Forever Until Now
Chapter 7;; Black and White and Red All Over
There, she heard an unfamiliar laugh, ringing through the air. The sound was like the sweetest music.
"Victoria!" The white queen jumped as her mother stormed into the den, a look of thunder on her face.
"Ah…yes, mom?" Victoria asked, her voice wavering as she tried to slow the sudden rate of her heart.
Before Jellylorum could say anything, her eyes flickered to the still very visible scratches running across Victoria's flank. She clapped a paw to her mouth, staring at the way the red ran across white. Victoria twitched, feeling as if she was meant to remember something… red on white…
"Don't tell me Etcetera did that?" Jellylorum asked shrilly, breaking into Victoria's thoughts.
"She told you about…? Yes, she did scratch me," Victoria replied stiffly. I can't believe her! She told Mum! What the hell?
Jellylorum's eye visibly twitched. "Alright, darling. Tell me what happened."
Victoria hesitated. No doubt to compare it to Etcetera's story, she thought suspiciously. But it's not like I can refuse her…and since she probably already knows, I'll tell her the truth.
"Etcetera came into my den yesterday," Victoria began, looking up at Jellylorum from beneath her eyelashes. "She was…unusually angry. I'd never seen her act that way, I swear. It was as if…it wasn't Etcetera at all. Like there was a demon inside of her."
"What?" Jellylorum broke in, her eyes clouded with worry for her daughter.
Victoria nodded in confirmation. "That's exactly how it was. Anyway… she was um, jealous of me… over… um. Well, we argued, and she began to make me feel annoyed as well, because she was being… um… unreasonable."
"So you scratched her?" Jellylorum asked expectantly, eyes flashing.
"No…" Victoria felt a little irritated that her mother immediately assumed that Etcetera was incapable of scratching anyone. "Ah… she tried to attack me. I kept dodging her… I didn't want to hurt her, because I thought she, um, was just in a weird mood or something." That was a lie. Victoria had just wanted to further Etcetera's irritation. "But then… she managed to actually land a blow on me. This is what she did." Victoria gestured miserably at the scratch.
"She…hit you first?" Jellylorum gaped.
"I told you she was being weird," Victoria said quietly, lowering her eyes. "And then…yeah, I scratched her. It was self-defense, mom. I just wanted her to go away." There was no mistaking the sincerity in Victoria's eyes. Jellylorum had to accept that this daughter was the one telling the truth.
"Oh… well, I suppose I'll talk to Etcy instead then," Jellylorum sighed, sounding doubtful. "But what exactly did you two argue over?" Her eyes were burning with motherly love – she needed to know what could cause her two daughters to act so strangely.
Victoria didn't answer. She kept gazing at the ground, ignoring her mother's expectant gaze. Finally, Jellylorum sighed and left the white queen alone. Victoria watched her mother's waving tail retreat, and then at last allowed herself to stand up and leave the den.
Etcetera sat alone in Jellylorum's spacious den, right at the back on the bed that was used for sick cats. Lately, there hadn't been any need to use the bed. Truthfully, Etcetera wasn't really so badly injured that she needed to be kept under Jellylorum's careful supervision, but she liked being able to think that her sister had done her a great wrong. Besides, Jellylorum had one of the nicest dens in the Junkyard. Although she shared it with Asparagus, he was usually out with his best friend Skimbleshanks. Long ago, when she had been much younger, Etcetera had longed to journey with him. He'd always told her the most exciting stories. Now, the only thing she thought of was Plato.
She sighed dreamily at the very thought of the tom and examined her claws carefully. Lately, she'd been scraping them through the dirt a lot, and she hated the thought that Plato might think badly of her because she had dirty claws. Carefully, she picked the dirt of off them with her teeth just the way that Victoria had taught her. Etcetera sighed again, but in a different way. Admittedly, she had used to love her sister. But Victoria had changed for the worse, hadn't she? Etcetera sighed for a third time, satisfied with her claws. Victoria had used to be a wonderful sister, yet in the way that they only acted like friends instead of sisters. It was just less weird that way.
Now, all Victoria seemed to want to do was hurt Etcetera. I doubt she even loves my Plato, she thought bitterly. Not as much as I do. She's just playing with me…But I'll show her I'm fed up with playing. And when Macavity helps me… A sadistic smirk twitched on Etcetera's lips. She'll realize just how wrong she is.
"Etcy…?" Jellylorum's voice was aghast. Etcetera quickly wiped the smirk off her face and smiled sadly, hoping that her mother hadn't noticed.
"Mom! Did you…did you speak to Victoria?" she asked hopefully. When Jellylorum nodded, a flash of triumph passed over Etcetera's eyes. Her mother frowned, but Etcetera didn't notice. She had it coming to her! Oh, Victoria…I wonder how you feel now?
"She told me…some strange things," Jellylorum began, tight-lipped. The elation faded from Etcetera, and she narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
"Such as…?"
"You attacked her first, I hear. And I know Victoria was telling the truth. She told me… you were in a state. That you were acting very strange. And I believe her, cause you're doing it right now… darling." Jellylorum gave her daughter a doubtful smile. Etcetera froze, glaring past her mother to the entrance of the den. If she looked carefully enough, she thought she could see Victoria trotting across the Junkyard. Etcetera felt a brief impulse to fly out and choke her to death.
"Why do you believe her?" Etcetera asked in a small voice, keeping up her innocent act. "Mom…it's always like that. Always Victoria first." She couldn't help the sour note in her voice.
"You're jealous, aren't you, darling." Jellylorum stated this as a fact, not a question. Sympathy softened her eyes, and she caught Etcetera's shoulder, but the tabby twisted away, anger turning her lips down.
