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“I’ll admit I’m a little out of my element with this,” Kowalski admitted as he took the seat across from Doris. While part of him was elated to finally have a chance to talk to her, it was embarrassing to admit that he was struggling with organic chemistry.
Although it wasn’t nearly as humiliating as having to use the university’s tutoring services to pass English. He couldn’t complain too much about the ordeal since he gained a solid friend as a result. A friend who was still willing to help him on those stray literature classes he’d been ignoring since the first semester.
“No worries, organic chem is a completely different beast from your standard chemistry.” Doris offered a bright smile. “Honestly, I’ve only survived this long because my brother, Francis, was the TA for this professor last year and I access to all the extra lecture notes.”
“Not only is that an unfair advantage, but it’s borderline diabolical.” Kowalski could feel his nerves fading as they talked. He’d been crushing on Doris since orientation and their interactions, while fleeting, were consistent. Afterall, they both practically lived in the STEM part of the campus due to the overlap of their degrees.
“I actually tried to get him to join us, but he said it would be unethical to help,” Doris explained as they continued to set out their notes and textbooks.
“I could see how that might be a problem.”
“I could too, but I just wanted you to meet him. I think the two of you would get along swimmingly. He’s another science nerd like us.”
“Maybe I could meet him another time, when it’s not going to violate any ethics.”
Their meetings became a regular staple of Kowalski’s life. Although Francis never joined them, always citing the ethics of helping them. Kowalski was secretly grateful for the fact that it was just him and Doris, even if she almost constantly brought up her brother. Honestly, it was sweet in a way how much she admired him and wanted Kowalski to meet him. It was almost like she wanted to make her that Francis would approve of him and had had to admit that from what he'd been told the two of them did have a lot on common. Even if was strange that he hadn't just been getting to know Doris over the last few weeks. Which was fine because it made him confident that she was interested in him. He hadn't been completely oblivious to the stolen glances on her part for the way she'd try to hide her blush whenever their hands brushed accidently.
Of course his plan was to ask her out once they were at the end of the course, and that deadline was fast approaching.
“So,” Kowalski started as Doris sat down, “our last project is just about done.”
“I know! It’s hard to believe that finals are in two weeks," Doris leaned back and fiddled with the small dolphin pendant she wore, "but it’s not like we have to stop hanging out. I've really liked getting to know you.”
Kowalski’s nerves increased tenfold at the thought of Doris wanting to still hang out with him outside of academic obligations. Once again he was proved right that Doris might be interested in something more than friendship. It seemed that it would be now or never.
“That would be great." Kowalski leaned forward and decided that it was now or never. "Maybe we could plan to get drinks after finals to celebrate?”
“I'd love to! Plus you could finally meet Francis. He wouldn’t have an excuse not to hangout with us and whether he likes it not he did a lot to help us.”
“Oh,” Kowalski fumbled, “it’s not that I wouldn’t mind meeting your brother. It’s more that I was just hoping that it would just be the two of us. You know, like a date?”
“A date?” Doris echoed, confusion written across her face.
Kowalski flushed with embarrassment. He's never hear the end of it from Rico or Skipper once they found out and it wasn't like he couldn't tell them. Not after they'd been teasing him about his plans to ask Doris out for weeks. At least Private would have sympathy for him. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have assumed that you’d be interested. Just forget about the whole date thing.”
“Wait, no I am interested! I just,” Doris stumbled over her words also growing crimson, “I just...kind of thought you were gay?”
Kowalski suddenly wanted nothing more than to curl and die. He started at her in shock for a moment before slowly shaking head. “No, I’m straight.”
“Oh my god. I’m so sorry.” Doris covered ger face. “I’ve been trying to set you up with my brother this whole time.”
At least now it made sense why she'd been so adamant about having him meet Francis. And as embarrassed as Kowalski felt, he couldn't imagine how Doris was feeling. He placed a hand on her arm and hoped to save the moment by pushing through it. “It’s okay. "Can I at least ask what made you assume I wasn’t straight?”
“I don’t know exactly,” Doris muttered as she finally managed to look at Kowalski. “I just never saw you out with girls. But occasionally, I’d see you being all flirty with a really buff dude with a mohawk and piercings or another guy who should looks like model and I’m pretty sure was the MC for Pride last semester.”
Realization dawned on Kowalski once more and he started chuckling. Everything suddenly made sense and it was hard to not find the whole situation at least a little bit funny.
“You’re describing my roommate...well best friend at this point and his boyfriend. They think it’s funny to flirt with me because I’m the token straight of the group.” Kowalski explained and vaguely wondered how he had ended up in such a diverse group of friends. It was only slightly less baffling than how he had ended up friends with people in the arts.
“I’m so, so sorry.” Doris apologized again.
“It’s okay, it really is. Now in hindsight I can understand why you thought that. “
“Still, it was rude of me to just assume.”
“How about you let me take you to make up for it?”
“It’s date.”