We were all in the living room when Tracy walks in.
"Listen up!" She says. "I've been offered a job in London. As a junior reporter for a newspaper."
"Wow." Carmen says.
"So I'm leaving." Everyones smiles turn into frowns. "Look, I've dreamt of this job ever since I lived here. I'm sorry I can't turn it down. It means to much."
I feel a bubble of anger burst inside of me. She was leaving us.
"So it means more than us? Well thanks for putting us in out place." I spit at her.
"No, I didn't mean it like that."
"Don't beat yourself up, Beaker. You're just one in a long line of care workers. Easy come, easy go." Sapphire says walking out.
"Bye-bye Tracy." Harry says following Sapphire.
"I'm not leaving yet."
"I think this is great. You can write about us and make us all famous." Carmen says with excitement.
How could she be so happy? Tracy is leaving us.
"I don't know about famous, but I would like to write about you. I want you to tell me what it's like to be in care."
"You already know what it's like to be in a care home." Lily states.
"Yeah but.. the editor wants the article to be from your point of view. It's kind of a test."
"Wait hold on, hold on, you want to leave us, but you want our help?" Liam asks.
"Yeah no thanks Tracy. I'd rather not." I say.
"Yeah. Sorry Tracy that sucks." We both start to walk out.
"Liam, Aimee, please!"
"You want out? Fine, go. But you ain't getting our help."
"Yeah Tracy. We aren't helping."
Liam takes my hand and we walk up to his room.
"I can't believe she thinks she can ditch us and expect us to help her."
I say jumping down onto Liams bed.
"I know. She is expecting us to forget everything we have done for her and help her leave." He takes a seat beside me.
"Exactly. It's not happening."
***
We were all down for breakfast and Tracy wanted to talk to us.
"Look, I know you're all totally hacked off with me. I'm sorry for upsetting you. But we care kids don't get given breaks. So when an opportunity comes along we've got to take it. That's what I'm doing. Don't hate me for it."
I just look at her with anger and sadness.
"That's not why I hate you. I hate you for conning us. Giving it all that 'I'm there for you', 'We're all care kids together'. You are just using us so you can move on to do something better!" Sapphire exclaims, speaking for majority of us.
"Is that what you all think?"
"You promised me you'd help me get back with Poppy and Rosie." Lily says sadly.
"Lily, I'm sorry." She just looks round at us all and we all look at her with no sympathy.
After that she storms out. Liam and I walk over to where Tracy was before.
"Guys we are all in the together." Liam starts.
"Nobody helps." I finish and we all go back to doing what we were before.
Later that day me, Liam and Toby go into the kitchen to get a drink and see Tracy.
"Hiya." She says and we just ignore her and grab a Fruit shoot from the fridge.
***
Me and Liam were going to his room when Tracy stops us.
"Liam, Aimee, can I have a word?"
"Yeah, how about goodbye?" Liam says as he takes my hand and we walk away.
"No, my laptop's just gone missing, I was wondering if..."
"Yeah. So you're accusing us of nicking it?" I ask.
"No! I was just wondering if you knew where it was."
"Ha! Well we don't." I take Liams hand again and we start to walk away.
"Guys! Hang on!" We just ignore her and continue to walk to his room and slam the door in her face when she tries to come in. She comes in after anyways.
"You sure you haven't seen it? I don't want to get Mike and Gina involved."
"Haha. Don't threaten us. We ain't seen your skanky laptop. Alright?" Liam says as we both sit down on his bed.
"I never said you had!"
"Just cause you met him down the nick doesn't mean that we're thieves!" I shout at her.
"I know! Guys, look, please will you just calm down?"
"I'll show you." He shouts as he gets up and starts taking everything out of his drawers.
"We'll show you. We ain't got your laptop." Liam takes a load of stuff out and throws them at her.
"See your laptop anywhere, do you?" I say as Liam continues to throw stuff.
"What's going on?" Sapphire asks walking into the room.
"Have you asked her about your precious laptop? Have you?"
"No." Tracy says looking guilty.
"No. Cause we're your suspects. She's the one who handles stolen goods." Liam says angrily.
