Chapter 2

"You made it!!" Rumpleteazer grinned, managing to envelope both Bombalurina and Demeter in a huge hug. "I thought you might not be coming!"

"As if we'd miss this! It certainly looks like party of the year!" Demi laughed. Indeed it did.

Everyone was dancing in the centre of the junkyard, which was lined with mismatching cushions and chairs. Strings of tiny coloured lights had been strewn everywhere, glowing in the twilight, like little jewels and loud dance music seemed to be coming from all around them.

"Hey Bomba, Demi! Isn't this amazing?" Mungojerry shouted over the music, as he came up behind Rumpleteazer, slipping his arms around her waist. She giggled and kissed him on the cheek.

Bombalurina couldn't help but feel slightly envious of them.

"Hey, Happy Birthday! It's incredible!" she agreed.

"C'mon beautiful, we have some dancing to do!" he grinned cheekily, leading Rumpleteazer into the centre of the dance floor.

"I'll talk to you later, have fun!" she called, as she vanished into the crowd.

"That's so sweet!" Demi smiled after them.

"What?" Bomba asked, as she scanned the 'yard distractedly.

Demeter sighed, "Tugger's not here yet Bomba, not that you want him to be, right?"

"No. Yes. No. Maybe." Bombalurina gave a small smile, "I can't help it!"

"Well, he isn't. You can tell by the kitten's faces!" Demi grinned, looking over at the kittens. They were dedicated Tugger fans, and if he had been around they would have been beside him like a shot.

Bombalurina followed the golden queen's gaze over to a pile of cushions, where Etcetera (captain of the fan-club), Jemima (vice-captain), Victoria and Electra sat, looking miserable.

"Oh, of course!" Bomba laughed, "They must be on official Tugger Watch."

"Mmm, they're not the only ones." Demi teased.

"Hey, shut up! I'm not like the-" she was cut off by her sister.

"Ohmigod, oh my god, he's here, he's here, do I look ok? Help me!" Demeter gasped, frantically smoothing her fur.

"Since when did you care about Tugger?" Bomba asked, shocked.

"No! Of course it's not Tugger, it's him him! Oh I'm going to throw up!" she hissed, trying to look calm.

Bomba looked round, and saw the silver tabby that was having this effect on her sister wave and make a beeline for them.

"Oh right! He's coming over! Do you want me to go?" Bomba asked, smiling.

"No! No, please stay! I'll literally die if I'm alone!!" Demi panicked, clutching her sister's arm tightly.

"Ow, you're hurting me Demi! This is what you've been waiting for! Go get 'em!" Bomba whispered, as Munkustrap came up to them, looking surprisingly laid back.

If they had been in Munkus's head however, they would not have thought this. Little did they know that Munkus was feeling exactly how Demeter felt, but he had forced himself to at least say hello.

"Hey Demi!" he said, gazing at her. Bombalurina cleared her throat.

"And Bombalurina!" he smiled apologetically, but Bomba didn't mind.

"Hey, is that Alonzo waving? Oh I'd better go and see what he wants!" she said peering at an imaginary waving Alonzo, "I'll see you two later!"

Demi gave her a pleading look, but Bomba ignored her and went off to see the real Alonzo, winking at her sister over Munkus's shoulder.

He was dancing with a few other jellicles; Mistoffelees, Cassandra, Pouncival and Tantomile. Bombalurina made her way over to them, saying hi to others she met on her way.

"Hey everyone!" she smiled, coming up behind Misto and causing him to jump.

"Bombalurina, hey! How are you?" Alonzo asked, grinning at her appearance. It wasn't much of a secret that he liked Bomba, but he was aware that he was one of many, so the two remained close friends.

"I'm great, thanks. I was feeling like a bit of a third wheel to Demi and Munkus!"

"Oh, are those two finally going to get together?" Cassandra asked, smiling, "About time!"

"Tell me about it!" Bomba laughed, she had always like Cassie. The six jellicles looked over to where Demi and Munkus were sitting down, talking and laughing. They were looking at each other as if they were the only two in the junkyard; clearly they were made for each other.

