Jemima: A Sucker for Romance
By Matropolis
{The name came from a friend you must have heard of named Bluebell. She writes excellent fanfiction and when I told her she called herself "a sucker for romance". That's how I came up with the name, which I think has a ring to it}.
"This is pointless," Etcetra moaned as Electra and Jemima leaned over Rum Tum Tugger to tickle his nose with a feather. Usually she loved being around Tugger, but she liked to be alone. So she was trying to get ehr friends away from him.
"Com'on, Etcy!" Electra pushed her near Tugger. "Get into it." Jemima started to giggle as Tugger's nose wiggled. Electra started to tremble, so she grabbed Etcetra's shoulder. Etcetra gasped as she lost balance and landed on top of Tugger. Jemima and Electra scampered off.
"Oh, hig Tug bug!" Etcetra smiled sweetly.
"Come on kid, I'm tryin' to nap!" he shoved Etcetra away gently. As Etcetra frowned and started to walk away, Bombalurina came over and rubbed against Tugger.
"Hey Tugger," Bomby purred.
"Hey babe," Tugger looked up, knowing the voice when he heard it. Tugger got all the way up and they rubbed heads. Etcetra started to pout.
"I'll go talk to Plato," Etcetra decided.
Meanwhile, Jemima was alone in the junkyard. Electra had bounced off to her only love, Pouncival. They didn't like each other at the ball, but now they do. Soon, Etcetra passed with Plato by her side, chatting up a storm. *They're aweful close,* Jemima thought. Soon Mistoffelees, who Jemima saw as a real romance freek, was walking with Victoria and showig her magic tricks. They looked so much in love, they barely knew any other cat was in the Junkyard.
Munkustrap and Demeter were expecting. Expecting what? Kittens, of course! Jemima watched as Munkustrap, the strong almost fearless leader, keep steady watch over Demeter. Demeter found it quite humorous the way he guarded her every move. But then she had to admit, when something sudden happened, Demeter was first to jump and grab ahold of her mate.
There was a loud blow and Skimbleshanks' train, The Sleeping Car Express rolled down the tracks. As Skimble stepped out, Jelllorum ran over to greet them and they looked very content just looking at each other.
All Jemima's other friends didn't need a mate. They were very happy alone. But Jemima wasn't. She liked the idea of romance. It was sweet, helpful and generous. Watching Demeter and Munkustrap made her think about romance in a great way. They loved each other so, and they were always together, and couldn't live without each other. *It must be a wonderful feeling,* Jemima thought. *To have someone who cares about you most of all.*
Cassandra passed in front of her doing a cartwheel. "Have you seen Alonzo?" she asked. "I miss him." Jemima frowned. This only made her feel worse. *I wonder what it's liked to be missed by a special cat.*
"No, I haven't," she answered. Cassandra shrugged, not noticing the unhappy face that was drowning Jemima's usual joyous expression. Cassie was just too worried about Alonzo to notice. Jemima threw a stone in a puddle. Rumpelteazer pranced over to her friend.
"What's up Jemmie?" she asked.
"Teazer, do you have...you know, someone who cares about you more tahn anyone in the world?"
"My brother, of course!" Teazer answered.
"No, I mean, like, a mate."
"Me? A mate? Gee, I never really thought of Mungo that way. Usually with a mate you--"
"No, I mean other than Jerrie. Like, your love?" Jemima asked.
"Well, I've always kinda liked Munksutrap, but it's too late for that now. And Skimbleshanks. But that's a no way. And Rum Tum Tugger. But he's not someone who you just settle down with. No Jemima. I don't. But I've really minded, because I got Jerrie. And now that he's out from Macavity's grasps, we care about each other more than anything."
"Oh." Jemima looked at her toes. There was no one she could turn to with her problem. "Thanks anyway." Rumpelteazer nodded and hopped off to flirt with someone.
Jemima decided to climb a tree. Maybe she could think better up higher, where she could see the great Heaviside. As she climbed, she wondered more how she would get down. Perhaps she would jump. But that didn't matter at the time. What mattered now was to think about it.
That night, her brother Alonzo was up waiting for her. But she never came home. She was still in the tree, wide awake, gazing up at the stars. At last, anothe cat climbed up next to her. "Jemima!" the voice of a queen exclaimed. "Where were you?"
Jemima recognized the voice immediately. "Demeter? I've been up here all day, thinking."
"Mind telling me, so I can take you home?"
"I'm not a kitten anymore, right?"
"Well, right," Demeter answered.
"And I'm pretty smart right?"
"Right," Demeter answered, more hesitantly.
"Then, wouldn't you think I would ahve found someone who really loves me?" Demeter face loosened into a sweet smile.
