Drake the Dandy

Drake the Dandy Read Free

Book: Drake the Dandy Read Free
Author: Katy Newton Naas
Ads: Link
kids who will not want me around.
    When the bell rings, the students find their desks. Mrs. Williams makes sure everyone is there, and then she calls us to the front of the room right away.
    â€œHow many students in this room have a dog?” Mrs.

----
    W illiams asks .
    Most of the hands go up with students waving eagerly to share a story about their own pets.
    â€œWell, we are here today to meet a very special dog. His name is Drake and he will be here with us every day this year.”
    Kinsey and I stand at the front of the room, waiting for the students’ reactions. Excited whispers buzz at this news and all the smiles I see make me more comfortable. Kinsey seems to relax a little too.
    â€œKinsey, would you like to tell the class a little bit about what makes Drake so special?”
    Kinsey takes a deep breath. Talk in front of the whole class? She has never done that in her entire life.
    But, swallowing her nerves as best she can, she begins. “Well, I just got Drake this summer and he’s already my best friend. You see, I have epilepsy. I know you guys already know that, but you remember how I would have seizures sometimes? And they were really scary?”
    â€œYes,” the whole class responds together.
    â€œDrake is a seizure assistance dog. He can tell when I’m going to have a seizure before I can even tell. You see, there are these chemicals in my body. When they start to change, he knows it and he can warn the class about it. That way, the teacher can get me to a safe place and get everyone else out of the way.”
    As the class oohs and ahhs in response, a hand goes up. It belongs to a girl with wild hair, and she doesn’t wait for the teacher to call on her. “How does the dog know that?”
    Kinsey shrugs. “He’s just really smart. It’s one of those things that only dogs can sense— people can’t even do it.”
    â€œCan we pet him?” is the next question out of her mouth.
    Kinsey smiles. “Yes, I think it would be okay just this one time. If it’s okay with Mrs. Williams. Usually, I’m the only one who pets him. That probably sounds weird, but it’s because of his training. Petting is, like, a reward for him sometimes. But since it’s his first day at school, it could be a way to welcome him.”
    â€œAre you sure it’s okay, Kinsey?” Mrs. Williams asks.
    â€œSure,” Kinsey says, and then she bends down in my ear. “Drake, the other kids want to pet you. Is that okay with you?”
    I lick her cheek to let her know that it is. She giggles.
    â€œHow about one at a time?” Mrs. Williams suggests. “We don’t want to overwhelm the dog. If you want to pet Drake, we will take turns starting right up here.” She points at a girl in the front row, who immediately jumps to her feet and bounces over to us.
    My heart starts beating really fast. I picture the kids in my dream, surrounding me while my feet are glued to the floor. Just like the dream, they’re all coming at me once again. I lift my front paws gently as a test. I’m relieved that there’s no glue on them.
    One by one, every student in the class takes his or her turn welcoming me to the classroom. All of the kids are so nice to me, petting me gently and talking to me. I sit calmly at Kinsey’s side, but my tail wags so hard I think it’s going to wag right off of my body.
    And the amazing part is, each one talks to Kinsey too. All of her fears of speaking to the other kids are starting to fade away.
    My nightmare seems so silly now. Everything Chaucer said the night before has been forgotten. He was all wrong about school—wrong about the teacher and wrong about the students.
    After every student has had a turn to pet me, a student in the back of the room raises his hand. “Mrs. Williams, do you think we could make Drake the class mascot?”
    â€œI think that’s an excellent idea,

Similar Books

Shocked and Shattered

Aleya Michelle

B00A3OGH1O EBOK

Allen Wong

Unexpected Reality

Kaylee Ryan

When Gods Die

C. S. Harris

Be Near Me

Andrew O’Hagan

A Taste for Malice

Michael J. Malone