A/N: What happened to our fandom? It seems to have died in the wake of school ending and finals and things. So, I'm doing my part and updating my story. Please, people, follow my lead! I need more fanfiction!

The rest of the day passed without incident. When school was over, Sarah went home with her carpool, and Brandon drove himself home to get an early start on his homework. They didn't get any chance to talk to each other, even by phone, considering how much homework they both had. Thus, Sarah didn't hear Mark as he came into her room to lean on the door frame much later that evening. "Sarah, I'm taking Dad's car to the 'yard," he said calmly. "Do you need a ride?"

Sarah fell out of her desk chair. From the floor, she glared up at the clock and practically yelled, "Already? What time is it!"

Mark, ignoring the fact that she'd simultaneously looked at the clock and asked what time it was (for he knew his sister well), simply went over to her window and opened the blinds. "It's already dark out, Sarah," he said. "The moon will be out in an hour." He shivered; looking out the window, even without the full moon having risen yet, was a little difficult to handle without changing. "If you want me to be able to drive with hands instead of paws, then yeah, I think it's time to go."

"Oh!" she said, somewhat relieved. She stood, and closed her history book with a quick motion. "Well, I guess I won't have to do that tonight!"

Mark only rolled his eyes and muttered, "Oh, c'mon!" They both headed downstairs.

Passing the kitchen, Sarah caught sight of their parents talking softly to each other. Upon noticing that their children had come downstairs, they both stopped cold and stared at them, a sure sign that they had been talking about more than the weather. Mark, undeterred, approached them and said, "We're leaving now. Can I have the car keys?"

"Yes, of course," Mr. Forsworth mumbled, a bit too politely, and went to fetch the keys. Sarah and Mark's parents were not Jellicle themselves, but they both came from families with one or two Jellicle relations, so it was not a big surprise when Mark had changed into Pouncival at the dinner table when he was three. Wait, actually, no, it was a big surprise, but at least Mr. and Mrs. Forsworth had had sense enough not to call the police. While Sarah and Mark were growing up, they had been taken to monthly get-togethers by other families, and now that they were old enough to take themselves there, they were able to go alone. Their parents were fairly cool with it. But still, it was awkward for the family to be all together sometimes, especially on occasions when their differences were apparent.

"Here you go," Mr. Forsworth muttered, finally returning with the keys. "You can take the van. But I want it back in one piece." Mark nodded, and he and Sarah started heading for the garage.

"Be safe!" their mom called after them. "Don't talk to strangers! And try not to let anyone see you!"

Sarah looked back at her mother to give her a pleading look, then continued with her brother to the garage, all anxiety soon forgotten in her excitement that the full moon was finally here! Not to mention who was going to be showing up at the party...

As they finally drove close to the high junkyard wall, Mark parked around a corner, and they both approached the gate, wary of anyone who might be watching. Mark dug his his pockets for his key. When his initial search proved fruitless, he whispered, "Ah, Sarah? Did you bring your key?"

"Me?" she whispered back. "I thought you were bringing yours!"

"Well, I must have left it at home or something!"

"Did you leave it in the car?"

"No, I could have sworn I had it in my pocket!"

"Well how are we going to get in!"

"Not a problem! Step aside, kits!"

Sarah and Mark both turned to see Peder Buren swaggering up to the gate, with a large squirming bundle wrapped in a blanket in his arms. "Peder!" Sarah called, feeling the blood rush to her cheeks, "What're you doing here!" (Yes, this was the best thing she could think of to say.)

Peder gave her a weird look. "Same reason as you, Etcetera."

Sarah, who could almost feel her tail growing at the mention of her Jellicle name, could only blush harder. True, she was deeply in love with Brandon, but it was still hard to get over the Rum Tum Tugger.

Mark, changing the subject, gingerly said, "Ah, Peder? Do you think you could open the door?"

"Step aside! I have everything under control!" he repeated, bordering on arrogant. Coming up to the door, he pulled a golden key out of his pocket with one hand and neatly inserted it into the look and turned. The door opened as smooth as butter. Peder turned back to the two and smiled. "So, now that that's settled, what say we go in?"

As the three of them strode inside the junkyard toward the areas where toms and queens had their separate areas to change, Mark idly asked, "So, ah, what have you got there?" He gestured to the bundle Peder held in his arms.

"Ah, yes! Well, I guess I can unwrap you now, can't I?" he said, speaking to the bundle. He carefully unwrapped the blanket from the top-most portion of the bundle, and Jyestha's little head popped out with a "Bah!" "Martha Joy couldn't quite contain her excitement in the car," Peder explained, "So I had to get her in here somehow without letting anyone see her." He carefully extricated the kitten from the blanket and set her down on the ground, where she immediately ran off toward the central clearing of the junkyard. "Don't worry, she knows the way," he said when Sarah would have run after her.

"Ah," Sarah mumbled, but ran off after her anyway. She couldn't stand being around Peder anymore, because she was too afraid she'd regain her monumental crush on him. And then what would become of Brandon?

Speaking of Brandon...

Sarah slowed her pace. A wicked smile crossed her face, and she ran off again in the direction of the area where the queens changed.

Mark watched his sister run off, slow down, then run off in another direction. He scratched his head. She had been acting so oddly lately! Especially since Friday night, she hadn't been acting herself. Actually, ever since she had met Brandon, it seemed like she had been acting oddly. Speaking of odd, it was really odd that she hadn't realized that night had come so soon, he thought to himself. He himself had counted down the minutes until the time when he could get to the 'yard and change to his true form. She must have had something else on her mind, and something besides homework, too!

He sighed as he ducked behind a junkpile to change. Maybe he ought to keep an eye on her, at least for tonight.

As he heated up a can of soup for his dinner, alone in his house, Brandon tried to ignore the itching burn to take off his medallion. The moon was getting to him. Still, he'd told Sarah he'd come by the junkyard at ten o'clock, and he knew if he took off the medallion now, he'd never have the strength to put it back on to be able to drive to the junkyard. So, he sat in front of the tv, eating soup, and counting down the minutes until he could drive toward that almost abandoned part of town...
A/N: Eponine: Get your mind out of the gutter! Brandon is the most perfect boyfriend ever! He wouldn't make Sarah have sex with him! (at least not yet ... it depends on what sorts of twists the plot shall take ... which I haven't decided yet.)

And kudos to everyone who figured out that the guys were playing Super Smash Bros. Melee!