A collective gasp filled the hallway.
"Music????" Drake blinked as though she had told him the moon was made of cookies.
Boo flopped flat against the door dramatically. "Teacher betrayed us againnnn!!! First science, now this!! Boo’s fragile ghost heart cannot take anymore!!"
"I agree with Boo!" Drake declared loudly, puffing his cheeks and crossing his arms. "It’s been years since we got playti!!" He stomped one tiny foot on the floor for emphasis.
"Yes, yes!" Luna jumped in, her little fist clenched tightly like a warrior pup. "We have the right to play! It’s too boring to sit in class all day! We’re still small and young—we should be running, climbing, chasing things! My wolf pack brothers and sisters play with mud and sticks all day, and here I am trapped in school with boring math and writing!" Her golden eyes blazed dramatically.
Drake nodded furiously, his wings flapping in outrage. "My aunt’s little dragon plays with his friends every single day! Every. Single. Day. And ? I sit here with notebook and pencil. It’s too hard being an adult already!!" He groaned, holding his chubby head like the world’s weight was crushing him.
Boo gasped as though struck by lightning. He flipped upside down and wailed, "Ohhh, teacher, do you hear them?? We are prisoners of endless studyyy! Our youth is wasting away—Boo will beco old ghost before Boo even gets to swing on playground again!" He twirled pitifully, making his ghost tail spin like a sad balloon.
Sable, who usually kept quiet, raised his tiny hand timidly. "I... I also want playti," he whispered, his eyes shining with hope. "Maybe play with my orange plushie outside..."
Vlad Jr. sighed dramatically, pulling out his lace handkerchief to dab his forehead as though he were too noble for such misery. "Ah, what sorrow! Even a vampire prince needs his playti. Do you know how cruel it is to deny fresh air? My verses cannot bloom when I am caged between desks. A poet must suffer, yes—but not like this!"
Kelpie sniffled wetly, little water droplets dripping down his cheeks. "Fishies in pond play every day... Kelpie also wants to splash..."
Rocky, still clutching his smooth pebble, muttered in his tiny voice, "Rocks outside look more shiny... I want to count them."
Alina stood there with her lips twitching so hard she almost lost it. Her whole class had turned into a courtroom of tiny lawyers, each presenting dramatic testimony for why they deserved playti over music class.
"Enough!" she finally said, chuckling despite herself. "So, according to you all... math is boring, writing is tiring, science is suspicious, and now music is betrayal?"
"Yes!!!" the chorus of babies shouted in unison, stamping feet and waving tiny hands.
Alina pushed the carved door open with both hands, the soft creak echoing through the hall. She turned back at her little army of protesters and smiled, her brows lifting in challenge. "Co inside—we’ll talk about it inside."
The babies exchanged suspicious glances, then rushed forward together like a mini stampede. Drake was the first to dart in, his chubby arms pumping as he half-shouted, half-laughed, "If it’s playti, I call first turn!!" Boo floated upside down right behind him, yelling, "BANANA KING IS READY FOR PLAY!!!" Luna growled dramatically as if she were marching into battle, and Vlad Jr. followed with aristocratic dignity, handkerchief still in hand.
But the mont they stepped into the room, everything changed.
All at once, the noisy little crowd froze. Their eyes widened, their mouths dropped open. The music room sparkled in soft colors—pastel walls painted with swirls of stars and musical notes, the floor lined with thick mats so no one could trip. Around the room stood instrunts perfectly sized for little hands: tiny golden trumpets no bigger than a toy, miniature violins resting on soft cushions, pastel-colored drums with fluffy sticks, and even a baby-sized piano that glimred with mother-of-pearl keys. On the far side, wind chis hung from the ceiling, tinkling softly whenever soone moved too close.
"Ohhhhhh..." the chorus escaped all of them at once, a mix of awe and wonder.
Drake’s eyes sparkled so brightly they almost matched the glitter on their flower craft. He pressed his face against a shiny drum. "T-Teacher!! Is this... playti disguised as magic???"
Boo floated toward the piano like a moth drawn to light. "Ooooooh, shiny keys!! Boo will beco famous ghost musician!!" He flopped dramatically on the stool and pressed a key with his little hand. A soft ding echoed, and his eyes widened. "TEACHER!! IT SPOKE TO BOO!!!"
Luna marched over to the miniature violin and hugged it to her chest. "This is mine! Wolf warrior Luna will sing songs of victory!!!"
"Mine," Vlad Jr. said at the sa ti, his hand hovering over the very sa violin. His crimson eyes narrowed. "A violin belongs to a vampire. I shall compose an eternal sonata."
"It’s Luna’s!!"
"It’s Vlad Jr.’s!!"
The two glared at each other, and Alina quickly clapped her hands before it turned into another squabble. "There are plenty of instrunts for everyone! No fighting!"
anwhile, Sable shyly crouched by a triangle hung on the wall, his small fingers brushing it. Tingggg! The clear sound echoed like fairy bells, and his smile blood wide. "It sounds like... stars..." he whispered, hugging it to his chest.
Rocky had plopped himself beside the baby-sized drum, patting it with his tiny stone hands. "Boom... boom..." he muttered, his lips curling in a rare smile.
Kelpie had already tipped a little flute toward his lips, though the sound that ca out was more of a wet squeak. "Blub bluuub," he giggled, sending droplets everywhere.
Lucien stood quietly in the corner, his sharp eyes scanning each instrunt as if morizing them, but his hand lingered over the piano’s smooth surface. His lips curved into the smallest, secret smile.
While the others were busy fighting over violins, patting drums, and squeaking flutes, Felix had wandered over to the baby-sized harp tucked in the corner. It shimred with golden strings, almost too delicate for little hands.
Felix reached out with both hands and plucked a single string. Tiiing!
And Alina stood in the doorway watching them all, her heart swelling with warmth. Their faces, their laughter, their excitent—it was even better than she had imagined.
Reviews
All reviews (0)