My Mum Tracy Beaker Read online

Shake.

  ‘You know Little Noddy? Well, you’ve turned into Little Shaky,’ said Cam.

  I laughed and felt a bit better. ‘He’s OK, I suppose, though I think he looks stupid. His suits! And he’s got this flash red car. And a great big mansion. I don’t want to live there, even though he’s got a swimming pool. I don’t have to live there, do I, Cam?’

  ‘Well, I think your mum’s got her heart set on it. And she’s got her heart set on him too.’

  ‘Do you like him?’ I asked.

  ‘Well. I don’t really know him that well. He was a bit of a lout when he was a kid, but I don’t think that was necessarily his fault. He’s very smooth and Jack the Lad now. He does seem very, very fond of your mum, and I suppose that’s all that matters,’ said Cam. ‘And she seems very, very fond of him.’

  ‘Mm,’ I said.

  ‘Is that why you don’t like him?’ Cam asked.

  ‘Maybe,’ I said, looking down at my knees.

  ‘Come here,’ said Cam, and she put her arm round me and pulled me close. ‘You’ll always come first with your mum. She loves you with all the love in the world.’

  ‘Then why aren’t I enough? Why does she want Sean Godfrey too?’ I mumbled against her shirt.

  ‘She wants to be a family.’

  ‘But we are one,’ I wailed.

  ‘I know, but she wants a bloke too.’

  ‘Why? You don’t want a bloke, do you, Cam?’

  ‘No,’ said Cam, laughing. ‘I’ve never really fancied blokes.’

  ‘Don’t you fancy anyone?’ I asked.

  ‘Oh, give it a rest, Jess. Liz and Jane keep quizzing me, wanting me to hook up with someone. But I’m fine just the way I am,’ said Cam.

  ‘Me too,’ I said. ‘Cam, if I really can’t bear living with Sean Godfrey, could I come and live with you and all your girls?’

  ‘Yes, of course you can. Though I’m not sure what your mum would say!’

  ‘She wants me to be her bridesmaid, but I don’t want to wear a frilly dress and look daft,’ I said.

  ‘She wants me to walk her down the aisle, and I’ll look daft no matter what I wear,’ said Cam. ‘I’m the one who gives the bride away.’

  ‘Well, that’s easy-peasy. Don’t give Mum away. Keep her just for us,’ I said firmly.

  Cam laughed and ruffled my hair. I squirmed.

  ‘Yeah, your mum’s always hated me doing that too!’ she said. ‘But you’ve both got such lovely bouncy, wild, curly hair I can’t help it. Poodle hair.’

  I rolled my eyes. ‘Woof woof,’ I said.

  ‘Hey, I’ve just thought of something!’ Cam said excitedly. ‘If you and your mum go and live with Sean Godfrey you’ll be able to have a dog at last!’

  ‘Really? Like, an actual poodle?’

  ‘Whatever breed you like. Or you might prefer a mixture. I know where we’ll go! Let’s check out Battersea Dogs and Cats Home! They have heaps of rescue dogs looking for a home.’

  ‘Oh, let’s!’

  We went through the park. I kept pulling on Cam’s hand to make her go faster. By the time we got there we were both out of breath. Then we walked round all the kennels, going very slowly now, so I could talk to every dog. There were great big huskies and weeny little chihuahuas and all sizes of dog in between. Some were so friendly they came rushing up to the bars and tried to lick us. Others were anxious and barked a lot. A few seemed sad and lay on their beds looking mournful. I wanted each and every one, especially the sad sort.

  ‘Do you think I could have two?’ I asked Cam. ‘Or maybe even three? Sean Godfrey’s got lots of spare rooms. They could have a room each!’

  ‘I think you’d better start off with one,’ she said.

  ‘But I can’t choose. Hey, Cam, when you first went to Mum’s children’s home, did you find it hard to choose which child you wanted?’

  ‘I wasn’t looking for anyone. I was just there to write an article.’

