinking of Rose as a future girlfriend? Well John had seemed to think so, it was a good thing Peter wasn't around then. If he'd had time he would have called to see John so it would have to wait until he and his dad went round on Sunday but could he admit to his older cousin that he'd been right?

Bob had got home and as usual paid compliments to what he thought was Jackie's cooking but Rose thought he already knew it wasn't.

"So Rose, your mum thinks I should agree to put a lock on your room door? Any reason?" he asked her, Rose thinking this was it.

"Well yeah, I'm old enough to be on my own, mum got a friend to put me a catch on my old room door," Rose replied, since her mother had admitted she'd had to cover the fact to Bob why one should be fitted.

"Well I will consider it one weekend but don't you trust us?"

Rose trusted Mickey more than her mother's boyfriend.

"Well like I told my mum, what if you have friends over? Can't I have one just for that reason?" she asked, hoping he'd go for it.

"Rose, what kind of friends do you think I have?"

Rose wanted to say the type who would either be nosy or want to use her room for something else and worst still while she was in it.

"I've not met many of them but they know I'm here," Rose replied.

"Bob, Rose just wants to feel safe when your friends have had a few drinks, ain't that right Rose?" her mother finally stuck up for her.

"Yeah, like my mum said, they might think my room is the bathroom," Rose replied, hoping that would work.

"Well I'm not planning on any of them coming round and drinking just yet," Bob told her. "I'll consider it, if I am inviting anyone around."

Rose knew that was all she was going to get out of him and just hoped he'd keep his promise. She went off to her room, thinking of jamming a chair under the handle just to prove a point and got one of her books out from the library. She'd not asked for a ride into town yet, maybe Bob would be annoyed enough to tell her to go to the local library but Alec and his friends may be there.

Why had Jamie got so hostile the last few days when she seen him nudge Alec from the other side of the library? Another question was though why had she told Alec twice that Mickey had been going to ask her out when she was old enough? Yeah, that was a great idea, she told herself.

"Jackie, you should talk to Rose," Bob was telling her.

"I've tried Bob but she's growing up. She'll soon be old enough to agree to what we talked about, ya said we'd wait."

"Yes Jackie but now you are asking me to put it off again and put a lock on her door? You are going to have to be very persuasive then I may consider the lock on her door but only a catch, she will have to be satisfied with that, if she had one before?"

"Yeah, whatever you say Bob. She grew up without a dad, she needs someone to guide her, I know that."

"Then I'm glad you agree Jackie. A lot of girls her age are not as shy, she seems reluctant to bring her friends home."

Jackie nodded, not wanting to say Rose had a friend who was a boy called Alec, whom she'd seen the back of as he'd neared the corner of the street. Maybe she shouldn't stand talking on her way out and catch him before he left? She already knew had they stayed where they were that Mickey would have made a play for Rose when she got older. Was what Bob wanted for her any different, to want to take responsibility for her? She thought he had good intentions towards her daughter, when she started 'dating' to have some rules that she herself wouldn't be able to impose and Rose needed that.

Then there was the fact Bob was already paying attention to Rose, unlike some of the men she had dated on their old estate. Yes, Rose definitely needed someone like Bob to set her straight for when she got older but him objecting they put it off until Rose was fifteen instead of next year was a bit unusual though. Then now, there was a new friend Rose had made, would that spoil things?

Thursday seemed to pass quickly for Rose, who had tried to tell Alec she didn't mind if he spent the breaks with his old friends but by Friday, they weren't even trying to get him to join them, unlike a few lunchtimes ago. They were sat on their bench when John joined them.

"Okay you two?" he asked them both, since Moira and Kristy had been lurking around.

Alec just nodded.

"Yes, thanks."

"Why don't I give you two a ride home tonight? It seems daft you going on the bus when I can drop you off."

"That's not a good idea," Alec replied, hoping no-one was paying any attention. "We'd be missed on the bus."

"Yeah, Alec's right, even though we get ignored," Rose agreed.

"Then all the more reason for not using it. You could always pretend to miss it," John suggested. "Think about it. Rose, anything you want to talk to me about? Alec said you had a bit of a problem at home."

Alec had told her earlier that he'd talked to his dad and he'd suggested Rose may confide more in John than himself. When Rose had gone home the night before, Alec had mentioned it to him.

"I know she's having a hard time Alec," his dad had told him. "Why don't you talk to John? He knows how she is at school, he sees more of her than I do. Any news on Jamie making up with you?"

"No Dad, he's not really talking to me but I think I know why. His mum thinks he's jealous and that getting me to talk to Rose in the library was really an excuse he wanted to. How can I explain it to him?"

His dad got up and sat on the sofa with Alec.

"Do you really need it explaining Alec? Unless you stop being friends with Rose and back off and let Jamie try to make friends with her, he's still going to be like that. You said his brother had a girlfriend?" Alec nodded. "Well it seems Jamie intended you to talk to Rose and then he got to know her when you backed off because you weren't interested in girls."

"Neither was Jamie, so he said," Alec replied.

"It seems the green-eyed monster has taken hold of him Alec. While you are friends with Rose, it will keep rearing its ugly head. Only you can decide, backing away from Rose may do the trick but it may affect her as well, if Jamie has been hostile towards her? What I'm trying to say Alec is that like it or not, Rose may consider you more favourably than Jamie and he's still not going to like it if she won't have anything to do with him, you can't win Alec, there's no easy answer."

Alec thought he already knew that. Even if he spent less time with Rose, the damage had been done. He'd taken Rose away from Jamie's grasp, despite his protest about girls and making it out he'd wanted him to go talk to Rose in the first place, then Jamie would have wormed his way in so why wasn't that the case?

Then he started to get it Jamie didn't want to share Rose, he wanted her to himself but there was no way he was going to let that happen. Maybe they weren't too young to fall out over a girl after all, it seemed they had already done so but what would Rose think about it?