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Cocking her head to the side, light laughter filtered through Jemteazer’s attentive ears. Following the sound, she ran into a brick wall covered in Ivy leaves. Confused she put her black ear to the seemingly solid wall and fell through. She gave a start and screeched as she fell and landed with a thump on a pile of soggy leaves. She looked up and rain moistened her face, lightly shaking her head and rubbing her paws on her face to dry it. She stood.
The hallway ended and emptied into a large room, most likely the only room without cracks in it. A fire blazed in the corner of the room and it dimly lit the outer edges. Ivy leaves, made visible by the fire, as well as two figures, one a larger form the other considerably smaller. The musical laughter sounded again and the little princess’ suspicion was confirmed. It was her best friend, the new Junkyard harlot Etceterina, and one of her many Tom lovers. No other Jellicle would visit this place, on a night like this other than Etcety, not even the older flirt Bombalurina. Jemteazer was going to shout out to her friend, telling her that Munkustrap was looking for her, and she was going to be in trouble if she didn’t come back soon, but thought better of it. Instead she crouched down on all fours and melted into the background. She slunk towards Etceterina and her Tom friend, making sure to stay out of their view and far away from the fire. Thunder sounded in the sky causing Jemteazer to jump and fall flat on her face, luckily the thunder drowned out the sound of her falling and tight scream.
She was almost there; she could hear bits and pieces of their conversation, not that Jemteazer would have a conversation like THAT with any Tom soon, shocked that words like that could come from her best friend she almost tripped again.
Jemteazer was close enough now to see the two, brown, white and red fur, that was Etceterina, mixed with a brown and white pixie-bob that could only be Digiro, an Australian wanna-be who Jemteazer thought was as much a player as the handsome Rum Tum Tugger. * ’Ow could she lower ‘erself ta play with THIS one? Well she IS Etcety. * Digiro had only arrived at the Jellicle Junkyard 2 weeks ago exactly, and Etceterina had her claws in him before Bombalurina? * Wow she IS gettin good. * Jemteazer’s brief admiration faded when she realized that they were rolling towards HER! * Oh no! I can’t be caught it’ll ruin everything! * Quickly she jumped out of the way and into the corner. The two had stopped and while Digiro licked Etceterina’s face Jemteazer got ready to pounce.
* One, two, three! * With the biggest roar she could muster for being only a kitten she leaped out of the shadows and right on top of Digiro and Etceterina. Startled by the little calico’s assault the two cried out, just as loud as Jemteazer. She loved ruining Etceterina’s love life. It was because she was jealous that was for sure, but she didn’t know if it was because Etceterina HAD a love life or Etceterina’s love affairs took time away from herself. But it didn’t matter now, she was having fun and that was all that mattered. Smiling to herself Jemteazer got off the two and sat on her haunches waiting for the two to re-gain their composer. Her smile lessened when Etceterina and Digiro sat up, smoothing down their tufted tails and glaring at Jemteazer. Jemteazer ignored Digiro, she never did like him and cared less if he was mad or not, but turned her attention to Etceterina. If looks could kill, there would be nothing left of Jemteazer to take back to Munkustrap. Jemteazer’s smile took a sickly shape, “’Ello Etcety.” Etceterina didn’t say anything; she just got up, helped Digiro up and started walking off. “Wait! Etcety, I was jus ‘aving some fun! Yuh know that…yuh, yuh always have fun an’ I get board! Etcety!” the calico princess leapt up and started after her best friend.
Jemteazer was almost on top of her when Etceterina rounded on the younger kitten, “You…”, she shook with anger, “You always spoil everything! I can never get rid of you! You were just havin’ some fun, eh? Well go find it some where else!” Jemteazer was used to these things, Etceterina always said them after she broke up one of her evenings with a tom. “NOW!” Etceterina yelled, “I don’t ever want to see you again!” she turned her back on Jemteazer and then took Digiro’s hand and led him away.
“Yuh don’t mean that!” Jemteazer called after her, * yuh don’t mean that. * Jemteazer ran after her friend, stepping in puddles, her lower legs getting all wet. “Etcety wait!” Etceterina didn’t stop but she slowed considerably, allowing Jemteazer to catch up. “Wai-.” The kitten was out of breath and bent down, her hands on her knees, trying to catch her breath. Etceterina stopped and turned looking down at the princess, her features softened but instantly hardened again when she remembered what she had done.
“I have nothing to say to you!” Etceterina emphasized “you” and curled her lips.
