The Jacqueline Wilson Christmas Cracker

by Jacqueline Wilson

  ‘Yes, but that’s Ruby’s way. She doesn’t really mean it,’ I said.

  ‘Mmm,’ Lucy said again.

  I decided not to argue further. It’s not Lucy’s fault. And she is my best friend. Though of course Ruby is my bestest best friend. Oh, I can’t wait to see her!

  We’re going to take the car to Hineford to meet Garnet from the station, Dad and Rose and me. Rose is our stepmother. We used to hate her but actually she’s not such a bad old stick when you get to know her. Of course, she’ll never take the place of our lovely special mum – but I’m not going to write about her or I’ll start crying.

  We lived with Dad and Gran till Rose came along, but now we’ve moved to this bookshop in the country – and Gran’s gone to live in sheltered housing. She says she likes it there. She’s got this friend called Albert. I suppose he’s Gran’s boyfriend, which is seriously embarrassing. Rose has invited him to come for Christmas. That’s going to be weird. But at least Garnet will be back and it will be sooooo brilliant.

  Oh-oh. Christmas. I haven’t gone out and bought my presents yet, and I spent all my money on a new game for my Xbox. Oh well. I’m sure Garnet will have presents for everyone, and then I can just add Love from Ruby.

  I’m writing this on the train, on my way home! It was sad saying goodbye to everyone at school. I even felt a bit teary saying goodbye to the teachers! I gave Jamilla a big hug – and she seemed delighted with the scarf I’d knitted her. It was worse saying goodbye to Lucy. We share a rabbit in the school zoo which we call Lettuce. So I made her a little clay rabbit and painted it grey and white, just like Lettuce. The ears went a bit floppy but Lucy said she loved the rabbit even so.

  I’ve done my best with everyone’s presents. I’ve knitted another scarf for Gran, and hemmed a pocket handkerchief for Uncle Albert. I’ve painted a special watercolour picture of our Red Bookshop for Dad and threaded a red glass bead necklace for Rose. I’ve tried extra hard to make the perfect present for Ruby. I got friendly with our craft teacher and she’s helped me make two twin rag-dolls – one with short hair and one with neat plaits. I’ve given them identical clothes, but I’ve made the one with short hair have a few little patches on her jeans and sewn a purple bruise or two on her arms. I’ve put Velcro inside their hands, so that even when they hug each other they really cling together.

  She’s here! It’s so great! And yet it was really truly weird at Hineford because I saw this girl struggling off the train and just for a moment I didn’t recognize Garnet! She looks exactly the same, I suppose, and she’s still got her funny little plaits – but somehow she seems bigger and she’s turned ever so posh too. I thought it was just her ridiculous school uniform, but even when we were home and she’d changed into a sweatshirt and jeans she still seemed different. And her voice! That truly is different. She sounds as if she’s got a plum in her mouth and she uses all these la-di-da expressions.

  ‘What are you talking like that for?’ I asked.

  ‘What do you mean?’ she said, like she didn’t know she was doing it.

  ‘You haven’t gone all snobby on me just because you go to that posh school?’ I said.

  ‘Don’t be so daft,’ she said, suddenly the old Garnet.

  She put her arms around me tight and gave me a big hug.

  ‘Oh Ruby, I’ve missed you so much!’ she said.

  I was suddenly so choked up I couldn’t say a word in case I burst into babyish tears.

  I’m home and it’s quite wonderful! It’s so fantastic to be back. It feels like I’ve been away for years and years. Dad and Rose were so pleased to see me – and Gran is coming to stay at the weekend, hurray. And of course, best of all, I’m back with Ruby. Oh, it feels so good to be with her. I realize that I’ve just felt like half of myself at Marnock Heights. She’s exactly the same, with her hair sticking up all over the place. It looks kind of cool. She makes me feel terribly prim and proper and old-fashioned now.

  I don’t think she’s missed me much. She hasn’t said so anyway. She’s just talked nineteen to the dozen about all these boys she knows. She goes everywhere with Blob now. Plus she’s got heaps of friends at her drama class. I tried to tell her about Lucy and her rabbit, and Jamilla and all the other girls, but I think I must have been a bit boring because she started yawning and rolling her eyes. I shut up quickly. I don’t want to upset her right at the start of the holidays.

