~l~ Mystical Changes ~l~ “It’s okay Demeter, don’t move gal” Aeva said softly as she carefully drew a picture of her. Demeter yawned. *  This is so boring  * Demeter thought to herself. The phone rang, making Demeter flinch. Aeva sat up straighter, and listened while her mum answered it. “Aevvvvaaa! Phone!” Her mum called. Aeva sighed and put down her pencil, eraser and sketch pad. “C’mon Demeter, it’s probably Rosemary” Aeva said, picking up Demeter and setting her down outside the door and quickly walking to the hall extension. “Heeelo? Oh! Hey Jo, nahh, just sketching Demeter, hmmm.  Really? Are Teazer and Jerrie okay? Yep, as always, sure, why not? What about Rosemary? Oh, yeah that’s right, she’s so lucky, another one, yep, kay, seeya then, ta” Aeva put the phone down and called o her mum. “Hey Mummm!! Jo wants to show me something! I’ll be back by seven kay? Seeya!” Aeva called, and ran back to her room to get her coat. She got to the door and saw Demeter scratching to get out. “Kay Demeter, wait a sec” Aeva said, unlocking the door and opening it. Demeter pounced out and rolled on her back in the grass, then sprung up. “She’s better then when you found her..” Bryn said from up a tree, surprising me. “Yeah, I don’t know why she was even in that Junkyard anyway, but the vet said her cuts have healed up now, her stitches just got removed yesterday, she really happy, isn’t she??” Aeva asked happily. “Yep, where are you going?” “Just to Jo’s” “Seeya then, are you coming to the barbecue tomorrow night?” “Yeah, I think so” “Rosemary and Jo ‘n’ Drew are invited” “Are they? We’ll be there, seeya Bryn” Aeva said and walked down the  Victorian Grove filled street, turned the corner and went three mansions down, and rang the bell. “I’ll get it!” “Drew! It’s Aeva!” “Fine, you get it!” “Thank you for your courtesy” Jo finally opened the door, her brother holding one of her arms behind her back. “Hey Aeva, come in, hey Demeter, come in too” Jo said, opening the door wider with difficulty. Aeva whirled around, she hadn’t noticed Demeter following her. “Hi Jo, Hi Drew” Aeva said, walking in and grinning at her friend and her friends brother. “Hey Aeva” Drew answered. Jo twisted out of her brothers grip, and kicked him in the shins. Drew and strode out of the room, muttering about phoney self-defence. Jo sighed and turned to Aeva. “You are so lucky that you’re an only child” Jo exclaimed, picking up her cat Rumpleteazer as she padded in. Aeva shrugged, she’d always wanted a sister or brother, an older brother more, then a sister. “What did you want to show me Jo?” Aeva asked. “Drew and I were at that old dump, you know, where we found these guys when they were hurt? And Drew and I found these sheets of paper” Jo said, handing a bundle of sheets from the sofa to Aeva. Aeva looked at them confused. “Why does it say Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer on it? HEY! Why is Demeter on it? What’s a Jellicle?” Aeva asked, flipping through the sheets. “I don’t know much more then you do, but I’m guessing that old guy that said we could have these cats, wrote all this.” Jo said, flopping over the side of ‘her’ armchair. Aeva flashed back to when they found the cats. ~ l Flashback l ~ Drew, Aeva, Bryn and Jo all met at the entrance of the city dump. “Are you sure that it’s in here?” Aeva asked. “That’s where I saw it go.” Drew said. “It DID.” Jo answered. “I saw it bounce behind that old car.” “C’mon then.” Bryn said and clambered over a big pile of junk to the boot of the old Ford. The others followed, but before they got there, Bryn yelled out “I’ve got it!” Drew jumped down next to him. “Good, because that was our last tennis ball and I’m not wasting my money on any m- HEY! Little kitties!” Jo and Aeva slid off the roof of the boot. “Oh they’re soo cute!” they cooed. “Jeez, can’t girls ever look at an animal ad NOT go on about how cute it is?!” Drew moaned. “Oh, shut up Drew.” Jo said. “Hey, the kitties are hurt.” Aeva said Bryn picked one up and it tried to bite him. “stupid ball of bleeding fluff...” he muttered. “Well if you were bleeding and some big stupid lug came up and picked you up, you’d try defend yourself wouldn’t you?” Aeva said. “Hey, are you implying that I’m a big stupid-” “What do you think Sherlock?” Drew picked up a calico. “Hey, is this one male or female?” he asked. “Why don’t you check?” Jo answered smugly. Drew looked uncertain. “It’s a guy.” he assumed. “Well then, this one’s a girl.” Jo