She walked slowly between the rows of little desks, her voice warm. "A trip is not just about having fun. It is about learning how to behave when we are outside. You must stay close to your teacher, listen carefully, and always be kind to each other. When one of us is tired, we wait. When one of us is hungry, we share. And when one of us feels shy or scared, the others help."
Drake raised his chubby hand imdiately, unable to hold back. "Teacher! Can I bring extra snacks in case Vlad. Jr feels shy?"
Everyone laughed, and even Alina’s lips twitched. "We won’t need snacks for bravery, sweetheart. But yes, sharing snacks is a good thing."
She turned to the board again and wrote a list slowly in neat letters:
1. Stay close to teacher.
2. Listen carefully.
3. Share food and toys.
4. Help each other.
5. No fighting.
"Now repeat after ," she said, tapping the board gently with the chalk.
Tiny voices chorused after her, so loud, so sleepy, so giggling in between words. Boo even added a dramatic echo to his own voice, as though he was the "ghost announcer of the rules."
Alina chuckled but continued, her tone turning gentle again. "If we follow these rules, our trip will be safe and full of happy mories, do you understand?"
"Yessss, teacher!!" they all shouted.
And after talking with them, she gave the babies a five-minute break.
***
After their five-minute break, Alina clapped her hands lightly, her smile bright.
"Everyone, take your seats!" she called, pointing at the colorful flower-shaped table with its tiny chairs. The babies squealed with delight and hurried over. One by one they scrambled into their places, their eyes shining as they touched the polished surface. They clearly adored this table—it was round, pretty, and big enough for them to all sit together like a little family.
Alina’s heart ward as she watched their excitent. She fetched a stack of fresh drawing papers and a box of colors, laying them carefully in the center. "Today, draw whatever you like," she said gently. "Anything that cos to your mind."
The mont she stepped back, tiny hands snatched papers and crayons with glee. Soon, the table was filled with the soft sounds of scribbling, coloring, and the occasional dramatic sigh. Alina sat at her desk, opening her laptop to work on a simple syllabus. Her mind half-on the docunts, half-on the children’s chatter, she couldn’t help sneaking glances at them. Their little heads were bent so seriously over their work that she smiled to herself.
After about twenty minutes, she closed her laptop and decided to make a round. Her heels clicked softly as she walked to the table, and the first thing she saw was Drake’s masterpiece.
Drake had drawn a towering mountain, though its peak leaned awkwardly to the side. It was colored with ssy streaks of brown, topped with trees that were—of all colors—bright pink. Down the middle, he had added a wobbly river in blazing yellow. Alina bit her lip to keep from laughing and nodded approvingly. "That’s a very strong mountain, sweetheart."
Next to him, Luna was working with intense focus. She had drawn five tall trees standing proudly in a row, and below them, a small wolf-like figure with big ears. "That’s !" Luna said seriously before Alina could even ask, her pencil clutched like a sword. "See, teacher? Big wolf Luna under the forest!" Alina smiled warmly, her heart tugging at the sight of Luna’s pride.
Then she leaned down to see Boo’s paper. Boo was already giggling as if he’d been waiting for her reaction. He held his drawing up like a grand revelation. On it was a creature with far too many legs, eyes scattered all over, and an enormous grin full of crooked teeth.
"Ta-daaaa! Teacher, this is Boo’s best monster friend!" Boo announced dramatically, spinning upside down in his chair.
Alina pressed a hand to her mouth, her shoulders shaking. "That’s... very creative, Boo," she managed, while the rest of the table peeked over and burst into laughter.
Alina moved further around the table and leaned over Vlad Jr.’s paper. Unlike the ssy bursts of color from the others, his drawing was surprisingly pretty. He had sketched a tall looking castle with pointed towers, each window shaded neatly. "Teacher, this is Vlad Jr.’s castle," he said proudly, his tone serious, "because every vampire prince must live in one."
Alina smiled warmly. "It’s very neat, Vlad Jr. You have such control in your lines." He lifted his chin, clearly pleased with the praise, though he quickly pretended not to care.
Next to him was Felix, who had his tongue stuck out in concentration. His paper was filled with little round peaches, so with big smiley faces. "Teacher, this is my peach army!" he declared, holding it up like a masterpiece. "If anyone makes angry, I’ll throw peaches at them!" The entire table burst into laughter, and even Alina covered her mouth to hide her chuckle. "That’s very... imaginative, Felix," she said gently, her eyes twinkling.
She moved to Kelpie’s side, where the table was already damp. His paper was a watery ss, the colors bleeding into one another as if it had been dipped into a pond. "Teacher, mine looks like water, right??" he said eagerly, pointing at the sared blues and greens. "It’s... very watery," Alina agreed carefully, handing him an extra tissue. Kelpie bead anyway, proud of his creation.
Then she looked down at Rocky, who had drawn nothing but circles—big ones, small ones, uneven ones. When she crouched to ask him, he whispered shyly, "They’re pebbles, teacher. Pebbles are beautiful." Her heart softened instantly. "Yes, sweetheart, they are. And you made them look very special." Rocky’s stone-colored cheeks ward as he hugged his crayon.
Finally, she reached Lucien. His page was neat, the lines deliberate. He had drawn the classroom itself: little desks, chairs, and even Alina standing at the front with a stick of chalk. Around her he had drawn all his classmates, each with a tiny detail that made them recognizable—Boo floating, Drake with his wings, Luna as a wolf. Alina’s chest tightened at the sight. "Lucien... this is wonderful," she said softly. His crimson eyes flickered with shy pride, and he lowered his head, quietly pleased that she had noticed his effort.
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