Hanna’s fiery encounter with Klaus soon faded from memory as the week wore on, and the last day of fundamentals camp arrived much sooner than Hanna imagined it would. As everyone piled inside after the morning block for lunch, Hanna nearly toppled into a willowy brunette at the food line.

“Sorry!” She grabbed the girl’s shoulders to steady her.

“It’s okay!” The girl turned and smiled kindly at Hanna. “We’re all just zombies from the heat.”

Hanna laughed. “Yeah.”

“Are you new to band?” The girl asked. There was no judgement in her tone, and her smile was open and friendly.

“Yeah.” Hanna rubbed her arm. “I’m a junior. First time band camper.” She laughed nervously. “My name is Hanna, by the way. I’m in color guard.”

“Nice to meet you, Hanna. I’m Beatrice, but most people call me Bea. Not like the bumblebee. Like, B-E-A.” She giggled. “I play flute.” Bea passed Hanna a paper plate.

“Nice to meet you, Bea.” Hanna grinned and took the plate, then glanced up as Sheena hurried over.

“Did you save my spot?” She called to Hanna.

“Of course.” Hanna ushered Sheena in front of her.

“Hey, Sheena!” Bea handed Sheena a plate, too. “Just met Hanna here.”

“Ain’t she a gem?” Sheena remarked, giving Hanna a wink. “How are y’all doing with band camp packing?”

“I’m pretty much done,” Bea answered. “Might need a few more pairs of socks, but that’s about it.”

“Same,” Hanna put in as she piled three slices of pepperoni pizza on her plate. A figure crossed through her peripheral vision, and she glanced up.

Familiar long, dark hair obscured his face, but she recognized Klaus immediately. He crossed the lobby, then paused at a table to talk to Colby.

Hanna’s eyebrows arched. That’s right—Sheena had said Klaus was a mutual friend of hers and Colby’s. Well, then. Maybe she could get some answers about his weird behavior.

She poured herself a cup of lemonade, then took her drink and her pizza to Colby’s table, ignoring the cold, nervous tingling in her fingertips. Sheena and Beatrice followed close behind chatting.

“Hey, Colby.” Hanna plopped down next to Colby.

“Oh, hey, Hanna!” Colby’s voice pitched up with nervous laughter as he glanced between her and Klaus.

Ah. So he was well aware already of the tension between them. He did know something, then.

Klaus, who’d been leaning over the table across from Colby, straightened as he caught sight of Hanna. His dark brows furrowed, and his green eyes flashed behind his glasses.

Vengefulness surged through Hanna in frigid, tingling waves. Might as well make him as uncomfortable as possible. He couldn’t retaliate with all her friends around her.

She smiled, leaned across the table and wiggled her fingers in a flirtatious greeting. “Hey, there. So nice to bump into you again. I just know we’ll get along so well, won’t we, handsome?” She punctuated her words with a venomous glare.

Colby choked on his pizza, while Sheena squeaked and gaped at Hanna in shock.

Klaus crossed his arms. His eyes narrowed, and the glare he pierced her with would have hurt had Hanna not been glaring back with the same intensity, just daring him to say something mean.

“Listen, you got a name along with that gorgeous hair and attitude from heck?” Hanna went on with a wink. It would be weird to use his name when they’d never officially met before, after all, and might as well force him to hand over that information in front of all his friends.

Klaus’ cheeks went pink. He glanced beside Hanna at Colby, Sheena, and Bea. The girls were staring between the two of them in obvious confusion. Colby kept his gaze firmly on his pizza and looked like he wanted to disappear.

Sheena cleared her throat and gave Klaus a pointed look, then jerked her head toward Hanna, as if to say, answer her.

Klaus looked back at Hanna and set his jaw. Then he dropped his gaze. “It’s Klaus,” he muttered in defeat. “I’m gonna go now.” He nodded to Colby and strode off quickly without another word.

Hanna followed him with her eyes, a pleased smiled on her lips.

“Girl,” Sheena intoned, leaning against Hanna’s shoulder. She stole a glance at Klaus’ retreating form, then gave Hanna an incredulous glance. “What was that?”

“A message,” Hanna snarked. “I think it worked.”

“Yeesh,” Bea added. “Your words said flirting but your tone said murder.”

“If looks could kill…” Sheena tutted and shook her head. “What on earth happened? I thought you had a thing for him.”

Hanna’s fingers began to go numb with cold as the adrenaline wore off, and she picked up a hot slice of pizza to fight it off.

