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I Hope You Dance
by Mandy of the Amoeba
A/N: Cats fic! This is from Grizabella's POV, and it's a songfic
to I Hope You Dance. Um...not a very original idea, I guess, but I wanted to
write it. Disclaimer: If you recognize it, it's more than likely not mine.
I hope you never lose your sense of wonder
You get your fill to eat, but always keep that hunger
May you never take one single breath for granted
God forbid love ever leave you empty handed
I won't forget the first time she came to visit me. The
young white queen, innocent and pure....and beautiful. Beauty, I knew,
could easily be the kitten's downfall. Still, the girl had spunk. That much was
obvious; not just anyone has enough courage to come and see me.
She came to ask me how to be a Glamour Cat. Yes, even though it was plain to
see what I had become, she wanted to know how to be me. "Listen,
honey. You're better off staying at home where you are." I told
her, shaking my head. She had frowned at me.
"But I want to see the world! I want to go places, to see things! And you
have!" she protested haughtily. I laughed.
"And look what I am now. An outcast. Is that
really what you want out of life, honey?" She made no reply to that, but I
could tell I didn't have her convinced. "Doll, there's so much out there
for you, but if you go and take everything, if you snatch it all up too quickly…..you'll
have nothing left to wish for. And a life without dreams ain't
much of a life."
She left, then. I figure I probably discouraged her enough to send her away, at
least for then. But she kept coming back......don't ask me why. I warned her.
I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean
Whenever one door closes, I hope one more opens
Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance
When you get the choice to sit it out or dance
I hope you dance
The second time she showed up in my alleyway, I was prepared. Once again,
she asked me how I had become the Glamour Cat that I was, insisting she wanted
the same life of glitz and glitter. I shook my head at her sadly. "No, honey. Once you go down that road, you can't go
back. If you choose a different path, they can branch out into opportunities.
My road is a dead end street. Once you've seen what I've seen....you've lost
everything."
Still, she wouldn't listen. I watched her every day....oh, yes, I could see
what went on in the Junkyard. Most of them just weren't aware of it. But I
watched the little white queen grow more vain with
every breath she took, pushing away anyone that tried to get close to her. Her
actions seemed so silly....and yet, they were mocking me. Showing me exactly
how foolish I had been.
I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance
Never settle for the path of least resistance
Living might mean taking chances, but they're worth taking
Loving might be a mistake, but it's worth making
Yes, the kit had spunk. She kept coming back, and I kept telling her not to
take the easy path away. "Don't just settle for the life of a cheap
hooker! That's what you'll end up as.....oh, don't look so surprised! That's
all that being a Glamour Cat leads to!
Where do you think you’ll be when your beauty fades? Alone, dearie. Alone and willing to take whatever handouts
you can get, at whatever cost."
I think those words must have influenced her. She still came back, but her
questions weren't as confident as they had once been.
Don't let some hell-bent heart leave you bitter
When you come close to selling out, reconsider
Give the Heavens above more than just a passing glance
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance
I hope you dance
I still watched her, and her actions inside the Yard remained the same.
Although she was still snobbish and haughty to those around her, the visits to
me became less and less frequent. The time she had once used to batter me with
questions was now spent alone....and she danced. I watched her...she was
talented. Had a heck of a lot more talent than I ever had.....but, time takes
its toll on everything, I guess. These younger cats....some of them have got a
lot going for them....
(Time is a wheel in constant motion
Always rolling us along
Tell me who wants to look back on their years and wonder
Where those years have gone?)
The time for the Jellicle Ball drew steadily
nearer. It was just the same as always; all the hustle and bustle, the hubbub
of another year. It was the first Ball for some of the little ones....I almost
laughed at their optimism. I was like that, once. Then I got lost in
reality.....I don't remember my life anymore.....
I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean
Whenever one door closes, I hope one more open
Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance......
The real clincher was the Ball itself. I watched her dancing.....it was
perfect. Her best performance yet. Something drew
me....I wanted to try again. I wanted to see the world through their eyes
again. So, like a fool, I went out there. They shunned me, of course, just as
they had for all the years before. And she watched. She watched them push me
away....wanting to help, but not daring to.
Somehow, I think that made her realize. She saw what life outside really was,
and it shocked her into being content with her own world. Then, she helped me.
She brought me back to where I belonged. I smiled at her when she let me back
in.....sweet little granddaughter. My
Dance.