Orange Bull at Midnight

The orange neon sign buzzed above Tyler's head as he stood outside the house party, heart hammering like a bass drop. His cousin Jenna had promised him this would be different—no more sitting in the corner while everyone else vibed together like they'd known each other since kindergarten.

Inside, the air smelled like cheap body spray and desperation. Tyler made his way to the kitchen, where a guy with a varsity jacket was holding court, telling everyone about his summer job.

"Yo, you ever ridden a bull?" the guy—Brad, maybe?—was saying. "Like, an actual bull? It's insane, bro. You're basically hanging onto a thousand pounds of pure rage for dear fucking life."

Tyler snorted without meaning to. Brad shot him a look.

"You think that's funny, kid?"

"My dad's a rancher," Tyler said smoothly, lying through his teeth. "I've ridden bulls since I was twelve. It's not that deep."

The room went quiet. Jenna's eyes widened from across the kitchen. Tyler's stomach dropped. Why had he said that? He'd grown up in suburbs, his dad sold insurance, and the closest he'd ever been to livestock was the time a goat escaped at the county fair.

"No way," Brad stepped closer. "Prove it."

Tyler's phone buzzed in his pocket. A lifeline—a text from his actual dad: "Your grandmother wants to FaceTime. She got you that birthday gift."

"I gotta... family business," Tyler mumbled, backing toward the door. "Family bull business. Very serious."

He bolted, Jenna right behind him, both of them sprinting down the street like they'd just robbed the place.

"You told them you ride BULLS?" Jenna howled with laughter as they collapsed onto her front lawn. "Brad the Bull Rider, omfg."

"It just came out!" Tyler groaned, face burning. "I panicked!"

They sat there in the comfortable silence, the orange streetlamp painting everything in warm light. Tyler pulled out the tangled mess of his charging cable he'd shoved in his pocket earlier.

"You know," Jenna said quietly, "that was actually kind of iconic. You owned it."

Tyler laughed, really laughed, for what felt like the first time all night. "Yeah. Bull Rider Tyler. Has a nice ring to it."

Sometimes the best moments weren't about being cool—they were about the stories you'd tell later. And Tyler had a feeling this one would stay in rotation for a long time.