Mascot Courage

The gummy **vitamin** sat on my tongue like my last shred of dignity. Mom swore they'd help me "grow big and strong," but at 5'4" and sixteen, I'd accepted my fate as the smallest guy in sophomore year.

"You nervous?" Marcus asked, adjusting the giant foam **bull** head in the passenger seat.

"Nah. Just ready to humiliate myself in front of the entire school. No biggie."

We pulled up to East High, the Friday night lights already flooding the parking lot. Homecoming game. And I was about to spend three hours inside a sweltering mascot costume, jumping around like an idiot while my crush, Sarah, watched from the cheerleading squad.

"You got this, little man," Marcus clapped my shoulder. "Just remember – you're not Tyler in there. You're THE BULL."

I squeezed into the costume, the smell of three years of other people's sweat assaulting my nose. The massive **bull** head with its painted grin and fake horns completed the transformation. I couldn't see anything through the mesh eyes. My heart hammered.

Then something strange happened. As I stumbled onto the field, nobody could see me. Nobody knew it was Tyler – the quiet kid who sat in the back, the one who overthought everything, the one who'd never been brave enough to even talk to Sarah.

So I went for it.

I did cartwheels I'd never attempted in my life. I mocked the refs when they made bad calls. I led the crowd in the wave, the foam **bull** head bobbing like a maniac. People were screaming my name – well, the Bull's name – and for the first time ever, I felt completely, unapologetically myself.

At halftime, Sarah ran over to the sidelines. "Hey!" she yelled, grinning. "You're actually hilarious!"

I froze. This was it. The moment everything would change.

I reached up and tilted the **bull** head back just enough. Our eyes met through the mesh.

"Tyler?" she whispered, recognition dawning.

I thought she'd laugh. I thought the moment would break. Instead, she smiled – really smiled – like she'd just discovered something wonderful.

"That's... actually kind of perfect," she said.

The buzzer sounded for the second half. I pulled the head back down and ran onto the field, feeling like I could fly.

Later, back home, Mom asked how my night went.

"Fine," I said, popping another gummy **vitamin**. "Just fine."

My phone buzzed. Unknown number: *This is Sarah. Marcus gave me your number. ;) *

I grinned. Maybe those vitamins were working after all.