Falling Out The Tracy Beaker Survival Files - Tales from the Dumping Ground

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My name is Tracy Beaker and these are my Survival Files.

Your essential guide to the ups and downs of growing up.

Tracy!

Tracy!

'Life in the Dumping Ground has taught me a lot about 'stuff'.'

Tracy Beaker.

'Scary stuff...'

SCREAMING

'..complicated stuff...

'..stuff that can make you want to scream.' Aah!

'If you can cope with the stuff that goes down here,

'you can cope with pretty much anything.'

I've spent most of my life here.

First, when I was a kid and now it's where I work.

'I've learnt a lot about friends...

'..about enemies...

'..about what life can throw at you.

'It's not always been pretty.

'But it's made me who I am today.

'Now I'm passing on my wisdom to you guys in a video blog.'

Pay attention, I've lived through all this so you don't have to.

'On the Tracy Beaker Survival Files this time...

'bickering and bust-ups, scraps and squabbles.

'How to cope when friends fall out

'or enemies just can't get on.'

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Let's face it, arguments are a part of life.

Love or hate them, you can't avoid them forever.

At some point, all of us will fall out with someone...big time!

-Stop!

-Get out!

Whoa, Crash, get off him!

-Freak!

-Get off of me!

See what I mean? Some of that lot could start a rumble in their sleep!

These days, it's my job to keep the peace,

but I have to admit that I wasn't always so chilled...

-TRACY SCREAMS

-Get off her!

-She started it!

-THEY SQUABBLE

-You started it!

I hate you, Justine Littlewood!

Especially when my archenemy was around.

You know what I like about you, Tracy?

What?

Nothing.

# This town ain't big enough for the both of us

# And it ain't me who's gonna leave... #

Justine Littlewood, my childhood nemesis.

We weren't exactly a match made in heaven.

I hated her from the moment I met her.

Call me judgemental, but it saved a lot of time.

'And so it went on.

'Our feud lasted for years and years.'

THEY YELL

'Everyone got used to it.'

-Are they fighting?

-Mm, must be TV time.

So, when are you going to do something about it?

Mm, about...now!

THEY SHOUT

Hey, come on. D'you promise not to attack each other again?

D'you think we're animals?

THEY YELL

Come on!

People tried to make peace between us. They failed.

But as usual, nobody failed as spectacularly as Elaine the Pain.

Can we just forget about this silly argument?

It isn't silly, every TV time she always...

Me?! You ruin everything!

Goodness me! All this fighting over a silly old channel-changer.

I'd never get into a fight over something so trivial.

That's because you're a sad, lonely loser with no-one to fight with!

It's fair to say, Justine and I had issues.

Our personalities clashed in every way possible.

The only thing we ever agreed on, was how much we hated each other.

-Just write some facts about each other.

-Easy!

-No sweat.

Eh, nice things!

You know, positive things?

-How many positive things?

-Ten.

Ten?! We'll be here for days!

Weeks even.

Five things, then. Surely you can manage that?

-THEY MOAN

-One thing? One small thing?

Then can we go?

Her hair's nice-ish.

And one thing about Tracy?

-Her sensitivity(!) BOTH: Hmm!

-Well done.

-Eh...

-No, I'm going out the front!

-Stop that!

'Then, one glorious day, Justine moved out to live with her Dad.

'Was there any sign of the Beaker-Littlewood Million Years War

'letting up?

'What do you think?'

It'll be a fantastic party, cos Justine's leaving forever. Whoo-hoo!

You're just jealous cos you're the only one of the old crowd

left in the Dumping Ground.

I've had heaps of fostering offers, just waiting for the right one.

You mean, heaps of fostering failures!

Your Dad and Carrie only want you home as a baby-sitter!

-Can't you both be nice to each other for once?

-BOTH: No!

All these years and I was losing my best enemy.

I couldn't imagine the Dumping Ground without Justine.

Everything felt weird, which is probably why this happened.

Why can't you be friends with me?

You never said you wanted that.

-If I did, you'd be nasty.

-No, I wouldn't!

