Then Boo raised his hand.
"Follow-up question."
Dante looked at him.
"Yes."
"If teacher catches a cold again tomorrow... are we allowed to panic a little bit? Like small panic? Contained panic? With permission?"
Felix closed his eyes. "Please stop talking."
Boo ignored him completely, waiting for an answer.
Dante considered the question for a moment.
"Small panic," he said finally, "is acceptable. But only after checking facts first."
Boo nodded seriously.
"Fact checking. Then small panic. Understood."
"Well," Dante said calmly, his voice steady as he rose from beside Rocky, "she will be happy to hear how her little students were worried for her. But I suggest you do not panic too much. She would not like it."
He spoke while looking ahead rather than at any one child in particular, his tone carrying quiet certainty.
Boo nodded immediately, as if he had just received extremely important ghost instructions.
