THIRD PERSON POV
"episode two - new life's eve"
MAYBE MAEVE SHOULD START TO SHOVE TOILET PAPER IN HER EARS AT NIGHT. Or maybe for the rest of her stay at the dumping ground. There seemed like no way to avoid the screeching noise of voices constantly yelling and talking over each other.
You would think you'd get used to it. You don't. Well, Maeve certainly hadn't. She was hoping it would happen soon though.
Tracy got a job at the dumping ground. Many were baffled about why she would want to return to this place, but oh well.
However, Tracy was doing an awful job. Constantly late and always breaking promises to the children.
That's what most the chaos today was about. Tracy had promised Carmen and Lily that she would help move Carmen's bed into Lily's room. But, Tracy hadn't arrived yet so they just decided to start they job themselves.
Lucky for some, the shouting and yelling was stopped by the powerful voice of Gina.
Tracy did arrive, an hour late and Maeve thought this morning couldn't get any worse. But apparently, for her, it can.
Liam's coming back.
She would rather carve out a chunk of her own neck than see that boy again. Even being cooped up in her own room didn't help. She still knew his presence tainted the walls and she would much like to scrub the wallpaper off every wall in the house in order to get rid of it.
A knock on her door is the least of her worries at the moment, so she decides to open it, to the surprise of Gus who stands with Tracy on the other side.
"-doesn't answer to knockin-" Gus pauses during his sentence out of relative shock, "Oh."
"Hello?" Maeve questions, in some what of an intimidating way.
Gus is startled for a second, no used to the fact his tour has been changed by Maeve actually opening the door.
Tracy sees Gus' shock and continues for him, "Gus is going me a house tour."
Maeve hair bounces up and down slightly as she nods, "Cool. Well, might want to stop talking though; Gus doesn't like when people talk on his tour." She warn her before shutting her door again.
Maeve looks out her window, even contemplating jumping out to avoid Liam. She soon decided that wasn't her best idea.
It would be funny to see Liam in his new room; the pink palace. It used to have Carmen in it until today and as everyone knows, Carmen is a fan of pink. Begged Mike for months to paint her room that colour, and he eventually caved in.
The dreaded words rang though the halls, "Liam's here!" Maeve buries her face in her pillow, it was nice while it lasted she supposed.
It wasn't until she heard screaming coming from Poppy and Rosie's room did she decide to move. Heading through the halls, the shouting got louder and louder.
Opening the door, Maeve almost wanted to laugh. Liam was hanging out with window, trying to avoid Lily as she threatens him with a chair. Maeve forgot some Lily and her sisters don't know who Liam is.
"Maeve!" Carmen shouts, "Tell them it's just Liam!"
Maeve looks at Liam with a smirk of her face and he shakes his head back.
"Oh my God, intruder!" She shouts making Lily and her sisters panic more, "Shut the window on his hands!"
"East!" Liam shouts. They prefer to call each other by their last names, means they don't have to associate with each other as much.
Sapphire runs into the room, "What's going on?" She spots Liam, "Oh. Hey, Liam!"
That confirmed it to the girls that Carmen wasn't lying and it is just Liam. But, it also confirms that Maeve was. Oh, well.
Lily lowers the chair and the girls all calm down as Liam continues to hold him self up on by the windowsill. "Sapph." He acknowledges.
Carmen looks over at Lily, "See, I told you it was Liam."
"Yeah, well, Maeve panicking didn't really help your case." Lily replies as she fully puts the wooden chair down.
"Lily," Carmen continues, "This is Liam."
The young boy continues to pull himself up, "So I guess this ain't my room anymore."
"It's Poppy and Rosie's. Their sister's my best friend."
After running up stair after stair, Mike, Gina and Tracy also make it to the noise. Mike's face already filled with annoyance at the sight of Liam. "Oh, for goodness' sake, Liam!" He walks over to help pull him through the window.
Oh, how Maeve wished she could watch him struggle longer.
"Could you not come in through the front door like everyone else?"
"What did you think you were doin', huh?" Gina adds on, clearly already given up on the boy, "What? You wanted to end up a pile of broken bones on the floor?" Maeve finds that imagery some what appealing.
Liam walks straight up to Gina, who stands in the doorway. He ignores Maeve, but they're both okay with that.
"Oh, nice to see you too, Gina." Liam says, sarcasm dripping off his tone. So, where am I staying, then?" His usual cheeky smirk appearing on his face as he continues to stroll out his room.
Maeve finds herself rolling her eyes before going back to her room, something she can see herself doing regularly now that Liam's back.
Tee, Toby, Frank, and Gus all grab some of Liam's stuff, carrying it to his new room. "Good to see East and I are on the same terms still," Liam smirks at Frank, "Going to make my stay either entertaining or unbearable."
Liam would sometimes find himself staying up at night writing down any new ideas he gets about how to torment Maeve. He would grin at the satisfaction of seeing his ideas work.
