"Left, right and tie! Etcetera, concentrate!" Demeter sighed as she tried in vain to teach the four young kittens their routine for the Gumbie cat, where they would be wearing mice masks.
Her sister bustled over, smiling as Demeter looked at her in despair. Clapping her hands, she grinned as the kittens leapt up, excited to be doing something different.
"Right! Let's see what you've come up with!" The giggling kittens scampered into a disorderly line and began, without much success, to dance.
Bomba held up her hand for order and, sitting the kittens down, started to explain what they were going to do. She had seen all of the kittens as they danced and began to show them the simple steps.
As the amateur dancers copied the scarlet queen, Bomba noticed Electra struggling to keep up. She smiled at the young queen who grinned back, obviously enjoying herself, despite her lack of talent.
Quaxo was thinking as he watched the preparations for the Jellicle ball. In the corner Jenny and Jelly were sat on the boot of the old red car, discussing the mice costumes for the kittens and sewing.
Demeter and Bomba were teaching the kittens their dances and chatting in-between assisting the excited queens. Quaxo was trying to memorise parts that Electra was struggling with so he could help her when they met that evening.
Their meetings had seemed to boost Electra's confidence dramatically. She could now do the first dance with ease, knowing which beat she was meant to sit up at and when to sing her line. Quaxo had been amazed at not only how graceful she could be but also of her enthusiasm. Once she got into something, her whole mood changed. She was as excitable as the other kittens and Quaxo found his time with her becoming less of a chore.
He was torn out of his daydream by a clattering of metal behind him. He spun around to see an orange patterned tabby scrambling towards him. She grinned mischievously as several hubcaps fell, clattering to the ground.
Quaxo ignored her and returned his attention to the kittens. They had been released from the rehearsal and were chasing each other round and round the junkyard, laughing loudly. Electra turned and seeing Quaxo, waved shyly. He smiled back and jumped out of his skin when Rumpleteazer bounded up behind him.
She seemed to be about to say something when he noticed Electra leaving, he rushed up, stopping Rumpleteazer in her tracks.
"hey! where ya goin?"
Quaxo ignored her and carried on to where he and Electra met.
When he entered the clearing, Electra was sat on the floor, giggling to herself. He smiled and she looked up at him, her huge innocent eyes catching his attention as always.
"So, what are we doing today? She asked as Quaxo sat down beside her. He thought carefully then decided.
"What about going over the Gumbie cat song?" He asked. He was surprised when she shook her head as she usually agreed to whatever he said.
"What shall we do then?" she looked up at him as if she was waiting for him to answer his own question.
"I don't know. umm… Tugger's song?"
Electra looked up hopefully and Quaxo realised how much she wanted to impress the flirtatious tom and to his surprise he found himself making up an excuse for not helping her.
She looked crestfallen with his answer so he stood up and started prancing around.
"Guess who I am!"
Electra looked puzzled for a while but soon caught on.
"Bombalurina!" She cried, laughing as her friend imitated the scarlet queen's movements.
They played like this for a while, the characters changing from Skimbleshanks to Old Deuteronomy to Etcetera, when all Electra had to do was scream.
Tired out after laughing so much, the pair sat down together. Quaxo began fiddling with some of the blades of grass and Electra looked around uncomfortably. The silence was only broken when Electra squealed when a small electric shock ran through her body.
"Oww! Quaxo, I think I just got an electric shock off something but I don't know what." She looked around her, searching for something that might have escaped the junkyard and ended up in the field. She had expected Quaxo to help her look but instead he just looked scared.
She smiled at him.
"It's ok, it didn't hurt that much, it was just a shock." Electra own smile faded when Quaxo's face remained serious.
"Electra, can I tell you a secret?"
The three queens lay slouched on the old tire after another rehearsal.
"Wow! I'm soooo tired!" Etcetera sighed as she flopped down onto her back.
"Didn't Electra do well today? I swear she knew all the dances better then I did and only a couple of days ago she couldn't remember even the first move!" Jemima scratched her head as she tried to figure out what must have happened.
"I think someone's helping her. I do hope so; she really is a good dancer!" Victoria said grooming herself after the dancing.
Etcetera rolled onto her front, kicking her feet out behind her.
"I can't believe how many times Demeter made us practise those sewing handy thingies! I think I could do it in my sleep!"
"I thought it was quite fun." Victoria said quietly.
"Only 'cause Plato was smiling at you!" Jemima teased her best friend and grinned as she blushed bright red.
"Speaking of Plato, has he asked you to the ball yet?" Etcetera was always saying things straight and it often got her into trouble.
"Umm…." Victoria shuffled uneasily and Jemima jumped in to save her friend.
"So who do you think will go to the ball together? I think that Ecty should go with Pouncival!"
The two other kittens laughed at Etcetera's reaction and continued to discuss who they wanted to go with. Meanwhile, the toms were having a similar conversation.
"Oh come on! We know you like her! Just admit it!" Pouncival bounded around his friend, trying to get him to admit his liking for Victoria.
"Ok! I like her! Just please stop jumping, you're making me dizzy!"
Tumblebrutus and Quaxo laughed as Pouncival continued to bounce around the frustrated Plato.
"Are you going to ask her to the ball? Are you? Are you?"
"Yes! Just please leave me alone!"
Pouncival, satisfied with the answers, joined his friends along with Plato.
"So who are you going to ask Quaxo?" Tumblebrutus asked, grinning from ear to ear.
"Ummm I don't know, Jemima I think but I don't know if she'll say yes." Tumblebrutus' good mood vanished at that although he tried not to show it.
"And what about you Pounce?"
The excitable kitten simply stared at Plato blankly.
"I think he should go with Etcy! He's always with her!" Quaxo grinned as the cross little kitten stuck out his tongue.
"When are you going to ask her?" Tumblebrutus asked Quaxo, trying to hide the worry in his voice.
"Tomorrow? I don't know! Sometime…"
"Shall we all ask them tomorrow?" Plato asked, always the logical one.
Quaxo nodded and thought of something.
"Are you going to ask Electra, Tumble?"
Tumble nodded and Quaxo couldn't help being annoyed at his seeming reluctance.
"And of course", Plato grinned, "Pouncy here it asking Etcetera" He trust his arm around his friends neck.
"I AM NOT GOING WITH ETCY!" Pouncival shouted, getting very annoyed at his friends.
"Whatever!" The three other toms left Pouncival laughing as he scowled at the back of their heads.