Chapter 209: Chapter 209 Big boy
Luna immediately crossed her arms, her braids bouncing as she huffed. "Teacher, he started first!" she said quickly, pointing at Rocky.
Rocky’s eyes widened, his cheeks flushing red. "N-no! I didn’t do anything!" he squeaked, clutching Sable’s hand tighter. His little body looked ready to turn into stone again, but Sable rubbed his thumb over his friend’s knuckles, keeping him calm.
Alina bent closer to Luna, her eyes narrowing slightly. "Really, Luna? You mean to tell me Rocky started by... smiling at you?"
"He was staring!" Luna grumbled, pouting hard. "I don’t like when people stare!"
Rocky fumbled nervously. "I wasn’t staring... I was just... looking because your hair was shiny..." His voice dropped to a whisper, embarrassed.
Alina sighed, her stern expression softening as she patted Luna’s head. "That’s not starting, sweetheart. That’s just looking. You can’t growl every time someone looks at you."
Luna looked down, her pout lingering, but the tips of her ears turned pink. "...Fine."
"Good," Alina said warmly. "Save those teeth for when you need to protect your friends, not scare them."
She straightened and checked her watch, a small laugh slipping from her lips. The little ones were far too early. The hands pointed to seven twenty-two in the morning—still a good while before departure. They must be too excited, she thought fondly.
When she glanced away for a moment, Luna seized her chance. The little wolf leaned close to Rocky and Sable, baring her tiny teeth in a playful growl. Both boys squeaked and clutched each other in fear, but the next second Luna turned her head, pretending to look elsewhere, a sly giggle bubbling from her lips as if nothing had happened.
Alina sighed, catching just the edge of Luna’s mischief out of the corner of her eye. That pup will be the end of me one day, she thought, though her lips twitched with a reluctant smile.
Next came Drake.
He came bouncing proudly in an orange T-shirt that glittered with bold letters spelling out BIG BOY. The shirt seemed to inflate his confidence, his chest puffed as if he were already taller than everyone else. Behind him, his caretaker followed with two bags—one large and neatly packed, the other smaller and covered in bright stickers of dragons and stars.
"Teaaacheeerrr!!" Drake shouted at the top of his lungs, wings twitching as he waved both arms. "Look!!! BIG BOY!!!" He tapped his shirt with both hands, grinning so wide his cheeks dimpled.
Alina chuckled, her heart softening at his boundless energy. "Yes, sweetheart, you look very big today," she said warmly, stepping forward to help his caretaker with the bags.
Drake beamed at her praise, bouncing on his heels like a restless flame.
Once the bags were placed inside, Alina dusted off her hands and glanced around—only to realize Dante was nowhere in sight.
Lucien padded over, his calm little steps a sharp contrast to Drake’s noisy bouncing. Alina crouched slightly, her eyes meeting his. "Lucien, where is sir?" she asked gently.
"Dad went to get something," Lucien replied simply, his soft voice carrying a kind of assurance that made her nod. He didn’t say what and Alina decided not to press.
Before she could ask further, another figure appeared. Boo.
He came spinning across the garden like a dizzy top, his colorful shirt fluttering as he twirled. Behind him floated his caretaker ghost, looking completely drained as if Boo had dragged him through five miles of chaos already. The poor ghost clutched Boo’s bag like it weighed a thousand pounds, his smoky arms trembling.
"Good morning, Boo," Alina greeted warmly, stepping forward to take the bag.
Before she could finish, the caretaker practically shoved the bag into her arms with a huff of relief and disappeared into thin air without a word, clearly eager to escape duty as quickly as possible.
Alina blinked at the sudden disappearance, then sighed, a laugh escaping as she carried the bag inside and set it neatly with the others. When she returned, her eyes softened.
Boo stood proudly in the sunlight, his shirt as chaotic as his personality—splashes of every color imaginable, paired with smart little pants that somehow made him look like a mischievous child caught between a circus and a festival. He beamed at her, wiggling his fingers dramatically as if waiting for her comment.
"You look very bright today, Boo," she said at last, smiling.
"Boo knows!" he chirped, spinning in place again before nearly tripping over his own enthusiasm.
Alina couldn’t help but laugh at him.
Then Boo’s eyes landed squarely on Drake.
"Drake, did you bring snacks???" he asked, his voice full of hopeful suspicion.
Drake grinned, puffing his chest. "Yes, yes! I brought a whole bag of them! Hehehe!" he looked so proud, as if carrying snacks was a heroic deed worthy of praise.
Boo gasped, his round little body wobbling as he floated closer. "Arghhh! Elder Goldie only packed veggies for me! Hate it!" His face twisted in betrayal as he muttered, "Broccoli, carrot, and cabbage again! Why does Boo always get veggies??"
Drake wrinkled his nose with equal dramatics. "Ewwww! Your elder Goldie has no taste! Snacks must be shiny or sweet, not green!"
Boo threw his hands up, spinning once in protest. "Yes! Boo agrees! Shiny snacks are for kings and heroes, but veggies..." He stuck out his tongue. "Veggies are for rabbits!"
Drake gasped and clapped loudly. "Exactly! Rabbits and goats! Not for dragons and ghosts!"
Their little faces scrunched in exaggerated disgust. Boo puffed out his cheeks. "If Boo eats one more broccoli, Boo will faint!"
"And if I eat carrot again," Drake added, clutching his stomach dramatically, "my wings will fall off!"
Alina, who had been listening from the side, pressed her hand to her mouth to stifle a laugh. These two could turn the simplest thing into a full-scale tragedy.
And Luna, who had been listening to their conversation, nodded quickly. She also didn’t like veggies! Even her dad didn’t like them, though her mom always said they were important... nutri... what was it called again? Something like nutrients. Heh.