"Really? I never noticed anything between them!" Pouncival asked, looking genuinely surprised.

"Maybe because you're too busy gazing at Electra!" Tantomile teased.

"Hey, how did you-?"

"Oh, I have my ways!" she smiled slyly.

"Misto, have you spoken to Victoria about anything?" Bomba asked. Misto had liked Victoria for a while but he was probably waiting until the Ball to do anything about it.

"I can't seem to get her on her own! She's always with that lot fawning over Tugger!" he complained, jerking a thumb behind him, accidentally sending a shower of sparks over Tumblebrutus.

"Looks like I'm going to have to wait until this year's Ball." He sighed, ignoring Tumblebrutus's glare.

"What about you Bomba? Anything going on with anybody?" Cassie asked pointedly, a mischievous smile appearing on her brown and white face.

"Well it would appear not, but who cares? I'm just…playing the field!" she lied. The others rolled their eyes, their faces looked disbelievingly at her. Apart from the unobservant Pouncival that is.

"Wait…what?" he asked, confused.

"Oh c'mon, as if you haven't noticed! I think Bomba here, has taken a liking to our resident stud!" Misto laughed, playfully wrapping his arm around Bomba's shoulder, "And I'm not talking about myself!" he joked.

"What? Tugger?" Pouncival smiled.

"No, of course I haven't! You can't seriously think-"

Five pairs of eyebrows were raised as they stared at Bomba.

"That's just…that's just, I mean, no! No way!" Bomba said, trying to sound like the concept had never so much as crossed her mind, as well as trying to laugh it off.

"Oh, speak of the devil." Alonzo grinned, putting his paws to his ears, as high-pitched screams came from the four members of the Tugger Fan Club.

Bomba spun round quickly as Tugger came strolling into the centre of the junkyard, paws hooked into his silver belt, smirking his usual self-confident smile. The kittens immediately went crazy, and surrounded Tugger, looking up at him adoringly.

Bomba felt a second pang of jealousy.

She couldn't seem to tear her eyes away from the sickening sight. Her heart was beating so hard she was afraid the others would hear it, and her stomach promptly tied itself into a knot.

Tugger suddenly looked up, like he had sensed her gaze. Her green eyes met his gold ones, and for a split second everyone else vanished, they just stared at each other. It felt like some invisible force was preventing her from looking away,

'Why do I love you?' she thought to herself, 'Why does something that should feel so good, hurt so much?'

Tugger looked away first; he had a look of guilt in his eyes. Bomba thought maybe he would come over, but he didn't. The moment had passed, Tugger was laughing and flirting with the kittens again.

"Oh Tugger." She sighed under her breath as she turned away.

"Hey Tugger, come and dance with us!"

"Yeah Tugger please! Pretty please!"

"Pretty please with sugar on top?"

"Just give me one sec, ok ladies?"

Tugger unusually didn't feel like dancing with the kittens. He was still contemplating the argument he had had with Munkustrap earlier about Bombalurina. He had thought that the moment he was surrounded by the kittens he would've felt back to his old confident self, but he didn't.

He needed to sit down, to get his head straight. Tugger headed over to a comfortable looking armchair and collapsed into it. He knew it probably wouldn't be long before the kittens came shrieking back, and he had to admit that for once, the attention was unwanted.

'What is wrong with me tonight?' he asked himself. Of course he knew the answer, although he hated to admit it. Why did she mean so much to him? Why did he even care about her? Why did he love her?

He sighed heavily, wondering how long he'd be able to keep up this 'Couldn't Care Less' pretence that he had adopted. She had looked over at him with those beautiful emerald eyes of hers and he hadn't so much as smiled. He had been too afraid, he knew he couldn't take it if he'd smiled and she'd ignored him, although he knew she had every right to.

Tugger felt like screaming. Did he really love her?

'Of course you love her, stop pretending!' a voice shouted in his head. Tugger rested his head in his paws, closing his eyes. Then why didn't he go and apologise? Go and tell her he was sorry for the way he treated her, and that he loved her.

