The house was cool and bright. The Stenson's place was not a bad place at all. It was spacious, cozy and well furnished. Victoria was lucky. She had a wonderful family that loved her, kept her healthy and looking great. Mistoffelees had decided to come over and spend some time with her. He had announced his love for her almost a year ago and have been together since. The Jellicles always found them to be a cute couple. Mistoffelees sat comfortably in a huge soft cushioned rocking chair upstairs in Mrs. Stenson's beautiful clean room, adorned with chimes and priceless small collectable statues while Victoria searched curiously through a huge chest decorated with chubby angels that sat horizontally at the foot of Mrs. Stenson's collassal queen size bed, covered with laced soft white sheets and fluffy matching pillows.

"Oh look Misto!" cried Victoria as she pulled out a flattened rose whose color, once scarlet red was now a dead dark maroon. "Do you remember this?" Misto frowned, "A smashed dead rose?" Victoria rolled her eyes, "Come on Misto! Don't you remember? This was the first gift you gave me when we first met!"

Misto laughed, "I gave you that ugly wilting bud?!" Vicki frowned as she tried to spread out it's crispy petals, "Well it wasn't always like this. It looked a whole lot better a year ago." Mistoffelees chuckled as he placed his head back, "We all did hun." Victoria took that offensive and snapped, "Honestly Misto, where's that romance in you? Don't you remember anything? Our first Jellicle Ball song and dance together?" her eyes then spotted something else in the trunk and she swiftly took it out. "Look at this." it was a crumpled sheet of paper that had coffee stains and was tattered at the corners. "Please tell me you remember this!" Misto glanced at it and thought for a while. "A shopping list?"

"Misto!!! It's your poem that you wrote me!! You use to say how beautiful and fine looking I was!!" her voice began to crack, "Don't you see anything in this chest that brings joy and memories to your heart?" Misto glanced at the trunk and his eyes widoned, "Yeah I do!" Vicki gave a satified nodd, "Good, and what is it?" and Mistoffelees leaped off the rocker, reached in the trunk and pulled out a huge satin cloth. Victoria frowned, "What's that?" "It's my cape! Now this brings some memories! When I was a kitten, my magician trainer, Magrook, made this for me! It made me feel like a real magician." and Misto tied the cape around him and flapped it like wings by his side as he said with a smile, "Now those were the days!"

Victoria couldn't take it anymore, "That's it Misto! I can't believe you! Out of all this stuff that represented our love, you just toss it aside and reach for your worthless magic cape?!" Misto scowled, "Worthless?! this was hand made might I remind you!" By now Victoria was screaming, "You probably don't even remember all this much less you probably don't CARE!!!" and she threw the crumpled poem aside and stomped on the wilted rose. Mistoffelees was set back by his queen's reaction and slowly placed his arm around her, "Gosh Vicki, I didn't think how much this all meant to you. Heck, if it'll make you feel better how about you and me go out on a nice long vacation together! I hear there's a cruise leaving tonight and sailing in the Atlantic. Humans pay, but cats can just sneak on free. The dinner's great too." Victoria's eyes widoned, "You mean it? Just you and me and great blue sea?!" Misto laughed, "Yeah! Under the moonlight with champain in our hands!" "Oh Misto!" and she wrapped her arms around Misto's neck who was now smiling contently. Backing off, Vicki replied, "Oh gosh this will be wonderful! I'll have to tell Jemima and Ectetera! They'll be estatic! We're going on...on...on a honeymoon!! Oh gosh! What collar am I going to wear?" Misto chuckled, thrilled at Vicki's excitement and she quickly turned and headed in Mrs. Stenson's closet to find what collars she had, leaving Misto with his cape.

"Ah Misto you amaze me." he said to himself, "This WILL be great! Just me and her, without a worry in the world. Wait till Tugger finds out how much of a stud I'm being, and Bustopher Jones will be so proud of---" Suddenly Misto's eyes widened like marbles and he let out a horrifying gasp as if it was his last breath of air. He then slapped his forehead as he cried, "My God! Bustopher Jones!! I promised him I'd be the entertainment for tonight's club party!!" Misto groaned, "Oh no, what am I gonna tell Vicki?! Way to Mistoffelees!" and Victoria emerged from the closet wearing an emerald collar that shimmered in the light. "How's this?" she asked as she took a pose allowing the light to bring it to life. Misto gave a crooked grin, "It looks great." he replied somberly. Victoria frowned, "Misto what's wrong? We're suppose to be happy we going on-"

"Vicki, I'm sorry, but we're not going anywhere." he blurted out with sorrowful eyes. She froze, with a bewildered expression on her face as if what he said was Greek. "What?" was all she could let out in a quivering whisper. Misto looked shamefully away as he answered her, "I promised Bustopher Jones that I'd be at his 'CATS SHABANG NIGHT CLUB' and perform some magic for the audience." Victoria didn't know what to say. She just looked to the floor trying the think of someway out of this nightmare. "But Misto can't you just-"

"No I can't. Bustopher is a very demanding tom, and when he says, 'I'll see you there', you had BEST be there!" Victoria was steamed, "The romance HAS left you!" Mistoffelees rolled his eyes impatiently, "Don't start this again Vicki. The vacation just can't be done. Maybe next year." "THAT'S WHAT YOU SAID LAST YEAR WHEN WE FIRST MET!! And next year you're going to say 'Well maybe the following' and then so on! Misto, this is ridiculous! You'd put your magic over our relationship? I wanna go on this cruise!!"

