The Goldfish Promise

The carnival air smelled like funnel cakes and anxiety. I wiped my sweating palms on my jeans again.

"You're actually gonna do it?" Marcus asked, grinning like he knew I wouldn't.

"Shut up," I muttered, but my voice cracked. Classic.

We stood in front of the mechanical bull. Because of course the annual summer fair had one of these. Marcus had already ridden it twice—lasted eight seconds his first try, twelve his second. Now he wanted ME to take a turn, and the crowd gathering wasn't helping.

My best friend since third grade, now suddenly the most popular guy in tenth grade. While I was still the same quiet kid who couldn't catch a baseball to save his life. Freshman year had changed everything between us, even if neither of us would say it.

"If you last five seconds, I'll win you that," Marcus said, pointing at the booth across the way. The goldfish game. Those tiny plastic bags full of water and frustration.

"You're on."

I climbed onto the mechanical bull, heart hammering against my ribs. The operator winked. "Hang on tight, cowboy."

The bull jerked to life.

ONE. I gripped the rope so hard my knuckles turned white.

TWO. The machine lurched left. My body slammed sideways.

THREE. A scream built in my throat but I swallowed it down.

FOUR. The bull spun. My flailing arms found balance somehow.

FIVE.

SIX.

SEVEN—

I flew off, landing in the padded pit with a thud that knocked the wind out of me. But I was laughing. Marcus was laughing, pulling me up with an actual grin, not that performative one I'd been seeing all year.

"Dude," he said. "That was actually sick."

Ten minutes later, I walked home with a plastic bag swinging from my fingers. Inside, a goldfish swam in tiny circles. Marcus had won it on his first throw, like the athletic freak he was.

"What're you gonna name it?" he asked.

"Bull," I said. "For obvious reasons."

Marcus laughed, and it sounded like old times. "Baseball practice tomorrow?"

"Yeah," I said. "I'll be there."

The goldfish survived three weeks. The friendship lasted way longer. Sometimes you just gotta hold on tight, even when you know you're gonna fall off anyway.