\"Oh no! A flat tire.\" No sense in looking for the spare; it's on the car. I'll just call Cheryl and tell her I'll be a little late for the party

I reached for my phone, \"Oh shit.\" All my clothes are in the costume store and they locked the door behind me. There is a phone booth down the street, maybe I can make a credit card call.

I started walking along the sidewalk and caught my reflection in a store window. I remembered I was wearing lime green tennis shoes, purple tights, gold shorts, and an orange cape; they didn't have a red one. I pulled my mask down over my eyes; maybe no one will recognize me. I moved on to the phone booth and stepped in. The light came on when I shut the door. I pushed O and turned my back to the phone. Two kids were outside the door staring at me. I hung up the phone and stepped out. I saluted them; they saluted back. I said, \"Make sure you do your homewark... and don't smoke cigarettes,\" and started walking quickly down the street.

I was walking fast, looking in the store windows, admiring my new look. I passed a street clock, \"Seven thirty. I'm late.\" Just as I started to run I collided with some guy comming out of a store and knocked him down. A security guard rushed out of the store doorway and jumped on the guy. He looked back at me and said, \"Put these handcuffs on him.\" I paused, not clear on what happened. \"Come on buddy. I can't hold him forever.\"

I squated down and cuffed him and saw the jewelry fall out of his coat pocket. The guard stood up, \"Thanks,\" he looked me over, \"I rented that costume last year.\"

\"It's really all they had left in my size. I'm late... I got to go.\"

\"Hey there's a reward,\" he called after me.

I jogged along and stopped for a red light. All I could think about was Cheryl. This was our first date. Someone hooked their hand on to my arm. I looked down to my right. A tiny grey haired lady looked up at me. I'm sure glad you showed up. I've been trying to cross here for fifteen minutes; damn traffic.\"

I could see Cheryl's apartment building just three blockes away. The light turned green for us. I have never walked so slow in my life.

\"Thank you, young man. That's a very nice outfit you have on.\" She walked away to the left; I moved on towards my date.

I kept jogging because people were looking at me; probably my costume. I hang out on this street. I hope no one recognizes me.

\"Hey Bob, nice outfit.\" He laughed out loud.

'Go ahead and laugh,' I said to myself. I kept moving. Then I thought, \"Crap, I could end up on U-Tube. I started to run faster.

I came up on a couple of jerks messing with a homeless guy, playing keep away with his canteen. I stretched my arm out and took it out of the air and smacked one on the forehead and turned to the other. He laughed... He'll have a scar. I tossed the canteen back to the owner.

\"Thanks mister.\" He swung his canteen around and around over his head and chased the punks up the street. I picked up the pace. I haven't jogged in years. I feel great. I had just a block to go.

I was moving along and a soccer ball bounced down a stairway just up ahead. I knew it was going in the street and sure enough a little brown haired guy came running after it. He was going full speed when he hit the sidewalk. A UPS truck powered away from the curb heading my way. The ball hit the edge of the sidewalk and popped right out toward the truck. I cut into the street. The boy disapeared behind a parked car; then he cut right in front of me. I scooped him up in my left arm and carried him to the curb. The ball bounced off the truck and rolled back to us.

His mom was screamming at the top of the steps, \"Mi jiho, mi jiho!\"

As we walked back to the stairs she ran to us and gave me a hug. The neighbors began to come out and they surrounded me, chanting... \"Viva el Toro! Viva el Toro!\"

I was just a block or so from Cheryl's place. I was feeling pretty good. I started to look around for a robbery I could stop, or maybe I could pull someone from a burning car. As I got closer to her apartment I started slowing down. Nothing was out of the ordinary. No rescues about. I stopped in front of her building and took one last look before I started up the stairway. Then one last check before I went into the building's front door. I buzzed her number and the intercom cracked. \"Come on up.\"

Finally, she opened the door. I stepped in; everyone was in buisness atire.

\"Hi John, didn't you get my text?\" I canceled the costume party because you said you really didn't like costumes.\"