“I smiled at him, told him I liked his shirt and asked if he liked my Converse, since we were both wearing Converse, of course,” Hanna explained as she bit into her pizza. “Thought things were going well. I liked what I saw, and he clearly liked what he saw.”

Sheena squealed in excitement. “Ooh, girl! Go on.”

“Then he told me in no uncertain terms that I don’t belong here because I used to be a cheerleader.”

Sheena nearly spat out her lemonade as her expectant grin dropped. “He did what now? I knew he didn’t date, but straight up bullying… I’m gonna have a talk with that kid.”

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Colby gave his head a subtle shake and glanced down at the table in disappointment.

“He’s apparently the gatekeeper,” Hanna went on. “Just like cheer. Just like Liz all over again.” She glowered down at her pizza, then sighed. “Oh, well. There’s always a bad apple in every bunch.”

“Listen.” Colby let out a long sigh, then put a hand on Hanna’s shoulder. “I meant to warn you before it came to this. You gotta understand. Klaus…well, he’s had some rough history with cheerleaders. Really rough. One of them was downright brutal to him in 8th grade. He’s never trusted them since.”

“That’s true,” Bea put in timidly. “Not that it was your fault or anything, but it was pretty traumatic, from what I’ve heard.”

“But I’m not a cheerleader,” Hanna protested.

“I know, I know,” Colby soothed. “You’ll just have to trust me when I tell you it’s a good idea to keep your distance for now. In time, maybe he’ll come around. I mean, he was ga-ga over you the first time he saw you.” He blushed as if he’d said too much while the girls giggled.

Hanna’s heart leapt and sunk in rapid succession. He’d been interested in her, too, but apparently his rancor with the cheerleaders ran too deep to overcome even attraction. With only two interactions between them, they were practically at war.

What could have been so traumatic that he’d go out of his way to shame her just for existing?

“Well. I guess that ship has sailed,” Hanna scoffed bitterly.

“More like he blew it up with cannons,” Colby retorted with an eye roll. “I told him to chill, for the record.”

Hanna laughed. She glanced across the cafeteria towards Klaus to see him quickly turn away, as if he’d been watching her.

“Don’t tell him I said he was cute,” Hanna requested. She scowled and arched an eyebrow as Klaus snuck a glance back toward her. “He doesn’t deserve to know if he’s gonna treat me like this.”

Klaus glowered at her pointedly and moved so that his back was to her.

Colby rolled his eyes. “Don’t worry. We won’t tell. It wouldn’t help your case anyway.”

“I’m not gonna let him bully me,” Hanna insisted. “I’m done with that life.” She took another bite of pizza as she studied Klaus.

“Give it time, girl,” Sheena comforted. “Klaus is a good guy, I promise. He’s done so much for us and he’s as loyal as they come once he’s your friend. He’s just got some trust issues, apparently.”

“Well, until he figures himself out, I’m just fine staying as far away from him as possible,” Hanna scoffed. “Not like I need his approval to be here, anyway. Field commander or not, he doesn’t own the band.”

“That’s true,” Bea giggled.

“You tell it, girl,” Sheena agreed.

*

Klaus sat at the large mahogany table in the Sturm family dining room, picking at his salad. His brothers Kurt and Kieran sat across from him, Kristoff sat next to him, and his father Kevin and uncle Kingston sat at the ends of the table. His mother Madeleine was missing, most likely working late as she usually did.

It was the last night home before another band camp, and just like always, he didn’t have much appetite after being out in the heat all day.

Still less did he feel like eating after Hanna’s little display at lunch. He couldn’t even eat with his friends anymore with that pretty little viper hanging around. It would just be him and Tex most likely, unless his best friend decided to join Hanna’s camp to spite him—a somewhat likely possibility.

Why they continued to hang out with her, knowing what Isabela had done to him, was beyond him.

“You should eat,” his father urged gently. “You’ll have a busy week at camp.”

Kurt stifled a condescending laugh, and Klaus shot him a tired glare.

“Thanks, Dad,” Klaus replied with a sigh. “I might eat some more later.”

“I don’t know why you keep going back to that nonsense,” his uncle Kingston growled through a mouthful of filet mignon. “Better for you to take up an actual sport.”

“This again?” Kieran muttered with a sigh. He hid himself from Kingston’s glare by quickly taking a drink.

Klaus rolled his eyes. “Marching band is a sport, uncle.”

Kingston grunted in response, then turned to Kurt. “I expect you’ve been keeping up your workouts?”