  It was great when we went to bed and we could talk in our twin language and replay all our secret games. Then it suddenly seemed as though the last few months had never happened.

  I love having Garnet here – but she doesn’t half get on my nerves sometimes. Dad and Rose are all over her, wanting to hear every teeny-tiny detail about her life at Marnock Heights. And Gran’s even worse. She came to stay for Christmas today and she hardly took any notice of me whatsoever. She was all, ‘Oh Garnet, your hair looks so pretty and tidy in your neat plaits’ and ‘You keep your clothes so nicely, dear, they all look new’ and ‘You speak really beautifully now, it’s a treat just to listen to you.’

  She doesn’t say, ‘Oh Ruby, your hair’s such a mess’ and ‘You’re such a terrible scruffbag’ and ‘You mumble and use slang and silly words’ but it’s obvious that’s what she means. Garnet is definitely the favourite now. It’s not that I’m jealous or anything. I mean, I’d much sooner be me. But I can’t help feeling that my entire family are starting to take me for granted. Still, see if I care. I’ve got Blob and all his gang and we have the best fun ever. Blob doesn’t like Garnet best.

  Oh dear, Ruby wanted to go and hang out with that Blob today. I went along too, because I want to be with her all the time – but it was awful. Ruby and Blob and all those other boys hang about at the bus shelter and climb up on the roof and yell rude words at people. I tried to climb up too, just to show I’m willing, but I’m useless at it – and I didn’t dare shout at anyone. I don’t see the point. Then they all started jeering at me, even Ruby. I was scared I was going to burst into tears, but I stuck my nose in the air and pretended I didn’t care.

  ‘You’re all pathetically infantile,’ I said.

  I hoped I’d squash them, but they all started saying worse things, and eventually I walked off back to the bookshop. I hoped Ruby would come running after me, but she didn’t.

  Dad and Rose and Gran asked where Ruby had got to when I went back.

  ‘Oh, she’s just hanging out with her friends,’ I said. ‘She’ll be back later.’

  Rose put her arm round me.

  ‘Didn’t they want you to hang out with them too?’ she said.

  ‘Oh, yes. They were very nice to me,’ I said quickly.

  ‘Those boys don’t sound very nice at all,’ said Gran. ‘If I had my way I’d stop young Ruby running wild with them. But I know some people believe in letting young kiddies do exactly as they please.’

  This was a dig at Rose. Gran still isn’t very keen on her, though Rose tries very hard to be friendly. The way I’m trying very hard to be friendly with Ruby. But it’s not working. When she came home last night, Gran said straight out, ‘What are you doing, getting into trouble with all those awful boys, instead of playing sensibly with your sister?’

  Ruby glared at me, thinking I’d been telling tales. And now I don’t think she’s speaking to me.

  I can’t believe Garnet can be so mean. She’s changed so much. She never used to tell tales on me. She used to join in all the fun and do whatever I said. Now she just sticks her snobby nose in the air and acts like she’s too good for us. Well, see if I care.

  I don’t know what to do. I thought Ruby and I would have such a brilliant time together these holidays, but it’s not working. She barely talks to me. I just hope Christmas Day will make everything come right. I do hopes she likes her dolls – but maybe she’ll think them babyish and pathetic.

  I don’t know what to do. Garnet’s put all these beautifully wrapped presents under the Christmas tree. I was going to ask her if I could add my n
ame, but now she’s barely talking to me it’s a bit awkward. And there’s a lumpy parcel especially for me. I haven’t got her anything.

  I was moping about in the kitchen, while Dad was in the shop and Gran and little goody-goody Garnet were sewing together in the living room. Rose caught me digging a little hole in the foundations of Gran’s Christmas cake, scooping out fingerfuls of marzipan. I thought she’d get cross – but she came and dug out a little mouthful herself.

  ‘I won’t tell if you won’t,’ she said. ‘Oh heavens, it’s scrumptious, isn’t it? Your Gran does everything so superbly. She’s heaps better at everything. It makes me really irritated. Is that bad of me?’

  ‘Imagine how irritated I feel, with genius goody-goody Garnet as my sister. Oh, Rose – she’s got me a present and I haven’t got her anything. Or anyone else for that matter. Garnet always organizes the present stuff, but she hasn’t been here.’

