Plans

Bob had waited for Rose to leave.

"We have to talk about this Jackie."

"Yeah, I know Bob but I've hardly seen this boy she's on about. I had no idea."

"So she never talked about him to ya? I find that hard to believe Jackie. This is not going to spoil my plans, so don't think it will."

"Yeah, I know that Bob but keeping Rose in at weekends will make her more determined to get ya to change ya mind. Why not let her out for an hour or two?"

"I told you, I'll think about it. She has to understand the importance of family. You know what my plans are, don't you?"

Jackie did know what his plans were. She had nothing to go by, her friends back home not being prime examples as most of them were the same as her, a single mother. She had to go by what Bob thought best, Rose needed someone to set her straight. Still, would Rose having a boy for a friend really spoil Bob's plans for them being a family?

Rose was disappointed the next day, offering to go get something extra for tea but not being allowed. Her mother had tried to argue what harm it would do but it got Rose nowhere. Alec set off, John saying he hoped Rose would turn up but he was back after waiting for her and getting some funny looks.

"Never mind Alec, I'm sure she'd have been there," John tried to console his younger cousin.

"Yeah, she would have been. Maybe next week?"

"Alec, have you thought of just going and calling for her? You can only be told no when you use the intercom. Go back and see, it's not too late."

"Well maybe after tea, before we go home then?" Alec replied.

So as Rose was clearing up later, annoyed her plan to meet Alec hadn't worked, she jumped as the intercom went. Had Alec dared to come round and see why she'd not turned up earlier or was it one of Bob's annoying friends? She'd not met many of them, except when they were out they'd sat outside a pub with a few of them during the summer and some of them had worse accents than Bob had.

"I'll go see who it is," Jackie offered, wondering if Rose's friend had got up the nerve to call for her.

"No matter, I'll go," Bob insisted.

He pressed the answer button asking who it was.

"It's a friend of Rose," Alec replied, thinking no-one was going to answer and he was about to leave.

"Rose is not coming out today, I'll tell her you called," Bob replied.

"Can I talk to her?" Alec asked hopefully.

"This is not a telephone young man. If you call back next Sunday, I may let you in and you can introduce yourself."

Alec supposed he had to make do with that, it wasn't like the man knew he and Rose saw each other all week. Rose had heard and tried to hide her disappointment. Her mother went into the kitchen and put her hand on Rose's shoulder.

"Rose, I can't keep covering for ya."

"Yeah, I know Mum. I wanted to slip out and meet Alec, he must've realized and decided to come round. Do ya think Bob will let him in next week?"

"Your guess is as good as mine," her mother replied.

Rose could only hope so and now she had to say sorry to Alec that Bob wouldn't let her out or him come inside. Alec went back to his aunt's house, John letting him in.

"No luck?" he asked Alec. "Never mind, you'll see her tomorrow. I noticed the other day she slyly slipped her arm in yours. What I don't get is why no-one else noticed."

Alec shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe because you were looking for it?" Alec grinned.

"Your friends weren't? After they saw you on the riverbank that time?"

Alec would rather not remember that.

"Maybe they got used to seeing us?"

"You mean like Jamie? You'd best hope so."

John was right the next day. Alec called for Rose as usual, she grabbed his arm before her mother could protest.

"Hey, I'm really sorry about yesterday. What did Bob say to you?"

"To call for you next Sunday and introduce myself. What did he think I was trying to do yesterday?" Alec complained, hoping Rose would rub his arm in sympathy.

He knew he was getting to like it too much. When they got dropped off at Alec's house, Rose told him they'd best not go to her place too early. She had told him why she couldn't get out and he'd told her not to worry. She was though. By the time Friday came around, Alec had said he would call around three and hope Bob would let him in.

So Rose had suffered shopping on Saturday, still having to follow her mother and Bob into the pub and Rose being surprised she was allowed in but other younger children were in a corner room. One man she hated the most decided to talk to her.

"So, how old are you now Rose?" the man known as Angus asked her.

"She's thirteen now, aren't ya Rose?" her mother answered for her.

"She looks older," Angus replied.

Rose thought he could keep his opinions to himself. She was looking forward to Alec calling around the next day and hoped Bob would let him in. Bob though had something to say to Jackie when they got back.

"Why did your mate ask my Rose's age?" Jackie asked when Rose went to her room on their return.

"Just interested, they have kids of their own," Bob tried to explain.

Jackie had no reason to think otherwise.

"So, have you seen this boy again?" Bob asked her.

"He waits for Rose sometimes, he doesn't live far away, so she said," Jackie replied.

"Maybe I should have a few words with him, if he bothers to call for her tomorrow?" Bob replied.

"What sort of words?" Jackie wanted to know, hoping the boy wouldn't admit he'd been there most nights when she herself had got home and she'd left them to it.

Why would he though? More importantly, why were they wanting to meet on Sundays all of a sudden when they saw each other all week? Rose had shown no interest in boys before she'd met this one, had she? Well maybe except tormenting poor Mickey on her way home from school every night before they'd moved.

"Come on Jackie, you know what words?" Bob reminded her. "She's that age now, taking an interest in boys and I'm sure the one who called for her knows that? I told you, I'll not have my plans spoiled."

