The New Friendship Turbulence

Chapter 1

UCLA: 9 A.M.

" What the hell are you doing Dr. Sersen?! You're going to cause an explosion in the this lab and kill us!", Dr. Christopher Dean Walker interjected as he placed his hands on both sides of his head staring at his female work partner. She was caucasian, stood about 5 foot 7, had emerald green eyes and had straight, long jet black hair. She was also wearing amber red wire framed glasses on her face which were protected by the safety goggles she was wearing over them. She was also very young who looked about 23 years old.

" Excuse me Chris?! But who died and made you in charge of this project?!", Dr. Max Grace Sersen shot back as she stared at him.

" No one! I'm just looking out for our safety! I mean, look at this! You have wires connected on this laser where they shouldn't be and on top of that, how many times has our boss told you not to leave your folders sitting on exposed wire like that?! Seriously, are you trying to kill us?!", Chris interjected as he pointed at Max's milla folders that were sitting on top of the exposed wires. Upon hearing this, Max decided that this was the final straw.

" Alright, you know what?! I can't do this anymore! I QUIT!", Max shouted in Chris's face as she ripped her goggles off her head and slammed them down on the lab table.

" Quit?! You can't quit Max!", Chris shouted back at her as Max picked up her belongings.

" Oh yeah I can because I just did! You know, I've been stuck here at UCLA for 6 years and NOBODY has given me the respect I deserve here! NOBODY! So you know what, I'm gonna go somewhere where they actually appreciate my work, my brilliance and any other contributions that I have made to science so far! You all can kiss my ass! I'm out of here!", Max shouted as she hung up her lab coat and tore off her work ID, throwing it to the floor before she stormed out of the lab.

" Hey! Where do you think you're going Max?! Get back here!", Chris shouted as he called out after her but she had already left the building.

" What's going on here Dr. Walker?! Where's Dr. Sersen?!", Dr. Sherman Wesley Gibson asked he entered the lab.

" She quit Dr. Gibson!", Chris interjected at his boss.

" What?!", Dr. Gibson exclaimed as he then noticed Max's lab coat hanging up on the wall and her work ID laying on the floor.

" Why did she quit?! She was a brilliant experimental physicist!", Dr. Gibson exclaimed.

" I don't know! She said something about being stuck here for the last 6 years and being fed up with not being respected!", Chris said.

" Well then if that's the way she feels then I guess I have no choice but to replace her with someone else.", Dr. Gibson said as he spun on his heel and began to walk out.

" Wait, WHAT?! Now wait just a darn, flabergasted minute Dr. Gibson! There is NO WAY that I'm going work with some random stranger!", Chris interjected at his boss.

" You said that about Dr. Sersen before and yet you've come to accept her. So how is this any different?", Dr. Gibson said before he exited the lab. Chris said nothing to that and turned back to the unfinished laser sitting on the lab table. It collapsed and fell off the table to the floor.

" Oh son of a bi**h!", Chris hissed under his breath as he walked back over to the table.

Max's apartment complex…

" Stupid UCLA! They're going to regret how they've treated me all these years! I'll show them, give me some theories and lasers to work with and I can move the Earth!", Max hissed to herself as she stormed into her apartment building and bounded up the stairs to her apartment. As she angrily babbled incessantly to herself while trying to unlock the door to 317, she was suddenly approached by a certain young woman who lived in apartment 314 which was diagonally across from her.

" Is there a problem out here?", Amy asked Max.

" No, everything's fine! I'm just upset right now!", Max hissed under her breath as she continued fumbling with her apartment key.

" Well, ok. Do you want to talk about it?", Amy asked.

" No not at the moment! I'd rather just go into my apartment and forget about it!", Max hissed. Then she sighed and said, " I'm so sorry if I'm being rude. I just quit my job and I'm really stressed out right now."

" No worries, that happens to me a lot too. Sometimes I just get overwhelmed with certain things but I find logical ways to deal with them.", Amy said.