We even fight over being nice to each other.

Maybe it was just a bad habit, us being mean.

Habits can be broken.

Oh, that was spooky.

THEY LAUGH

No, you didn't imagine it.

Justine Littlewood and Tracy Beaker actually hugged!

Don't tell anyone. I've got a reputation to think of.

Justine wasn't the only one in the Dumping Ground

who liked to wind me up.

I clashed with Crash.

And rowed with Roxy.

But no-one could make me see red...

..like Amber.

COMPUTER BLEEPS

'One day, I was minding my own business in my room...'

Whaaaah!

'Doing some wildlife studies as I remember.'

Tracy?

-Ooh, hiya, Duke.

-A slight problem. I'm going to need your help.

I've told Lol, to get onto level two you have to go

through the Gates of Doom, WITH the poisoned apple.

It's not the computer. I need you to share your room...with Amber.

We've got to do a graffiti clean in hers.

I'm NOT sharing with Amber! You're just asking for trouble.

Being stuck in a bedroom with Amber was a nightmare for both of us.

Neither of us liked to share and neither of us would ever give in.

'And Amber was an evil genius when it came to pushing my buttons.'

Amber! I don't believe that you've been ready my diary!

You shouldn't leave it lying around.

I didn't, I left it under MY pillow, on MY bed, in MY room!

What you belly-aching about, apart from the funny bits like,

how you're going to be rich and famous - yawn -

and how your Mum'll whisk you away in her helicopter,

it's the biggest slop I've ever read.

-Hilarious!

-This room's not big enough for both of us.

She knew just how to get to me. And how to cause maximum pain.

Take a walk, Tracy, unless you want me to share your song

with the rest of the Dumping Ground?

# I suppose you think I'm singing this song

# Just because I'm blue, a-wooh-oh-wooh-oh-wooh. #

Oh, and Duke told me to tell you

that he won't be finished painting my room until tomorrow.

Bad luck, roomy. DOOR SLAMS

What was I to do? She was older and bigger than me,

and knew exactly how to make my life a misery.

But, my time with Amber taught me many valuable lessons,

such as - revenge can be totally awesome!

'Amber thought my song was funny but she wasn't laughing here.'

A one-two-three-four...

# We know a song that will get on your nerves

# Get on your nerves Get on your nerves... #

Morning. We've got a new song, especially for you.

From the top, boys!

# We know a song that will get on your nerves

# Get on your nerves Get on your nerves

# We know a song that will get on your nerves

# And this is how it goes

# We know a song that will get on your nerves... #

Tracy, it's half past six in the morning!

Go back to sleep while we rehearse, just ignore us!

Go for it, Bounce.

Aah!

# We know a song that will get on your nerves... #

Bounce, you pauper, get off!

-Sorry, Amber!

-Get off!

-Hey, roommate, can I borrow your new leather jacket?

-No!

We always share everything.

Nothing's private in a care home... REMEMBER?!

Shame she didn't like our song.

I think it had potential for Christmas Number One.

But it did the job.

-Argh!

-Where you going?

-Back to my old room!

-But we've still got loads more songs.

-Forget it!

'I enjoyed making Amber's eardrums hurt.'

And my fights with Justine were just part of my daily routine.

But when you fight with somebody you love - that's not so good.

Like me and Cam.

I hate falling out with her, and she hates falling out with me.

Not that that ever seems to stop us!

-Tracy, can I have a word?

-Have two, bog off!

'I love her to bits but we can argue over just about anything.'

Right, I've had it!

'We've even had arguments about what we've been arguing about!'

-Cam, we've had our tiffs over the years.

-You can say that again!

-Cam, we've had our...

-Very good, Tracy. Did you have a question?

Certainly, Camilla. What I want to know is - after a big fight -

what's the best way to sort everything out and make up?

Well, first thing is to try to keep calm.

The more you hurt the other person, the longer it'll take to make up.

So it's best to control your anger. Don't say anything you might regret.

Hmm. The voice of experience talking there.

'You have four new messages.

'Message one...'

