Making more of it
Alec looked at his older and obviously wiser than he'd thought cousin. Why had John been hiding the fact he'd become a teacher and why decide now to put it into practice? It seemed though that John was the one to go to for advice about girls, since until he'd met Rose he didn't want anything to do with them and he didn't even have Jamie to talk to.
"Well?" John reminded him. "Do you want her to stop or not? If you do, you'll have to do it tactfully or she may fall out with you and go on to someone else."
"Well it's not going to be Jamie," Alec insisted, feeling uncomfortable all of a sudden.
He heard the room door opening and his aunt came in, probably to make some tea during a programme break.
"Hello Alec. How are things with you? Are you still expecting Rose to call round on Sunday? If so, we'll have lunch a bit earlier then she can have a bit of afternoon tea with us. Your uncle and I are looking forward to meeting her now."
That was something Alec was dreading. He'd met Rose's mother, at her insistence and had narrowly escaped after Rose had made him follow her earlier. John was looking at him with a grin on his face.
"Oh, no need to worry Mum, I'm sure Alec can't wait to introduce her to us, can you Cous?"
Alec wished his older cousin would stop teasing him about being friends with Rose but didn't really expect him to ease up.
"Yes, I hope she'll be able to come and see you Auntie Mary. Her mum's getting a bit strict though, Rose is going to try to talk to her."
"Well what else has she to do after school and weekends?" his aunt asked as she made some cups of tea.
John wanted to say the both of them sitting by the river but managed to stop himself.
"I think she wants Rose to stay in. The thing is though that Rose doesn't like staying in, her mother's boyfriend is a bit funny with her."
"Well I expect he's just trying to be a father to her? If Rose was brought up by her mother, it will be hard for her at first I expect?"
"Mum, Rose is really having trouble at home, isn't she Alec?" John asked him. "She was very shy at first but she feels more comfortable when she's out."
"Is that so?" John's mother asked him. "Time you should be going home Alec."
"Come on, I'll walk you home," John insisted, so they could continue their conversation.
"I'm fine John," Alec insisted, knowing what John was up to.
"We didn't finish," John reminded him with a grin.
Alec knew he wasn't going to get out of it. John would surely continue some other time. Alec followed his cousin out and they walked to the end of the street.
"Alec, there's no easy way out you know?" John asked him. "Rose is showing all the classic signs she wants to only be your friend and no-one else's. Is that what you want? Do you want her to be friends with anyone else?"
"I don't know John, I've never had a friend like Rose before, have I? Does she want to be my girlfriend then?"
John let out a laugh as they crossed the road.
"I think it's heading that way Alec. Sorry but all the signs are there and you can both ignore them for the time being but they won't go away until you both do something about it. Want my advice?"
Alec nodded, since he didn't have much choice.
"Just ask her what she wants but try to convince her to maybe wait a while? You're both only just turned thirteen yet, just be friends for now and you'll both know when the time is right, maybe when you're both approaching fourteen?"
"Yeah? Maybe, if Rose says anything but should I say anything to her?" Alec wanted to know as they reached the end of his street.
"Oh, I don't think so Alec, Rose will make it clear all by herself but be careful you don't scare her off, yeah? What's happening at home with her?" John asked, sounding concerned.
"It's her mother's boyfriend, Rose is really scared of him. She got dragged up here John, she didn't want to move. She managed to get him to agree to putting a lock on her room door, her mother told him she had one at their old flat. I get scared for her sometimes."
They had reached Alec's house and John patted his cousin's shoulder.
"Have you talked to your dad about her?"
Alec nodded. "Yes, I think he's also worried about her. John, what if something bad happens to her though?"
"You may be worrying over nothing Alec. If she says anything to you, you should tell me or your dad, we can help her but only if we know about it. What has she said exactly?"
"I can't say John, I promised her but I'll talk to her. So what should I do the next time she wants me to help her up or hits my leg in fun?"
