CHERUB: Brigands M.C. - Robert Muchamore Page 0,60
look too impressed as she straightened up. ‘So what kind of bike would we be talking about?’
‘Five hundred cc. It’s a real beauty with less than six thousand miles on the clock.’
‘You’ve already looked?’ Chloe laughed. ‘You were supposed to ask the mechanics to check your brakes. And I can’t see it. I already had to write up a special report for the ethics committee on whether it was safe to let a sixteen-year-old ride around on the bike you’ve got.’
James shrugged. ‘But big bikes are safer in a lot of ways. I mean, imagine you’re on the motorway and there’s a big truck in the way spraying rain in your face. On a small bike you’re stuck behind it. On a bigger machine you can open up the throttle and overtake.’
Chloe blew air between her teeth. ‘Don’t get your hopes up, James.’
‘I think you should let him have a massive racing bike,’ Lauren grinned. ‘If he splats into a wall at a hundred and sixty miles an hour I’ll inherit twice as much money from my mum’s estate when I turn eighteen.’
‘If you can’t say something useful, Lauren, why don’t you shut the hell up?’ James asked irritably, before speaking to Chloe and trying not to make himself seem too desperate. ‘I’m not an idiot, you know? I’ll treat the bike with respect. And if I get the bike on finance, Rhino says he’ll let me speak to Teeth who’ll set me up with a summer job at Marina Heights so that I can make the payments. That way I’ll have a chance to get much closer to the Brigands clubhouse.’
Chloe seemed much more positive about this angle. James realised he should have used this argument first, because it didn’t look like he was just trying to get his hands on a cooler bike.
‘I suppose I can see the benefit of that,’ Chloe admitted.
‘Cool,’ James said. ‘The dealership is open until seven tonight. You have to sign some papers for the finance.’
‘Not bloody likely!’ Chloe said. ‘I’m not taking sole responsibility for letting a sixteen-year-old ride around on a hundred-and-twenty-mile-an-hour motorbike. I’ll have to speak to the chairwoman and the ethics committee.’
James felt slightly disappointed, but it had always been a long shot that he’d get the bike of his dreams immediately and at least Chloe was open to the suggestion.
*
Two dozen sixth formers hung out on the concrete platform above a sandy cove a couple of kilometres from the centre of Salcombe. The beach and the gentle waves coming off the sea were a novelty for James, but for the rest of the kids it was a regular hang-out where they could chill out, mess around, flirt and catch the last of the day’s sunshine.
Nigel dealt marijuana to a couple of kids and James got the impression that he could have sold way more if everyone wasn’t broke after the weekend. James’ real and fictional background was as a Londoner and everyone asked him questions about places to shop and places to stay.
Julian and his group of friends spoke vaguely of travelling to London for a few days in the summer, but they had nowhere to stay and they were all going on foreign holidays at different times with their parents so James got the impression that it was one of those things that would never come together.
After a while he sat with his back against a set of railings with Ashley and her friend Caitlyn on either side. Caitlyn wasn’t with anyone. She had straight dark hair and a short but chunky body. James thought about making a move, but reckoned it was best to concentrate on the mission for a day or two before trying it on with any girls, plus he was highly amused by the dirty looks he got off Julian every time he made Ashley laugh.
Once the sun dropped the wind came up and everyone headed through the centre of Salcombe to get something to eat at Marina Heights. Julian practically had steam venting out of his ears when James gave Ashley a lift on the back of his Honda and he confronted James angrily in the Marina Heights car park.
‘I don’t think it’s safe, her riding without a crash helmet,’ Julian said, as he got out of his car. ‘I noticed you wore yours.’
‘Whatever,’ James shrugged. ‘She’s a big girl, Jules.’
‘To be honest I think you should bugger off, James.’
Ashley made a deep sigh as James mocked Julian’s posh accent. ‘Well I