V.
Only, it didn’t quite work out that way.
I leaned back against the wall and closed my eyes. It was noisy here and I didn’t have any hope of getting some sleep. Even if it hadn’t been so noisy, the smell was bad enough to keep me awake as it was. Still, it was nice to finally be able to close my eyes and take a few breaths with no fear of some Pollicle attacking me.
I felt something jab into my side as I was concentrating on blacking out that terrible smell. My eyes flew open. I was staring into large golden eyes that looked mean and uncompromising.
“What do you want?”
“Are you gonna order something or what? You’ll have to leave if you don’t. We don’t need bums hanging around here; it’s bad enough as it is,” the queen demanded. I shrugged.
“Milk.”
She stared at me in disbelief, then burst into laughter. I felt my face start to burn as some of the other patrons glanced over and began to snicker. Shaking her head, the red and cream colored queen wiped her eyes. “Listen, kid, all we’ve got here is the hard stuff or water. None of that milk stuff. We don’t serve kittens here.”
“Water, then.”
She nodded, still snickering, and started to drift away. She paused as a dazzling white queen sauntered onto the stage. She shook her head a little, as if say stupid, young kittens these days, then glanced back at me.
“You’ll like her. Griddlebone’s her name. Quite the little show queen if you ask me. Got the toms flocking all around her when she’s not on the stage. Too bad she’s gotta work in such a slum. She’d probably make a good housecat. Of course, she’s nothing compared to ole Grizabella.”
I leaned forward. “Grizabella? Do you know her?”
“Of course I do. She owns this little joint now that she doesn’t perform much anymore.”
I couldn’t believe my luck. I smiled my most winning smile at the older queen and she blushed.
“Thank you.”
“It’s not anything,” she laughed nervously and hurried away.
I turned my attention back to Griddlebone. She was the queen at the docks. I recognized her. She was Growltiger’s queen. I wasn’t sure what she was doing here- Growltiger didn’t seem to be the type of tom to let his queens go around performing in nightclubs- but she looked just as beautiful as ever. Our eyes met twice during her performance and she faltered a little.
I realized that she was now looking at an older tom. Maybe I wasn’t in my prime yet, but I was now technically an adult. My “loss of innocence” dance would’ve been a week ago had I been at the junkyard. And, now that I was an adult, I could now take full notice of her without fearing some older cat scolding me.
The waitress returned with my water as Griddlebone practically skipped off the stage, blowing kisses at her admiring fans. The red and cream queen set my drink down and glanced towards the other end of the bar. She narrowed her gold eyes and hissed. I jumped, instantly terrified. One thought raced through my head: Growltiger’s here after all! She looked back at me curiously.
“What’s wrong with you?”
“Who did you hiss at?”
“Them,” she replied, pointing a slender paw towards the other end of the bar. Two tiger striped kittens looked up guiltily. The queen motioned for them to come over, her jaw set angrily. “Those blasted kittens that Grizabella let stay here! Orphans, adorable, but pure trouble.”
When they got near enough, the queen cuffed the male on the ear and the little queen kitten hissed and darted behind him. “Stay out of trouble, you horrible little wretches! How many times do I have to warn you? Do it, or I’ll make sure Grizabella really does kick you out!” the queen hissed.
“We weren’t doin’ nothing,” the little male protested. The queen raised her paw to strike at him again, but I caught her arm before she could even bring it down. The kittens glanced at each other with looks of mingled mirth and horror. They were apparently shocked that anyone would challenge this waitress. She looked at me with wide, startled eyes.
“I’ll take of them for you,” I offered. “You don’t need to hit them.” She glared at me then turned to them. Both kittens shrunk back. She shrugged.
“Whatever,” she replied, huffing away.
The kittens watched her go, with their mouths partially open. Their expressions of wonder were identical and it was all I could do to keep from laughing. Finally, the little queen kitten turned to me and swallowed.