Jemteazer smiled, “Course yuh do! I’m yuh best friend member?” Jemteazer cocked her head to the side and widened her smile. Her smile lessened when she realized that Etceterina was not going to forgive her. “I said I wa’ sorry…i really am yuh know. Please forgive me? Please?” Etceterina just shook her head and turned her back on her kitten friend, * This is so pathetic, SHE is so pathetic. * She grabbed Digiro’s hand, probably harder than needed, and tugged him away from Jemteazer, who now had tears in her eyes. Digiro looked back and gave a sympathetic look, and for some reason that got on Jemteazer’s nerves. She brushed it aside and looked again to Etceterina’s vanishing form, “Wait! Etcety wait fur me’! Wait!” Jemteazer ran after her and jumped on her back to keep her from going anywhere else.
I have nothing to say to you!” Etceterina said between breaths. Jemteazer wasn’t that heavy, but neither was Etceterina and it hurt her lungs, “FINE! Jemteazer I’ll listen just get OFF!” Jemteazer lifted herself off of Etceterina and sat right in front of her. Etceterina sat up and put her paw to her heaving chest, trying to catch her breath. Jemteazer just sat there, and Etceterina started to get impatient, “Well…?”
“Look, I was jus ‘avin sum fun. Yuh didn ‘ave ta get angry. I didn’ mean ta ‘urt yuh.” Etceterina started to say something but Jemteazer silenced her. “No! Its my time to talk! Yuh always do the talkin an I neva do, so jus sit there an shu’ it! I tried ta be nice an jus turn the otha cheek, but yuh always have ta take advantage of me, an I’m done!” Jemteazer stopped. Etceterina was laughing! * ‘Ow can she laugh at me? I’m bein as serious as I can! * “Wha’ are yuh laughin at?”
“You! You’re usually so goody-goody and all the sudden you break out like this.” Etceterina continued to laugh and Jemteazer became perturbed.
“I am not a goody-goody! All’s I’m sayin' is I’m tired of yuh takin' advantage of me!”
“Why are you here? And don’t give me the ‘you were just out for fun’, I know you and you don’t break rules for fun.” Jellicle kittens weren’t allowed out of the junkyard after dark, especially if it was raining. Etceterina got up and moved because water began to leak from a crack above her. “Well?”
“Well…I came ta look fur ya. If Munkustrap or Alonzo caught ya out ‘ere, yah’d be in major trouble, and then we wouldn’t be able ta play togetha.”
Etceterina laughed harder this time. She knew that what Jemteazer said was true, but hearing it from her and her reason for doing it was helariouse to her. * How could she have been friends with me for her whole life and still be so innocent and naive? * “Look hunny, I’m not worried about Ol’ Munk,” Jemteazer flinched at her use of the kitten keepers nickname, “and Alonzo, well, lets just say he’s not a stranger to this old place.” Etceterina laughed at Jemteazers shocked face.
“But, ‘es 3 years an he ‘as a mate! Cassandra rarely leaves ‘im, ‘ow would yuh accomplish that? No, neva mind I dun wanna know.” Jemteazer shook her head, she didn’t know the extent of Etceterina’s “experience”, but she would never be able to look at Alonzo with the same admiration as she used to.
“Don’t you shake your head at me Setlzar! Alonzo doesn’t care how old I am, your just immature!” Etceterina turned her back on Jemteazer, not knowing she had just used the one name that nobody knew to call Jemteazer.
“I’m only 5 days younga than yuh Etcety. That doesn’t mean Yur more mature than me!” Jemteazer didn’t even notice that Etceterina had called her by her third name, she was still too angry.
“Ugh! You don’t understand me at all! How did I let you be my best friend! Your so different from me!” Etceterina grabbed for Digiro’s paw, but it wasn’t there. In the two females fight, he had escaped back to the Junkyard. “Dang it! Well that’s it for Digiro. You see what you did? You scared him away!”
The tables were turned and now it was Jemteazer’s turn to get angry, she had raised to her hind legs and put her paws on her hips, “O, I undastand enough! Yur nutin but a young, loose, mean, junkyard trashy slut! Yuh not even 2 an already ya’ve ‘ad almost as many Toms as Bomby,” when she saw a proud look on Etceterina’s face she added, “an that’s nutin ta be proud of! No it’s not me who don’t undastand yuh, its yuh who don’t undastand me!” Jemteazer spun around and ran towards the exit on all fours, not hearing Etceterina calling after her.