John let out a laugh. "Really Alec? Help her up and if she nudges you, nudge her back. How are you both going to manage all next week eh? Have you been to her place yet?"
"Yes, earlier, she got me to go back with her. She wanted to dance."
John almost spluttered. "Alec, Alec, Alec. You just don't get it, do you? If I were you, I'd start paying more attention to her."
"I already do but she'd never suggested dancing before, maybe because she doesn't like my music?"
"Then let her bring some of her music round eh? Are you still reading her your stories?"
"We're leaving it until we go out but we won't be able to soon, when it starts getting dark early. I'm going to ask my dad if she can go up to my room for a while, he said before about it."
"Well I expect he can trust the both of you? Really Alec, don't push her into anything, just suggest it eh? Then see how she takes it. What about going to her place?"
"I just got out before her mother got back," Alec had to admit.
John had to laugh at the thought.
"I thought you'd met her mother?" he asked.
"Well yes but only to introduce myself and Rose said I didn't have to wait, if I didn't want to."
"Well next time, don't be in such a hurry to leave eh? Let her mother know you're not trying to hide from her. Maybe then, she won't stop Rose going out at weekends? Did Rose say anything to you?"
Alec shook his head. "No but Rose thinks her mother will ban her seeing me at weekends. I bet it's not her mother, it's him."
"Maybe so, if he wants to lay down the law? Just be on her side Alec, that's all you can so, she needs you to be her friend even more now and don't worry, you'll know when things change."
"Thanks John. So do I carry on letting her get me to help her up and whack my leg?" Alec smiled.
"Oh yes Alec, you just keep doing that and maybe give her one back eh?" John replied.
Alec let out a nervous laugh, as if Rose would let him get away with it?
"Thanks John, see you tomorrow?" he said instead.
"No problemo Cous, see you tomorrow. Look, why don't you wait at the end of my street and get a ride in?"
"We already get talked about for not getting the bus home, thanks anyway."
"I probably follow the bus you know?" John reminded him. "Does Jamie still talk about the two of you?"
"We try not to listen to him. The thing is though, he'd think we were ignoring him even more if we didn't get the bus every morning."
"Alec, face it mate, Jamie's not going to come round that easily, he's in denial that he's jealous of your friendship with Rose. I'd say right now, it may teach him that you're not playing his game. Every morning, you and Rose sit near him and every morning, you're both a reminder to him. Maybe not seeing you will make him realise you're not going to play along? I'll watch out for you in the morning then? See what Rose thinks?"
"Okay, I'll ask her when I call for her," Alec replied. "Thanks John."
"See you tomorrow and don't worry so much about her eh? I'm sure Rose's mother won't let anything happen to her."
"I hope not but it doesn't make it right Rose has to live like that."
"I know Alec, she's very lucky to have you as her friend. Jamie may not be so understanding and Rose may not realise."
"You mean, never mind," Alec stopped.
"Don't worry mate, she won't even think of Jamie being her friend, the way he's acting," John tried to assure him. "Are you going to let us in?"
"Yeah, sorry. Don't tell my dad you think Rose might want to be my girlfriend," Alec grinned as he put his key in the door.
"Aw don't worry little Cous, that's up to you to tell him, not me," John joked.
Alec's dad looked up when they went into the living room.
"Hello John. So that's where you got to Alec?"
"Sorry Dad, I wanted to ask John something. I think I'll go catch up with my new story."
John had to smile as his younger cousin went off. Rose had obviously taken over a big part of Alec's life to the point that his stories were no longer more important than anything else, especially since his mother had died. He thought Alec had sought some kind of comfort in them, an escape from dealing with his mother no longer being there when he got home from school.
He was glad though that he'd taken up his teaching studies again, at least Alec had two friends at school now. He was sure now Rose had come out of her shell, she would defend him against one and all. No-one now bothered about Moira and Kristy, they had faded into the background and Kristy wasn't bothering that much. Rose was the one to be seen talking to, when she wasn't sat on the bench or the grass with Alec.
