Hi! So I'm going to write this like it's on TV as in a show etc with episodes and stuff. I had this written over a year ago so I decided to re-write everything. Enjoy!

"I can't believe how reckless you've been!" Mike shouted. "You're changing completely, and it's not natural!"

"Well what do you want from me Mike?!" Carmen shouted back. "I'm a teenager, things always change around that time."

"That's no excuse for a random outburst of pranks!" Gina said, crossing her arms.

"Just because Tracy's gone doesn't mean you guys can't be understanding like she was! This is why nobody wants you as care workers, all you do is shout, and you never listen!" Carmen said angrily, and she stormed out of the office.

Life In The Dumping Ground

Episode 1: Don't Change, Carmen!

Mike groaned as he heard shouts and smashes coming from the kitchen. He and Gina walked in and found Carmen running around, holding Lily's favorite top high over her head and letting out a sort of war-cry as she ran around the tables.

"SILENCE!" Gina screamed, and everyone froze. Carmen raised her eyebrows. "Carmen, give Lily back her top. NOW!"

Carmen rolled her eyes. "Alright, no need to shout Gina, I'm right here." She said calmly, and she threw Lily's top back to Lily. It landed on the blonde's head, causing the littler kids to giggle. "Happy?" she asked, turning to Mike.

"No, we're not." Mike said. "Carmen, you really need to calm down."

"Calm is boring." Carmen said, holding her head high and skipping out of the kitchen. "Just like you!" she called over her shoulder, causing the other residents of the Dumping Ground to laugh.

"Carmen!" Mike sighed and rubbed his forehead. "Do any of you know what's going on with her?"

"Nope." Everyone shook their heads. Jody looked shifty as she did so.

"Jody?" Gina frowned. "If you know something you better tell us."

"Well I don't." Jody snapped, and she got up and walked out of the kitchen after Carmen.

Gina and Mike exchanged a glance. "Hmm." Mike said.

"You can't tell anyone." Carmen said.

"I didn't, and I won't. I promised didn't I?" Jody reminded the girl.

"Yeah, you're right." Carmen said. "Sorry, I just don't want them finding out the truth."

"I see your point, even though I think it's a little mad." Jody shrugged.

"I know, it seems mad but if you were in this situation…trust me, you'd understand." Carmen sighed dreamily. "He's so gorgeous, Jody."

"Changing for a guy isn't good, that's what my mum said. They should love you for who you are." Jody recited.

"But he'd never notice me if I just acted like myself!" Carmen protested. "You know that. I have to make an effort."

"For Jason Brooks? Carmen, are you insane?!" Jody sighed. "Look, I'm not going to tell anyone, or complain, but don't blame me when things go wrong. I have warned you several times about that guy."

"It won't go wrong. The worst that will happen is that he doesn't notice me. Simple." Carmen smiled and ruffled Jody's hair, then she headed out, closing the front door behind her.

Jody sighed and bit her lip, and walked into the living room. She sat beside Tee.

"What's going on with Carmen, Jody?" Tee asked her casually.

"I can't tell anybody, I promised." Jody said with a sigh. "Anyway, if she wants, she'll tell you."

"But come on, Jody, it's insane, the way she went from a complete girly girl to a tomboy who is causing trouble everywhere." Faith said.

"I think it's funny." Elektra grinned.

"Yeah, well you would." Tyler pointed out.

"I'm not telling anybody! Leave it, it's none of your business anyway." Jody said, and she got up and ran upstairs. She sighed again and tucked her hair behind her ear.

"Well that didn't work." Tyler said.

"No, really?" Elektra said sarcastically.

"You didn't really expect her to tell us, did you?"Johnny asked.

"Not really." Faith agreed. "But we had to try something."

"I'm kind of worried." Tee said.

"Why? She's not in danger, right?" Mo asked.

"We don't know." Elektra said.

"But!" Faith said, shooting a glare at Elektra and smiling warmly at Mo. "We're sure it's nothing bad, so don't worry."

"Oh, okay." Mo said, and he went back to playing with Harry and Floss.

"I've got a plan B." Rick said at last.

"Let's hear it." Elektra said.

"Here's what we do…" Rick began.

"Hey, you're Carmen right?" the black haired boy stopped Carmen in her tracks.

"Yeah, that's me. Hi, Jason." Carmen said, smiling.

"So, I heard you're quite the trouble maker." Jason said, walking along beside her.

"Well, yeah, I guess I am." Carmen said, grinning right back at him.

"Hmm, well I was thinking…how about you and me go and get some McDonalds or something? Then you can tell me about the pranks you pull, and teach me some stuff?" Jason suggested.

"Sure!" Carmen said happily. "See you at about 7:30 at McDonalds, okay?"

"Yep. See you, Carmen." Jason walked away and Carmen ran back to the Dumping Ground, grinning happily. As soon as she got in, she ran up to Jody's room.

"Jody, I need to…" Carmen was cut off when she stepped into Jody's room and saw Elektra, Rick, Johnny, Tyler and Tee all sat on Jody's bed.

"Carmen!" Jody said, leaping up.

Carmen stiffened, and her hands curled into fists. "You told them." She said angrily.

"No, see, it wasn't like that!" Jody protested.

"I trusted you!" Carmen said angrily. "I can't believe I made that mistake." With that said, she stormed out, tears brimming in her eyes.

She slammed her bedroom door and began getting ready for 7:30, even if it was only 5:00. Soon she was dressed in her best jeans and her favorite red top. She topped it with a black cardigan and her black trainers. She put on her favorite 'C' gold necklace. She straightened her hair and left it loose, except for a little braid at the front left side. She smiled and put on some mascara and eyeliner.

