CHERUB: The Fall Read Online Free Page A

up with you,’ Rat said, as he gave up the struggle and let Lauren go. ‘But you know what? I’m sick of this. It’s pathetic.’
    Rat letting go coincided with an almighty tug from Lauren and the sudden lack of resistance caught her by surprise. She took an awkward stumble, tripped over a tree root and ended up clattering into the low-slung branches of a neighbouring tree.
    ‘Moron,’ Lauren growled.
    ‘This was totally worth losing an hour’s sleep over,’ Rat said caustically.
    As he stood up, he grabbed a golden object from the pocket of his fleece and threw it at Lauren.
    ‘What’s that?’ Lauren asked, as she picked it off the ground between her boots.
    ‘Mint Twix bar, limited edition. The one you’re totally addicted to.’
    Mr Large had given the cherubs strict instructions not to bring extra food or items that weren’t on the equipment list.
    ‘Large would have made you exercise till you puked if he’d caught you with this,’ Lauren said. She tried to keep up her grouchy tone, but couldn’t help letting a rush of warm emotion into her voice.
    ‘I know,’ Rat said, trying to make out that he couldn’t care less.
    Lauren was totally flattered that Rat had taken a huge risk, just so that he could give her a gift. Rat cared about her and why the hell was she ashamed of that?
    She stepped back towards Rat and gave him a big hug followed by a theatrical smooch on the cheek.
    ‘Sometimes …’ Lauren smirked, but was unable to finish her thought. ‘Sod it, we’ll tell everyone. We can go to the cinema together and hang out in each others’ rooms and …’
    Lauren’s excitement was contagious and Rat tightened his arms around her back and pulled her feet off the ground. He might have made more of it, if it hadn’t been for a blast of pain from the ankle he’d twisted earlier in the day.
    ‘I don’t care what James says,’ Lauren said happily. ‘But there is one condition.’
    ‘What?’
    ‘You’ve got to get a decent haircut.’
    Rat sounded shocked. ‘What’s wrong with my hair?’
    ‘Nothing,’ Lauren said. ‘I mean, if I was the sort of girl who went for guys who looked like they had a bird’s nest mounted on their head …’
    Rat self-consciously inspected a strand of his tangled hair. ‘Do you really think it’s that bad?’
    Lauren slowly nodded, but her smirk disappeared when she heard the clatter of a diesel engine coming up the dirt path towards the camp.
    Rat poked his head out between the branches. ‘It’s Mr Large and Arif in the truck.’
    Arif was a nineteen-year-old ex-cherub who was being paid to help out around campus until he returned to university.
    ‘Dammit,’ Lauren said. ‘They’re right between us and the tents. If Large does an inspection and finds us missing, we’re gonna be so dead.’
    The pair crouched down low and watched as the army-green truck came to a halt. Arif sat at the wheel as Mr Large opened the passenger door and stumbled out of the cab.
    ‘Are you sure you’re OK, Norman?’ Arif asked.
    ‘I’m a happy man,’ Large boomed, as his giant body rippled with drunken laughter. ‘I can’t wait for the looks on those kids’ faces when they see those granite blocks and the size of the hill they’ve got to drag them up.’
    Arif had been through many of Mr Large’s training exercises himself and clearly didn’t share the joke.
    ‘OK, misery guts,’ Large slurred. ‘You’d better get moving, ’cos the supermarket closes at half twelve. Stick to the cheap sausages and don’t go buying any extra stuff; I want to keep those brats lean and hungry.’
    Large slammed the door of the truck and a thick blue plume shot out of the exhaust as Arif pulled away. Back in the trees, Lauren and Rat exchanged looks of dread as they contemplated spending a day dragging granite blocks up a hill.
    ‘At least he’s in no state to inspect tents,’ Rat whispered.
    ‘Yeah, but think of the mood he’ll be in tomorrow if he’s got a