'I'm not sure I want to get into that stuff,' James said.

'You tart,' Junior laughed. 'What harm's one snort gonna do?'

Nicole came out of the girls' toilet and looked at James.

'The birthday boy doesn't want any,' Junior giggled.

'Good,' Nicole said. 'More for me.'

She shoved the metal straw up her nostril and vacuumed up half the c.o.ke left in the pot. Her head shot backwards and she wiped a tear off her cheek.

'You've got to, James,' Nicole rasped, sounding like she was pinching her nose.

'It's not gonna blow your mind or nothing,' Junior said. 'It just makes the world seem like a nicer place.'

'Except inside your nose,' Nicole giggled. 'That goes like a chunk of rubber.'

James looked into the dish. There was only a tiny bit left and he was curious to try it, just once. Nicole gave him the straw. James pushed it up his nose and leaned towards the white powder.

'Come on, you guys,' Kelvin shouted. 'I'm locking up.'

He was at the top of the stairs. Junior pulled the c.o.ke out of sight before James had time to sniff. James spun around, hiding the metal straw in his hand.

'Give us a second,' Junior shouted.

'Now,' Kelvin shouted. 'Don't mess me about.'

The three of them staggered upstairs, through the youth club and on to the pavement out front. The nights were starting to turn cold. Kerry, April and a big bunch of other kids were standing around shivering. James found April.

'You want to come round to our house?' James asked. 'It's only ten minutes' walk.'

April shook her head. 'Kelvin's giving me, Junior and Dinesh a lift home. I'll have to smuggle Junior in round the back. If our dad sees him in that state, he'll go bonkers.'

'OK,' James said, leaning forward and giving April a kiss. 'I'll speak to you tomorrow. Maybe we can go to the Reeve Centre or something.'

'Cool,' April smiled. 'It looks like you've got your own set of problems over there.'

James turned around in time to see Nicole hurl up in the gutter.

Kerry went in first and checked the coast was clear. Ewart and Zara had gone up to bed early, which was a relief. James and Kyle dragged Nicole into the kitchen and draped her over a dining chair.

'I'm gonna die,' Nicole sobbed, resting her elbows on the dining table. 'I feel so ill.'

Kerry ran her a gla.s.s of water. 'Drink that,' she said. 'Alcohol dehydrates you. The water will stop you getting a hangover.'

James hadn't drunk anywhere near as much as Nicole, but he decided a drop of water would do no harm and ran a gla.s.s for himself.

'I think I'm gonna be sick again,' Nicole moaned.

Kyle got one of the buckets from under the sink and stood it on the table. Nicole leaned into it, her sobs echoing into the plastic.

'Get us a tissue,' she groaned. 'My nose is running.'

James ripped off a square of kitchen towel and handed it over. When Nicole took the bucket away from her face, they all saw her nose was bleeding.

'Oh, my G.o.d,' Kerry gasped. 'I think we should wake Zara up.'

'No,' Nicole begged. 'I'll get into trouble. Take me to bed and I'll sleep it off.'

Kerry grabbed the roll of kitchen towel and the bucket and took them upstairs to the girls' bedroom. James and Kyle each wrapped one of Nicole's arms around their back, picked her off the chair and helped her stumble along the hallway.

'Nicole,' Kyle said firmly. 'We're at the bottom of the stairs. Lift up your legs.'

Nicole's head slumped forward and her legs gave way. A fresh wave of blood began streaking out of her nose.

'Oh, Jesus,' Kyle said desperately. 'Put her down.'

Kerry was coming back down the stairs to help them. When she saw Nicole's limp body on the hallway carpet, she spun around and burst into Ewart and Zara's room. Ewart raced downstairs in his boxers. Kyle was taking Nicole's pulse.

'Her heartbeat's all over the place,' Kyle said.

'Shall I call 999?' James asked.

'There's no point hanging around for an ambulance,' Ewart said. 'I'll drive her.'

Zara was running downstairs in her dressing-gown, carrying clothes and trainers for Ewart. Ewart stepped into the clothes before scooping Nicole off the floor. Out on the driveway, Kyle had opened up the people carrier.

'She's taken some cocaine,' James blurted.

He didn't want to gra.s.s, but it might save her life if the doctors knew what was in her system.

'Christ almighty,' Ewart shouted, as Kyle helped him lay Nicole across the back seat. 'That's all we need.'

Ewart climbed into the driver's seat and slammed the door so hard James thought the gla.s.s might break. When the car was out of sight, James closed the front door and turned around to face Kerry and Zara, who were both in tears.

'I hope she's OK,' Kerry sniffed.

'You're absolutely sure she took cocaine?' Zara asked.

James nodded, feeling a lump forming in his throat. 'I saw it.'

