Tracy Beaker Returns - The Untold Story of Tiffany

Viva Carmen

Viva Carmen

“Poor Carmen.” Tee said from the sofa, to no-one in particular.

“Poor Carmen?” Her brother asked as he took his shot at the snooker table. “She hasn’t seen her mum in what...? Well not since we’ve been here anyway, and then she screams her head and runs away, how dumb is that?! No way her mum’s gonna come back now.”

“Who cares?” Sapphire sighed, flicking the page of her magazine, “they’re just parents.”

“You don’t know what’s going on,” Liam said taking his shot, “She’s probably got a reason why she don’t wanna see her mum. What if she’s like your dad?” He nodded at Johnny.

Interestingly Johnny’s face went a whole spectrum of colours at this point. His mouth hung open like a goldfish and he paled – but then followed it up with sending Liam dagger-eyes and switching to a dark shade of red.

“He’s not our dad.”

“She’s still your mum though, aint she?” Liam’s voice was low, challenging now. Tiffany looked at him, and then she glanced at Frank. The pair of them moved a little closer to Liam, ready to grab him. “I don’t see her fighting to get you back.”

“Liam...” Tiffany muttered, reaching out for his arm but he shrugged her off. He was ready to go for Johnny and wouldn’t let her hold him back.

“You take that back.” Johnny said, stepping closer.

“Make me.” Liam uttered and Johnny flew at him.

He pushed Liam head-first over the sofa before being pulled down after him. They were rolling around on the floor, a fury of fists and curses.

“Johnny! Liam get off him!” Tee cried, reaching in to try and grab her brother.

Tiffany held the younger girl back shaking her head. “Liam! Oh come on, you’ve got to be kidding me!”

“WHAT’S GOING ON?!” Gina and Mike had found them.

*

Liam slammed the ball towards Frank, who ducked as it hit the goal post hard.

“What you moving out the way for?” Liam yelled.

“You’re kicking it too hard!”

“I’m not kicking it hard! It’s your turn in goal now get back in!”

“No. What’s wrong Liam?”

“What you mean no?”

“Liam...”

“It’s nothing OK?” Frank raised his eyebrows.

“Fine. It’s just that, Johnny thinks that, that family solve everything, that parents are the answer to all our problems, when they’re not. They’re the cause of our problems not the answer to them!  But you wouldn’t understand you’ve got a family.”

“Only Grandad.” Frank said

“Yeah, well that’s one more than I’ve got isn’t it! I’ve been in care homes all my life, this is where I belong now and no ‘parents’ are coming for me!”

“HEY!” Tiffany said, standing up. “Leave it our Liam! You might be angry, but don’t take it out on Frank!”

“I didn’t! It’s not my fault I haven’t got a family!”

“I never said it was. But you have got friends; you got us and the rest of them back in the house.”

“So? Just goes to prove that your parents are nothing special, if all of us have been ditched by them!”