Now, before I begin, let me just reiterate the fact tht I've had a long week. So when I wrote this, i think it is safe to say I was on the brink of insanity. Yeah, that sounds right. So it's very all over the place, and did relieve my stress, so I'm glad. But just a warning, remember my mental state when I wrote this! Ok, now you may read!

Chapter 8 – adjusting

Macavity had to do a lot of adjusting if he wanted to stay in the Jellicle Tribe. That morning, as he woke up (and yes Macavity does sleep) he stretched and instantly began making plans of what horrible things he could do that day. But before he left his little den, he had to stop himself. He HAD to be nice today. He couldn't be kicked out.

The little rebel walked out of his den and went to the highest part of the junkyard, where he often liked to view all the kittens about their day, and have a heads-up on who would be alone for a humiliation or torture. He scanned the yard and looked at all he had to deal with if he wanted to continue living there.

The Junkyard, which he had often numbly acknowledged in his prior days, was brimming with life this particularly sunny day. Birds were flying overhead, singing sweetly as they played their acrobatic games with one another. Some of the younger kittens were dancing around with ribbons flailing about behind them. There was a game of peek-a-boo between the white and black tuxedoed cat (whose name he really didn't care about) going on with a kitten he thought looked vaguely like the red queen. What was the red queens' name again? Oh yeah, Bombalurina. But the other kitten…let's see, he pushed her over a few times, he's sure…Named after a syrup of some sort...

His silver-coated brother was playing a game of chase with some of the younger toms. The idiotic Maine Coon someone once had the gall to call "Macavity's brother" was being used as a maypole by the kittens who earlier were dancing with ribbons. They seemed to burst into the most jovial song one could ever wish to never hear…

"I'm in hell…" he muttered to himself.

Taking each step with a grimace, he did everything his life had taught him not to do. He walked up…to the other kittens! (DUN-Dun-dun!)

As he slowly walked over, the kittens all saw him and scattered. Munkustrap noticed the kittens fleeing and raced up (like a stupid idiot) to the aid of the other (idiotic) kittens that existed in the junkyard. Macavity sat down right there, as Munkustrap stood poised and ready to fight.

Macavity opened his mouth to say something, but for some reason was having great difficulty letting it out. Munkustrap stared at him in puzzlement. Macavity seemed to be making a sound, but it wasn't yet coherent. Finally, he said what he had so much trouble trying to say. "Hi…"

Munkustrap practically fell over from the suddenness of this. "Hi?" he asked his rebellious brother. "And…what? 'I'm here to steal a kitten away'?"

"No," Macavity said, his left eye twitching slightly. "I just mean…Hi." At this, some of the kittens came out of their hiding places, utterly baffled.

Munkustrap glanced over to his other brother, Tugger, who was still wrapped in ribbons. Tugger shrugged. Munkustrap looked back at his evil brother. "Just tell me what you're going to do, and save us the trouble."

"I MEAN!" Macavity roared before containing himself. Jellylorum popped her head out of the kitten room, as some kittens ran over to her for safety. Macavity took a breath. "I just mean 'hi'….you nitwit." Before he would give into his convulsive desire to do something bad, (like shooting down and eating said birds, tearing up ribbons, knocking over Mistoffelees, scaring Jemima, attacking Munkustrap, violently chasing the tom kittens, and tying up Tugger himself then throwing him into a river), he jerkily walked off with a look on his face as though he were about to throw up.

Munkustrap looked back to the rest of the kittens. Everyone just stood, confused. After a moment of two, Tugger finally freed himself from the ribbons confining him and demanded, "What the hell was THAT?"

But Jellylorum smirked slightly. 'Well, even if he doesn't change for the better…that was VERY entertaining."

After a few days of these "Hi" fiascos, Macavity adopted a tried and true method to get out some frustration. He methodically began to throw things in his own private den and screaming into pillows before biting his teeth into them and tearing them apart violently. This wasn't working! What he needed was something different... He was a smart cat, why was he giving up his brains for "kindness"? (Not that what he was aiming for was kindness…) It had been days since he knocked over a cat! He was about to die, he knew it!

Like a cat possessed, Macavity suddenly bolted out of his den, taking to running at full speed around the narrow walkways of the junkyard. But even though he was running at top speeds, he still couldn't expend that extra energy! He needed to do something bad. Or, as he had previously (and melodramatically) decided, he would die from the stress.

