Gracie Rose | tracy beaker returns {on hiatus}

6

ONE WEEK LATER

30th August.
By this time of year, everyone is moody because they have to go back to school soon. But here, we celebrate. Nothing to do with school obviously, because school is a pain, but because it was my birthday. Birthdays here at ElmTree are always pulling out all the stops. It's amazing. I heard everyone sprinting around the house last night like Usain Bolt, while I was sat upstairs reading Tracy's book (which I'm loving!). It was my fourth birthday without my dad, and although it was hard, I was getting used to it. I'd got used to not having my mum with me for birthdays for the same amount of time. She didn't do much for it. I used to get invited to my friends' houses for little parties when I was younger, but when I came here, things felt normal again.

I had already woken up a while before, at around 4am, and waited for a few hours until I could go downstairs and start the celebrations. I hated having to wait. I did it every year; waking up in the early hours because of your extreme excitement, then waiting those long, boring few hours until everything can actually begin.

At about 7:30am, a small piece of pink paper was shoved under my door. I slowly got out of bed, feeling the cold on my legs like I'd walked into a freezer. I picked it up and read what it said:
"Happy birthday Gracie!
Open up, we're ready for you :)
Love Liam and the rest of the gang.
Xx"
I put on my dressing gown and slippers as fast as I could and took a deep breath before I smiled and opened the door to the rest of the kids huddled together and clapping. I felt like a princess.

"Happy birthday!" they all shouted.

"Thanks, guys!" I replied.

"So, we have a lot planned for you today, but to start off, we have some little things downstairs for you." Sapphire said.

"We have Mike downstairs in the kitchen making us all a very special breakfast which is a total surprise, even though we can smell sausages!" Toby started.

"Then we have Gina in the garden setting up some games to play," Carmen carried on.

"And then we have Tracy in the living room decorating for a party later!" Johnny finished.

"This sounds exciting! Thanks everyone, I'm so excited!" I said with a giggle.

We all went down to the kitchen first, where we found Mike cooking some hash browns. The most amazing things on this planet.

"Where's my little Gracieboo?!" Mike exclaimed. I squeezed my small body past everyone and went to see him.

"Happy birthday!!!!" He said, putting down his cooking utensils and giving me a big hug.

"Eleven already? You're growing up too fast young lady, stop please!!"

"Mike you know that's impossible," Gus said seriously, but laughed when we all did. I love it when Gus isn't too serious about things, and birthdays are those sorts of days, most of the time!

We all gathered around the table and waited for our breakfast, but before that happened, Gina came in from the garden with a big bag of little gifts.

"Happy birthday babes," she said, placing the bag in front of me on the table.

"Everyone has bought you something each, like always, and they're all in different wrapping paper because of that." Gina said. She shouted for Tracy, who was still in the living room, and within a few seconds she had arrived to see the present opening.

"Morning!!!" she said with a smile.

"Hi, Tracy!" we all replied. She came up behind me and tapped me on the shoulder, then pulled me in for a big birthday hug. It was my first birthday with Tracy involved and I was so excited to let her in on the celebrations.