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Since there was going to be another rodeo the next day, the workers only packed up the bulls in the trailers and left the calves and horses inside the makeshift fencing. This put Stephen at ease since he didn’t have to worry about any of his friends putting themselves in danger by messing around with a fully grown bull, but he knew that many of these rodeo animals were still aggressive and not safe to be around unsupervised. Many of the calves had already fallen asleep and some of the rowdier horses were put in stables, but a few of them were still in the field where Stephen and his friends could see them.
“Aw, they’re so cute! Look at their faces and how sweetly they lie down when they’re sleeping!” exclaimed one of the girls that Frank and Tyler had met that day. She pointed at a pair of calves sleeping next to one another.
“Yeah, those little guys are cute ain’t they?” Tyler said as he approached the two girls admiring the snoozing cows.
Stephen was irate. His friends were just flirting with the girls they’d spent the day with, while he was forced to take care of them and entertain Liz, who had been nothing but sweet to him all day.
“Hey, don’t be such a stick in the mud,” Liz said. “They’re just going to see the animals for a bit then get bored and want to go home. Don’t worry so much.” She grabbed his hand with both of hers, trying to calm Stephen.
Stephen could see what she was doing and was grateful, but he was overwhelmed by guilt because he knew that he couldn’t give her what she truly wanted. Seeing how kind she’d been and considerate of his feelings all day just made him feel worse. He wished he could feel about her the way she felt about him, but no matter how much he tried to create the feelings, they just wouldn’t emerge.
“Listen, Liz, I truly appreciate everything you’ve done for me and how sweet you’ve been. I want you to know that I really do care for you but not in the way that I think you want me to.”
She let go of his hand slowly and brought her eyebrows together just enough to form a single vertical line in the center of her forehead.
“I’ve really been trying, but there’s something that’s just missing, and I can’t tell what—”
“Look y’all!” Hugo called out. “It’s that bronco that couldn’t buck his rider at all. He didn’t even try to get him off, just jumped around a few times and gave up.” He pointed at a slim mustang, about 13 hands high, grazing in the middle of the pen.
“Oh, my gawd it is!” Tammy shouted.
The girls began to swoon and praise the horse, calling it cute and beautiful, while Hugo had other feelings about it.
“You know I bet you that thing ain’t even a real bronco. It’s probably already broken in and just another regular riding horse.” Hugo’s face lit up momentarily, almost as if a lightbulb were lit right above his head. “I bet you I could ride it,” he said with a swagger in his voice.
“What, are you crazy?” Tammy asked. “That thing is still a bucking rodeo horse, and there’s no saddle or rope for you to hold on to.”
“That scrawny little thing? I could jump right up on its back, and I guarantee you that it wouldn’t even bother throwing me off. Watch.” Hugo, seeing how much Tammy cared, began walking toward the fence.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa! Hugo, you’re not really thinking of doing this are you?” Stephen rushed over after seeing the interaction and grabbed his friend’s arm as he began to climb over the tubular fence.
“Man, don’t worry. I’m just going to get on its back and do a quick lap around the pen to impress Tammy. Look how worried she is, once I show her how I tamed that horse she’ll be all over me.”
“Can you even ride a horse?” Stephen asked.
“I mean, I rode a few when I was younger, but how hard could it be?” Hugo swung his leg over the top of the fence.
“Yeah, Hugo!”
Tyler and the others began to cheer softly while Stephen, Liz, and Tammy were silent.
“I really don’t think this is a good idea.” Stephen grabbed his jeans to stop him from getting his leg over the fence.
“Don’t worry, I got this.” Hugo winked at his friend and lightly patted his face as he swung his other leg over the fence and jumped into the pen.
Frank, Tyler, and their dates cheered quietly for Hugo as he crept toward the unsuspecting horse. Tammy looked on with Stephen and Liz who had paused their conversation in suspense of the irresponsible act unfolding in front of them. The three of them worried for their friend and prayed that the horse truly was broken in. Hugo sneaked up behind the horse and, looking back at his companions, probably saw the split between them. He gave a thumbs-up and prepared to mount the horse: He warmed up his hands, rubbing them slowly together, and squatted down slightly. Just as he seemed about to launch himself up, he planted his hands on the hindquarters of the horse. Before Hugo could get his feet off the ground, the horse kicked back and scurried off to the other side of the field. The double kick hit Hugo in the middle of his torso launching him back several feet, where he laid in the grass in pain and struggling to breathe.
“Oh my god!” Stephen shouted as the girls screamed.
Stephen and Frank leaped over the fence rushing to their friend’s side.
Lights in the trailers came on and workers came out to see what all the commotion was about as the screams caused many of the other animals to become restless.
“Hugo, are you okay?” Stephen and Frank shouted as they reach Hugo’s side.
He shot a quick smile at them and winched in pain.
“Jesus Christ, I told you this wasn’t a good idea.” Stephen knelt beside his friend to help him up.
