Kevin was leaning up against a row of lockers as class let out, looking for one person specifically. When he saw them he quickly grabbed their arm and forced them into a nearby supply closet, abruptly, as usual.

"What the hell?" Bertha exclaimed, ripping herself from his grip.

"I can't go through with it." Kevin said almost automatically, an unidentifiable kind of fear in his blue eyes.

She looked up at him after brushing her jacket off, frowning. "What are you talking about-"

"The thing with Fred!" He stated, his voice rising a few octaves. "I mean Figglehorn! I mean-" Suddenly he threw his hat against the wall and groaned.

"Kevin! Kevin, calm down." Bertha tried, placing her hands on his shoulders. "People are going to hear you!"

"Well what am I supposed to do?" He asked almost desperately.

"Okay, let's just talk this out." She said smoothly. He simply nodded and she could see the red in his face slowly fade away. "What are you so freaked about?"

"Telling him how I feel." Kevin sighed. He leaned against the wall, looking down. "I'm not good with…feelings, alright? Never have been."

"Yes, but you're gonna have to be with Fred."

"I know that!" He shouted, getting riled up again. But when he saw the look she gave him, he looked down again. "I know."

"Look, all you have to do is be honest with him. Tell him how you really feel." Bertha explained.

"You make it sound so easy." He muttered. Then he glanced at her. "I just don't think I can, alright? I've been perfectly fine keeping it bottled up."

"That can't possibly be healthy." She rolled her eyes. "People aren't supposed to keep things inside! Ever heard of the phrase honesty is the best policy?"

"At least it would be easier!" He said. "Continuing how I am just makes sense. This way I won't be an outcast to society."

"And that's what you think homosexuals are?" She raised an eyebrow, her hands on her hips.

He shrugged. "I don't know!"

She nodded and took a step closer. "Clearly you need to be educated. You are the way you are, Kevin. It's not like it's a choice!"

"Most people don't see it that way." He pointed out.

She sighed. "Like I said before, you don't have to parade your feelings around town. You just have to be honest with Fred." She made sure to put emphasis on every word.

He was quiet for a full minute, then shrugged. "You're, like, his friend right?"

She flipped her hair. "That's one way to put it."

"So you know him better than I do." He raised his eyebrows. She nodded. "Well…how do you think he'll, you know, react when – if – I tell him?"

Bertha crossed her arms and shrugged. "I don't know, I mean…he wasn't exactly thrilled about the kiss when he told me." At this Kevin looked down, not going unnoticed by her. "But that's only because it was so sudden and abrupt-"

"Right." He rolled his eyes, pushing off the wall.

She saw that he was considering leaving, so she said, "Would it help if I told you he was also gay?"

Kevin looked at her, his eyebrows furrowed. "What? I-I thought he loved Judy and Holly-"

"That was before he came to his little conclusion about himself." Bertha interrupted.

"Well how did he realize that he was..you know…?"

"Gay?" She asked. He rolled his eyes and nodded, but suddenly Bertha looked to the floor. "Well, um, he found out after he kissed a girl."

"Who?" Kevin questioned further.

She was quiet for a second before saying, "Me."

Kevin's eyebrows went further up. "What? You like Figglehorn?"

"I used to!" Bertha clarified, becoming herself again. "It was a very brief period of my life. But yes, I once had a thing for Fred. Of course after I kissed him he realized he was playing for the same team so…"

"Wow." Kevin blinked, leaning against the wall again. "I never expected you to have the hots for Fred!"

"Oh don't act so shocked! You of all people know what it's like, so don't even go there!" Kevin, for the first time, chuckled. "I liked Fred once, now he's my gay boyfriend, can we move on?"

"I guess so." Kevin muttered, staring at his feet. Then he asked, "Were you really upset? You know, when he realized?"

Bertha shrugged. "Yeah, at first. But then I saw how much happier he was with himself. And, I mean, I should've known. The way he acts, the way he dresses…I don't know. But I don't feel that way toward him anymore. I think I was more just curious about him instead of actually liking him, you know what I mean?"

"Yeah…" Kevin nodded. "So, I should just be honest with him, just like that?"

"Just like that." Bertha smirked, her arms crossed over her chest. "Trust me, you'll feel a whole lot better after you do it."

"But what if he..um…"

"What?"

"What if he rejects me?"

Bertha saw how vulnerable and desperate Kevin looked when he asked that question. He reminded her of a lost puppy, and she felt the need to wrap her arms around him and tell him everything would be okay.

Of course she refrained from the first part.

"I don't like sugarcoating anything. It only makes reality worse. So I'll say right now that he might." She saw Kevin's shoulders slump. "But there's also a chance that he won't."

"What makes you think-"

"He was really shaken up after you kissed him. Usually someone would either laugh or just ignore it with their enemy. But he didn't. I think it's because he could have some hidden away feelings for you too. And he's dealing with the same thing you are."

"You think?" Kevin asked, hope flashing in his eyes.

"I don't want to get your hopes up, Kevin. That's just an assumption." Bertha clarified.

Kevin stared at the floor as he shook his head. "It's okay." He looked her in the eyes again. "That's enough for me to actually tell him."

"Really?" Bertha asked, her face lighting up.

"God, I hate being this emotional! I feel like a girl." Kevin groaned, rolling his eyes.

"Well, you are gay…" Bertha muttered. He actually chuckled as she smirked. "So when do you think you'll do it?"

Kevin shrugged. "I don't know. Next time I see him I guess."

Bertha nodded her approval and walked over to the corner of the closet, picking up his hat and handing it to him. "I'm really glad that you opened up to me."

"Hey, you were the only person dumb enough to actually confront me, alright?" He said, his tone almost threatening as it usually was. "Otherwise I wouldn't be breathing a word of this to anyone."

"Yeah yeah." She waved her hand, walking passed him and opening the door. They hadn't noticed that while they were in there, the bell had rung and everyone was in class by then. So she walked freely into the hall with him right behind her. "You can thank me later."

"What makes you think I'll do that?" He raised his eyebrows at her.

She merely rolled her eyes. "Oh, I just know it. Especially when I'm the maid of honor at you and Fred's wedding-"

"Shut up." He rolled his eyes, smirking, as he turned and began his way down the hallway.

She chuckled and called, "Good luck!"