Introduction
"Cassandra! Here kitty, kitty!" a little girl called. She stepped in the doorway.
"There you are! You sure know how to escape!" the young girl patted the cat's head. She purred and nuzzled her olive skin. Her father stepped inside the room.
"Cleo, how many times have I told you? Quit playing with that cat!" he said, picking the queen up. The man threw the chocolate Siamese out of the house, making the little girl burst into hysterics.
"And don't come back!" he screamed at the cat. She hissed and scampered off.
She ran for many suns and moons. Finally, she came to a junkyard and rested her head on a tire.
A chuckle sounded above her. She jolted up.
"What do we have here?" A inviting voice smiled. An elder tom with brown, gray, and black fur smiled at her.
"Old Deuteronomy?" she purred. He pulled her into an embrace.
"Cassandra, you've returned home. After the humans came, we thought we would never see you again," he said into the young queen's fur. Tears streamed her face.
"I know. It was so painful," she cried.
"But now you are here with us, so we must celebrate your return!" he exclaimed. A golden queen with two younger queens appeared.
"Cassandra!" the golden queen exclaimed. She pulled the Siamese into her arms.
"Jellyorum," she purred. Bombalarina and Demeter smiled. Bombalarina and Demeter hugged her. They were like her sisters.
"We must celebrate Cassandra's return!" Jellyorum purred.
"We will, Jellyorum. Go tell everyone! Tonight when the harvest moon is in the sky, we will have a ball celebrating Cassandra's homecoming," Old Deuteronomy smiled. Jellyorum took the happy Siamese back to her home. Bombalarina and Demeter filled Cassandra in on the latest news.
"Bomba is with Tugger," Demeter giggled.
"What about you Deme?" Cassandra asked curiously.
"No one," she sighed.
"Yet," Bombalarina added. Demeter threw a look at her sister. She shrugged.
"It'll happen," Cassie said.
"Come on, girls. Let's get ready for the ball," Jellyorum called. The threesome went inside and brushed their fur until it gleamed.
Demeter and Bombalarina polished their collars.
"When did you get that?" Cassandra said curiously.
"Last Jellicle Ball," Bombalarina said.
"Oh," Cassandra said, wishing she had one too. The sisters walked outside, whispering to each other. Cassandra went to go outside, but Jellyorum stopped her.
"Here," she said, putting something around her neck. Cassandra looked in the mirror.
"Oh my Heaviside! It is beautiful!" she exclaimed. A thin navy-blue strip of leather with a crescent moon on the front caressed her neck. Small silver studs lined the collar.
"Now, you are ready," Jellyorum smiled at the queen. Cassandra ran to catch up with Demeter and Bombalarina after saying thank you a thousand times to Jellyorum, who just sighed and shook her head in amusement.
"Jellicle Cats, welcome to this ball. Cassandra has returned home from her entrapment a year ago. Please welcome this fellow Jellicle and celebrate!" Old Deuteronomy smiled. Cassandra curtsied to the Jellicles below and walked into the crowd. She felt many eyes on her- especially the toms. Once she greeted her Jellicle family, a black and white paw tapped her shoulder.
"Cassandra," a male voice said. She turned to meet his gaze. It was Alonzo.
"Alonzo!" She hugged the familiar tom. The music changed to a tango. They had been dance partners for all the Jellicle Balls she had attended in her life.
"Would you dance with me, fair queen?" Alonzo purred. Cassandra threw a brilliant smiled.
"Of course, 'Lonzo" she purred. He took the position for the tango. They danced in perfect sync. He dipped her.
So low that she could see another tom, waiting for his chance with her.
"Alonzo, may I have my turn?" a small black tom said. Alonzo rolled his eyes at the tuxedo cat.
"Whatever," he said, going over to find another queen to dance with. The fast tempo changed to a Viennese Waltz.
"Mistoffelees! How have you been?" Cassandra smiled at her old partner for magic. He smiled.
"Amazing. I am so happy you're safe! I- I mean, we were so relieved to see that you are okay," he stuttered. Cassandra giggled.
"Me too," she purred as he lead her in the dance in steps of 1-2-3,1-2-3,1-2-3. Mistoffelees always had a crush on her. She thought it was sweet, but nothing more than that. She had her eyes set out on another tom.
Not the Rum Tum Tugger, who was at the moment checking her out, but his brother.
Munkustrap.
The silver tom with black stripes caught her gaze and smiled. Cassandra felt the blood rush up to her cheeks. The song ended and she thanked Mistoffelees for the wonderful Waltz. He smiled a goofy smile and walked over to his brother Quaxo.
As the night proceeded, all the toms and queens had managed to talk to her. All except for one, who was making his way over to her. The blood rushed up to her cheeks yet again.
"Cassandra, it is so great to see you again," Munkustrap smiled. Cassandra felt the butterflies fill her stomach.
"Yeah. You look good too- I mean it's good to see you too," she blushed in embarrassment. The music changed from a fast paced Latin dance that Tugger was dominating, to a slow beautiful song that seemed to pull on your heartstrings.
"So"he said.
"So," Cassandra replied.
"Wanna dance?" Munkustrap asked.
"Sure," Cassandra said, beaming on the inside. He chuckled and pulled her next to him and swayed to the rhythm. Sure he couldn't dance like Alonzo or Mistoffelees, but he was just fine. When the song ended, she thanked him and returned to Bombalarina, who was draped over Tugger.
"So you and Patch," he smirked.
"So you and Mistoffelees," Demeter said.
"So you and Stripes," Bombalarina smirked.
"Um- no to all three accounts," Cassandra laughed. The three gave her a look.
"What?!" she she looked back.
"We'll see you at the house, Cass," Bombalarina and Demeter said.
"Hey, since you don't like any of the other toms, what about me, huh?" Tugger purred.
"I HEARD THAT!" Bombalarina yelled
"Uh, thanks for the offer, Tugger, but no thanks," Cassandra turned on her heel and caught up with her friends.