Then, she sat and waited.

Jody angrily turned to them. "That's what you wanted?! To make her think I betrayed her?!"

"No, Jody, we just…" Tee began, but Jody had already stormed out.

"Happy?!" Tee said to Rick, and she walked out. "Jody, wait!" she stopped dead when she saw Carmen exit her room. "Oh my God! You look amazing!" Tee said.

"You sound so surprised." Carmen said, raising her eyebrows. "Though no doubt you know where I'm going."

"No, you don't get it, Jody didn't tell us anything, I swear!" Tee said.

"Well whatever, I don't care now. I'm going out to meet Jason Brooks." Carmen said, and she walked downstairs as soon as Johnny, Elektra and Rick exited Jody's room and stared after her.

"Jason Brooks?!" Elektra said, as soon as Carmen was out of earshot.

"We have got to stop her!" Johnny said. "He's a heartbreaker and has like ten girls at once!"

"We can't let her get hurt." Tee agreed and they all grabbed their coats and followed Carmen, with Jody tagging along.

"We have to make her see that he's a heartbreaker." Johnny said as they walked towards McDonalds.

"I have an idea…at least she isn't in love with him, otherwise she'd be heartbroken…but the other day, Jason said to me that he liked me and that I was pretty. So if we can somehow make Carmen see me with him, flirting or whatever, she'll get over him." Tee said.

"Good idea." Elektra said. "Come on."

Carmen exited McDonalds with a happy smile on her face. She had just finished up in the bathroom and Jason had left a few minutes before. She rounded the corner and stopped dead.

Tee was standing there, and she was talking to Jason. At first Carmen was about to call out when Jason suddenly leaned down and kissed Tee on the mouth.

Carmen remained frozen, glued to where she stood. When Tee pulled away and she and Jason spotted Carmen, she felt herself shaking her head and starting to back away.

"Carmen!" Tee said, and she looked shocked.

"No…" she whispered.

"Carmen, I can explain…" Jason began.

"NO!" she shouted, louder than before, and she turned and ran, feeling herself start to sob. Why was she crying over a boy? Because she actually thought that after all her efforts, maybe he liked her. She was obviously wrong.

"Carmen listen!" Tee shouted after her friend as she ran away. She could hear her start to sob. Tee slapped Jason across the face.

"You bastard!" she said, shocking everyone because she never swore. Elektra, Rick, Johnny and Jody came out from their hiding places to gather around Jason.

Johnny punched him in the mouth. "That's for hurting Carmen and kissing my sister."

Elektra also slapped Jason. "Get the fuck out of here you lying bastard!"

Jason angrily walked off and Tee sighed.

"I didn't want that to happen…but I didn't expect that kind of reaction from Carmen." Tee said.

"Didn't you see how hard she was trying to get Jason to notice her?" Jody pointed out. "It's obvious she really wanted to be noticed by him. I don't know, Tee, she's probably hurt pretty bad, because…well…she always thought you were better than her and believe me, I know that can hurt too." She said.

"So what do we do now?" Rick asked.

"We have to tell her that we planned it out, and then we can apologize." Tee said.

"Are you sure? Won't that make her madder?" Elektra said.

"It's better than lying to her." Tee said determinedly.

Carmen was lying on her bed, staring up at the ceiling. Her tears and makeup had vanished, but she didn't look sad or happy.

Tee, Elektra, Rick, Johnny and Jody entered her room.

Carmen looked at them then stood up, folding her arms tightly. "I managed to stop crying. Get out."

"Carmen, please just hear us out." Rick said.

Tee took a deep breath then looked up into her friend's eyes. "Listen, most of what happened was totally out of my control, and I didn't want half of that to happen."

"Half? Most?" Carmen said, and her eyes were confused, but her mind was putting the pieces slowly together.

"The thing is…we were worried about you. We didn't want you to get hurt when we found out you liked Jason." Johnny said.

"So…we knew that he had called Tee pretty so…she was going to flirt with him, make you see and get over him." Elektra said.

"But it got out of control and he kissed her. We didn't realize how hurt you were going to get." Rick said.

"We're really, really sorry." Johnny finished.

"You planned this?!" Carmen said, shock spreading across her features.

"Carmen, we…" Tee began, but was cut off by Carmen.

"For me?" she said softly, and her eyes were sparkling. "I didn't think you guys cared about me at all…"

"Of course we do!" Johnny said.

"How could you even think that we don't?" Rick agreed.

"You're my best friend, Carmen, I just didn't want your heart to get broken." Tee said.

"I'm sorry I didn't really warn you enough." Jody said. "Is your heart…broken now?"

"Well…it's not broken…just a little bruised. But that's okay, because…I can do better than Jason Brooks, and I have amazing friends to make sure I don't fall." Carmen said.

"So, are we forgiven?" Elektra asked.

Carmen shook her head, then grinned. "You kidding? You did all that just to make sure I didn't get hurt. Plus, I'm pretty sure Jason got a good slap, judging by the shouting I heard. Of course I forgive you." She smiled and she group hugged her friends.

Carmen walked downstairs into the kitchen with Tee, Johnny, Rick, Elektra and Jody. The latter five sat down and Carmen walked up to Mike.

"Hey, Mike?" she said.

"Yes?" he said, looking towards her.

"I'm sorry for being bad…I was just going through…" Carmen glanced at Tee then back at Mike. "A kind of phase. I promise it won't happen again."

Mike raised his eyebrows then chuckled. "Of course you're forgiven, kiddo." He said, patting her head.

Carmen went to sit beside Johnny and grinned happily, tucking into her food.

So that's the first episode/chapter. Hope you liked it! The next one will be up ASAP.