Night had fallen on the junkyard. Excitement was everywhere you went. The kittens danced excitedly around, while the adults prepared everything. Tonight was Jing's night to be accepted. She sat with Cassandra, watching as she got ready. Even though Cassandra wasn't her mother, she felt close to her. It was the same way with Munkustrap, only a little more awkward, since he was second-in-command.

"Come here, Jing." Cassandra cooed, walking up to the kitten. "You really should fluff up your fur here," She ruffled the fur on her chest to make it seem more appealing, "There. Now the toms will be drooling all over you."

Jing laugh. "Them? Drooling? I highly doubt that, Cassandra."

Cassandra turned back to the broken mirror. "Well, we'll see who's right or wrong. Now run along. Go and find your father. I need to talk to him."

Jing did as she was told. It didn't take very long to find him. All you really had to do was find the tuna smell. She found him lounging on the tire, his fur turned in all directions. Jing silently giggled at the sight and jumped up onto him, making him fall off the tire with a soft thud.

"W-what?" he said sleepily.

"Cassandra needs to talk to you." Jing said, leaping down after him. "She's over by the kittens."

Alonzo groaned and walked over to where she was. Jing smiled at the pair and bounded over to the group of kittens. They were talking excitedly, Etcetera was so excited that she stuttered and she was even more bouncy than usual.

"I'm going to mate with Victoria." Jing heard Plato whisper to Tumblebrutus.

"You mated with her last year. You can't do it again." Tumble replied, keeping his voice low as Jing approached. "It's Jing's turned to be mated."

Jing ignored there sideway stares and sat next to Jemima. "Hey!" she said to the group. There were scattered replies. They continued to talk about what they were going to do at the ball, leaving Jing out of their conversations. Sighing, she stood and turned to leave.

"Who do you think will dance with you, Jing?" Mistoffelees asked, seeing that she was leaving.

She turned back. "Oh, I don't know. Barely anyone here wants to, because I'm such a hassle. That's what everyone says at least."

"You're not a hassle. I think you'd make a good mate to whoever chooses you." He replied, lifting her spirits a little. "After all, we are all friends, right?"

"Right." She answered. "I better go get ready." She walked off, her heart sinking with each step.

'What if Mistoffelees is wrong? What if no one wants to be with me?' Jing thought as she came upon the Rum Tum Tugger. He was preening his mane with a comb. He saw Jing and quickly tucked away the comb. He had always said that he disliked human tools. Jing acted like she never saw the comb and walked up to him and sat down next to him.

"Tugger?" she asked meekly. "Do you think I'm pretty?"

"Of course." He replied, looking down to the kitten. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, I was just thinking that maybe nobody would want to mate with me tonight at the Jellicle Ball." She stared down at her paws.

"Why would you think that?" he asked, placing a caring paw on her shoulder. "If I was a little younger, I'd love to mate with such a spirited kitten like you."

"Yeah, right. If you were younger, you would mate with Jemima or Etcetera—"

"Etcetera? I would never mate with someone that energetic." Jing forced a laugh.

"I guess you're right. I just don't think there is a cat out there for me." Her eyes began to water. She hid her face as silent tears streamed down her cheeks. "Maybe I'll just stay single, like you."

"Now don't think that!" Tugger exclaimed. "There may not be one here, but there's always a mate out there for everyone. Now me, for instance, Bombalurina is the one, but I don't want to be mated, then I would lose my fan club." He indicated to the rest of the kittens. The females have always been his fan club. Jing not really being one of them.

"Even though that didn't really help me, thanks." She wiped her tears away. "I better get going."

"See you 'round." Jing looked back to the tom once she was out of his sight.

Leaping onto the old car, she rolled onto her back and lazed in the moonlight. Night was so peaceful.

"Jing?" It was Mistoffelees. "Old Deuteronomy will be arriving soon. We better get ready."

He jumped up next to her. "I don't know, Misto. Do you think I'll actually get a mate?" she turned her green eyes to him.

"Trust me. You will." They jumped down from the car and hurried to the tire, where everyone was waiting.

Munkustrap, as usual, started the ball with song, telling about Old Deuteronomy. Jing listen intently, waiting for when Mistoffelees would lead the old cat into the junkyard.

The ball went on as Jing had always seen, this time she was apart of it. Finally, the time came for the mating dance, the kittens stood in the center, each tom choosing their mate. Plato with Victoria, Tumblebrutus with Jemima, Pouncival with Etcetera, and Admetus with Electra. No tom had chosen her. She stood there, her heart broken, tears streaming down her cheeks. The cats watched as she danced her solo, her fur shining into the moonlight.

Mistoffelees crawled out from the pipe, coming up behind her. She didn't notice him, until he lifted her gracefully into the air. She felt like she could fly. He set her down and they finished the dance together.

The ball ended with a flash of lights. They all gathered around Deuteronomy, who smiled. He soon, would be choosing a cat the go up to the Heaviside Layer.

The lights flicked off and Macavity's evil laugh echoed throughout the junkyard. All the Jellicles scattered. Mistoffelees led Jing into the pipe. They watched as Macavity jumped down from behind the broken radio and Munkustrap fought the feared cat. He was thrown aside by Macavity. All of the cats went into the fight, each one getting tossed aside like rags. Macavity flung Alonzo out of the way and grabbed a very terrified Demeter. He held her in front of him, his claws out and ready to slit her throat.

"Let her go Macavity!" Bombalurina shouted.

"Not until I get what I want." He hissed, tightening his grip on Demeter.

"We have nothing you want!" Plato replied, hovering over Victoria.

"Yes, you do. The kitten." He dug his claws into Demeter's shoulder, making her fall to her knees, gasping in pain—

"Run Jing!" Demeter cried out.

Macavity saw Jing crawl out of the pipe, Mistoffelees following protectively behind.

"No." She stood. "You can have me."

Macavity smiled. Shoving Demeter out of the way, he grabbed Jing around the waist and flung her over his shoulder. She didn't say anything or lash out. She just watched sadly as the Junkyard disappeared behind them.

Once they were deep into Macavity's part of town, he dropped her to the ground. He looked to her sternly and leapt onto a fire escape. She stood and followed him as he continued on towards his lair. She knew that the rest of her life would be lived in a Hell on Earth.

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End of Part One

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