Leonard and Michael Hofstadter sat in the back seat of the car as their father drove them to their new school. Leonard was looking out of the window, trying not to show any signs of nervousness, and instead was focusing on the buildings they drove by and the people who were walking on the side-walks. Michael was bopping his head to music he was listening to with headphones.
"I think you should both know I understand the difficulty of moving to a new city as I myself am adjusting to a new workplace." Dr. Hofstadter began to say from the driver's seat "Los Angeles is a different city to New Jersey and the people are different too. Don't expect people to warm to you immediately, but at least try to be friendly."
"Why do I feel like this is directed at me?" Leonard asked rhetorically and didn't look away from the window.
"Yes, you don't connect with people as easily as Michael and even your sister." He justified. "But I feel if you really tried, you could connect with people."
They heard Michael let out a laugh.
"Which rapper made the stupid punchline this time?" Leonard asked rhetorically, turning his head toward Michael.
Michael took his headphones out of his ears and paused the song he was listening too. "I was laughing at what father said, about you connecting with people."
"Michael, I don't think that is appropriate to laugh at." His father parented.
"Mother would also find it funny." Michael justified. "Leonard, you lived in New Jersey for almost seventeen years and how many friends did you make?"
Leonard glared at his brother. "Zero."
"I don't believe I need to present anymore evidence." Michael said with a smile.
The car drove up to the school's drop-off zone and stopped.
"Michael's rebuttal aside, my point still stands." Leonard's father said. "Just don't get too upset if it takes people some time to be friends with both of you."
Michael saw a group of very beautiful females in skimpy cheerleader outfits walking towards the school and smiled. "Cool." He said and got out the car immediately.
"I think I can deal with this new school." Leonard told his father "As long as I can keep to myself and not annoy anyone."
"That is not what I mean, Leonard." His father said. "I want you to make friends. It would definitely make this new school adjustment easier.…"
"The reason I was bullied so much in New Jersey was my intelligence was clear to see. I put my hand up to answer the questions with enthusiasm and got an A grade without trying hard." Leonard explained. "Those kind of actions rub people the wrong way."
Leonard's father sighed and shrugged his shoulders. "I tried my hardest. I'll see you after school, okay?"
"Fine. Bye." Leonard said and got out the car quickly. Michael had already walked off, possibly to avoid being associated with a geek like Leonard, so he walked by himself towards the some-what daunting gates of the school.
#
"Good morning." A teacher said as he walked into the classroom. Leonard was sitting in morning homeroom that performed roll call and administrative duties before actual classes for the day started. He had chosen it sit in the back corner to avoid attention. A class full of students had walked in but Leonard had kept his eyes to the floor or his desk to avoid any awkward eye contact.
"Before we begin today, I'd like to introduce a new student joining us at Pasadena high school. Would Leonard Hofstadter please raise their hand?" the teacher asked. Leonard reluctantly did this. The whole class looked towards him and for the first time he actually got to look at some of his new classmates. Towards the other back corner of the class was the stereotypical group of popular students, girls with perfect make-up and hair and males with large muscles and sport jerseys. The front row had what looked like the geekier crowd. One male had a red flash T-shirt.
"Thank you Leonard." The teacher said. "My name is Dr. Gablehauser, and I also teach science at this school. Which science class are you taking?"
Leonard knew he was taking the advanced class but saying that out loud right now would already make him a target. So he decided to lie. "I don't remember."
"Have you got your timetable yet?" Gablehauser asked.
"Yeah, it was in my introduction pack." Leonard said.
"It should say on there what class you are taking." Gablehauser said. "Make sure to look at it before leaving home-group."
"Sure." Leonard said with little enthusiasm.
The male with the red flash T-shirt raised his hand. Gablehauser gave an obviously annoyed sigh.
"What is it, Sheldon?"
"Can we move on to the roll call." Sheldon questioned. "This Leonard Hofstadter chit-chat is wasting time and to get everything done we'd have to started roll call three minutes ago."
"Fine, Sheldon." He said. "I just want Leonard to feel welcome at this new school."
"Given his memory abilities he'll fit right in." Sheldon said. Leonard noticed this response was not sarcastic at all. He also heard some of the popular girls giggling at this. Leonard looked at Sheldon with confusion. What was his deal? Why was he so adamant and doing roll call on time?
"Well, class, I want everyone to help Leonard feel welcome here." Gablehauser told the students. "If you see him by himself, talk to him and…"
"Four minutes behind…"
"Okay Sheldon! Roll call!" Gablehauser said. He started reading out a list of names.
