Author's Note: Er...Wells...we have another chapter.

Dear Quill of Thoughts, Yeah...they weren't their normal selves, but Quaxo was just left by his girlfriend, and Mistoffelees took up the mantle of being the protective "older brother" so to speak. Although a lot of the things they said could've been phrased better, now that I re-read it...

Oh! The date! Right now, the story date is Sunday.

Chapter Five: Hurting

~~~Mistoffelees~~~

I snapped my fingers irritably, creating a few stray sparks that caught in my fur and sparkled.

"Hey, twinkly!" Tugger called, Bombalurina and Etcetera hanging on his arms. "Got a tomfriend yet?" On cue, the girls laughed, looking at the main coon's face to see if he was smiling. My jaw dropped. They'd never gone so far as that.

"What d-d-id you s-s-s-say?" I stuttered like an idiot. Surprisingly, Quaxo had no snide remarks for me today.

I'm not in the mood.

You are aware of the fact that I really am sorry, yes?

Where'd the sudden eloquence come from? And yeah, I know.

Sorry...I sometimes use a lot words when agitated...I be sure to keep it under five words next time. I teased him like usual, forgetting that he'd just lost the queen he loved.

Will you just leave me ALONE? Quaxo shouted suddenly in our mind. I knew he was acting out of hurt, but his thoughts stung. I felt awful about my behavior. What I had in brains, I lost in social skills.

I flicked my tail and ignored Tugger, his queens, and (somewhat guiltily) my alter-ego. I walked over to Coricopat and Tantomile's den without another word, never hearing the Main Coon's response.

The twins stepped out of their den in sync, unerringly perfect in their pace. I read Tantomile's expression and could immediately tell that she was reading my mind. I shut my thoughts down as best I could, but they already had the answer to their question.

"Jemima broke up-" Coricopat meowed matter-of-factly.

"With Quaxo. We told him-"

"That is was inevitable-"

"But-t-t-t he wouldn't-t-t-t-t l-l-l-listen." I cut in. "Some-h-h-how, I'm not s-s-s-s-surprised-d. Al-t-t-though Jemima really w-w-w-was cruel about-t-t-t-t-t-t it. I was t-t-there. Even he d-d-d-d-doesn't de-s-s-s-serve that kind of let-t-t-t-down." They nodded in time with each other as we started to walk back inside their den.

I gave a minute smile when I saw the familiar inside of their den. It was lined with astrological charts and horoscopes they'd created. It really felt like the inside of a witch's house. I loved the eerie atmosphere it gave off. But my happiness was marred by the constant pang of Quaxo's hurting and loneliness that I felt inside me. I could tell he wanted to curl up into a ball and just...cry. Because that was how he was making me feel. I sighed and stared at the roof.

If you were just normal, then I wouldn't have this problem! Quaxo's angry, hurt thoughts seared themselves into my brain. I flinched involuntarily at the volume of his voice.

I know, Quaxo. We're failures. Freaks of nature. The tom with multiple personalities. Oh yeah, everyone wants to be friends with -

"Hey, buddy-"

"Are you all right?" The twins eerily similar voices broke my depressed spiral. They didn't wait for an answer when they saw my expression. Quaxo's emotions were leaking through the barrier that kept our personalities separate, coloring my thoughts.

"I n-n-need t-t-to get r-ready for Vic-t-t-toria. Sorr-r-r-y." I sighed. I felt even worse when I saw my only friends' expressions. They looked like I was replacing them. I realized that I probably would've felt the same way. "G-g-guys, I jus-s-s-t need s-some t-t-t-t-t-time alone. I...I'll t-t-t-talk to you b-both some o-t-t-the-r-r t-time."

Coricopat stared at me in disbelief before busting out in sudden laughter.

"You're kidding us, right?" He laughed, finishing the sentence on his own for some reason. Tantomile remained silent and solemn, staring forlornly at me. I shuffled my paws on the floor of their den and Coricopat's face went from laughing disbelief to sadness, anger, and perhaps a bit of jealousy.

"It's...j-just-t-t...Quaxo." I muttered guiltily, wishing that I had just a little more tact. They nodded curtly.

"Come, on Coricopat, he doesn't need us anymore. He's got a normal friend." Tantomile hissed. The twins walked farther into their den silently. The atmosphere in the room turned cold and hateful, I immediately felt unwanted.

I walked out of their den regretfully, staring at the passage they'd walked down. Then I felt Quaxo's hurt and my own mix into one big heap of pain and loss. My shoulders slumped, I walked away to a junkpile, not caring if I missed my meeting with Victoria.

~~~Victoria~~~

I walked towards Mistoffelees'...or Quaxo's...den, a small grin on my face. I knocked on the door to their den. A few moments later the toms' mother stepped out.

"Oh, hello, Victoria." She meowed tiredly, looking worn. "The toms aren't here, I'm afraid, but I do believe Mistoffelees went to see Coricopat and Tantomile." I nodded and thanked her, then slowly walked off to find that tomcat. Had he forgotten that he was supposed to help me study?

I walked up to the twins den, slightly nervous. They never associated with us, but I assumed that that was because they didn't want to scare the normal cats and kittens. The door was open before I had a chance to knock, and the psychics stared angrily at me.

"What do you want?" Coricopat hissed.

"We suppose you came to rub it-" Now Tantomile spoke.

"In our faces that you're his friend-"

"Now, and we're not." I stared at them, flabbergasted. Was that why they were so angry?

"I'm only taking study dates with him." I meowed quietly, blushing a deep red.

"But he's replaced us with these study dates you're having with him" The twins spoke in sync, spitting out every word. And it did hurt, but I understood where they were coming from. I'd feel replaced if that happened. Especially if I only had one friend.

"I'm sorry." I whispered. "I'll go tell him I can't have the study dates with him anymore."

"He's by the old TSE1." Coricopat said, then they both paused and stiffened as if in a trance. Which they probably were. They stood there for a few moments, then shook their heads and looked at me...not in a hostile way, like they had been, but almost in a friendly manner.

"But don't tell him that you can't have study dates with him." Tantomile contradicted her brother hastily. I wondered if their psychic connection was off; as far as I knew, they never disagreed.

"What did you see?" I asked curiously, staring at the twins, who now were in some kind of stare-and-gesture-wildly match. Maybe they were talking to each other psychically. I never found out, because after waiting for a response for quite some time and not receiving one, I walked off to find Mistoffelees.

~~~Mistoffelees~~~

How much stupider can we get? Quaxo muttered darkly in our mind.

We can't. I responded in an equally upset manner. I lost my only friends, you lost the queen you love, and Victoria probably hates us both because we ditched her.

What a great pep talk. I feel perfect now.

Hmph.

Sarcasm. Get used to it.

Hmph.

Whatever, Misto. I could tell that he was annoyed with my unresponsiveness. I adjusted my seat on the junkpile, listening to the voice inside my head mutter darkly. I ignored Quaxo, wallowing in my own sadness.

Just then, Victoria walked up to me.