Do you love me?

I have two classes. I try to treat them exactly the same, but I think I love one a little more. I don't know if it's because they are my homeroom and have bonded with me more, but they are the greatest kids ever. Not that the other class is awful or anything, they just don't seem to get me. They don't laugh. They don't seem interested in what we are doing. They just stare off into space. I cannot figure out what I am doing differently with the other class to get a response. A great example is spelling tests. I give the word, then a sentence, then repeat. I love making up ridiculous sentences. The majority of my sentences are about what a wonderful teacher I am. For 'bomb', my sentence was, "I am so tired of students coming up to me and saying, 'Mrs. B, you are the bomb' ". My homeroom loves it. They giggle, and act offended, and are always on the verge of all speaking back at once. The other class doesn't even look up from their tests. Two, maybe three, look up questioningly and try to smile. As if they're unsure of my seriousness. I wonder if they feel loyalty to their own homeroom teacher and don't think they can like me too much. Or maybe they just see me as the idiot I am.
I was told early on not to expect the students to like me. If they do, great, but if not you still treat them the same and you still teach them. Screeched I hate you's are a badge of honor. The good ones can twist those I hate you's into grudging respect by the end of the year.
I haven't gotten any I hate you's. Which is good, because I still want them to like me. I want them to like me bestest of all.