Physics is also awkward

Tanya's still struggling with what just happened with Chad in the hall when she walked into physics class. Her classmates are still getting settled as she crosses the room to join her lab partner, Josh. She passes McKenzie, who's coming from an exciting conversation with Kyle. McKenzie holds up her phone and shows a list. "Kyle gave me more hentai recs. He said he even included a couple he wouldn't normally share with anyone else but was impressed by my enthusiasm."

Tanya felt jealous that her best friend, Kyle, was sharing more with McKenzie than he did with her. She'd have to talk to him about that later. Tanya sits next to Josh, who she only chose as a lab partner because of Kyle's unexpected influence. In Tanya's mind, she never wanted to partner with anyone else. "Hi," Josh says, blushing. Like Kyle, he also long harbored a crush on Tanya, but while Kyle foolishly pursued her despite the bullying, Josh had pushed his feelings deep down. Tanya suddenly sitting at their lunch table and, shockingly, selecting him as a lab partner made those buried emotions explode. He had never entertained the hope that Tanya would be interested in him, but since the last lab class, he started to allow it. Just a little bit. And he was set to impress her.

"Hey, partner," Tanya says brightly because she believes having Josh as a lab partner is what she always wanted.

"So, um, I spoke to Mr. McDonald last week, and he told me what we'd be working on today. I was worried the experiment has a risk of messing up your nails, so I practiced at home all weekend to figure out how we could do it so that you could stay pretty, um, I mean, so we'd get ahead in the class," he blushed so hard his cheeks ached.

Tanya smiled. Yes, she considered him the perfect lab partner, but she also hadn't been influenced to see him as anything other than Kyle's friend. That bully was still at the forefront of her mind regarding Josh. She's about to mock his focus on her nails when Chad blusters into the room. "Sorry I'm late, teach. Football problems, you know?" He winks across the room at Tanya as he sits next to McKenzie.

Mr. McDonald writes in his attendance book. "That's two tardies for you already this year, Chad. One more and automatic detention."

"Yeah, yeah. It won't happen again."

Mr. McDonald starts the class, and everyone gets to work on their projects. Josh and Minh head to the back of the class to get the materials they'll need for their labs. As they do, Kyle turns his attention to Tanya. he was concerned she might take advantage of his friend's good nature. "Tanya," he whispers, "you need to be super nice to Josh and don't leave all of the work to him because he'll do it all if you let him. And that's not good for him. So...be attentive and enthusiastically ask him how you can help him every few minutes." He remembers what Josh said about her nails. he smiles and decides to give his low self-esteem friend a gift. "When he returns, thank him for complimenting your nails and tell him you did them for him today." Kyle figured Maggie wouldn't be too mad about what he saw as a harmless command.

"S-sure," she replies, "I'll be attentive, Kyle. Anything you say."

As Minh and Josh return, he winks at Josh and turns away.

"What were you guys talking about?" Josh asks as he sits down with the experiment equipment.

"You," Tanya smiles—her focus tight on Josh.

"M-me?"

Kyle snickers softly.

"Yeah, thank you so much for noticing my nails, Josh. I did them for you."

"You did? But you always have nice nails?"

"I know, but today I specifically did them to look nice during lab."

"Oh," Josh is speechless and frozen.

"Anyway," Tanya continues, "how can I help?"

That was enough to snap Josh back down to Earth. "Oh sure, yes, the experiment..." Josh explained to Tanya how she could help, and they got to work. Sure enough, Josh was happy to do the bulk of the work on his own for the both of them, but every time he tried, she'd ask how she could help. Josh was excited by her enthusiasm, so he'd allow her to help even though he basically didn't need it. He entered this partnership expecting Tanya to take advantage of him, but she wasn't. he felt terrible for misjudging her.

Tanya and Josh finish second after Minh and Kyle. After Mr. McDonald judges their experiment, he gives them an A-plus.

"We did it!" Josh says. "Thanks for your help."

"How else can I help, Josh?" she asks even though the experiment is over. He wasn't expecting that.

"Oh, I don't know. Class is almost over, so.."

"Surely there's some way I can help?" she asks again with a little bounce.

Josh swallows. He doesn't understand what she's getting at. "Well, um, can I get a closer look at those pretty nails?"

"Yes," she says, holding out one of her hands. Kyle is deeply conversing with Minh about this week's comics, so he doesn't hear what's unfolding.

"Do you mind?" he asks, gently taking Tanya's hand as if he wants to pull it closer. He thinks he might hyperventilate.

"I don't mind," she replies, even though somewhere deep inside, she's totally grossed out by Josh holding her hand. If anyone else notices, she'll be mortified.

"I love the detail. It's like a sunset," he says.

"That was the intention. Good eye," she was actually happy that he noticed what she was trying to do with the layering.

He bites his lip. Quietly he asks, "When you want them to dry fast, do you...um...do you blow on them...like this?" And he proceeds to softly blow on Tanya's nails.

"Yes, but can you not do that?" She didn't mind him holding her hand and looking at her nails, but blowing was going much too far.

Josh releases a startled sniff. He was losing himself in the moment. He'd never held a girl's hand before. "Oh my gosh, I'm sorry." He lets her hand slide free.

The end of class bell sounds. She says to Josh. "Anything else I can do to help?"

He was sure class ending would be it for the two of them, but was she suggesting she wanted to see more of him?