  ‘I’ll help you with your Christmas presents, Ruby,’ said Rose, going to the cupboard and getting out flour and sugar and ginger. ‘Fancy making gingerbread biscuits? Little gingerbread people. You could do a pair of twins especially for Garnet.’

  ‘Gingerbread biscuits aren’t really proper presents though,’ I said.

  ‘It’s the thought that counts. I think Garnet would be thrilled if you made her something special,’ said Rose.

  ‘I’m not so sure. I think she just looks down her nose at me now. She’s changed now she goes to this posh school,’ I said.

  ‘Rubbish! She’s just the same sweet girl she’s ever been. You’re the one who’s all prickly and stand-offish. You’ve been acting like a royal pain ever since she came home.’

  ‘So why are you being nice to me?’

  ‘Because I care about you, dopey,’ said Rose.

  ‘What, more than Garnet?’

  ‘I love you both the same. But you can be more fun sometimes, even though you give me more grief,’ said Rose. ‘Now come on, let’s get cracking.’

  So I made a whole family of gingerbread people. I tried specially hard to make two gingerbread girls. One had very neat twisty plaits and a smile. The other had mad hair and a scowl. I tried very hard with Rose’s gingerbread lady, piping an icing sugar rose on her chest. Now they’re all hidden away in a tin and I’ll give them out on Christmas morning.

  Oh, it’s been such a wonderful Christmas! I woke up very early and Ruby woke up at exactly the same moment and we both whispered ‘Happy Christmas’ and then did our special twin grin. It was as if we were back to being us. We all opened our presents after breakfast. Gran’s made us seriously embarrassing jumpers with little fluffy sheep on. My sheep are white and Ruby’s black.

  ‘Oh ha ha,’ said Ruby. ‘So I’m the black sheep of the family, Gran!’

  ‘Not ha ha, it’s baa baa,’ I said. It wasn’t very funny but Ruby laughed.

  She handed out all these fantastic gingerbread biscuits as her Christmas presents. I got two, twin girls just like us.

  ‘Eat them up then,’ said Ruby.

  ‘No!’ I said.

  ‘Why? Don’t you like them?’ Ruby paused. ‘Do you think they’re infantile?’

  ‘No! I like them so much I want to keep them for ever,’ I said. ‘Now, you open my present for you, Ruby. I think it really is a bit infantile. You’ll probably laugh at me.’

  Ruby tore the paper off the twin rag dolls and stared at them.

  ‘There! They’re silly, aren’t they? I mean, I know you don’t play with dolls anymore, obviously.’

  ‘I’m not going to play with these either,’ said Ruby, gruffly.

  ‘It’s OK, I understand,’ I said, thought I felt crushed.

  ‘I’m going to put them on the windowsill in our bedroom, and that way they won’t ever get mucked up, because I’m going to keep them for ever,’ said Ruby.

  We had a little hug, just like the little dolls, clinging as if we were made of Velcro too.

  It was a seriously ace Christmas. Garnet liked my gingerbread twins and I love my little dolls. And Dad and Rose gave me a skate board, how wicked is that?! They gave Garnet a whole load of boring old books and some felt tips and a sketch pad, but she didn’t seem to mind that I got the best present ever.

  After Christmas dinner I wanted to go out straight away and try out my skate board. Garnet came with me and we went up to the top of the road and then practised whizzing down it. I had the most goes because it was my skate board – and Garnet was a bit rubbish at it actually.

  Blob came riding up with Ferret-Face, both of them on new bikes. They thought my skate board was wicked too, so I let them have a go. Ferret-Face careered right into Garnet and nearly sent her flying. They all laughed.

  ‘Whoops! Sorry, Your Royal Highness. How infantile of me!’ said Ferret-Face.

  ‘Don’t you take the mick out of my sister!’ I said, giving him a shove. ‘Come on, Garnet, let’s go home. I’ll see you guys later.’

  ‘It’s OK, Ruby, really.’

  ‘No, I’d sooner go back home. We’ll draw with your new felt tips. I’ll do some of my jokey cartoons.’

  So we did just that, my twin and me. And it’s OK OK OK, because we’re back to being Ruby-and-Garnet again.