"No."
"No?"
"No. All cats find mates at different times. You may be one of the late bloomers, so to speak."
"But Demi, I really yearn fo rsomeone that really loves me. I see my friends every day with the cat that will probably be the father of their kittens one day. I guess I just really want to find that someone."
"Oh, Jemmie. I'm sure someone in this junkyard is here for you. But sitting in this tree won't help!" Demeter chuckled.
"I was just looking for the answer in one of the stars."
"That's what I used to do as a kitten. Then one night, Munkustrap saw me. He didn't say a word, just crawled next to me. I was so scared I rell out of the tree. Fortunately he jumped down and caught me. Come now." Jeime crawled down after Demeter and followed her to the old shack she lived in.
"Good night Demeter," Jemima said sleepily.
"Good night Jemima," Demeter cooed.
The next morning, Jemima woke up as the sun rose and pranced over to her best friend's flat, Etcetra.
Etcetra was not asleep, instead she and Plato were playing hockey. Don't think anything bad, they really were! "SCORE!" Etcetra screamed as she hit the puck into the waste paper basket.
"Good job, hon," Plato said, licking her neck as he went by.
"Quit it! By bud's here!" she ran over to Jemima. "Come on in. We were just foolin' around."
"I gotta question." Etcetra took off her gear and gave her that 'I'm Listening' look. "What is it that toms don't like about me?"
"Don't ask me, ask Plato. Plato dear?" Just as Plato walked over, Etcetra caught a glimpse of Rum Tum Tugger walking by. She ran out. He was alone. "Hey Tuggy. What's happenin'?"
"Oh, I'm going over to my new fan club," he said, using a couple claws to slick back his mane.
"WHAT?!" Etcetra's eyes bulged. "New?" she sounded sobby.
"Yep. They're all some pretty hot alley cats. You babes stopped swarming me, so I'm moving on. Well, see ya sweety." He sauntered out of the junkyard and Etcetra felt her jaw drop.
"Can you beleive him?" she said angrily as she stormed back in her flat. "I WAS his best fan. I was his favorite."
"Aw, push off 'im Etcy. He never really liked you. He's just a big cat with a big head a small brain," Plato said.
"Not really. He's really cute. He's just never gonna settle down," Jemima explained. "Now seriously. Is it my breath?" she breathed in his face. Plato nearly inhaled it.
"WOW! Where'd you get such a wonderful breath?" Plato asked.
"Fifteen cans off tuna," Jemima replied. "So it's not that. What about my voice?" Off course, we all know Jemima has a beautiful, sweet, innocent voice. So when she sandg, Plato just listened dreamily.
"It's beautiful!" he concluded honestly.
"Is it just by looks? Am I ugly?" Jemima tried to look ugly, hoping that was it and she could fix it. But even trying she just looked cuter. Plato laughed. "So I am ugly?"
"Not at all! You're so adorable!" Etcetra flashed him an evil glare. "Of Etcetra is very pretty." Etcetra smiled, stisfied. "But you're cuter," he whispered to Jemima.
"Then what is it? What's wrong with me?"
"Nothing. But that me just be the problem. You're too perfect. You never do anything. Or when you do, you don't get in trouble. But don't worry. You'll find your only love, just not overnight. You can't look for him, either. The best loves are right in front of your face, you just have to wait for rainbow in the night and beleive in faith," Plato explained, now huggine Etcetra. Just that made Jemima feel alone.
"A rainbow in the night?"
"It means one night, that's so special, even a rainbow will show through. But don't be down while waiting for it. It'll come sooner than you think, I'm sure. Someone that's probably nothing like you. Someone you least expect." Plato paused to think, then he whispered: "Who do you like? We won't tell."
Jemima wasn't sure if she could beleive him. But if he told, Etcetra would kill him.
"Pouncival." Plato frowned. "But he's taken."
"Well you see, now sometimes you think you don't like them, and they don't like you, but then you fall in deep. Like Etcetra. I thought I liked Victoria, and she thought she was after Tugger. But look at us now." Etcetra purred and nuzzled him.
"But I still like Tugger," Etcetra whispered to Jemima.
"Thanks Plato. But I think I'll be alone for the rest of my life." Nearly about to cry, she ran out as she could. But now she knew the truth. She was the only Jellicle that no one loved her. She was destined to be alone all her life.
*I'll run away,* she decided. *Then I can be alone alone.* She ran out of the junkyard and into the city streets. She visited the alleyways. Shse found there some angrylooking Pollicles.
"Let's get 'er!" one of them howled.
