And it's a tie" Mungojerrie, a calico Tom, proclaimed as he stopped running in front of a hole in a chain link fence. The heat from the summer sun was heating the ground beneath him and drying up the puddles from the earlier rainfall. A small Queen, a calico who looked much like him but with a great deal more white, tumbled into him, barely avoiding a puddle, and pouted.
"It is not" she declared. "I won by, like, a mile"
Mungojerrie turned to look at her, a smile spread across his face. "Oh really, you won? Well, you know what the winner gets?" She shook her head no, expectantly. "They get... tickled!"
The Queen shrieked in amusement and terror before taking off through the hole and into the Junkyard that they were stopped in front of. The little calico wove her way through the piles of abandoned junk and trash, trying not to get caught. She reached the clear area in the center of the yard and dove behind a tall Silver Tabby who was walking by.
"Save me Munkustrap" she demanded as she hid behind his knees.
"Rumpelteazer... What's wrong" He asked as he tried to look at the Queen. Mungojerrie came around the corner and skidded to a halt in front of the Tribe's Protector. "Mungo?"
"She won the race so now she's supposed to be tickled" Mungojerrie said simply with a smile as Munkustrap shook his head.
"I'm not helping you this time Missy" Munkustrap said as he stepped aside revealing her, looking horrified.
"But Munk... What did I ever do to you" she asked as she tried to make her eyes as big and as sad as possible.
"Last week you dumped the bucket of rain water on me," he reminded as he poked her nose.
"Oh yeah" she said as she smiled and giggled before sticking out her tongue. "I forgot about that."
"Obviously" Munkustrap said he rolled his eyes at her, making her stick out her tongue.
"Hey, Teazer" two black and white Toms called from the other side of the clearing. "C'mon."
Rumpelteazer looked up at Mungojerrie with a sweet smile. He nodded his head and she took off. "Don't leave the Yard" he reminded as she met up with her friends.
"I won't Dad" she reassured before disappearing from view. Mungojerrie looked at the spot where the three kittens once were and sighed.
"So, who do you think it's going to be?"
"What" Mungojerrie asked as he turned to look at the smiling Tabby. Munkustrap chuckled to himself before asking again.
"Who do you think will dance with Rumpelteazer at the Ball? It's only a few days away." Munkustrap reminded. "Tugger and the others are starting to place bets."
"You're placing bets on my daughter's future mate?" Mungojerrie asked, obviously disgusted.
"I didn't say that I was. It's the other Toms who are... I'm placing my bet later; we do it every year Mungo."
"Yeah..." Mungojerrie said as he laughed quietly. "I don't know; she's good friends with Alonzo and Quaxo so it might be one of them. Quaxo is a bit younger though... it doesn't mean that he can't have feelings for her either."
"So you aren't going to help me win the bet" Munkustrap asked bluntly before Mungojerrie laughed and shook his head no. "Darn."
"So the loosing streak will continue," Mungojerrie taunted as he stuck out his tongue at him. So far Munkustrap hasn't won any of the 'Mating' bets. He even betted against himself when it was Demeter's turn, he didn't think he stood a chance against Tugger. Munkustrap cuffed his ear as Mungojerrie laughed.
"So, did you tell her yet" Munkustrap asked casually as he waved to Jellylorum.
"Did I tell who about what?"
"Rumpelteazer" Munkustrap sighed. "Did you tell her who her Mom was yet?"
"No" Mungojerrie said guiltily.
"She's going to be asking you soon Mungo. We've all been trying to avoid answering her when she says that she wishes she knew who her Mom was. The poor thing doesn't think her Mom ever cared about her."
"She didn't or else she wouldn't have run off with Growltiger. She told me that she was over him" Mungojerrie said sadly. "I don't see why she would have just got up and left. She didn't even wait until she was a month old for crying out loud..."
Munkustrap rubbed his head on the Tom's shoulder. "You miss her don't you?"
"Of course I miss her" he nodded. "I loved her so much Munk. Then she just leaves one day with out any warning... I feel so stupid every time I think of it."
"But if you look on the bright side if she stayed you wouldn't have became a Jellicle" Munkustrap said, trying to sound cheerful.