"I'm sure they won't spoil them," Jackie replied, wishing she understood what they actually were, since he'd been a bit on the vague side about them.

She'd agreed that Rose would do as he said and what he said was final, after he'd persuaded her Rose needed a father figure in her life after so long. He'd tried to tell her Rose would benefit by it when she got older but had insisted that she didn't interfere, if she trusted him. Jackie had been somewhat out of her depth and had said before she'd moved herself and Rose to live with him that she did trust him.

After all, who on the estate would be willing to take them on like Bob had come along and done? Certainly not Howard or one of the other men she used the frequent the local pubs with when Rose had a sleepover at Shareen's or some other friend for the night.

"So are ya gonna let this boy in tomorrow then?" Jackie asked him.

"If he calls but Rose stays away while I talk to him," Bob replied, going to put the remainder of the football on the TV.

Rose was in her room, hoping if Alec did actually call back tomorrow, he wouldn't blurt out he was there most evenings as her mother got home. How Bob would react to that, she had no idea. Why did it have to be such a secret though? What was Bob planning, keeping her in at weekends apart from when they went out, which was never on a Sunday, for some reason, even during the summer.

She had always thought it was her mother who had imposed her restrictions but she was already doubting that. Why did Bob have to come along and her mother drag them all the way up to Scotland? The only good thing to come out of it was meeting Alec. Now, if Bob didn't like him after they finally met, Alec could easily go off her and stay away even at school and she hated the thought of it.

Surely he wouldn't let Bob put him off though, not after so long? They would just continue as they were and have to accept Bob's reluctance of changing his mind to allow her out but surely after her next birthday, she'd be old enough to get out of it? That though depended entirely what plans Bob had long term and if her mother agreed with them. She wished now her mother had more influence though, why was she giving in to Bob's wishes? Had her mother thought she'd gone too easy on her when they'd been on their own?

The next day, Rose was nervous if Alec did actually call and see Bob. They'd talked about it on the Friday afternoon and Alec had told her not to worry.

"I won't let him put me off," he'd tried to assure her.

"Ya say that now," Rose teased him as they sat at his kitchen table before his dad had got home.

"I told my dad, he said just be myself and be polite," Alec had told her. "I'll be ready to read my new story on Monday."

"Great, I can't wait to see what happens," Rose had cheered up.

So now, Alec was nervous about two things and he didn't know which was worse – Rose not liking his new story which he'd altered so many times or meeting the man who thought Rose staying in at weekends was more important than her going out.

His dad had asked him on the way to his aunts how he felt about it.

"So are you nervous?" Alec was asked.

"I don't know, I should be. I just hope Rose's mother doesn't tell him I've been there most nights when she's come home, it wouldn't look good. Rose said her mother told him she's not seen that much of me."

"Well if it's only for five minutes, I suppose that's true?" his dad asked as they approached his aunt's house. "Just answer any questions he asks and just say you see each other at school. You don't want to get her into trouble if she's been saying she spends her time with someone else. That's up to her though."

"She only says that because she didn't want to get into trouble Dad," Alec reminded him.

"I know Alec, I know it's awkward for her and I can understand why she does it. It's just a shame she's had to."

Rose had done most of the Sunday lunch, her mother fussing around making a show of doing something, as usual and Bob saying it all smelled good then saying it tasted good as they ate. Rose had got to the stage where she knew her mother was never going to admit she couldn't cook anything fancy to save her life, even if it was only putting a joint of meat or a chicken in the oven and it not coming out like a burnt offering.

"So are ya learning from ya mother how to cook properly?" Bob asked her.

"She's eager to learn, aren't ya Rose?" her mother answered for her.

"Yeah, dead keen," Rose tried to sound enthusiastically.

"Well that's how it should be on Sundays, never mind going off with your mates. So is this boy, what's his name calling to see me?" Bob asked her.

Rose hoped so, if Alec hadn't gone completely off the idea or John hadn't told him he was wasting his time.

"His name's Alec," Rose corrected him, gathering the plates. "He lives with just his dad, his mum died a few months ago. I know how he feels, that's why we get on."

"Well you're not just with your mum now, are you?" Bob had to remind her. "You have me now and I have to make sure this Alec is a suitable friend. So what about this Sandra you say you spend time with?"

Rose was wishing she'd never dragged Sandra into it now but she couldn't have said it was Alec, not at first.

"Actually, I think she's got a new friend," Rose tried to bluff.

"Why's that then?" her mother had to go asking her.

Rose sometimes wished her mother would keep up with the fact she was covering Alec was her real friend, not Sandra. Maybe things had got too complicated for her, Mickey had tried in vain to show her how to work the video recorder and failed.

"I don't really know Mum," Rose tried to get out of it. "She never said but the last few nights, she seemed a bit off. If she has a new friend, I don't know what I'm gonna do, who else do I have to talk to about girl things?"

"Your mother," Bob replied, going to finish reading his Sunday paper that Rose thought he took all day about so why did she have to be there while he did?

