Free Broken Horse by Bonnie Bryant

Lake glanced out at the dining room table. “Would somebody please go tell Alex to hurry up with those chairs?”
    “I’ll go,” Michael offered eagerly. He raced toward thebasement stairs. Standing at the top, he shouted at the top of his lungs, “Hey, Alex and Paige! Stop kissing and bring up those chairs!”
    Alex and Paige appeared shortly, each slightly red-faced and each carrying a folding chair. “Sorry, Mr. and Mrs. Lake,” Paige said. “Alex was just showing me, um, the basement.”
    At that, Stevie let out a snort of disbelief that even Alex couldn’t help noticing. He shot her a dirty look, and Carole and Lisa giggled.
    “That’s quite all right, Paige,” Mr. Lake said dryly. He glanced around and saw that his wife had finished bringing the food to the table. “It looks like we’re ready to eat. Why don’t we sit down and start on the salad. I’m sure Chad and his friend will be here soon.”
    The Lakes and their guests took their seats. Alex pulled out the chair beside his for Paige. Stevie watched him, then very theatrically pulled out one chair for Carole and another for Lisa. Alex and Paige didn’t notice, but Michael did. He was already sitting, but he stood up and cleared his throat loudly. Stevie made a formal bow to him and then pulled out his chair, too.
    “All right, that’s enough, Stevie,” Mrs. Lake said. “Carole, would you please pass the salad dressing?”
    For the next few minutes most of the group ate their salads and chatted about the weather and the coming holidays, while two members of the group picked at their saladsand gazed into one another’s eyes. The only time they showed any other sign of life was when Mr. Lake asked them about the school dance. Alex spent several minutes telling everyone about the romantic way he had asked Paige to go with him, and then Paige spent the next few minutes describing how romantic the dance itself was going to be.
    Then they all heard the sound of the back door slamming shut. A moment later Chad appeared in the doorway, mud on his face and a soccer ball under one arm. Behind him stood his friend David, a tall, athletic-looking boy with a shock of blond hair falling over one blue eye.
    “Hi, everyone. Sorry we’re late,” Chad said. “Wow, the lasagna smells great.”
    “Go wash up, boys,” Mrs. Lake said. “Don’t worry, you didn’t miss much. We just started eating.”
    A few minutes later the freshly scrubbed Chad and David were sitting at the table, helping themselves to generous portions of everything. Stevie introduced David to Carole and Lisa, then jerked a thumb at Alex and Paige.
    “You already know Alex,” she said. “That’s his girlfriend, Paige.”
    David said hello to all of them, then turned to Stevie’s parents. “Everything looks terrific, Mr. and Mrs. Lake,” he said politely, reaching for a piece of garlic bread. “Boy, am I hungry. Soccer practice really works up the old appetite.”
    “What position do you play?” asked Michael.
    “Forward,” David replied.
    “He’s practically the star of the team,” Chad added around a mouthful of salad. “The coach says he could have a future in soccer if he wants to.”
    “That’s very impressive, David,” Mr. Lake said.
    David shrugged. “I guess it’s cool. But I already know what I want to do when I grow up. I’m a musician.”
    “Tell them about Rotting Meat,” Stevie urged. She turned to her parents. “They played at the last school dance, and they’re really fantastic.”
    “Thanks, Stevie,” David said with a grin. “It’s nice to have fans.”
    Paige looked up. “Did you say you’re in Rotting Meat?”
    “It speaks,” Stevie said under her breath so that only Carole and Lisa could hear her.
    “That’s right,” David told Paige. “I’m the lead singer, and I play bass guitar.”
    “I thought I recognized you,” Paige said, although Stevie would have sworn she hadn’t even glanced at David until now.
    “Hey, Paige,” Alex