The Dog Who Knew

Leo sat cross-legged on his bedroom floor, surrounded by a tangle of wires. Again. The HDMI **cable** had pulled loose from his monitor—third time this week—and his stream was supposed to start in seven minutes.

"You good, man?" Jordan's voice crackled through Discord. "Chat's waiting."

"Yeah, just... cable issues. Give me a sec."

Barnaby, Leo's elderly golden retriever, thumped his tail against the bedframe. The dog had been Dad's, before everything fell apart last spring. Now Barnaby was Leo's, more or less—along with the apartment, the anxiety attacks, and the pressure to be fine all the time.

Leo's hands shook as he reseated the cable. Not just the stream. The SATs were next week. Mom was working doubles. He hadn't spoken to Maya since she'd posted that photo of herself with Bryce at the fall dance, looking like she belonged somewhere Leo apparently didn't.

The monitor flickered to life. Chat scrolled: @LeoStream u ok? @LeoStream everything good?

He swallowed. "Hey everyone. Sorry about that. Technical difficulties."

Barnaby woofed softly and rested his chin on Leo's knee. Those soulful eyes seemed to say: *I know. I know you're scared.* And wasn't that the worst part? The dog knowing. The dog **bearing** witness to all the nights Leo lay awake, phone dark, watching Maya's stories, pretending his stomach didn't hurt.

"So," he said to chat, forcing a smile, "today we're—"

The cable snapped. Just—gave up. Plastic and copper surrendering to whatever forces had been pulling at it all along.

Leo stared at the dead screen. Something in his chest unraveled.

Barnaby licked his hand.

"I can't do this," Leo whispered.

He'd never said it out loud. Not to Jordan. Not to Mom. Not even to himself, really. But there it was, hanging in the silence.

The dog nudged him harder, whining, and Leo wrapped his arms around that coarse golden fur and buried his face and just—broke. Quietly, but thoroughly. Tears soaking into Barnaby's ruff while somewhere, somehow, the world kept turning.

His phone buzzed. Maya.

*Stream cut out. Everything okay?*

Leo pulled back, wiping his eyes. Barnaby studied him with that endless, patient understanding.

*Not everything,* Leo thought. *But maybe something.*

He typed back: *Yeah. Just need to replace a cable. Can we talk?*

The typing bubble appeared immediately.

Leo took a breath. Barnaby thumped his tail.