A/N: It has come to my attention that anyone who hasn't read "In the City" for a while may be a little confused when I mention Jellicles by their human names. That in mind, I've re-posted Megera's character list on my website (link from my bio page), assuming Megera doesn't mind (if you do, just let me know and it shall come down!). Still, I will try to mention which Jellicle the humans are in the context of the story. For now, Mark is Pouncival, and he's a year older than Sarah. And Jellice to anyone who knows what game the guys are playing! (Yes, I can do that. I helped invent the jello-y stuff!)

Eponine: Wish granted! (And please come by Randomninity and fill out my contact form with when you can come by my chatroom so we can arrange to get your stories online!)

Mark grimaced as he trudged back to the den. Something was up with his sister, but he couldn't put a finger on it. Or perhaps, rather, he couldn't put his nose on it. Among other things, the gift of being Jellicle gave its possessor a heightened sense of smell, even in human form. Something about Sarah just struck Mark as ... well, wrong.

In the den, Patrick and Jeff (aka Plato and Tumblebrutus) were playing Mark's Gamecube, having unpaused his controller against his express wishes. "Hey!" he cried when he saw that Patrick's Mario was un-heroically whooping the behind of his own idle Ness. In a flash he grabbed his wavebird and with a few lightning-fast reflexes, Mario was sailing toward the vast beyond (though only to return a second later, flashing yellow to indicate his invulnerability for a few seconds).

"Hey, you made me lose a stock!" Patrick complained.

"No he didn't. We're playing timed," Jeff corrected. He paused his own controller and looked at Mark. "So who was at the door?" he asked.

"Sarah," Mark replied as he dropped into one of the old recliners. "She just now got back from her date." He raised his eyebrows.

Patrick and Jeff raised their eyebrows as well. "Oooh, wow," drawled Patrick. "What'd your parents do to her?"

"Nothing!" The other two appeared outraged, but he continued, "They assumed that the two of them had been caught in traffic all night, and that nothing happened."

"Do you think anything happened?" Jeff queried.

Mark sighed and looked away. "I'm not sure," he started. "Sarah maintained that nothing happened, but of course, that's Sarah." The three of them rolled their eyes in unison; they were all familiar with the character of the most hyperactive kit of the tribe. "Of course," Mark continued, "It was Brandon she was with. He's a good guy; I trust him. He wouldn't do anything that she'd regret later. Still ... eh, never mind. It's nothing. Could you unpause, Jeff?" he asked, wanting to get back to the game.

Jeff unpaused, but Patrick paused his own controller, effectively halting the action onscreen. "Wait, what is it, Mark?" he asked.

Mark put down his controller on the coffee table. "It's just...," he tried, but he had to start over. "It's ... well ... it's weird for me to say this, but she ... smelled weird."

Again, Patrick and Jeff raised their eyebrows, in skepticism this time. "She smelled weird?" Jeff questioned.

"Yeah, she did," Mark said. "Like ... not like she smelled weird, but more like she had a weird smell on her. You know?"

Patrick frowned. He remembered what the state of orbital affairs had been like last night, so he lowered his voice as he asked, "You mean, like, a cat smell?"

Mark grimaced. "No, that's just the thing," he answered. "It wasn't."

"That was close!" Sarah almost screamed when Brandon finally called her.

"Yeah, a little too close," Brandon replied. "I'm really sorry. I shouldn't have let that happen."

Sarah sighed and smiled. "Don't worry about it," she cooed. Brandon was always over-apologizing. "Really, it's okay."

"But I feel really bad about –"

"Really! It's okay!" she cut him off. She changed the subject: "So, did the 'rents make a big deal out of it for you?"

"No, not at all. They're not even home. Look, are you sure that your parents aren't going to do anything to you? Because I'd feel so bad if –"

"BRANDON!"

"Okay, sorry. I'll stop." A pause, then, "Did Mark say anything?"

"Well, sort of. He asked me if anything happened."

"Oooh... what'd you tell him?"

"Well, I tried to tell him nothing happened ... "

"But?"

"Well, I think maybe he doesn't believe me."

"Why?"

"Well, he was lookin' at me pretty funny, like he was trying to think of something, or something. I dunno. It was just kinda weird."

"Oh." Another pause. "Look, do you want me to come pick you up or anything?"

"Why?"

"In case you want to talk or something?"

She thought about it, then said, "Actually, I don't think my parents would let me. They were kinda so relieved to have me home, that I don't think they'll let me go out again alone so soon."

"Oh." Yet another pause. "Look, Sarah ..."

"What?"

"Are you ... are you still okay with this?"

"With what?"

"With ... us being together?"

She paused, then answered, "I .. I think so. It's not that I don't like you anymore, Brandon! It's just, well, I'm not sure what. I don't really know any other Poll-"

"Shh! Don't say it out loud! Someone might hear you!"

"Sorry."

"It's all right. Not your fault at all, Bunches."

"Yeah."

awkward pause

"Listen, Bunches," he said, finally breaking the silence, "Why don't you call me when you think your parents will let you go out again, and I can meet you at Starbucks or something?"

"Sounds great!"