Rose was already talking to Sandra at school, especially over personal things she didn't think she could talk to her mother about except the bare essentials and getting some extra money from her the last few months after getting her to go to the shop with her the first time while Bob was in the pub. Alec had been wondering what was wrong with her for a few days, until he'd confided in his aunt he was worried about Rose and his aunt had tried to explain to him it was what teenage girls went through and he'd better get used to it.

Luckily, the last time, he'd not thought she was being grumpy with him when she'd not wanted to do anything but sit and listen to some music the week before but he'd never said anything to her about it. It was a big change for both of them.

Rose went off to the kitchen, at least this week she didn't have to think of a reason to sneak out but she was getting worried Alec would back out, especially when she'd sprung it on him on Monday evening she was feel a bit 'off' again and not really wanted to do much. Even at school, she'd been excused from gym class, along with one or two other girls who like her, were only just getting used to the fact it was going to be a regular occurrence.

After his lunch, Alec was counting how long it was before he dared go call the intercom to Rose's apartment and get a gruff voice asking what he wanted again. Rose had giggled a bit to him when they'd got to school the next morning but when she'd felt some pain later, he'd just assumed she'd be worried he wouldn't try again the next Sunday.

He had thought about it but sooner or later, he had to face up to it if he wanted Rose to be his friend outside school even if she was going to be grumpy with him every few weeks. That was why he had been determined to get his latest story finished for her. John saw him watching the clock in the kitchen.

"Nearly time to go then?" John asked him.

"Yeah. John, you know about girls, right?"

"Ah, well, that depends. Boys and men can't always work them out you know," John laughed. "Is this about Rose being a bit off?" Alec nodded. "Face it Alec, you'd really better get used to it, it won't get any better."

Alec had no reason to doubt what his cousin was telling him so maybe next time, he'd try to be more sympathetic towards her and hope she didn't keep hitting his arm all the time, well unless she rubbed it afterwards. Then he didn't mind as much. Just after three, he set off, John wishing him good luck. He walked the short distance and got up the courage to call Rose's number on the intercom.

Rose jumped when she heard it and thought maybe Alec hadn't backed out after all. It was doubtful it would be any of Bob's friends at this time and her mother hardly had any, unlike back in London. Bob got up to answer it. He told Alec to come up and answered the door when Alec rang the separate doorbell.

"So, you're a friend of Rose?" Bob asked him, Alec wishing he'd been wearing something else instead of his jeans and jumper.

"Yes Sir," Alec spoke up, not sure what to call the man, since Rose had never mentioned his surname.

"Well you had better come in then."

Twenty minutes later, Alec was about to leave.

"So can I call for Rose next Sunday?" Alec asked hopefully.

"Will you be taking her to your aunt's house?" Bob asked him, since Alec had explained that was where he and his dad went on Sunday.

"My aunt invited her for tea. I'll make sure I walk her back home."

"You do that then but make sure she's back by six. Do you just see each other at school normally?" Bob then asked him.

What could he reply with, Alec wondered.

"We come home together and I walk her back sometimes," Alec replied, trying to stick to near the truth, omitting the part she spent time at his house and until recently, the riverbank and the park.

"Well if you walk her back, she's not allowed to let you in unless her mother is here, understand?" Bob asked him.

Alec just nodded. "My aunt invited her today, if she can go out?"

"Make sure she's back on time then. Jackie, call Rose and tell her she can go out but she's to be back by six."

All that time, Alec thought it had been Rose's mother insisting she never went out. Now he knew that wasn't the case. As Rose came out of her room, she had to resist greeting Alec until they got outside but once they were away from the building, Rose took his hand.

"Thanks for rescuing me."

"He's something else Rose," Alec had to admit. "How does your mother put up with him?"

"I've got no idea. Does your aunt know I'm coming round today?"

"Not really but she won't mind. Rose, I know why you were a bit off earlier in the week, my aunt sort of explained it to me. I thought it was just that once, a few weeks ago."

"Geez Alec, I wish it was, you think us girls actually enjoy it?" Rose teased him.

"How am I supposed to know?" Alec replied, thinking she was being serious, until she nudged him.

"So, all this time, you thought it was my mum keeping me in?" Rose asked him as they walked along.

"So did you," Alec reminded her. "You were right, he is a bit creepy."

"Tell me about it," Rose replied. "So are his mates and I'm dreading it when it gets to the party season they'll all be coming around. One even asked how old I was yesterday. I heard mum and Bob saying something about his plans, what the hell does that even mean?"

Alec didn't think he wanted to know. Whatever these plans were, he didn't think they were going to be good, well not for Rose anyway. Now he was getting even more worried and would have to talk to his dad or John again, they were just as concerned about Rose as he was. They walked arm in arm and Alec just hoped if Jamie was around, he'd see that despite them falling out, Rose wasn't interested in him. Was this what it was always going to be like?

Rose was made welcome again, thankful now she didn't have to say she was going to Sandra's house any more and hoped Bob would drop the subject. She was back on time, Alec walking with her and he asked if she was okay.

"Why are you worried about Bob's friends?" Alec wanted to know.

"Just the way they are, maybe it's just me?"

Alec was beginning to wonder if it was her or not. Maybe it wasn't?