"He kissed you?" Bertha asked, her eyes wide.
Fred simply nodded, still shaken up by the whole ordeal. But he looked at his friend when she clapped her hands together. "Aw, that's so sweet!"
"How on earth is that sweet?" He looked at her like she's grown a second head.
Bertha rolled her eyes. "Obviously Kevin is in love with you." Now Fred looked at her like she'd grown a third head. "He was just too afraid to show it all these years."
"Okay, what is wrong with you?"
She gave him a look. "Think about it. Why else would he kiss you?" Fred opened his mouth to respond, then realized he had nothing. "Exactly."
"I highly doubt that Kevin is in love with me, Bertha." Fred scoffed.
But she was already in the middle of her thoughts. "And that's why he's always so mean to you." She looked at Fred like she'd just discovered the cure for cancer. "He was making it seem like he hated you to mask his true feelings!"
Fred shook his head and stood up from the couch, beginning to pace around the room. Bertha sighed, a smile on her face. "This is like a Nicholas Sparks novel, just with a twist because you're both guys."
"Bertha-"
"You two actually would be cute together. And this is really romantic, if you think about it. The bad boy, Kevin, falls for the dork, Fred, who-"
"No!" Fred shouted, cutting her short. "This is not romantic, okay?"
"What's your problem?" She asked, her eyebrows raised.
"This is Kevin. He bullied me, tormented me, for most of my life!" Bertha's expression deflated. "He's been mean, rude, abusive..." Fred started to number them off on his fingers.
"Maybe he's not really like that-"
"He's a jerk, Bertha!" Fred clarified. "And even if he was in love with me, which he isn't, I wouldn't give him a chance!" Bertha gasped. "Why would I?"
"Because..." She began. Then she snapped her fingers. "Because everyone deserves a second chance!"
"Not him." Fred crossed his arms.
"Come on, Fred." Bertha sighed. "You're better than that."
He just looked at her. "Would you give Hitler a second chance?"
"You really put Kevin in the same category as Hitler?"
Fred scoffed and began pacing again. "No. But I still don't believe that he's in love with me."
"You never know until you talk to him." Bertha suggested.
"I am not making the first move!" Fred stated, looking almost appalled. "He kissed me, he initiates the first move!"
"Fred-"
"I'll see you tomorrow." Fred muttered, running off to his bedroom.
Bertha watched him go before leaning back against the sofa cushions and sighing. This wasn't right. They had to talk to each other.
And she'd make sure of it.