Amitié

Jemi Gr.

Chapter One: In Which Cats Are Maddened by the Selection of Dates for the Midnight Dance

Oh, how I hate Jemima! I hate her! I hate her! thought Electra bitterly. It's not fair! Nothing ever goes right for me, ever! It's not fair! The brown queen tried desperately to stop the tears from flowing down her cheeks like waterfalls, but it was no use. It's not fair! I hate Jemima.

She laid her head down on her paws, and as her thoughts turned to earlier that day, her tears began to flow harder…

*~*

"So, apparently Tumble asked Jemi to the Ball, but for some reason she turned him down… don't tell anyone, but I think she's sweet on Pouncival," giggled Electra's best friend, Etcetera, excitedly. "And this year, it's Victoria's turn to 'lose her innocence.'" Etcetera giggled at the very thought of it. "Obviously she'll be with Plato."

"What about you?" asked Electra. "Who are you going to the ball with?"

Etcetera waved a paw in the air. "No one." Seeing the look on Electra's face, she hastily added, "No, it's okay, I don't want to go with anyone. Having a date would distract me from Tugger."

Electra rolled her eyes. "Don't you think you're a little obsessive?"

"Obsessive? Me? You've got to be kidding," said Etcetera. Electra wasn't sure if she was being sarcastic or not. "Hey, it could work between me and Tugger! He's not going to the Ball with anyone either!"

"Etcy, don't be stupid," said Electra. "Everyone knows Bomba wants him to be her date, and Bomba isn't the kind of cat who takes no for an answer."

Etcetera pouted for a moment. "Well, it's not like you have a date either," she said after a pause.

"So?" snapped Electra.

"So you gotta ask someone!" cried Etcetera. "Let's see, you could ask Tumble if he ever stops making goo-goo eyes at Jemima… or you could ask Pounce, if Jem hasn't asked him already. But if you did, and he said yes, she'd probably be terribly angry with you… cause I think she is sweet on Pouncival… but don't tell her I said that."

Electra sighed. To tell the truth, she already had her eye on a certain tom… but she would never, ever, in a million years tell Etcetera who. Never. Her talkative and bubbly best friend would blab it all over the Junkyard, and everyone would laugh at her and the object of her affection would turn all red like he was so prone to do… she wouldn't mind this part, though, because he looked ever-so-cute when he blushed… but then he'd be really angry at her because he got really embarrassed when he blushed which only made him blush even more…

"Ooh!" Etcetera's loud squeal brought Electra back to reality.

"What?" said Electra, sounding rather annoyed.

"Tugger!" cried Etcetera, pointing enthusiastically to the corner of the Junkyard where the Rum Tum Tugger had appeared from and was now standing, looking cool (at least in any female's eyes. To a male it would seem as if he was posing for a stupid contest, but that is just because toms are toms and therefore toms are generally left in the dark about whether other toms look cool or stupid.)

Anyway, Electra looked towards where her best friend was pointing. Her heart skipped a beat. Her paws got sweaty. Her eyes got wide. She started trembling nervously.

Etcetera noticed the sudden change in her friend's manner. "I know, he's gorgeous, isn't he?" she sighed.

"Um… uh… urg… raaaaaa…" said Electra.

Etcetera shook her head. "And you say I'm obsessed! Come on, let's go say hi. Jemima's already over there." She grabbed her friend's paw and started to pull her over to the Rum Tum Tugger.

Meanwhile…

"You look like you're posing for a stupid contest," said Mistoffelees to his friend Tugger just moments after the two entered the Junkyard.

The Rum Tum Tugger rolled his eyes. "So much to learn, so little time," he said.

"And what's that supposed to mean?" shot Mistoffelees indignantly.

"Well, you came here to find a date for the Ball, right?" said Tugger, not moving from his cool-stupid pose.

"No! I mean, yes! No, I mean… I mean yes, but what that's got to do with it?" stammered the tuxedo cat.

Tugger once again rolled his eyes. "Face it, man, you're not exactly a babe magnet."

"I do alright!"

The Maine Coon raised one eyebrow and looked down at his friend. A grin began to spread on his face. It got wider and wider and wider until he finally burst out laughing.

"Wha-at?" said Mistoffelees. "I was serious!"

This only made Tugger laugh harder. Mistoffelees scowled. "If you don't stop laughing right now, I'll tell Bombalurina you still sleep with a night light shaped like a cupcake."

Tugger instantly stopped laughing. "Listen, man, if you want a date, you just have to act cool. You know, calm down. Loosen up. Don't be so uptight about everything. Chicks dig that. Oh, and try to slouch some more. Standing up all straight like that makes look like you're posing for a stupid contest."

Mistoffelees made no visible effort to obey Tugger's words. The Maine Coon sighed. "Now, listen, here comes Jemima. Rumor has it that she turned down an offer to go the Jellicle Ball from Tumblebrutus, meaning she's currently available. Some say she's sweet on Pouncival, but that's not true, because I know for a fact she's trying to set him up with Etcetera. So when she comes over here, just act cool, and after a few minutes of conversation, 'how are you', 'blah blah blah', ask her to the dance. And don't forget to slouch."

"But what if I don't want to go to the dance with Jemima?" asked Mistoffelees.

"Do you not want to go to the dance with Jemima?"

"No, no, I want to go with her," said Mistoffelees hurriedly.

"Well, then."

"Hi Tugger! Hi Mistoffelees!" said Jemima cheerfully. "Are you excited about the ball?"

"Oh, yeah, sweet thing," said Tugger, grinning slyly at her. "I'll see you there, cutie."

