Jody POV

I stared at the birthday card before me, my red felt-tip as dry as the words on my tongue.

Dear Tyler...

I could have ended it with a simple 'happy birthday! from Jody' but best friends needed to make an effort for each other. So here I was...

A few years ago, 8-year-old me would have never known that such friends could exist. I was lost, neglected and unloved. It's the one thing I like best about the Dumping Ground; the fact that you have people that care no matter what.

If I'm honest with you, I don't really remember how Tyler and I became friends. We both enjoyed causing mischief; I was always after chocolate biscuits and sweets and he was the comedian. I remember how he used to cling onto Rick, his big brother figure and how over time he became more confident in himself.

The one thing that hadn't changed though was his sensitivity. Everyone else used to make fun of Tyler for being a crybaby and being a little naive sometimes but I liked that about him. He wasn't afraid to express himself, and be honest.

I tapped my pen gently against my desk.

He'd helped me so much. Whenever I got upset about Kingsley and my mum, he was always there. My shoulder to cry on. And now, we were both growing up so fast.

And I was just glad that despite everything, I still had my best friend by my side.

Dear Tyler,

Happy birthday 13th you oldie! You better like my present cause I spent so long saving up for it! Have a good one,

Love Jodes x

I added the kiss as an afterthought, knowing that it was quite girly for me. But then again, I did want to show Tyler that I cared about him.

"Hey Jodes, I'm leaving to see my mum soon" Tyler stated leaning against the doorframe. Startled by his entrance I stood up with my back to my desk, desperately trying to hide his birthday card.

"Oh err... good luck, bye" I told him shortly, cursing inwardly at my pathetic lying.

"Right... what are you trying to hide?"

"Nothing!"

"You can't lie to me Jodes.." Tyler pointed out, before trying to side-step past me as I quickly shoved him onto my bed.

"It's meant to be a surprise!" I blurted out before I could stop myself. He grinned.

"You mean my birthday surprise..?" he asked as I pushed him out my room.

"What do you think?" I replied, rolling my eyes and laughing as we continued down the stairs.

Tyler POV

We'd almost made it back in time. I looked at my mum grinning. Today had been amazing. We'd gone out for lunch and headed to the park and I'd laughed so hard my tummy still hurt. It was good progress, and I hated it when I had to leave her.

"Same time next week?" I asked cheerily.

"Not necessarily.." she replied offering a secret smile as we headed indoors to meet Mike. I held back the anxiety, what did she mean by that?!

As we sat in the office, I began to process what she'd said to me. Going home. Permanently.

Questions started to pop up in my head again, whether she was serious this time, whether she'd be able to look after me.. I was being stupid.

My biggest dream had come true, and here I was doubting my fate.

"Yes!" I exclaimed suddenly, "I'm going home!"

Before I knew it, my euphoria had blurted out my luck in front of the others. At first, they'd all laughed thinking it was a joke. Now they were staring at me with a serious look on their face.

"What about us?" Bailey asked.

"You'll still see me loads!" I chuckled, trying to lift the tension.

"Yeah, but it's not the same is it!" Jody stated, storming out. I thought she'd be happy for me. And yet here she was siding with the others.

As I hugged my mum later on that day, I realised I didn't really care. Of course, they were all jealous. It was natural. But they'd all loosen up eventually.

I mean, who wouldn't miss me?!

Jody POV

I just didn't get why he had to blurt it in front of everyone like that. Sometimes he really was an idiot. I brought my book to the kitchen table to cool down. I'd found that my anger usually waned after I'd immersed myself in a good book. Today was one of those days.

But then he had to walk in.

"Thought you'd already gone.." I mentioned casually, watching him as he came in.

"Don't be like that," he replied opening the fridge. How could he still be so calm about everything?

"Why didn't you just say?"

"Cause we'd only just decided!" he exclaimed, "You know I miss my mum"

"Yeah? And what if she gets sick again?" I asked bluntly. I was tired of seeing him disappointed everytime she failed to take her treatment properly. He needed to grow up, and stop being so naive.

"She won't!"

I decided to let the topic drop.

"You still coming paintballing with us."

"Course I am! We're going to smash Finn and Bailey's team" he grinned, the anger vanished, "So we alright then?"

"Only if you promise to come back and see us loads.." I stated.

"Course I will. Best friends forever?" he asked as I finally allowed a smile and fist bumped him.

"Yeah.."

Things were still going to be little different, but that was alright.

Things were not alright. He didn't even turn up at the paintballing. So much for that promise. I'd got shot in the neck and lost, with no one to cover me.

"Why didn't you text me?" I questioned, wondering if he'd been out getting carried away with his mum.

"My phone ran out of charge.." he replied.

"All he cares about is getting back with his mum" Bailey added.

"That's not true!" he retaliated but Bailey had a point. It was all he could talk about, and he didn't seem to care that he was leaving us.

Tyler POV

I felt like Cinderella. Why was no one happy for me? I had a chance, a real chance at getting my mum back and all they could do was wallow in their self-pity.

Either way as I was mopping up the kitchen, I could hear Jody's giggles amongst the other boys as she played pool with them. I hadn't really realised how close she'd gotten to Ryan and Bailey while I was out with my mum, and it irritated me how she could have a laugh with them but not me.

From the kitchen I could see the fond looks Ryan and Bailey were giving Jody, and realised that they were a pretty tight gang the three of them.

Before I could stop myself, I entered the room.

"Jody!"

"She's playing with us.."

"I wasn't talking to you" I replied, full aware of the bitterness in my voice. The mood went dead.