" Really? What's your profession?", Max asked.

" I'm a neurobiologist.", Amy said.

" Oh that's nice, I'm an experimental physicist. Dr. Max Grace Sersen.", Max said with a smile as she held out her hand.

" Nice to meet you, I'm Dr. Amy Farrah Fowler.", Amy said as the two women shook hands with each other.

" That's a pretty name.", Max said.

" Thank you. Yours is too.", Amy said.

" Thank you.", Max said. When she opened the door she then asked, " Would you like to come in for a moment?"

" I would. Thank you for the offer Max.", Amy said as she followed Max into the apartment.

" Could I interest you in something to drink Amy?", Max asked as she put her stuff down.

" Tepid water please.", Amy said.

" Ok.", Max said as she rummaged through her fridge.

" So, you said that you just quit your job? Where did you work?", Amy asked.

" UCLA. I've been there for the last 6 years.", Max said as she handed Amy a bottle of tepid water.

" Interesting. I used to work there too but then I got transferred to Caltech University. Why did you quit?", Amy asked.

" Because no one there appreciated my brilliant work I've done. I've made so many sacrifices there just to make those ba***rds happy that I just got so sick of it. Is Caltech looking for any new researchers?", Max asked.

" They always are.", Amy said.

" Well, do you think you can maybe get me an interview? That would be greatly appreciated.", Max asked.

" Well, I'm not sure but I could try.", Amy said.

" Thank you Amy. You're already turning out to be a great new friend.", Max said with a smile.

" You're welcome Max.", Amy said as she returned a smile back.

Buzz buzz!

" What was that?", Max asked.

" My phone. I got a text message.", Amy said as she pulled out her phone from her purse.

" Who's it from?", Max asked.

" My bestie Penny. She's asking me if I want to join her and Bernadette for a Girls Night Out tonight.", Amy said.

" Girls Night Out? That sounds fun.", Max said.

" It is. Would you like to join us?", Amy asked.

" Sure I would love to. I've got nothing else to do this evening anyway.", Max said.

" Ok, well how about we meet up at my apartment later so I can drive us over to Penny's.", Amy said.

" Ok.", Max said.

" I'll see you later Max. Bye.", Amy said as she left.

" Bye Amy.", Max said as she shut the door. As Amy walked back to her apartment she sent a text back to Penny. It said:

Hey bestie, I would love to join you and Bernadette tonight. Would it be ok if I brought a new friend along? She doesn't have any plans tonight and she seems really nice.

The response back was:

Of course that would be ok Ames. What's her name?

Amy replied:

Dr. Max Grace Sersen. She's an experimental physicist.

Penny replied:

That's a pretty name. Sure, bring Max with you. Come by my apartment at around 8:30 tonight.

Amy replied:

Ok. See you later bestie. Bye. :)

Penny replied:

Bye. :)

Somewhere near 8:30 p.m…

Knock knock!

" Hi Max, you ready to go?", Amy asked as she came out of her apartment and locked to door.

" Yep, I'm ready.", Max said as she brushed her hair out of her face. She was wearing a dark blue silky t-shirt with the shoulders exposed and dark blue skinny jeans. She was also wearing dark blue heels on her feet.

" Wow, that's a lot of blue Max!", Amy exclaimed as she stared at her new friend.

" Is this too much Amy? I wasn't sure what to wear.", Max said as she looked at herself.

" No this is fine. Let's just go to Penny's.", Amy said.

" Ok.", Max said as the two women made their way down the stairwell. They walked outside to Amy's car and drove out of the parking lot.

2311 North Los Robles Avenue, Apartment 4B…

Knock knock!

" Hi Amy! Come on in!", Penny cheerfully said as she opened the door.

" Thanks Penny.", Amy said as her and Max walked in.

" Hi.", Max said with a smile.