Then suddenly an idea struck him….

He raced off to Jennyanydots' little den. Inside there was make-shift refrigerator the cats had managed to get to work. (Hey, if they can light up a junkyard, they can have a refrigerator.)

When he opened it up, all he could find was a quart of milk... It was as big as he was! But using his brute strength (and maybe something more), he managed to pick it up, and snuck back out before anyone could see him. He then ran over to the outside of the junkyard, and with some difficulty (and some relief), dumped it down the drain. While he would have LOVED to set it up to dump on the kittens, that action screamed 'Macavity'. They would know it was him in seconds. Sighing a minuscule breath of relief at having spoiled the kitten's mid-day snack, he ran back into the junkyard.

"OOF!" That's when he managed to crash right into one very nervous queen. What was her name again? Oh, right, Demeter. She was…someone's sister. He never got a chance to really bug her, though he would have loved to. She was a walking "Kick Me" sign. Oh, the torment he could have done to her if she weren't constantly surrounded!

The young queen kitten looked up in annoyance, which quickly turned into horror. She then raced over to the oven and tried to hide in there, though he thought that was stupid of her. Nothing hid her from his grasp and the only protection she gained was from the shadow. What, was she frightened of getting skin cancer? Macavity may have been a bright ginger color, and even turning red in some places (which must have been turning that color from sheer will alone), but he was hardly as bright as the sun! Okay, now his thought process was getting off track…

"Hi," he grunted. (He had become quite skilled at the non-enthusiastic greeting.) The kitten seemed to be trying to think of something to say (more like scream.)

"Mu—Munk—Mu-mu-mu…" But her breath escaped her in fear.

"Why are you scared of me?" he asked with some annoyance. "I never bother you." He said, rolling his eyes. (Not that he didn't try…)

Then an idea hit him. Years of planning things to do against this kitten and having it foiled by having another kitten around just might have been his save-all… Then, with great difficulty, he said, "I would…never hurt….a sweet thing…like you." His left eye twitched again...violently.

Demeter took a second to consider this before crawling out of her hiding place. "Wh…what were you doing?" she asked after catching her breath.

"I was just…" he thought about this for a moment. This was a difficult one. What? He was just throwing out some milk the other kittens would find paw-lickingly delicious? A familiar slogan popped in his head the American's seemed to love, asking whether or not one 'had milk', or something to that effect. He cursed his impending banishment at this witty (and extremely unoriginal) line he could have used…

Wait, what was he doing again? Oh, right. "I was just running around, burning off some energy." Yeah, that worked. "We never…" what was that word kittens used? Oh yeah. "Play."

"I know," Demeter nodded. "I usually play with Bombalurina or Munkustrap." His eye twitched again at the sound of that name, and his foot seemed to spasm slightly, but he had enough self control not to react negatively to his brother's name. "They…told me you were bad."

Macavity smiled a disturbing smile that made Demeter look frightened again. While he was happy his reputation preceded him, he couldn't very well relish in the moment, now could he? "No, I just like having a different kind of fun," he admitted. He should be careful, all this…what do they call it? Oh yeah, Socializing…it could be bad for his voice. When was the last time he talked this much? "But I've changed!" he said to her, lifting his paws in a defensive manner in order to pacify her.

"Oh," Demeter said, trying to understand the reasoning behind that. "Well…I guess you can hang out with me for a while…maybe…" Macavity looked confused. Hang out? She must have been using some stupid kitten slang for play or socialization. So much he hadn't learned…and could've lived without.

"I guess."

"What do you do for fun?" Demeter offered, her shoulders up high, revealing her nervousness.

"What?"

"You said you do a different kind of fun. What is it?" Well, he couldn't very well tell her that! This fitting in thing was hard, and his mind, unnecessary… But it did take up a bit of his energy, and made him forget momentarily of his antics. But what could he tell her?

"I…make…things," he managed to get out. He then turned his head as he seemed to question what kind of answer that was. He sounded as stupid as a kitten with that answer! However, Demeter nodded, and looked off.

"Well…come with me, I guess." Demeter was a smart one, and began leading him to where the other kittens could very well hear her screams of horror. Macavity knew this, being a smart kitten himself.

CAT! Cat, not kitten. (The author is trying to avoid a severe cat scratch attack for fumbles like that…)

After a while, Macavity sat down, forgetting he was following another kitten as his mind drifted. He looked off, habitually thinking of what else he could do wrong. "Are you tired?"

