CHAPTER 12: Revelations
"'Ey, Tats, do ya wanna go explorin'?"
Tatiana looked up, startled. She bit her lip. "Ummm, sure."
Mungojerrie smiled. "Come on, then!" he said in a jokingly-impatient voice.
Tatiana grinned impishly. For some reason, she was feeling strangely energetic and playful. "You'd better hurry up!" She took off at a velocity that rivalled that of light itself.
It took Mungojerrie a moment to register what was happening, and, when he did, was caught by surprise. He had never known she had this side to her, but he most certainly was not displeased by it. Mungojerrie caught Tatiana easily by way of a near-flying-tackle-hug.
Gasping for air but laughing all the same, Tatiana squealed when Mungojerrie landed on top of her and managed to turn over so she was facing him.
As their eyes met, Mungojerrie blushed underneath his fur – a rarity for the mischievous tom – and quickly removed himself from her delicate body. "Sorry," he apologized quietly, "Oi dunno what came over me."
Both cats sat there for a moment in uncomfortable silence until Tatiana managed to pluck up enough courage to say, "I thought we were going exploring?"
Mungojerrie smiled and the tension vanished from the air. "Oi thought it was 'oigh toime Oi showed ya the rest of the junkyard. Come." He motioned to her with his paw, beckoning her to follow.
The two wandered around outskirts of the junkyard that Tatiana had not previously discovered, then started climbing some junk piles. They were about to make their way down again when Tatiana let out a loud "Owww!"
"What is it?" Mungojerrie rushed over to her, concern written all over his face.
"My paw…I think I trod on something. It hurt," Tatiana explained, trying not to let any tears fall.
"Let's 'ave a look." Mungojerrie gently took the paw she indicated to him (her front right paw) and inspected the damage. "Looks loike ya've got a piece of glass stuck in it," he announced finally.
Tatiana groaned. "Can you get it out?" she whispered.
Mungojerrie nodded. "Yes, but it's gonna 'urt," he warned.
"Just…do it," she said, sounding a lot braver than she felt. "Please." She closed her eyes, fighting the tears.
Mungojerrie nodded again. Knowing he would never get it out with his claws, he bent down and fixed his teeth around the small glass shard. Slowly and carefully, he drew out the fragment and began licking the wound clean in an effort to stop the bleeding.
Tatiana, with much effort, resisted the urge to scream as she felt the glass being extracted from her sensitive paw. With silent tears now streaming down her face, she concentrated on the sensation of Mungojerrie's rough tongue on her paw, on the way his whiskers tickled her…and she didn't even notice that he licked her paw for a bit longer than necessary.
Mungojerrie realized, though, and drew back. "Oi'll be roight back." In a flash, he was gone, and, in another flash, he was back with two scarves. He tied one (a red one) around Tatiana's paw and gave her the other (a yellow scarf) so she could dry her tears.
"Let's play 'Truth or Dare'!" said Etcetera excitedly.
"How do you play that?" Tatiana questioned.
"How about you and Electra round up some of the others and then I'll show you?"
"Okay."
Tatiana and Electra did as they were bid and soon a fairly large group of Jellicles were sitting in a circle in the centre of the junkyard clearing. The group consisted of Etcetera, Electra, Tatiana, Jemima, Victoria, Rumpelteazer, Mungojerrie, Pouncival, Mistoffelees, Tumblebrutus, Plato and Admetus.
"Now," began Etcetera, taking charge, "I'll start. I ask someone if they want 'truth' or 'dare'. If they choose 'truth', I ask a question and they have to answer truthfully. If they choose 'dare', I have to dare them to do something. All clear and simple?" Etcetera gazed around at all the nodding heads. "Okay, here we go then. Electra," – she turned to her sister – "truth or dare?"
"Ummm…truth."
"Who do you like?" Etcetera mock-demanded, sitting upright and pointing her claw in Electra's face.
The kitten blushed uncomfortably. "Tugger."
"I mean, love-like. Tugger doesn't count, because we all like him."
At this, Tatiana shook her head, but nobody noticed.
"Who do you love-like?"
Electra whispered the name of her crush so quietly that nobody could hear her.
"What's that?" Etcetera cupped her paw over her ear and leaned closer to her sister.
