The next day unfolded with a familiar strain of awkwardness hanging between Milo Tanner and Coach Vanessa Hart. In the hallway outside the science wing, their paths crossed again, Milo hauling his gym bag and Vanessa striding toward the athletic offices. He kept his eyes on the floor, but when he glanced up, she was already looking at him--or rather, past him, then down, then back up with a quick, guilty jerk of her head.
"Uh--hey, Coach," he mumbled, shifting his bag to his other shoulder, the straps digging into his skin.
"Hey, Milo," she replied, her voice a little too bright. She clutched her clipboard tighter, her knuckles whitening. "Good... uh... morning. You ready for practice later?" Her eyes flicked downward again, and she coughed, covering it with a fist.
"Yeah, totally," he said, nodding too fast, his sandy hair flopping into his eyes. He sidestepped past her, feeling her gaze linger somewhere below his beltline, and hurried off, his cheeks burning.
The day rolled on much like the one before. Gym class was a minefield of stolen glances--Vanessa barking orders from the front, Milo hiding in the back, his oversized shorts doing little to ease his paranoia. Practice was business as usual, the pool alive with splashes and shouts, Milo darting through the water like a fish, Vanessa pacing the deck with her whistle. Their exchanges were clipped, professional, but the air crackled with unspoken memory.As the team dispersed into the evening, Milo and Vanessa, unbeknownst to each other, had parked side by side in the lot. Milo was fumbling with his keys, his beat-up Honda Civic dwarfed by Vanessa's sleek black SUV, when she emerged from the building, her gym bag slung over her shoulder. They both froze, keys in hand, staring at their vehicles.
"Oh--uh--hey, Coach," Milo said, his voice cracking as he gestured at the cars. "Didn't know you parked... right here. Next to me. In this... big... spot."
Vanessa laughed, a nervous hiccup of sound, and adjusted her bag. "Yeah, didn't plan that. Guess I didn't notice your... little car next to my... uh... bigger one." She winced as soon as the words left her mouth, her eyes darting to his groin and back up. "Not that size matters--or, uh, I mean--God, forget I said that."
He rubbed the back of his neck, his keys jangling. "No, it's fine. I get it. Small car, big... uh... parking lot. Whatever." He shuffled his feet, the asphalt crunching under his sneakers, and they both stood there, drowning in the awkwardness.
"So, uh, how's your day been?" she asked, desperate to pivot. "Classes okay?"
"Yeah, mostly," he said, shrugging. "Practice was good. English is kinda kicking my ass, though. Got this Macbeth essay due, and I'm, like, drowning in all the 'thane' and 'dagger' stuff."
Vanessa's face lit up, a rare break in the tension. "Macbeth, huh? You know, I actually majored in English back in the day. Before all this--" She waved vaguely at the aquatic center. "If you're struggling, you're welcome to swing by my place. I could help you out, no pressure. Tutor session, you know? I feel kinda bad about... yesterday, so... yeah."
Milo blinked, caught off guard. "Oh--uh--really? That'd be... cool, I guess. I mean, if you're sure. I don't wanna, like, impose or anything."
"No imposition," she said, too quickly. "Seriously, come by. It's the least I can do." She scribbled her address on a corner of her clipboard, tore it off, and handed it to him. "Follow me over?"
"Yeah, okay," he said, taking the paper with a shaky hand. They climbed into their cars, Milo trailing her SUV through the quiet streets to a modest bungalow on the edge of campus.
As they walked up the pathway, an older neighbor--gray-haired and nosy--waved from her porch. "Evening, Vanessa! Who's this?"