After some time, Colerya had been introduced to about a zillion cat. There sure are lots of Jellicles in here, she thought. And, after the first shock, she had realized Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer were actually quite nice folks. They mentioned their reputation as the "Notorious couple" and Colerya politely kept her face blank (They boast around with that? They should hear how I got my food in the street). They continued chatting around a card game. Their storytelling was occasionally interrupted by shouts like "Tha' was so cheating!", "Eat t'at!" and "Don't ya grin to me like t'at!". Colerya herself remained quiet. She preferred listening more than talking.

Then suddenly she heard several queen start to scream. Not in a horrified way, more like the way they had lost their brain completely. Rumpleteazer interrupted her dispute with Mungojerrie and glanced somewhere behind Colerya. Then she gave a short squeak and bounced off the old car they were playing on. Colerya stared after her and turned to ask Mungojerrie:

"What's her problem?"

Mungojerrie grunted and nodded to the direction Rumpleteazer had ran.

"Rum Tum Tugger."

"Who?"

"Rum Tum Tugger. Ya haven't met 'im already?"

Colerya shook her head.

"Well, 'es about just behing ya, just turn 'round."

Colerya turned around and saw a tall, black and kinda leopard patterned cat standing right in the middle of the junkyard, surrounded by queens. The tom cat seemed to enjoy their attention. Colerya snorted and turned back to Mungojerrie.

"I guess we have to continue playing without Rumpleteazer. Your turn."

Mungojerrie stared the spot just behind Colerya. She raised her eyebrows.

"Hello? I said it's your-"

"Well, well. Who's this? I don't think I have had the honour to meet this young queen before", said a low voice behind her. Colerya froze and then turned around and saw the tall tom standing just behind her. Does he think that grin makes him look sexy? He looks more like an out-patient.

"Allow me to introduce myself, I'm Rum Tum Tugger. And who are you?"

Colerya didn't answer. She stared at the arrogant tom like she would like to strike him down with a lightning. No, insted of answering, Mungojerrie said:

"Oh, she? She's Colerya, wicked name or wha'?"

"Colerya?" Rum Tum Tugger asked. From now on I hate my name, Colerya thought. The stupid Tugger just continued staring at her in the most disgusting way.

"Come on, baby. Say something. I'm known as the Curious cat."

Baby! Colerya took a deep breath and said in a calm, almost monotonous voice:

"Curiosity killed the cat."

Whoa. Big silence. After some time she broke it by saying to Mungojerrie:

"Sorry, Jerrie. I think we need to finish this game sometime later."

When she was about to leave she heard a sneering voice behind her:

"Oh, Tugger-honey don't care about her. Anyway, she's Misto's cat."

Colerya froze between her step. She turned her head and saw a dirty white queen with brown and black stripes squeezed on Tugger's other side. Etcetera, I never liked her. Colerya opened her mouth and said in a voice that could freeze water:

"Excuse me, what?"

Etcetera quivered a bit and stepped a little closer to Tugger.

"You know! All that when he found you in his pipe and all. Heavyside know's what you might have done in there!"

Silence. A big silence. Colerya couldn't tell was she more angry or embarassed. She noticed now that Mistoffelees was there too. He was sitting in the shadows, curled up to a ball and trying to hide his face. Poor fella. I know I can take this, but I wouldn't be that sure about him. Colerya turned to face Etcetera.

"I - am - no - one's - cat. You got that?" Etcetera didn't say anything. She looked allthrough horrified. Colerya slipped off the car and sprinted away from the yard.

X/X

Mistoffelees was sitting in the shadows. He was quite okay when Rum Tum Tugger tested his attraction to Colerya but when Etcetera opened her mouth he felt his face grow burning hot. That's not true! We didn't.. do.. anything. But he couldn't do anything to what was happening, he just listened when Colerya coolly answered to Etcetera. He was hoping Etcetera wouldn't attack on him next.

Well, now she is gone, Colerya he meant. Tugger was still grinning though his grin seemed to be falling apart at any second. He turned back to his queens and let them comfort him. Then he suddenly turned to Mistoffelees.

"Whoa. We'll she's a fierce one. Was she as angry when you found her, Misto?"

So he just couldn't shut his mouth?

"Well... kinda. She looked like she would scrape my eyes out."

Etcetera laughed. This can't be good, Mistoffelees thought.

"For what? Did you do something to her? I wouldn't be so suprised, I knew even you, Misto, had a wild side.."

Mistoffelees sprinted away his face burning.