Electra was blushing furiously beneath her fur. "Tumble, okay?" she said louder. She buried her face in her fur in embarrassment.
Tumblebrutus just sat there, his mouth agape. "You – you do?"
Etcetera and Rumpelteazer couldn't resist teasing her just a bit. "Oooh…!"
"Oh, shut up," muttered the embarrassed kitten.
"Your turn," said Etcetera cheerfully.
"Etcy, truth or dare?" asked Electra, wanting to get her sister back.
Etcetera grinned impishly. "Dare," she said, dodging the same embarrassment into which her sister had come.
"Oh." Electra looked slightly crestfallen, but immediately put her mind to thinking up a dare. "Ummm…I dare you to follow Tugger around all day tomorrow by hanging on to his belt. And if he makes you let go, you have to grab it again instantly," she said, wincing at the lameness of the dare.
Etcetera giggled. "Okay."
Tatiana was relieved that it wasn't she who had to do that dare. How she despised the Maine Coon.
"Tumblebrutus! Truth or dare?"
"Dare," decided Tumblebrutus. He knew that, had he chosen 'truth', he would be asked who he liked, and he didn't want to hurt Electra.
Etcetera was somewhat disappointed with the tom's choice, but came up with a dare quite quickly. "I dare you to kiss Electra."
The group sat in stunned silence. Electra was the first to speak, and she began with a gasp. "What? No, Etcy, you can't –" she started shrieking, only to be cut off by her sister.
"Yes, I can, and I am." She grinned and turned to Tumblebrutus. "Well, what are you waiting for?"
Tumblebrutus hesitated before walking towards Electra slowly, his heart pounding in his chest. When he reached the blushing queen, he quickly pecked her on the lips and scampered back to his place, blushing also.
Etcetera grinned. "Your turn, Tumble."
The tom knew it would be useless to ask Etcetera, so he instead turned to Mungojerrie. "Truth or dare?"
"Dare," answered the stripy tom immediately – almost eagerly.
"I dare you, Mungojerrie, to act exactly like Tugger tomorrow for the entire day."
Mungojerrie frowned. "Ick," he stated simply, causing the group to erupt into laughter. Well, all except for Etcetera, who frowned at the insult to the Tugger.
Tumblebrutus grinned. "I can give you a few tips if you need."
"Thanks," said Mungojerrie dryly. 'Ow am Oi gonna act loike Tugger for a 'ole day?! Oi can't stand that dude, and now Oi 'ave ta act loike 'im! Well, okoiy, 'e's orlroight as a cat…jes' not when 'e's flirtin'. Mungojerrie almost shuddered at the thought of acting like Tugger. He turned to Rumpelteazer. "Truth or dare?"
"Dare."
"Then Oi dare yoo ta be a…a…a poltergeist."
"A what?"
"A poltergeist. In other words, Oi dare yoo ta move stuff around orll doiy tamorra."
"What sorta stuff?" asked the queen in a mixture of amusement, curiosity, suspicion and bewilderment.
"Let's soiy…Bomba's stuff. Without gettin' caught."
"Okoiy." Rumpelteazer giggled.
"Now, Oi 'ave ta go," said Mungojerrie, standing up. "Oi'll see ya orll loiter."
"Going to practise being cool?"
The toms all sniggered at Plato's comment.
Mungojerrie ignored them and walked away.
"Now, Tats," said Rumpelteazer, "truth or dare?"
Tatiana squirmed in her place. "Ummm…truth," she replied nervously.
"'Oo do ya loike? And Munkustrap don't count, because 'e's toiken."
"You – you know about that?"
"Koind of obvious, really."
"Oh." Tatiana sighed.
"So? 'Oo do ya loike?"
It was Tatiana's turn to feel uncomfortable. "Mungojerrie…" she admitted quietly.
"Oi knew it!" Rumpelteazer shouted triumphantly, jumping up and pumping her paw in the air.
The queens and queenkits looked excited.
"So, what are we going to do about it?" asked Etcetera.
"Nothing," cried Tatiana firmly, glaring at the kitten. "Now, it's my turn. Truth or dare, Pouncival?"
"Truth."
"Have you ever stolen someone else's food, and, if so, how many times?"
"Okay, okay, I have. But I lost count after sixteen."
The group chuckled. The games went on more or less in that fashion for another hour.