Chapter 24: Catnip
Victoria sat in front of a mirror in her owner's home. As she fastened her collar, tears poured silently down her cheeks. She didn't get asked by anyone. She would go to the Ball in a couple of hours, alone. She bit her lip as she looked at herself in the mirror. Considering the tears streaming down her face, she didn't look too bad. She fluffed up her fur and tried to smile. Then she shook her head miserably and buried her face in her arms. She didn't know if she could pull off the happy exterior tonight.
Alonzo looked into the room. "Hey sis," he greeted. Victoria sat up quickly and wiped her eyes surreptitiously. Alonzo didn't seem to notice anything was wrong. "Cass and I are heading over to the Junkyard. We want to help Jen out before many Cats get there. You coming?"
"No," Victoria sniffed. "I'll be over right before it starts. Go on ahead. Tell them I'll be there." Tell who? she asked herself. Who will care? That thought made her start to sob again.
*~*~*
Munkustrap held a strand of Christmas lights for Demeter. She was standing on a box and draping the lights over a dresser. "You've got the end?" she asked Munkustrap.
"Yeah," he told her patiently. It was the third time she'd asked. "Be careful up there. You and Bomba are 'booked' for doing Macavity tonight. You can't dance if you fall."
"I'll fall on my feet," she reassured him. "Besides, I can balance on bars and walk on wires. You shouldn't worry." She motioned for him to hand up the last of the lights, which she finished arranging. "Can you catch me?"
"Wh-what?" Munku wasn't quite sure what she why she was asking. "I guess so, why?"
"Trust fall," she informed him. She glanced behind her at him. "Move behind me." He moved and she promptly fell backwards, very gracefully and intentionally. He ran forward and grabbed her from the air. She laughed. "That was fun!"
"Demi!" Munkustrap complained. "Don't do that! What did I just say about you being careful?"
"I was careful," she giggled. "I warned you." She jumped out of Munku's arms.
"You're Nipped," Munkustrap stated as she lost her balance. He buried his head in his paw. "You've been at Tugger's catnip again, haven't you." It wasn't a question, but an accusation.
"Of course not!" Demeter protested. "Why would I do a thing like that?"
Munkustrap sighed. "I don't believe this. My date for the Ball is high," he laughed as Demi charged at him. She swatted him with a nearby cloth.
"I am not! Stop teasing!" She giggled as she chased him.
Jenny saw the pair and smiled. They looked like a pair of courting kittens. Well, in a way, they were. Four was barely adult in her mind. "Hey you two," she called after a few minutes of rollicking fun. "Cut it out. We have work to do."
Munkustrap and Demeter returned to her. "Sorry Jen," Demi apologized, panting. "Munku was teasing me." Munkustrap began to laugh again. Demeter smacked him with her paw. "Stop it!"
"You're so Nipped!" He laughed, staying out of reach of her paws.
Jenny sighed. "Sometimes, I wonder who you bribed to become the protector of the tribe." Munkustrap pouted.
"Nobody likes me anymore," he sulked. "I might as well leave."
"No, you won't," Jenny scolded, sounding like his mother. "That would get you out of helping!" Munkustrap rolled his eyes. Jenny smacked him. Demeter smacked him.
"Okay, if that's how you're gonna treat me, I'm leaving," Munkustrap warned them.
"All right, all right," Demi sighed. "We'll be good." She leaned over the pile of extra lights and kissed Munkustrap. It was a light, sweet kiss, Munkustrap observed. One which he happily participated in.
"Erm, excuse me? Is this the Jellicle Junkyard?" A voice asked from behind them. Demeter and Munkustrap pulled apart and looked around. A medium sized black, orange, and white calico stood next to the drainpipe.
"Yeah," Munku told her, for it was definitely a queen. "Who are you?"
"I'm Mollieta. I heard about the Jellicle Ball and decided I'd come and see." She didn't seem too timid, Munku decided.
"Hi Molli," he waved to her. "I'm Munkustrap, the Jellicle Tribe protector." He couldn't help not noticing her surprised look. She almost looked as if she was laughing at him a little. "Yeah, yeah. Don't give me that look young lady. We're all just a little wound up. Excited, you know."
"Don't listen to him," Demeter advised Mollieta. "He's a little wound up."
Munku turned to her. "Who's been chasing me, giggling, and falling backwards off boxes for fun?"
"Who's been telling me I'm high, running away in the first place, and joking around with everybody?" Demeter countered.
"Is that how it's gonna be? Well in that case, who's been-" Jenny cut Munkustrap off.
