Free Diamond Girls by Jacqueline Wilson Page A

to clean the basin. The taps were stiff with black grime that wouldn’t come off.
    â€˜Try using an old toothbrush,’ said Mum. ‘There’s some bathroom stuff in that cardboard box.’
    I couldn’t find any really old toothbrushes. Rochelle’s pink toothbrush was a
bit
bristly.
    â€˜Rochelle will kill you,’ said Mum, when I started scrubbing. ‘So what’s your new friend called?’
    â€˜Mary. She’s very shy. But we played a bit. I think she likes me.’
    â€˜Is she about your age? You could go to school with her.’
    â€˜I don’t want to go to school, Mum. I want to stay home and help you. I could look after the baby when he comes.’
    â€˜You need your education, pet.’
    We heard Jude shouting outside. Boys were shouting too. There was a lot of swearing, mostly from Jude.
    Mum sighed. ‘It looks like living here is going to be an education in itself. Help me up, Dixie. I don’t know what’s up with Jude but she’s effing and blinding fit to show us all up.’
    I ran down the stairs in front of Mum. Martine had to catch hold of me as I ran for the door.
    â€˜Hang on, Dixie, there’s a whole gang out there. It’s not
safe
.’
    â€˜Jude’s there,’ I said, dodging past Martine.
    There were six boys out in the street by the van. Four had hoodie jackets, the hoods pulled over their baseball caps so they looked like fierce birds with beaks. There was one big fat guy with a very rude phrase scribbled across his enormous sweatshirt. The last boy had dark curly hair and a black scarf and an earring, a bit like a pirate. He was standing with his hands on his hips, shaking his head at Jude, looking pitying. Jude was swearing away at him, not seeming to notice she was outnumbered. These weren’t boys like the kids at Bletchworth. They were older, and much scarier.
    Rochelle was standing beside Jude. She looked angry too, her cheeks bright pink, her eyes glittering. ‘Will you just bog off!’ she yelled. She wasn’t yelling at the boys. She was yelling at Jude.
    â€˜Yeah, push off, big sister,’ said Pirate Boy.
    â€˜OK, when you’ve stopped hitting on my little sister. Do you know how old she is?
Twelve!
’
    â€˜Shut up, Jude! I’m very nearly thirteen.’
    â€˜And very well developed too, darling,’ said Big Fat Guy.
    â€˜You talk to her like that and I’ll punch you straight in your fat chops,’ said Jude.
    He said worse. Some very rude things about Rochelle
and
Jude. Her fist clenched and she punched him right on the chin. He shook his head, looking dazed.
    â€˜Right, she’s asked for it,’ said one of the Hoodies. ‘Let’s teach the stroppy little cow a lesson.’
    Two of his mates seized Jude by the shoulders and slammed her up against Bruce’s van. Jude lifted her leg and tried to kick them, but the others caught her. The first Hoodie stepped forward, grinning.
    â€˜Leave her be, she’s only a silly little kid,’ said Pirate Boy.
    Jude unwisely said something very rude and insulting back. Then she spat in the Hoodie’s face. He clenched his fists. I screamed and started running, but someone pushed me out the way. This person elbowed his way through the boys. The biggest Hoodie lunged at him but he blocked the punch with an arm that seemed made of wood. Then he used this bionic arm to strike sideways at his ribs. The Hoodie fell to his knees, gasping.
    â€˜Now clear off!’ he shouted. ‘Leave these girls alone!’
    They went running for it.
    I stared at this amazing Superman. It was
Bruce
!
    â€˜Wow, Uncle Bruce, you were simply
brilliant
! That was just like a cartoon fight,
wham-bam-bash
! And it was you doing all the bashing! You saved Jude from getting beaten up.’
    â€˜I didn’t need saving,’ said Jude sourly, sucking her fist. Her knuckles were bright red from punching the Big Fat