1895

Alex stood in front of the mirror in the bathroom and stared at her reflection. It was 10 O'clock at night and everyone was out at the theatre. She wasn't feeling too good so they left her behind. Her period had started for the first time last week and now she was noticing changes in her body, her waist was thinning and her breasts were growing, so much so she had to bandage them up so she wouldn't be found out. Which meant only one thing, she had to do what she had been putting off for the last year, leave, which was going to break her heart, she was going to miss everyone but especially Blink, he had been her best friend ever since she arrived and now as she thought about him she felt all warm inside, like she felt something more for him. She walked into the shower cubicle as she hadn't had a shower for a week due to the fact that teenage boys like messing around and any chance that any of them saw, they would kill her. Stripping off she turned the shower on and relaxed for the first time in ages. Suddenly the door swung open and Blink stood there, his jaw dropped and he stood there groping at her. Grabbing her clothes she dressed as fast as she that moment she heard the front door slam and raised voices so she raced though the bedroom, through the window and onto the roof. There she felt safe. She sat down on a bench and stared up at the stars. She would always come up here in the middle of a storm and just sit and watch it with such fascination. Of course all the boys thought she was crazy and couldn't understand that the storm made her feel safe from the world and therefore happy.

"Storm?" Alex jumped and turned to see Blink standing by the ladder.

"Please don't tell them" she begged

"How's are you feelin'?" he asked as he walked over.

"The same. But that don't matter, what you saw back there you have to forget."

"What if I don't want to?" he asked

"you have a good look? Want to have another look?" she demanded as she started to unbutton her shirt.

"NO storm no." he held her hands so that she couldn't undo her shirt.

"are you going to tell them?"

"why would i? your my best friend whether you're a girl or not. There are girl Newsies anyway. You should stay."

"the guys will hate me. What would I be staying for?"

"I will persuade them to forgive you and I want you to stay because you want to, I don't want you to go."

"tough, they will hate me, I need to go." She turned and went down the ladder back into the house.

Storm is a girl that was a big surprise. She was incredibly good looking now that I thought about it, I still had the image of her standing in the cubicle like a deer in headlights naked dripping water. I wanted to hold her in my arms and tell her it would all be fine and never let her go but I know it wouldn't , you see the guys hate liars , no matter what they lied about. Blink got up from the bench and slowly walked back downstairs in a daze. Everyone was asleep so he crept over to his bed and slipped in next to Alex.

"I will protect you." he whispered in her ear. Alex rolled over and curled as close to him as possible. "Just promise me one thing. Don't leave yet. I want to spend time with you as you not as the boy you, your my best friend."

"Ok, but I will have to leave when the others find out." she murmured.

"Wat's ya real name?"

"Alex Cartwright."

"No really."

"Really, I didn't see the point in changing it."

"Oh ok." Blink looked down at her in his arms and he felt his stomach do a back flip. "Don't leave me." he quietly plead.

"I don't want to but I have to, you know how the boys are."

"Yer I do, but I'll protect you."

"I can protect myself ." she muttered slightly annoyed . "I'll stay for a week and tell the guys tomorrow, how about that? We better get some sleep, we have a long day tomorrow." Alex promised, they quickly fell asleep in each others arms.

Alex woke early like normal and headed for the washroom. By the time she had finished Kloppy had woken up everyone else and they were in various stages of awareness.

"I can't do it." she muttered as she pasted Blink. He stopped and span round.

"You don't have to, you still have time, and if I didn't notice and I sleep in the same bed as you then they won't notice for a while." He smiled lopsidedly.

"Fine. I don't think I can tell them, I'll just leave in the night one day and not tell anyone."

"You'll tell me." He said firmly.

"Wat and let ya persuaded me to stay."

"I can't help wanting my best friend to stay can i?"

"OI, you two comin or are you not sellin taday?" Jack called

"We'se comin, cowboy." Blink called back dragging Alex along with him. They wandered down the street towards the distribution centre.

"Blink I need to tell you something." Alex muttered nervously

"wats up?"

"we're good friends right?"

"o'course."

"so nothing I say or do will change that?"

"nope, I will stick with you wat ever ya do."

" ok." She murmured fiddleing with her belt. Blink quickly stopped and span her round so she was facing him.

"Alex?" she looked up at him.

"I love you." She said faintly.