“We really didn’t do anything,” she piped. I looked at them for a moment then smiled.
“You remind me of someone I know.”
“And who might that be?” the little male asked, crossing his arms over his chest. The queen nodded and raised her eyebrows.
“No one you would know.” I gazed at them for a little while longer. Neither kitten seemed to be very frightened by me. “What are your names?”
“Well, my name’s Rumpelteazer,” the female kitten replied. She poked her male counterpart. “And this dope is my brother, Mungojerrie.”
“Dope?”
“Well, you are.”
“If I’m a dope, that makes you a... a... sister of the dope!”
“What?”
“Shut up, Teazer,” he grumbled and she slapped him. They looked about ready to begin to fight, but quickly stopped when they caught sight of the waitress waving them down. Rumpelteazer smiled at me apologetically, then grabbing onto Mungojerrie’s paw, trotted over to the queen. I watched them go with a smile growing on my face.
“Did you enjoy the show?”
I jumped a little and turned to see that Griddlebone had sat down beside me. I licked my lips nervously and nodded.
“You were stunning.”
“Thank you,” she giggled. She traced a paw down my chest and I felt my breath begin to quicken. “And maybe I could thank you properly in a little while.”
“Prop... properly?” I asked, feeling my heart race.
“Of course. What do you say?” she purred, edging even closer.
“Uh, sure. OK. When?”
She shrugged and leaned forward. “When you get down talking to Grizabella. Ole Tanzie told her that you were askin’ about her and she’s more than a little curious now.”
“Grizabella wants to talk to me?”
“Yeah. She’s right over there. Go on. And when you’re done, we’ll have a little talk ourselves.”
I breathed a sigh of relief as I sunk down onto one of the wooden crates that were serving as chairs in this dismal place. My paws were nearly throbbing with pain and all I wanted then was to lay down and sleep. I’d been walking, or running as the case would sometimes be, for nearly a week now and had yet to find any traces of my mother. Maybe she didn’t want to be found. I resolved that I’d give it another couple of days, then I’d return to the humans. I’d take Orion back to the junkyard, even if I had to drag his stubborn tail. It sounded like a pretty good plan to me.
~*~
Grizabella stared at me for a long time before finally speaking.
“What are you doing, snooping around here? Most cats don’t take to that sort of thing very well and I’m one of them.”
I played with the cup in front of me. I couldn’t quite look her in the eye yet. “That’s understandable, but I’ve been looking for you for a while now. It’s an accident that I stumbled into here today.”
“Stumble is a good word. Tanzie thought you were drunk or something when you came in.”
“Drunk! I’ve never been drunk before in my life!”
She raised an eyebrow. “A street cat that’s never been drunk before in his life? That’s one that I haven’t heard before.”
I finally looked up. “That’s because I’m not a street cat.”
Her eyes narrowed sharply. “Not a street cat, huh? I suppose you’re one of those housecats, right? Slumming it, right? Or maybe trying to defy your parents or something like that? Trying to prove something? Well, if that’s what’s going on, I suggest you get on out of here. There are a lot of toms around in here that wouldn’t mind roughing up a pampered housecat.”
“I’m not a housecat, either,” I replied coldly. She wanted to act cold towards me without knowing anything about me, then I was more than game. “I live in the junkyard.”
She softened her face a little and saw the traces of a once beautiful queen. “The junkyard? Which one might that be?”
“Old Deuteronomy’s.”
Her distant look disappeared left and she leaned forward, pretending to not look too interested. “Really? How come you live there?”
“Deuteronomy’s my grandfather. My aunt Jenny raised me.”
Her face paled. I could see fear deep in her eyes. “Jenny? Did something happen to Jellylorum? Was she...”
I shook my head. “No. Jellylorum’s fine. But she’s not my mother.”
Grizabella stood suddenly, any trace of the kind, young queen in her gone and replaced by the hardened somewhat older actress she had become. “I think you’d better leave.” She ran her paws through her head fur. “I have work to do, not talk all night. If you’ll excuse me.”