-CAM:

-'How dare you use my credit card!

'Is that why you've turned your phone off?'

-'Message two...'

-'Just pick up the phone.

'I'm trying your mobile, your mobile's not on.

'You need to ring me as soon as you get this, OK?'

You don't regret anything that time we had the misunderstanding?

Misunderstanding?

Yes, when I borrowed your credit card.

When you TOOK my credit card without asking,

and I got stranded in New York with no money?

-Em...yeah.

-Well, I was upset.

-'Message three...'

-'Where are you?!

'I'm so mad at you I feel like screaming!

'You better ring me back or I don't know what I'll do when I get home!'

And I suppose I was disappointed in you.

I couldn't believe you'd been so thoughtless.

I trusted you, and you let me down.

'Message four...'

Tracy, this is serious. Pick up the phone NOW!

KEYS JINGLE

So, I got angry.

-Yeah, you hit the roof.

-You stranded me in America!

-So there was the odd cross word or two.

-Or a million.

My point is - when I said those things on the phone,

it only made a bad situation worse.

I soon calmed down, but then I started to worry about you.

By which time you'd stormed off who knows where.

HEAVY BREATHING

SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC

Oh, ah!

SHE PANTS

You're right. Thanks to you shouting at me, I ran away.

I was homeless and broke and if anything had happened to me,

it would have been all your fault.

I will admit, I wish I'd handled it better.

Because once you've said those things, you can't unsay them.

This wasn't the first time I'd upset Cam and it wouldn't be the last.

I'd run away before, I'd told lies, I'd even set her kitchen on fire.

Twice.

But taking that money was the biggest mistake I made.

And for a while, I thought Cam would never forgive me

and that I'd blown it for good.

I decided to crash at the Dumping Ground. Not that I got much sleep.

And when I did, I had nightmares like you wouldn't believe.

CRASHING

I couldn't stop thinking about how angry Cam was.

Although scared, I knew in the end,

I'd have to face up to my mistakes and brave the wrath of Cam.

SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC

Aah!

THUNDER RUMBLES

KNOCKING AT DOOR

'We'd been through so much together -

'we couldn't possibly throw it all away.

'Especially over some silly little thing

'like mislaying a few thousand pounds.'

I am so, so sorry, Cam.

-I'll pay back every penny.

-Too right you are!

So what have we learnt so far about falling out

to put in my Survival Files?

Falling out happens to all of us but if it happens to you,

there are things you can do to sort it out.

Don't end up shouting.

If you lose your temper, you lose your self-control. Apparently.

Anyway, in the heat of the moment,

you might just end up saying something you'll regret later.

When people fall out, they can only make up

if somebody is prepared to back down.

So if you do fall out, think about meeting the other person half way

by saying sorry or being ready to forgive.

Then the argy-bargy will be over much more quickly.

And if me and Justine Littlewood can find a way to get along,

then anyone can.

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People can fall out because they are too similar

or cos they're too different.

Or sometimes, one group of people will gang up on another.

For example, boys versus girls.

When it comes to bust-ups,

the battle of the sexes can be the scariest of the lot.

One day in the Dumping Ground,

we decided to do away with the rules altogether.

Elaine said that was against the rules,

but cos there were no rules any more, nobody listened.

So, if there's no rules, when do we eat?

When WE say so.

'But no rules and no set mealtimes meant a problem.'

-We could if there was anything to eat!

-Someone's nicked the lot.

-Who'd do that?

-Boys, of course.

Typical, they're all the same.

Yeah, greedy and selfish!

Hey, that's sexist!

You girls have got a serious attitude problem.

'And before you knew it, it had all kicked off.'

I'll give him attitude!

-They think they run this place.

-Girls - typical!

I suppose we could share with them...No!

ALL LAUGH

-Yeah, right. Good one!

-Let's get cooking.

Oh, looks like we're just in time. Make mine two eggs, sunny-side up.

-In your dreams.

-But we're hungry.

OK, here you go.

-Enjoy.

-Hang on, there has to be a solution.

Yeah, we'll fight you for it.