X/X

Oh God, I could kill them both, Colerya thought, meaning Tugger and Etcetera. I just wonder where the heck did she come up with that? She perfectly well knows that I have no interest in any tom in junkyard, especially - not - Mistoffelees! She hit an empty lemonade bottle with her paw, trying to take out her anger by maltreating the poor bottle. It didn't help. Colerya stopped walking and sat down. She put her head down on her paws. Why did them had to attack me on my first day? Isn't that a bit harsh? She spotted a mouse from a short way away. She jumped on it and focused her anger on it. When she after a moment looked down on the dead mouse, she realized she wan't even hungry. She felt a little bad for the mouse and ran away from the place.

After running for some time, Colerya found herself in a little square, where she could see the sky. Sun was still up, shining as bright as always.

X/X

Mistoffelees couldn't help his face to stop burning. He was absolutely, completely, totally embarassed. And even in the front of everyone! Why she (and he, Tugger is as guilty to this as Etcetera) couldn't just be quiet? He sat a moment still cursing them both. I hope Colerya is okay. They were quite mean to her.

X/X

Colerya didn't know how long she had been away from the junkyard. She didn't care. It was nice to get away from everyone, to clear her thoughts. She just laid there, maybe fell asleep absently, thinking. She woke up and saw the sun was about to set. She sat up to watch the glorious shades of the sky. When even the last scarlet red stripes had disappeared and dark started to land, she took off and started to wander back to junkyard. I hope I won't get lost, she thought, Wouldn't be the first time.

Eventually she found her way back and climbed on top of the junk piles. Maybe moon will rise soon. She sat on a separated wooden table top to wait. The moon was only a thin sickle but it was still beautiful. As she watched it to rise higher on the sky, she found herself getting tired. She looked around for something proper place to sleep. She tapped her claws on the wood beneath her. It gave a hollow knock. Colerya slipped off the table top and looked more carefully the place she was sitting. The table top was resting on an old tyre. She tried to push the wood aside. There was an empty space under it, just suitable for one cat. Colerya slipped inside the tyre and pulled the wood over her like a celiling. Now she had a nice place to sleep and to shelter from rain. She closed her eyes, yawned broadly and fell asleep.

X/X

The morning came to junkyard. Mistoffelees crawled from his pipe and went to search some breakfast. When he came back, he found Colerya sitting with Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer, and -to his suprise- Munkustrap. They seemed to be in a deep conversation. I hope she didn't get any troubles because of what happened yesterday. It certainly wasn't her fault. He walked to them and greeted them and sat down next to Mungojerrie. Munkustrap nodded to him and then continued his talking to Colerya:

"And I really hope you didn't get any wrong image of us. I talked to Etcetera later and I think she got my meaning. I know Tugger can sometimes be a bit.."

"Arrogant", Colerya completed his sentence. So it was about yesterday, Mistoffelees thought. Munkustrap frowned his eyebrows a bit.

"Well, not exactly the word I was looking for, but it'll do." Colerya nodded and swallowed the end of her mouse.

"I'm okay. I'm not going to rip their heads off or something."

Munkustrap nodded thoughtfully. Then he got up.

"Well, I'll get going. Nice day to everyone." And so he took off.

Colerya looked at Mistoffelees. He could read her eyes saying "Are you okay?" Mistoffelees nodded slightly to her.

X/X

Colerya didn't understand what Munkustrap was worrying about. She could take care of herself, hadn't he noticed it already yesterday? She turned to the other three cat sitting with her:

"So, have you got any plans for today?" Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer shook their heads.

"Nah, Oi fink we'll 'eave 'tose fellas in Victolia Gbove 'lone today." Rumpleteazer said her mouth full. Colerya smiled and shook her head slightly. Table manners, oh well. She turned to Mistoffelees.

"What about you?" The tuxedo cat shook his head.

"No, I.. Well I don't usually have anything special plans." Mungojerrie raised his attention from his mouse.

"Hey, Misto! Would ya do some magic stuff? Ya haven't done anything in a 'while."

Colerya looked suprised at Mistoffelees.

"Magic stuff? Can you do magic, Mistoffelees?"

Mistoffelees felt his face grow hot again. I knew I should have told her earlier.

"Umm.. yeah. A bit."

"A bit? 'E conjured Old D back to us in 'the last Jellicle Ball!"

Colerya watched the small tom with some unrealized respect.

"You did? Well, I never.." This made the notorious couple to burst out laughing as they remembered Rum Tum Tugger's song about Mistoffelees. Mungojerrie sang slightly out of tune:

"Oh! Well, I never. Was there ever a cat so clever as magical Mr. Mistoffelees.."

Colerya smiled widely and chuckled a bit:

"They made a song about you?"

Mistoffelees looked like he was wishing the earth could swallow him.

"Well..it was Tugger idea and.. I don't know.." The poor tom seemed completely embarassed. Colerya smiled and asked Mungojerrie stop singing. She turned again to Mistoffelees and said:

"There's nothing to be ashamed of. It must had been really impressing."

