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I reached out real slowly and plucked Manny's pacifier out of the pig's mouth. And that's when it BIT me. I guess the pig decided this was its chance to make a run for it. It hopped up on Manny's seat and tried to squeeze through the window, which was open a crack. The pig managed to get its head and front legs out the window and would've made it ALL the way out if Mom hadn't jumped over her seat and grabbed its hind legs.

But when she lunged for the pig, she kicked a button on the stereo, and now we had the Spanish CD blaring at full volume. POR FAVOR, HABLE MAS DESPACIO. The whole time, Dad was swerving all over the place. Eventually, Mom got the pig back inside and closed Manny's window. Dad managed to pull the van over and turn off the stereo. It was quiet in the car for a full minute while everyone caught their breath. Dad was really mad that we messed up his business call, and he let us know it.

But he probably should've made sure his phone was off first. Because when he put it to his ear, his client was still on the other end. Tuesday. After Dad's work-call disaster yesterday, he and Mom had a long talk outside the car. Then they got back in, and we drove in silence for a while. A half hour later we pulled into the parking lot of a petting zoo. Mom opened the side door and took the cooler with the pig in it out of the van.

Mom went inside, and five minutes later she came out with an empty cooler. Personally, I wasn't sad to see the pig go, but Manny was a different story. I'm not so sure Mom was doing the petting zoo any favors by donating a pig that bites kids. And speaking of which, my finger was really KILLING me. Dad said that the pig probably hadn't had any immunizations and might even have rabies, which was NOT what I wanted to hear.

I've seen enough horror movies to know that when a person gets bit by an animal, nothing good comes of it. The LAST thing I need is to turn into some kind of were-pig, because that could really mess up my dating life. Mom took a look at my finger, and I could tell she was a little worried. She said we should find a doctor to check it out, which didn't calm my nerves any. Mom tried to find an emergency-care place on the GPS, but there was nothing within a fifty- mile radius.

But she DID find a VETERINARIAN'S office five minutes up the road. She said a veterinarian would have the same stuff as a regular doctor, but a vet could actually be BETTER because they might know a thing or two about pig bites. I honestly thought Mom was joking around about this veterinarian thing, but she was dead serious. And a few minutes later we pulled into the parking lot. Mom talked to the receptionist at the front desk while the rest of us waited on a bench.