CHERUB: Class A - Robert Muchamore Page 0,8

Lauren said, turning slowly around on the chair. ‘But it’s raining.’
James swung out of bed and peered through the blind. Rain trickled down his window. The sky was grey and the outdoor tennis courts were under water.
‘Great,’ James said. ‘There’s nothing like British summer to cheer you up.’
‘You’ve got a good tan,’ Lauren said. ‘Mine’s almost gone and I’ve only been back from the hostel three weeks.’
‘Best holiday I’ve ever had.’ James grinned. ‘We’ll have to try and fix it so we go at the same time next year. Me, Kerry and about six other kids had this massive race on the quad bikes.’
‘Racing’s not allowed,’ Lauren said.
‘Isn’t it?’ James smiled, guiltily. ‘Anyway, there was a humungous crash. Me and Shakeel. You should have seen the state the bikes were in. Front tyres ripped off, petrol gushing everywhere. It was mad.’
‘Did you get hurt?’
‘Shakeel twisted his ankle, that’s all. I can’t wait for next year.’
Lauren smiled. ‘We dared Bethany’s brother to drive one of the quad bikes through the dining room. It was so funny when he got busted … Anyway, are you gonna tell us why they kicked your butts home early, or not?’
James slumped miserably back on his bed, realising he was now about as far as you get from racing over sand dunes.
‘I got totally stitched up,’ he said.
‘Give over, James, you always say that.’
‘Yeah, but this time it’s true. Bruce and Kerry had a punch-up. They trashed our room and Kerry busted her knee, but Meryl sent me and Gabrielle home early as well. We’ve got to go and see the Chairman this afternoon.’
‘You must have done something,’ Lauren said.
‘Lauren, all me and Gabrielle did was try to break the fight up. It was a total miscarriage of justice. Meryl wouldn’t let me get one word in.’
‘Makes up for all the things you haven’t been caught for,’ Lauren grinned. ‘How’s Kerry?’
‘She’s in loads of pain. They had to do a medivac: flew her home on a special plane because she can’t bend her leg.’
‘Poor Kerry,’ Lauren said.
‘I’ll go and see how she is when I’ve got my uniform on. You coming?’
‘I’ve got Karate class in a minute,’ Lauren said, shaking her head. ‘I want to be in top form when my basic training starts.’
‘Oh yeah,’ James grinned. ‘Only a month to go now. I’m gonna have such a laugh hearing about all the ways the instructors make you suffer.’
Lauren folded her arms and scowled at her brother. ‘You’re not scaring me, you know.’
*
The medical unit was a ten-minute walk from the main building. When James got to Kerry’s room, Gabrielle was already there.
‘Look what your friend did to her,’ Gabrielle said, as if it was somehow James’ fault.
Kerry was propped up on pillows beneath a Nil By Mouth sign. MTV blared from the portable TV hanging over her bed. She was on painkillers, but still had wet eyes and looked like she hadn’t slept.
James put Kerry’s MP3 player on her bedside table.
‘Thought some tunes might help take your mind off it,’ he said. ‘Hope you don’t mind me going in your room.’
‘No problem,’ Kerry said. ‘Cheers.’
‘Has the doctor seen you?’ James asked.
Kerry nodded, pointing to a light box on the wall.
‘Show James the thingy,’ she said.
There was already an X-ray mounted on the light box. Gabrielle walked up and switched on the lamp.
‘That’s Kerry’s kneecap,’ Gabrielle explained, pointing to a round grey area on the X-ray. ‘See the four black bars?’
James nodded.
‘Those are the metal pins put in when Kerry broke her kneecap two years ago. When Bruce twisted Kerry’s leg, that pin there shifted. So now Kerry’s got a piece of metal sticking out the back of her kneecap. Every time she moves, the metal cuts into the tendons underneath.’
‘Yuk,’ James winced. ‘What can they do about that?’
‘They’re taking her to hospital,’ Gabrielle said. ‘They’re operating this afternoon. Kerry can’t eat or drink before the anaesthetic. They’re going under her kneecap and cutting out the bent metal. The broken bone has grown back together, so the metal isn’t doing anything now anyway.’
James felt queasy imagining surgical instruments poking around inside his leg.
‘OOOOOOOOHHH god!’ Kerry screamed.
‘What?’ James asked, rushing over to the bed. ‘Are you OK?’
‘It’s nothing,’ Kerry said. ‘I just moved my foot. This is actually more painful than when I broke my knee.’
She let out a low groan. James sat beside the bed and stroked her hand.
‘Has Bruce been to see you?’ he asked.
‘No,’ Gabrielle huffed. ‘Like that little jerk would have enough class