deodorant under his arms. Houte just jealous because It looking so beefy these days,?he said. ite hardly surprising that half the girls on campus are chasing after me.?
Hou reckon, do you??Bruce huffed.
Kyle spotted a golden opportunity for one of his trademark wind-ups. i think youte right, actually,?he said, stepping forward and putting his hand on James?bum. i think youte hot stuff.?
James leapt half a metre in the air and screamed. Cut that gay shit out, Kyle.?
After a great deal of persuasion from Kerry and a few others, James had eventually decided that there was nothing wrong with his friend Kyle being gay. Sometimes it still gave him the creeps though. He spun around and furiously shoved Kyle away, his face burning with rage as Bruce and the other boys started laughing. James realised the only way to save face was to outdo Kyle at his own game. He quickly balled up all the saliva he could muster, grabbed Kyle around the back of the neck and planted a massive soggy kiss on his cheek. Kyle recoiled in horror, with a glistening trail of James?spit rolling down his face.
Hou filthy little e Kyle shouted, as he scoured his wet face on his towel.
Lhate the matter??James asked sweetly. Come on, baby. Wont you give us a snog??
Bruce and the others were killing themselves laughing, as Kyle bundled up his clothes and scrambled to the opposite end of the changing room.
*
Sunday lunch was an occasion on campus. It was the only meal of the week when the individual tables in the dining-room were pushed together. Table cloths were laid and places set with the good cutlery. The traditional Sunday roast with all the trimmings was James?favourite meal of the week, but the atmosphere at his table was miserable, because everyone except Bruce was being briefed for their recruitment missions later that afternoon. Even the banter riding back and forth about James and Kyle fancying each other didnt do much to lighten the mood.
Kyle, James and Gabrielle shared the first appointment with Zara. They strolled through the drizzle without speaking, their bloated stomachs deadening their progress.
The brand new mission preparation building was a kilometre away from the main building, where theyt eaten lunch. The banana-shaped construction looked impressive as you approached: a hundred metres of reflective glass, bristling with satellite dishes and aerials. Impressions took a turn for the worse when you got close and realised that the paths up to the building comprised wooden boards laid over mud. There were still wheelbarrows, cement mixers and building materials everywhere and the high-tech entry system that was supposed to identify you by scanning the lattice of blood vessels in the back of your eye had a soggy Out Of Order notice drooped over it.
The three kids passed along a corridor that smelled of new carpet tiles. The offices all had the names of CHERUB mission controllers printed on the locked doors.
Zara Asker was one of the most senior mission controllers. She had a big office at the end of the corridor, with a semicircle of floor-to-ceiling windows and some rather swish-looking furniture with lots of curving wood and flashy chrome trim. She struggled out of her seat as the kids walked through her open door, revealing a set of baggy dungarees stretched over an almost nine-month-pregnant belly.
Lell, well, well,?Zara grinned, nodding at James and Kyle. Cr McAfferty told me it wouldnt take long to find a few bodies to send on recruitment missions. I cant say It surprised to see you two hooligans here ?And you must be Gabrielle, I dont believe wete had the pleasure.?
As Gabrielle and Zara shook hands, James couldnt help smiling guiltily. Zara had been one of the controllers on his last mission and het got on well with her.
Nowe Joshua these days??James asked.
Zara broke into a smile. Nee grown a lot since you last saw him. His back teeth are pushing through and hee driving me and Ewart crazy. As a matter of fact, any time you fancy coming over to the staff quarters to baby-sit e
James laughed. i抣l give that offer a miss, thanks.?
OK,?Zara said, returning to business. i take it you all know what a recruitment mission entails? Wete put together a background scenario and false identity for each of you and you can expect to be sent off to a childrene home within the next week. As with any other CHERUB mission, you have an absolute right to refuse to undertake it. However, if you refuse in