Note: This chapter took awhile to write, so I'd really appreciate reviews on it! Thanx.enjoy!

Kitty sat stiffly in Mr. Greyson's sociology class, trying her hardest to pay attention, but finding it impossible with Pietro sitting a mere 3 seats away. If she turned her head just a little to the left, she could see what he was doing.. Kitty watched as Pietro scribbled down something and passed it to the redhead Tina next to him. Tina tittered, wrote something back, and passed it back. Kitty watched the exchange, growing more and more furious. The sight of Pietro, looking handsome as ever, flirting his head off was more than she could stand. Kitty turned back to the front of the class resolutely, her hands clenched in small fists. Obviously, Pietro was sharing his time with more than one brain dead cheerleader.

It was a small relief to her that the cheerleaders, including their evil leader Bianca, were clustered in the desks at the back, far away from her. Kitty turned around to look back at them, from one blank face to the other. Pietro found THEM attractive? It just goes to show how shallow he is, Kitty told herself. Whatever wit, charm, and warmth he'd shown her on the island was obviously just an allergic reaction to the outdoors. This was the real Pietro in all his arrogant, self-absorbed glory. Yet, no matter how many logical reasons Kitty mulled over to convince herself to get over Pietro, it wasn't working. Kitty found herself, looking up in the hallways to catch his eye, or draping an arm around Kurt to see if she could get a rise out of him.

This is PATHETIC, Kitty told herself once again as she felt herself sinking into la-la land. "Miss Pryde? If your done day-dreaming, can you please pass back these worksheets," the stern voice of Mr. Greyson interrupted her reverie. Kitty immediately turned around, feeling a hot blush sweep her cheeks as she heard the annoying laughter of Bianca's crew. For once, she found herself wishing she didn't sit in the very front of the class.

"Sure Mr. Greyson," Kitty said meekly, and took the sheets from his outstretched hand. As she turned to pass them back, her eyes searched for Pietro and found him looking straight at her. Kitty gulped at the intense look in his eyes. She had almost forgotten how totally mesmerizing they could be, how sharply they contrasted with his silvery hair..

"Are you okay, Kitty?" Kurt asked from his seat next to hers, leaning over concernedly. The moment was quickly broken, as Pietro slid his eyes over to Kurt and then draped an arm smoothly around Tina. Kitty's stomach clenched and she felt tears threaten to spill. Kitty quickly blinked back the tears, and turned rapidly to Kurt, giving him a brilliant smile.

"I'm fine, Kurt, never better."

"That's good, because for a second, you looked kind of. I dunno, lost," Kurt remarked, his eyebrows raised. Yup, that's exactly what she'd been..lost. Lost in crazy illusions about Pietro. I'm going to show him, just how over him I am, Kitty thought determinedly.

"Do we have any volunteers for today's debate about the difficulty of communication between the genders in today's society?" Mr. Greyson asked, scanning the room.

Kitty felt her hand go up. Kurt looked at her quizzically and Kitty avoided his gaze. She knew it was unlike her, but somehow she couldn't help herself. "Great, Kitty. Now how about someone to represent the men?"

To Kitty's horror, she saw Pietro put up his hand casually. Kitty tried to motion to Kurt with her eyes to volunteer, but it was already too late. Mr. Greyson nodded to Pietro, who slid out of his seat, and walked up to the front of the class where she stood. Kitty felt as if the whole room had just gotten about 50 degrees hotter.

"Alright, now Pietro why don't you start us off why miscommunication happens so often between men and women?" Mr. Greyson prompted to Pietro.

"Well, I'd say that women often send mixed messages. Sometimes, when you think things might go further in the relationship, they cut you off," Pietro started, leaning back against the chalkboard.

Kitty's jaw dropped open in anger. WOMEN were the ones sending mixed messages? Ha!

"Kitty, would you like to respond to that?" Mr. Greyson asked.

