Stales was the one who had texted Evan, telling him to come out so they could have a proper talk. Evan didn't argue. He replied that he'd be there in thirty seconds. They waited, watching the path, keeping calm and alert until they saw him approaching. As soon as Evan came into view, Stales quickly sent a message to Renn, letting him know that the boy was out of the room and they could move into action.
"I hate the fact that we have to apologize to him when we didn't even fucking do anything wrong," Alex hissed, folding his arms across his chest. His jaw was tight, and the irritation in his voice was clear.
"We have to—" Stales stopped talking the moment Evan got closer. He forced a smile onto his face, trying to look welcoming as he stepped forward. Then, raising his voice a little, he said, "Hello, Evan Thatcher."
"I didn't get your name the other day," the slim, clumsy-looking boy replied. He turned to Alex. "Hello, Alex. And you are?"
