Chapter 3 - Get Happy
"Whut Oi'm tryin' to say is that ya should jist take it easy." I was trying to get away but Star came stubbornly after me anyway.
"He started it." I simply and truthfully defended myself. For a few days already Star had been trying to make me stop disliking the Oh-so-wonderful Lonnie. She didn't really succeed, just annoyed me so freakin' much.
"'E's jist playin' wit' ya!" Star argued, "Yer a smart gal, you shouldn't care 'bout it!"
"Playing, my tail!" I snapped. Loosing my temper once again. I gotta try to handle it a bit better... "He dislikes me as much as I dislike him, and that's fine with us both! If you can't bear us arguing every now and then, drag us apart and stay with the other, but that I'd like him is not an option!"
What on earth has happened, Star tells me to calm down and I run around fighting instead? Thinking about that, it was one of the strangest situations I had ever been in. I was supposed to be the calm one! I hoped I would never fall in love if that changes the personality into the total opposite...
After I'd screamed my opinion straight to her face I turned and walked away, leaving her standing there, and luckily she didn't continue following. And just as if everything wouldn't have been miserable enough, dark clouds started to gather into the sky and soon it was raining like crazy. I'm so lucky.
Soon getting with the oppressive mood of the junkyard, I decided to take a walk (a little rain won't hurt anyone, I thought). With my luck somebody would appear in the Blue Place that I didn't want to see and staying in the junkyard would definitely get me to talk with somebody. In the mood I was right then, I could have hurt someone
Walking in the cold rain made me come to regret two things: shouting to Star and leaving for the walk. Cold baths are good for the thinking, they clear your mind, don't they? I can't stay angry for anyone for more than thirty minutes. Especially not Star.
"Excuse me..." I sprang around hearing the unfamiliar voice behind me. The owner proved to be a young queen, even younger than me, standing in front of me.
"Um...Yeah?" I asked uncertainly. She flashed me a smile that was radiant even through the timidity which I could already tell was such a basic aspect of her personality.
"You wouldn't know where I can find...Munkustrap?" She had a soft, low voice.
Before I would answer anything, I took a better look at her. Her reddish brown and white coat was all wet and dirty. There were two huge golden yellow eyes watching me. Because she was so young and looked so unsuspicious, I thought she probably wasn't a criminal with a completely twisted mind. Somewhere behind all the wet fur was an exceptionally beautiful face, and the matted fur was far more flattering to her body than her face clinging to her tall, slim form. I hoped she wouldn't know that too well.
"Depends on who's asking and why." I stated in a cool tone that was't actually ment to be that cool. I guess I wanted to make something certain or something. She flinched and glanced at me with a scared expression, adding more items to my list of regrets.
"M-My name is Kitana..." She stuttered, "They told me that someone named Munkustrap could help."
I tried to conjure my most comfortin grin on my face. "Calm down, I don't bite. And if that's your situation, then sure I know where Munkustrap is." That said, I turned to the direction of the junkyard and motioned her to follow me. She came, but not without hesitation.
At the half way of the trip I noticed that she didn't even know who I was. "By the way..." I turned to her, "I'm Trifika. Trif, for short." She nodded and we continued in silence. She seemed to be a bit of the quiet type, and I couldn't make up anything sensible to say when she wouldn't answer but with a couple of short words.
At exactly the moment we had arrived to the junkyard, the rain stopped. The complete pouring rain just disappeared and the sun shone down like it would have been doing it for the whole day. Typical...
Munkustrap wasn't in the junkyard after all, which was an obvious disappointment to Kitana. I told her that he would show up in no time, but as one of the biggest names of the tribe, he had some duties I couldn't explain properly. In fact I had no idea of where he could be, but that was not for her to know... Before even trying to find Strap, I repeated Chai and dragged her around introducing the cats... trying, of course, to be more gentle than the previously mentioned friend of mine.