'Why didn't you stop her?' Kerry asked angrily.

'I tried to,' James lied. 'She wouldn't listen to me.'

'What about you, James?' Zara asked. 'Did you take any?'

'No way,' James said. 'I'd never go near it.'

'That's a relief,' Zara said. 'If they find traces of cocaine in Nicole's urine, they'll expel her from CHERUB.'

'Is that for certain?' James asked.

'You both know the rules,' Zara said. 'There's zero tolerance for cla.s.s A drugs. We even put the reminder at the bottom of the mission briefing where you guys signed your names, in case you considered anything silly.'

'Are you two going up to bed?' Kerry asked anxiously.

'I suppose,' Zara said. 'Unless you want a drink or something first.'

'I don't think I'll sleep,' Kerry said. 'I don't want to be on my own wondering what's happening with Nicole.'

Zara pulled Kerry into her chest and gave her a hug. 'I'll sit up with you for a while,' she said. 'Don't worry.'

James thought about Nicole. Imagining her being wheeled into hospital and having tubes pushed down her throat and needles under her skin. He wondered what it would be like to go into a coma and realised he didn't feel like being on his own either.

James and Kerry got their duvets and sat together in the living-room with their feet on the coffee table. It was a weird feeling; anxious for news, being exhausted but not able to sleep. The hands on the clock seemed to be frozen.

Zara had to go upstairs to sort out Joshua when he started bawling.

'Did you really snort any c.o.ke?' Kerry whispered.

'No,' James said indignantly. 'I already told you.'

'In front of Zara,' Kerry said. 'What about just between you and me?'

'I saw them doing it and got offered a snort, but I said no.'

'I'm glad,' Kerry smiled. 'I'd have bet my life savings that if something as dumb as that was going down on your birthday, you'd be into it.'

'I'm not a complete moron, you know,' James said.

Kerry's mobile started ringing. James had changed her ring tone to the national anthem for a joke while she was in the toilet at the youth centre, but that didn't matter now.

'Dinesh,' Kerry said, surprised. 'Are you crying? Calm down ... Tell me what the matter is. What the h.e.l.l are you doing at the police station?'

21. BRAINDEAD.

Three hours earlier, Dinesh had hitched a lift home in Kelvin's car with April and Junior. He lived with his mum and dad in a flash house a few doors down from Keith Moore. Mr Singh was in his study, working on his laptop. Dinesh wasn't surprised to find him there, even though it was past eleven.

'Good time at the youth club?'

'Nothing very exciting,' Dinesh said. 'Did Mum ring up?'

'She asked me to make sure you washed behind your ears and changed your underpants.'

'Very funny, Dad,' Dinesh said, grinning. 'I'm off to bed. Don't sit up working all night.'

Dinesh had brushed his teeth and was getting into bed when he heard a saloon car pull on to the driveway. Sometimes cars used the drive to turn around, but this one stopped and Dinesh watched two doors open. Another car stopped behind. It was white, with blue lights and cop markings on the roof.

'Dad,' Dinesh shouted.

The two cops from the first car were in plain clothes. The three out of the second wore uniform and carried rifles. Two cops split off and jogged around the house, covering the back exit. Dinesh quickly slid on his tracksuit bottoms and ran on to the landing.

'Dad,' Dinesh shouted again, nervously. 'The police are outside.'

The front door exploded into the hallway. Police never ring the doorbell when it's a drug bust, because it gives the suspect a chance to destroy evidence. Dinesh had never seen a gun outside of a museum before. Now two were aimed at his head.

'On the floor,' the cop barked. 'Hands where I can see 'em.'

They ran up the stairs towards Dinesh, who was trying to stop himself shaking.

'Don't be frightened, son,' the cop said. 'Where's your old man?'

Mr Singh opened the door of his study. The guns swung towards him.

'Hands in the air.'

One of the plain-clothes cops bounded up the stairs. He pushed Mr Singh against the wall and locked on handcuffs.

'You have the right to remain silent. Anything you do say can be taken down and used in evidence against you ...'

The armed cop looked down at Dinesh.

'Who else is home?'

'n.o.body,' Dinesh said.

'Where's your mum?'

'Barcelona. She's back tomorrow.'

'How old are you?'

'Twelve.'

'We can't leave you here on your own,' the cop said. 'You'll have to come with us.'

A police car pulled up on the driveway. Dinesh looked nervous when Zara opened the door.

'You don't mind me staying, do you?' Dinesh asked. 'They asked me to think of somewhere I could go until Mum gets home. Kerry was the first person I thought of.'

'Don't worry,' Zara said, putting her hand on Dinesh's shoulder. 'There are so many kids coming in and out of this house, one more won't make any difference.'