“Alonzo, Tumblebrutus, Pouncival—round up everyone in the Junkyard. There’s someone I’d like them to meet.” Munkustrap watched the other toms head off in their different directions, waiting.
When everyone was present, he turned to a pile of clothes. “You can come out now, Jiin.”
The white-and-red cat slunk out from behind the mass of cotton and stalked timidly into the center of the semicircle with Munkustrap. “Hello. My name is Jiintaildancer.”
Many jaws slackened and a few eyes boggled at the sight of such a beautiful cat. These actions were met with nudges and bats from the toms’ respective females.
“Jiin, meet the gang. This is Admetus, Alonzo, Bombalurina…”
After they had all been properly introduced, Jiin smiled shyly. “I’m sure telling me their names in alphabetical order won’t help me at all to remember them.” That got a few chuckles out of the crowd.
Munkustrap grinned at her. “Jiin, you are free to stay here in the Junkyard and learn the ways of the Jellicles for as long as you wish. Hopefully you will like us enough to eventually become one of us.”
Sensing that the meeting was basically over, many of the cats began to leave. “Well, what should I do first?” Jiintaildancer inquired.
A smile stole across the silver tom’s face. “Lets see… there’s crocheting with Jenny and Jell, or jumping and dance from Bom and Dem, or gymnastics with Pouncival and Brutus, or maybe Misto cares to teach you a few tricks…?” Mistoffelees had still lingered after most of the cats had left.
“Love to, but ah…I…misplaced some forks and gotta find ‘em.” With that lame excuse Misto quickly cleared out.
“Strike that idea. Mistoffelees…” Munkustrap sighed. “What a kidder.”
“I think I’ll learn how to find my way around here and just explore today, thanks.” Jiintaildancer wasn’t trying to be rude, but it was her first day here.
“Suit yourself. Have fun.”
The cats went their separate ways. Jiin looked around, now alone, and wondered where to go. From where she was now she could see the hood of an old red car. “I guess that’s as good a place as any,” she guessed, and headed out.
As Jiintaildancer picked her way around the objects in the junkyard, she heard a voice above her.“Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, wait, babe. You gotta learn how to use those pretty back legs of yours and jump around the junk. Otherwise…” The tom looked around with mock suspicion. “The Pouncing Gestapo just might come after you,” he teased, jokingly referring to Tumblebrutus and Pouncival.
“Let’s see if I remember… the, ah…Rum Tum Tugger, right?” She was almost sure, but not positive.
“Guilty as charged. Call me Tugger.”
“All right—my first win of the day,” she gloated, proud that she had actually remembered someone’s name. She looked up at the top of the car hood, calculated quickly, and sprung up to land right next to the leopard-spotted feline. “How was that?”
“Hmmm…work on that aim a little—you almost pounced on me,” Tugger teased.
“Aw, come on—it’s my first time.”
“Only joking—I don’t really think Pouncival would beat you up or anything for taking the long way around, anyway.”
Jiin decided that she wanted to know each one of the Jellicles personally and not just by name. She laid down beside Tugger and looked him straight in the eyes. “So…tell me about yourself.”
He seemed willing to respond and was just about to when a red blur landed flat on his stomach. “Ooh, ouch! Come on, Bal, that was low,” he grumped, cringing in pain as she stepped daintily off him.
“Just training those lightning reflexes of yours,” she teased. “What’s new? Oh, how ya doin’, Jiin?”
“Just great.”
“Think you’ll like it here?”
“Yeah, I think so.” Jiin’s conscience told her she should be feeling a bit embarrassed and uncomfortable about now, but she ignored it. “So what do you guys usually do for fun around here?”
“Ooh, tough one. Hmmm…terrorize the kittens, teach dance with Demeter… Tugger here just sits around being lazy,” Bal sighed, batting the tom with a paw playfully. Tugger jabbed her back. She kicked him teasingly and a minor scuffle started. Somehow Jiin got dragged into it and the trio ended up tumbling off the car hood in a heap of fur. When it was over they had a good laugh.
“You know, I think I’m going to go meet some of the others now,” Jiintaildancer excused herself. She exited through the thick metal pipe and went searching for more friends.
Eventually she happened upon two brown-and-white toms, one slightly smaller than the other, practicing their ‘gymnastics’.
“Let’s see…Pouncival and…Admetus? Plato?”
