#19: Weekly Quick Fic #6
Title: Behind the Mask
Prompt: Missing Persons Report/ Mascots
Bonus? yes
Word Count: 771
Rating: G
Original/Fandom: original
Pairings (if any): none
Warnings (Non-Con/Dub-Con etc): none
Summary: Basically I just wanted to write about mascots.
Dear Journal,
I've already seen the missing persons report and I'm pretty sure they think I'm insane. My picture is an old high school portrait, but it's the description that matters. None of this is my fault and I feel like none of this ever would have happened if it weren't for those tigers.
Maybe I should start from the beginning. The last time I wrote in here, I think I was 10 years old. I was never exactly the poetic type. I guess it all started when I busted my elbow playing softball. I was a freshman in high school and the sport was my life. Looking back, I probably wasn't very good at it, but I was passionate and I went to all the practices, which was a lot more than most kids could say. Our team was lucky to have a few really good players and we made it to the little league world championships. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise, it takes a lot of skill, but more often than not, it's who you know and what strings they pull for you. Not naming any names, but our team had a few silent partners who helped us along.
Anyway, you can imagine why I was so bummed when I found out my baseball career was over before I'd even made the varsity team. I wasn't good at any other sports and I was interested in getting good. I felt kind of alienated from all my friends, I needed some way to stay involved. Somehow my old coach figured all this out and came to find me at school while my arm was still healing. He said the school was looking for a new mascot because the guy who dressed up as a parrot at all the games had just graduated. He thought I would be perfect for it.
I thought about it for a long time. I'd always thought mascots were a stupid idea. Who ever thought of a dancing parrot anyway? I didn't think it helped raise school spirit. If anything, it was a distraction to the players. On the other hand, the mascot always hung out with the cheerleaders. Even though it's supposed to be some unspoken rule that the school isn't supposed to know who the mascot is, somehow they did. The guy who was the mascot was one of the most popular guys in school. Maybe the two facts had nothing to do with each other, but with that thought in mind, I accepted.
It actually turned out to be really fun. I got to go to every game without the pressure of playing. I got to cheer on the team. I kept track of the teams' statistics, but I didn't really have to worry about them. No one knew it was me in that mascot suit. I kept thinking I would tell everyone, but I was embarrassed. It was easy enough to hang out with the cheerleaders when I was in costume, but I was convinced they would ignore me if I unmasked myself.
Our team made it to the finals this year, something that rarely happened at my school. We were up against the Townsend tigers, our biggest rivals. They had an amazing roster, and I knew I would have to cheer on our team with all the excitement I could muster.
I almost lost it when I saw their tiger. I knew who it was, the guy had gone to our school a few years back. I was so mad at him, I just poured my anger into cheering on our team. I started doing stupid stunts, just to show him up a little.
Apparently, he wasn't too pleased to see me out there either. He came over to me at halftime and pushed me. Usually I just ignore bullies, but he was getting to me. He thought he was so much better than me now, just because he went to a better school. I punched him back. None of the teachers or officials were really paying attention to us, or else they thought it was all just an act, so we kept it up for a few minutes.
Suddenly, the tiger did something unthinkable. He pulled off the head of my costume. I was so embarrassed. The whole crowd had seen who was really behind the mask. I wasn’t ready to face up to it.
I did the only thing I could think of, I ran. I didn’t go home. I just hopped on a greyhound, still wearing the parrot suit. I can never go back.
Prompt: Missing Persons Report/ Mascots
Bonus? yes
Word Count: 771
Rating: G
Original/Fandom: original
Pairings (if any): none
Warnings (Non-Con/Dub-Con etc): none
Summary: Basically I just wanted to write about mascots.
Dear Journal,
I've already seen the missing persons report and I'm pretty sure they think I'm insane. My picture is an old high school portrait, but it's the description that matters. None of this is my fault and I feel like none of this ever would have happened if it weren't for those tigers.
Maybe I should start from the beginning. The last time I wrote in here, I think I was 10 years old. I was never exactly the poetic type. I guess it all started when I busted my elbow playing softball. I was a freshman in high school and the sport was my life. Looking back, I probably wasn't very good at it, but I was passionate and I went to all the practices, which was a lot more than most kids could say. Our team was lucky to have a few really good players and we made it to the little league world championships. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise, it takes a lot of skill, but more often than not, it's who you know and what strings they pull for you. Not naming any names, but our team had a few silent partners who helped us along.
Anyway, you can imagine why I was so bummed when I found out my baseball career was over before I'd even made the varsity team. I wasn't good at any other sports and I was interested in getting good. I felt kind of alienated from all my friends, I needed some way to stay involved. Somehow my old coach figured all this out and came to find me at school while my arm was still healing. He said the school was looking for a new mascot because the guy who dressed up as a parrot at all the games had just graduated. He thought I would be perfect for it.
I thought about it for a long time. I'd always thought mascots were a stupid idea. Who ever thought of a dancing parrot anyway? I didn't think it helped raise school spirit. If anything, it was a distraction to the players. On the other hand, the mascot always hung out with the cheerleaders. Even though it's supposed to be some unspoken rule that the school isn't supposed to know who the mascot is, somehow they did. The guy who was the mascot was one of the most popular guys in school. Maybe the two facts had nothing to do with each other, but with that thought in mind, I accepted.
It actually turned out to be really fun. I got to go to every game without the pressure of playing. I got to cheer on the team. I kept track of the teams' statistics, but I didn't really have to worry about them. No one knew it was me in that mascot suit. I kept thinking I would tell everyone, but I was embarrassed. It was easy enough to hang out with the cheerleaders when I was in costume, but I was convinced they would ignore me if I unmasked myself.
Our team made it to the finals this year, something that rarely happened at my school. We were up against the Townsend tigers, our biggest rivals. They had an amazing roster, and I knew I would have to cheer on our team with all the excitement I could muster.
I almost lost it when I saw their tiger. I knew who it was, the guy had gone to our school a few years back. I was so mad at him, I just poured my anger into cheering on our team. I started doing stupid stunts, just to show him up a little.
Apparently, he wasn't too pleased to see me out there either. He came over to me at halftime and pushed me. Usually I just ignore bullies, but he was getting to me. He thought he was so much better than me now, just because he went to a better school. I punched him back. None of the teachers or officials were really paying attention to us, or else they thought it was all just an act, so we kept it up for a few minutes.
Suddenly, the tiger did something unthinkable. He pulled off the head of my costume. I was so embarrassed. The whole crowd had seen who was really behind the mask. I wasn’t ready to face up to it.
I did the only thing I could think of, I ran. I didn’t go home. I just hopped on a greyhound, still wearing the parrot suit. I can never go back.