Alina smiled, tapping the board lightly with her chalk. "One…" she said.
"ONE!" they chimed together… some loud, some whispering. Boo added a dramatic echo: "Oneeeee!"
She giggled softly. "Two…"
"TWOOOO!" Drake yelled, and Boo mimicked his tone, making Drake swat at him. Luna growled under her breath, then mumbled "Two" too.
"Three…" Alina said, watching each mouth move.
"THREEEE!" Kelpie squeaked shyly, his little cheeks puffed out, while Sable just mouthed it behind his notebook, his shadow flickering under his desk.
"Four…" Alina prompted, pointing.
"FOUR!" Rocky shouted, so proud he almost stood up on his chair, his big eyes glowing as if he'd just moved a mountain.
"Five!" she said, her eyes warm as she looked at Lucian. He stared back, and his lips shaped the word softly, "Five." It was barely a whisper, but Alina saw it, and her heart melted.
