CHERUB: Class A - Robert Muchamore Page 0,50

back made James feel emotional and his eyes started glazing over. He didn’t want to start bawling in front of everyone, so he scraped back his chair and bolted towards the stairs.
‘Are you OK?’ Zara shouted after him.
‘Busting to pee,’ James lied.
He locked himself in the bathroom. He wasn’t really miserable, it was just that thinking about his mum always made him feel empty. Even though there was loads of interesting stuff going on in his life, James often wished he could go back in time and spend a night in front of the TV with his mum.
After washing his eyes, James stared in the mirror at the same kid who’d been there the night before, only now he was a teenager. It didn’t really make any difference, but it was a buzz all the same.
*
James, Junior, Nicole and April arranged to meet at lunchtime, to bunk off and go to the cinema. They swapped uniform for casual clothes as soon as they got out of the school gate. James had loads of money, so he paid for tickets and popcorn and stuff.
It was a stupid thriller. Nicole started giggling every time this American actor spoke in a fake-sounding London accent. James and Junior started putting two fingers in their mouths and whistling noisily every time this fit actress came into shot.
The only other people in the cinema were a few pensioners. One bloke kept shushing them until Nicole turned back and waved her fist at him.
‘Shut it, you old git.’
The old man toddled off to make a complaint. The cinema manager came in and told them all to behave or else he’d chuck them out. James settled down to the film. He got a shock when he noticed Nicole and Junior had their arms around each other and an even bigger one a minute later when they started snogging.
They were all over each other. Nicole’s leg was up in the air and James kept getting kicked. He got up and moved down two seats so he was sitting on the opposite side of April, away from any flailing limbs.
‘They’re getting on well,’ April grinned.
She grinned for a long time. James watched half a minute of the film and she was still grinning at him. He realised the girls had planned an ambush. Nicole already knew Junior fancied her because he’d asked her out before. James felt like he’d been hooked on a line and reeled in, but he checked April out and realised that as traps go, it wasn’t a bad one.
April was decent-looking, with long brown hair and fit legs. James slid his hand under the armrest and put it on top of April’s. She twisted in her seat, so she could rest her head on James’ shoulder. James turned around, breathed April’s smell and kissed her on the cheek while she grabbed a few of his Maltesers.
They stayed that way for a couple of minutes, until April moved away and blew chocolate breath over him.
‘So,’ she whispered. ‘Are you gonna snog me or what?’
James figured what the hell, it’s my birthday. They snogged for ten minutes, breaking up when the movie got near the end and turned into a big car chase and punch-up that was actually worth watching.
Nicole and Junior started messing around. They poured the dregs and melted ice from the Coke into one cup, then spat in chewed-up chocolate and bits of popcorn off the carpet. Nicole held the cup between James and April.
‘Gob in that,’ Nicole said.
James and April obediently spat into the cup.
‘That better not end up anywhere near me,’ James said.
Nicole grinned. ‘Don’t you worry.’
As soon as the titles came up, Nicole and Junior dashed over and caught up with the old man as he doddered up the aisle.
‘Excuse me,’ Nicole said politely.
The old man turned suspiciously.
‘What is it?’
‘I just wanted to apologise for disturbing you,’ Nicole said. ‘I realise it was dreadfully inconsiderate of us.’
The old man smiled. ‘That’s OK, I suppose. Just don’t do it again.’
‘Yeah,’ Junior said. ‘It’s people like you that fought in hundreds of wars so that kids like us could be here today.’
‘We’d like you to have this as a token of our appreciation,’ Nicole giggled.
She chucked the contents of the cup at the old man, who wheezed in shock as the foul liquid drizzled inside his clothes. His jumper had massive stains and bits of popcorn stuck down the front.
‘That’ll teach you to be a grass,’ Nicole shouted.
James looked stunned as Nicole and Junior