“He’s Tumblebrutus. You got one right, though.”
“That’s a grand total of two I’ve gotten right so far. Not bad, considering I’ve only met four of you.”
“Who was the other—I mean, what did you want?” Tumblebrutus asked.
“Oh, nothing I guess. Just wandering around meeting people.”
“Okay. You can watch if you like. We’re going to be the best gymnasts in the Junkyard after they see our performance.”
“I’m sure you will. Bye,” she called. Jiin sensed that the toms were a bit nervous (not to mention too young), so she departed again in search of more Jellicles.
By and by she ran into Mistoffelees again. He didn’t see her at first, so she decided to play a trick and sneak up on him.
Just as Jiin pounced, Misto heard a noise and disappeared in a puff of smoke, reappearing a meter or two away. “What gives? Trying to sneak up on me again, eh—“ Misto realized it wasn’t who he’d expected. “Oh, uh…hi, Jiin.”
She blinked rapidly, wondering if she’d seen what she thought she’d seen. Jiin had witnessed cats with the ability to exit quickly, but this was a genuine magical disappearance. “How—how did you do that?” was all she could stutter.
Misto smiled a quiet, knowing smile. Jiin liked it—it reminded her of Jacob. “They call me Magical Mister Mistoffelees. I’m just living up to my name.”
“Wow…do it again!” Jiintaildancer was a sucker for magic tricks.
The black tom smiled again. He disappeared and reappeared behind Jiin. Then he bit her tail. Caught off guard, she leapt a meter-and-a-half into the air. Jiin wasn’t the best gymnast in the world, but she had a few tricks of her own. As gravity pulled her back down, she aimed carefully and landed square on Mistoffelees’ back.
“Ack! You got me.” Misto groaned and rolled over playfully.
Jiin took a mock defensive stance on top of him and mustered a glare. “Give up?”
“Never!” Mistoffelees disappeared again and materialized in the air above her, knocking her down as he returned to the earth.
“Cheater!” Jiin whined, knowing she was no match for the magic cat.
“Give up?” he teased.
Jiintaildancer sighed. “If I must.” She licked Misto’s nose and put on a sorrowful face. “I surrender—take me.”
Etcetera had watched the entire scene from her hiding place in the pipe. Deciding she’d had enough, she casually sauntered out and said, “Hey, what’s goin’ on? I heard a noise…oh, it’s you, Jiin.”
The pair quickly untangled themselves. Mistoffelees shook himself and Jiintaildancer silently licked her ruffled fur.
“Hi, Etcy—what’s new?” Misto asked lamely.
“Nothing much—just looking for you. I didn’t expect you would have company.”
The black tom, looking extremely guilty, turned to Jiin for support. She stood up, brushed her tail against Misto’s, and faced Etcetera. “Oh, we’re not busy. It’s getting late, though—I’d better head back to Jacob. See ya, Misto.”
Mistoffelees looked a bit shocked and simply stared as the cream-and-auburn cat left. “Bye…” he said quietly after she was long gone.
“And what was that all about?!” Etcy demanded when she knew Jiin was far out of earshot.
“What was what all about?” Misto asked innocently.
“That little escapade you just had!”
“Well, a-actually I was looking for my forks and—“
“Oh, come on. Lame!”
“Wait a second… were you spying on me?”
“I was in the vicinity and just happened upon you rendezvous with that new girl.”
“She has a name—“
“Jiin. Whatever. I thought you liked me, Misto,” Etcetera whined pathetically.
“I do, I mean—“
“No explanations. All just an honest mistake, alright?”
“No hard feelings?” Mistoffelees asked hopefully.
“Sure. I forgot whatever happened. What’s that female’s name again?”
“Ha ha, very funny. Does that mean I’m forgiven, pastor?” he teased her.
“Thou art forgiven,” she joked back, licking him lovingly.
Jiintaildancer smiled to herself triumphantly as she walked home. My first hit, she thought. I’m going to like these Jellicles. Next, I’ll aim for Tugger—she stopped herself, mid-thought. She didn’t want to use the cats in the junkyard, but it was her nature; this was the only way she knew how to relate to guys. I’m not doing anything wrong, she kept telling herself. When she got back to the Brent place, she simply scratched on the door to be let in.
Jacob opened it. “Yo, Jo—long time no see!” he greeted.
Jiin smiled happily and pranced inside, flouncing about the house.