" You must be Max! It's so nice to meet you! I'm Penny and this is Bernadette!", Penny cheerfully said with a smile as she gestured to herself and the woman standing next to her.

" Hi. Nice to meet you.", Bernadette said with a smile.

" You too. So where are we going for this Girls Night?", Max asked.

" I had a great place in mind but we're open to anything you would like to do too.", Penny said.

" Ok, although, I don't know what I would want to do so whatever you have planned is good enough for me Penny.", Max said with a smile.

" Alright then, let's hit it bitches!", Penny exclaimed as she grabbed her purse. As the 4 women headed out the door and toward the stairs they could hear sounds of shouting and virtual machine guns going off behind the door of 4A.

" What's going on in there?", Max asked as she pointed at the door.

" Oh it's just the guys playing Halo. It's Wednesday night.", Penny said.

" They do that every Wednesday?", Max asked.

" Yeah, to hell forbid a certain whackadoodle gets his schedule all messed up. We would never hear the end of it.", Penny said.

" Whackadoodle? Is one of them insane?", Max asked.

" No but he more so drives us up the wall with his nonsense. He's quirky and weird but you get used to him after knowing him for a while.", Bernadette said.

" Well, then I guess I'll just have to find out for myself. Whenever that may be.", Max said.

" Hey! That's my ex-boyfriend you're talking about!", Amy chimed in.

" Oh sorry Amy. Come on let's just go.", Penny said as she walked down the stairs. The other 3 women followed her. After a few hours of drinking at a nightclub the 4 women returned to Penny's apartment at around 11 o'clock at night. They were so drunk that they still had some energy left so they decided to have a sleepover. Penny drunkenly dragged herself to the stereo and pressed play. Instantly a thumping beat filled the air as Penny began shaking her hips to the beat of the music, laughing like an idiot. The song playing was a Danny Dubbz remix of Fergie's Glamorous.

" What the hell Penny?! Keep it down! Sheldon's gonna hear us!", Bernadette drunkenly laughed as she tossed her purse onto the teal colored couch.

" Oh to hell with Dr. Whackadoodle! He can't say nothing about this Bernie! He can just take his condescending, know-it-all remarks and shove them up his ass!", Penny drunkenly laughed as she leaned on her friend, drooling on her shoulder.

" Eww, get off me! I don't want your drool on my shoulder!", Bernadette drunkenly shrieked as she backed away from Penny. She quickly brushed her drool covered shoulder off with a look of disgust on her face before she started dancing.

" Oh lighten up Bernadette! It's not that bad!", Max drunkenly laughed as she began to shake her hips too.

" Yeah, it could be worse!", Amy drunkenly chimed in as she was dancing too.

" Ha! Good one Amy!", Max drunkenly laughed.

" Thanks Max!", Amy drunkenly laughed as the two women drunkenly high fived each other.

" Shut up you bi**h!", Bernadette drunkenly exclaimed. The 4 women continued dancing around Penny's apartment like drunken idiots, laughing and giggling as the music thumped off the walls. They were having so much fun that they didn't realize just how loud and obnoxious they were actually being until a familiar series of knocks thundered on the door followed by 3 repetitive sayings of " Penny!" in somewhat of an irritated voice which caused the 4 of them to stop dead in their tracks.

" Oh balls! It's Sheldon!", Penny drunkenly laughed.

" Well what the hell?! Go see what he wants Penny!", Bernadette drunkenly hissed at her friend. Penny drunkenly dragged herself to the door and opened it to reveal Dr. Sheldon Cooper who had an irritated scowl on his face.

" Oh hey Sheldon! What's up?!", Penny drunkenly laughed as she leaned in the doorway. The thin strap of her black dress hung loosely off her shoulder as she stared at her friend.

" What's up?! I'll tell you what's up Penny! To what do I owe the displeasure of that infernal racket coming from your apartment?! Do you have any idea what time it is?!", Sheldon irritatedly scolded as he crossed his arms in front of him, narrowing his eyes at her.