"Who said that?" he asked, looking around. He set his mind back to kitten acknowledging mode and saw Demeter looking at him, perplexed. "I mean, yeah. Yeah, that's why I sat. Why else would I sit?" He kept from answering his own question.

"Um, maybe I should go," Demeter said nervously. Macavity raised a paw to wave her off. His plan was failing anyways. And that might have been that, were it not for Munkustrap walking in their direction. The little silver tabby looked at Demeter and smiled warmly. He then took a double take to Macavity, before racing up in front of her and standing in that goofy pose that he apparently thought he could beat Macavity with. The ginger…cat…rolled his eyes.

"How much do you think I can hurt someone sitting down?" he smiled arrogantly.

"Did he hurt you Demeter?" Munkustrap asked the confused kitten.

"No, he didn't," Demeter said honestly, rubbing her arm nervously.

"Don't be afraid to tell me if he hurt you!" Munkustrap said, turning to the kitten. Demeter shook her head, her face showing obvious confusion to the silver tabby's pursuit of a charge against his brother.

Macavity, however, smiled to himself. He noticed something else. Something that made Demeter all that more interesting to him.

The young ginger tom got up with an air of victory and circled Munkustrap, who kept his guard in front of Demeter. "I was just 'hanging out' with Demeter. We were having a pretty good time. Does that bother you, Munkustrap?" The silver tabby winced at the sound of his name from the ginger kitten.

(OW)

CAT, sorry.

Munkustrap glared at Macavity before addressing Demeter, his eyes never moving. "Is this true, Demeter?"

"Yes, I asked him to hang out," Demeter said. Munkustrap dropped his guard when he spun around to look at Demeter with some shock. Oh, how Macavity would have reveled in fighting Munkustrap right then and there. But he had to admit, this new game was becoming quite fun…

However, before more could be said, or a wicked smile could spread across Macavity's face, Jennyanydots came storming over to the three.

"MACAVITY!" Jennyanydots screamed. "Where is the milk? I know you took it!" It took a lot to get the gumby cat mad, but Macavity knew how to push her buttons.

"I couldn't have taken it!" he said, his hands up in the air with innocence. "I've been with Demeter this whole time." All eyes looked to the very nervous cat.

"Demeter, is this true?" Jennyanydots asked.

"Y…w-well, he's been with me for quite some time, so… I suppose so." The two cats Macavity considered sufficiently annoyed looked at Demeter, shocked. Apparently it wasn't like Demeter to…well, to do any damn thing, as far as Macavity knew. But covering for another kitt—Cat was out of her jurisdiction. Yes, everything was coming together perfectly…

Jennyanydots glared at Macavity before leaving without proof, in a bigger huff than when she came. Munkustrap also glared at Macavity before storming off, not daring to look at Demeter.

"I'll see you tomorrow," Macavity smiled smugly to the timid queen. Annoying his brother and getting away with things because of dear little Demeter? Life just took a very interesting turn…

((The author was not hurt in the making of this chapter...what? The bandages? Heh, well...he attacked me after I finished...))

Ultra Special Blah Blah Blah 3:

Satin-n-Crimson: Yay, chocolate! ((munch munch)) I'm glad you and Krissy liked Old D in this. I was afraid I might portray him out of character. After all, I can hardly relate to an old cat who leads a tribe of cats and is loved by all. Your welcome for review, and thank you for your reviews! Everyone reviewed so quickly on this one (I was shocked)! And, um, yeah, you might miss the fluff. Hehe...eh... ((hides)) In fact, you might want to glare at Macavity like Jenny and Munku...And storm off. Lol.

Krissy4: Heh, subtle hint dually noted. Refer to Satin's statement on what i thought of my Old D. And Canada doesn't have midterms...blah, I need to move, lol.

Enkeli-kitsu: blush um, thank you! blushes some more Best cats fic? Hehe...Now I feel pressure! Lol. By the way, is that really your website? I remember it when I was doing research on the characters. If it is, I have you to thank about making the three brothers! Merci beaucoup!

Now, I have a Bio midterm on Monday, and lab practical on wednesday, and physics midterm monday after, which I am completely unprepared for, so...I don't know when I will update in this next week. But the good news is, no test in my primate behavior class! Yay! Please review!

P.S., I like to talk too much ((looks up at her author's note)) ...