Twin Tales by Jacqueline Wilson Page B

the hospital. Dad didn’t get back until breakfast and then he gave Connie a big hug, Granny a big hug and, when the postman knocked at the door, he very nearly gave him a big hug, too.
    â€˜It’s twins!’ he said, as if it was a big surprise. ‘A lovely little boy and a lovely little girl. Charles and Claire – a perfect pair!’
    â€˜I’m Connie alone. One on my own,’ Connie muttered.
    â€˜What’s that, Connie?’ said Dad. ‘You want to see your little brother and sister, eh? Granny will meet you after school and take you to the hospital.’
    It was good fun at school showing off about the twins. Connie told Karen and all her friends; then she told the teacher and was allowed to write on the blackboard: CONNIE HAS A NEW BABY SISTER AND BROTHER. She did a picture of them too, with pink chalk and yellow for their curls. She wasn’t sure what they looked like yet but all babies looked more or less the same, didn’t they?
    She got a shock when Granny took her to the hospital. There was Mum lying back in her bed, little again and looking very happy. There were two cots at the end of Mum’s bed and there was a baby in each cot.

    â€˜Oh, aren’t they sweet!’ Granny cooed. ‘Oh, what perfect little pets. The pretty little darlings!’
    Connie didn’t think the twins looked sweet or perfect or pretty. They were certainly little. Much smaller than she’d expected. Tiny weeny wizened little creatures. They didn’t look a bit like Karen’s baby sister Susie. They didn’t even have any hair. Not one curl between them. They were as bald as Connie’s grandpa – and much uglier.
    â€˜Aren’t you lucky to have such a lovely baby brother and sister, Connie?’ said Granny.
    Connie didn’t feel lucky at all.

3. Wailing Whimpers
    It got worse when Mum and the twins came home from the hospital. Granny and Grandpa and all sorts of aunties and assorted friends and neighbours came crowding into the house, too. They pushed past Connie, barely giving her a nod. They rushed over to the twins and then they started gurgling and giggling and goo-goo-gooing. (Not the twins. Granny and Grandpa and all the aunties and assorted friends and neighbours gurgled and giggled and goo-goo-gooed.)
    The twins didn’t respond. Sometimes they slept through all this attention. Most of the time they whimpered and wailed. For such tiny little creatures they could make an immensely loud noise.
    â€˜Hark at them exercising those little lungs,’ said Granny, knitting busily.
    She was knitting a tiny pink teddy bear jumper for Claire and a tiny blue teddy bear jumper for Charles. She didn’t seem to have time to make a new teddy bear jumper for Connie even though Connie had explained that her old teddy bear jumper had never been the same since the mishap with Karen’s sister, Susie.

    â€˜I’d rather like a pink teddy bear jumper,’ said Connie. ‘Or would I like blue better? I know! How about pink and blue striped. With a yellow teddy bear.’

    â€˜What’s that, dear?’ said Granny vaguely. ‘I can’t quite hear you.’
    â€˜Because the twins are making such a racket,’ Connie said, sourly. ‘They’re giving me a headache.’
    â€˜It’s just their way of saying hello,’ said Granny.
    â€˜I wish they’d say bye-bye,’ said Connie.
    â€˜Ooh dear,’ said Granny, pulling a silly face. ‘Someone’s nose has been put out of joint by the twins. I think our Connie’s gone a bit green-eyed.’
    Granny often used odd expressions that Connie didn’t understand. Connie went upstairs to the bathroom to give her face a quick check. When she came downstairs again Granny was still talking about her.
    â€˜It’s just as well the twins have come along. Connie’s a dear little girl but she can be a bit of a madam at times.’
    â€˜I