" Sure do!", Penny drunkenly exclaimed with a laugh.

" Clearly you don't considering the fact that you are obviously very intoxicated and you're being obnoxiously loud! It is after 11 o'clock at night! I am trying to achieve a proper REM cycle and so is Leonard! We can't do that with this obnoxious chaos going on over here! So please do me a favor Penny and shut that noise off!", Sheldon scolded as he joined his hands together behind his back.

" Alright, fine! Whatever the hell you say you whackadoodle!", Penny drunkenly laughed as she dragged herself over to the stereo and turned it off. Then she drunkenly asked, "There, happy?!"

" I'm not unhappy.", Sheldon said as he twitched an eyebrow.

" Problem solved Sheldon Cooper!", Penny drunkenly laughed.

" That's Dr. Cooper and it most certainly is not Penny! You disrupted my sleep with that obnoxious racket and laughter! I told you countless times that there is a building ordinance policy that states all residents in this apartment complex have the right to peace and solitude in their own humble abodes! Go to sleep and if I hear that noise again before sunrise you will all receive a strike! No excuses!", Sheldon scolded.

" Does that include me?", Max drunkenly asked as she stared at him.

" What?!", Sheldon asked as he looked at her. The other 3 stared at her as well.

" What?! Why are you staring at me like that?!", Max drunkenly asked. Sheldon stood frozen for a second and then he asked, "Penny, who is this?"

" That's Amy's new friend Dr. Max Grace Sersen! Amy asked me if Max could tag along with us and so I figured why not!", Penny drunkenly laughed.

" Interesting.", Sheldon said. He thought, 'She's kind of pretty.' as he stared at Max.

' So this is the guy they were talking about. He looks kind of cute.', Max thought in her head as she stared at Sheldon. She blushed a little bit but not enough to be noticeable. Sheldon just stood there staring at Max but was snapped back to attention when Penny drunkenly waved her hand in front of his face and drunkenly said, " Hello?! Earth to Sheldon! Did you even hear what the hell I said?!"

" Yes, I heard you. You don't need to repeat it.", Sheldon said as he looked at Penny, rolling his eyes at her. Penny sucked in a breath of air as she looked at the theoretical physicist. For a moment she felt intimidated by him by the way he towered over her. He was like a Praying Mantis compared to her.

' Woah, cute and tall too?! Am I dreaming this?!', Max thought.

" Oh Sheldon, you worry too much!", Penny drunkenly laughed as she leaned on him, laying her hand on his shoulder. The sudden contact made him flinch. He gently pushed her away and said, " Excuse me Penny, but, I do not appreciate the inappropriate physical contact upon my person. I've imformed you thusly on several occassions that I do not wish to be contaminated by any germs or other contagious pathogens that may be present on your body. I do not wish to contract some horrible illness or deadly disease."

" You big weirdo! I told you several times that I'm not contagious! What the hell is wrong with you?!", Penny drunkenly laughed.

" On the contrary Penny, you are the reason that I become ill in the first place. Remember when you came home from Nebraska after visiting your family? Or what about the time when I hugged you because you agreed to talk to Leonard about letting me go to Switzerland and not you to see the Large Hadron Collider?", Sheldon said with his hands still behind his back.

" Oh my god! Would you let that go?! That was a long time ago and for your information I did not get you sick! You're just crazy!", Penny drunkenly interjected.

" I reject that claim and I'm not crazy, my mother had me tested! Your body is like a large breeding ground for germs, bacteria and other contagious pathogens to which I do not wish to be inflicted upon my person! You very well know that I'm extremely germophobic!", Sheldon scolded as he got up in his friend's face.

" You are such a whackadoodle Sheldon!", Penny drunkenly laughed as she lightly tapped his face.

