"Demeter?" Her whisper was soft, tentative. If the black-and-gold queen was asleep, she didn't want to wake her.
"Bomba?" Demeter shifted slightly to catch sight of her sister, lying next to her in the den of Jennyanydots, the Old Gumbie Cat. It was warm and cozy, though a bit stuffy. Everything was dark and quiet, except for the soft murmur of Jenny's snore from the room farther back.
Jenny had tried to give that room to them, of course. It was the nicest, lined with cloths and feathers and springy moss that Jenny had collected over the years, even an old ripped shawl made of pure silk. Neither Bomba nor Demeter had ever felt anything like it, so soft that one touch of their nails would shred it to pieces.
But Demeter couldn't handle the room in the back, comfortable though it was. She needed to be closer to the door, to the den's entrance. She never told Bomba exactly, but Bomba understood: she needed to be able to escape.
"Dem," Bomba said again, softly. She no longer whispered, and her voice was full of contentment and relaxation, although Demeter detected a hint of mischief. Although Bomba was slightly older than Demeter, she was much more playful.
"What is it?" Demeter replied, watching her sister scratch her chest lazily and smile at the ceiling of the den, although there was nothing there to smile at.
"It's a bit stuffy in here. Do you want to go outside?"
Demeter shivered at the thought. She'd spent too many nights in the freezing gutters to relish "outside" when there was an inside that was warm and inviting.
"Jenny will worry," she whispered back. It was true. The Old Gumbie Cat fretted terribly over the new queens, watching their diets and social activities as though they were sacred. If she came out to check and found them gone, she would rouse the whole Jellicle junkyard.
Granted, Demeter had a history of running away. But, in her defense, she never ran far, and never left the junkyard. Sometimes, she just wanted to be alone.
Not alone exactly. Just away from the Jellicle cats. Demeter bit her lip. They were nice enough, but still—strangers. She wanted to be with Bombalurina, only Bombalurina. Her sister was the only one who could understand her. They'd been through a lot together.
"Jenny doesn't need to know. We can sneak." Bomba sounded amused at the idea. She rolled over to her tummy. Her big brown eyes, wide and friendly, smiled down at Demeter.
Demeter's own cool greens gazed back uncertainly. "I don't know, Bomba…"
The rosy lips grew determined. "Well," she whispered, "I'm going out. I know a nice spot where we can see the whole junkyard! It'll be lovely!"
That sounded appealing. Despite her reservations, Demeter's ears perked up. "Where?"
"I'll take you, Silly. C'mon. Don't be such a kitten! We're queens now, remember?"
"Yes," Demeter whispered. She felt the world come crashing in on her suddenly. "Yes. I remember."
Being a queen was a lot more complicated than being a kitten.
Bomba sat up on her haunches. She gave Demeter a gentle shake. "Come on," she coaxed, moving silently towards the den's entrance.
Demeter watched her slink away. Then came a moment of near panic, which happened every time she saw Bomba leaving her alone. Demeter sat up stiffly and shook her head, trying to get rid of the crippling sensation.
Bomba wasn't going to leave her. But she might not wait if Demeter didn't hurry.
Demeter crawled after her sister, following the red tail. She breathed deeply before slipping out the doorway, trying to inhale the warmth of Jenny's den and take it with her into the cool night. Holding the breath, she exited.
The cool blue sky above them was chilly, but not really cold. Demeter fluffed herself out, and let out the breath in a huff.
Once outdoors, Bomba's speed increased decidedly. She scampered to the end of the Jellicle gathering place, and whipped her head around to see if Demeter was following. Upon seeing the gold queen, Bomba's smile widened. She leapt onto some tires and climbed over them. Demeter followed by keeping her eyes on the red tail swinging and dancing in front of her. Once or twice it slipped out of sight, but the slight scurrying sound kept Demeter on track. It felt like they were going very far from the main clearing.
Bomba finally reached a pile of junk topped by an old pram. She mounted the pile and settled into the top of the stroller, which was quite flattened and hanging off its hinges. Demeter also stepped into the pram, which had a cushioned back and bottom and a small shield to keep out sunlight. It was downright cozy.
"Nice, Bomba!" she said appreciatively. She wiggled her body into a comfortable position, side against the bottom cushion, and back against the side.
Bomba's smile grew rather smug and she flopped down beside Demeter, arching her back before settling it against the cushion.