"So John, anything to tell me about Alec?" his uncle asked him.
"No Sir, I'll leave that to him, he'll tell you, when he's ready. I'm just glad I could get a job at his school but Rose seems to have cheered him up. Only a few months ago, he didn't seem to be coping very well over his mother's loss."
"I know John and I was worried about him but I'm less worried now you're back in the picture, he looks up to you. As for Rose, I know he's now worried about her, at home but I don't know how he's dealing with it but knowing him, if he was bottling it up, he'll maybe talk to you or Rose about it. She's a very nice girl and once it's dark early and they can't go far, well there will have to be a few rules imposed."
"I know, I remember them well," John laughed. "Can't say about my brother though, maybe that's why he never comes home?"
"Have you not heard from him?"
"Not recently unless he phones mum. Right, best be off, see you both on Sunday and I hope Rose will be able to join us, Alec said something earlier. I think her mother's objecting to Rose spending all her time with Alec. I joked with him earlier he'd better watch out."
"Yes, I think he'd better," his uncle agreed. "That's what the rules will be about but I did warn him the first time Rose was here when I got home. Still, they're a bit young to be worrying about that yet."
"We'd best hope so," John had to agree.
The next morning, Alec suggested to Rose they walked to the corner of John's street and get a ride in and Rose had to agree.
"Yeah, I'm getting a bit tired of Jamie staring at our backs. Won't it make him worse though?"
"I don't think so Rose, John thinks it will stop Jamie thinking we are playing his game."
"Well I hope so. I thought we only just got away with sneaking into your cousin's car on the way home," Rose joked.
John stopped to let them in, Alec going in the front and making John smile.
"So Rose, how's things at home?" John asked her.
"About the same. Mum's trying to stop me going out at weekends except shopping with them but I think it's Bob's idea. I'm old enough now to decide what I want to do with my spare time."
"Yes you are Rose," John had to agree. "Maybe there's a reason for it though?"
"Yeah, as if I don't think Bob's creepy enough, she's tryin' to make me spend time with him at weekends. I can't do it though so I'll have to get mum to try to make him understand I'm not a little kid."
John could already see where this was going and Alec was right to be concerned about her.
"Rose, you can talk to me just as you can to Alec, you know that, right?" John asked her as they neared the school and seeing all the buses. "Right, you two sneak out while everyone's busy."
"Yeah, thanks John. Come on Alec, let's sneak to the shop, I have some spare money now."
"Rose Tyler, are you still getting bus fare from your mother?" John tried to sound shocked.
"Well, I have to get home if you're not there or your car breaks down," Rose defended herself but John saw her smiling.
"That's very sensible Rose. See you both later then?" he called after them as they headed for the shop but not being able to get in right away as the sensible shopkeeper only allowed four pupils in at a time, then only if they were buying.
Rose handed Alec some change.
"Might as well get yourself something for break time," she suggested.
"Rose, I don't need your money today. I can't do the same as you though, I told dad I was getting a ride home because John or my aunt would have said something to him."
"Well I can't tell my mum, she'd go mad. Well no-one seemed to notice us getting out of John's car."
Alec agreed, it had been better than trying to guess if Jamie was complaining to Billy and the others that they were ignoring him but hadn't the others got tired of him by now? How long was his former friend going to hold a grudge? If it was until Rose stopped being friends, Jamie was in for a long wait as Rose grabbed his arm and pulled him inside as two boys came out.
"Well if it's not Alec Hardy?" one of the boys sneered, Rose trying to get past them. "Missing your mum?"
"You oaf, leave him alone," Rose defended him, Alec trying to get past her.
"Need your friend from London to defend you?"
"Shut up Campbell," Alec replied. "You don't want to mess with her, didn't you hear what happened to Moira and Kristy?"
"It's okay Alec, maybe word's not got around to the first years yet?"
"We're not in the first year's," the boy replied as his friends watched.
"Oh, my mistake, you act like you're in the first year," Rose replied, trying not to laugh but his friends were dying to. "Sure you should be out on our own?"
