Sue and Paul had it all. Both had social skills, academic competence, and physical prowess. Both were dual enrollment students taking community college classes adjacent to their high school. They enrolled in classes together. They had known each other since middle school and dated through high school. They were sexual partners, as well.
In their senior year they took Interpersonal Psychology. A central idea in IP is that current difficulties in everyday relationships with other people can lead to psychological complications. The class required a community project to '... improve the lives of those around you.' They thought of Linda and Lee, who were also seniors.
Linda had been friends with Sue since elementary school, although they saw little of each other in high school. Paul and Lee lived next door to each other but had little in common. Linda and Lee were gifted students, headed to university with academic scholarships. They both lacked physical dexterity and social proficiency. Neither had dated and appeared to have no friends on campus.
Sue and Paul decided to help them overcome their social awkwardness by bringing them together. Their IP project goal was to get them to date each other freely. Then Sue and Paul could write their project paper for the class. Since it was common for nerds to self-identify as such, they decided to name the project 'Nerd and Nerdess.'
Step one was to arrange a small party. Sue's parents were out of town, the following weekend and it was perfect. They had a pool, game room. and a spare bedroom. Lee was surprised his long-time friend invited him to a party. Sue had told Linda the intent to introduce her to Lee. Both were reticent to attend but after much cajoling they agreed to at least stop by. Only one other couple was invited.
The night arrived and the two nerdles surprisingly showed up. The three couples ate some pizza and had some beer... except Lee who wouldn't drink anything but bottled water. Paul introduced everyone. Linda verbally acknowledged the other couple. Lee just nodded his head.
Step two was to get Linda and Lee to talk.
Paul tried. "I know both of you are in advanced placement. Have you had any classes together?"
Lee nodded but didn't speak.
Linda said, "We have. This semester we're in AP Calculus."
"Oh, so you know each other."
"Not really, no," Linda answered.
Lee shook his head, 'no.'
Sue thought, 'This is like trying to start a fire with wet matches.' However, she decided to give it a try.
"I took regular calculus. I passed but really struggled with the squeeze theorem."
Linda smiled. "The squeeze theorem is a limit method where we pinch or sandwich a function between two easier ones to evaluate an indeterminate limit."
She honestly believed that made everything clear. Sue was about to give up when Lee spoke.
"It's not that simple."
All eyes turned to him. Everybody was caught off guard since that was the first time he had spoken.
Linda replied, "Of course, it's not that simple. Can you explain it better?"
Lee shook his head, 'no' and walked away.
Sue whispered to Linda, "Go after him."
She gulped the rest of her beer and walked over to where Lee sat. He was looking at something on his phone. To her he was good looking. He was in fact attractive, but he had acne and wore glasses. His clothing consisted of black jeans and t-shirts. She hid her perfectly normal body under oversized blouses, sweatshirts, and long skirts. Her face was rounded, and her puffy clothing suggested she might be overweight... she wasn't. She just didn't want any attention.
"Hey," she said. "I know my answer was simplistic. I felt a more complete explanation would be counterproductive to the social nature of this evening."
Lee briefly looked up and responded, "Yeah, you're right. I just never know the right thing to say in social situations. I knew as soon as I said it was too 'simple' it was the wrong response."
He looked back at his phone expecting her to walk away. She waited. After about a minute, he lifted his gaze.
"What's got your interest on your iPhone?" She asked.
"Uh, it's an email from a gamer. He has a question about Baldur's Gate."
"You play Baldur's Gate too? I think it's one of the finest RPGs of all time."
"Me too. Most people can't get past the character creations screen."
"I know... right? Did you know it's powered by the Dungeons and Dragons ruleset?"
"Yep! The second edition ruleset," he responded, which was the most he had talked to anyone other than his mother in months.
They talked gaming, calculus, and social awkwardness the balance of the evening. Sue and Paul were thrilled to see them involved with each other.
Step three, leave them alone with each other. Let nature take its course... hopefully. They and the other couple left them alone to go swimming. When the four got out of the pool, Lee and Linda were still talking. Sue and Paul wanted to make love, as did the other couple. So, the four slipped away upstairs and went at it. When they eventually came back downstairs, Lee and Linda were gone... together hopefully.
They were together at a Starbucks, talking about the economics of high-priced coffee selling because of the social influences in society.
...
Over the next several weeks they spent a lot of time together at school and studied some together in the evenings. About a month after the party, they were having a study session at her house. They were alone because her parents had gone out of town. Linda noticed Lee was somber and even less talkative than normal.
"Are you OK?"
There was a long pause. Linda assumed he wasn't going to respond. But when he did, it blew her away.
"I'm no good at talking about myself and my problems. But I care about you and trust you and therefore I'm going to force myself to talk about something. Is that OK with you?"
"Lee, I like you too. You can talk with me about anything."
A shorter, long pause ensued. Finally, he took a deep breath and spoke.
"My younger brother plays on the baseball team with Paul. Last night he walked in the bathroom, and I was... uh, I, uh, I was masturbating."
"So what?"
"He says he's going to tell Paul, unless I help him cheat on a test."
"Eighty percent of male adolescents masturbate. He's bluffing you. Both he and Paul probably self-stimulate. Being honest with you, I engage in autoeroticism, like fifty-eight percent of females my age."
