Caleb hugged tightly back. He smelled like dust and sweat. “I’m so sorry. We went too far and got a little lost.”

“But you’re okay?” Archer pulled back to examine him.

“I’m okay … or rather, I will be until Mateo kills me. How mad is he?”

“You asshole!” Mateo growled as he leaped offstage.

“Pretty mad,” Archer said.

“I swear to God, Caleb,” Mateo spat, “you’d better have been fucking kidnapped—”

“We got lost, Mateo. I’m really sorry—”

“Ben!” Beau twirled up. “Do you have any idea how worried I’ve been? What happened?”

“We got a bit turned around—” Ben began.

“Ah. You’ve been ‘lost’ in the woods with Caleb all day, then? How nice for you!”

Ben’s eyes widened. “What?”

Archer heard his cue so he danced back out, smiling, the sounds of the argument swallowed by the music.

At the end of the capoeira routine, there was a belly dancing number that only Seta, Grace, Iris, and Nijah performed. Archer hustled to the greenroom. Caleb and Ben were changing into their jive costumes.

“… unbelievably thoughtless,” Mateo was ranting, face red. “You said I could be pissed if you missed the show, and guess what? I’m pissed! I asked one thing of you—one fucking thing—and you fucked it up. You had to go traipsing off into the woods like a pair of selfish—”

“Mateo,” Archer interrupted. “It was just a mistake.”

“I know it was a mistake, Archer!” Mateo cried, rounding on him. “I’m sick of mistakes! Am I the only one who cares?”

“I care,” Archer said. “We all care. But mistakes happen.”

“You should know all about that, Mateo,” Caleb sneered.

“Caleb,” Archer snapped. “Now is not the time.”

Caleb turned to the mirror, examining his vest, feigning indifference.

Archer looked back and forth between Caleb and Mateo, who was red-faced and seething. “Can we dance for now, and talk about this after?”

“Fine,” Mateo growled. “Let’s go fucking jive.”

Archer rubbed his forehead. “Sounds like a plan.”

It was not the most lighthearted jive Archer had ever danced. The performers’ smiles were strained at best. Beau barely bothered to attempt one, Mateo’s looked a little manic, and Caleb flat-out sulked throughout.

Bollywood, the final number, wasn’t any better. What was meant to be a joyful dance filled with love and acceptance was more a simmering mess of bitterness and resentment. It was no surprise that the argument picked up right where it left off when the show ended.

“I cannot believe you think I chose to be late!” Ben began the instant they were backstage.

“You chose to spend the day alone in the forest with Caleb and—oops—totally lost track of time!”

“We looked like a bunch of fucking amateurs out there,” Mateo seethed, wrenching off his translucent shoulder wrap. Archer normally would have let his eyes linger on Mateo’s deltoids, but not now.