" Please stop touching me Penny! I am going back to bed and I suggest you do the same! Good night!", Sheldon scolded as he backed away, turned on his heel and stormed out of Penny's apartment back to his and Leonard's. Once the door to 4A slammed shut Penny shut her door and drunkenly laughed, " What a buzzkill!"

" Yeah that was weird, even for him!", Bernadette drunkenly said.

" Ah screw it! We're gonna do whatever the hell we want!", Penny drunkenly laughed as she dragged herself over to the stereo again.

" Penny I don't think that's such a…!", Amy drunkenly interjected as she looked at what her best friend was doing.

" Oh just shut the hell up Amy!", Penny drunkenly laughed as she stumbled over a little and smacked her palm on the play button of the stereo. The music started up again as she continued to dance like an idiot.

" You crazy bitch! You're really asking for it!", Bernadette drunkenly exclaimed as she started to dance again.

" Yeah I am!", Penny drunkenly laughed.

" Oh my god! This the best idea that you've ever had Penny! This is insane!", Max drunkenly laughed as she joined in again.

" Yeah it is! Shove this up your a** Dr. Cooper!", Penny drunkenly laughed. The 4 women picked up right where they left off being just as loud and obnoxious as they were before. But just as quickly as they started up again the familiar knocks thundered on the door again followed by 3 Pennys.

" What?!", Penny drunkenly laughed as she opened the door to see Sheldon standing there again.

" Ok that's strike one! I thought I told you to kill that racket Penny!", Sheldon scolded.

" You did and I don't give a care! You're really being a nutcase right now!", Penny drunkenly laughed.

" Ok that's it! Move aside please!", Sheldon interjected as he shoved past Penny entering her apartment. As he walked over to the stereo Penny drunkenly asked, " Wait, what are you…?!" Sheldon shut the stereo off, unplugged it from the wall and picked it up.

" I'll be taking this!", Sheldon interjected as he made his way back to the door with Penny's stereo in his hand.

" Hey what the hell Sheldon?! You can't just come into my apartment and take my stereo! I don't come into your apartment and do stuff like that to you and Leonard!", Penny drunkenly interjected as she rolled her eyes at her physicist friend.

" On the contrary Penny, you do that all the time and it's quite annoying! I am confiscating this because you clearly can't seem to handle it right now! So as such it will remain in my storage closet and untouched until further notice! Do not try to retrieve it in the meantime or you will receive another strike! Now as I said before, go to sleep! Good night!", Sheldon interjected as he spun on his heel and stormed out back to his and Leonard's apartment.

" Oh I am so getting that back! There is no way that I'm just going let that giant pain in the ass keep that! Strike or no strike, I'm getting that thing back in the morning!", Penny drunkenly laughed as she shut the door.

" You just love pushing Sheldon's buttons do you Penny?!", Bernadette drunkenly laughed.

" Hell yeah I do Bernadette! Let's just go to bed!", Penny drunkenly laughed as she went to her room. The other three women passed out shortly after that in the living room.

Apartment 4A…

' Ah blissful silence!', Sheldon thought with a grin on his face as he crawled back into his bed after placing Penny's stereo in the storage closet. As he tried to fall back asleep the image of Max suddenly appeared in his mind making it almost nearly impossible for him to achieve this.

' Oh what fresh hell is this?! Why am I suddenly thinking about Amy's new friend?! Am I really developing some kind of attraction towards this Dr. Sersen?! I don't even know her! I'm a Homo Novus for God's sake! Amy would never speak to me again if she found out about this even though her and I are broken up! Whatever shall I do?!', Sheldon thought with a frown as he sat up in his bed. He wasn't sure what the situation called for so he decided to bang his head repeatedly against the wall in the hopes that it would get Max out of his mind. Unfortunately this repetitive banging woke up Leonard.

" Sheldon! Stop banging your head on the wall! I'm trying to sleep!", Leonard hissed at his roommate/best friend through the wall from the other bedroom.

To be continued…