The mirrors said, “You look great.”
I shivered and licked my fur. I had to look my best for a special group video.
Miss Tanya brushed the hair on my back.
“It’s a simple trick,” drawled Wesley Maine Coon. “We just stand there.”
I knew the trick paws down. We’d worked on it three times in the mirror room. Wesley stood on one end, as the biggest cat. I stood at the other end, as the smallest cat. In between, the other cats stood in order of how big they were. Since she was a paw taller now, Jazz would stand beside me.
A red laser light came on. It moved all around the room.
We just watched the light.
Stand there. Watch the light.
That’s all I had to do.
I reached my hind leg around and scratched under my chin. It was itchy today.
“Five minutes,” called the Director. Today he smelled of peppermint candies. He wore a scarf around his scrawny neck.
Wesley said, “The Director has a cold. He’ll be easy to please today.”
I stretched. My ears twitched; I couldn’t make them stop.
“Nervous?” Jazz asked. “It’s a live audience, but you can’t see the humans because they are behind the bright lights.”
I just shrugged.
“Just ignore the lights,” Jazz said. “Humans can’t see very well without them, poor dears.”
“Oh,” I said. I always liked to know more about humans. After all, they were our viewers.
“Quiet on the set!” the Director called.
We joined the line of cats.
But I was itchy. I gave my tail a quick lick. Really, it was quite messy today.
Lights glared. I wanted to squint. But I had to keep my mixed eyes open.
One by one, we strolled onto the table.
Wesley went first. For this job, he only had to be tall. He looked like the king of the lions. The groomer had fluffed out his hair to look like a lion’s mane. I liked how his legs were so straight and tall.
My ear itched. I tilted my head, but it still itched.
Next came Kathleen Ragdoll. She was a tricolor ragdoll. Her videos always got plenty of views.
Next came Daniel Siamese, Jazz’s tall brother. Then Jazz walked onto the table.
Finally it was my turn. Slowly I walked onto the table and stood beside Jazz. I opened my eyes w-i-d-e. The camera looked at my mixed eyes.
From beyond the lights, I heard calls.
“Oh! That small one is so adorable.”
“That big one is a monster!”
“Makes you want to pet them all.”
My ear itched. I started to pull my hind leg out, but Jazz hissed out of the side of her mouth, “Not now!”
I tried to stand straight and tall, like Wesley.
But the ear itched.
The laser light came on. The others almost stood on tiptoe watching the red dot of light. It went right and left. I fought to be still. The team moved as one. We leaned right. We leaned left.
But I was off.
I needed to scratch.
Kathleen and Wesley and the Director glared at me.
I tried to ignore the itch.
Beside me, Jazz stood on tiptoe. She loved the red light. Her head turned to watch it.
I watched the red light too. I liked the red light. Really. But—my hind leg reached out by itself. It scratched my ear.
But it didn’t reach my ear.
Instead, my leg bumped Jazz.
Just a teensy tiny bit. Really. But Jazz fell.
When Jazz fell, she knocked into Daniel.
Daniel pushed over Kathleen.
Kathleen slammed into Wesley.
Wesley. Big, sweet Wesley.
He wavered. He tried to catch himself.
For a moment, I thought he’d stand firm.
But then he tumbled, head over heels.
Of course, he landed on his feet. Even kittens know how to do that.
The live audience was silent. Shock.
Then the laughter started in low. And it started to grow.
Wild laughter. Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!
“Domino cats!” yelled someone.
The live audience loved it!
Wesley did not love it.
He leaped up beside me. He towered over me.
I shrank down.
Wesley growled deep in his chest. “Grrrow!”
I thought the Director would call, “Cut!” But the film kept rolling.
Wesley turned slowly. He looked at the camera. He stood like the king of the beasts. He was in control of his everything.
He glared down at me. I was just an ant in his path. He smiled a wide cat smile for the camera. Bending low, he faked licking me.
He growled in my ear, “If you ever do that again…”
I gulped.
But Jazz was there, talking in my other ear. “Angel! Be a fight cat.”
So then I got mad.
No. I wasn’t a fraidy-cat any longer.
MamaGrace’s words echoed in my mind: It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog.
I growled back. “Grrrow!”
I reared up on my hind legs. I swatted at Wesley’s face.
He pulled back. And fell.
Boom!
Instantly, he was on his feet again.
“Yowza,” said the Director. “A disaster.”
But MamaGrace said quietly, “Underdog cat.”
As usual, MamaGrace had it right. They edited a separate video of me fighting with Wesley. It went viral.
I was the new underdog cat. A totally new role for cats, created just for me. And my viewers.
And the viewers clicked.
And clicked.
And clicked.
And clicked.
KA-ching!