Trece

Well, for that study hour Kit and I accomplished many assignments. Just not our own. My cousin doesn't have any homework to worry about anymore.

Hernando made sure to profusely thank us. Even Kit seems a bit irritated right now. Kit gets up from the recliner chair he was in to say, "Well, it's time to play. Basketball or Tennis first?"

"Basketball!" yells Hernando as he jumps up from his recliner.

Kit hands me a notebook as he says, "Alright Hernando, let's play basketball. Kat will be our scorekeeper and remember...there's no sore losers in the home of Adair." Kit looks pointedly at Hernando after he says this.

"There's always a sore loser...it depends how high the stakes are," replies my cousin. I never heard Hernando sound so eloquent.

Kit opens both double doors. I take a glance at the height of the ceiling, forty bookshelves high, before I pass Kit to leave the library. "Is it really okay to leave our backpacks in there?"

"Away from my mom's curious hands? There's no place safer," Kit says as he closes the library doors with a click. "Follow me," he adds as he walks further into the monstrosity known as his home. Hernando walks right behind and I hold up the rear. I've never been I'm such a nice place before. Well that's not completely true. Kit's home does remind me of a museum and makes how my mom and I live like complete hobos.

Not that Kit or his parents clean. Demi told me as much when we spoke earlier. She told me she had no idea I knew her bosses son. Whether she meant Dotty as her boss or Richard is uncertain.

Demi also told me to watch out for Dotty. That she can be a real...well, you know. I don't take much stock in what Demi says. We might attend the same church mass and all, but she loves to gossip. When she's not playing matchmaker. You won't believe how many times she sat me down next to a grandson or nephew of one person or another.

It's embarrassing and makes going to church weird but my mom enjoys it. She always tells me, "Indulge her, hija. Demi's family lives so far away." Which is true. Demi is from Peru and she gained her citizenship two years ago. She's been saving up to ask for her family members one by one so they can earn their citizenships too. I heard her tell other ladies that the paperwork is expensive.

So, I indulge while my mom gets her laugh on a few pews away. I knew that Demi was a housekeeper for someone rich but I didn't knew she cleaned the home of my best friends family!

And Kit's mom looks nothing like Kit. Her hair is done like Jessica Rabbit, but her clothes are very appropriate and look more like business attire than the clothes mom and I slip into after we return home after our busy days. Also both of Kits parents carry southern accents which explains why Kit sometimes sounds southern. However, Kit is definitely a carbon copy of his dad Richard.

I see an older version of Kit in Richard and I like what I see. Kit will be a very handsome man one day.

Everything about Kit's life looks so much bigger up close. I was afraid to go inside at first, but Kit looked so freaked out about me possibly bailing that I gave in. I didn't want him to think I would end our friendship over the fact he lives in what's probably the Tucson equivalent of Beverly Hills.

I wonder if his other friends were afraid of coming to his home because of the size. A home with a library and two courts outside.

"SWIMMING POOL!" Hernando yells as he points at the enormous outdoor pool. "What else do you have man, a petting zoo?!" Hernando asks.

"Nando," I reply distressingly. "You don't do you?"

"No," says Kit hesitantly. "But we do have a solarium on the second floor. My mom uses it to entertain."

"I don't even know what a solarium is," I reply meekly. "Sounds like a garden or something."

"It's a room with glass all around it. Well...technically it's on its own floor. The entrance to get to the solarium is on the second floor." He smiles as he clears that bit of information up while A nervous laugh escapes from me. "Okay, well. After the swimming pool, the two outdoor courts will be in view." Kit gestures with a sweep of his arm for us to follow him.

Hernando says to me in Spanish, "Stop acting crazy. Just imagine this is like a field trip instead of to somebody's home."

"Is that how you're coping?" I reply to him...in ENGLISH!

"Coping with what?" asks Kit.

"Coping with the fact I have much homework to do still." I glare at Hernando and he gives me a sheepish look.

"Me too. Hey, do you want to come back here tomorrow? I'll ask my parents if it's okay. Just want to know if you're on board first." Kit then adds, "Or, I can stop by your home and study with you there."

I clasp my hands together with the scoreboard notebook in between them. "My mom was okay with me coming here today because Nando's here."

Kit looks at me in disbelief. "Did you tell her we've been best friends since kindergarten?"

"Yes, but you're a boy so...she didn't want me to be visiting you alone and well...she was also probably thinking Nando can take you down, you know." Nando grins at Kit while he just openly stares at him.

Kit is just like that. He doesn't hide that he's looking at you. You just know.

"I still think I could take you," is Kit's reply. "No offense but there is an advantage I have in fighting that you don't."

Hernando stands up straight as he asks, "Oh yeah? What's that."

"Wouldn't you like to know," Kit replies with a smirk. "For now, let's fight on the court. Loser has to jump in the pool with all his clothes on and that includes shoes."

I shake my head and reply, "Do you want to jump in the pool Kit?"

