Taking the Bull by the Horns

Maya stared at her reflection, fingers frantically trying to tame her hair which had somehow turned into a bird's nest overnight. Great. Just great. Today of all days — the day she'd finally work up the nerve to talk to him at Tyler's party.

Her golden retriever, Buster, nudged her hand with his wet nose, sensing her vibes were off.

"I know, bud. I'm spiraling," she sighed, scratching behind his ears. "But what if I say something awkward? What if I literally can't even?"

Buster just wagged his tail, because dogs are superior beings.

The party was already popping when Maya arrived. Music thumped through the speakers, people were laughing, and there it was — the mechanical bull in the corner, surrounded by a crowd cheering as someone spectacularly failed to stay on.

"Maya! You made it!" Her best friend Jaz grabbed her arm. "You have GOT to try this."

"Absolutely not," Maya said, but then SHE was there — Riley, the girl Maya had been crushing on for like three months, watching with amused eyes.

"Your turn," someone called.

Before she could talk herself out of it, Maya found herself climbing onto the bull. Her heart was basically doing jumping jacks. The operator winked.

"Hold on tight, sweetheart."

The bull started moving — slow at first, then faster, jerking unpredictably. Maya's hair flew everywhere, and she could hear Jaz screaming something unintelligible. She was probably going to embarrass herself completely, but something shifted. She stopped fighting it, let her body move with the rhythm instead of against it.

She was flying.

When she finally slid off, breathless and messy-haired, the room erupted. Riley pushed through the crowd, grinning.

"That was legendary," Riley said. "I'm Riley, by the way."

"Maya," she managed, suddenly realizing she'd been running from the wrong thing all along. Not from embarrassment, but from actually living.

Buster was waiting at home, but Maya had a feeling she'd be coming back to this party — and this feeling — again soon.