"That's bang out of order." Sapphire says.
"Not from where we're standing it's not! Go on, have a pop at her!" I shout.
"What are you having a go at me for? I'm not the enemy, she is!"
Just then Johnny and Tee come in, with all the other kids following behind them.
"Go on, get out of my room, all of you!" Liam tells them, grabbing my arm so i stay.
"Wait! Look I'm not stupid!" Tracy says, "I can see the damage I've done by saying I want to leave. Ok, so you won't help me with my article. Maybe it was unreasonable for me to ask. I'm obviously not going to get the job, but it's clear none of you lot what me here, so I might as well just leave anyway."
She storms away out of the room and Liam throws his pack of cards at the wall while I flop down face first on his bed.
"Get out of my room! All of you!"
***
Gina comes into Liam's room and tells us we need to help Tracy and do the article.
"So why do we have to help Tracy." I ask.
"Because if you two do it, all the others will follow you." I just huff and fall back on Liams bed. "Listen, Mike has know Tracy for a long, long time, and I don't think he wants her leaving here with any bad feeling. And neither do I. So please, just think about it?"
She leaves the room.
"We should help." Frank tells us.
"You can help if you want. But leave me out." Liam says.
"Yeah. Me too." I add.
"Why are you both so angry?"
"I don't know. I guess we both thought we met a care worker who got us, who was on our side. We should've known better."
***
Me, Liam and Toby go to find Tracy and find her in the spare room with Carmen.
"Carmen and I were just chatting, don't worry."
"If you say so." Liam says as Carmen gets up and leaves the room.
"Found it then?"I ask her.
"I'm really sorry for accusing you two."
"I thought you said you hadn't."
"Yeah, whatever. We both know I was wrong." She goes to leave before Liam stops her.
"Where you going?" He asks.
"Well I didn't think you'd want to be in here with me."
"We don't mind." Toby tells her.
"We came to do the interviews." I say as we all sit down. "Only if you..."
"..Promise not to tell the others?"
"Yeah." Toby answers sheepishly.
***
We are in the kitchen for dinner when Gina comes in and asks us what we want in the add for Tracy's replacement.
"Someone who will stick up for you when no-one else will." Johnny says.
"Someone who doesn't get cross when you do something wrong." Tee says.
"Kind and fun." Frank says.
"Someone who you can go to -" Carmen starts.
"Just hold on. Hold on."
"Someone you can go to when you need special help."
"Someone brave who doesn't think you're lame if you get scared." Toby says.
"Someone you can't get one over on.." I start.
"But they still have a good laugh." Liam finishes.
"Don't you see?" Gus says. "You're describing Tracy Beaker. That's what you should put in you add Gina. We want another Tracy Beaker."
Later during dinner Tracy and Lily come in.
"Guys I want to come clean about something. Before it gets too weird, I just want to thank... the person who let me interview them for my article."
We all start asking her why she told, then realise everyone did it.
"So we all did it?" I ask and Tracy nods.
"Look, I just want to thank you all."
***
After dinner Tracy wants us to take a photo. I get in at the back between Liam and Frank.
"Ready, steady, now."
"Oh come on Tracy, we need one with you aswell." I tell her.
"Eh.. no we don't."
"Tracy, Tracy, Tracy!" We all chant. She gives up and sits in front of me on the sofa.
"You can use it in your article." Lily tells her.
"Right everybody. Look at me please. Everybody say 'knickers'!"
"Knickers!" We all shout as Mike take the photo.
***
Tracy came into the kitchen and we all turn around and look at her to see if she got the job.
"Did you get it?" Sapphire asks. She nods and we all cheer and clap.
"But... I didn't take it."
"What?"
"I thought I'd miss you guys too much."
"So you're staying?"
"If Mike'll have me."
"Yeah!" He says and we all hug Tracy.
"Right hold on, hold on. I might not have taken the job, but they still printed the article."
She shows us a newspaper and Carmen takes it over to the table.
"There it is!" We all read over it and see the photo Mike took of us and Tracy.
I'm glad Tracy won't be leaving, she means a lot to all of us.
1677 words
i havent published in ages sorry!!