She started picking her nails, holding them up in the faint moonlight. "Demeter? Are you sorry that we're queens?"
"Better than toms," Demeter said.
Bomba laughed her rich, hearty laugh. "You silly cat. You know what I mean."
The gold-and-black queen sighed. "I—sometimes. I don't think I'm ready to be a queen."
"Because a queen needs a king?" Bomba said slyly.
Demeter felt her temperature rise a bit. "Um. Maybe."
"Anyone in mind?"
"Um," Demeter said again. Then, "Um." She wasn't good at retorts.
"Does it start with an 'M'?"
"Um," Demeter stammered, flushing more than ever. The night felt positively hot.
Bomba let out a giggle but thankfully dropped the issue. She looked up at the stars. "They're like old friends."
"Yes!" Demeter eagerly agreed, seizing the new topic. "I know. My favorite is the Big Dipper."
"That's just because it's the only one you recognize!" Bomba giggled.
Demeter let out her own giggle. "No! I know a few. Big Bear, Little Bear, Pegasus, Orion, Orion's Belt…"
Bomba stopped giggling and gazed at the sky with the same absent-minded smile she had given Jenny's ceiling. Demeter noticed the change.
"What?" she demanded playfully.
"Oh! Nothing," Bomba demurred, rubbing her lips together.
"Bomba…"
She smiled that secret smile. "You don't want to know."
"Bomba!" Now she was a little alarmed.
"Fine! Ask me my favorite constellation."
"Alright," Demeter said, furrowing her brow. "What's your favorite constellation?"
Bomba said softly, "Orion."
"Because it's the easiest one to recognize?" Demeter pointed out.
Bomba flushed red. "If I tell you why, will you promise not to tell anyone?"
Demeter had the overwhelming feeling that she didn't want to know. It was a sense that went off without warning every now and then. Something in her sister's tone triggered it. Demeter tried to analyze it. Bomba was sounding very…lovesick.
That could only mean one thing…
"Well," Bomba whispered, scooting over and bringing her lips to Demeter's ear, "this constellation reminds me of someone. There, you can see his belt," she pointed up at the sky, "and his tail…and the way he's standing, those are his arms and legs…"
"Great Heavyside, Bomba," Demeter groaned, passing a paw over her eyes. "Are you telling me that you think Orion resembles the Rum Tum Tugger?"
"Shhh!" Bomba hissed. "You promised not to tell!"
Demeter lowered her paw and stared blankly at the innocent stars above; the three stars in a row angled against a few fainter stars and punctuated at just the right places with even brighter stars…
She saw it. The motion, the twist of the hips…the raised arms, the spread legs…it was definitely a resemblance. In fact, it was spot-on.
"Gross," she moaned, clamping both paws over her eyes. "You've ruined it for me."
Bomba hovered between indignation and amusement. "So you see it too?" she asked, scratching her chin with a red nail. Her tail twitched with excitement.
Demeter groaned loudly. "Why did you tell me? Now I have to see it!"
Bombalurina giggled shamelessly. "What? There's nothing not to like. Those long legs, that furry mane, those eyes…" she buried her face in the cushion and squiggled in happiness.
"Stars." Demeter stared blankly at the dark blue sky. "Stars. Let's talk about stars. Please." She tried not to look, but in the corner of her eye the Rum Tum Tugger was shaking his hips at her.
Bomba rolled over and sighed happily. "Starlight, star bright, first star I see tonight…"
"Wish I may, wish I might," Demeter recited tonelessly, trying to erase the impression. Orion, the Hunter. Orion's Belt. Not the…
Rum Tum Tugger. Bast. She was right. It was ruined.
"Have the stars I see tonight!" Bomba finished brightly.
Demeter looked sourly at her. "'Have the wish I make tonight'," she corrected.
Bomba winked slyly. "You already know what that is."
Demeter groaned and covered her eyes. "In that case, our wishes cancel each other out."
She expected Bomba to be upset at her declaration, but the red cat shrugged it off. She was used to Demeter's dislike.
In her defense, Demeter mumbled, "He's a jerk."
"Well," Bomba said, snuggling up to Demeter, gazing back up with fond expression, "At least he's always there for me. Up there, I mean."
"Yes." Demeter agreed, with sad acceptance. "Me too."
She sighed, and closed her eyes.
Above them, the Rum Tum Tugger twinkled.
A/N: This is all Rachel's fault...Try it! It really looks like him!