  ‘But you chose Mum anyway,’ I said.

  ‘No, she chose me!’ said Cam.

  ‘And did you take her home straight away?’

  ‘I had to have a very careful think about it. And so did all her care workers. You can’t just make a snap decision over something as important as that,’ said Cam.

  After we’d been round twice – and enjoyed a detour to the cattery – I knew exactly which dog I wanted. He wasn’t very big, he wasn’t very small, he was exactly the right size. He was a beautiful black terrier and his fur was almost as curly as my hair. He didn’t rush over to lick me, but he didn’t bark at me either. He lay on his bed with a cuddly toy and a rubber bone, looking very sweet but just a little bit sad.

  Outside his kennel was a sign with his name on. Alfie.

  ‘Alfie!’ I called softly, so as not to frighten him. ‘Hey, Alfie!’

  He looked up at me with his big brown eyes. It was just as if he’d recognized me. He jumped up and came trotting over.

  ‘Oh, Cam, look! He likes me! Oh, please please please can I have Alfie?’

  It wasn’t as simple as that. It was just like Cam fostering Mum. For a start the Battersea people wanted to meet Mum and talk it over with her too. And Sean Godfrey, because it was his house.

  ‘But it’s not going to be his dog!’ I whispered to Cam.

  ‘No, Alfie will be your dog,’ she said, but she was looking anxious. ‘Oh dear, we should have talked it over with them first. I should know better.’

  ‘So we can’t take Alfie right away, even though he wants to come with me?’ I asked.

  ‘Not just yet,’ said Cam.

  ‘But what if someone else comes along and gets him first?’ I wailed.

  The Battersea lady said they would reserve Alfie for me, so long as Mum and Sean Godfrey and I came back soon.

  The moment Mum came to pick me up from Cam’s that evening I said, ‘Are you going to see Sean Godfrey tomorrow?’

  ‘Why are we using surnames, Jessica Bluebell Camilla Beaker?’ Mum asked.

  ‘He is coming round though, isn’t he? It’s Sunday. Doesn’t he want to take us to that Chestnut place again?’

  ‘Well, I was thinking we might have a Sunday together, just you and me,’ said Mum.

  ‘Oh!’ I gave such a cry of despair that she gazed at me in astonishment.

  ‘You want us to see Sean?’

  ‘We have to take him to Battersea tomorrow!’ I insisted.

  ‘It’s my fault, Tracy,’ said Cam, looking shame-faced. ‘I took Jess to the Dogs and Cats Home.’

  ‘What? Oh, I see! Well, that’s actually quite a good idea. Great idea, in fact. When we move in with Sean we could get a dog. We could have a cat too. Sean’s got so much space. Maybe you could have a pony, Jess!’ said Mum. ‘Or a donkey. I love donkeys. And what are those shaggy things with goofy faces? Alpacas! Maybe we could have a couple of them as well!’

  ‘I don’t want any alpacas or a donkey or a pony or a cat. I just want my dog, Alfie!’ I said.

  ‘Alfie does seem a lovely little chap,’ said Cam.

  ‘But we have to go and get him tomorrow or someone else will choose him,’ I said urgently.

  ‘Well, we’re not moving in with Sean right away. We’ve got to plan it all out. But as soon as we’re settled I promise we’ll go to Battersea and get this Alfie – or we’ll find another dog just as special, or even better,’ said Mum.

  ‘Mum!’ I was shocked. ‘How could you of all people say that! Remember when Cam went to visit the Dumping Ground and you wanted her to foster you? What would you have done if she said she had to plan it all out first? What if someone horrible came along and fostered you in the meantime? Then Cam would have fostered someone else – Justine Littlewood, for instance!’

  Mum had told me heaps about Justine Littlewood – another girl at the children’s home. She was her worst enemy ever. She took Mum’s best friend away and they ganged up on Mum. She always sounded like the meanest girl in the world.

  Mum looked at me. ‘How come y