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"We've been terribly worried about you, Kyle," Professor Boyd began.

The boy insisted that Eric not accompany him inside the building to meet with the professors to tell them what happened. Bernadette was beside him, tired looking, but otherwise as high-class and perfect as always. He was sitting at a large table in a library that seemed endless where Avinash invited him to meet. The professors, Avinash, Boyd, Palmer, McBride, Moreno, Lambert, Garner, Delgado, Doyle and Briggs were all surrounding him. Some standing, some leaning against bookcases, some sitting. Professor Garner was a Russian woman, short but pretty, very pale with glasses and a thick accent. She was sitting across from him at the table, her hands folded in front of her,

"Da, ve have been werry vorried aboot you, ve heard zat you left your class in an avful panic. Vood you like to explain yourself before ve interrogate?"

"I'm sorry, Professors, I…"

He looked to Bernadette and tried to recall her pep-talk to him in the car ride there…


"Yeah, I've known you've been gay for a while. I was the first to know you loved Stan, right?"

"Y-yeah…"

"What's going to happen to you? Will they trust you anymore? Will you lose your job?"

She laughed, turning a corner, "You're funny sometimes, Kyle. No, of course not, I will not lose my job because of your sexual orientation. Don't be silly,"

"And what happens to Kyle?" Eric asked from the back seat, leaning forward.

She sighed, "Are you wearing your seatbelt?"

"I'll answer your question when you answer mine,"

"Yeah, well if you don't answer my question, Cartman, I can turn around and hit you upside the head,"

He smirked, "No taking your eyes off the road or hands off the wheel, Mrs. Barnes, watch who you're dealing with,"

Kyle wanted to laugh at the vein slowly showing itself on Bernadette's forehead. Eric had practically forced his way into the car, arguing that he was Kyle's Super Best Friend and had an obligation to be there for him. Bernadette sighed angrily, slowly stopping at a red light and asking,

"Cartman, how is it that Kyle ended up living with you, again?"

"He was kicked out of his house,"

She looked to Kyle, wide-eyed, "Kyle? You were kicked out?"

He shrugged, trying to make it seem as if he wasn't bothered, "Y-yeah, I…and Eric owed me for a favor, so…it's no big deal,"

"Well, I suppose it's only fair to tell you that Brandon came by,"

"He did?!" Kyle practically gasped.

Eric cocked a brow, "Brandon who?"

"What did he say?"

"He…came to see if I was okay,"

"Again?"

"Who's Brandon?" Eric asked again.

"It was Christmas, he wanted a present. He brought Staci with him too,"

"What an asshole! Get a restraining order for Christ's sake! What did you give him?"

She shrugged, "Nothing of consequence,"

"WHO IS BRANDON?"

Bernadette shocked them all with a short stop, Eric thrown between the two of them, his ass in the air and torso sprawled over the dashboard and radio. He groaned in pain as Bernadette looked down at him and muttered,

"Well, I suppose you're not wearing your seatbelt,"

Kyle pouted, "Hypocrite,"

Eric looked to Kyle, "Your safety is more important than mine, idiot,"

The redhead flustered a little until Bernadette spread her hand over Eric's face and pushed him back into his seat,

"What about Brandon, though?"

"God damn it, who is this guy?"

"My ex," She stated simply.

Kyle wanted to scream. It was so much more complicated than that! He was her true love! He played Xbox and he was a lawyer, he was the only man Bernadette ever loved and they had known each other since elementary school! How could she simply label him, 'her ex'? He sighed,

"And?"

"I hold it true, whatever befall; I feel it when I sorrow most. Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all,"

"Alfred Tennyson," Cartman interjected.

Bernadette nodded, "Indeed,"

"What does that even mean?" Kyle complained.

Before more could be said, they were parked and she was looking right at Kyle. She looked glanced to Eric every few words as she told them both,

"Look, no matter what happens now, it's out and people know. Your secret is no longer yours; it's the world's and that's something you've gotten the chance to cry over and scream over and panic over, but now it's time to be over your mourning and own it,"

She put a hand on Kyle's shoulder,

"Own it, Kyle. You are what you are, be proud, be strong. Own up to what you are. So what are you, Kyle?"

"…I'm…gay?"

"Damn right, say it again,"

"I'm gay…"

"Elaborate, Kyle, why are you gay?"

Kyle blushed, "Do we really need to do this, this is kind of---"

"Do it!" She ordered.

"I'm gay!" He shouted in surprise, "I'm gay because I'm in love with Stan Marsh!"

Eric leaned in, "Yeah? And what do you wanna do with him?"

"WHAT?!" Kyle blushed furiously; he was beginning to get the feeling that they were ganging up on him.

"Say it, Kyle. Own it, it's all you. It's who you are. You see, it's not what you want in your life that makes you who you are, Kyle," She leaned in closer, "It's what you're daring enough to get in your life that makes you who you are. So if you want a boyfriend, say it. If you want sex, say it! If you want to wear flip-flops and v-neck shirts, you do it, damn it! So, go on! Tell me what you want!"

Kyle's hands tightened, his face bright red as he announced,

"I-I do want a boyfriend! I do want sex! I do want to dress stereotypically, not because I want to be judged, but because it's tasteful, damn it!"

Eric and Bernadette laughed, both patting him on opposite shoulders. The woman smiled,

"No matter what they decide, you're a hero to us,"

Eric grinned, his eyes twinkling and enrapturing Kyle, tickling his bravery and making his chest swell with pride,

"Yeah, loser. I'm fuckin' proud of you,"


"I…I had a very disabling panic attack because one of my students and former acquaintances announced that I was homosexual,"

Professor Avinash cocked a brow,

"Is that so?"

"Uhm…yes, sir,"

"I am assuming these accusations are true, then?"

"They are, sir,"

He nodded, touching his chin,

"Well, I won't lie, I'm awfully disappointed,"

Kyle let his chin hit his chest, hoping to feel Bernadette's hand on his under the table in comfort soon. However he didn't have the time to think more on that because Avinash continued,

"I thought you had more self control than that. In any case, don't let it happen again. Consider every subjection to your anxiety another month added onto your teaching,"

Kyle looked up, "Sir?"

"What?"

"You…you said you were disappointed…"

"Yes, there's the self-control part and I was looking forward to you meeting my daughter, but no worries," He grinned, "I've got a son too,"

"Sir!?"

Professor Garner smiled cutely, "Vut, Kyle? Did you zink zat ve ver going to hate you for zis?"

"Well, frankly, yes!" He couldn't help the smile that spread over his face, "Yes, I did…I didn't think you'd take me seriously anymore,"

"Well, you're the first homosexual to ever get the chances we're throwing at you without incredible obstacles, but we're smart here, Kyle," Avinash added, "Smart enough not to have prejudices like that,"

He was speechless as Professor Boyd inquired,

"Was it Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart who said, 'Neither a lofty degree of intelligence nor imagination nor both together go to the making of genius. Love, love, love, that is the soul of genius'? Yes, it's what we live by,"

"Because the world is too dangerous for anything but the truth, and too small for anything but love so said William Sloane Coffin," Professor Palmer interjected.

Kyle beamed, "So…so I can continue working with you?"

Professor Avinash patted his head, "As long as you're willing to come to a lunch with me and my son,"

Kyle blushed, laughing, "A-absolutely, thank you so much! Thank you!"

Bernadette's sweet hand covered his shoulder, smiles reflecting each other around the room. Her hold was calming and like a lucid dream he felt completely accepted again, he felt like it was a secret again, like life was back to how it used to be, just somehow better.