The rest of them did start laughing, getting them a scowl.
"Come on Alec, we don't have time for the wee babies around here," Rose mocked, pushing past the offender.
"Shut up you lot," the boy complained as they all laughed as Alec pulled Rose into the shop as she was about to start again.
Rose went to the counter and got a bar of chocolate for later and Alec got a can of soda, figuring they could share.
"You're asking for trouble with them Rose, they are a year above us," Alec reminded her as they paid for their things.
"So? I've dealt with worse than them before and I'd say I have the advantage."
"What's that?" Alec dared ask as they left the shop but wouldn't have time to sit and talk like they usually did.
"I grew up on a tough London council estate," Rose grinned.
"Well they seem to have gone and even his friends thought it was funny, him being shown up by a girl. Even Moira wouldn't have gone up against anyone older, she liked to pick on the younger ones."
"Well I don't pick on anyone for the fun of it," Rose replied, putting the chocolate in her bag. "I just stand up for myself and my friends Alec, I don't let anyone walk all over me."
"Neither do I Rose and I don't go around making trouble either, I just stuck up for you," Alec replied. "Thanks anyway, no-one else has brought that up about my mum."
"Yeah, well that was low even for a bully, there was no need for that. It was different with me, I never knew my dad and no-one bothered, there were plenty single parent kids at my old school. Did he upset ya?" Alec shook his head. "Good, 'cos it's not worth get upset about, he's a big coward. Is Campbell his first or second name?"
"I don't exactly know Rose, I don't care either, I just remember him when he picked on Jamie once."
"Alec, I'm sorry I came between you and Jamie," Rose apologized, touching his arm as they went inside the school.
"It's okay Rose, if he'd not fallen out with me over you, it would have been someone else and it could have been me falling out with him, if he'd made friends with you or someone else."
Rose had to smile as they walked up the steps.
"So ya'd have got jealous if I'd made friends with Jamie?" Rose laughed.
"I know what you're doing Rose," he whispered, seeing her smile as they took their seats.
After school, Rose suggested they went to her place first and get some records.
"Are you trying to tell me you don't like mine?" Alec wondered as he followed her upstairs. "Anyway, maybe after the holidays, it will be getting dark early, you can leave them in my room, if you want?"
"Yeah, good idea. So I'll just bring a few for now or we won't get our homework done. Maybe your dad will let us go to your room when we have to stay in?"
"My dad was going to talk to me about that but we can still go out for now. I'll have to see what he has to say about it."
Rose already had an idea what that was going to be about, getting warned that his dad wouldn't stand any nonsense once they started staying in and she had figured Bob was trying the same with this not going off at weekends lark, which she was going to defy anyway, one way or another.
On their way to Alec's a bit later than usual, Rose decided not to say anything but Alec brought the subject up.
"So can't you come round any more on Sundays?"
"Bob thinks he's gonna stop me but I'm sure mum will talk him round. He can't force me to stay in but I think he's just trying to lay down the law. Anyway, we have all next week."
"Yes, we do, which is why you need to meet my aunt but we could have gone round one evening," Alec reminded her.
"Yeah but we wouldn't be able to go out then. Alec, the other evening by the river, was someone across the other side?"
"Billy and his mates, don't worry about them."
"They saw ya helping me up and made something out of it?"
"It was nothing Rose, really, they'll get over it."
"They didn't think it was nothing though, did they?" Rose asked him.
"I was only helping you up Rose, no big deal. Come on, we'll have to rush our homework now."
"Well maybe we should start doing it at my place?" she suggested.
"What if your mum or Bob get home early? Are you still using Sandra as an excuse?"
"It's not come up lately," Rose grinned as they reached his house.
Rose had been thinking about him helping her up from the grass and earlier, when they'd shared the chocolate and soda on their afternoon break. No-one had been taking any notice of them but she thought Jamie would have been, it was adding more fuel to the fire. Was she making more of it than Alec was though?