Kitana really was quiet. And shy. Despite her shyness I was able to get the picture that she was a really smart kit ('kit' is something I shouldn't have called her, because the distance of our ages wasn't so long, but I had always acted a little bit older than I was, and it seemed that I had also experienced much more in my short life.) She had her own opinions about everything, even though she couldn't really give reasons to some of them. But she could talk about something and turn the whole thing upside down, just like that, making me look at her in awe a couple of times.
"There's somebody..." Kitana had her eyes fixed on somebody standing farther away. I turned around to look to the direction she was pointing to. Chai and Stoff, how ever did I manage to forget them? I started towards them, not noticing that Kitana stayed there.
"Shorty, what's up?" Chai yelled when he noticed me. I grinned brightly.
"I'm following the tradition. The introducing of new jellicles is now officially translated to suffering. Or what do you think Kit?"
When I didn't hear the answer I glanced around and noticed that Kit was standing exactly where I'd left her. I called her to come and she walked towards us hesitating a bit, but still excited.
"Kitana, here are Chai and Mistoffelees, and vice versa."
Stoff greeted her with his own short style and a mystical smile. Chai instead stayed there his eyes practically glued on Kit's face.
"Well hello..." He muttered in a tone which made poor Kit turn bright red under her fur. I wasn't sure whether he was serious or if he just want to embarras her, but quickly I made the decision that no matter what it was, I'd hang him if he started to play with her.
Chai kept his eyes on Kit and continued the examination. Kit was getting steadily more and more unsure all the time, and when he finally stated "You're one beauty" she was staring at her frontpaws her face, if possible, even more red than before. I gave Chai a look that was supposed to make him stop before she'd run away. Luckily, he did, and just welcomed her to the junkyard, giving her a grin which rendered her ready to melt any moment. I bet he has been around Tug too much...
"Munkustrap might be at the Vicarage Wall..." I stated when Chai finally had gotten his eyes off the still bright red Kitana. After a moment of thinking, I came to the conclusion that he really might be there, and we should immediately get there. We weren't exactly in a hurry, except for Kitana who looked like she'd love to get out of Chai's sight. This wish didn't come true when Chai announced that he would be coming with us, because "Pretty ladies aren't allowed to walk alone in the streets!" The look that I got from Kitana was so horrified it made me want to laugh, but for her sake I didn't. Chai, on the other hand, he would get my mockery later...
The history seems to repeat itself, I tought when we were standing beside the huge wall. Kitana examined the place, obviously confused. Nobody seemed to be around.
"I don't think Strap's here eiher..." I muttered to Chai, who nodded.
"Dee is there..." He began, but a familiar voice interrupted him.
"You don't have to whisper, the old one can still hear." Old Deuteronomy stated from the top of the wall. The sun was shining, where else could he have been? Kitana flinched and stared up, really scared of the huge cat looking down at us with a friendly smile on his face. "Get up here, I want to talk to you."
Because nobody could find a reason good enough for not going, and because Deuteronomy's orders were something that you obey (and no buts), we all climbed up. First Kit tried to hide behind me, which didn't work with her (too) being taller than I am. Then she chose Chai as her guardian, and boy, was he happy to do the job...
"And Chai..." Deuteronomy addressed him.
"Yes sir?" He turned his face from Kit's direction.
"For the fiftieth time, it's unpolite for a younger tom to call the leader by such nicknames."
Chai flashed him his most apologetic smile. "Yes sir. I mean...I apologize, Deuteronomy, It won't happen again."
Deuteronomy nodded in approval (like he did last time. And before that, and before that...) and streightened his back. "The first thing I'm going to talk about is that it's been over a week since you came to the junkyard. Therefore I can announce that you, Trifika, and Firestar are now officially members of the tribe."
I hadn't even thought about it. It was self-evident that we were members of the tribe. A week? It felt like we had been there for at least a month...or something. Or forever. When I realized what Deuteronomy had just said, a wide grin spread across my face.