#
Leonard spent the day going from class to class avoiding eye contact and casually shrugging off any teacher who tried to get him to introduce himself to the class. No one had talked to him like Gablehauser suggested.
The last class of the day was gym class. It was a compulsory class which meant he had to at least try get a passing grade. They were doing running races, and were being forced to run around the school's football field. Leonard knew this would trigger his asthma so he walked up to the gym coach.
"What do you want?" the coach asked.
"I'm new here and… well… I have asthma…" Leonard added. "If I run too much I get really tired out and sometimes blood comes out my nose. My mother should've told the school this..."
"I have not heard of this." the coach said. "I am not letting any excuses stop someone from participating. Now go run laps with the rest of the students!"
"But…"
"Does that sound like a question?" the coach asked with an angry tone.
Leonard glared at the coach. "I guess a trip later to the nurse wouldn't be too bad. I should learn where the nurse's office is located." He said sarcastically and begun to run laps. He did it slowly so he wouldn't tire himself out much but he eventually began to feel a lack of breath and had to begin walking. He saw some of the males in the gym class running past him on their second laps and all without looking at Leonard.
"No, zombies and mummies are completely different." Leonard heard someone with a thick indian accent say from behind him.
"They are similar but not the same." He heard someone else say. "Plusle and Minun are similar but not the same for example."
"Mummies wear bandages!"
"That's just a fashion choice!"
Leonard was interested in the conversation but instead of talking he began to just walk more around the field. The two people talking were now running past him. He saw it was an Indian and a male who looked like a Beatles impersonator.
"Clearly I'm not going to convince you. We need an outsider perspective." Leonard gulped when he heard this. He saw that they had both turned around and stopped running. "Hey, new kid!" The one that looked a Beatles impersonator shouted at Leonard.
Leonard pretended he didn't hear.
"Leonard Hoft..whatever." he was called again. He reacted to hearing his name and saw that they noticed this. He knew he would have to interact with them.
"Yes?" Leonard asked.
"Mummies and zombies. Different or same?" he asked.
"Um…" Leonard thought. "I guess if you get bitten by a zombie you become one whilst if you get bitten by a mummy you just… have a mummy bite and a possible assault lawsuit."
"So that means you think they are different?"
"umm… yeah."
"I told you Raj!" Howard gloated. "I don't believe we've met. My name is Howard and this is Raj."
"Hello…"
"Wolowitz, Koothrappali, Hofts…new student!" they heard the gym coach shouting. "Stop chatting and run, or you'll all get detention."
"I don't have the energy to run." Leonard admitted.
"He won't actually give you detention." Howard said. "He just threatens it to motivate us. Just do a light jog whilst he is watching."
"Okay." Leonard nodded and begun to do just that.
#
"You made us dinner." Leonard said with shock. Leonard, Michael and their parents sat around a dining room table in their new house.
"I want to have dinner with the family each night and ask how their day was." His father explained. "My job here isn't as extraneous as back in New Jersey."
"I think this lasagne is wrong, Alfred." Beverly said and had a disgusted expression on her face.
"How so?" he asked.
Beverly shrugged. "The taste."
Alfred glared at his wife and Leonard saw this.
"It isn't a culinary masterpiece but I think it tastes nice." Leonard tried to help.
"Of course you would say that." Beverly chuckled. "You have low quality taste buds."
"And we all know they were developed because of a… certain females cooking." Leonard pretended to think aloud. "Who was she again?"
"That is enough you two!" Alfred interrupted. "Can someone please tell me about their day and how it went."
"Well there are some interesting idiots at Caltech…" Beverly began.
"Not you!" Alfred almost shouted. "What about you Michael?"
"I've been asked to join the football team and they think I should become a student leader in student council. I don't know how many commitments I can take on since I also made some friends and need a social life, and some of them were female if you know what I mean." Michael said.
"Unfortunately we do." Leonard responded.
"And what about you, Leonard?"
"Well my gym teacher hates me because I have asthma. And most the students in my classes don't seem particularly interested in me. I'm undecided about whether that is a good thing." Leonard explained.
"Surely you talked to someone." Alfred said.
"Well there was these two guys but it was brief conversation during gym class. After that they didn't interact with me." Leonard said.
Beverly gave a laugh.
"It seems they knew who my mother was." Leonard joked. Beverly glared at him. "I can see why that would put people off."