said, picking up another calico. “Are you sure?” Drew asked “why don’t you check?” “I can just sense it. Girls have a way of knowing what will happen. Like a sixth sense.” “This one’s paw is cut.” Aeva said, inspecting a yellow tabby. “Anymore cats in there?” Bryn asked. “Nope, just four.” “Well what do we do with them now?” Jo said. “I don’t think we should take them, ‘cause they’re not ours.” Aeva said. “You may take them...they are yours to keep and look after...” A voice said. “Who said that?” Drew asked. “Not me.” Bryn said “Or me.” “Me either.” “Never mind that...just take them and get out.” “You know what? Let’s just do what the ghost guy says and get the hell outta this place, it’s freaking me out!” Bryn said and climbed back over the Old Ford. “No wait, which one’s which?” Aeva asked. “The calicos are Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer, the tabby is Demeter and the other is Plato, NOW GO!” The four teens took the cats and ran out of the junkyard and around the corner. They stood there for a moment breathing hard. “That was...weird.” Jo said. The others nodded and looked at the cats they were holding.   * silence... * “Told ya he was a boy!” Drew said, holding Mungojerrie up. Jo tried to hit him and they raced back home to their Victoria Grove home. “How are your parents going to react to this?” Bryn asked Aeva “I mean, it’s okay for them, their parents are never home!” “Nah, it’s okay, my mum said I could get a cat anyway,  but I don’t think she was expecting one so soon! What about your parents?” “They won’t mind...much.” They laughed and went home. ~ l ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~l ~ “So...what does it mean?” Aeva said. “It means that we have cats that can read and write!” Drew said stupidly. “Yeah, unlike you Drew, maybe you could learn something from Jerrie!” Jo said. “Jellicle cats are black and white, Jellicle cats are rather small?” Aeva said, reading one of the sheets. “Check out the one with Mungo and Teazer written all over it!” Drew said excitedly. “Okay, okay, ummmmmmm....extensive reputation, we make our home in Victoria Grove, we- HEY! What is this?! How do they know where you live? Did you guys write this?!” “NO!” Jo cried, “that’s how it was when we found it!” Drew shrugged “Uh, coincidence?” he offered. “Probably” Jo shrugged. Aeva sat down on the couch and scanned each sheet, trying to figure out what all the words meant. Drew sat down on the arm of Jo’s chair and patted Rumpleteazer. Mungojerrie and Demeter came into the room, and jumped on to the couch, next to Aeva. “Do you want to go back there?” Drew asked, punching his sisters arm in boredom. “Yeah, why not, do you want to Aeva?” Jo asked, pushing her brother of her chair. “Yeah, maybe we can find more of these poems thingys” “Poems? How do you know that they’re poems?! Did you write them Aeva?” Drew accused. “No Drew, they rhyme!” she replied. “Righty-o then, let’s go!” Jo said and got up. “Hey, should we go get Bryn too?” Drew asked. “Yeah, might as well, he would probably want to know.” Aeva said. They made their way around the corner and up the street, got Bryn and his kitty Plato and went back to the Junkyard. ~l ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~l ~ “The gates been locked.” Jo said. “Looks like were gonna have to climb over.” Aeva replied. “Okay, hand me Demeter and you get over, then I’ll give her and Teazer to you through the fence and climb over, okay?” Jo planned. “Hey, what about us?” Bryn said as Aeva jumped down on the other side. “Figure it out! Here Aeva.” Jo said and handed Teazer and Demeter through the fence. and climbed over herself. “Hey, I know Bryn! You give me Plato, then climb over, I’ll throw him over to you, you catch him, throw him back while I throw Mungo over at the same time, then...then...we’re back we started, kinda.” Drew said, scratching his head. “Oh for goodness sakes Drew!” Jo cried “Give me Mungo! I swear I’m not related to you!” Aeva put her hand through a gap between the gate “Gimme Plato, Bryn.” When they had finally sorted themselves out * coughDrewandBryncough *, they stood on the other side of the fence, their cats in their arms. “So, what do we do now?” Bryn asked. “Hey, you guys, check this out” Drew exclaimed. He was on his stomach, looking over a battery, that seemed to look out over this clear patch in the middle of the Junkyard. “Drew, where did Jerrie go?” Jo asked, laying next to him and scratching Rumpleteazer behind