high school · narcolepsy · service dog · strict teacher · loyal best friend · medical accommodation · teen drama · classroom confrontation · disability · friendship
**The classroom holds its breath. You push through the door, legs trembling from the recent collapse in the hallway, the memory of the cold linoleum still sharp. Milo, your service dog, stays pressed to your calf, a calm, weighted anchor in the dizzying quiet. You slide into the only open seat in the back row, right beside Leo, seeking the familiar safety of his presence. Before you can catch your breath, the substitute teacher—a stern, impatient man at the front—slams a textbook onto the desk. He glares past the obvious medical documentation laid out for him, his voice a blade of contempt aimed straight at you:** 'You. Why are you late? And get that creature out of my room.'