The tuxedo tom finally raised his look from the ground and said:

"Yeah. I.. I think it was."

They spent a moment in silence. Then Rumpleteazer poked her brother on his side and asked:

"Hey, 'Jerrie! When's the next Jellicle Moon coming?"

Mungojerrie thought a moment.

"'Bout two months Oi'd guess."

They both turned to look at Colerya. Uh-oh, I hope it's not anything bad..

"Are ya going to sing somethin' in the Ball? Oi mean, ya are new", Rumpleteazer asked. Colerya lowered her eyes a bit.

"No.. I don't think so. I'm not fond of singing."

"You could get someone else to sing about you! Like to Misto!"

"Shut up, Jerrie. I didn't ask Tugger to sing anything", Mistoffelees said a bit annoyed.

"Olright, if ya're not goin' to sing, what about a dance? Can ya dance?"

Colerya didn't raise her eyes.

"Uh, not really." Rumpleteazer's face brightened like she has just had an idea. Oh no, she's having one of her ideas, Colerya thought.

"Oi have a' idea!" Rumpleteazer shouted. I knew it.

"Why don't ya, Misto, teach her? Ya're an awesome dancer!"

Mistoffelees felt his face heating up immediately. Me teaching her? No way.

"I don't know if it's so good idea", he said but the twins let out a huge protest.

"Aw, come on! She's gotta do somethin'! Everyone has made sumthin' in the Ball when they'd been new!"

"Yeah, Misto! Give 'er a shot! She'll be the best dancing queen in 'ere!"

Misto tried to think ways to get out of this. He looked at Colerya, who had her face half covered with her hands and who was looking at Misto, then at the twins and again at Misto. Ah, I can't say no. She's gotta do something. Maybe she'll learn to dance. He let out a huge sigh.

"All right. I guess I'll teach her."

The twins cheered together. Colerya looked at Mistoffelees and he couldn't tell what she was thinking.

When Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer got up and disappeared from the junkyard, Colerya shot a questioning look at Mistoffelees.

"So, you're really going to teach me?"

Mistoffelees shrugged his shoulders and nodded. And what was that supposed to mean, Colerya thought. Mistoffelees opened his mouth:

"Well.. yes. I think you should perform something in the Jellicle Ball. Can you dance at all, so do we need to start from the beginning?"

Now Colerya shrugged her shoulders.

"I don't know. I haven't actually ever tried to dance."

Mistoffelees looked thoughtful. Then he said:

"We'll find out tonight. I understood you hadn't got anything special to do?"

Colerya felt a little tired when she met Mistoffelees in a open place, a short way away from the junkyard. She wished her tiredness wouldn't affect her dancing. And she also wished she wouldn't make a complete fool of herself. She arrived to the square and saw Mistoffelees already stretching. He stopped when he noticed Colerya.

"Hello", he said smiling.

"Hello", Colerya replied nervously.

There was a short silence. Colerya felt herself a bit uneasy. Mistoffelees stood there just thinking something. Then he finally said:

"So, come along. I think we should start." Again a short silence.

"Have you stretched yet?"

Colerya shook her head.

"Well I suppose that would be a good way to start."

Mistoffelees bent over his legs and watched the queen do the same. She gave a small grimace as her muscles suddenly tensed. I can see she hasn't stretched a while. Well, we really need to start from the beginning.

When they were done with the stretching, Mistoffelees asked what kind of dance Colerya had thought to be performing. She shrugged her shoulders.

"I.. don't know. Something ordinary I suppose. Not too slow, though."

Mistoffelees nodded. He tried to think something to begin with.

"Right.. Can you do an axis?" Colerya looked nonplussed.

"Err.. axis? No, I don't think so."

"Well. Let's start with that."

After dancing for Heavyside knows how long, Colerya sat on the ground breathing hard and sweating. Her paws felt like they were burning and her body ached from many spots because she had slipped and fallen all the time. Mistoffelees sat next to her and waited as she caughed her breath. Colerya finally calmed down and stretched herself again at the end. Mistoffelees explained that it was importand to stretch every time before and after dancing.

"So when will we practice again?" he asked. Colerya was silent a moment.

"At least not tomorrow. I need a day off to relax", she said. Mistoffelees nodded.

"Very well, how about the day after tomorrow?" he asked and Colerya nodded. They started to walk towards the junkyard. When they got there, Colerya realized neither of them had said a word.

"So. I'll probably see you tomorrow", Mistoffelees said. Colerya smiled and nodded again.

"Well, good night", Mistoffelees said and slid into his pipe.

"Good night", Colerya whispered ans started to climb onto the junk piles and finally curled up inside her tyre.