"WE CAN'T!!" Misto hollared. Victoria growled, "Well, maybe WE can't but I WILL!" "What are you talking about?" Misto asked already annoyed. With her fist clenthed by her side, her chin up and her eyes staring directly into his, she growled, "I'm leaving!" Mistoffelees frowned, "What? You can't be serious." but Vicki ignored him and gathered her stuff from the chest that belonged to her. Mistoffelees continued to speak strongly in her ear, "What do you mean you're leaving me? Why??" and he continued to whine as he followed her to the closet where she gathered her collars and threw them into a small bag, "Vicki I wanna know why!! Because I won't take you on a ship?!?!?!" Vicki slammed her luggage down and replied, "Misto it's not just that. It's the whole concept. You care more about your reputation as a magician than you care about me! We're always arguing about this and we've REALLY havn't had time alone! I'm sick of it!" She then began to struggle with her words, "It's...it's making me a bitter feline and it's tearing us apart!" "I think it already has!" Misto retorted. She then gave a sympathizing look as she touched his cheek, "I'm sorry. Maybe we just weren't meant to be." she then picked up her bag again and added, "Don't follow me." and she headed toward the door. Misto quickly stood in her path and scolded, "Vicki this is ridiculous! Do you know what you're doing?!" "Well it's not like this is my fault!!" Vicki yelled, her temper rising again. By now Misto had had enough and he stood out of her way and shouted, "Fine! Leave! See if I care!" "FINE!" she snapped and continued her way out the door. "I don't need you anyway!" he yelled at her. "In fact, I hope you never come back!!!" but he was cut off by the slamming of the door in his face. He stood there stunned and confused, amazed at how fast it all happened. A single hot tear rolled down his cheek as he whispered at the white wooden door in his face, "I'm sorry."

Suddenly the door swung open again and Vicki's bag clobbered him in the face as she entered in again and hollared, "Wait a minute! This is MY house! YOU get out!!!" Misto threw the bag aside with rage and yelled, "FINE! MAYBE THE JELLICLE BALL LAST YEAR WAS JUST ONE BIG MISTAKE!!" and he left, slamming the door behind him. Victoria stood there, silent and hurt by what she heard.

That night at Bustopher's 'CATS SHABANG NIGHT CLUB' Misto had already done his number and by now it was past midnight. Exhausted, he took a seat at a table with his good friends, Mungojerrie, the RumTumTugger, Coricopat, Alonzo, Munkustrap and Pouncival. "So she's really going on the cruise without you?" RumTumTugger asked. "That's what she said." replied Mistoffelees who then gave a light laugh and sat back in his chair, "Aw but you know females. She's says that now but she'll come crawling back." Mungojerrie glanced at Tugger who shot a glance back at him, their eyes saying to each, 'Yeah right.' "Maybe she'll have a horrible time." Pouncival ventured. Misto smiled, "Please, she isn't going at all! How can she go without me!? She'd miss me too much." "Will you miss her?" asked Coricopat. Misto shrugged as he struggled for an answer. Then in order shake the topic off he sat up, leaning his arms on the table before them and replied with a confident smirk, "Look, guys, what happened there at her place was no big deal. She'll come back in tears, crying and asking for my forgivness, we'll kiss and makeup and everything will be back to normal. It's that simple." Tugger laughed, "I hoped so for your sake." Mistoffelees rolled his eyes, "She's not going anywhere." Just then Bustopher came up behind Misto and patted him on the shoulder, nearly knocking him off his chair, "That was a great show you put on up there. I knew I could count on you! I'm sorry about you and Vicki. It's tough breaking up." Misto stood from his chair in fustration, "We DIDN'T break up!! We're just had a little fued! It'll be fine in the morning. You'll see." Bustopher frowned, "In the morning?" he then laughed, "What, are you going to send her a postcard asking for her forgivness?" "No she's-" Misto stopped with a confused look, "Send her a postcard? Why?" "Because she left on the ship with the queens two hours ago."

"WHAT!?!?!" all the toms hollared in unison. "What queens did she leave with?!" cried Jerrie. "All of them! They're all gone for the weekend!" The toms were speechless. "Bomb just left like that?" Tugger complained. "What did I do to her? How could Tantomile do that?!" piped Coricopat. "This is your fault!" snapped Alonzo as he pointed an accusing finger at Misto who was still grasping the concept that Vicki actually left. "Demmi didn't even ask me if it was okay!" Munkustrap shreeked. Still in a state of shock, Misto slowly sat down, afraid that he would faint. He glanced at the other toms who were just as stunned as he was and with a hoarse voice, Misto replied with a cockeyed grin, "Pouncival's right, I'm sure they'll have a horrible time. I mean who wouldn't without us toms, right?" No body said anything.

Must find out what happens!! Next Page!!