"Stop it you two," Jenny scolded. "You're going mislead Mollieta about you're usual personalities." She turned to the newcomer. "Hi Mollieta. I'm Jennyanydots. Are you from London?"
"Yeah," Molli told her eagerly. "I live with my owner on the other side of the city. I've heard of the Tribe before, but last year, the Ball really caught a lot of eyes. I wanted to come check it out. Sorry for being so early, but I wanted to see if I could help. Are there more Jellicles who come?"
"Heaviside, yes!" Jenny laughed. "We had about thirty Cats last year. They should be along soon. How old are you?"
"About three, I think," Molli replied. She calculated for a moment. "Yeah, I'm three."
"That's the age of some of the other Cats. The Tugger, Cassandra, Plato." Jenny smiled warmly at the calico. "Do you like to sing?" Mollieta didn't reply just smiled happily and nodded.
"Okay, can we drop the small talk?" Munku asked Jenny. "Are we finished helping decorate?"
"I guess," Jenny sighed. "Why don't you two take Molli and try to find some of the others. There's bound to be one or two in the Junkyard." Demeter grinned at Mollieta and took her paw.
"C'mon new blood, we'll tell you a little about ourselves along the way."
*~*~*
Grizabella settle herself daintily on an old mattress. She watched some of the other Cats laughing with each other. In particular, she eyed Mungojerrie with interest. He was very attractive. He was mischievous and had a sense of humor. She wondered if there was a chance that they could hook up before the Ball in a few hours. It was possible, she supposed. If anyone could make it work, it was the Grizabella the Glamour Cat (once upon a time).
She smoothed her fur and walked up to the group. "Hello Jerrie," she purred in his ear.
Mungojerrie looked at her in surprise. "Bellz, hoi." He looked pleasurably surprised. She smiled at him. "Wha's up?"
"Oh," she tried looking downcast. "I was just feeling a little blue. I don't have a date for the Ball." She sighed.
"Roilly? I wouldn' 'ave 'spected tha'!" He grinned at her. "Well, ya' know, I don' 'ave one either. Woul' you be interes'ed in goin' with me?"
"Me?" Grizabella glanced up in mock surprise. "Oh," she giggled, "Jerrie, I'd love to!"
"Grea'!" Jerrie cried. "I'll see ya' toinigh' then."
"In a few hours, yeah!" Bella was happy. She grinned at Munkustrap, Demeter, and a newcomer as she ran to her den. She had to prepare herself.
*~*~*
"C'mon! C'mon! C'mon!" Jemima called to Electra and her father. "We need to get to the Junkyard!" Etcetera stood next to her and jumped up and down.
"Dad," she complained, "you're taking too long! Stop dreaming Lecta and come down here!"
Electra blinked. Then she sat up and remembered where she was. She jumped down from the porch to meet her sisters. She had been thinking about Pouncival. "I'm here!" She told her sisters. "Dad!" she sang to her father, who was putting something in a box.
"Dad!" Etcetera sang a key higher.
"Dad!" Jemima hit the highest note. "Hurry up!" She jumped from foot to foot.
"I'm coming!" Skimble yelled to his daughters. He picked up the box and walked down the steps. Etcetera, Jemima, and Electra cheered and ran on ahead of him. "Don't get too far ahead," Skimble warned them, afraid for a repeat of the lost kittens episode.
Etcetera giggled and began leaping through the alleyways. "Jellicle Songs for Jellicle Cats! Jellicle Songs for Jellicle Cats!" Electra joined in with her in the chorus. Minutes later, they ran into the Junkyard, where they saw there mother.
"Mum!" Jemima yelled, running to Jenny and giving her a big hug. "Hi! What's happening?"
"Well," Jenny replied, putting her hands on her hips. "If you had gotten here a little sooner, you could have met Mollieta or seen Munkustrap and Demeter acting silly."
"Aww, we missed it?" Etcy complained. "I would have liked to see that!"
"Who's Mollieta, Mum?" Electra asked.
"She's a Jellicle from the other side of the city," Jenny explained to her family. "She heard about the Ball and wanted to see what it was like."
"Where is she? Where is she?" Etcetera asked excitedly. "How old is she?"
"She's with Munk and Demi and she's three," Jenny told her youngest daughter. She pointed, "The went that way. Do you want to go find them?" The question was rhetorical. Electra, Etcetera, and Jemima were already racing away.
"You don't think there's any chance those three could have gotten into any catnip, do you?" Skimble asked his mate hopefully.
"No," Jenny sighed. "I think they were born that way."