"That's true;" Mungojerrie sighed. "So are there any free boxes tonight?"
"Did you two get throw out again" Munkustrap asked, shocked.
"No, the male's just in a bad mood and we don't like being there when he's like that. So we just figured that we'd lay low for a few days... Preferably here."
"Don't worry Mungo, there's plenty of room for the two of you here."
"Come now you three, it's time to get washed up and then it's off to bed" Jellylorum said once her father, Gus, was done telling Alonzo, Quaxo and Rumpelteazer a bedtime story.
"But we're not tired" Quaxo complained.
"Yeah, can you tell us another story Gus" Rumpelteazer piped.
"A real long one" Alonzo asked hopefully.
"Alright, there was this one time-" Gus began only to be interrupted by Jellylorum.
"No more stories tonight, you already had an extra one and the sun's been down for nearly an hour. It's time for bed" She said strictly. The three walked over to the corner of the room and began grooming themselves, obviously depressed.
"But I wanted to hear another story Jelly" Mungojerrie smirked. "Gus tells the best ones."
"Yeah," Tugger agreed as he sat next to Mungojerrie and looked up at the elder Tom. "Can you tell us one?"
"Please" they chorus childishly with big smiles. Gus smiles at them and laughed lightly, obviously flattered.
"When the young ones are asleep" he told the quietly, motioning towards the corner.
"Alonzo you missed a spot" Quaxo said as he looked over at the Tom and pointed at the dirty patch. "Right on the top of you head."
Alonzo wiped his paw across his head "You missed it" Rumpelteazer said as he tried again. "More to your right...I said right not left... further back... you almost had it... For crying out loud" she said as she climbed onto Alonzo's back and licked the spot, making his fur stick up.
"Oh Cat" Quaxo laughed. "You look like a rooster!" Alonzo scowled and Rumpel smirked as the little Tom rolled on the floor, laughing as hard as he could. Alonzo shoved the Queen off of him and licked Quaxo's head the wrong way, making his fur stick up in the same fashion. Rumpelteazer was now laughing as Quaxo went to do the same to her, stopping her giggles. They were all silent as they looked at each other with sober looks. Alonzo soon snorted and they all broke down into a furry pile of laughter.
"Now, really" Jellylorum said as she tried her best not to laugh. "Time for you all to go to sleep. And stop making so much noise; you'll wake Exotica and Cassandra."
"They've been sleeping for a while Jelly" Alonzo retorted through a yawn as Rumpel laid her head on his chest, "They're not going to wake up."
Quaxo rested his head on Teazer's thigh as they curled up together and were soon asleep.
"I must say the boys surely do love it when Teazer comes to visit" Jellylorum said as she sat in the group of cats who were currently awake. "And she does help tucker them out."
"You're acting as if they were mere kittens Jelly" Gus sighed. "In a few more days two of them wont be anymore; Rumpelteazer for certain.
"Oh I know" Jelly sighed. "I just want to hold on to them a bit longer, don't you Mungo?"
"Yeah, I do wish I could Jelly. I feel as if it'll be the whole Griddlebone thing all over again..." The cats fell silent as they saw the hurt look in the Tom's eyes. "I'm going to tell her... tomorrow; before I loose her too."
A/N: Okay, so this isn't really long. There'll be another chapter, possibly two. I'll see how it goes. I am starting to get busy, what with school, drama, homework, trying to find a job (besides entertaining all of yous.) And it's my mom's 40th Birthday tomorrow. And I need to keep working on my CATS costume. I got black spandex; there is no white, so I'll have to go as Jemima. Little did I realize that I still need white to be her, I'll have to alter my suit once I make it. Fun. I need to get me some yarn too.
Does anybody know where I can find the lyrics to songs from CATS in French? I tried typing it in as French but it gave me a million different chat sites. I said 'chats' not 'chats'. Okay, I see the confusion now.
Anyways, another one of my 'wing and a prayer' fics. Speaking about prayer, I have to go to church...
Ombre et lumière sous les fougères; Masquarade sans fin. Comme une fleur qui s'étiole et se meurt....