The Day Everything Almost Changed

Leo's sneakers slapped against the pavement, running harder than he ever had in gym class. His heart was doing that thing where it felt like it might explode out of his chest, but not from the exercise. Behind him, the distinctive thud-thud-thud of hooves on asphalt.

The escape from the county fair had started so normally. His mom had dropped him off with his friend Maya, who'd spent twenty minutes fixing her hair in the rearview mirror because apparently Tyler from math class was going to be there. Leo had just wanted to check out the food trucks and maybe not feel like the weird quiet kid for once.

Then he'd seen it: the gate left open, the bull staring at him with those eyes, and the sudden realization that someone had messed up big time. The animal was massive—a living wall of muscle and bad decisions.

"Hey!" he'd shouted, waving his arms. Because that's definitely what you're supposed to do when you see a bull wandering toward the funnel cake stand.

The bull had turned, snorted, and decided Leo was personally responsible for its captivity. And that's when he started running.

His phone buzzed in his pocket—probably Maya wondering where he'd disappeared to. She was probably flirting with Tyler by now, while Leo was literally running for his life through the fairgrounds, dodging confused families and dropping his spinach and feta wrap (which he'd been genuinely excited about, thanks for asking).

A calico cat sitting on a bale of hay watched him pass, completely unimpressed.

The bull was gaining. Leo could hear it behind him, closer now, its breath like a freight train. He was going to die. He was going to die because he tried to be responsible and alert someone to a escaped farm animal. His tombstone would read: HERE LIES LEO, WHO DID THE RIGHTTHING EXCEPT IT WASN'T.

"HEY! THAT WAY!"

A farmer in overalls was waving him toward a pen. Leo swerved, the bull missing him by inches, and stumbled through the open gate just as the farmer slammed it shut behind him.

The bull snorted, shook its massive head, and immediately lost interest, beginning to graze on some conveniently placed hay.

Leo lay in the dirt, heart pounding so hard he thought his ribs might crack, and started laughing. He couldn't help it. This was, without a doubt, the most ridiculous thing that had ever happened to anyone.

His phone buzzed again. A text from Maya: 'where r u??? tylers so cute omg'

Leo typed back with shaking fingers: 'U would not BELIEVE me.'