Laurie tries differently. She doesn't know how to make it work - she's only seen Mir and Shi'ai do it a couple of times when they want to cheer up some of the kids. Laurie is angry that she can't do it - by the tenth dragon she almost wants to burst into tears with annoyance, but she remembers her vow not to show anyone weakness. Even herself. And she continues stubbornly - over and over again. It would be easier with a spell - but Laurie doesn't know the words to say, so she just tries to imagine and convince Ibero to make the dragonfly.
With the twenty-third dragon, everything turns out exactly as it should - he soars up into the air and keeps it there, and then moves. Exactly the way Laurie wants it. She carefully slides off the swing and - her heart still freezes with delight, and her chest swirls with pride - rushes after the dragon - but not into the sky. She is cautious, yet not believing herself, makes the dragon swing to the left. Then to the right. She makes him rise a little higher. Then sink. It makes him describe the wave in the air.
And it turns out! Laurie feels immensely happy - she will definitely show it to Mir or Juan when they return. Juan is from school and Mir is from another business trip. And then he will show it to all his younger brothers and sisters. And it will seem as adult as Shi'ai or Mir.
Laurie herself has noticed that she is getting quite close to one of the wide paths she didn't want to go out to. She comes to her senses only when she hears her mother's voice.
- I'm just terrified of your tricks! I'll go mad or gray with you someday! - Mom declares loudly and irritably, almost squeamishly, and Laurie shudders and squeezes her head in her shoulders, clenching her fists tighter (the dragon falls immediately next to her), and only then realizes that her mother's anger is not directed at her. Her prank is not taken into account yet.
Laurie manages to hide behind a green blossoming fence in time, so she remains unnoticed.
Because of her hiding place, Laurie sees three: her father, mother, and Juan. Mom seems to be angry and angry, Juan is upset and ashamed, and Dad is a little distant and seems a little disappointed. Laurie tries to sit quietly and not to give herself away - she is terribly curious about what happened. She also hopes that Juan will stay here longer so that she can have a good time to play with him.
- How could you do that? - Mom goes on, turning to Juan, splashing her hands.
- Your behavior... It doesn't go through any gates! No wonder you got expelled!
Laurie tries to remember the word "expelled" to be sure to see its meaning in the dictionary. She sees that Juan is lowering his head even lower. He seems so miserable that Laurie is almost ready to run out on a wide path right now and throw her brother around her neck and do everything she can to get him to smile again. Laurie is sorry for Juan, and she's probably angry with those who are responsible for his current condition. But all she can do is just listen and think about how to cheer her brother up.
Juan tries to say something, but never squeezes anything out of herself - his voice is shaking, and the words come to Laurie in pathetic shreds. He's babbling, but Mom isn't happy with it.
- Such a shame! Oh, the gods of Ibero, what a shame! - Mom exhales, sobbing hysterically. - Oh, I will definitely go crazy with you or gray! How could you do such a disgusting thing to poor Director Shogrem?! You have no excuse!
- Stop it! - Her father, who had not spoken before, interrupted her. - Go to your room, Juan. It's high time to go to bed long ago. Let's talk about this incident tomorrow. Today I don't want to listen to anything. Goodnight.
Juan's snapping voice also wishes goodnight to his parents and hurries away as if he was afraid that his father might change his mind. His footsteps soon fade away, and the garden becomes so quiet that Laurie seems to think that any breath she takes will be heard by her parents and she will be immediately sent to bed (and, worse still, deprived of sweets for a couple of days). So Laurie is even quieter. It stops. She tries not to move or breathe.
- Kinder! - Mom hits her father on the shoulder angrily.
She doesn't even seem to be able to find what to say next. She is very angry - and at the father of her children (Laurie knows they are not married), it seems, no less than at the son who just ran away.
- He will not be accepted to any prestigious school after this! - Mom says the tone, which usually means that she considers herself undeniably right in this matter and does not accept any objections. - It has been a crucial year, and Juan will not be able to enroll in any of the prestigious schools of Ibero!
- He wouldn't have pulled a single program in these prestigious schools anyway," Father says. - You know that science is difficult for him, and he would still be excluded sooner or later. And it is better for foolishness than for the marks in the report card.
After these words, the father begins to walk towards the house. Mom is in a hurry to get after him, still indignant and complaining about his life, injustice and disobedient children. She complains to her father about fatigue, about the given forces and nerves. And her father takes her by the shoulders and whispers something soothing in her ear.
Laurie waits for the steps and voices to calm down, and only after that she gets home herself - through the back door. He goes up to his room and goes to bed.
She forgets about the twenty-fourth paper dragon left on a swing until tomorrow morning.