I can't believe it's chapter 5 of my first fanfiction! I'm very excited to share this, and I apologize for the wait. Real life comes first. This starts where the other leaves off. (Quick recap: Jemima finds out Macavity is her father, and quickly tells Victoria and Pouncival.) This chapter focuses more on Jemima and Victoria's friendship, and a lot happens in it. I hope you enjoy it! I plan on updating my Misto/Jemi story soon.
Please review so I can have feedback on what is good and what is bad.
Victoria stared at her with such confusion, that Jemima began to sob harder. The white cat slowly began to grasp the meaning of Jemima's words. She wanted to question Jemima on the situation, but decided that wouldn't be best. She quickly masked her feeling of shock with a calming and motherly look. Hopefully, she would be able to comfort the distraught young kitten. Victoria looked over at Pouncival, who was unable to hide his surprise. He would be no use in comforting Jemima. He was not very good at socializing. "But that doesn't change who you are," Victoria could finally muster words to comfort the girl. Poor Jemima.
The wide eyed kitten looked up at the taller adolescent. "But da-da-doesn't it? It changes e-everything. I'm n-not a-a Jellicle, because Munkustrap isn't really my fa-father!" Tears were pouring at of Jemima's eyes, and Victoria wiped them off with her tail.
"Munkustrap raised you,"' Victoria explained. "That makes him more of a father than Macavity will ever be. Besides, your parentage doesn't affect you. Sure, you might resemble Macavity, but you are not like him. Knowing this does not change anything." Jemima hopefully stared up at her, and Victoria was proud of herself for easing the kit a little. Pouncival looked extremely uncomfortable, and Victoria gave him a look. He quickly understood what she wanted him to do, and gave Jemima a short hug.
"I need to think," Jemima turned and began to walk away. Victoria stepped forward to follow her. Hearing the white adolescent's footsteps, Jemima turned back and added, "Alone." Victoria wanted to follow the black kitten but understood. Jemima was very contemplative, and would want to think about this alone. The two youngsters watched Jemi walk away, and none of the three could grasp the situation. Victoria began to wonder why Pouncival chose to tell her now. It was odd. There must be something going on that was unaware to the kittens.
Jemima was gone for the rest of that day, but she rejoined the kittens in their play the following morning. Etcetera and Electra swarmed around her, asking her where she was, but Jemima didn't want everyone to know her secret. "I fell," Jemima used a short and simple explanation. Falling was not an uncommon thing for the short kitten to experience.
"Clumsy Pollicle!" Plato sneered at her. He had never liked Jemima, and tried to embarrass her at every opportunity. Electra gasped when he said "pollicle." She had never heard such horrible language before. "Falling on the ground. And a little kitten for not being able to deal with it!"
"Leave her alone!" Victoria was the only one he would listen too, as they planned on becoming mates when they were old enough. "You are so mean to her, and besides, she is a little kitten!" Jemima stared at the ground. She hated being called a little kitten. It sounded so demeaning, as though she could handle the world. Plus, being the youngest was very hard, and she was almost alienated because of it.
"I'm telling Mom about this!" Their mother, Jennyanydots, would not stand for her son calling a young Queen a nasty name such as "pollicle." Plato promptly stuck his tongue out as his sister, to show he didn't care. Etcetera responded with a meek shrug.
Victoria strolled up to the other girls, and they formed a circle to talk. "Have you heard? Cassie's expecting a litter." Cassandra was the mate of Victoria's cousin, Alonzo, so she was well-informed.
"Really?" asked Etcetera. "But she was so proud of her pure breeding, she would never have kittens with someone of mixed breeds like Alonzo!" Victoria merely shrugged.
"I think I'm almost old enough to be an adult!" Victoria exclaimed. "My parents were discussing my future as a Queen with me. They want me to find a place to live, and begin to think about mating. Little do they know that I already picked someone out." Victoria seemed so excited, but this scared Jemima. She didn't want to lose her best friend to adulthood. Jemima was too young to be an adult, and she was scared that the other kittens would leave her behind. The very thought made her stare at Victoria with intensity, but the older adolescent barely seemed to notice Jemima's expression.
The next day, Victoria trudged out to the kittens' play area. Jemima wondered what could be wrong with her best friend. All the other kittens were already there, making it the first time that Victoria didn't beat them all to the play area. The girls swarmed around Victoria, separating her from their male counterparts, who were play fighting. Jemima reached out to her friend. "What is it?"
Jemima noticed a shine in Victoria's eye. Was she about to cry? Jemima engulfed her friend in a hug before she had a chance to answer the question. When she realized, Victoria opened her mouth to answer. "I'm not allowed to play. My parents are saying I'm too old to partake in kittenish activities," Victoria began to sob. The boys looked over at her. Plato stood up to approach his pre-mate, but Pouncival held him back. This was probably a girl thing.