Jemima grinned and giggled.

"Ouch!" said Mistoffelees suddenly. Tugger had just elbowed him – hard – in the ribs. "What was that for?"

"It rhymes with ouch and has an 's' at the beginning," hissed Tugger.

"Souch?" said Mistoffelees, confused. "Oh!" He quickly slouched over.

"Misto? Are you okay?" asked Jemima worriedly. "Are you hurt? Is something wrong?"

"Actually… uh… yes, Jemima, something is wrong," said Mistoffelees, straightening his back and sneering at Tugger. "The problem is, you don't have a date to the ball yet and I don't have a date to the ball yet."

"Gee, that's a terrible problem," said Jemima, a smile growing on her face. "Whatever shall we do to fix it?"

"I just don't know," said Mistoffelees sadly, shaking his head.

Jemima giggled. "You want to go to the ball with me, Misto?"

"Sure," he said, smiling.

"Hi Tugger! Hi! Hi! Hi!" said an excited voice.

"Hey babe," said Tugger to Etcetera, causing her to giggle madly. "Or should I say babes…?" He winked at Electra, who did nothing.

"Um, Electra, you do realize that your eyes are the size of milk saucers, don't you?" asked Jemima. "You alright?"

"Um…. ugh…"

"She's probably overcome by my greatness," said Tugger, smiling. "Or perhaps she's overcome by the greatness of my sidekick?" He motioned towards Mistoffelees. "I gotta hand it to you, Misto, even I would have had a hard time pulling that one off."

Mistoffelees blushed.

"Ahhhhgggggaaa," whimpered Electra.

Etcetera smiled brightly. "So who's everyone going to the ball with?"

"I'm going with every queen who'll have me," smiled Tugger, causing Etcetera to giggle madly.

"I'm not going with anyone," she said when she recovered.

"And you?" asked Electra shakily, pointing to Misto. It was the first legible words the magician had heard her say all day. All week, for that matter.

"Jemima," he said. His date grinned broadly. Electra's jaw dropped.

"Oh, that's great, Leccy, that frees both Pouncival and Tumblebrutus up for you!" cried Etcetera excitedly.

"Huh… no… can't… Jemima… I gotta go," she said frantically, running off quickly.

"Oh well, more Tugger for me!" cried Etcetera to her retreating back.

*~*

And that brought her back to where she was now. Dateless. Hopelessly in like. And terribly mad at Jemima.

I should tell him I like him, thought Electra. Maybe he likes me too…

If he liked you, why would he ask out Jemima?

Maybe he didn't ask her out. Maybe she asked him out and he didn't want to turn her down…

You know Mistoffelees isn't like that… he wouldn't go out with anyone unless he really liked them.

But maybe if I tell him that I like him, maybe he'll find out that he likes me more than her…

Oh, come on. That stuff only happens in stories.

Yeah, you're right.

Thank you.

"Electra?" said a timid voice from the entrance to the pipe which Electra had claimed as her own personal hiding spot. The brown queen recognized the voice immediately, and it was the next-to-last she wanted to face right now.

"Go away, Jemima," she said in between sobs.

"Electra, what's wrong?" asked Jemima.

"I don't want to talk about!" she cried.

"Come on, Leccy, tell me," pleaded Jemima gently.

Electra stubbornly shook her head no.

"Please?"

Electra sighed. "How could you?!?" she exploded.

"How could I what?"

"Go to the Ball with him! How could you? You knew I liked him! You knew!" she cried desperately. "I hate you! I hate you!"

Jemima's eyes widened. "I didn't know, Electra, I swear, oh my, I'm so sorry, I didn't know…"

"Well, there's nothing we can do about it now," said Electra grumpily.

"Leccy, I swear, if I knew you liked him I never would have asked him out…"

"Well you should have guessed! We're supposed to be friends, right?"

Jemima's eyes started to fill up with tears. "I'm so sorry, Electra. I'd tell him that I can't go with him, but… but…"

Electra turned away.

"But I like him too, you know?" finished Jemima sadly.

Electra said nothing.

"Come on, Leccy, don't be like this," pleaded Jemima. "Come on, I'll fix you up with any tom you like. You like Tumblebrutus? Done. How bout Pouncy? I was trying to fix him up with Etcy, but she's not interested. Or maybe Alonzo? I know he's older than us, and Etcy says he's into Cassandra, but nothing's official yet and I bet I can get him to ask you out…"

"I don't want them!" said Electra, turning back around to face her friend. "I want Misto! He's the one I like!"

Jemima sniffed. "But I like him too…"

"Jemima, if you're my friend, you'll dump him now," demanded Electra harshly.

Jemima sniffed again, and then began to shake her head. "No," she said. "I won't do it. If you were my friend you'd be happy for me!"

"Are you saying I'm not your friend?" asked Electra angrily.

"No!" cried Jemima. "No, I didn't mean it like that, Lec, don't be like this…"

"If you were my friend, you'd dump him!" said Electra again.

Jemima was crying very hard now. "I can't, Lec, you gotta understand…"

Electra turned around and folded her arms. "I'm sorry, Jemima, I don't talk to cats who betray their friends!"

"Electra…" pleaded Jemima, but it was no use. "Well, fine," said Jemima, slowly crawling out of the pipe. "Some friend you are."

"I hope you two have a miserable time!" shouted Electra.

"And I hope you have a miserable time by yourself!" shouted Jemima back.

As soon as Jemima was out of earshot, Electra began to sob again. Oh, she hated Jemima… how she hated her.

*~*