AN: Not sure if you liked the last chapter, it did seem to take a rather sharp turn, I admit that. But, let's just say that Johnny is getting more settled with how things are. Oh, and sorry for the few week's hiatus, life just imploded, like it does, annoyingly taking me away from FF for a while, both the reading and writing aspects of it. Anyway, R&R please!

Disclaimer: I don't own Tracy Beaker or any of its spinoffs.

Like ships in the night,
You keep passing me by,
Just wasting time.
Matt Kearney (Ships In The Night)

Cyanide Is A Strong Word – Chapter 9

It had been two months since they'd first met Jerry and not too much had changed, that was until one crisp spring's day.

As we all know, goodbyes are sometimes the most hardest things to do, sometimes they're the most easiest things to do; especially if the leaver is hated. But the leaver was loved by all who knew them, especially the residents of Elm Tree House. Carmen was the person who was to leave; her mum was to pick her up in the next ten minutes, she'd cleaned up her act, but they really weren't sure that this was such a good idea, to let her mum have her. But they had to let Carmen try, had to give her a chance at happiness, not many people got a chance, at least of all, not many people at the Dumping Ground.
Her mum was running late, yet again. This didn't put her in the good books with the others who sat around the petite girl, she was blushing under her rose blusher, Carmen didn't want them to remember her as the girl who forgave too easily. Elektra was sat on the window sill, at ease, she was eyeing the drive; seemingly on watch. Red Fords and green Toyotas passed by the drive, none of them bearing a taxi sign in the window or on the side, it seemed like forever when the bell eventually rang. When Carmen's mum, Helen, told of the traffic, they had no reason but to believe her, they knew she'd been telling the truth, the radio had squirted out the news just five minutes before. It did seem too good to be true, but no one wanted to say, to jinx that, all except one at ease person. "You do realise this is all going too well, don't you?!" Was what Elektra had asked Carmen as they walked to the living room to collect her belongings. Carmen sighed "You're never going to change are you Elektra? I know you don't mean to be horrible," Carmen said this in a soft 'we've already been here before' voice and continued ", but you do realise this is it for me, you can quite easily go back to yours, so don't judge me or my mum…just stop being so difficult…stop being you!" The last part was uttered louder than the rest. They were friends, even if Elektra never admitted it, but sometimes there was only so much you could put up with, Elektra always had a way of making everything she said seem so unfriendly. Elektra seemed taken aback as she stood there, stoic, she grabbed a bag and walked away to the foyer, dropping the bag onto the ground and then headed upstairs without a word. She never looked back, Johnny never realised; he'd been in the kitchen grabbing a snack.
Nearly everyone had said goodbye, Johnny had nodded his head, uttering those words, Harry was just hugging her when it had eventually clicked, he told everyone he'd be back in a minute and ran up the stairs. "Elektra! Carmen's jus' about to go!" he shouted as he prowled the hallways. Elektra and Faith's room was just up on the left. "We've already said 'bye." Was shouted back, Johnny stumbled, why? He knocked on her door…and then barged in; she was reading a Harry Potter book. "Elektra?" Elektra lifted her book up to indicate that she was busy reading, a look of annoyance crossed Johnny's face. "Really Elektra, are we really doing this?!" His voice was just quieter than a shout. Elektra gave a look of indignation as Mike shouted that Carmen was now leaving. Johnny looked to the door and then back at Elektra, he was in a predicament about what to do. "Come on, we're all always there, it's tradition!" Elektra shook her head, Johnny knew (but he also reasoned with himself) that when Elektra got reading there was no stopping her, even in a situation like now. He heaved a sigh and then ran for it, he got there just in time to smile and wave as the taxi drove Carmen away to a new uncertain life.

The rest of the day was rather subdued, still playing like kids, but less louder. Lily had cried, her dad had stuck around to comfort her; they were in the kitchen having a cup of tea. Harry and Tee were sat at the craft table making some paper plate faces; Harry's was to be a giraffe, what a surprise, eh?! Tee's was to be a ladybug. The boys played on the PS2, major graphicated and violent games inebriated their minds. Elektra was still in her room, reading, some wondered how she could spend such a long amount of time just reading. Faith had stayed away from their room, she'd been running laps around the garden, when she returned later, Elektra was nowhere to be seen. Faith wasn't worried; she'd surely be around the house somewhere, maybe with Rick…or Frank.

But she wasn't, she was at the park, chatting aimlessly with Jerry. Laughing at nothing and everything. The night was slowly fading away to black, the park would be shutting up soon, the shadows would soon be stalking the earth. Jerry insisted on walking Elektra back, but as they reached the gates and tried to push them open, they realised they were locked. "I could just climb over, I'll go by myself." Elektra suggested, she never said ' Don't worry about me' but he did worry, he suggested that they both climb over but she knew he was too big to do so without help which meant he wouldn't be able to get back, to be able to sleep in a safe place. She just said she'd stay there, at the park. Jerry tried to argue but she just turned on her heel and walked back to the toilets. To be honest with you, Elektra was extremely relieved that she didn't have to walk alone in the dark, you have no idea who could be out there, what could happen out there…

AN: If you review this chapter, please could you tell me if you didn't like the last chapter and why, so I'll know how to write future chapters - just to let you know, this is moving on as a more serious, coming-of-age style fic. It makes more sense, to be able to tell a more fluid story. Hope you enjoyed it!