Chapter 1: Summer Worth Waiting For

A/N: So this story is my entry for BroadwayKhaos's Jellicle Week June Contest. In case you are unaware, it's a competition where I must add a chapter each day for a week and respond to a prompt that she has provided. Day 1 is about summer. I hope you enjoy! Please review! I would love to know what you think and how I can improve! :D

Disclaimer: I don't own CATS.

The sun seemed to blaze down on the junkyard. Any cat would almost swear that they could hear the piles of metal, plastic, and other discarded items sizzle in the heat. It didn't help that the many piles seemed to absorb all the heat from the sun and radiate it back into the air surrounding the tribe of felines. The solar radiation caused those blurry lines in the air that one only thought about when they pictured the desert.

Even though the temperature would have sent almost any creature with fur running for the shade, the kittens adored this weather. The heat was only a small price to pay for the benefits of such a sweltering day. The adults seemed to always have their energy drained from them by the sheer temperature of the yard. They just didn't have the motivation or the stamina to chase the kittens around and tell them what and what not to do. Luckily, the young felines had the boundless energy that was always associated with the younger generation.

Additionally, if one could get past the heat, the day was really beautiful. Along with the heat, the sun shone brilliantly, giving everything a radiant shine. There was also a feint hint of a breeze. It wasn't strong enough to revive the adults, but enough to keep the younger cats going. Then, to add to the beauty of the day, it hadn't rained for a long period of time. While many Jellicles saw this as a bad thing, the kittens loved it. The lack of moisture meant that the ground was hard and compact, perfect for wrestling and racing. Plus, the Jellicles were always prepared, and large collections of water were held under makeshift tents, available to all (with considerable moderation).

A caramel and white patched tom bounded around the clearing. He seemed to be one of the most energetic of the kittens and just couldn't seem to contain his liveliness as he fluidly moved from cat to cat. He eventually found himself in a type of acrobatic competition with two twin tabby cats. The almost identical pair had matching lopsided grins as they began to team up against the young tom. However, even with their combined efforts, the single, lone kitten seemed to be able to hold his own. Mungojerrie, the male twin quickly flung his sister, Rumpleteazer, into the air, allowing her to gain enough altitude for a seamless back tuck.

Pouncival, the patched tom, let out a burst of laughter as he instantly crouched low to the ground. Without warning, the tom let his powerful muscles take over as he quickly sprang into the air. Using his own power alone, he gained almost as much altitude as his competitors, allowing him to also complete a tuck, but adding his own, literal, twist to the move.

Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer immediately bent their heads together, strategizing their next move. After a brief moment of discussion, the two took a step away from Pouncival and smiled. They immediately performed their combine double windmill that they usually reserved for their number during the ball, and landed the move with a dramatic pose as their eyes seemed to accept Pouncival's surrender.

Indeed, Pouncival couldn't really think of anything to raise the bar. It seemed that this was the moment in the competition where there was just no way that a single Jellicle could compete with a team. The spry, young tom gave a meek shake of his head and shrugged his shoulders. "You win this time…" He purred.

As the twins let out a triumphant laugh, Pouncival let his clownish grin consume his face once again. He took a step forward and held up his paws, trying to regain the two cats' attention back from their own gloating. "But that's only 'cause I felt sorry for you, since I normally win!" He laughed over the twins' wild declarations of complete victory.

Mungojerrie gave Pouncival a swift nudge with his paw to a patched shoulder. "Woteva ya say, Pouncie."

As Pouncival continued to try and explain his submission, another pair of cats ran up from the sidelines to try and "comfort" the playful tom. Tumblebrutus attempted to wrap a comforting arm around Pouncival's shoulders as his own clownish grin spread across his face.

The defeated tom quickly pushed his brother away with a laugh. "Don't comfort me bro! It was pity victory." He tried to articulate through his own laughter.

A copper paw ensnared Pouncival by the neck and pulled him close to a broad copper and white chest. The tall, muscular tom held the sore loser tight as he gave a playful noogie to the smaller cat's caramel headfur. "A pity you lost?" Plato purred with a chuckle as he released his captive.

"Aw, shuddup!" Pouncival mewed as he tried to shove Plato as well. Instead, the attempt ended in Pouncival losing his balance as he seemed unable to move the larger tom.

Rumpleteazer and Mungojerrie quickly trotted over to the group, eager to join the banter.

It was clear that the kittens weren't going to let the heat deter them from their summer fun. But with so much in store for them this season, it would take a lot more that a high temperature to suppress their spirits. Pouncival glanced around at the smiling faces surrounding him, realizing that this was the beginning of the summer that he had been waiting for: the summer where Pouncival will officially be considered a full-grown tom.

At the Jellicle Ball this summer, the young feline, for the first time, will be allowed to dance around the clearing as an adult, eligible for the full solos that he dreamed of. Additionally, his father, Skimbleshanks, kept telling him that with his personality, it wouldn't be long before there was a Jellicle song immortalizing Pouncival's practical jokes and playful demeanor. The young tom's chest swelled with pride as he contemplated the idea of having his name sung under the Jellicle moon.

Being adult also came with a ton of exciting and new changes. Jenny was finally going to give him what every kitten dreamed of and every mother dreaded: his independence. Pouncival was going to be allowed to move into his own den. He had already picked out the perfect spot, and it was something entirely new to the junkyard. While most cats built their dens into the base of junk piles, he had managed to find a large wardrobe nestled securely in the top of a pile, near his favorite wooden chair. He had even filled the structure with books to make sure that it could support the weight of a den. He couldn't wait to be settled in his own place, and the view was to die for.

Since everything was going to go so great this summer, he figured he might even find the courage to confess his feelings to Electra. The young kitten would be an official queen this summer as well, and she was Etcetera's, Pouncival's sister, best friend. However, somewhere along the path of growing up, she and Pouncival had become extremely close. The queenkit could easily keep up with the young tom's antics, but could also calm him down like no one else could. Whenever he was around her, it just seemed like everything fell into place.

Yes, this was the summer that Pouncival had waited for since he was able to comprehend its importance. Everything was going to be perfect. He could sense it in the sun's rays as he felt it warm his fur and saw it cast a friendly glint in his friends' eyes.