The Secret Agent of Starlight Pool

Tommy was the best **spy** in the whole neighborhood. Or at least, he pretended to be. Every afternoon after school, he'd sneak around his backyard with his plastic binoculars, searching for mysteries. His favorite hiding spot was behind the big oak tree near the swimming **pool**.

One evening, just as the sun began to paint the sky pink and orange, Tommy spotted something strange. A girl about his age sat by the pool, holding a **baseball** glove. She looked lonely.

Tommy's spy instincts told him to investigate. But his mom's voice echoed in his head: "Making new **friend**s is braver than any spying adventure."

He took a deep breath and marched over. "Hi. I'm Tommy. I like your glove."

The girl smiled. "I'm Luna. This was my brother's glove. He moved away, and now I don't have anyone to play catch with."

"I can play with you!" Tommy offered.

They tossed the baseball back and forth as fireflies began to blink like tiny stars. Suddenly, Luna gasped. "Look at the water!"

The pool was glowing softly. And floating above the water was the most beautiful sight either had ever seen—a glowing **bull** made of starlight, its horns shimmering like diamonds.

"Is that... the Taurus constellation?" Tommy whispered.

Luna nodded. "My grandmother told me stories about magical creatures that visit when you're kind to strangers. You were kind to me, Tommy."

The starlight bull dipped its head, then scattered into a million sparkles that danced around them before fading into the night sky.

"Wow," Tommy breathed. "Being a friend is way better than being a spy."

From that night on, Tommy and Luna became best friends. They played baseball, spied on fireflies, and sometimes, on the kindest nights, the starlight bull would return to remind them that magic lives in friendship, kindness, and the courage to say hello.