“I’m going home.” I start walking, but Claus stops me again. I feel something bubbling up deep inside me—and it comes out as a scream.

“Let go of me!”

“Sorry.” Claus holds up his hands. “I didn’t mean to…I’m sorry. But what on earth is going on?”

“Nothing.” But as I say it, the dam in my eyes bursts and the tears come pouring out.

Claus gently reaches out and brushes a tear from my cheek. “I can’t handle it when girls cry.”

I feel so ashamed, but I just can’t stop crying.

“Hey, why don’t you come…” Claus pauses. “No, never mind.”

“What?” I hiccup.

Claus shakes his head. “I was going to ask if you’d like to come back to my room, but that’s clearly a dumb idea.”

“No.” My mom would murder me if I accepted his invitation. Going to a hotel room with a complete stranger is about the dumbest thing you could do.

“Maybe you could talk to your friends about whatever it is,” suggests Claus.

“My friends are the problem.”

I think about Kate and Lucas, who are waiting for me in the bar. What will happen if I tell them the truth?

Kate and Fender grew up together, and Fender is Lucas’s best friend.

Lucas might have been pretty sympathetic before, but I think this is a step too far. And it certainly will be when Fender twists everything so it’s like I’m trying to make him look bad. Like he did when I mentioned his tic.

Linnea sees things that aren’t there.

Fender has a big head start when it comes to his friends—and he knows it.

“Or I could listen to you,” Claus suggests. “It would be too bad if the world’s best candy-machine whisperer went home.”

I hurry up the last few steps.

“Okay, I’ll just go back to my mom and dad, then.” Claus points at two adults who are talking farther down the hallway. The woman glances in our direction and smiles. He looks like her.

“See you, Linnea.”

I watch as Claus walks toward them. He’s not involved in any of this. He’s the only one I could dare to confide in about Fender, without unleashing a war between my friends.

“Claus,” I call after him. “Wait a minute.”

Inside my head, I count the seconds.

Is this going to work?

I’ve almost reached the couple.

What should I do?

There’s no way they’re going to play along and pretend to be my parents.

I’m bluffing and it’s way too much of a risk.

But then I hear Linnea’s voice.

“Claus, wait a minute.”

Fender

It was because of that question.

It was because of her name.

I haven’t heard it for months, only in my own thoughts.