"Have some faith in me, Kat. I might win. Just keep score and don't worry about the verdict okay?"

"I told you to tell me when you'll start playing, Kit!" yells Richard as he runs towards us. "I had to find out from your mother and she's not feeling so well right now."

Kit slightly frowns as he says, "Sorry dad. We were just about to go to the basketball court to start shooting hoops."

Richard points at me and asks, "Is Kat playing too?"

"No. I've become the designated scoreboard," I reply as I have the notebook.

"Bull. Let Kat play too, Kit."

"But dad, Nando and I already have a bet goin'!" Kit's dad has a stern look on his face as he looks at his son. I can't help but smile at Kit's use of Hernando's nickname. Even Hernando looks happily shocked.

"What's this bet about?"

Hernando blurts out, "Whoever can shoot 10 hoops first doesn't have to jump in the pool with all their clothes on."

Richard nods and looks at both Hernando and Kit. "Okay fine, but after your bet is over Kat gets to shoot some hoops. We clear?"

"Crystal," replies Kit.

At the same time Hernando replies, "Yes Sir."

After we pass some hedges that hides the pool out of view, the two courts appear. They're side by side. One a Tennis court with a netted perimeter and the other a full basketball court bordered by concrete. "Awesome!" yells Hernando as he runs to the court and grabs the basketball that's already on the ground.

Then Hernando decides to show off by doing quick passes between his legs and the classic spin the basketball on his index finger.

Kit walks on the course as he looks over his shoulder where his dad and I are sitting on the concrete perimeter. "Bet starts now!" he yells. I open the notebook and huff.

"I forgot to bring a pen!" I yell back.

After I say that Kit's dad gives me one he had in his pants pocket. "We're good, son!" he yells out. "A good lawyer never goes anywhere without a pen."

"Thank you, Richard," I reply before it finally hit me. "Is that where the Rick in Kitrick comes from; your name?"

"Yes. When Kit was born my wife and I were at a disagreement. She wanted to name him after me and I wanted him after my father Kit. We just blended those two names together and Kitrick it came to be. What's Kat short for?"

I draw a T on the notebook and write one side with Kit and the other as Nando. "Katrina. I actually have two first names but I go by Kat the most." I put a tally down for Hernando as he whoops.

"Two first names? Is that a tradition in your family."

"Of sorts. My mom has two first names too. Where does Kit's middle name come from?"

"Ian is my father in law. We don't really get along, but my wife insisted. She did the hard work of bringing Kit into this world so I gave in." Nando's already made four shots while Kit is still at zero. "Don't give up, son!" yells Kit's dad.

"Wasn't planning to!" yells Kit back.

Kit's dad smiles at his son indulgently. "He might not have his mom's red hair, but he's got her fiery personality. I'm afraid it could get him into trouble one of these days. However, with you around I don't have to worry as much now do I?"

I shrug as I reply, "Kit does what he wants, but yeah, we try to put things to rights more than mess things up."

"What sort of mess ups?" asks Kit's dad.

"Well, there's a classmate at school your son's not too fond of, but I've told him he should try being nice to him. Because the classmate he doesn't like has a hard enough time at school already. Kit's trying." So glad that came out of my mouth instead of talking about our other missions.

But I feel so at ease when speaking with Kit's dad. Huh, finally Kit makes a shot. "Hey Prima! What's the score?"

"Nando 8, Kit 1."

Hernando jumps up and down as he says, "You're going down!"

Kit's dad says, "Well, I'm glad my son has a friend who looks out for him. Who cares about him."

"Thank you. I try to be a good friend too."

As I put the tenth tally on Hernando's side, I sigh. "Nando wins! Kit loses!"

Nando is jumping up and down and doing a weird dance while Kit says, "Dammit!"

"Come on, son. You have to be a man of your word. Go on." Kit's dad points to the hedges where the pool is hidden out of view.

Hernando, Kit's dad, and I all run to the pool. We wait for Kit to appear and he does...in a sprint. One moment he's gunning it towards the pull and next, he's in the air as he jumps and makes his body into a--

"CANNONBALL!" When Kit rises up from the water, he's laughing. "I don't feel like much of a loser. I'm wet in this heat while you're all dry as a bone."

He swim to where I'm standing as he holds his hand out to me. "Can you help me get out, Kat?" I'm about to stick out my hand when Kit's dad stops me by blocking my arm with his.

"You might be too nice for your own good. That was a trick."

"Awe, come on dad! What's a prank among best friends?" I feel my jaw drop.

"Kitrick Ian, you should be ashamed! You deserve to get all wet." I march towards Kit's home as Hernando runs after me.

"You're not really mad at him, are you?"

"No, but let's go back to the library for a bit. Kit's got to change if you're gonna play tennis next." Hernando gives me a bewlildered expression.

"Who says I'm playing Tennis?"

"Kit told me and since we're guests at his home, we can't refuse, can we?"