When Lightning Struck the Bull

Marcus stood in front of the bathroom mirror, glaring at his reflection like it owed him money. Fifteen years old and still built like a string bean, while half the football team looked like they'd been injecting creatine since birth.

Dude, this is pathetic, he muttered, popping his dad's vitamin supplements. The bottle promised explosive muscle growth, but so far the only thing exploding was his confidence.

Downstairs, his mom was cutting up a papaya she'd bought from some fancy grocery store. Try it, sweetie! It's supposed to be amazing for your skin! Marcus made a face that suggested he'd rather eat his own shoelaces. But then Jenna called—THE Jenna from chemistry, the one with the perfect hair and the emoji game that could end friendships.

Hey, we're all going to Tyler's barn party tonight, she said. You coming?

Marcus's heart did that thing where it forgot how to rhythm. Yeah... totally. I'll be there.

The problem: Tyler's family owned actual livestock. Including a massive bull named Big Mac that served as the party's unofficial mascot. The bigger problem: Marcus had never actually touched a farm animal in his life, but he'd somehow let it slip at school that he was basically an expert farmhand.

That night, lightning crackled across the sky as he arrived at the barn, wearing his dad's old boots and carrying zero farm knowledge. The crowd gathered around Big Mac, whose nostrils flared like he sensed pure incompetence.

So Marcus, show us your technique, Tyler called out. The bull.

Marcus's brain went full static. He approached the bull slowly, remembering something about animals sensing fear. Big Mac stared him down, and in that moment, Marcus locked eyes with 1,500 pounds of judgment. The bull huffed. And Marcus, channeling some ancestral stupidity he didn't know he possessed, reached out and patted its massive head like it was a golden retriever.

The barn went SILENT.

Then Big Mac leaned into the touch, practically purring.

NO WAY, someone shouted. That bull hates everyone!

Jenna appeared beside him, eyes wide. Okay, that was actually kind of impressive.

Marcus shrugged, adrenaline still spiking through his veins. Just gotta show 'em who's boss.

Later, he'd find papaya in the punch bowl and actually drink it without complaining. Sometimes growth looked like patting a bull that could definitely kill you. Sometimes it looked like accepting exotic fruit without throwing a fit. And sometimes, lightning actually did strike the same place twice—and for once, it wasn't terrible.