"Really? I mean... this is a final decision?" Deuteronomy, once again, nodded. I didn't know where to vent my joy, so I simply went and hugged Chai for the 'officiality'.
"Whoa! Calm down, you're strangling me!" Chai grinned even more cheerfully than usual. He was a little suprised by my sudden attack, though. I let go (thinking of his health and all...). "Shorty and Fiery Star, finally officially with us! Hooray for that!"
Deuteronomy was watching us with that oh-so-famous 'young love' expression. You have no idea how annoying it is when everybody thinks that they know everything, when they haven't got the slightest idea of what's going on. Chai happened to gaze at Deuteronomy's direction too. Neither of us wanted to loose our dignity in front of the leader, so we both just shut up.
"And the other subject is..." Deuteronomy fixed his eyes on Kit, still hiding behind Chai, making her flinch again. I couldn't but guess what had happened to her to make her so jumpy. "Who are you hiding?"
I thought the honor of introducing her to Deuteronomy would be mine, but before I could say anything she stepped out herself.
"My name's Kitana... From the tribe of the kezies..." She began, "I...I'm looking for Munkustrap."
Deuteronomy rose his eyebrows in surprise. He examined Kit for a momnet, and then stated, "I thought you looked like Grizabella..."
Now there was a glitter of hope in Kit's eyes. "Grizabella? Do you know where my mother is?"
I remembered her. She was an old cat who wandered around the streets looking so miserable, nobody could possibly find a reason that kept her alive. She had real pretty eyes, like blue ice. And everytime I saw her, i just couldn't help hearing her humming that beautiful tune... I wondered if Kit could sing like that.
Deuteronomy explained her that Grizabella had gone to the Heaviside Layer last jellicle ball. That she couldn't be more better, and that Kit would hear from her again someday. He told this all with a comforting smile, but his eyes were a lot more sad than usually.
"Oh." Was the only thing Kit could get out of her mouth. He stood there, staring her frontpaws in silence. All the same, she didn't cry. Finally she took a deep breath and looked up. "She deserved that anyway. Better that way..." By the shaking of her voice I figured she didn't quite mean what she said. Deuteronomy gave his silent condolences, then asked who or what sent Kit to his tribe.
"Nobody really..." Kit muttered. "I just wanted to find out what had happened to mom... But if that's the truth..." while saying the last sentence she had made the most unsuccesfull attempt of conjuring a fake smile on her face I'd ever seen, "I think I'll go back home. Thank you all, it was nice to meet you!"
Kit leaped down, walked a short while, turned around, waved at us and continued her way.
Chai stared after her with his mouth open and looked like soon he would scream "No! Wait!" and run to her, swearing by the eternal love that if she'd leave he could never stop thinking of why he had let her go. Soon enough I figured out that the mental shock he had just got was the level that he would find out what to do in the next century. What could I do? In these stories everyone has to have a perfect match, and I thought these two just looked extremely cute together...
"Guys..." I thought, rolled my eyes and jumped after Kit. "Yo! Wait up!" It wasn't "No! Wait!", but close enough... Kitana stopped instantly and I dashed to her. "You wouldn't like to stay here... for a while? Like..." I glanced at Deuteronomy. "Hey Dee...uteronomy, what was the big party again?"
"The Jellicle Ball" Was the answer. I felt like he was making faces at me. Not really, but at least he seemed darn amused.
"Right! Until the ball! What do you think?" I sounded ten times as hyper as Etcetera ever. I wasn't that excited, I just wanted to make her smile again. She looked so miserable...
"Well..I..." She smiled and I was extremely glad of achieving my goal. "If it's allright by Old Deuteronomy..."
I grabbed Kit's paw and dragged her back to the wall. I looked up, grinning from ear to ear, fluttering my eyelashes, looking altogether so ridiculous even Deuteronomy in all his dignity, could not prevent himself from laughing.
Needless to mention, Kit stayed. At least until the great what-was-it-again. And everyone lived happily ever after? No freakin' way...