When the group finally arrive at the pink palace, Tracy is in there, headphones blasting and dancing whilst sorting out the room.
"Entertainment's better than I remember!" Liam jokes as he pulls out his phone to take a picture of Tracy.
That's when Tracy finally notices the crowd and turns around, "Oh! Hey, Liam!"
Liam shoves his phone back into his pocket, "Oh! Writing career going well, then?"
This comment brought a range of confusion to the others in the room. To their knowledge, this was Liam and Tracy's first time seeing each other. Liam acknowledges the confusion, "Oh! We met in prison."
For the younger ones in the room, they didn't quite know what to do or say about that comment apart from feel slightly nervous. You see, the criminal did put them to bed a few days ago.
It's Tracy's turn to acknowledge the new fear, "We met at the police station." She clears up. The comment didn't really help put the children at ease. What truly is the difference from meeting at prison vs the police station.
Tracy moves on from that topic area and starts to question how Liam was doing, even to the point of pulling him aside to talk to him about how he feels about being dumped back here.
Tracy Beaker would be shouting and throwing a fit in her younger days if she was in Liam's position which caused confusion about his calmness. The truth is, Liam really doesn't care and as much as he doesn't want to admit it, he enjoys being here, especially with Frank around.
"Lunch!" The sound of Gus shouting startled Maeve, it really shouldn't though, it happens everyday around the same time.
Throwing open her door, she continues to walk though the large home to get to the kitchen making sure to not even look in Liam's direction with the fear the might throw up everywhere.
Tracy was on lunch duty today and promised Frank a burger. She's not even here, again. People seem to never learn, If Tracy makes you a promise, honestly, just forget about it.
It's got to the point that Gus has even created a list, "Well, let's see. She was late for work, she didn't help Carmen move room," He sits himself down at the table along with everyone else, "she wrote in my book, she didn't make Frank a but her.. Not doing lunch makes five."
Liam is the last to sit down, unfortunately the only seat left was opposite Maeve. Yay.
"Give her a break, she hasn't been here long." Liam tries to justify.
Maeve rolls her eye, "Doesn't really give her an excuse to do all the things on Gus' list." She didn't want to have to talk to Liam but the girl is too stubborn and opinionated to keep her mouth shut all the time.
Liam was some what grateful for that trait, though. It meant even more opportunities for him to be as annoying as possible. "What do you think people thought of you when you first arrived?"
Maeve tilted her head, her own smirk playing on her lips, "Well, I don't know O'Donovan, why don't you go ahead and tell me."
After living together so long, the two quibbling enemies begin to notice things about each other. Liam notices that Maeve furrows her eyebrows when lying to try and make her seem innocent and confused. It almost annoyed him how how often the truck worked, especially on the adults.
Maeve notices that the boy pokes his tongue into his cheek when he's either angry or unsure of what he's going to say next.
That's what just happened, hence Maeve's snide reply.
The boy pauses, trying his best to come up with a response but falls short; wishing he had thought further into the conversation than he did. Instead of replying he just looked else where. His tongue yet again poking his cheek.
A few minutes pass in the household before conversation starts again. Many of the residents eating their lunch, or, in Lily's case, glaring at their new found best friend for cutting up her sisters food. That's Lily's job and Lily's job only. Or so that's what she always though.
"I bet Tracy's done some good stuff too." Liam picks up a conversation again, "You should make a list of stuff she's done right since she's been here. She helped me out at the cop shop."
This was a good idea, not that Maeve would ever, ever give Liam the satisfaction of letting him know.
Gina walks over, a jug of juice in hand, "Oh, yes, and Tracy's criminal record is an inspiration to us all!"
The table is never really quite at lunch times and today was no exception. Conversations occurring between different groups of friends and the occasional spillage of the juice. Maeve and Sapphire stick to each other, considering they don't really have any other friends, there wasn't really much else they could do.
No one entirely remembers how Sapphire and Maeve became friends. Maybe it's because they girls are only a few years different in age or perhaps their similar personalities.
Tracy returns after her little trip out wherever, just in time to help with cleaning up the lunch table. Although the kids normal do their own plates, the adults often help around.
Something was off about the new worker. Her stride held more power and her face looked slightly screwed up. Tracy grabs one of the discarded plates of the work top and begins to scrape the left overs into the bin. The wrong bin.
"It doesn't go in there!" Johnny warns her as he goes over, "It goes in the compost bin!"
Maeve notice the fiasco building and pauses her chores, leaning her elbows against the counter for a better view.
Johnny grabs the plate, trying to force it out of Tracy's hands. "Johnny, what are you doing! Get off!"
The adult and the child begin yanking at the plate trying to get it out of each other's hands like a tug-of-war.
It's only when Johnny let's go does bright red ketchup go flying onto his army green trousers and the noise stops as Johnny looks up. His mouth hangs open in disbelief and annoyance before exiting the room, purposely not looking at Maeve who's hand covered her mouth.
