Chapter 46 Craft
After nearly having a heart attack because of Felix’s little "substitute teacher show," Alina couldn’t hold it in anymore. She laughed — really laughed — the kind that made her shoulders shake and her eyes squint shut.
Felix sat back in his seat like he hadn’t done anything at all, flicking his tail with fake innocence. Meanwhile, Drake threw his hands in the air like he’d just witnessed the funniest thing ever. "Teacher’s laughing!!" he shouted at the top of his lungs, which made the rest of the class burst out giggling too. Boo floated a bit higher, clapping his hands. Luna let out a tiny huff of a laugh but quickly crossed her arms as if pretending she hadn’t. Even serious Lucian cracked the tiniest smile, though he immediately turned away when Alina’s eyes caught his.
"Alright... alright!" Alina finally said, catching her breath as she wiped her eyes. She looked around at all of them in their neat, bright red uniforms, and her heart just melted on the spot. Goodness, they look like tiny ducklings. She noticed how the sleeves on Sable’s shirt were still a little too long, how Boo’s tie was so crooked it almost slipped off his neck, and how Drake’s tail kept flicking out from under his shirt, wagging happily like a puppy’s.
She took attendance even though it was obvious everyone was present—she could have filled it in later. But really, it was just an excuse to call each of their names sweetly and watch them raise their tiny hands. Then, with a gentle clap, she drew all those bright eyes back to her.
"Alright, my sweethearts, first class today is arts," she said, voice light and warm. "But not just drawing — today, we’re going to do paper craft! We’ll make something special, and you can take it home."
She walked over to her desk, opened the lower cabinet, and pulled out a big, colorful pack of craft papers. The sound alone made the babies lean forward with curious eyes.
"Yay! I want blueeee!" Boo floated a little closer to peek.
"Wait, wait! We need space first," Alina laughed. She gestured for them to push their desks to the sides of the room.
Watching them do it was a whole show in itself. Drake practically bounced as he dragged his desk, his tail flicking so much it smacked into Felix’s leg. Felix gave him a glare but said nothing. Rocky pushed his desk like a determined little boulder, his small arms straining adorably. Luna, with her messy gray pigtails bouncing behind her, pulled her chair with a huff, looking grumpy but secretly proud when Alina praised her for being strong.
Vlad Jr. moved his chair so gracefully, tie perfectly straight, hair brushed to perfection — he looked like a tiny vampire prince in a school uniform. Kelpie shyly followed along, carefully adjusting his tie which looked a bit big on his small frame. Sable, the smallest, looked so tiny standing beside the bigger kids — his uniform shirt looked like it might swallow him whole, and yet he still did his best to help Boo push a chair.