her ear. “Umm, I don’t know, there he is, over there next to that grey tabby.” Drew said, pointing. “Wow, cool” Aeva exclaimed, laying on the other side of Drew. The whole junkyard was full of cats. There was tabbies, a Maine coon, Siamese, and other mixed breeds. “I have never seen so many cats in one place, it’s amazing” Bryn said, laying on the other side of Jo. “Let’s sit he-ahhhhhhhhh” “AEVA!!!” “What are you doing down there Aeva?” “She slipped Drew, c’mon let’s help her” “Oh no” “What?” “The cats are surrounding her” Aeva sat up and rubbed her head. “Jenny, who’s she?” a little kitten with a pure white coat asked. “Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!” “Oops” “YOU TALKED!!!!” “The cats talked? What the hell is this?” Jo asked, and jumped down from the battery onto the old ford car. “Jo!” Drew exclaimed and jumped down after her. “You guys...” Bryn said, and also jumped down. The cats exchanged glances and avoided the humans eyes. “Okay cats, you talked, don’t act stupid now...” Jo demanded, folding her arms and glaring at them. Rumpleteazer, suddenly down on the ground next to the humans weaved between the other cats up to the grey tabby. “Munkus, we may as well tell them now” she said with a cockney accent. “Yeah Vicky, thanks heaps, why don’t you talk in front of every human that enters the Junkyard?” a young tom snapped, then pounced out of the way as an older queens paw swung at him. The cat called Munkus sighed and rubbed his head between his paws. Jo pulled Aeva up with wide eyes. “Cats can talk?” she whispered, not quiet believing yet, she hadn’t expected them to talk again. “Of course we can, what do you think? We just purr and caterwaul all day long to communicate? You humans are stupider then I thought” Munkus said. “Us? Stupid? Come here you stupid ball of fur and say that to my-” “Bryn, chill...are you the Jelli-wasits?” Aeva asked. “How did you know?” One of the other cats asked quickly, a black and white splotchy one. “We found a bunch of papers, that had all these poems on it, something about Jellicle Balls and cats called Macazyity and Asparagus or something” “MacaVity, where did you fi- it doesn’t matter, okay, now that you know that we can talk, don’t tell anyone!” Munkus said. “Well Munkus, what are they going to do now?” Mungojerrie asked, coming up and sitting next to his sister. “I don’t know, father should know about this, Alonzo, watch other these four until I get back with Old Deuteronomy” Munkus ordered and ran out of the Junkyard. Aeva, Jo, Drew and Bryn watched confused. “Don’t worry, Munkustrap is a little stressed under presser at the moment, he isn’t as hard as he looks, he’s okay” a black cat that resembled a lion remarked, swinging his tail as he walked off, seeming to be already bored from what was going on. “Do you want us to show you around?” a little kitten asked, shyly coming up to their feet. Aeva, Jo, Drew and Bryn kneeled on the ground, so that they would be closer to the cats. “No Electra, they want to know our names, and what a Jellicle is and everything, don’t you?” another kitten interrupted. “How about you tell us about yourselves, then you show us around?” Aeva suggested. The two kittens looked at each other, then nodded. “Okay then!” They exclaimed together and giggled. “Jemima, Electra, don’t talk to fast for them, my name is Jennyanydots, dears” an older queen introduced and smiled kindly. “And I am Jellylorum, why don’t you tell us your names, and then the kittens can tell you everything” an equally old queen said. “Oh, I’m Aeva” “I’m Bryn” “I’m Drew, and she’s Jo” “Very...nice names dears, now, if you’ll excuse us, we have to see to something” Jennyanydots said and walked off, Jellylorum with her, both chatting about how the magic of naming had left in the human world. The cats that were left said their name in ones or twos, waving a paw so Aeva, Drew, Jo and Bryn could learn. ~l ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~l ~ “...and that cat with the mane that left a while ago is The Rum Tum Tugger” Bombalurina (Who was also Rosemary’s cat) added. “Tell us about the Jellicle Balls, they seem interesting” Bryn said, his eyes shinning as he scratched Plato and Tumblebrutus under their chins, making them purr. “And who Macavity is” Aeva added, stroking Electra, Jemima and Etcetra. “And what a Jellicle is” Drew said, scratching Quaxo and Alonzo’s tummies. “A Jellicle ball, is when the Jellicle moon shows, and Old Deuteronomy comes to choose which Jellicle is worthy enough to be reborn” Tantomile said. “The Ball is full of dancing, and singing.  