"So I kinda put my feet like . . . so?"

Salsa shook his head, worried that the kid would never get it right. Samba, on the other hand, was more proactive and ran over to spread Claus's feet further apart.

"Oh, okay. And I bend my knees. Right?"

Samba hopped up on the boy's back, forcing him to bend down lower.

"Gotcha. Um, how did the arms go again?"

Salsa sighed before standing up to demonstrate once more. Feet apart, knees bent, hands at the sides, shake those hips, reach for the sky, backflip, jazz hands. It could hardly be simpler.

Claus was mystified, then looked back down at his knees. "Uh-huh. So . . . what do I do with my feet again?"

Tessie had been kind enough to let Claus have the room for the day since it was a slow time of year for the Yado Inn. She might have thought twice if Claus had told her what he needed it for. Especially the part about the monkeys.

"Okay, I think I got it now," Claus said after some more practice. He spread his feet apart, bent his knees, put his hands to the side in (almost) the right position, and swiveled his hips. Well, maybe not "swiveled" so much as "jerked". It didn't help that he was looking down at himself the whole time to make sure he was doing it right. Some music would have been useful too. Salsa and Samba could only look on with a mix of disbelief and horror at the way the boy was butchering such a simple dance. Needless to say, he did not complete the backflip.

"Are you sure this is right?"

Both monkeys shook their heads. This was definitely not right.

"No, I mean I don't think this is the right kind of dance," Claus explained. "How am I supposed to dance with anybody like this?"

Salsa and Samba both rolled their eyes. Claus could have explained earlier that he wanted to learn how to dance with a partner instead of just asking them to teach him to dance. This called for a new strategy. The pair stood up together, bowed, and then took hold of one another to demonstrate a simple waltz. Step-step-turn, step-step-turn. Repeat until the music stops. So easy even Claus couldn't mess this one up.

Claus eyed the pair closely, studying their movements until they finished with a dip and another bow. "That doesn't look too hard," he said. "So my feet go here. Right? Then I step to the side with one foot, and then the other and . . . turn?"

Both monkeys nodded as he aped their dance. His movements were stilted and uneven, but he seemed to at least grasp the concept this time. Of course he would never get the hang of it without a real partner to practice with. That realization hit them both at once, causing Salsa to turn and see a gleam in Samba's eye. With a deep sigh he leaned forward so she could climb up on his shoulders.

Claus let out a surprised yelp when Samba (atop Salsa) grabbed his hand in hers while placing the other on his shoulder. After a moment's shock he started to understand their scheme and tried to mirror the stance, only to have Samba push his hand down to roughly where the hip would be on a human, which in this case was Salsa's head.

"So, uh, do I . . . um, lead, or something?"

Samba grinned and nodded, happy to see the boy catching on.

"Oh. Oh! Uh, yeah, okay!" Claus looked down at his feet. "Um, how do I do that?"

Losing patience, Salsa gave Claus a swift swat to get him moving. It seemed to do the trick, with Claus following the steps as best as he could while the monkeys followed along, Salsa constantly on the verge of either teetering over or having his feet or tail trod on by Claus's clumsy footfalls. Samba, on the other hand, was perfectly composed and looked absolutely radiant – by monkey standards.

"Hey, I think I'm getting the hang of this!" Claus announced after a short time.

It was at that very moment that the door swung open to reveal Lucas and Boney. Everyone took a moment to stare aghast at one another. The tension was only broken when Salsa lost his balance, sending Samba toppling into Claus and knocking the boy over on his back.

"I should go," Lucas finally said as he grabbed hold of Boney and turned to make a hasty retreat.

"Wait!" Claus cried.

Lucas hesitated, unsure if he should even turn back to look again. All he knew was that he was not mean to see whatever he'd walked in on. "What?"

"C'mon, Lucas, get back here!" Claus demanded.

Lucas backpedaled into the room and glanced at the odd trio in confusion. "Let me guess: it's not what it looks like. Right?"

"Um . . ." Claus stalled, looking over at Salsa helping Samba to her feet. "Actually it's exactly what it looks like. But maybe I should explain?"

"I really don't think I want to know!" Lucas replied, his voice cracking.

"Just get in here before everyone hears you!" Claus beckoned.

Lucas closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and marched back inside the room with Boney in tow, slamming the door shut behind him.

"Salsa and Samba were teaching me how to dance," Claus explained.

The monkeys waved at Lucas. Lucas waved back politely, feeling just as much in the dark as before the explanation. "Why?" he asked.

"I asked them to," said Claus, trying to come off as nonchalant. "They're really good! C'mon, guys show my brother what you can do."

The monkeys were considering the request when Lucas interrupted. "No, Claus. Why do you need to learn how to dance?"

Claus looked away. "N-no reason."

Lucas crossed his arms and stared his brother down. "C'mon. Tell me."

"It's embarrassing, okay?"

"More embarrassing than whatever this is?!" Lucas gestured toward the monkeys, who felt like a third wheel by that point.

"It doesn't matter," Claus asserted defiantly. "I just need to know how to dance."

Lucas slapped himself on the forehead. "Why are you so impossible?!"

