a foam collar around his neck.
James knew they weren’t exactly going to be falling over themselves to congratulate him on thumping an eleven-year-old, but he thought he’d be OK if he apologised and laid the severity of his punishment on thick.
‘I’m not allowed to go on holiday to the hostel this summer,’ he said solemnly. ‘I’m suspended from missions for a month and I’ve got to clean up the mission preparation building every night for three months … Oh, and I’ve got to start anger management sessions with a counsellor.’
Kyle and the others carried on eating without making a response. James tried again.
‘I really messed up … I mean, I know what I did was bad – well, totally unacceptable really – but …’
Gabrielle angrily cracked the wall of silence. ‘James, nobody at this table is interested. Why don’t you go and sit somewhere else?’
James wasn’t expecting a warm welcome, but Gabrielle’s harshness shocked him.
‘You know how I fly off the handle sometimes,’ he said weakly, glancing at the faces around him and hoping for some sign of support.
Kyle spoke firmly. ‘If you don’t move, then we all will. Do you know what Andy’s been through these past few months?
Meryl had been through Andy’s life story, but that didn’t stop James from getting a reminder.
‘His grandma died in a fire,’ Shak said. ‘The police found out it was arson and accused Andy of killing her. The poor kid spent six months locked up in secure accommodation, until someone grassed up the kids who really did it.’
Kyle nodded. ‘He tried to kill himself before he came to campus. He passed the introductory tests, but he didn’t go into basic training straight away because he’s still pretty messed up.’
‘And you beat him up,’ Connor said accusingly. ‘You’re scum.’ ‘Come on,’ James said in desperation. ‘I didn’t beat him up, it was one slap and a push. I’ll say sorry and give him a couple of my Playstation games to make it up. OK?’
Gabrielle and Kyle slowly shook their heads. James realised he wasn’t going to talk anyone around.
‘Fine,’ James said, as he stood up briskly and grabbed his tray. He tried adding, I’ve got other friends, but he found there was a lump in his throat.
He looked for somewhere to sit. He thought about heading towards Lauren and Bethany, but sitting with a bunch of littler kids wasn’t cool and James doubted they’d be very welcoming. He spotted a few other friendly faces: kids he’d been on training with and kids who were in his classes, but they all had their own little groupings and crashing on another crowd wasn’t the done thing.
He ended up alone at the back of the canteen. Nobody ever sat there unless the joint was packed out, because you could smell the congealed food that had been scraped into the bins.
*
After he’d eaten, James crashed out on his bed and sulked. Four hours earlier he’d been planning a picnic with Kerry, he had a ten-day exemption from exercise and the prospect of five weeks sunning it at CHERUB’s summer hostel at the end of the month. Now his whole life was down the toilet: dumped by Kerry, no friends, no holiday and he could have sworn the mound of homework piled up on his desk was grinning at him.
There was a triple knock at the door: Lauren’s knock.
‘Yeah,’ James said unenthusiastically.
He wasn’t sure how he felt about seeing Lauren. He kind of wanted to see her, but he didn’t want the lecture she was going to give him, however much he knew he deserved it.
‘You OK?’ Lauren asked, as James sat up on his bed. ‘You look like you’ve been crying.’
‘I haven’t,’ he said defensively, but then he shrugged. ‘Yeah, a bit.’
‘Kyle said it’s OK for me to speak to you, seeing as I’m your sister.’
James was narked. ‘What, you have to ask that idiot’s permission to speak to me now?’
Lauren wagged her finger. ‘Don’t knock Kyle. Him and Gabrielle saved your butt.’
‘You don’t know what you’re talking about,’ James tutted. ‘You should have seen them at dinner. They were the ringleaders.’
‘Nah-uh,’ Lauren said, shaking her head. ‘Andy’s being looked after by two massive sixteen-year-olds. When they found out what happened they were gonna batter you. Kyle was the one who talked them out of it. He reckoned blanking you would be more effective.’
‘At least if they’d beaten me up it would be over and done with … It’s out of all proportion, Lauren. I threw one