(AN: So now I'm back…haven't written anything in a year - well, it will be a year in ten days. This is just something that's been on mind for the past year or so; something I used to shake the rust off and hopefully send me on a successful writing streak.)

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Pretty Kitty

, he called her, Pretty Kitty.

It made me sick every time.

Oh Pretty Kitty! He would cry, Please take me back, Pretty Kitty!

And of course she always would.

It wasn't fair! He treated her so badly - everyone could tell! Jean Grey warned her, Scott warned her - even Rogue, who, admittedly, is into some bad guys, told her it was bad idea! Heck, I think even the guys at the boarding house felt sorry for her.

But she never listened. Not to her friends, not to his friends. Not to anybody. Not to me, especially.

She always thought I was jealous, I think. I guess maybe she had a point there. In the beginning, when they first started dating, I thought she was cute, yeah...but not enough to try to ruin her relationship! I supported her, like a good friend does - we all did (well, except for Scott - but he still doesn't trust the Brotherhood, even if they're officially "on our side" now). I threw aside any possible potential feelings for her and just treated her as a friend.

And it was as a friend that I realized how badly he was treating her! She would come home crying after every date - every night a new fight. Over the stupidest things! She was reluctant at first to give me details, but from what she said I figured out that he was the one to start these ridiculous fights.

I would always tell her she couldn't let him treat her that way! That she deserved someone better! Perhaps that's not what a good friend should do - perhaps a good friend should stay mutual in situations like that. But, gosh darn it, she DID deserve someone better. At that time I wasn't thinking it was me. It was just better than the good-for-nothing hood, Lance Alvers.

But you know what she would do, after listening to all my advice? She would say, No, no, Kurt. You're misunderstanding. It's my fault - that's why I'm crying, because I'm sorry. I'll apologize tomorrow and everything will be okay.

But it wasn't true at all! It wasn't her fault, I would tell her, but she just wouldn't listen. And the next day she would go over there and apologize and they'd fool around for a few hours as a way of making up. Make-up-make-outs, I would call them.

It was the same thing, over and over again...but I think eventually she started wising up. When the fights would happen again, she started listening to us, a little. Said she did deserve better...said she wasn't going to go crawling back...she'd never take him back, ever again! She was over him!

But those never lasted long, either. Once he realized she wasn't going to come crawling back to him, he started the crawling. Outside her window every night, throwing rocks, trying to get her to open the window so he could apologize. (Pissed Rogue off infinitely...) Calling her cellphone every two seconds, leaving pitiful messages saying how sorry he was. And all Kitty had to do was hear how sorry he sounded, how sad he was, and right away she'd be back at his place, kissing him happy again.

He needs me, she'd insist, He's a mess without me.

It upset all of us, really, to see the state Kitty was in. She was in one of those classic abusive relationships. She was one of those girls you read about in teen magazines (not that I read teen magazines) who couldn't see that her boyfriend was abusing her. I don't think he ever hit her (though I did hear this traumatizing story about how he caused a mini-earthquake and nearly took her head off with an ironing board during one fight), but emotional abuse can be just as strong!

I remember one time they broke up - Kitty was of course swearing it was over for good this time - and that time, I started to let my feelings for her grow. It was a long breakup, longer than any other to date, and Kitty and I started getting closer. We had always been good friends, but this time I started to realize that maybe I was that guy to treat her better. Maybe I was what Kitty deserved.

We had a thing. Well, not really a thing...but I thought we had a thing. Some of the other students thought we had a thing, too. Not an official thing...just like...the beginning of something. And the way Kitty was acting...I thought she was in on the thing too.

But then one day she came home really late. Said she had run into Lance at the mall.

Pretty Kitty, he had said.

Yeah, that's right. She had gotten back together with the loser.

She didn't understand why I was so upset.

What? She said, avoiding my eyes, It's not like we had a thing or anything...

I yelled. It was the only thing I could do. Yeah, it's like that, Kitty! How could you take that guy back? He's not worth your time; the way he treats you - Kitty, you deserve so much better.

That's when she said it the first time. You're just jealous! Then she burst into tears and ran into her room, not understanding why I just couldn't be happy for her happiness.

Jealous? Maybe. But more concerned. Concerned for her health...her happiness...her well-being. I think maybe I was beginning to love her - and I just couldn't stand to watch this guy abuse her like this. He didn't love her, no matter what Kitty thought.

But she would never listen. She never listened to anybody. He loves me! She said, You don't know what you're talking about.

They're together now. For the time being. But they'll be broken up soon. And when they are...well, I don't know.

Maybe I'll be here for her. Maybe I'll be her friend again and support her and then maybe...maybe they'll be something more.

Or maybe I won't. Maybe I'm not like her - she can't just throw me away, then expect me to come back. Maybe I have more of a backbone than her. Maybe I've learned my lesson.

Pretty Kitty...

You know what the worst part is?

That used to be my nickname for her.

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(AN: Dedicated to my good friend Brian, who got as royally screwed over as Kurt did. His Kitty is sorry.)