Author's Note: Uh...*insert really eloquent note here*

Chapter Six: Maybe

"H-h-hey." I sighed, looking up at the white form of Victoria. I gave her a weak smile and she returned it with a bemused one.

"Hey. Care to tell me why Coricopat and Tantomile are in such a foul mood? Along with yourself?"

"W-well," I began, fiddling with a loose bed spring nearby. "Jemima b-b-broke up-p with Q-Quaxo, and I, um, t-t-t-told the t-t-t-t-twins I was mee-t-t-t-ing y-you." I looked away from the white queen, thinking of why Jemima had left my alter-ego. That reason was me. As Quaxo had said, if I were normal, this wouldn't have happened

"Jemima broke up with Quaxo? That's awful. I need to talk to her about her taste in tomcats." She hesitated, then seemed to decide on abandoning the subject. "On a less...controversial note, did the twins blank out and then have a stare-and-gesture-wildly match with you too?" She asked. I looked at her, surprised.

"A st-t-t-are-and-g-ges-s-s-ture-wild-d-dly match?" I repeated, grimacing when I couldn't seem to get the words out properly.

"Yeah, they were staring at each other and pointing at me, then the direction you were in. It was very weird."

"How v-v-very st-t-t-range." I said quietly, mulling things over.

I knew I had I gigantic crush on Victoria.

I knew that Quaxo had one on her as well, considering the way he'd complemented her in his thoughts.

And I knew that Victoria's relationship with Plato was more one-sided than anything else, and that she liked me. Hopefully as more than a friend.

But where did the twins fit into all of this?

I do NOT like her! Quaxo sniffled. He wasn't as depressed as before, but he was still upset.

You do too.

But what's not to like? He said cheekily. I could just imagine his smirking face.

You're so vulgar. It's disgusting. I mentally shuddered.

I was talking about her personality, you idiot. Quaxo's tongue was still sharper than usual after the rough breakup he'd gone through.

Look who's talking, imbecile.

As if. I wished I could roll my eyes at him, but one can't really roll their eyes at oneself, now can they?

"Uh, Mistoffelees, are you awake?" Victoria said loudly. I opened my eyes – I hadn't even realized they'd been closed – and looked up at her.

"Yeah, I'm up-p-p. I w-w-was just t-t-t-t-thinking." I brushed her off as best I could without being rude.

"About?" She inquired persistently, refusing to let the matter drop.

"Q-Quaxo." I sighed, hoping she would stop questioning me the and there. Thankfully, my prayers were answered.

"So, are you going to help me with my schoolwork?" She changed the subject once again.

"Yeah. L-let's go t-t-to m-m-my den." I stood up and walked reluctantly towards my home. Victoria followed. I grinned when I hesitantly took her paw and she held it.

~~In The Den~~

Victoria looked around our den, obviously surprised when she noticed that the pictures of Jemima were gone from the walls of Quaxo's side of the room.

"It looks so different in here, without the pictures of her." Victoria said.

"Y-y-yeah. We b-b-both d-d-d-didn't want-t-t-t-t any r-reminders of la-s-s-s-s-s-t night-t-t-t-t, so Quaxo t-t-took them-m-m-m d-d-down." I replied quietly, gently fingering the lighter squares on the wall where the photos had once hung. Quaxo and Jemima had been a couple so long, I just couldn't really believe that the dark queen had left him over the small matter of...me. I wasn't overbearing or too jealous, what had gone wrong?

I sighed and decided to focus on the present. There was no use whatsoever in wallowing in self-loathing.

"S-s-so, d-d-d-do you want to start y-y-y-your home-w-w-w-w-work n-n-now?" I asked quietly, sitting on my mat and absentmindedly straightened the bedsheets. Victoria nodded and turned to get her books, only they weren't there.

Oh, wow. She's more absentminded than...her... And all she ever did was stare at the moon. Quaxo sighed wistfully. She was so pretty when she did that. And it was so cute whenever I startled her by walking up on her. She never noticed anything when she was like that.

Maybe all the moon-staring damaged her brain? I suggested.