"If you're bored go and hang out with your mum!" Ryan retorted, as Jody struggled to hold back a smirk.

I tried again, "Did I er.. tell you about my new room?"

"No.." she muttered not looking at me.

I couldn't help myself. I boasted about the speakers and the plasma TV and the black walls I'd have in my room. That drew their attention.

Jody still looked a bit awkward as I imagined up my room. Maybe I needed to start including her in things more..

"Do you want to come and see it?" I prodded gently, waiting for her reply.

Just then there was a scream from the kitchen. Kaz had slipped on the floor, that I was mopping. Ryan and Bailey shoved me away to help her up.

I stood frustrated as Bailey accused me of boasting too much about my room.

"You're just jealous!" I told him, and soon we were wrestling with each other. I caught Jody's disappointed gaze. Of course, she agreed with him. She'd gone and made new friends, friends that wouldn't leave her for a foster family.

Friends that were convenient.

Jody POV

I went to check on him. Yeah, he'd been a bit out of line but he was still my best friend. Bailey shouldn't have laid into him like that.

I went over to his mum's and barged into his room. And laughed.

So much for his big plasma telly. There were dinosaurs everywhere! His mum must've thought he was five. Well, at least he was only showing off to make everyone jealous. The house wasn't anything special.

"You shouldn't have come here; things are different now!" he exclaimed going red.

"Different how?" I giggled. Then I realised. The way his mum had been.

"Your mum doesn't like us does she?"

"I never said that"

"You're still our friend!"

"Yeah I know"

He refused to come back to the DG with me. Maybe he just needed some space right now. But I couldn't help but feel that I was slowly losing him to his mum.

Tyler POV

It was my birthday. But the usual sense of joy was clouded by my mum and Jody. I was spending my day with mum, which despite everything still felt odd. Still, I wanted my mum back and it would be good to spend some quality time with her.

That kiss on the cheek, she gave me, felt nostalgic. Everything was moving too fast, and I was caught up in the middle of it all.

The hints were everywhere; May-Li shoved me away from the cake and even the others were planning my surprise in the living room. I figured this was Jody's doing, but I was meant to be spending my birthday with my mum.

She was waiting for me at the bottom of the stairs, "Where are you going?"

"To my mum's.."

"You can't!"

"Why not?" I asked and Jody's pathetic lying shoved my into the living room where everyone was waiting.

"Surprise!"

Maybe I could hang around for a bit, after all they'd gone to all the effort. But Mum was texting me asking me where I was.

I couldn't let her down.

Jody POV

It didn't take us long to figure out where he'd gone. I was so angry with him, after all the effort I'd gone to getting everyone back on side for his party and he'd thrown it away like that.

He didn't even open my card.

Tee came and comforted me as I sat in my room, looking through the card- tempted to rip it up.

"Maybe he just doesn't want to mess it up with his mum" she said, coming to sit beside me.

"But he's acting like he doesn't even care about us!" I exclaimed.

"Sometimes that makes the goodbyes easier.." Tee added nostalgically.

"I don't want him to go.." I whispered, clutching the card to my chest.

I couldn't imagine my life without him. So how could he imagine one without me?

Tyler POV

I'd been an idiot. My mum wanted me, just me. We couldn't go back to before no matter how hard we tried. The Dumping Ground had changed me.

She couldn't undo all of that and pretend like it didn't exist.

The worst thing though was that everyone hated me, including Jody. She'd given me all her chances but I'd thrown it in her face.

On my birthday, of all days.

I went into Mike's office deflated, realising that maybe this would be the last time I'd see my mum. Back to square one.

Surprisingly she seemed to understand where I was coming from.

"You're not the same little boy in the photograph.."

"I've got the same hair" I joked, as Mike let out a small chuckle.

"You've grown into a young man and I have Mike and May-Li to thank for that" Mum added.

I smiled sadly, so she was going to leave me here again.

"So how about I get to know your family first?" she offered, as I realised that maybe I would be able to stay in contact with her after all.

The rest of the day resolved itself, and I went to join the party. Mum made everyone laugh when we played Twister, sharing a few stories about me when I was younger.

It was working, all the snide comments about my mum had gone and the DG accepted her for who she was. The best birthday ever. Except that left one thing.

Jody POV

I knocked on the door and walked into his room. It had been quite a day, and now I was about to make it better.

"Hi" I said quietly, as he got up from his bed.

"Hi" he replied, motioning me over.

I handed him the card. On the front was a rough sketch of me and him holding hands. It said best friends forever but the drawing was nothing special. He stared at the front bit for what felt like ages.

"Look inside then!"

As he read my message, I remembered why we made each other personal birthday cards. Ever since Carmen had accidentally ruined his mum's birthday cards, we'd made each other personal cards to make up for all those lost birthdays. We could have just signed in the big card, but our friendship meant more than that.

He opened up the present, careful to not damage the wrapping.

"Just rip it open!" I told him, my patience wearing thin.

Inside there was a vintage shirt with a sketch of Houdini which May-Li and I had spent ages searching for. Underneath the shirt, was a small leather case. Inside, tucked away inside the box was a material leather band with his name on it.

"Jodes... I don't what to say.." he suddenly spoke, cradling his gifts.

"..well a thank you would be nice.." I chuckled, as he dove to give me a hug.

As we lay down on his bed, I started to tell him about how I chose his gifts, and what I'd done to make sure the party ran smoothly. He listened intently, the whole time smiling.

Even if he did leave the Dumping Ground, I knew that no one would be able to replace me as his best mate.

Because that's what we were- best friends forever!