Boo's jaw dropped open. "Teacher is a magician!!"
"No, Boo," Alina corrected gently, "this isn't magic. It's called dissolving."
"But… but where is sugar??" Rocky asked nervously, clutching his stone-marked hands.
Alina smiled warmly. "The sugar is still there, just invisible. If you taste the water, it'll be sweet." She dipped a tiny spoon, offered it to Rocky, and his eyes widened after the sip.
"It's SWEET!" he cried, bouncing happily.
The whole class gasped like they'd just witnessed the biggest miracle in history.
"See? That's science. Learning secrets of the world," Alina said proudly.
Boo floated up, puffing out his chest. "Hmph! Boo already knew that. Boo knew sugar hides in water. Boo was only pretending to be surprised."
"Liar!" Drake accused, pointing his stubby finger. "You screamed louder than Rocky!"
"Nu-uh!" Boo yelled, flipping upside down.
"Yes-huh!" Drake shot back.