OK, game on.

Leave them alone, come on.

We could whip this bunch anytime!

I said let's go!

-Yeah, go on, run off!

-Yeah, you bunch of girls!

BOYS LAUGH

Some believe that boys and girls' brains are differently wired.

That we see the world in contrasting ways.

I'm not sure that's true, but I've noticed loads of boys

think they're better and cleverer than girls,

whereas we girls KNOW we're better.

-What are they going to do?

-Exactly.

We'll stuff ourselves, then veg out with telly and computers.

Oh, no.

-She wouldn't...

-They haven't?

Lookin' for one of these, boys?

Give us that!

Wait, wait! Wait-wait-wait-wait! I think you need to discuss this.

Hello! Anyone?

-How's the meal, boys?

-Give 'em back.

-Fight you for 'em.

-You can forget veggin' out.

-You can't do this!

-You can only get one channel without the remote...

Wildlife!

And don't even bother trying to use the toilets.

'Getting the better of them was just too easy.'

So, Elaine called for peace talks. Fat chance!

Elaine couldn't even handle me on my own -

what chance did she have against the whole Dumping Ground?

Anyway...it's time to negotiate.

-How about a compromise?

-Good idea.

-Yeah.

You can have half the food... IF you cook all the meals.

How about you bog off?

This is war, Beaker!

That suits us.

'Not good!

'But then a miracle happened.

'Completely by accident, Elaine the Pain said something clever.'

You must be able to find some common ground.

A like you share.

A dislike, then.

Surely something in here makes you go mad?

Now you mention it...

Yeah, there is.

Great, so...why don't you resolve your differences and unite?

Sounds good to me.

-OK, I'm up for that.

-Great.

We got thinking - we had plenty of common ground.

For a start, none of us could stand Elaine the Pain.

-There was other stuff, too.

-GIRLS: Charge!

'Let's face it - nobody's going to turn down

'the chance of a massive water fight.'

KIDS SHOUT AND SCREAM

Off already?

Just typing up my notes, all going...brilliant-ish!

Mark, save yourself. Get out of here!

'The Dumping Ground kids were never shy about getting some water action.

'Check this lot out!'

Oh!

Ooh!

Ah!

THEY SCREAM

KIDS SCREAM

An unexpected shower diffuses the tension every time.

It worked when I was a kid, and it still works today.

Like when everyone in the Dumping Ground

was falling out with everyone else.

-How'd you know where Jeff hid?

-It's only a game.

Which had nothing to do with you!

Hey, Gus.

-Why'd you mess up my room?

-I didn't mess it up.

Why would I do that, stranger boy?

Yeah, it's all your fault, smelly Carmen!

You're all mean, nasty, selfish people. I hate you all!

'Uh-oh. I guessed what was coming.'

Especially you, Tracy Beaker.

-Oh!

-'Thought so! All it took was one water missile.'

I did not mess up your room, Johnny Taylor!

-Oh!

-'Make that two.'

-Oh!

-'All right, three.

'And before you knew it, everyone was smiling again.'

Oh, all right, just get it out of your system!

Aah! What are you doing?!

Your trainers are in a pickle.

-What the...why'd you?

-HE LAUGHS

Oh, the good news is - Gus just made a joke.

The bad news is he's ruined my trainers.

Well, almost everyone was smiling again.

Most kids just needed to let off steam.

But Carmen's problems went a bit deeper.

And they weren't so easy to sort.

Bye, Rosie.

'It all started when Carmen's best friend left the Dumping Ground.

'Lily, Poppy and Rosie went to live with new foster parents.

'Great news for them maybe, but Carmen took it badly, very badly.

Don't forget to call me!

Carmen was so sad when Lily and the girls left.

They were such a big part of her life.

But that's the kind of thing that happens in this place.

-ALL:

-Bye!

I don't think I've ever seen Carmen so upset.

Me and Jeff felt so sorry for her.

The rest of us didn't help as much as we could have

but that's cos we were tied up with our own problems.

-I know loads of card games.

-Good for you.

