A/N Hello everyone. This is not my first BBT fanfiction, mind you. This is going to be Leonard/OC, written in first person, unlike my previous one, which was written in third person narrative with Sheldon/OC. This is a romantic comedy- picture it as a Jennifer Aniston-like movie, such as She's Funny That Way or The Breakup. Tell me if I should continue this or not.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Big Bang Theory. I only own my character, Sophie.

Chapter One

I had always thought of love as a game. A pointless game, that is. One person falls hopelessly in love, and the other either doesn't return it or gets their heart broken for all eternity.

I thought this as I walked to my current boyfriend's apartment. He was thirty, employed, good-looking, well-groomed and didn't have any unnecessary bodily modifications or piercings. He usually wore clean clothes (unless it was the weekend) and showered daily. He met all of my standards.

So, why was I dumping him, you ask?

The answer is simple: I wanted to be free. I was like a bird without wings. (Okay, maybe that was a bit dramatic- but being in a relationship, I felt as if I was caged in.) I pocketed my cell phone and reached up, my hand shaking as I knocked the door.

Jake's voice came from inside, muffled: "Come in." He didn't even bother to ask who it was. I shook my head and opened the door, stepping in and dropping my purse on the counter nearby.

Jake emerged holding a cup of coffee. He was wearing a blue T-shirt, khakis, and no shoes. His spiky black hair looked like it had been gelled back.

"Hello, beautiful." He set his half-empty coffee cup on the table and looped his arms around my shoulders. "How are you?"

"Good." I felt almost guilty. Here he was thinking we were hanging out, and I was actually going to break up with him. "Listen," I said slowly, backing up, "we need to talk."

"About what?" Jake picked up his coffee cup and sniffed it like he was going to snort it up his nose.

I winced. These were the types of immature behaviors that got my goat- not only did I want to be free, but he was thirty-some and still acted like a college kid, maybe younger, and had the mental capacity of, oh, I don't know, a high school boy. This is why he had to go. But hey, at least he was employed.

"About us," I said as he sat down, tapping his foot neurotically. How could I have not noticed how neurotic he was until now?

"You want to talk about the United States?" He looked at me with a genuine confused stare.

I felt like smacking my forehead, then and there. "No." Idiot. "I meant as in our relationship."

"I think it's going pretty well," Jake decided, trailing his fingers up and down my leg. "What do you think, Miss Sophie?" He spoke in that low, seductive voice that always made chills run up and down my spine.

I shuddered and threw his hand off. "I think we need...a break."

"A break?" He looked at me. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means," I said slowly, inching further away from him- I hated to seem cold and distant, but what had to be done, had to be done- "that we need to separate ourselves for awhile. To think about our future."

"I can't wait to have a future with you." Jake kissed my forehead, running his hands through my hair.

Though I knew I shouldn't encourage him, I embraced him. "I know, me too." I felt terrible for lying. "But I really think," I continued, moving back into my open space, "that we need to separate. At least for awhile. Until, you know, we sort everything out."

"But we can sort everything out together now," Jake whined, drawing out the "now" like a child.

"I know, sweetie." I patted his hand. "Everything will work out in due time."

He shrugged and turned on the TV, scrolling through the channels. I reached for the other remote to turn the volume down. Another thing that drove me crazy- he usually wanted to watch TV, but I wanted to talk.

While I was fumbling for the remote, I felt something soft and foamy, almost frilly, within the couch cushions. I frowned, plucking the material out. I nearly choked on my breath when I saw what it was.

"What the hell is this?" I held up a lacy heart-shaped bra.

He blushed furiously, then turned pale, then blushed again. Finally, he blurted out, "I- I don't know. Isn't it yours?"

"Yeah, right." Like I'd wear something like this. "How long have you been sleeping with someone else?"

Jake sighed, dropping his hands down to his sides. "About a month now," he mumbled almost inaudibly.

Instead of sadness, I felt fury rise within me. "How could you!" I shoved him, then stood, walking briskly.

"Sophie, baby," he begged, following me into the kitchen. "I can change-"

I cut him off. "No need," I spat bitterly. "I've heard it all before."

"Baby girl, please-" he reached out, touching my shoulder, but I pried his fingers off me.

"Get off me," I snapped. "And I'm not your baby." I opened the door, slinging my purse over my shoulder. "Don't ever speak to me again."

He didn't call after me anymore. He didn't have to.

Because I was gone.

I exhaled, setting down the box.

"Well," Savanna said, brushing her hands together, "that should be everything. How does it look?"

I looked around. Although practically bare, the new apartment looked wonderful- I'd already set up a couch, a small television, and gotten my things set up, my bed made and done. All I needed was to buy food and supplies and I'd b be completely settled in.

"It looks great," I said. "Thanks."

"There are some really nice people down the hallway," Savanna told me. "There's a married couple that lives across from you. And a younger girl."

"Well, thanks." Maybe I did need some socializing.

"One of them's a doctor," she continued. "He's really cute."

"Savanna, I don't need a boyfriend," I told her. "Like Elsa in the movie Frozen said, 'You don't need a prince to save you.'"

She sighed. "I can't battle quotes with you because, unlike you, I'm not a Disney fanatic."

"Damn right," I said, and she laughed. I smiled, because I would have done the same thing.

She reached into her bra.

"What are you doing?" I asked, frowning. She kept everything in her bra, from personal ID's to books and business cards.

"I got us some wine." Savanna held up a wine bottle.

"You kept that in your bra?" I burst out laughing. "That is actually great!"

"Hell yeah," Savanna said.