The Bull

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The bus jostled at each bump and turn. Jacob had to hold onto his seat to keep himself from sliding or falling off. 'I hate this. I hate this. I hate this. I hate this.' Jacob thought as he squeezed his backpack in between his thighs.

The week has gone by without a hitch but it was straining. People kept asking about his backstory and he had to think of a well-thought out lie. So far, everyone believed that Jacob's father was a crazy man who tried to control his life. Which was true but he may have added that his father tried to give him pills. (Boy, did they eat that lie up.)

Jacob was already comfortable with his classes and his teachers weren't at all strict or scary. Unlike the kids at his old school, none of them were snobby. He could survive without anyone knowing who he really is.

The bus kept jostling at each bump and hole on the dirt road. No one else was complaining since it was only Jacob and a few others left.

'Friday and I have no plans. That's a first." Jacob thought.

Slowing to a stop, the bus lets out a loud hiss as the doors opened. 'Thirty minutes. As always.' Jacob thought. He collects his backpack and gets up from his seat. No one got up since he was the only person at his bus stop.

"See you Monday, Mr. James." Jacob said to the bus driver.

"See you Monday, Jacob." said Mr. James, an older gentleman of forty years.

Stepping off the bus, Jacob was greeted to the extreme heat of the afternoon. He was dressed in khaki shorts and a t-shirt with AC/DC on the front. The heat wasn't as worse as before. He could actually breathe.

'One mile to go.' Jacob thought as he began walking toward Patricia's house.

Every morning, he has to wake up half an hour early so that he could get ready and get to the bus stop on time. He's still trying to convince Patricia to lend him the motorcycle but she kept refusing. One day, she will give in. Otherwise, he's stuck walking two miles on week days.

Keeping to the left side of the road, Jacob runs his hand over the wooden fence. Fences were put up to keep any life stock from escaping onto the road. Sometimes, Jacob meets a sheep or a cow.

Jacob slips on his headphones and pushed the shuffle button. The first song was from Imagine Dragons. He bobbed his head to the song as he was able to distract himself.

The air got considerably cooler as he continued walking down the road. Tall trees were lined beside the fences so he had shade.

"It's where my demons hide. It's where my demons hide." Jacob sang under his breath. "Don't get too close. It's dark inside. It's where my demons hide. It's where my demons hide." he continued.

Suddenly, Jacob notices something odd. About twenty feet from him. The wooden fence was broken. Split down the middle and revealed a wide gap. Wide enough for an animal to slip through.

"Huh." Jacob said as he walks passed the broken boards. 'I better tell Patricia or the farmer who owns this land.' he thought. 'The last thing anyone needs is animals walking into the road.'

As he thought of what kind of animals were on the other side of the fence, he felt something brush the back of his neck. His body tensed up and he goes on autopilot. Stepping forward, he balls his fist and does a 180 degree turn to deliver a punch to who was behind him.

His fist misses, and Jacob realizes a second later that it wasn't a person. It was a fucking bull. A really big bull.

'Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit.' Jacob cursed a mile a minute. He stood in place, remaining perfectly still. Somehow, the bull didn't react to Jacob, so that was a good thing. Jacob knew that bulls react to movement. As long as he didn't show any signs of aggression and remained still, he should be safe.

The bull took a few steps forward and sniffed curiously at Jacob. The male stared at Jacob with his big eyes. Jacob remained where he was as he watched. 'Just let him sniff me and wait till he walks away.' Jacob thought.

He watched as the bull circled him. Listening to the steps of the bull's hooves digging into the dirt road. Jacob twitches his head a few inches so he could follow it closely. 'I don't know what's worse: fighting to the death or the chance of being trampled to death.'

"Need help?" asked a familiar voice.

Slowly, Jacob turns his head so that he didn't startle the bull. Standing on the other side of the fence was Bucky and he looked rather amused. The man didn't seem to process the fact that Jacob could get hurt.

"Yes, I would like some help." Jacob said, trying not to voice his annoyance.

"Okay. Now just stay there," Bucky ordered as he climbs over the fence. "I'll handle Billy." Bucky said as he casually walks over to the bull. Jacob followed the man's movements, watching how Bucky's legs and arms moved. He hated to admit how sexy the rancher is. The younger male's face grew warmer than it already was at that thought. 'Why do I keep watching him?' he thought in confusion.

"The bull's name is Billy?" Jacob asked as he eases the tension in his bones. He felt safe now that Bucky was there. (Safety in numbers) Slowly, he turns around to watch Bucky as the large man began to pet the bull.

Running his fingers over the bull's forehead, Bucky whispered soothing words into the animal's ears. The bull seemed pleased and rubs his head against Bucky's body. Billy let out a groan that sounded of pure joy.

"So you're a fixer and a bull whisperer?" Jacob asked as he takes a few steps closer. "My father rescued Billy when he was a calf. Billy was going to be sent to a meat factory but was taken pity on. My father is a sucker for puppy eyes." Bucky explained as he guides Billy through the space between the broken fences. "Billy's not a threatening creature. He is just a little curious."

'That's what my mother said when I told her about my sexuality.' Jacob thought as he steps over the broken boards. He notices a stack of new boards sitting there with nails and a hammer. "Is this your property?" Jacob asked. "Yeah. I expanded my property for the animals. Better places for them to roam." Bucky said.

"So you're a saint? You care about animals and keep them safe?" Jacob asked sarcastically. He didn't believe in 'good guys'. No one was true to who they say they are.

"I don't like seeing them hurt. I want them to feel like they have a home." Bucky replied as he grabbed a board. "Now if you'll excuse me, I need to fix this fence." he said, dismissing Jacob and getting to work.

"See you around then." Jacob said. He turns to continue walking toward the house. Billy followed Jacob, licking the skin that he could reach. The bull's tongue was rougher than a cat's. It could smooth out any rough skin.

'The man can't be as good as he seems.' he thought.

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