“Well someone’s in a good mood today,” Jacob noted. Jiin just grinned and flopped onto her bed. She rolled around on the pillows contentedly, pleased with herself from that day’s work. And tomorrow will be even better, she thought as sleep overtook her.
Tugger felt a warm body brush against his. He smiled, purring, and slit open his eyes to see a bushy white-and-red tail wave to him, then drop out of sight.
“I’m going to find you and catch you,” Tugger warned with a sensuous growl.
“Oh, no, anything but that!” came the sarcastic reply from under half of a cardboard box.
The leopard tom chuckled to himself and snuck toward the box. “Gotcha!” he yelled as the sprung on top of it. Unfortunately, there was no one there.
“I believe you are in error—I’ve got you,” Jiin purred as she landed on the unsuspecting Tugger.
“Oh, ah, ugh,” he moaned playfully, rolling around until he was on top of the female. “You caught me in your snare.”
Jiintaildancer’s whiskers brushed the tom’s as she licked his nose lovingly. “My snare, eh?” She stroked his ears with her paw. “More like my web—I’m a big black widow and you’re my fly.”
“Hey, wait a second—I’m on top of the heap. What makes you think I haven’t snared you?” Tugger teased as he twined his tail with hers.
“You started it,” Jiin laughed accusingly. She rolled over again and the pair laid side by side. She nuzzled her head into his thick, furry mane and purred happily. That and the heat made her tired and soon she fell asleep in Tugger’s arms.
The leopard tomcat smiled at the gorgeous prey he had captured. He decided he like Jiintaildancer—a lot—and that he would stay with her for a while. Soon he, too, fell asleep.
Bombalurina scowled jealously from her place in the shadows. They’ll regret it when they wake up, she promised herself. She remembered the old saying—Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.
Jiin could almost hear the foreboding cello music as she walked into the junkyard. Bombalurina’s glare was fiercely jealous, and Etcetera stared at her with contempt. Victoria hissed softly. Jiintaildancer wasn’t exactly the prettiest-looking cat today; a minor scuffle with a former associate had dirtied her coat. A long scratch lengthened her right eye. Jiin could practically feel the hate looming in the air, and the words of an old song Grizabella used to sing entered her mind:
Remark the cat who hesitates toward you
In the light of the dawn that opens on her like a grin.
You see the border of her coat is torn and stained with sand,
And you see the corner of her eye twists like a crooked pin.
Jiin knew she was unwanted and was about to leave when Bal jumped in front of her. “Not so fast, cat. We’ve got a score to settle with you. Ever since you came here you’ve been taking the males away from us.” The others in the group hissed with acquiesce. “You’d better cut it out or clear it,” the crimson cat warned.
“You can’t force me to go anywhere. Munkustrap said I could stay.”
“And we say you leave,” Etcetera seethed.
“Are you saying you want to make something of it?” Jiin threatened.
“We are,” Victoria growled, leaping down from her spot.
The female Jellicles formed a circle around the alley cat and slowly closed in. One of them spit at her, and she felt the moistness on her cheek.
Angrily she lashed out with her paw, claws unsheathed. She hit something warm and her forefoot came back bloodied, accompanied with a pained shriek.
And suddenly the fight was on. Silver talons flashed in the cold night air and hot screams could be heard for kilometers. Bal and Vicki were the angriest aggressors and their attacks ran deep into the cream-and-auburn cat’s flesh. She struck back just as hard, scraping up legs and slashing coats. Jiin knew she couldn’t hold them forever, so she counted on someone hearing the shrieks and coming to investigate.
Meanwhile the battle raged on. The alley cat now had numerous streaks along each eye and her mouth was bloody from biting her attackers. Her paws were weary from tearing flesh and she realized that she couldn’t fight these numerous foes much longer.
Suddenly an angry yell split the sky. “Jiin! Victoria! Bal! All of you, stop this nonsense!” Munkustrap appeared, followed by Mistoffelees, Rum Tum Tugger and Alonzo.
The armada ignored them and continued fighting. The toms were forced to enter the fray and break up the combat. All of them breathing heavily, the Jellicle females clumped together on one side and Jiin stood alone, glaring at her attackers.
“Now what in the name of the Heavyside is going on?! You have a lot to explain,” Munkustrap growled, glowering furiously at the combatants.
Coming soon will be “Part 3: Redemption”!