"What are you on about, mother?" she said frostily, pulling away. A look of hurt passed across Jellylorum's face, but then her eyes were suddenly hard. Etcetera recognized that look as the 'I mean business' look that often appeared when she was very angry. She couldn't help but gulp in nervousness.
"Etcetera. Tell me, why did you argue? Victoria won't tell me."
"I'm not telling you either." Etcetera raised her hackles defiantly and almost spat the words into her mother's face. Jellylorum let out a growl of frustration. Neither daughter would say a thing, and they both had the same reason. They didn't want anyone to think badly of Plato.
"Fine," Jellylorum said shrilly. "But you will tell me exactly why you're acting so strangely! Tell me, what's your problem?"
Etcetera turned away from her mother, her face hard and inscrutable. Inside, she was wavering, but a much stronger part of her refused to say anything about Plato… or Macavity. She had to ignore the stupid, scared part of her and defy her mother like she never had in the past.
"Tell me! Or I'll use other means to find out," Jellylorum warned. Etcetera froze. She couldn't just underestimate her mother – she was a full-grown queen and if she searched long enough, she would find out about Plato. She didn't want him to be involved in the fight. She just wanted them him to fall in love with her and for them to skip off into the sunset. She never considered that as a ridiculous idea – in reality, she was obsessed with it. One thing she did know was that her dream would never happen if Jellylorum went and ruined it.
That was when she broke down. Sobbing, she hid her face in her paws. I need Plato! she screamed inwardly as Jellylorum leapt forward to comfort her daughter. This was the Etcetera that Jellylorum knew – vulnerable.
Etcetera wanted more than anything to just tell her mother everything, to just get the ache off of her chest. But she couldn't, she wouldn't say anything about Plato. For one thing, her mother would surely tell him off for… Etcetera contemplated the thought. For being so attractive, she decided finally. And also, she would probably be chastised. She would be told, 'Don't be ridiculous. You're too young to understand love.' She could picture their stern, sympathetic eyes staring her down, making her quiver. But she did understand. Plato was everything to her! And the thing was, when they said that she was too young, they would mean only her. She highly doubted that Victoria was too young. But it had always been that way… Etcetera had to accept she would never lose her immature reputation, and that Victoria would always be… better.
But because she couldn't talk about Plato, she'd have to talk about the other cat. She knew that it was wrong to tell her mother all about what he had promised her. Yet, he'd never told her not to tell anyone. It had just been a gut feeling that prevented her from talking. And now, she was such a mess emotionally that everything just spilled out of her.
"Macavity," she sobbed. "Macavity said he'd help me." Straightaway, Jellylorum froze. Etcetera noticed this with surprise, and touched her mother's cheek tentatively. But Jellylorum remained stiff as a statue, eyes wide and staring into nothingness. Her mouth was hanging just slightly open. Concerned, Etcetera waved a paw in front of her face. That was when she was startled back into reality.
"Never. Go. Near. That. Tom. Again," she spat, grabbing Etcetera by the shoulders and shaking her. "Do you understand?"
"Mum! Let go!" Etcetera cried, pulling away from her mother's rough grip. Jellylorum released her, but her eyes were still burning with fierce anger and a desire to protect.
"Do you understand?" she repeated, more quietly this time, yet with more intensity.
"Mum…" Etcetera murmured. When she saw the severe look on her mother's face, she just nodded dumbly.
"Tell me, Etcetera. Just what did he do to you?" Jellylorum whispered, taking her daughter's face in between her paws and studying it carefully. She stared deep into Etcetera's wide blue eyes, as if searching for something. And then she found it, and her shoulders sagged a little.
"I…what do you mean? He just told me that he could help me…" Etcetera watched Jellylorum cautiously.
"Help you do what?" Jellylorum stepped away from Etcetera and began to pace, her frustration etched in her face.
"I can't tell you," Etcetera said helplessly. Jellylorum groaned.
"Stay away from him. I'm going to go to something about that evil brute," she snarled, fur on end. She stormed right back out the den then, just as she had done earlier.
"Wait!" Etcetera cried. "No! Don't!" But her mother either didn't listen, or didn't hear. She left Etcetera gaping in fear, because she knew that she needed Macavity to help her reach her dreams.
In a panic, Etcetera rushed out of the den, stubbornly ignoring the pain in her leg. Hurriedly, she glanced around for any sign of that vivid red fur, but of course, Macavity wasn't there. Frantic now, she swung her head from side to side, ignoring the curious looks other cats gave her. With a gasp, she caught sight of a flash of red curled up with another cat, but she quickly realized it was Bombalurina, not Macavity. It didn't even bother her much that she was snuggling with Tugger.
What did bother her was that Plato and Victoria were heading out of the Junkyard, arms linked. She watched them closely, seething at how close together they walked. Her blood boiled at the fond way Plato held on to the pretty white queen. There's nothing I can do now, she told herself. But he'll be mine soon. I just have to be patient… Patience was a difficult feat for Etcetera, however, and it showed in the way her fists clenched.
Agitated, Etcetera rushed across the main part of the Junkyard, her leg hindering her only a little, and headed round the back. There, she heard an unfamiliar laugh, ringing through the air. The sound was like the sweetest music. Her anger forgotten, Etcetera ventured forward towards where she could hear the laugh coming from. Her ears twitched and swiveled as she tracked the source down, and that was when she caught sound of a deeper voice. A voice she knew well.
Macavity?
All the more intrigued now, and knowing that she needed to find the red tom, Etcetera quickened her pace. What she found shocked and sickened her.
Victoria was wrapped around Macavity, and they were kissing each other hungrily. White…and red.