"Can I talk to you?"
"I'm not really in the mood for fun and games now, hon," Bombalurina yawned, rolling over to catch the sun on her stomach. "Some other time."
Pouncival flattened his ears in irritation. "I want to talk, Bomba, not…"
She opened both eyes and looked at him coolly. "Look, kid. Usually I don't mind your pranks, but I need to get some sleep okay? Run along now, Pounce."
Pouncival drew his brow together in anger, whirling on one paw and storming off. Bombalurina looked after him for a moment before yawning and lying back down.
***
Pouncival grit his teeth together furiously, ears flattening at the sound of thunder rumbling in the distance. Angrily, he blinked back tears and stormed into his house, throwing the rose on the floor and flopping onto the bed.
What had he been thinking, trying to attract the eye of Bombalurina, of all queens? Reaching out a paw, he blindly picked up the bottle sitting next to the wall and stared morosely at it. He'd heard the humans call them 'sugar pills', and they'd certainly kept his energy level up, but...
Pouncival flung the bottle across the room, letting it crash into the wall and fall with a clatter to the ground. What was the point of it, after all? Why did he have to be permanently happy?
"Because it's what everyone expects of me," he said bitterly, his voice echoing in the dark silence of the room. Tumblebrutus was allowed to be serious every once and awhile. The queens didn't put him off as a stupid kit, not like they did to Pouncival. Of course, they seemed to neglect that he and Tumblebrutus were the exact same age...
And even though Tumblebrutus was supposed to be his best friend, as of late, he was starting to make more and more excuses. Almost as though he wanted to get away from his stupid, goofy, little, immature, kittenhood playmate.
But if nobody wanted anything to do with him when he was being silly, why, then, did everyone tell him to stop acting strange when he tried to be serious? He leaned his head forward, resting his forehead on one paw. They were running him in circles. He couldn't be silly, and he couldn't be serious, so what was left?
Slowly, an idea came to him, and he raised his head, breath stilled as he thought. The only sound was the first pattering of raindrops hitting the dirt outside his door. If he couldn't be silly, and he couldn't be serious... He just wouldn't be Pouncival.
***
Rumpleteazer glanced, bored expression engraved in her face, over at the entrance to the Proper as someone entered, then did a double take. What she had first mistaken for Mistoffelees was in fact a slightly taller tom. He was likewise black in colour, with a white bib that ran down to his midriff.
Both back legs and one paw were white, unlike Mistoffelees', which were all
black.
Everyone had, by now, stopped what they were doing and stared at the newcomer.
The tom smiled slightly. "Hi…" he said quietly.
"Pouncival?" Tumblebrutus stammered out, his eyes wide. "What have you done?"
Pouncival looked at them calmly. "I figured that since you didn't seem to care for 'Pouncival' much, you'd like 'Quaxo' better."
Jemima slowly walked over to him, her eyes as wide as Tumblebrutus'. "That's not true, Pounce!" she objected. "We liked you just the way you were..."
"Then why was it always, 'Sit down, Pounce'. 'Don't be so silly, Pounce.' Or worse yet, 'Don't try to be serious, Pounce, it unnerves us.'"
Everyone quieted and looked at the ground. Pouncival shook his head and turned to Tumblebrutus. "And why did you abandon me to, huh? I thought we were best friends."
Tumblebrutus shrugged slightly. "I'm sorry, mate... I just... I didn't know..."
Pouncival pursed his lips. "Maybe because you didn't listen."
Tumblebrutus bowed his head, acknowledging the blow. "You're right..." he muttered. "But... dangit, Pounce, no matter how we acted, we'd miss not having you around!"
Jemima nodded, laying a paw on Pouncival's black one. "I'd much rather have Pouncival than Quaxo. And I think I speak for everyone here."
Pouncival sighed in exasperation. "That's all very well and good, Jemi, but I think you all missed what I was trying to say. You're so hung up on how I SHOULD act that you don't see how I WANT to act! I don't want to be silly, stupid, and goofy all the time."
"What do you mean, how you want to act?" Bombalurina asked. "Don't you already act how you..."
"No!" Pouncival snapped. "I want to be able to be serious just like everyone else. I don't want to have to put on this happy mask so everyone doesn't feel unnerved. From now on, I'm going to act how I want, whether or not you like it."
Silence permeated the Junkyard Proper until it was broken by the sound of a single feline bringing their paws together in a one-cat applause. Pouncival looked around, startled, until his eyes met Tumblebrutus'.
"I dig, Pounce," he said softly. Pouncival's mouth drew up in a small smile, something that Tumblebrutus mirrored. He walked over to the dyed and put a paw on one black shoulder. "Let's go wash this off, okay?"
Pouncival nodded and the two walked off together, leaving the other Jellicles silent behind them. Once they were away, Pouncival turned to glance at Tumblebrutus. "Still friends?"
Tumblebrutus grinned. "Forever."