Jellicles that don’t live in the Junkyard come, and that’s usually the only time we see them” Coricopat said after his sister. “Like Macavity” Demeter said darkly. “Macavity, before you ask, is a demon in feline shape, he was-I mean, is a Jellicle, he’s Munkustrap’s brother, he’s pure evil. He steals from humans, and smashes their things, all because he hates your kind, he’s smart, very smart, but hates us for a reason his father, Old Deuteronomy wasn’t responsible for...” Bombalurina said resting a paw on Demeter’s arm to comfort her. The Jellicles, and humans were silent for a second, thinking their own thoughts, then Cassandra changed the subject. “Jellicles...are when you are born into the Jellicle family.  Jellicles are black and white, rather small, they can jump like a jumping jack, they have cheerful faces and they all love the Jellicle Balls.  We’re all very beautiful as well” She said haughtily. Jo was about to ask another question, when Mistoffelees, Coricopat and Tantomile’s heads snapped up. “I believe it is Old Deuteronomy...” The hummed softly under their breath, but everyone still seemed to her them. The Jellicles stood up, with wide smiles and grins. Aeva, Drew, Bryn and Jo stood up as well, not wanting to seem impolite. Old Deuteronomy stopped in front of them, making Jo and Drew, and Aeva and Bryn, exchange a nervous glance at each other. “My children” Old Deuteronomy said, nodding his head. “You have found out land, please, you have the right to journey though it, but tell anyone, you must not, otherwise if you did, the secret of all cats would be destroyed” Aeva, Bryn, Drew and Jo nodded nervously. “Good, that’s very good, how did you find us?” Aeva, Bryn, Drew and Jo were silent, looking at each other, until finally Drew stepped forward. “W-we lost out tennis ball here, and came to get it, and we sat watching all the cats playing around in the Junkyard, until Aeva slipped, then Victoria, if that’s  her name, asked Jennyanydots who we were, in English, and, the rest of the truth just fell out” Drew said nervously. Deuteronomy nodded, making Drew exchange a look with Jo again.  The twins were getting freaked by everything that was happening there. Drew stepped back, and exchanged a look with Aeva and Bryn, and Jo looked at them as well. Deuteronomy still nodding, made his way over to the tire and sat down. Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer wound their way around their owners feet and purred to get their attention. “You know our secret, and you have to tell you one of yours now” they chorused. Drew and Jo looked confused. “What do you mean? We don’t have an secrets...” “Sure you do, where do you keep the spare key to the neighbours back door?” “WHAT? To Rosemary’s house? Why do you want to go there?” Aeva asked. Jerrie and Teazer exchanged a look that obviously said “It’s it obvious?!?” “You’re not smashing anything in her house you two” Munkus snapped.  He didn’t seem to happy that the humans had found out about them. “Is it you two that smash the vases-” “And steal our diner?” Drew and Jo asked as Aeva and Bryn started laughing. Mungo and Teazer nodded, looking proud of themselves. “The stupid house maids always blame us for the broken glass” “But then again, we get take-away for dinner every time you do that...” “Well? Are you going to tell us?” Jerrie asked. “No, not that, why bother Rosemary? How about something else, like...where mother keeps her jewellery” Jo said. “Yeah! That’ll do!” Teazer exclaimed, pawing her necklace. Jerrie sighed and shook his head. “Hey, it’s time for dinner, I’m going” said Drew suddenly, looking at his watch. “Hey yum, I’m outa here, c’mon Teazer” Jerrie said, and dashed out of the Junkyard. “Like owner like cat, c’mon Bryn” Aeva said, and grinned at the Jellicles. “You may come back at any time you like, just as long as you tell no one, and no one follows you, no more friends in here at all, okay?” Munkustrap said. “Yeah, sure, cool, c’mon Jo” ~l ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~l ~ Aeva, Demeter, Bryn, Plato, Drew, Mungojerrie, Jo and Rumpleteazer all walked home, splitting up at the corner. “Okay, seeya” They all said at the same time, and half went one way, the other half the other. The End  (Of part one! hee hee hee! Part Two is on the way!) ~l ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~l