Maybe...Hey! Don't talk about her like that! He hissed and stopped talking to me, indignant.

"I think I forgot my books." Victoria said suddenly. I looked around for a few moments and concluded that she was correct.

"That-t-t-t s-seems to b-b-b-be t-t-t-t-the c-c-case." I replied. "Per-h-h-h-haps you c-c-c-could g-g-go back home to get-t-t-t t-t-t-t-them?" I stood up to guide her out, quietly hoping she wouldn't go off to get her books.

"Well, it would be kinda awkward, coming home just to get my books. Would it be all right if I stayed?" She absentmindedly brushed her long, snow-white headfur out of her face and I blushed when I realized how closely I was watching her every movement.

"Of-f c-course!" I grinned automatically, then hastily tried to correct my expression. Of course, I just ended up looking absolutely ridiculous. She laughed quietly.

"I'm glad you're happy about that." She smiled and sat down beside me.

I so desperately wanted to put my arms around her, to hold her, to tell her I how I felt. Everything was so new; I was used to carefully calculating my every decision, and whenever I was around her I just...leaped headfirst into whatever it was that I wanted to do. It was so strange, this feeling.

I knew that I could never be her tom, seeing as Plato had already taken her.

Victoria looked up at me after a few moments of silence.

"You know," She said quietly, "No one – besides the twins – really knows who the real you is. You're so secretive."

"I'm n-not s-s-s-s-s-secretive" I meowed slowly, rearranging myself so that I was facing her. "It's j-j-just that-t-t-t-t-t-t no c-c-c-c-cat has ever r-really t-t-t-taken t-t-t-the time to know the 'r-r-real me'. C-Coricopat, T-T-T-Tantomile, and I were just c-c-clumped t-t-together as the mis-f-f-f-i-t-ts, t-the out-t-t-t-casts." She stared at me for a few moments before hugging me, quickly. I felt a sudden surge of emotions; shock, happiness, and so many other emotions I'd never felt before.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't know that you felt like that."

"W-w-well, you'd-d-d b-be resentful i-i-if you were ig-n-nored every s-s-single d-day of your l-life." I stuttered, a little hurt. Did none of the cats even see me anymore? Was I just Quaxo's shadow?

"And, with the way the other cats treat you, I thought that you didn't want anyone to get to know you." She looked at me, holding a pillow on her knees. I smiled thinly.

"I s-s-suppose you h-h-have a point. I...I'm...a l-l-little s-scared of the o-t-t-t-t-her toms." I admitted, just then realizing it myself. Lifelong ridicule and attacks had left me much, much more than a little scared of the other toms. They absolutely terrified me.

Why? It's not like they don't know me.

You've never done anything to stop them from tormenting me.

I have to stopped their pranks!

Remember the time they dumped glitter glue on me, or the rotten fish incident? I can keep going on and on.

I'm sorry, Misto. I guess I cared too much about my perfect reputation to really notice what they were doing to you. I blocked it out.

You can think that again, although it might hurt your brain to use that many words, especially when they aren't satisfying your ego.

See if I ever apologize to you again, Magical Mr. Holier-than-thou Mistoffelees. He huffed angrily and started sulking. I immediately felt bad for thinking those things.

"You're scared of the other toms?" Victoria asked, staring at me as if I'd started speaking another language.

"Y-y-yes?" I said reluctantly, saying it like a question. I looked away, wishing I could take back my words.

"Oh, you poor thing." She said suddenly, hugging me. I gently hugged her back, and the scent of her blew me away. I'd never been this close to a queen before.

You hugged mom.

Go away. I am enjoying this very memorable moment.

Let me get my camera. This is a Kodak moment. You might never hug a queen again.

.

I stopped thinking when, for one brief moment, Victoria's lips brushed my cheek. My head span. She looked at me, smiling.

"I'll see you both Monday." She said, then she walked out of my den, humming a little tune.

Whoa. That was...whoa. Quaxo said quietly, as pleasantly surprised as I was.

Yes, I think 'whoa' describes that moment exactly.

You think...maybe she likes me too?

Maybe.