You may think that the girl is holding an expression of shock too, but she's really trying to cover up her laughing.
Just as Johnny leaves, Gina walks in, a look of confusion on her face. "Tracy?"
"What."
"This can't go on."
It seems as if other kids have noticed the havoc being made at this moment as they hide in the doorway, or, like Maeve, leans on the worktop.
Gina continues, "You have been late for work everyday and when you're meant to do lunch, you go out. And worst," Tracy finally turns around to face the woman in charge, "and even more unforgivable is that you keep on breaking your promises to the kids."
Tracy is confused, maybe she suffers from short term memory loss? "I do not!
On the other hand, Gina seems like she wants to laugh, "There's Carmen, Lily, Frank, Gus? Hm?" Gina lists of the names, one for each finger. "You keep letting them down and it happens everyday! And you out of everybody should know that you can't break a promise to children in care. So come on Tracy, better get your act together otherwise you're out."
Mutual feelings ran though Maeve. On one hand, she would like Tracy to stay. She was entertaining and someone Maeve could eventually see as a friend. On the other, she didn't really care what happens.
After avoiding eye contact with Gina the whole talk, Tracy finally looks at her. "You can't fire me! You're not in charge, only Mike can fire me!"
As well as memory loss, maybe add tunnel vision to the list and Maeve is severely confused at how Tracy didn't see Mike walk into the room during her little rant.
"Tracy." Mike voice is scarily coated with disappointment. He turns back to his children, beckoning them to leave the room. With a few eye rolls and groans, he does get his wishes granted. Well, some what granted. Everyone just stayed in the corridor, heads peaking though the doorway.
"I can't see!" Tee whisper yells at the group.
Liam had a great view in compared, "Yeah, well, you could probably fit about 4 different heads in the space East's takes up."
East gave him kick in the shins, making him draw back, "Don't be jealous O'Donovan. It's filled with brains."
"I've been letting things slide because I've been letting you find your feet," The show begin, "But your behaviour today has been completely unacceptable. And, if you don't change your attitude, then I'm going to have to let you go."
"Let me save you the trouble! I quit!" Tracy smashes a bowl by throwing it to the ground, pieces going everywhere.
Her loud stomps exit the kitchen, pushing past the hoard of children and straight out the front door.
A note was slipped under Maeve's door today. It was from Gus as he complies a list of things Tracy has done right. She didn't see the point as Tracy was gone now but the girl still answered his question.
"Watching her argue is entertaining."
Sick of staring at the walls of her own room, Maeve wonders about the garden, surprise when she say Tracy is on a swing.
"What are doing?" Maeve asks as she walks closer to the ex-worker.
"What do you think?" She replies simply, sitting up slightly straighter. Her back is still arches with defeat as much as she tries to hide it.
Maeve sat down, back leaning against the trunk of the tree, "Why did you come back to the dumping ground anyway? There's nothing here making me want to stay let alone come back."
"Needed a job. I worked so hard to get away from this place and now i'm back. Well, I was."
The younger girl finds her laugh at the memory, Tracy joining in too. "You did put on a show back there. I quit!"
A groan escapes Tracy's lips, "Oh God, everyone was watching, weren't they?"
"No, not everyone. Although, those who weren't got it re-enacted to them." She smirks up at the older girl, "You can blame O'Donovan for that."
"O'Donovan?"
"Yeah, O'Donovan."
"Thinking about me are you East?" The classic, horribly obnoxious voice of Liam causes an automatic eye roll.
The girls both look over at him as she strolls over. "Stalking me are you?" Maeve questions before looking at Tracy, "Seems like I got a fan."
"Maeve was telling me how you acted out what happened to everyone. Ugh, what was I thinking?"
Liam sits down cross legged on the worn grass. His bottle of liam-aid placed in front of him, "Ah, forget it. It's done. You don't see me crying over something I can't change. You want to see someone cry? Go write in Gus' notebook."
Tracy's eyes close, "Who told you?"
Maeve laughs, "He did of course."
Liam gives her a small glare, annoyed she finished his conversation, before standing up. "Well, that's your Liam time up-"
"Lucky you!"
"So drink up," He opens the bottle and pours some into a glass before passing it to Tracy, "and shove off."
Maeve was thankful Liam didn't bring two cups. Not like he would want to waste his precious homemade drink on her.
Drinking liam-aid was sure to make you start to mutate. Maeve hoped so anyway, especially considering how much of it Liam had drunk himself.
It wasn't long after taking a sip did Tracy spit it out. Good choice really.
With help from the two kids, Tracy had built up the courage to talk to Mike and apologise for everything she had done wrong and begging for her job back. It didn't look Mike was going to give it but when Gus came in and read his "what tracy has done write" list, he finally swayed, allowing Tracy to get her job back.
To celebrate we new start, everyone gathered around as Tracy set alight a letter she had never seen from her biological mother.
Maeve would say she didn't dream out Liam being in the place of the paper, but, that would be lie.
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