-D'you want to play one?

-No.

-Should I help you with this one?

-No!

-Put the Eight of Hearts...

-Which bit of "No" don't you get?

'Looking back, we should have known

'that Carmen was about to blow a fuse.

'But nobody picked up on it at the time.'

VACUUM RATTLES

'It's not like Carmen to be destructive for no reason.

'But she was feeling so angry and alone

'that she had to let her feelings out in any way she could.

'And still, nobody realised what was going on.'

Nobody'll play with me!

In a minute. I've just got to go and find Johnny, OK?

'Eventually, Carmen decided to make everyone notice

'by taking stuff that was really important to them.

'Like the watch Frank's grandad had given him.

'A picture of Johnny and Tee.

'Sapphire's phone.

'Even Jeff!'

I like Carmen, but just cos your friend's gone

doesn't give you an excuse to go on a nicking spree.

That watch was my grandad's

and I was not happy.

I have to say, I'd never take other people's stuff,

no matter how upset I was.

And from little kids, too. That's low.

I missed Jeff.

'By the time I arrived at the Dumping Ground the next day,

'everyone was going ballistic.'

THEY ARGUE

No, listen. Stop it. Guys, this isn't working.

-What's going on?

-Carmen nicked our stuff!

-She what?

-What's going on?

-Please.

-QUIET!!

A 'Gina special' made them shut up for a minute -

but Carmen had barricaded herself in her room.

Shouting at her was never going to be enough.

-KNOCKING AT THE DOOR

-(OUTSIDE DOOR) Carmen, let me in.

I know why you've done this but just let me in and we can talk.

SHE SIGHS

Look, I know you miss Lily but this is so not you.

-Would you like to speak to her?

-I can't, can I? She's gone!

I'll call her.

I'll call her and you can speak to her.

-No.

-Why not?

She'll think I'm stupid.

No, she won't. She'll she that you're missing her.

Are you missing a friend?

She's not just a friend.

What d'you mean?

Lily was like a sister to me.

I understand now.

I do, just...please let me in.

So what was the story, Carmen?

I kept trying to tell people how I felt about losing Lily,

but no-one would listen.

Sometimes when that happens

it's cos people have their own stuff going on.

Yeah, but when you did finally listen,

it felt like a weight had been lifted off me.

But I didn't know how to tell the others.

Stealing their stuff was pretty bad.

Ooh, you've got mail.

"Dear Carmen, we are playing a card game in the living room

"and would very much like you to play with us."

-I haven't done too good this time.

-Me neither.

Read it and weep.

The best! It is really hot in here, cos the champ has arrived!

THEY MOAN AND ARGUE

I am watching you!

I'm sorry.

Anyway, got a new car.

'In most arguments, there is something to be said for both sides.

'It's unusual for one side to be completely in the right

'and the other one to be all wrong.'

So being a good friend is sometimes about

trying to see other people's point of view.

And that's what they all did with Carmen. I was so proud of them.

Carmen, Lily is on the phone.

HE MOUTHS

Lily?

Who wants more?

Are Rosie and Poppy OK?

So what have we learnt about falling out

to upload to the Tracy Beaker Survival Files?

Well, firstly, if you fall out with someone close to you, don't panic!

It happens to everyone and there are things you can do to sort it out.

Don't get angry. Instead, be ready to say sorry and to forgive.

Take a step back.

Don't let your own opinions stop you seeing the whole picture.

Try to see things from other people's point of view.

Like I always do. Mostly.

Even if the other person is Justine Littlewood.

Most importantly, when you're arguing,

try to listen to what the other person is saying.

It might just be that they are right and you are wrong.

So that's the Beaker guide to bust-ups

safely uploaded to the Tracy Beaker Survival Files.

More gems of wisdom from my experiences next time.

And let's not fall out about this - you know you mustn't miss it.

And remember, I've been through all this so you don't have to.

# Shut your mouth

# Put your head back in the clouds and shut your mouth

# Wooh, shut your mouth, shut your mouth

# Put your head back in the clouds and shut your mouth... #