It was daybreak at the junkyard, and a small calico kitten was watching the sunrise.

Like the flower,

The dawn is breaking!

Jemima smiled. She hoped to be able to do her piece well at the Jellicle Ball. Suddenly, she hid underneath an old table. She watched a black and white tom walk out and sit down watch the sunrise. Jemima looked at him, almost sadly.

"Oh, why can't you notice me, Alonzo?" she sighed.

Together -though without him noticing- they watched the sunrise, she from her hideout, and him five yards away from her. Jemima stiffened, she reconized a smell. A sleek, brown queen appeared from where Alonzo had appeared.

Jemima stifled a hiss.

It was Cassandra, she was Alonzo's girlfriend, at the moment at least. She gave him a smile that always looked like a sneer to Jemima.

Jemima knew she should behave better to her, she was taught better, but it was hard as she acted very ugly toward Jemima and the other kittens.

At this point, Cassandra began to rub against Alonzo, getting Jemima more and more jealous.

She knew her mother, Demeter, would be horrified if Jemima did anything rash or stupid. So, cursing Cassandra in her mind, she scurried away before they noticed her.

Alonzo ignored Cassandra, which was getting her more annoyed by the second.

"Why won't you talk to me, sweetie?" She asked sweetly, though Alonzo knew she wanted to scream at him for ignoring her when she could be any tom's girlfriend (at least, that is what she thought).

He sighed "I wanted to think alone Cassie." He stressed the word alone.

Her pride injured a bit, she left him.

When Jemima got back to the middle of the Junkyard, she saw her friends Victoria, Electra, and Ectetera all around a main coon. He looked up.

"Ahh, here's the last one of our group! Hello Jemmi!"

Jemima blushed. "Hi Tugger..." She whispered.

The Rum Tug Tugger grinned at her, Ectetera, not liking Jemima getting all of the attention, then said sweetly "Oh, Tugger! Pounci was being horribly rude to me this morning!"

Now, Tugger didn't like it when cats made fun of anyone from his fan club. So, going to Pouncival, who didn't realize what Ectetera accused him of, he pulled his ear and began to go off on him for being "mean" to Ectetera.

"Cetty, you really shouldn't do that." Jemima scolded.

The pale tabby pattern kitten looked up at her, laughing with Victoria and Electra at Tugger and Pouncival.

"Oh Jema, it's only a joke!" Jemima didn't stop her disapproving look.

Suddenly, Jemima noticed Cassandra with some of the toms, Plato, Admentus, and Tumblebrutus. She quickly looked at Victoria, the pure white kitten (almost a full-grown queen) looked sad. She was in love with Plato, and Plato had asked her to the Jellicle Ball yesterday, but she had to get permission from her mother. Jennyanydotes was okay with it, but her mate, Skimbleshanks, also had to have his say. In addition, he was not back yet from the last train departure.

Jemima took Victoria by the paw and whispered "Viki, let's go to my place."

Victoria and Jemima sat on Jemima's bed. Victoria wanted to talk about anything but Plato,so she said "Have you seen Alonzo today?"

Jemima looked startled.

"W-what do you mean?"

Victoria laughed. "You can't obviously think I'm THAT dim! You're my best friend, I'm gonna be able to tell unlike anyone else when you're head over heels for a tom!"

Jemima looked sheepish "I saw him this morning. Though I left not long after he came."

She filled in what happened. Victoria tried not to grimace. She was a very well mannered kitten and would not say anything against any cat, just like Jemima, but when it came to Cassandra, well, it was hard.

"Oooo, it annoys me how much she thinks so highly of herself! Flirting with all the toms that she sees! At least Bomba has dignity to stay AWAY from toms who are asking other queens to the BALL!"

Her face was a tinge of red, Jemima decided to not point out that she and Plato weren't going out yet. She wanted to keep her head.

"Did someone mention me?" a voice asked. Jemima and Victoria looked at the entrance of Jemima's home, there was her Aunt Bombalurina, she was a beautiful scarlet calico queen.

"Hi Aunt Bomba, are you looking for mom? She's with Daddy somewhere."

"Thanks Jema." She walked out. Jemima got up.

"Want to go practice our piece for the Jellicle Ball?" she asked

"YES! I think we should go an octave higher for the song. Don't you think?"

Jemima just smiled. Victoria wanted everything to go smoothly for the Ball, as she still thought her dad would say yes to Plato.