Etcetera looked around at her friends. Bombalurina was there too, though Etcetera saw her as more competition than friend. Competition for what? Demeter had asked when Etcetera admitted how she wasn't friends with Bomba. Etcetera sighed. *Competiton for Tugger, * she thought and had said. Demeter had smiled knowingly and left to go see Munkustrap. Etcetera envied Demeter (and most every other Queen who had their own Tom). Etcetera didn't know it, but Bombalurina envied her best friend. Envied her greatly, just for Munkustrap. She wanted Tugger, and was sure she would have had him is Etcetera hadn't been so persistent. How Bombalurina would have liked to yank Etcetera away in the Jellicle Ball and make Tugger notice her more, but no, she couldn't do that. She had to be calm, cool, distant. That was she. Tugger got up, getting both the Queen's attentions. They watched him walk off the junkpile he had been lounging on, over to Cassandra. She smiled. Tugger grinned, slipped his arm around her waist, and they walked off. *Where do they think they're going?* Bombalurina steamed. Etcetera flat out jumped up and started to chase the pair. Demeter pulled her away. "Demeter!" Etcetera whined, looking past Demeter to the direction where Tugger had gone with Cassandra. "He's got a date with her, okay?" Demeter said testily. "He chooses who he goes out with. Now go tell Bomba, I'm sure she's wondering but too cool to admit it." Etcetera trudged off. "Tugger's got a date with Cassandra," Etcetera said blandly. A tiny hiss escaped Bombalurina's lips. "I think I hate her," Bombalurina said quietly. "I think I agree." "I think I want them to break up." "I think I would do most anything to make them break up." "I think I've got an idea." Etcetera jumped up and ran over to the other Queen. "What is it?" Bombalurina sighed arrogantly. "First, I want a truce," she said. Etcetera was annoyed, but agreed. "Until they break up. Then its back to every Queen for herself." "Okay," Bombalurina said. "Now, listen. I snuck into this human movie theater once, and these two humans got two other humans to break up by making it look like they were cheating." "Like at cards?" Etcetera asked, genuinely confused. "No, like on each other," Bombalurina said exasperatedly. "Like, dating someone else and not telling them?" "O!" Etcetera said, smiling evilly. "Okay." Bombalurina told her all about the movie. "You take Tugger, I'll take Cassandra," Bom finished. Etcetera grinned. "So what do we do first?" Tugger came home late that night, extremely tired. He hadn't been too tired to ask Cassandra out again though. He flopped down on his bed and fell asleep almost instantly. He didn't even smell the perfume sprayed all over his blankets…. Cassandra waltzed happily into her bedroom. She had had a fantastic evening, and Tugger had asked her out again for the next night! She sat down on her bed. *Too bad Tugger was so tired,* she thought. She tucked her tail under her feet and promptly fell asleep. Tugger woke up the next night feeling quite refreshed. He smoothed his fur with is raspy tongue; tasting something horrible on his fur. He realized he smelled quite strongly of flowers. *Roses, mostly,* he decided with another sniff. He began licking furiously, trying to get the feminine smell out of him. *I can't show up for a date with Cassy smelling like this!* he thought. Cassandra stood outside her room, staring at the beautiful banquet of flowers in her paws. She had just - found it there, right outside her door! Cassandra looked over the flowers again. *Obviously whoever picked these out had taste,* she thought. She shrugged, and looked around the junk nearest her before she found a chipped mug with some rainwater left in the bottom. She put the flowers in and set them outside in the moonlight. Tugger strode up to Cassandra's home, his fur much slicker than usual. Even his mane lay flat. *Blast that Pouncival and his ideas,* he thought. Pouncival's solution to the whole scent problem had been to wash the purfume away. So the end result was Tugger getting a rather rude spray with a neighbor's hose. No matter how much he licked he couldn't get his fur fluffy in time. Rather than let Pouncival help again (hairdryers were too noisy) he had decided to go as the damp kitty he was. Cassandra was waiting for him outside. She winced at Tugger's appearance, but made no comment. Tugger's eyes were draw to the flowers outside her home. "Where did you get those?" he asked, trying to hide the annoyance he felt. "The flowers? I just got them this morning," Cassandra answered. "Who sent them to you?" Cassandra shrugged. "I don't know." How cute. She doesn't know, Tugger thought angrily. He pushed his thoughts to the back of his mind for the time. He walked up and slipped his arm around Cassandra's waist. She sniffed. "What's wrong with your scent?" she asked, not being subtle. Tugger turned red beneath his fur. "Um…." Cassandra backed away. "And why are you all wet?!!" "I…." For once, Tugger was a loss for words. Or sensible ones anyway. Cassandra frowned. "Tugger, if you're seeing another Queen, I need to know so I can break up with you," she said. Her voice was tense. "How do I know you're not seeing another Tom?!!" he retorted. Cassandra was a bit taken aback. "Why would you think that?!!" "Who sent you the flowers? O, right, I forgot. You - don't - know." "I don't!" Cassandra yelled back, gasping for air. "And I don't know that you're telling the truth!" Cassandra's paws flew to her face. "I don't want to date you anymore, Rum Tum Tugger. You don't trust me." She turned away. "FINE!" Tugger yelled back. He stompt away. He felt just a little sorry for Cassandra, but was to overcome with anger right now to sympathize. He hated to even think of being cheated on.. *Maybe you should have taken that into consideration when you asked her out,* an annoying little voice in his head said. He shoved it away, but knew it was right. Cassandra didn't have the cleanest reputation around. In his house Tugger was surprised to find his most loyal Queens sitting together, talking. They smiled at him. "We heard you guys breaking up and thought you might want some company," Bombalurina said cooly. Etcetera just smiled up at him. He made himself comfotable with the two Cats in his arms. They all seemed contented. Tugger wondered why they didn't worry he was cheating. A smell drifted to his nose. Was his imagination, or did Etcetera smell of…. Rose perfume?
