Kit wasn't an athlete, and he had never claimed to be either. He had never understood why people would run, sweat, and bleed just to toss a ball through a hoop or shoot a puck into a goal. Nor did he understand why people worshipped athletes like gods, they were just more coordinated than the average person, big deal! That wasn't a reason to obsess over them as though their every action would determine the fate of the universe. So then why was he suddenly involved in the love life of a certain varsity all-star soccer player? It could have something to do with the fact that Rafael had just asked Kit if Nita was single, and if she was free this Friday night?

"Kit?" Rafael inquired gently, snapping Kit back into reality.

"Sorry," Kit responded quickly. "Just a little blindsided by your question."

Rafael didn't seem surprised by Kit's reaction. He actually looked as though he had expected Kit to be acting like a blubbering idiot. Kit couldn't help but wonder what Rafael was doing; one of the most popular kids in school was not only talking to one of the geekiest social outcastes, but also inquiring about a possible romantic relationship with an absolute nerd. Not that Kit thought that in a bad way; Nita's academic nature made her Kit's best friend (and his secret crush), but it didn't make her popular by any stretch of the imagination. Kit feared that Rafael's supposed feelings for Nita were all just part of a prank which would leave Nita hurt. A pessimistic viewpoint, but a logical one which at the moment seemed all too plausible.

Rafael opened his mouth as if to speak, then shut it. After a couple of seconds he started to speak once more.

"Kit," he began, "I know you of all people have no reason to trust me. To be honest, if I were you, I'd never let me within a hundred yards of Nita. I know I have a reputation as a ... ladies' man to, but this is different. She's been my lab partner for the last couple months, and at first I kept thinking 'Great, a nerdy smart-ass partner, easy A' but she wouldn't let me get away with that. She's quiet and all, but when she decides to do something she won't let anyone or anything get in her way, and she had decided I needed to do some work in this class. She made me try to be a better person. " Kit smiled to himself, for that sure sounded like his Nita, always fighting for what she believed to be right.

"But that cool part came later. Once I started actually started working, if I didn't understand the material she'd help me out. One day I was desperately cramming for a math test the next period, and she noticed I was struggling. But instead of ignoring me or mocking me, she stopped what she was doing and explained it all to me better than my teacher did in the first place! She then started helping me out in other subjects, as long as I kept working hard."

Kit felt the flare of anger in his stomach. He stated coldly, "So you want to date her so you can have your own personal tutor to ensure you pass junior year?"

Rafael started, surprised at such a harsh accusation coming from a boy whom he hadn't said a word to since middle school. "No! It's not like that! It's just, when Nita was helping me I noticed how much crap people give her, and yet I'd never her say a bad word about them behind their back. She can be so sweet and funny too, though it's a very subtle and sarcastic kind of humor. I can't even begin to compare her to any other girl I've met, never mind dated! I guess I'm trying to tell you I think she's really special, and that she completely fascinates me." Here he paused once more and looked Kit dead in the eye.

"However, if someone else already had a claim on her love, I would hate to interfere with that. If she liked someone else, someone who was really close to her, I'd leave our relationship as is. I have done a lot of things, but I have never and will never steal another man's girl."

Kit realized that Rafael believed the long standing rumor that he and Nita were secret lovers. He paused, torn between two desires. Though the rumors weren't true, he did have feelings for Nita, and he liked her a lot. Plus he had a score to settle with Rafael that he had never acted upon, but the anger at Rafael's past actions was still there. Kit wanted nothing more than to send Rafael running, tell him that Nita was dating someone and that he should just walk away. But there was one thing holding his tongue: he didn't know what Nita thought of this boy. He had heard her mention Rafael in passing, but they had been on errantry a great deal in the last few months, and hadn't had a lot of time to simply hang out. No, he couldn't risk sending Rafael away only to find out that Nita had liked him. Their friendship might not survive such a devastating blow to their trust. Kit had to let Rafael have his chance, even if Kit had been planning on asking Nita out himself in the near future.

"She's single," he stated, then walked away.