Over eight hundred students were to watch the parade. The event was sponsored by the school paper and the whole town; everybody wanted to be a part of it. I think anybody over the age of twelve wouldn't be so surprised that there was a parade. I mean, you can't just walk into your town and not be amazed by the seemingly tiny town. I couldn't have lived there. What I did was more for my parents' benefit. A perk they'd earned while working their way through law school, they'd gotten the house in good condition. The whole place paled in comparison to the school.
It even smelled nice. Like leather, wool, and power. The whole place had a certain vibe to it, I can tell you that. The whole school had valets to arrive in, but I knew of a Chevelle in my driveway when I got home. I suppose that's why I was hired. My name's no secret, but I'll go ahead and tell you just the same. I'm Eleise. Eleise Miller.
My dad had been a big factor in the reason I was hired. The whole reason I was the mascot. The whole reason I was wearing a giant, copper Fighting Tomcat head. Here I am, a student trying to make my parents proud, and my actions are the key reason the school had decided to get a new mascot.
I was always a little short. I still have a big head over my body. My hands are small. My feet are big. I'm not quite sure where my face ends and my body begins. I'm like my dad's feet, I suppose. I suppose that's why I'm hired to dress as the mascot.
I had a lisp. I still do. I used to have problems with my teeth, and when I got braces, I was teased. Things, in general, came a little harder for me. I never took it too seriously, but it never hit me that I'd be the sweet enough, endearing enough character to be hired to wear the head and entertain all the students.
It's not like I wanted the job. I was asked by the students what my position would be. I told them. I was the mascot. I was the Fighting Tomcat. I was, really, the essence of the school. Representing their myth.
Here, you have to have a costume. And I had one. It was just a Halloween costume or so I'd thought. It covered me from head to foot. Even my face and hair were covered. I wore it every year as the mascot. I suppose someone could get that stupid idea. All this went on. I went to school, sat in the same classes, and did all the same things, just wearing something different. Then, once the year was over, the Fighting Tomcat disappeared, just like that.
So when the new year started up, so did the mascot. I was just another student. I was Eleise Miller, class of 2015.
The head I wore was metal, copper colored to match the mascot's body. It was over three feet tall, clad in a lot of steel and copper. My small body fit nicely within its confines. I wore something similar to the mascot's costume, except that it covered my jacket and small shawl. My outfit was probably the most advanced outfit I'd ever touched.
I lived for the year, though, trying to do something for my parents. I was going to get them a new home, hopefully. They couldn't afford much for themselves, and I wasn't about to let my baby girl be left by herself. I was going to marry my dream, in the end.
I wore the mascot costume every year, and it became more and more like a clanking suit. The padding was soft and flabby and showed the softest parts of my body. I didn't mind much, but it never seemed to be able to correct my poor physical shape. My body was small. Delicate. It was one of those perfect tiny little figures you'd see on tumblr, in anime, and everywhere people looked for inspiration.
Looking at the parade from above, on top of the school, I felt I was the center of attention. It seemed the masses were looking up at the stands, trying to get a glimpse of The Fighting Tomcat. Me. I was the epitome of the school, like everyone said. My head swayed gently, one ear of the cat broken in several places, just as I had. It was eye-level with the students trying to spot me.
For the first time in a year, I felt right. I felt like I was doing something right. I felt like I was perfectly handsome, perfectly dashing for fighting cats. And, for a long time, I was.
I smiled to myself in the old costume, the one I knew was coming back. I felt like I was surrounded by a silver light. It surrounded the whole school, I knew. The color of my costume made it hard to see clearly in the light, but I assumed that the light was there.
The horses' shoes clicked on the pavement, shaking it up as the four young men pulled up to the fountain stage. The stage was already filled by the time the horse was led to the stage by the four teenage boys. The four boys stood on the stage, flanking the horse, uniforms dirty and worn, looking tired. The streets were vast, but the parade only had the four roads to walk on.
It made everything look big, I knew.
They all waited for the marching band to come out. Every year, the band came out of the school with the band director, who carried the banner. Though the weather was hot, the band all wore their hats and jackets. In the heat, they performed like robots.
The band had a tuba. I'd been in the band a while. It was a fun year. I wasn't in the orchestra or anything, but I heard it from a friend. The tuba made a noise when the band played. I'd seen the guy play and he was really good at his job.
The Tomcat was a marvel to the student body. I don't know how she came to be. I don't know what the heck the School Council approved, but it was an amazing invention. I was able to eat while still in the costume, since it was metal and wood and whatnot. The head was strong and big, held in place by metal. The armor wouldn't bend.
She was solid metal and held together by metal. The eyes and head were clear and the nose stayed the same size. It was the perfect fit for me. Her whole body fit inside of the metal, her head down to the tail. It was rare to see someone in a costume smaller than me. She was meant to be small.
The band came out a moment later, marching with purpose. The trumpet was beautifully at the lead, aim high, as per usual. He slung his instrument over his back and swung his right arm down, not missing a note. No one was at the drummers anymore, after the fourth year. I wondered why he hadn't just broken one.
Each of the four boys wore the same uniform. They were all in army outfits.