"Why are you so nosey?"

"Why do YOU have to keep everything a secret?"

"Why do YOU act like the world revolves around you?!"

Boney, Salsa, and Samba looked back and forth between the boys as they traded barbs. Today was turning out to be more entertaining than any of them expected.

"I don't have to tell you!" Claus spat.

"And I think I've heard all I need to!" Lucas answered back.

Both boys turned their back on one another, folded their arms and pouted. Of course Claus wasn't about to let Lucas have the last word. "What are you even doing here?!" he demanded with his back still turned.

Lucas was glowering toward the door when he answered. "I was worried about you!"

"You don't need to treat me like a baby, Lucas! I'm fine!"

"I know you are but I'm not!"

The admission caught Claus off guard. ". . . What?"

"I don't want to lose you again!"

"You're not going to!"

"What if you're wrong?!"

"I'm not!"

"You were!"

Claus fumed at being compared to some other version of himself who was stupid enough to attack a drago with a pocket knife. "That wasn't me!"

"Yes it was!" Lucas snapped. "Just because it didn't happen here doesn't mean it didn't happen to you!"

"That me was a stupid kid!" Claus reminded his brother. "I'm way tougher than him!"

"You're still a stupid kid if you can't even take five seconds to tell me where you're going!"

"Don't call me stupid!"

"Then don't act stupid!"

"I'm not! All I did was walk into town!"

"I didn't know that!"

"You didn't need to!"

"You're being selfish!"

"You're the selfish one!"

"All I want is to know you're still alive!"

"So let me live!"

"I'm not stopping you!"

"What do you want from me then?!"

"I want you to care about me!"

"I do!"

"Act like it!"

As suddenly as it began, the yelling stopped. The twins took some time to stew, neither of them wanting to be the first one to break the silence. The animals, meanwhile, did their best to keep quiet while the boys worked things out among themselves. It was only a matter of time until one of them spoke up again.

"Sorry I didn't think about you," Claus apologized after he had a minute to calm down.

"I'm sorry I yelled," said Lucas, following his brother's lead as usual. "You're right. You don't have to tell me where you'll be."

"No, you're right," Claus replied. "Sometimes I forget you're counting on me."

"We're all counting on you," Lucas reminded him.

"So . . . are we good?" Claus asked.

"We're good," Lucas confirmed. "I guess I should go so you can get back to, uh, whatever this is."

"I like somebody," Claus blurted out.

That revelation threw Lucas for a loop. He spun around to see if his brother was serious, only to be met by Claus's back. Lucas was genuinely surprised to hear Claus admit something like that. Part of him still thought of his brother as the little kid who'd disappeared three years earlier. "You do?"

Claus nodded, still unwilling to show his face to his brother.

"You . . . like somebody?"

"That's what I said, didn't I?!" Claus demanded, letting off that last bit of steam.

"Sorry," Lucas apologized.

"Anyway, that's why I want to learn how to dance," Claus explained.

Lucas had never seen this side of his brother before. He was timid but snippy, like an exposed nerve – the opposite of his usual demeanor. "Oh. I guess that sort of makes sense." It didn't, but then again Lucas rarely understood the way his brother's mind worked at the best of times. "Um, who is it?"

"I don't want to say," Claus mumbled, already feeling embarrassed enough without going into any more detail than he already had.

"That's okay!" Lucas quickly added, realizing his mistake. "You don't have to tell me. I shouldn't have asked."

"Don't tell anyone. Okay?" Claus asked.

"I won't," Lucas promised.

"That goes for you three, too!" Claus barked at the others.

"Woof! (Who would we tell?)" asked Boney.

"Maybe I'm wasting my time," Claus admitted. "I mean come on. Dancing? How's that supposed to work? This plan sounds kinda crazy, doesn't it?"

"Yeah," Lucas agreed. "But it's not the craziest one you've had by a long shot."

"Be honest," Claus insisted. "Do you think I have a chance? I'm not smart or handsome or cool or anything. I'm just dumb ol' Claus. How's dancing supposed to fix that?"

"Hey," said Lucas. "You're the best and don't you dare think any different."

"You just now got done telling me I was stupid," Claus reminded him.

"I didn't mean it," said Lucas. "You're actually really smart."

"I don't feel smart," Claus sulked.

"You are. You just don't always think before you act. But that's part of what makes you the best. You're fun and spontaneous and friendly and . . . any girl would be lucky to have you."

"Alright, enough," Claus gagged. "I don't need my ego stroked, thanks."

"Fine, have it your way," said Lucas. "But you did tell me you'd always believe me, didn't you?"

Claus nodded. "Mm-hmm."

"So believe me now," said Lucas.

Claus finally turned around to face Lucas again, an extra bit of pink still lingering on his cheeks. "Fine. Whatever you say, I guess."

Lucas smiled. "Hug?" he offered.

Claus grimaced. "Do we have to?"

"C'mon, you're always the one who goes in for a hug first," Lucas reminded him.

"Fine," Claus grumbled. "But don't—" He couldn't even get out the rest of his sentence before Lucas grabbed hold and squeezed.