“Yep.” Kurt straightened and smiled smugly. “Got to keep in top condition for basketball season.”

Klaus tuned out their conversation and turned back to his salad. He managed to eat a couple slices of tomato before Kristoff nudged him.

“Have you packed?” Kris asked quietly.

Klaus nodded.

“Got your lucky socks?”

Klaus chuckled. “Yes, Kris.”

“Good.” His hazel eyes twinkled. “I think Father says we have a lead on a new trainee. Maybe if you wear those socks all week, we’ll have them ready by the time you get back from camp.”

Klaus blinked, then grinned. “Wow. Really?” He glanced at his father, who gave a little nod.

“Come find me after dinner,” Kris whispered to Klaus. “Got a little something for you.” His eyes twinkled with mischief, and he got up from the table and headed out.

Klaus ate a few more bites of his salad and steak, then excused himself and hurried after Kris. His brother’s door was the furthest down the hall from his own. He knocked on the door, then pushed it open. “Kris?”

No answer came. Puzzled, Klaus tried Kurt and Kieran’s doors with the same results. Then he peeked inside his own room to find the light on, and Kris standing with his back to the doorway, holding something in his hands.

“Oh. There you are.” Klaus stepped inside. “What are you doing in here? You never come in here.”

Kris turned with a grin. “I know. Hope you don’t mind. I didn’t read your diary or anything like that.”

Klaus snorted. “Good to know. I don’t even have one.”

“Nah. You just slay on the saxophone or toss your rifle to the moon to ease your troubles, am I right?”

Klaus laughed. “I don’t know if you’d call my playing ‘slaying’, but hey.” He shrugged. “I’ll take compliments where I can get them.”

Kris grinned. “Close your eyes, baby brother.”

Klaus sighed but obeyed. “I wish you wouldn’t call me that. I’m not a baby.”

“I’m well aware. So are Father and Mother. They asked me to give this to you. Hold out your hands.”

Klaus held his palms out, unable to keep from smiling.

Kris placed something smooth and hard into his hands, and his veins tingled with adrenaline. He already knew what this object was.

“Open up.”

Klaus beamed down at a plain white mask that gleamed in the overhead light. It had been carefully molded to his face, and when he got his trainee assignment, it would be meticulously painted with a beautiful design to reflect his powers.

His official trainer mask.

“I love it already, and it’s not even painted yet,” Klaus breathed. He traced the eye holes carefully as Kris laughed.

“Sooner than you think, little brother.” He clapped Klaus’ shoulder and sighed. “All grown up and joining us. Can’t even believe it. Seems like yesterday, I was 7, and Mom was bringing you home from the hospital.”

Klaus rolled his eyes. “Don’t get all mushy.”

“Hey, once you’re not a gross teenager, you’ll start feeling mushier.” Kris ruffled his hair. “Just remember. Being a trainer isn’t all fun and games. It’s hard work, and it’s isolating. No one can ever know what you really are. We gotta stick together.” He wrapped an arm around Klaus’ shoulders.

Klaus studied his mask and nodded. “Don’t worry. I don’t have any reason to mix up my school life and my life here. I like them both in their separate places. No mixing.”

“That’s the spirit.” Kris patted his shoulders. “Keep that mask somewhere safe. You’ll need to give it back once we have your trainee so we can get it painted.”

“Any thoughts on a design?” Klaus asked as Kris stepped toward the door.

Kris scratched his stubbly chin. “I’m thinking Arabian Nights themed. You know, with sand dunes and a full moon.” He winked. “It’ll go great with your long hair.”

Klaus laughed. “Sounds great.”

“Hey, good luck with camp, Mr. Field Commander.” Kris shook his shoulders affectionately. “Don’t come back a lobster like you did the year before last. We ain’t found an ice Manipulator yet for that type of problem.”

Klaus chuckled. “I’ll bathe in sunscreen. It’ll be fine.” He stepped forward and pulled Kris into a hug. “Thanks, Kris.”

Kris squeezed him tight. “I’ll always be here for you, bro. You know that.”

Klaus nodded, then pushed his brother away. “Alright. Enough mushy.”

Kris ruffled his hair again and stepped out into the hall with a laugh.

Klaus sat on his bed with his new mask, his heart glowing with hope.

First, he’d tackle band camp and avoid Hanna.Then, when he came back home, hopefully he’d have his first official trainee to focus on, and he could throw himself fully into yet another brand-new role.

It would all work out just fine, despite his screw-ups so far.