Part One: The Orphan

Chapter Four

The walk home seemed longer than usual. And darker. I guess I had never realized how safe I felt under Jellyorum's watchful eye. At that moment, I truly understood what my sentence meant: three months without Jellyorum or Demeter or any of the other kittens. I realized how lonely my life was about to become. Three months may not seem like much, but to a kitten, three months seems like an eternity.

I heard a rustle behind me. I kept walking. The rustle came again, this time closer. I stopped and turned to peer into the darkness. Nothing. Still, I could sense something was out there. I listened intently; I heard the rustle again. I crouched, preparing all my muscles for the leap, just as Jellyorum had taught me. Something rustled again and I pounced into the darkness. My paws met something furry and it gave a cry of surprise.

"Alonzo!" I stepped back, shocked. The black and white kitten gingerly rose to his feet, "Geez, Bomba, if I had known you were gonna jump me, I would've stayed home."

"What are you doing here?" I asked, my voice belying my joy. Alonzo grimaced as he dusted off his coat, "I wanted to make sure you got home safely. I guess I had nothing to worry about."

"Aw, Lonz," I cocked my head to one side and smiled. "That's very sweet of you."

"Yeah, well, I'll suffer for it tomorrow morning," he rubbed the back of his head. I suddenly realized how hard I'd tackled him, "Here, lemme see."

I made sure he wasn't bleeding, and then turned to go, "C'mon, Lonz. Finish walking me home."

He shook his head with a wry grin and ran to catch up, "I thought you didn't need anyone to walk you home."

"I don't," I looked at him haughtily. Then I smiled, "But it's nice that you did. You're a good friend, Alonzo."

Alonzo looked down at the ground. After a pause, he said, "Demeter is a good friend too, you know."

"I know."

"So you're not mad at her?" Alonzo looked up at me with hopeful eyes. He always hated any form of disagreement.

"Of course not," I assured him. Sometimes he could be so odd. "I was the one who started the fight; I hit Tyro first. Dem was just trying to protect me. Besides, if she got exiled, where would she go?"

"Demi says it's all her fault," Alonzo admitted. "She says the only reason the fight started was because you were defending her from Tyro."

I nodded; what Alonzo said was true. I had been protecting Dem from Tyro, but that didn't make it her fault. It was Tyro's fault for being so hateful.

Alonzo seemed to read my thoughts, "I told Dem that she couldn't blame herself for what Tyro did. She's the one that started this whole mess."

"And yet she's the one that goes unpunished," I looked at Alonzo severely. "Your father isn't very fair in his judgment."

"Old Deuteronomy has to do what he thinks is best for the clan," Alonzo said, but his tone told me that he wasn't totally convinced.

"Then Old Deuteronomy thought wrong this time," I snapped. "He should've gotten rid of Tyro once and for all."

"Tyro's not that bad," Alonzo said softly, his eyes turned back to the pavement. I was angry at myself for speaking so harshly to him, but even angrier at him for taking Tyro's side, "Not that bad? She gets me exiled and you think she's not that bad?"

"It's only three months," Alonzo reminded me, his voice still gentle. He hated to fight. I snorted, "Only three months or until Tyro's wounds heal. How much do you want to bet that she takes longer than three months to heal?"

"She wouldn't do it intentionally," Alonzo said weakly, for he knew he was wrong. I sneered, "Yes, well, I'm certain it will take her longer than that. I scratched her up quite well."

"Why didn't you just walk away, Bomba? Like you did all the other times?" Alonzo asked in his whiny mewing voice, still unable to comprehend why I chose to fight. I suddenly grew very tired of his pacifistic ways.

"I don't owe you an explanation," I sneered. I threw back my head haughtily. "In fact, I don't owe you anything, Alonzo. I am Bombalurina, and I don't answer to anyone about anything!"

There were tears in Alonzo's eyes. He couldn't take anymore; he turned to leave, his voice as tiny as I made him feel, "Goodbye, Bomba."

The sadness in his voice seemed to stab my heart, stopping me in my tracks. I was suddenly filled with a twinge of regret. And fear. Regret that I had been so hateful towards him and fear that I may never see my friend again. I didn't want to leave him like that, to have him forever remember me as an embittered, spiteful kitten. I called out to him, my voice halting under this sudden wave of emotion, "Alonzo."

He stopped and turned back to face me, his face weary with resignation. I took a tentative step towards him, unsure of how to make things right. I began to explain, "I had to do it, Alonzo. She called me Orphan. She said one day the Jellicles would get tired of me and run me out, just like Grizabella. I couldn't let her get away with that."

I knew Alonzo didn't see it as a justifiable excuse, but still he nodded in understanding. That's Alonzo for you—even when he knew I was wrong, he still took my side. I gave a small smile, "Please don't leave like this. Let's be friends again."

Alonzo genuinely smiled for the first time that evening, "We'll always be friends, Bomba. Nothing you could say would ever change that."

Now it was my turn to fight back tears. No one had ever offered such an unconditional love as that. I'm sure Dem and Jellyorum both felt that way towards me, but they had never come out and said it. Somehow, hearing Alonzo confirm that friendship made it all the more special. I walked up to him and licked his cheek, "You are the best, Alonzo. Thanks."

"Aw, geez, Bomba," Alonzo rubbed his cheek. "First you tackle me, then you kiss me? You sure know how to confuse a guy."

I laughed. "And now you've been touched twice by an exile. You'll be in big trouble when you get home."

"I'm already in trouble for leaving the junkyard," he reminded me, the mischevious twinkle returning to his eye, "Looks like you're just dragging all the kittens down with your evil ways."

We both laughed at this. I turned the corner to see my house, just a few doors down, "Well, Alonzo, I'm basically home. Thanks for the company. I was feeling pretty low til you came along."

"That's what friends are for," Alonzo simply smiled at me. He turned to go, "See ya in three months."

"Yeah," I replied. "Three months."