*A/n Au where Sheldon's "popular" in high school and thinks he can get Amy for that reason, so he starts a conversation with the nerdiest girl in school. Also sorry I've been hella absent from here, I've been busy posting to Tumblr so sorry if you've already read this but I like keeping my fics in the same place. If you like this feel free to drop a review? I love you all and there will be a sh*t storm of one shots posted today (jk only like ten but I need to catch up) anyway see you soon!

It was seven in the morning when English class started for Sheldon on the first day of the new semester. There were some people he already knew in addition to new students, and he was quietly watching them all as they seemed to flow into the classroom in one large herd. Shortly after that all the kids took their seats and the light chatter in the room made him feel comfortable.

This school year had been going significantly well for Sheldon. He was glad his mom convinced him to stay and not skip; people seemed to be more friendly recently.

They also appeared to want to talk to him more. The past week Sheldon always had a place to sit at lunch, always had someone to talk to. The only reoccurring pattern he could see was something everyone seemed to do, and what he expected his friend Jeremy to do right then as he walked up to his desk.

"Hey Shelly, how are you?" the boy had black hair that parted so far to the right that it was in his eye slightly. He brushed it aside and gave Sheldon the friendliest smile he could muster, and Sheldon smiled back.

"I'm doing well, thank you for asking."

Jeremy licked his lips and nodded before slipping into an empty seat beside Sheldon.

"Listen, man, did you do that Calculus homework last night? Can you do me a solid and let me copy? I'm failing the class."

Sheldon gave his friend a look of haughty derision. "You can't fail, we just started." he accused in a matter-of-a-fact tone.

Shrugging, the boy began to look impatient, "are you going to give it to me or not?"

Sheldon handed it over.

With a quick thanks Jeremy was gone and back on the other side of the classroom, and their daily work was displayed on the board for them to get started.

Halfway in the middle of his assignment, however, Sheldon's eyes flickered to the corner of the room where his crush sat. All his friends knew he was looking at her, Erick and Ashly too, but he found he didn't care. The only thing he was focused on was the soft green orbs behind the glasses he adored, and the girl supporting them.

When she looked up and caught his gaze, she blushed and adverted her eyes. Sheldon watched her closely with a small smile before shaking his head and wondering what she could be thinking about in that moment.

Sheldon was surprised to find his crush not only in his first hour but also his third and fourth. In each and every one she seemed just as shy, and didn't talk much, but after stealing glances at her for the whole first semester it wasn't surprising. She was the smartest girl he could think of, and the most outcasted.

And yet, when he walked into the lunchroom that day, being pushed playfully by Ashly and Jeremy, he saw her sitting alone. She had a Doctor Who lunch box and supported a concentrated look on her face as it was practically buried in a book.

Sheldon admired her.

He figured he may have spent a little too much time staring at her, for Erick and Jeremy scoffed and pulled him aside, accusing him of being creepy.

"Sorry," he mumbled before taking his seat. His friends surrounded him quickly and each one of them leaned in.

"Listen, man, maybe we'll forgive you if you give us the History assignment that's due next hour."

Every now and again, Sheldon got overwhelmed by how many friends he had and how forgiving they were. This time, he had gotten distracted, but not by them.

"Yeah, sure." he remembered mumbling this while handing them a paper that meant little to nothing to him. His eyes were fixated on that lonesome girl in the lunchroom with the beautiful smile and long brown hair that suited her perfectly. Eventually, Ashly tore him out of his thoughts by speaking up.

"If you're so into her, doofus, just go talk to her," she pushed his shoulder lightly and pressed herself into him, wiggling her eyebrows suggetively. Erick and Jeremy both agreed.

"Do you really think I'm popular enough to talk to her, though?" Sheldon asked quietly with only half his attention.

Erick and Jeremy both scoffed while Ashly's expression softened.

"You sure are," she said, sarcasm still managing to drip from her voice.

Sheldon perked up. "If you guys really think so…" and shot up out of his chair, but while he was still in ear shot Erick yelled "Can we have your science homework too?!"

"Whatever!" he called over his shoulder.

When Sheldon approached Amy's table, he was expecting her to at least look up. She seemed almost trapped in her book, not noticing when he sat down or when he started observing her Doctor Who lunch box with a curiosity that would have made her smile, had she been paying attention.

"Anyone sitting here?"

At the sound of his voice Amy jumped. She smiled shyly and put her book down before shifting awkwardly on her chair and biting her lip.

"No…" she squeaked.

Sheldon laughed lightly and his eyes slid from her lunch box to her nervous face. "I like Doctor Who too." he said gently.

Amy nodded and looked down at the table. Sheldon then decided to ask her why she hadn't eaten at all.

"I don't like eating in front of people…" she mumbled, and Sheldon nodded sympathetically. He could feel the odd stares from his friends a few tables down.

"Usually when people do that, it's because they're nervous," he stated slowly. Amy didn't say anything but swallowed and fiddled with her hands in her lap.

"Please don't be nervous around me."

"How can I not be?" Amy asked suddenly in a surprisingly clear voice. She quieted down after that and said softly "Why are you even talking to me? You've got at least a dozen other friends."

Sheldon wasn't sure how to reply for a moment. Did he tell Amy how great he thought she was, how he'd always wanted to talk to her but only just now got the confidence to do so?

All these thoughts swam in his head before he simply shrugged.

"I can leave if you want," he said regretfully.

A short silence fell before them and Amy sighed just barely. "Don't do that," she practically whispered. "I like having you here."

"Good," Sheldon said smoothly with a small smile. His eyes moved down to her lips momentarily like they had been doing for a while, and in that moment he found himself wondering how far she'd let herself go with anyone before.

Maybe she would let him in.

"Tell me more about that book you're reading," he asked suddenly. Amy looked up at him in surprise.

"I know you're smart enough to understand, but would you really be interested?" she sounded so unsure of herself. Sheldon leaned in a bit closer and smiled lightly.

"Try me."

Amy seemed to perk up at his words, her posture a little bit better and her eyes a tad bit brighter. She had such a passionate, firey look in them as she spoke of her love for books and biology and science in general that Sheldon found himself falling for Amy all over again, just as he had the first time he saw her, and the first time he had ever worked with her in class, and the first time he heard her name from someone else's lips.

Luckily they had the entire semester to talk freely about whatever they wished, and soon Sheldon began to learn that friends weren't just people who asked to copy your homework for their own benefit, but were those you could connect to on a deeper level and feel where you belong.

Amy had been that person for him and so much more in the upcoming months that whenever he thought about it, Sheldon couldn't help but smile.