Mascot Mishap

The bear suit smelled like freshman year desperation and Axe body spray. I tugged at the faux fur, my face already sweating behind the mesh eyes. Tonight was my first official gig as Northwood High's mascot, and naturally, my crush Maya was watching from the cheerleading squad.

"You got this, bear!" Jason yelled, slapping my shoulder. He'd graduated to varsity quarterback while I was still finding my social footing. "Don't mess up the entrance."

No pressure. I shuffled toward the gym entrance where the video cable lay coiled like a snake, waiting to trip someone. The AV club kid, Marcus, was fiddling with the connection to the big screen. Coach wanted this dramatic intro video—lightning effects, thunder, the whole production—because apparently regular pep rallies weren't cringe enough anymore.

"Cable's loose," Marcus muttered, exactly as the first rumble of actual thunder shook the building. Outside, lightning flashed strobe-light bright through the windows. Perfect timing.

The video started glitching, pixelating my big mascot moment into a nightmare. Coach's face turned the same color as our school colors. Someone giggled. Probably the juniors who lived to make everyone feel awkward.

I could feel the panic rising like vomit. This was it. My social life, over before it began. I'd be known as Bear Who Broke Pep Rally Forever, doomed to eat lunch alone until graduation.

Then Maya sprinted over, her ponytail swinging. "Hey!" She grabbed the cable end, jammed it back in. "Marcus, hit replay!" She shot me a thumbs-up through my mesh vision. "Bear, you're on in 3, 2, 1—"

I burst through the banner just as the video roared to life. The crowd went wild. I did my ridiculous dance, sweaty and ridiculous, but Maya was smiling at me. Actually smiling. Not pity-smiling, but like, for real smiling.

Afterward, she found me half-out of the bear head. "Nice moves out there."

"Thanks for the save," I managed, trying to play it cool. My face was probably still flushed.

"No biggie." She grinned. "So, Bear, you gonna wear that to homecoming, or what?"

I laughed, and for the first time all year, I didn't feel like an imposter in my own life. The bear suit wasn't hiding me anymore—it was giving me the courage to be seen.