"I hate it!" Drake muttered with his nose scrunched up, making the kind of dramatic face only a little dragon could manage.
Alina chuckled softly, leaning closer. "Drake… are you bored with teacher already?" she asked, pretending to sound sad as her eyes curved into a playful smile.
Drake froze, his big amber eyes going wide as though she had accused him of the greatest crime in the world. "No! I am not!" he said quickly, shaking his head in a panic.
Alina couldn't hold back her laughter. She reached out and patted his arm gently. "Hahaha, it's alright, sweetheart. You don't have to sit with me the whole way. You can go and have fun with your friends too."
The moment the words left her lips, Drake's whole face lit up. His eyes sparkled like two golden suns, and he almost bounced in place. "Really, teacher?" he asked, his voice brimming with hope.