#
Leonard closed his locker door with several maths books held tightly in his hand.
"Are you good at maths." Someone said behind him. Leonard turned around and saw Howard and Raj.
"That depends on your standards." Leonard told them.
"I noticed you are in our advanced mathematics class." Howard said. "We need a member for our Mathletics group."
"I don't participate in extra-curricular activities." Leonard told them. "At least, not voluntarily." He remembered all the activities his mother had forced him to do back in New Jersey.
Raj suddenly tapped Howard quickly on the shoulders.
"What is it Raj?"
"Kurt has just entered the hallway. I think we should leave." Raj informed.
"Damn it." Howard said. "I'll talk to you later." The two quickly walked away from Leonard and he wondered why they were in a hurry to get away. Leonard turned his head in the direction of his maths class and saw who they were talking about. There was an almost bald male with large muscles walking down the hallway. A very beautiful blonde female was holding hands with him. Several males wearing football jerseys followed after him.
"Who is that?" He heard the guy ask the female and point to Leonard. Leonard was surprised that he had noticed him.
"Just some new kid, Kurt." She answered. "He is my homeroom." Leonard did recognise her from the day before and that morning.
"I think we should say hello." Kurt gave a sly smile.
"I don't think that is needed." The girl advised.
"I insist." Kurt walked up to Leonard who reactively gulped. "Hello. I'm Kurt." he introduced
"I know." Leonard said.
"Nice glasses." Kurt said. "Can I take a look at them."
"No, I need them to see." Leonard explained.
"I'll give them back." Kurt said and quickly took the glasses from his face. Leonard heard the girl sigh.
"I hope you understand if I don't trust your words." Leonard said.
Leonard's vision was blurry so he couldn't quite see what Kurt's reaction was to his reply. He did hear the smashing of glass on the floor.
"Was that my glasses?" Leonard asked. He heard a chorus of laughing jocks. "I guess that just answered my question."
"Next time I promise it will be more than just your glasses." He heard Kurt say.
"Come on." Kurt said. "I think we've said enough. For now." And he heard the several pairs of feet walk away from him.
Leonard bent down and felt around the ground to find his glasses.
"Here." Someone put them in his hand. It was the girl.
"Umm… thanks."
"Penny!" he heard Kurt call for her.
"Sorry. Got to go." She told Leonard.
"I was just making sure they were smashed!" He heard her shout back at Kurt and then she left to go back with him.
He put them on and it was like looking in a broken mirror, and was probably going to give him a headache all day. He turned towards the group of bullies walking away and saw barely that the girl following after them. She was oddly mesmorising to Leonard. He shook his head after staring at her for a few seconds. He wasn't going to be tricked into liking popular students.
#
"There was this person named Kurt who dropped my glasses." Leonard was explaining to his parents at dinner why he was wearing one of his spare pairs. "He then promised to break something else of mine. I hope he breaks the promise to break something else of mine."
"That sounds harsh." Alfred added. "Do you want me to do anything, Leonard?"
"I think I can handle it father." Leonard said. "The best thing is to act like you don't care that they are bullying you."
"I think it'll be good for Leonard." Beverly said. "I've read studies about bullying being good for strengthening the mind."
"I guess that explains why you are so smart." Leonard joked. Beverly didn't laugh.
"Kurt isn't bad." Michael said. "He is the captain of the football team who just happens to be a bit rough off the field."
"Seriously?" Leonard asked.
"He and his football team are like celebrities at Pasadena High School." Michael said. "They are nice when you get to know them. They even let me on the team."
"Why can't you be more like Michael, Leonard?" Beverly asked with a disappointed look. "Smart, athletic and social."
Leonard gave a glare. "I guess because my life's mission is to disappoint you mother." He said sarcastically and stood up. "I'm not hungry anymore. I'm going to my room." And before anyone could argue he had left.
First new story for a while. I've had some writers block since my exams finished but I then thought of this. I know there have been many interpretations of high school in fanfiction but I wanted to give mine. And I wanted to write a more sarcastic or independent Leonard. I hope you can at least read the first chapter and give feedback.
Next chapter I will probably introduce Bernadette and Amy to the story and add more Sheldon, Howard and Raj. I just wanted to set up Leonard and his family dynamics first which may detract some readers who want Shamy (canon shippings in this story btw) out the gate but I felt it was important. As usual please favourite, follow and/or review if you wish to leave feedback. Thank you all so much.
Clint Cooper.