"Maybe…maybe I will." He whispered to himself, standing up. Was he actually going to do this? Yes. Yes he was. He would just ask to have a quiet word with her, maybe a walk and then he could tell her.

As Tugger started to push through the crowd, he heard the kittens screaming after him, he ignored them and made his way to where Bombalurina had last been standing.

He had just elbowed Tumblebrutus in the ribs, dismissing his yell of "What the hell is everyone's problem with me?" when he saw her.

He could only make out the side of her arm behind Pouncival, but he would know that shimmering scarlet fur anywhere. His heart immediately began to beat faster, an immense feeling of elation welling up inside him. As he moved around so that he could see her properly, a horrible sight met his eyes. A sight so devastating Tugger thought he might actually cry, but he didn't. Instead he just stood, gaping at the heart-breaking scene.

Bombalurina was there, laughing and talking and dancing, but not with him, with Alonzo. Her arms were wrapped around his neck, and his around her waist and she was looking up at him like she really liked him. Like she might've… moved on from Tugger.

Tugger had to bite his lip to stop himself from shouting something. He knew it was stupid to feel so worked up but he couldn't stop himself, it was like a slap in the face. He was vaguely aware of the kittens screaming something meaningless, but didn't acknowledge it.

This was his entire fault. The one queen he had actually loved, the one queen he actually wanted to be with more than anything, and he had missed his chance. She was obviously with Alonzo now.

If only he had told her how he felt sooner, if only he hadn't acted so cold. Munkustrap was right; he had been horrible to Bombalurina. He had gone so far and then treated her like it never happened.

He didn't deserve her. She should be with Alonzo; he would treat her like the goddess that she was.

Whilst Tugger had been thinking all this he had absentmindedly made his way over to a table beside the TSE 1 that was laden with drinks and snacks. He hurriedly poured himself a drink.

"Tugger my man! How's life treating you?" Mungojerry asked, joining Tugger and helping himself to a drink. Tugger didn't reply, only swallowed his drink and reached for another.

"Hey, I'd go easy on that stuff mate, Rumpleteazer said that something had been added to, what did she say? 'Get the party going'."

Tugger didn't care and knocked back a third drink.

"Ah well, see you later mate!" Mungo laughed, and strolled back over where he was sitting with Rumpleteazer and some others.

As Tugger reached for his fifth, he began to feel sort of dizzy, like the room was turning. He steadied himself, his thoughts returning to Bombalurina.

'Who's she again?" he asked himself. 'Oh yesss, that red sslutty one. Messing me about, who the hell does shhee think sshhe isss? Doesn't ssheee know who I am??'

Tugger was unaware that the something that had been added to the drinks was in fact a couple (well more than a couple) of drops of alcohol. Tugger was getting drunker and drunker by the second. As well as angrier and angrier.

'Well, I think that sslut needsss a taste of her own mediccinne.'

Tugger looked around him. He needed to hurt Bombalurina, to make her feel as awful as he felt.

Demeter was pouring herself a drink from the jug that hadn't been spiked. She was floating on cloud nine. Things were going perfectly with Munkustrap, and she was bobbing around in her own little bubble of love.

Bombalurina had stopped dancing with Alonzo and was talking to Cassandra whilst glancing over at Tugger, wondering if she should say anything to him.

Tugger spied an opportunity at revenge. He made sure Bombalurina was looking over at him and smiled so as to keep her eyes on him.

Bombalurina felt ecstatic that Tugger was smiling at her, and she smiled back. Although she couldn't help noticing that he was swaying slightly, as if he might topple over.

She had only been dancing with Alonzo because he'd wanted her advice. He liked Jemima and was wondering how to go about telling her, but Tugger was unaware of this important fact as well.

Demeter, who was still beside Tugger (blatantly ignoring him) was just about to leave and go back over to Munkus, when she suddenly felt a hand grab her around the waist.

"Munkus, I said I was-"

And before poor Demeter knew what was happening, she was being passionately kissed by the Rum Tum Tugger.