CHERUB Campus RP

Chapter 2

Monday 31st January 2010, 3.21pm

Half an hour later, eight anxious grey shirts and four red shirts crowded around a table in the dining hall, giggling and chatting.

Chloe and Zana animatedly relayed the horrors of basic training to those of their friendship group who were yet to begin at the end of the month.

As Chloe elaborated on some moments, Zana looked around the table and counted. "Hang on, where's Sash and Ollie and Taj?"

"And Jason." Chloe added.

Autumn Bacolod, a red shirt who was recruited from the philippines and fluent in Mandarin, Cantonese and Thai, answered. "Taj is in Dubai, already on a mission the jammy git, Jason is doing punishment laps for swearing in class, Sascha and Ollie are God knows wear doing god knows what." Zana smiled. It was good to be back.

6.58pm

The dining hall was crowded and noisy, the sound of nearly two hundred seven-to-eighteen year olds simultaneously catching up on gossip and tucking into a scrumptious dinner. Tonight's choice was between Indian, Mexican, pizza and salad. Zana stacked her plate high with nachos and headed over to the condiments table where she heaped spoonfuls of sour cream and guacamole on top, before grabbing a glass of lemonade and taking her seat.

On her left, Jason Jones was yelling

obscenities about Ms Cardiff, his strict religion teacher who had dished out the punishment laps he had been running earlier that day. "Not that I minded, actually." Jason continued slightly quieter, and turned to face Zana, "I am rather fit." He pushed up the sleeves of his grey shirt to reveal arm muscles which he flexed as he smiled seductively around the table. Zana thwacked the back of his head with her elbow and laughed, "Should've seen him six months ago, puppy fat central." Jason glared at her but couldnt help grinning after a few seconds. Jason may seem the normal arrogant teenage boy on the outside, but Zana knew his goofy side all too well. However, his rowdiness amused the majority of the table, so he was at least doing something right.

"Who wants seconds?!" Jason yelled and got a round of cheers. He subsequently went around and collected everyones bowls, acting like a pretentious waitor by balancing them in ludicrous positions. He ended up walking up to the cafeteria with a plate balanced on his head, a bowl between his head and his shoulder, and a cup hooked over his elbow. The canteen lady gave him a killer death stare when he finally arrived at the food serving stations.

Half an hour later everything seemed to have died down. Almost two thirds of the kids eating in the dining hall had moved up into their own rooms to chill out/study/watch a movie with some friends. Now it was just Zana at the table, with James sitting to her right. She looked over to him and smiled. "It's nice being back... I didn't realised how much I actually

missed being here at campus with everyone."

"Yeah I know," James agreed, "amongst all the mud and rocks and sleepless nights, its easy to forget."

"But it makes sense, y'know... none of us here really have anyone else. We adapt and..." she began.

"Like a family. It's all we've got, our friends here, they become our new family since we all don't have a proper one." He finished for her.

She smiled as it was exactly what she was trying to say. She just didn't want to sound cheesy in front of him. She guessed it was different when he said it.

"You look nice." He said, surprising her. "I mean, your hair has started to grow back and, I mean, I never really noticed you as more than a training partner in the compound, but now..." he trailed off, uncertain.

"Yeah," Zana placed her hand over his. "I totally get it." He smiled at her. She searched her mind desperately to change the subject.

"So me and Chloe are having a bit of a housewarming party on tonight, just a few friends, a movie, loads of junk food and that... celebrating passing basic training or whatever. Wanna come? Starts at 8" She asked nervously.

"Sure, sounds good." James said.

"Cool" She replied, butterflies in her stomach, playing it cool. She had hoped she and James could stay friends after training, after all, they had been through a lot together.