Chapter 2: Decisions

That night was a hall party for a girl Scott hardly knew but had been invited anyway, him and a couple of his mates were going. Gary Spencer and Ross Parkinson were his best mates ever since he had been recruited to CHERUB. Gary was a tall, muscular heartthrob for his age and he knew it. His ego was about as big as his head. Whereas Ross was quieter then Gary but a lot smarter, he was a genius in fact. He could hack most computers in a couple of minutes, beat any video game and could probably get into the pentagon in America if he tried hard enough. Unfortunately, he was fairly pale and with greasy black hair he wasn't a girl dream. The lads strolled down the hall to the party. Loads of Cherubs were there, 17 year old, black shirt Megan Summer, 13 year old, navy shirt Angelina and her friends Madeline and Harriet Beck; who Ross never stopped talking about, Sophie was there with some friends Scott didn't know. 14 year old navy shirt Coral Darko. The party was fairly big, spreading from Beth Randell's room out into the hall. Beth was turning 15 and was the oldest of Angelina's friends. Scott, Gary and Ross all stood around inside the party, Gary was chatting up some 15 year old's and failing, Ross was chatting to some other Navy shirts who he played chess with and Scott was left staring blankly at Sophie. She turned from catching up with a Black shirt girl called Katie, she was attractive to say the least but Scott didn't really care about her. He cared about Sophie. For months he had liked her and now she knew. Would she like him back? Would she reject him and laugh in his face? or worse, would she go out with Gary!

All these thoughts were giving him a bit of a headache and the booming music didn't help, He decided to head for his room. On his way out Sophie stepped in front of him, smiling and showing off her beautifully white teeth. She looked him in the eye and took his hand. She lead him into the hall and took a sharp right going further down. He knew she was going to her room as his was the other way. She got to her door and stopped. She looked at Scott.

"Want to come in?" She asked as if he had a choice. She had practically dragged him here but he didn't mind and he really liked Sophie. She lead him into the perfume heavy, not so surprisingly neat bedroom. She sat on the sofa and beckoned him to sit with her.

"So you got a mission?" She began " I'm gonna miss you while your gone" She sounded sad so Scott nervously put his arm around her back.

"Scott" She said "I've been meaning to tell you for literally ages that i..." She chocked on her words before she was able to get them out.

"I like you" She smiled and she said this and leaned and pecked Scott on the lips. Scott heart did a couple of backflips before settling down. When she pulled away, his jaw hit the floor, he couldn't think what to say.

"Wow" Was all he could think of.

Coral Darko was dancing with some friends at the party. She was getting bored so she went back to the her room to snuggle up under her duvet, she was exhausted after sessions in the dojo, Swimming practice and 3 hours of looking after red shirts. She only did this because when she was a red shirt Lauren Adams; James's younger sister, had looked after her and before she left CHERUB and had asked her to do the same. Coral missed Lauren deeply, when Coral was doing Basic Training Lauren had came back in for a reunion on campus and had slipped Coral a note with some encouragement. She had a tear welling up in her eye. She was still having nightmares from her last mission. Her friend had been shot by the mafia in Italy. Coral had been seeing the councilor to get over it but it hadn't helped. She had been E-mailing Lauren about it. The noise, the blood and the look on her friends face. Lauren was coming in from Australia where she lived with Greg "Rat" Rathbone. Then if that didn't help Coral was flying out there to stay with them for a couple of weeks. She settled down finally after 2 hours of tossing and turning. This state of tranquility was only short because she heard the noise of doors being kicked open and kids being dragged out of bed. This sort of thing happens every so often. Coral was relieved when they sailed past her bedroom. She heard some her friends kicking and screaming and realized the only people she could hear were grey shirts. She smiled under her duvet slyly.

Scott was dragged out of his room ruthlessly by two big white shirt lads. Bruce Norris had been a CHERUB when James and Lauren had been but was now a part time training instructor after having a small run as a UFC fighter. Bruce twisted Scotts arm back to near snapping point.

"Oww" Scott groaned. Bruce kicked him in the back of the knee. Bruce was ruthless with the CHERUBs now and almost 10 years ago. He push Scott out into the grass fields just near the main building. When Scotts eyes adjusted he realized he wasn't alone. Other Grey shirts were being rounded up. A training exercise he thought to himself. He was pushed into a truck with other grey shirts. He heard this sort of thing happened often enough. The most brutal one was ten years ago when James and the other black shirts had been rounded up and shot at while trying to make their way back to the main building. Thoughts of being shot at scared him and he began to shake. Only 2 hours ago he had kiss Sophie and now he was in the back of truck not knowing what he was doing. His mate Ross sat across from him.

"What do you think their gonna do?" He asked, you could tell by his voice that he was scared but then again they all were. Scott was about to speak when the truck screeched to a halt. He was throw into some of the other grey shirts.

Bruce swung the back of the truck open, behind him were a few black shirts, Megan Summer, Daniel Green and Heather Vinson. They all stood at ease with Bruce standing in front of them.

"Well, if it isn't the bees knees themselves!" Mr Pike shouted, he was getting older now and was on the wrong side of forty. Even at his age he could snap any of the grey shirts.

"Out of basic training, waiting for a mission" He carried on "You make me sick!" The grey shirts gulped.

"I got some black shirts and even brought in Bruce Norris himself" Mr Pike chuckled.

"We are gonna whip you into line and stop the slacking i have noticed in your fitness" He began to grin as each of the black shirts pulled rifles out from behind them. Scott stood frozen.

"Rules are simple. Don't get shot! If you get shot you will be forced to do 100 laps tomorrow morning!" He had a menacing look in his eyes as he swung a great big machine good full of simulated rounds.

"You will wear goggles and the clothes on your back, if you don't get shot consider yourself lucky" He smirked. Bruce readied them all with goggles, he then grabbed a rifle for himself.

"Your group 1" Bruce shouted. "Group 2 of grey shirts tomorrow and so on until we get to group 5, anyone who doesn't survive will be back for group 6 or should i say the pussy's night" He laughed. Mr Pike then shot three continuous bursts of his rifle into the air.

"Go!" He bellowed.

Scott darted for the tree line and down into a ditch, he was followed by Ross and a kid called Simon Beck. Scott thought hard to concentrate over the gun fire and screaming of some of the younger grey shirts.

"Best shot is to try and get back to the main building and wait it out" Ross whispered. Simon was only 11 and was crapping himself. He was breathing heavily. Scott tried to calm him down by putting his hand on his shoulder and smiling gently at him. He calmed down enough for them to plan out their way of getting to the main building.

"Okay on follow my lead" Scott said sternly. He made a finger motion. Three. Two. One.

Go.