Chapter One: The Perplexing Doorbell Situation
Disclaimer: No I wouldn't ever possibly own TBBT good gracious.
A/N: Heyo, so I'm back to writing, isn't that a fun and exciting adventure? I deleted all my other stories because I wasn't feeling it anymore and all it did was get me really sad and stuff, but I need to continue writing. I need to push through the writer's block, so here this is. This is a story about Sheldon having a fourteen year old daughter named Elle.
Cautions: I won't do anything graphic, only imply it, really, but this does include child abuse. It also refers to prostitution. So... yeah! Erm, alrighty then. Enjoy!
Elle rocked back and forth on her heels, biting her lip in a nervous fashion, deciding whether or not to go ring the doorbell that would ultimately change her life forever. She was confused of why there was even a doorbell in an apartment complex, the wiring would be inefficient and the cost would be such a nuisance. Not to mention that as she walked up the many stairs, she noticed that none of the other apartments had doorbells. It was a ridiculous motion and she couldn't understand why a person would do that. It was most likely time consuming.
Elle snapped back into reality and away from the perplexing doorbell situation when she heard a door open and shut. Elle whipped her head around, both embarrassed and curious. Embarrassed because whoever recently opened the door could ask who she was, and, boy, is that situation a tricky and almost frustrating one. Curious because she heard quiet mumbling about how humiliating it is to be set up on a dating website by her own mother despite having a boyfriend.
Elle couldn't help but be fascinated with gossip, she was often the center of it in her town. Not because she was rebellious, or a superhero, or because of anything other than being the poor kid who just had to be stuck with the town whore as a mother. "That poor kid, she has no one. What with her mother always 'working' and her father who could probably be any man who has a wife." One would think Elle hates rumors and gossip, but she was curious of why anybody would believe it to be an appropriate pastime. So it was only justifiable for Elle to want to know more about the woman's situation with her mother and boyfriend.
Elle noticed the way the woman in front of her shuffled through her bag in a rushed manner, cursing multiple times, with her legs slightly bouncing up. She was late for work, judging on her outfit, which was too comical for day wear. Elle flinched when the woman cursed out loud, the "f word" bouncing off the walls. Suddenly, the door that held the doorbell opened up, with a tall slender man came out.
"Penny, did you forget about neighbor agreement number two hundred and sixty? Speak your indignant phrases elsewhere," the man snapped. He noticed Elle and frowned even more, if possible. "We aren't in the business for buying Girl Scout cookies. Go sell your diabetes somewhere else," the man said.
Elle took a few steps back, recalling the picture that she found in her mother's nightstand. He looks as though he barely even aged, maybe added on a few inches since then. It would fascinate Elle, if she hadn't been standing in front of the very thing that scared her more than Godzilla itself. Well, she wasn't scared of him more than the crippling fear of rejection that she knew would be coming her way. The man that stood in front of her was her father.
Despite her mother's "work", she knew that she didn't come from one little accident made by a married man or a sleazebag. No, her mother and father did have a relationship, and a very serious one at that. Or Elle assumed. She knew that the relationship ending was the catalyst for her mother going into the business of selling herself. The end of the relationship was the catalyst for a lot of things that made Elle's mother act the way she did to her daughter.
Elle wanted desperately to speak, to say anything, but she couldn't. She rehearsed this thousands of times in her mirror, even rehearsing tons of different scenarios, mostly ones that included rejection. But despite knowing exactly what to say, it wasn't right. This whole situation wasn't right. And it wasn't fair for the man standing in front of her. Elle decided what to do next. She would leave forever and never come back. As she turned on her heel to leave, she heard another man walk out the door and ask a question that Elle certainly wasn't ready for.
"Wait, did I hear Girl Scout cookies? I'll take three boxes of the samoas," the mysterious man ordered. Elle froze, hoping that if she had the power to become invisible, it would work right now.
"Samoas? Really Leonard? We don't need those in our apartment. Roommate agreement rule number-"
"We can't all live off tea and Thai food like you can, Sheldon. Put me down for an order for four boxes of samoas cookies please," Sheldon indignantly huffed and crossed his arms like a child, shook his head and muttered something under his breath. Most likely an insult, Elle assumed.
Elle turned back around and opened her mouth to speak when the woman, Penny, spoke.
"Oooo can you order me a box of thin mints, Leonard? Thanks, I'm running late for work. Bye Sheldon, bye Leonard, bye girl scout," Penny said quickly, rushing down the stairs, not noticing that as she was running, she dropped her phone on the steps.
Elle cocked her head at the phone, wondering how long it would take Penny to realize that she left it at the apartment complex. There were a few possibilities, and Elle was curious to see which one plays out. Very curious indeed.
"Alright, come on Sheldon, we have to get to work," Leonard said, going back into the apartment for a few seconds only to come out with his keys and a hideous messenger bag. Sheldon rolled his eyes and the two started down the steps, when Elle remembered the fight or flight complex.
"Wait!" Elle said as loudly as she could muster, but it only came out in a quiet squeak. But it caught the attention of the two men, who turned towards her. Elle took a deep breath, reminding herself to calm down. She knew the words she had to say, and she would be damned if she chickened out. All the money she spent for a plane ticket to here from Texas. The money she stole from her mother, who would probably punish her so greatly that it would discredit all the other punishments she got for merely existing. But, she knew it was awkward and the two men were probably going to be late for work, so she spoke in a defeated tone. "They'll be here by Friday." And with that out in the air, the two men started down the stairs, leaving Elle humiliated and purposeless.
And if the situation wasn't any more of a bust, Penny ran up the stairs to go into her apartment to grab her phone, but only resulted in her stepping on it. Elle walked down the stairs in a rushed manner to avoid the sound of cursing, leaving the phone shattered and the perplexing doorbell situation left unanswered.