“She raised all three of us. My brothers and I.”
She whipped back around, grabbing onto my arm and tightening her grip. I gasped a little at the pain she was able to administer with her slender paw.
“What do you want from me?” she hissed. “Why are you here? Did Jenny send you here to humiliate me? Is that it?”
Suddenly she dropped her paw and looked very old and exhausted. She dropped her gaze and let her shoulders slump a little. I placed a paw on her arm and she looked up a little.
“No, she didn’t. I just wanted to find. You’re my mother, after all.”
“Keep your voice low,” she murmured. Finally, she met my eyes. “What’s your name, by the way? I know that sounds bad, I mean I am your... mother, but I have no way of knowing. Jennyanydots named you three.”
“Macavity. And brothers’ names are Munkustrap and the Rum Tum Tugger. But everyone just calls him Tugger. It’s a lot easier.”
“Are you the oldest?”
“Yes, then Munk, then Tugger.”
She gave me a skeptical look. “If you’re really Jennyanydots’ nephew, how did you manage to get out the junkyard and way out here? I know her well enough to know that she’s never let anyone come out her so long as she had a breath in her body.”
I looked down quickly. “That’s a long story and I’d rather not talk about it.”
Grizabella nodded slowly, then sat back down. “If that’s what you want. I’ll tell you what, if you want to, you can stay here for a while if you need to. We could get to know one another.”
I could tell how difficult this was for her, so I looked up and smiled. Her face clouded as though she weren’t sure how to return this simple gesture. Then, looking hesitant, she returned my smile and nodded towards the door.
“Go on now. I think Miss Griddlebone is waiting to talk to you.”
~*~
“Do you really think that we-”
I cut off as the little queen slammed her paws against my shoulders, driving me back against the wall. Her fiery eyes looked into mine briefly, then closed as she pressed her mouth against mine. I began to kiss her back. Then I felt one of her paws wander lower. I broke away, startled.
“I’m not sure we ought to do this,” I gasped breathlessly. She moved back a step, keeping her paws on my shoulders.
“Oh, c’mon. You’re kidding. We’re both adults and this is what adults do, right?” Her mouth found its way to mine again. I turned my face away a little.
“Yeah... but... I...”
She opened her eyes again, searching mine carefully. Then, a strange light seemed to light them. Her gaze softened.
“You’ve done this before, right?”
“Well, not exactly.”
She moved away, running her paws through her fur. I leaned against the wall, trying to control my racing heart. She sat down across from me on an upturned tissue box. Her legs crossed and she leaned forward.
“So, let me get this straight. You’re still a virgin?”
I flushed. “Yeah. Just a little.”
She stared at me for a long while, then finally stood up. I watched her as she sauntered over, wrapping her arms around my neck. I stumbled forward as she jerked me towards her. She wet her lips.
“Well, let me remedy that for you.”
“It’s not-”
I let out a startled gasp as this little queen spun me around and just about flung me to the ground. My elbows smacked against the hard ground and sent a jolt up my arms. I quickly forgot about them when Griddlebone jumped on top of me, her eyes sparkling. She was too beautiful.
“This is gonna be fun!” she cried, covering my mouth with hers before I could utter another word. I struggled to shove her away.
“But, wait! I’m still really only a kid! Are you sure you want to do this?”
My head slammed against the ground again as she hit my shoulders hard. I stared up at her in awe. How did this little queen pack such a punch? Everlasting Cat, she wasn’t even close to being as big as I was, yet she had pretty decently managed to pin me down. She narrowed her pretty eyes.
“C’mon, then. Why are you scared? You’re a real tom, right?”
“Of course I am!”
She kissed me roughly. “Then show me!”
“My aunts wouldn’t-”
She clapped her paws over my mouth, her eyes wide with terror. I could see her breath quicken. I grabbed her upper arms and pulled myself up, pulling her close against my chest.