"Yes I would," Kitty said, her brown eyes snapping. "I think that men are the ones who are sending the mixed messages. They all have it in their head that just because they might be good-looking and popular, they can mess around with as many girls as possible."

Oh my god, did I just say that?! Kitty thought horrified as the class stared back at her. Kurt's eyebrows shot up almost to his hairline. Pietro turned to face her, his blue eyes glittering with a mixture of amusement and irritation.

"Well, maybe the guys wouldn't mess around, if the girls would tell them that they have boyfriends before things got serious between them!" Pietro said forcefully, crossing his arms. That was rich! Kitty thought furiously.

"And MAYBE," Kitty retorted, facing him till they were less than inch apart, "the girls wouldn't HAVE to tell them about the boyfriend if the guys would stop assuming that just because a girl stays at home on Friday nights, it means she's some kind of drip without a social life!"

"Uh, you two," Mr. Greyson tried to break in hastily. But Pietro and Kitty were oblivious to him, too wrapped up in the argument.

"The guys are not the only ones making ASSUMPTIONS..just because a guy likes to date doesn't make it right for the girl to assume that he's a heartless, unfeeling jerk!" Pietro said heatedly.

"UNLESS," Kitty retaliated, just as heatedly, "the guy has proven it a hundred times over by using women as if they were ATM machines!"

"Well perhaps the guy should just stop wasting his time getting his heart stomped by the girl and move on!" Pietro shot back, his eyes flashing. Kitty forced her heartbeat to slow, to no avail.

"Yeah, PERHAPS!" Kitty bit out, her own arms crossed like a shield over her chest. The two stared at each other fiercely, and Kitty felt as if her lips were being led by some unseen force towards his. Pietro was staring at her so intensely, that Kitty felt a hot flush spread from her neck up to her face.

Finally, it was Mr. Greyson who broke the palpable tension by clearing his throat loudly. Kitty and Pietro turned away from each other quickly. "I'm sorry to break this up so soon, but the class is over. But, I must say, that was some debate, you two," Mr. Greyson told them, his voice full of disbelief. "I can't remember when two people got so caught up in what they were saying. Good job, both of you."

Kitty and Pietro both muttered thanks, and narrowly avoided bumping into each other on the way out the door. Kurt met up with her as they exited, his eyes wide with admiration.

"You were great, Kitty," Kurt said sincerely. Kitty smiled at him, her emotions still in a jumble.

"Thanks Kurt."

"I have math now, so I guess I'll see you at dinner?" Kurt asked hopefully.

Kitty nodded absentmindedly. "Yeah, of course. Mr. Summers and everyone else wanted us all eating dinner together, you know, to sort of welcome you back."

"Great," Kurt said, flashing her a smile. "I can't wait." With one last smile, he left down the hall. Kitty watched him go, wondering for the hundredth time why she could never see him as anything other than a friend. Kurt was the ideal boyfriend; sweet, considerate, funny and an all around nice guy. Yet, Kitty couldn't think of him romantically, hard as she tried.

Shaking her head, Kitty found herself face to face with a sneering Bianca. Kitty rolled her eyes. The way she was feeling, the last thing she needed was another run in with the vamp queen.

"Well, if it isn't little Miss Man-hater," Bianca said disdainfully.

"Aren't you do back at the laboratory to get your bolts tightened?" Kitty retorted.

Bianca sneered at her. "Still drooling over Pietro, huh?"

Kitty narrowed her eyes. "Hardly. He can dive off the nearest bridge for all I care."

Bianca stopped, a brief look of surprise flitting across her well made-up face. Then the trade-mark sneer was back in place. "Well, that's good, because Pietro and I are perfect together. There's no way, he'd settle for a mouse like you."

Kitty could practically feel steam coming from her ears. "I have better things to do than hear about your back-seat escapades with Pietro. I have to get to class, and I'm sure your depriving some village of an idiot, so I won't take up any more of your time," Kitty spit out, and turned on her heel, practically stomping her way to her next class.