Twin Tales by Jacqueline Wilson Read Free Book Online Page B

his mouth open,’ said Gran, but she pinned that picture up too.
    Connie wanted to watch television now but Gran’s set was very old and kept twitching. Her video recorder hadn’t worked properly for ages either.
    â€˜The hire firm is replacing them on Monday,’ said Gran, and her face creased into a whole new set of wrinkles.
    â€˜What’s the matter, Gran?’ said Connie.
    â€˜Nothing, nothing. Tell you what – you help me peel the vegetables for lunch and then I’ll read to you, eh?’
    Connie wasn’t too thrilled about this idea. Gran had a whole shelf of children’s story-books but they were all very long and old-fashioned. Gran wasn’t very good at reading aloud either, not a patch on the people who read on Connie’s collection of story- tapes. But Connie smiled and acted pleased. She was trying to be good for once because she was fed up with Mum and Dad thinking her bad.
    But Gran picked the worst possible book. It was called
The Water Babies
.
    â€˜I don’t want that book!’ said Connie.
    â€˜It’s a lovely book, dear, all about this little boy Tom who’s a chimney sweep and then he becomes a water baby. Look, it’s got beautiful pictures.’
    Connie wouldn’t look, Connie wouldn’t listen. When Mum and Dad and the twins came to fetch her, Gran whispered to Mum that Connie had been a ‘bit of a madam’.
    Connie felt this was most unfair. She felt cross for the rest of Sunday. But she cheered up at school on Monday. She sat next to her best friend Karen. Karen had a baby sister called Susie, who screamed a lot. Karen drew a silly picture of Susie on the back of her school jotter.

    Connie and Karen got the giggles.
    Connie was still smiling when she met up with Mum at the school gate.
    â€˜You look in a good mood for once,’ said Mum. ‘Come on, we’re in a hurry. I’ve got to take the twins to be weighed at the baby clinic.’
    â€˜The baby clinic?’ said Connie.
    â€˜Will Nurse Meade be there?’ ‘She should be,’ said Mum.
    â€˜Great!’ said Connie. ‘She’s
magic
.’

5. Giant Gerbil
    â€˜Hello, Nurse Meade! Remember me?’ said Connie, running up to Nurse Meade.
    â€˜Of course I remember you, Connie,’ Nurse Meade laughed, and all the little blue glass beads on the ends of her plaits twinkled.
    â€˜You’ve still got all your pretty plaits,’ said Connie.
    â€˜With my special blue glass beads,’ said Nurse Meade, and she winked at Connie.
    Connie winked back. She wasn’t very good at winking. She had to crease up half of her face in the process.
    â€˜Connie, are you making faces at Nurse Meade?’ said Mum, shocked.
    â€˜She’s just being friendly. We’re special friends, Connie and me,’ said Nurse Meade. ‘How about helping me weigh your little brother and sister then, Connie? Off with their nappies and into the scales.’
    They weighed Claire first. She disgraced herself by doing a little wee in the scales. Mum got all embarrassed but Nurse Meade only laughed.

    Then they weighed Charles. He wasn’t going to let Claire outdo him. He did a little wee too. This time Nurse Meade had to dodge out of the way! She laughed even more. Connie laughed so much she had to clutch her sides and stagger.
    â€˜I’m going to wear my swimming costume next time I weigh these two,’said Nurse Meade.
    Connie stopped laughing. Nurse Meade looked thoughtful. Mum was busy mopping Claire and Charles and getting them dressed.
    â€˜Lots of people take their babies swimming now,’ said Nurse Meade, cleaning her scales.
    â€˜Yes, I take Claire and Charles,’ said Mum, trying to sound casual.
    â€˜And do they like it?’ asked Nurse Meade, washing her hands.
    â€˜They love it,’ said Mum. She glanced worriedly at Connie.
    Nurse Meade was watching Connie carefully too.
    â€˜Do you like swimming,