“What’s wrong? What do you see?”
As I stood, tensing my body for an attack, I heard her breath a sigh of relief. I turned back around, confused. She had her paw over her heart and was staring at me admiringly.
“Thank the Everlasting Cat! I thought I had heard a wimpy, little kitten, but it really is a real tom.” She patted the ground next to her, smiling seductively. “Now, if you’re a real tom, why don’t you come over here and prove it to me?”
I stared at her, more than a little shocked. She’d scared the living daylights out of me for a moment, then wanted me to do as she wished. Yet, I couldn’t keep myself angry. I’ll admit it. I wanted her more than I had wanted anything else before in my life. If only I could rid of this guilty feeling out of my heart. I could see Jennyanydots shaking her head at me in disproval.
Determined not to let her run my life and make me feel bad about the feelings I was having for this pretty queen, I shook my head. Suddenly, I jumped forward with a hiss and landed with practiced perfection immediately next to her. Griddlebone gasped in play shock and pressed her paw against her forehead. I could see her fighting back a giggle.
“Oh, my! What shall I do? There’s big, strong tom sitting right next to me!”
“You want to see a real tom, Madame Griddlebone?” I demanded. Before she could move or answer, I wrapped my arms around her waist and pulled her in close. She gasped playfully, then giggled.
“Exactly. And what are you going to do about it, Mister Macavity?”
“Let me show you.”
We toppled to the ground. Time stood still for the rest of the night.
~*~
“Morning,” she whispered, snuggling against me. She draped an arm across my middle. “Sleep well?”
“Better with you here.”
She smiled and planted a kiss on my cheek. “You’re a ladies’ tom. Such a sweet talker.”
“That’s me.”
Griddlebone yawned lazily and sat up. She raised her arms high in the air, arching her back to stretch. Eventually, she stood up and began to smooth down her bed ruffled fur. I smiled.
“Where are you going?”
“Work,” she replied. “A girl’s gotta make a living.”
I sat up, immediately jealous. “You’re not going to... to sleep with another tom, are you?”
Her pretty face turned to me. “Don’t do that. This is my job. One night was nice and you’re a sweet kid, but that doesn’t put food in my stomach.”
I watched in hurt silence as she primped herself. My heart was aching. Even though I knew I probably shouldn’t, I knew that I had fallen for her. Everything about her made me catch my breath and, despite my better judgment, I couldn’t help but love her.
“Don’t,” I whispered. She stopped and turned to me again.
“I said stop. This is just as hard for you as it is for me. Don’t you think that I’m attracted to you? You’re so different from the usual scumbags that usually come around to see me.” She bit her lip and spun away. “I just can’t be with you, though. I wouldn’t be right and I couldn’t do it.”
I stood and took her paw, turning her back around. She hung her head, hoping I wouldn’t see the wetness around her eyes. I tilted her chin up and kissed her lips gently.
“We could, Griddlebone. I could take you away from here.”
“To where? And how could you support us?” she demanded, but not looking very convincing. “I have security here. I have a job.”
“I love you,” I replied. The words felt strange, but right. “We would have that and we could be together. Love is all we’d need.” She shook her head.
“No. You don’t really know what love is.”
“I do know. And I know that I love you. Give me a chance. It’s gotta be better than living around here. Please?”
Her large eyes searched my face. “Are you sure?”
“Yes, I am. I love you more than any queen I’ve ever met and I know that I want to spend my life with you.”
Suddenly, she flung herself into my arms, kissing me at the same time. I stumbled back against her force, then returned her kiss. Her body was warm and reassuring against mine. I knew that I loved her. It wasn’t wrong. And I knew that I would keep her afloat, no matter what it took.
“So, what do you say? Wanna go tell Grizabella that you quit?”
She kissed me again, the taste of her mouth lingering on my lips.
“Let’s go.”
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