"Fred!" Bertha called from the front door of the school.

Fred looked up from his spot on the sidewalk to see her running toward him, a giant smile on her face. He managed a weak one as she caught up with him and began their usual walk home together.

"Geez, what's up with you?" She asked. "You look like you haven't slept in days!"

He shrugged. "A lot on my mind, I guess."

"I think I know why…" She muttered, her hands in the pockets of her brightly colored jacket.

He looked at her. "I know what you're thinking. You're wrong."

She rolled her eyes. "Oh please. You've been thinking about Kevin just like he's been thinking about you."

"Why are you so for us getting together?" He asked harshly. "He's nothing but mean to me."

"Because I know that once you both put all your cards on the table and are honest with each other, you'll be happier."

He scoffed. "Right. You mean when I'm honest about my feelings for him."

"Exactly!" She smiled.

He stopped walking, she did too, and said, "So let me start with you. I hate Kevin. He's cruel, abusive and a complete psycho! The mere thought of him and I being together, romantically, makes me sick."

She rolled her eyes again. "You don't mean that."

"What makes you think I'm lying?" He exclaimed, a humorless chuckle to his words. He sounded frustrated.

She looked him dead in the eye. "Because I've seen how you look at him! You don't realize it, apparently, but I do!"

"What are you talking-"

"Whenever he insults you, you look hurt. Whenever he messes with you, you engage! A real enemy would simply ignore the attacks, but not you! You get this anxious look in your eye whenever he comes your way-"

"That's because I'm afraid he'll beat me up!" Fred nearly shouted.

"Tell me, has Kevin ever really hurt you? Besides call you names or make fun of you? Because I've never seen him lay a hand on you."

Fred opened his mouth to retaliate, then said nothing.

"You keep doubting me, Fred. But, from an outsider's perspective, trust me." She even put her hands on his shoulders to get her point across. "You need to come to terms with your feelings."

Fred stared at her. "I can't believe this is happening."

"What?" She asked, frowning in confusion.

He closed his eyes, let out a sigh, and turned away. "This. Having these…kinds of feelings. For a bully nonetheless!" He looked back at her. "I don't know what I feel for him, Bertha. You're right, I don't hate him. But I..I don't love him either! How can I? Even if he has feelings for me, he sure has a funny way of showing it!"

"Everyone is different when it comes to showing how they feel?" She suggested.

"Yeah, but putting me down? Making me feel awful about myself?" He asked desperately.

Bertha thought of her private talks with Kevin, knowing that he only did those things because he was in denial and he thought that being the opposite of what he felt would make the feelings go away. She thought of telling Fred but decided against it. Even though Fred Figglehorn was her best friend, she, for some reason, couldn't betray Kevin's trust like that.

She had a feeling she was the one he could trust.

"Look, love, or whatever you want to call it," she added at the look he gave her, "is tricky. So I've heard. It works in mysterious ways and the road is never just flat and easy; it's complicated and bumpy. It's going to take work and effort. The question is; are you willing to fight for it?"

"You sound like a sappy romance novel." He muttered.

"Which you read constantly! Oh don't deny it, I've seen your collection of Twilight books!" She rolled her eyes.

He chuckled and looked down at his feet. "Did Bella choose to fall in love with Edward? No! It just happens sometimes."

"I can't believe you just compared me and Kevin to Bella and Edward." Fred laughed lightly. "But, even if that's the case, it doesn't make much sense. I mean, this is just like when a victim grows attached to their kidnapper!"

Bertha chuckled and walked over, linking her arm with his. "No it's not. This…this is love."

"I wouldn't go that far." He chuckled as they started to walk again. "A crush, maybe."

"For now." She sighed. "But you two are perfect for each other."

He rolled his eyes and smiled. "How did you find out? I mean, you sound as if you've known about us for months when the kiss only happened a few days ago."

"I'm smart." She boasted, making him chuckle. "And I'm observational. The looks you give each other when the other isn't looking… I'm surprised I'm the only one who noticed, actually."

"Well I, for one, am glad you are." He admitted. Then he looked up at the sky and sighed. "So what should I do?"

"Well, you said you didn't want to make the first move.." She reminded him.

"Yeah, but I don't think he'll be coming to me any time soon."

Bertha smirked at the ground. "I don't know. Stranger things have happened, Figglehorn."

He looked at her curiously but decided against questioning the meaning behind her words, instead wanting desperately to change the subject back to Twilight.

.

Kevin paced back and forth in his bedroom, his palms rubbing together vigorously. Every few seconds he would look up and see Fred's house across the street through his window. The sight only formed a knot in the teenage boy's stomach and he looked down again.

He wanted to tell Fred how he felt. No, he needed to tell Fred how he felt. It was eating him up inside. How he had fallen for the zany boy, he may never figure it out, but all he knew was that he had. And now he needed to confront his feelings or else he might just explode.

This was going to be hard. What was he going to do? Just walk over there, tell Fred that he loved him and hopefully not get rejected?

Love. It was a strange word when he thought about it. How could he be in love with Fred? Maybe he was just deprived of sexual contact with girls and was suffering some kind of mental spell or something. It made sense…after he thought about it for a while.

But he knew the real reason. He didn't want sexual contact with girls. That was definitely a sign that he was gay, right? But then why was he so afraid to go after Fred?

This was getting ridiculous. Kevin always hated confronting his own feelings. And lately he'd been doing that a lot. He felt so pathetic, getting worked up over a boy who was basically insane.

But he drove Kevin insane.

The whole situation was insane.

Another few rounds around his room and he groaned, throwing himself onto his bed. If only he had a magic button he could push that would erase past events. To erase that kiss would be something short of a miracle in his book.

Suddenly he raised his fingers to his face, running them over his lips absentmindedly. He thought back to that day, in Fred's living room, where he got so close to the truth. He didn't know how else to shut him up. Besides, he looked so vulnerable and little in that moment.

How couldn't Kevin have taken advantage of it?

He dreamed of that moment happening before – yes, he was aware of how feminine he sounded just then – but he had. Granted it wasn't as abrupt or harsh as he had planned… But it still happened. And he couldn't deny that it was the best kiss he ever had.

Forget Judy. Forget Holly. Forget every other girl on the planet. Kevin wanted Fred. He wanted to stop being mean to him and actually get to know him. Well, get to know him on a more intimate level. He already knew everything on the surface, and he loved it, but he wanted to go deeper into that crazy head of his. He was fully prepared for it.

With a deep breath Kevin sat up, put his hat on and turned it sideways, and then stood up. He took one last look in the mirror, making sure he looked decent enough and not as wrecked as he felt. When he decided that he looked good enough, he placed his hand on the doorknob and yanked it open.

He was headed to Fred's house.