[She was found in an outer trashcan by Bombalurina when she was a mere few months old. No one knows where she came from. This is Rockit's story.]
One
The little kitten bounded into the junkyard and swiped at Demeter, who was sitting waiting for Bombalurina to appear from her morning walk.
"Who's this?" Demeter asked Bombalurina.
"No idea. She's got a tag. I couldn't read it clearly."
Demeter held the frisky kitten still and tried to read the scratched tag. "It says 'Rockit'. Is that your real name or your ineffable name?" She asked the kitten.
"Real. It's certainly not my secret name. No one knows that!" Rockit mewed.
"Welcome then. Are you injured?" Demeter looked the kitten over.
"I'm fine. I'm just hungry." Rockit mewed. She looked up at Demeter and Bombalurina. "Are you going to be my new Mommies?" Bombalurina and Demeter looked at each other and Demeter giggled.
"No, little one," Demeter stroked the kitten's soft fur. "You'll have to go to Jellylorum. She looks after the kittens."
"I don't know, Demeter, maybe we should look after her. I mean, we are old enough, and Jellylorum would appreciate it if we helped out for a change. She always says we're a bad influence."
"You mean, you are, what with the toms!" Demeter returned smoothly.
"You know who the heavenly body is reserved for!" Bombalurina replied, preening.
"Heavenly? Gimme a break!" Demeter scoffed.
Rockit, listening to them loudly discussing their businesses, got bored, and so she rolled over, caught her tail, and played with it for a bit. Then she sighed, got to her paws, and padded off. So it was that Demeter and Bombalurina didn't see her go.
"Hehee!" Jemima squealed, running from Jellylorum, who was helping Jennyanydots were trying to catch the kittens for their weekly bath.
"You'll never catch me!" Electra dodged Jenny, and ran smack into something.
"Well, well, well, who's this?" Jellylorum edged up to the furry red and white kitten and picked her up in her mouth by the scruff of the neck. Rockit yowled and stuck her claws out, but Jellylorum was used to kittens' claws. She simply ignored the pain and carried the kitten off to Munkustrap, leaving Jenny in the charge of the other kittens' baths.
"Tugger's getting worse," Munkustrap remarked to Cassandra. "He's flirting with Victoria. Plato won't be pleased."
"How come?" asked Cassandra, smoothing her too sleek fur.
"Cassandra, don't you notice anything?"
"Not really. No." Cassandra replied evenly.
Munkustrap sighed. Sometimes Cassandra could be so...
"Munkustrap?" Jellylorum's voice wafted over the tyre.
"What is it, Jellylorum?" Munkustrap called back, recognising the voice without turning.
Jellylorum came up, appearing over the junk. She dropped the bundle of kitten in front of Munkustrap. The bundle unfurled itself, yowled, and skittered off before anyone could react.
"What was that?" Cassandra looked round for the furry object, expecting it to reappear.
"That WAS a kitten.." Jellylorum called to Cassandra, and began to hunt for the kitten, walking in the direction Rockit had scampered in.
Rockit scrambled into the corner of the junkyard, up into a corner where it was dark and lonely. She didn't want anyone bossing her about! She wished she hadn't left that red queen that had found her. She had been chased, had chased her food, and sometimes lost it to other, more powerful cats. She was tired too. She curled up, and napped peacefully.