"WAIT!" another yelled. It was a girl's voice. She stepped in front of the other three which were all males. "She looks lonely. What's wrong kid?" she asked gently, lowering ehr head to see her. This dog sounded very nice. The was long haired, black and white.
"I-I-I-I ran away."
"From where?"
"The Jellicle Tribe. No one there loves me. I mean really loves me." The female nodded.
"That's what happened to us. No one loves us. Probably because we're dogs. All cats are afraid of us. Mostly because the three dorks behind me. They liked to chase cats," she finished in a whisper.
"That stinks. That's why cats are afraid of dogs. Cause dogs always look so angry when they chase cats," Jemima began to trust this animal.
"Well you see, these guys, they just wanna play, but dogs are rougher and tougher than most cats."
*She shoulda saw Munkustrap fight Macavity,* Jemima thought.
"Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Venusa, and these are my three brothers, Merc, Juper and Saturn. They're...stupid. And we like cats, and we'd be happy to let you sleep with us. It's pretty warm. What's your name?"
"Jemima."
"That's pretty. That means dove. Our names are after planets and such. Come now. Tell us what your problem is." Jemima explained her problem. "Poor dear. I'm sure there is someone special out there just for you."
"Yeah, Jellicles have extraordianry love lifes I hear," Merc said scientifically.
Venusa hit him upside the head and led the way down a closed in alleyway. They were lots of clothes piled up where they lied down. The dogs fell asleep, but Jemima just lied down, still awake. She looked at the dogs, mostly brown and gray. *Why were they being so nice? Munkustrap always said to stay away from Pollicles.* But she didn't care. They seemed nice, or at least Venusa did, and that was it. She fell asleep.
As the sun rose, Venusa woke up and stretched. Jemima's eye popped open with the big yarn. When Juper woke and yawned it sounded ferocious. "Shut-up!" Venusa whispered. "You'll wake the kit!"
"I"m already awake," Jemima said, getting up and yawning as loud as she could.
"Now look what ya done!" Satun snapped.
"What I've done?" Merc replied nastily. And they continued to quarrel.
"Come now. You're going back home," Venusa said.
"Why?"
"Because I know there is someone there ewho loves you."
"They probably don't even miss me," Jemima pouted. Venusa said nothing, just picked her up my the scruff of the neck and started towards the junkyard. Munksutrap was alarmed waiting for her. HE saw that she was in a Pollicle's mouth.
"Drop 'er!" Munkustrap hissed. Venusa put her down gently.
"Now get away, before I call teh Rumpus cat!" Venusa walked away calmly. "And Heaviside know I don't want to do that," he mumbled under his breath. He looked down to Jemima. "What happened to you???!!!" he said worriedly. "We've been looking all over for you.
"Nowhere, okay?" she snapped. "I'm tired of everyone acting like I'm a kitten! And that Pollicle was nice to me! She gave me a place to sleep."
"She was probably going to eat you!" Munkustrap insisted.
"No she wasn't! She was my friend! So there!" Jemima stomped away angrily, not realizing that he said they worried about her. Just as she passed Jennyanydots, she saw Tumblebrutus being yelled at. *Probably deserves it*, she thought. But Tumble looked aweful scared.
"...And so, if I ever catch you doing that again, I'll send you to Old Deuteronomy!" Jenny scolded with a raged look on her face. Tumblebrutus walked away sulking.
"They're always treating me like a kitten!" he said to himslef aloud.
"You too?" Jemima asked.
"Yeah. It stinks. I know."
Jemima looked up, surprised some shared her feelings.
"I swear no one loves me! They probably wouldn't miss me if I ran away!" Tumble sobbed.
"Oh, I know they would!" Jemima insisted.
"Why? No one's asked me to the Jellicle Ball yet."
"I know how that is. Me neither."
"Jemima..."
"Yeah?"
Suddenly Tumble got really nervous. "Do you wanna..."
"Do I wanna what?" Jemima asked hopfully,
"See my new backflips?"
"Sure," Jemima said, her self-esteem going down. After a couple backflips, Tumble sawJemima kinda bored.
"Why don't you try?" Tumble asked.
"Me? I could never!" Jemima said.
"Come on! He insisted. You can do it!" He showed her how he did it. After several hours of training, she could do it.
"Wow! This is fun!" she said, doing several backflips in a row.
"I finally beat my high score of 250 backflips!" he said. Jemima nodded. Then gathered all her confidence.
"You...wanna go to the Jellicle Ball with me?"
"Yeah, I'd love to!" Tumble said, still wondering why she was asking him out.
"Wondering why I'm asking you out?" Jemima asked. He assumed she read his mind.
"Yeah."
"I don't know. That's the great part. I don't know know.