"Yeah, okay." Then he remembered what had happened last time his girlfriend had had caffeine-laced beverages. "Actually, on second thought," he said, "Why don't we make it the library?"

"Okay, sounds good," she answered. But then she remembered who worked at the library. "Actually, um, can it be somewhere else? 'Cuz if we're gonna talk about ... what I think we're gonna talk about, maybe it should be some place where people won't hear us." Or anything else, she thought to herself as she pondered what Kyle and Katrina might think about her Pollicle beau.

Brandon didn't think there would be that many people at the library, but he still said, "Oh, all right. How does my place sound? I'll pick you up."

"Sounds great. I'll call you later, then."

"All right. Bye, Bunches."

"Bye."

The next day was a Sunday, so that afternoon found Sarah walking down the Main Street of the quiet suburban town accompanied by Madeline (or Electra, to her closest friends). Sarah still hadn't spoken to Brandon since yesterday morning, but it wasn't because she didn't want to. She really did like him; she enjoyed spending time with him! But still, what he'd told her about, and what he'd shown her ... well, it made her uneasy. She knew what she'd told him that night in his truck, that she was okay with it, but she was beginning to have second thoughts. It would be hard to hide what they were from their families for long (Sarah wasn't good at hiding anything for very long, for that matter). Not to mention that there was a full moon the next night. For poor Sarah, and a few of the other adolescent kits, the full moon could be worse than hormones, always making emotions more intense. It wasn't always a bad thing, but it certainly could be.

Finally, Madeline started to wonder what was wrong with her friend. "Is something the matter? You're unusually quiet today."

Sarah looked up abruptly. "I am?" she asked, slightly alarmed.

"Yeah. You are," Madeline replied with conviction.

"Oh." Sarah tried to change the subject: "Is the antique store even open on Sundays?"

"Of course it is!" the darker-skinned girl retorted. "Would we be going if it weren't open? Moreover, Greg is the only one working there today!"

"Fine!" Sarah surrendered as they turned the corner and entered The Attic (which was a weird name for an antique store, if you asked Sarah...).

It was empty save for the lone employee. "Ah!" Greg called from behind the counter, "Two lovely ladies have come to save me from my boredom! To what do I owe the honor?"

Madeline simply smiled and hopped up on the counter, positioning her cheek to receive a kiss. He tickled her instead. "Greg!" she yelled, trying to defend herself from the onslaught; "You are such a devil!" she cried through giggles. He stopped tickling and looked her right in the eye, grinning evilly. "Don't even say it!" she said. "I already know!"

"Oh, but I AM a devil!" he cried, and kissed her passionately.

Finally, Sarah could take it no more. "Are you two going to come up for air?" she asked, pretending to gag.

Greg released his girlfriend and looked at her. "Oh, I almost forgot you were here, Sarah," he said, grinning at Madeline. "But that reminds me, how's Peder?"

Sarah gave him a look.

He threw up his hands in mock alarm. "Whoop, sorry! I mean, how's Brandon?"

Even though she should have seen it coming a mile away, the question caught Sarah off-guard (not the brightest bulb in the box, is she...). She must have stood there with her mouth open trying to decide what to say for a whole minute, before she finally made out, "He's good!"

"Just good?" Madeline queried, getting down off the counter. "You went out with him the night before last! How was it!"

Sarah's eyes were wide with alarm as she practically yelled, "Good! It was good!" It was the only thing she could think to say; she was such a horrible liar!

Greg's eyes narrowed in contrast, but he still grinned. "A little monosyllabic today, aren't we?" he asked. "Really Sarah, what happened?"

She started taking a few steps back, scared as she was by the sudden assault of questions about the one thing she really couldn't talk about. "Nothing happened! We – we were –" she stuttered, desperately trying to remember the story her parents had believed.

Madeline's face took on a look of concern. "What's wrong?" she asked, trying to comfort her. "Did Brandon do something –"

"TRAFFIC!" she screamed as soon as her mind grasped the word! "We were stuck in traffic all night!" She was still backing away anxiously.

Greg frowned. "Sarah, if you don't want to talk about it, it's okay if – AAH! Look out!" he suddenly cried. And with a flick of his wrist, the end table on which a gorgeous stained-glass lamp rested all of a sudden scooted over a few feet, narrowly avoiding the collision Sarah would have caused had she continued unconsciously backing up. Sarah, startled by the unexpected movement, promptly fell on the floor. "You almost hit that!" Greg cried as he rushed over to assess any damage (to the lamp, not to the girl). "Sheesh, Sarah, that was close!" he said after he made certain that the lamp wasn't broken. "That thing's been paid for already!"

Madeline gave her friend a long look, and finally asked, "Sarah, are you sure you're all right?"

Sarah frantically looked around the room for a moment, then stood up and muttered, "I have to go!" And with that, she raced out the door. Madeline gave Greg a look of apology before racing out after her.

Greg, now alone in the store, scratched his head. That had been odd. Verily. He moved the end table back to its rightful place, then resumed his place behind the counter where he'd been before the girls had gotten there and made his day confusing. Just then, the phone rang. He answered.

"Hey, Mark! No she's not here. She just left in fact. Wait, what? What did you just ask? Did I smell anything!"