  It was so sad saying goodbye to Ruby when I had to go back to Marnock Heights. I cried and cried and cried. Ruby cried too, though she screwed up her eyes and pretended she was fine.

  ‘Never mind, you girls,’ said Dad. ‘It’ll be Easter before you know it.’

  I’m going to get started on my Easter presents already. I’m going to sew Easter bunnies for everyone. Twin bunnies for Ruby.

  I do miss Garnet soooo much. But she’ll be back for Easter and then we’ll have such fun, Garnet and me. That’s the great thing about being a twin. You can be separated for month after month, and then it feels a bit weird when you get back together again – but you know that underneath you’re still best ever friends for ever, no matter what. Garnet and me. We might look different, but inside we’re absolutely identical.

  RUBY AND GARNET’S GINGERBREAD TWINS!

  People have been baking gingerbread for more than a thousand years, and some people believe that Queen Elizabeth I served gingerbread men to important guests in the sixteenth century! Now gingerbread is especially popular at Christmas, and makes a tasty homemade present.

  For your gingerbread twins:

  • 350g plain flour, plus a bit extra for dusting

  • 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

  • 2 tsp ground ginger

  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon

  • 125g butter

  • 175g brown sugar

  • 1 large egg

  • 4 tbsp golden syrup

  For the decorations:

  • Icing in whatever colours you like!

  What to do:

  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.

  2. Line two baking trays with greaseproof paper.

  3. Mix the flour, bicarbonate of soda, ginger, cinnamon and butter, and whizz in a food processor until you have a mixture that looks like breadcrumbs.

  4. Stir in the sugar.

  5. Beat the egg and golden syrup together and add to the food processor. Whizz again until the mixture clumps together.

  6. Tip the dough out onto a clean surface. Knead until smooth, wrap in clingfilm and leave to chill in the fridge for 15 minutes.

  7. Roll the dough out on a surface lightly dusted with flour, so that it’s about half a centimetre thick. Using cutters, cut out the gingerbread twin shapes and place carefully on the baking tray, leaving a gap between them.

  8. Bake for 12–15 minutes, or until lightly golden-brown. Leave on the tray for 10 minutes and then move to a wire rack to finish cooling.

  9. When cooled, put your little figures into pairs, and decorate with the icing. You could make each set of twins identical – or, like Ruby and Garnet, you might want to make one a bit more untidy than her sister . . .

  I GOT VERY excited and enthusiastic about Christmas. It had nev
er been an extraordinary occasion at the hospital. We’d each been given a penny and an orange – that was the extent of our Christmas gifts. There had been no lessons, no hours of darning, but there had been a punishingly long session in the chapel that gave us all aching backs and pins and needles in our dangling legs.

  I had read about Christmas though, and was convinced that all other folk sat down to huge tables groaning with capons and figgy puddings galore, with a Christmas tree and coloured lanterns and many presents.

  I looked around our small, dimly lit cottage, saw our big stewing pot, and sighed at the few coins rattling in my purse. ‘How can we make Christmas special, Jem?’ I wailed.

  ‘We don’t really set so much store by Christmas,’ he said. ‘Perhaps we can have a bit of stewing beef. That’ll make a nice change.’

  ‘It should be a roast,’ I wailed. ‘And I need to decorate the house to make it pretty. But what are we going to do about presents? I want to give real gifts. Folk will be getting tired of me stitching them silly clothes.’

  ‘Oh, Hetty, you stitch beautiful clothes. We don’t really give elaborate gifts – but I do have a tiny present for you.’

  ‘Really? What is it?’

  ‘You’ll have to wait until Christmas Day! And listen – perhaps one of the girls will invite us to her house. Both Bess and Eliza have big ovens, so we could share their roast. We could bundle Mother up and drive her over in Molly’s donkey cart,’ said Jem, a little doubtfully, because both sisters lived miles away.

  There were certainly a flurry of letters inviting us over for Christmas, and Mother seemed excited by the idea. But when Jem and I talked it over together, it didn’t seem at all practical. It was getting so cold. Mother would freeze to death on the journey, even if we wrapped her up in twenty blankets. We couldn’t take her special wheeled chair too, so she would be trapped in a corner – and would there be room enough for her in any spare bed?