whatever you did with your hair, but you don't smell so great. I'll not sure about the blood on your shirt either.?
Mh,?James gasped, realising that he hadn't showered since leaving Corbyn Copse two days earlier. Tr better go up for a quick scrub before I go find the gang.?
Aren't you forgetting something??Violet said, as James headed for the lift.
Am I??
TEl have the car keys, thank you very much. We wouldn't want you joyriding with your mates, would we??
Tould I do a thing like that??James grinned, feigning innocence as he dumped the key fob on the reception desk.
T'll sure butter wouldn't melt,?Violet said. And all those appointments in Dr McAffertyt office have been the result of simple misunderstandings.?
Exactly,?James nodded, as he noticed the lift doors opening and jogged off.
He headed up to the sixth floor. Most of the rooms were open because it was warm, but nobody was inside. He was especially disappointed when he leaned into Kerryt empty room, but it still gave him a rush seeing all her things, breathing her smell and knowing that her be seeing her as soon as her scrubbed up and put on clean clothes.
He realised Zara and Lauren were already back when he found his room unlocked and his hurriedly-packed holdall and a bag of dirty washing standing in the doorway. As he turned through his door, he noticed Kyle, spread across his bed in the room directly opposite.
Ney,?James said, leaning into Kylet doorway. Tou got back quick.?
Kyle propped himself up so that he could see James. Nelicopter from Newcastle airport; dropped me down on the pad at the back of the rugby fields.?
James realised that Kyle didn't look too happy. If he hadn't been crying, he was close to it. Thatt the matter??
Lust ?Tom,?he said.
Tou spent a lot of time hanging out with him, didn't you??
Kyle nodded solemnly. 慠emember when you said that Kerry wasn't the most beautiful girl in the world, but that she was special because everything clicks when you're together? Well, thatt how it felt when I was with Tom: driving around the countryside in his little MG, going to the cinema棐
慠omping on my bed while I was stuck in school,?James interrupted.
Kyle laughed. Mne time.?
Don't worry about it,?James said, shaking his head. T never said sorry for how I acted that day. From now on, absolutely anyone can use my bed, just so long as they keep their underwear on.?
Kyle grinned half heartedly. Mne thing I won't miss is that titchy cottage. The way we were all crammed in there, I'll amazed nobody came to blows.?
Thatt true,?James nodded. T'll gonna take a quick shower and head over to the gymnasium to find the gang. You wanna come with me or are you happy being miserable??
Might as well,?Kyle said. Can't spend my whole life sitting around feeling sorry for myself, can I??
38. JET
Two days later
Provided they behave themselves, every cherub gets a five-week break at the CHERUB summer hostel on the Mediterranean island of C棗. Kids who are late back from missions are flown out on regular, scheduled services, but the main flights that take half the population of campus in one go are put on by the Royal Air Force in one of its dilapidated Tristar jets.
Designed for carrying soldiers, every expense had been spared. There was no entertainment system, the basic seats had torn covers, they didn't recline and the bare metal floor was covered in sand and mud from soldiers?boots. It was best not to put anything into the seatback pockets because years of accumulated orange peel and crumbs had sprouted mould and the ashtrays were still full, even though smoking on RAF jets had been banned years earlier.
Not that any of the 116 cherubs on board cared. They wore shorts and T-shirts and were already tearing into the bagged lunches theyr been handed as they boarded the plane. There was screaming, shouting and occasional choruses of why are we waiting?
They were stuck on the tarmac because one of the coaches bringing them to the airport had broken down and it had taken over an hour for the stricken passengers to be picked up in a stream of taxis. James and Kerry were among the last group to arrive and Lauren spotted them running up the steps from her window seat.
Looks like those two have finally come up for air,?Lauren grinned.
Bethany nodded her head, which had a paper crown and streamers dangling off it. T saw them three times yesterday, and they were snogging every single time.?
Lucky