Chapter 7

Trent hadn’t looked at him.

Sonny had said, “We thought we’d drive over to Pepperdine.”

“Yeah, they got a sweet live band,” Will had added.

Trent had still avoided Lex’s eyes.

Lex had waited for the usual invitation to join the group, but none had been forthcoming. He’d begun to feel uncomfortable. The others seemed to have shared his unease. They’d looked at the ground or furtively from one to the other.

When it had become apparent no one was going to ask him to come along, Lex had said, “Well, okay. Guess I’ll see ya in Webberville next week then.”

The group had mumbled their ‘yeah sures’, and ‘see ya thens’ and ambled off, leaving Lex standing awkwardly alone.

“Guess the word has gotten around, Imp,” he said to the horse as it munched on the pile of hay on the stall floor.

“What word would that be?” came a deep voice that Lex recognized immediately.

He turned from his grooming to see Rio leaning on the stall door, grinning at him.