Jemi stared up at her in horror. She was losing her best friend. Victoria was losing her kittenhood. Could it get any worse? "And they told me who I should mate with," Victoria added. "Only Quaxo reaches their standards. They say he's a proper Tom with good breeding. But I don't want to mate with him!" Electra's face flooded with offense. Quaxo was Electra's Tom. How dare Victoria's parents! "And I told them he loved someone else. They brushed it off as nonsense. 'How could anyone not be in love with you?'" Victoria mimicked them as a tear rolled down her white face.
Jemima shuddered. Victoria's parents were known to be snobby. They refused to attend the Jellicle Ball, as they heard that Grizabella might be there. Jemi realized how lucky she was to have supportive and kind parents like Munkustrap and Demeter. "That is horrible Vic," Jemi rested her hand on the white cat's back.
"But Quaxo and I are…." Electra whined. At the moment, she hated Victoria's parents.
"Whatcha gonna do?" Etcetera piped in. She had never been silent for so long, and she was desperate to speak.
Victoria shrugged, unsure of the answer to the question. An idea hit her, and eyes lit up. "I don't care what they say. I love Plato, not Quaxo and they said I am an adult. I don't have to listen. Plato will be my mate, no matter what they say." The other kittens stared up at her in shock. This big act of rebellion was unlike Victoria. They were even more shocked when she ran to Plato, grabbed his arm, and pulled him away.
It soon became clear to Jemima that this was the end of her friendship with Vic as a kitten. Vic was an adult, and would hang out with the other Queens. Jemima wouldn't really hang out with her until she hit adulthood. Jemi sighed. She already felt lonely. Her best friend was gone, ripped away from her by adulthood.
The next day, Victoria and Plato were not present at the kittens' play time. Jemi tried to hang out with Electra and Etcetera, but she felt alienated between the two best friends. After a few hours of games, Jemi decided she wanted to be alone, away from the kittens. She managed to slip away without them noticing her absence. It was kind of painful that they didn't realize she was gone. At the same time, Jemima was relieved that she could escape. Jemi took refuge on the old car. It was her sacred place, where she would often go to watch the moon. She began to fall asleep when she was disturbed. Jemima didn't notice that Victoria was perched next to her.
"Guess what Jemi!" Victoria squealed. Jemima jumped in shock. "Sorry," Victoria immediately apologized.
"It's fine," Jemima blushed in embarrassment. Why was she so easily startled. "What is it?"
"Plato and I are mates!" Victoria beamed in joy. "My parents were very angry when they found out. They said I betrayed them. But I don't really care. Even though they disowned me." Jemima gasped and gawked at her friend. She had never viewed Victoria as such a (dope savage) rebel. "I am happy. Plato and I moved into the oven."
Jemima wanted to be happy for her friend, but she couldn't keep the tears back. She turned away so Victoria couldn't see her cry, but the white Queen leaned over to see her friend's face. "Oh Jemi, what is it? Did I upset you?"
"You're a Queen now. That means our friendship is over," Jemima began to sob. Victoria did not object, knowing that the young kitten was right. Their friendship would be put on halt until Jemima joined her in Queenhood. "You'll become one of the older Queens who boss me around condescendingly as if they know what's best for me and treat me like I am stupid! You'll become one of those Queens that shield me as if I can't handle anything!" All of the Queens and Toms were far to overprotective of little Jemima.
"I promise, I'll never treat you like you're lesser than me because of your youth," Victoria rubbed her hands on Jemima's back. "I promise sweetie."
"Sweetie?" Jemima mumbled. "You already treated me like a kit." Jemima turned and dashed away with tears leaking out of her eyes, and Victoria went to follow her, but found herself unable to keep up with the adolescent.
Demeter found her daughter lying in a ball in their den. "What's wrong Jem?" asked the concerned mother.
"Victoria's a Queen now. She doesn't need little kittens like me to be her friend," Jemima whined.
"You'll never just be a kitten," Demeter tried to comfort her daughter. "Besides, soon you'll be a Queen like her." Jemima didn't respond.
"Can I enter?" A Tom's voice filled the room.
"Yes!" Demeter called back. Pouncival stepped into the room. "I assume you two probably need privacy." She knew Pouncival would be able to console Jemima. Demeter gave a stout nod, and left the adolescents alone. She trusted them to behave.
Pouncival had inferred the source of Jemima's sadness, and knew there was no way to comfort her through words. Instead, he wrapped his arms around her to console her. However, the moment was disturbed by Munkustrap's yelling.
"Macavity! Get to the kittens! Macavity is here! Defend the kittens at all costs!"