Chapter 2: Cracking the Peanut Gallery
A/N: As always, thank you for reading, reviewing and following. It is incredible to see that I have readers from all over the world.
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The guys are uncharacteristically silent during the brisk walk to Leonard's car. Sheldon welcomes the silence, since he expected that Leonard would of course take the opportunity to provide running commentary on what just took place.
The silence is a welcome relief. It gives me an opportunity to catalogue each of my feelings without interruption. Amy rejected my kiss. That makes me feel... disappointed . But wait, you agreed to restrain yourself from all forms of physical contact. Very well. I feel... happy that Amy received approval for her study. I feel... this is pointless. I feel flummoxed by Amy asking for time. Last year, when I left without saying goodbye to Amy, I hurt her feelings and she would have been rightly justified to break up with me. But, oh, recently things had been going so well. In the past year alone, we've kissed. We've exchanged I love yous, and we just spent the night together. It doesn't make sense. It doesn't make sense.
"It doesn't make sense."
"Are you okay, buddy?"
Sheldon's eyes narrow and shoot metaphorical lasers at Leonard's head. "I'm mumbling to myself like a deranged lunatic. No, Leonard, I am not okay."
Knowing that he would later regret this, but feeling obligated after what he just witnessed, Leonard asks, "Would you like to talk about it?"
" No I would not like to talk about it. I'm not a hippy! We need to follow Amy's car at an optimal distance as to see her in traffic but not so close as to have her become suspicious. A distance of 90 feet should be sufficient."
"Sheldon, I am not spending all afternoon following Amy!"
"Leonard, please. What... what if she has become involved with somebody else? I must know who this person is."
"Oh for... she's not cheating on you! There is nobody else."
"Then what other reason is there for Amy to so suddenly need this so-called "break"?"
"It may have something to do with that little black box in your desk drawer."
Sheldon looks around to make sure nobody, specifically Amy, is eavesdropping on their conversation. Seeing nobody else around, Sheldon stage whispers, "You know about the ring?"
"Penny told me... well rather showed me. Sheldon, that's a huge step."
"I'm sorry... Penny showed you? What was Penny doing looking through my personal property?"
2 weeks earlier...
On a rainy, gloomy Saturday in downtown Pasadena, Penny had decided to spend the day cleaning and organizing her closet in order to make room for Leonard to move things over from the guys' apartment. The guys were spending the day attempting to cheer Sheldon up. She wasn't quite sure what that plan entailed but as the guys had been discussing a hundred ways to kill Sheldon just last night, Penny prayed that this would work. They certainly did not need a repeat of "One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest: Featuring Real Cats!" taking place again.
As Penny stands up, she stumbles upon the heel of a rather expensive shoe. Breaking her fall by awkwardly landing on her bed, she takes a moment to catch her breath after having the wind knocked out of her lungs, before gently prodding her ankle. Deciding that she's lucky to escape with a mild sprain and not a full decapitation, Penny stands up, then squats down to see what it was she tripped over and picks up one now broken high heeled shoe. Knowing that the guys would likely have glue in order to fix this, she grabs her cell phone and keys and makes her way to Leonard and Sheldon's apartment.
Going first to Leonard's desk, she pulls on every drawer, only to find them locked. Having an internal debate with herself about the risk of awakening the wrath of Dr. Whack-a-Doodle, PhD, Penny brings up the camera on her phone and snaps a quick shot of the location of the contents in Sheldon's desk drawer before placing the phone on the desk. "Hey, that creepy Lord of the Rings doll is missing!" Penny says to herself. Intent on finding glue, Penny looks down and sees a small black jewelry box hidden in the very back of the drawer.
"Nooooo!"
Picking up the box, Penny opens it to find a beautiful princess cut diamond engagement ring in all its sparkling glory. Penny shrieks and drops the ring box.
"OH! MY! GOD!"
Quickly consulting her phone to make sure that the contents of the drawer, including the ring, are in their correct place, Penny exits the apartment, and texts Leonard a message with the picture of the ring box attached.
Present Day...
"I knew it! My white out was two inches from its proper location !" Sheldon smugly states.
"I know. You remind me daily. Sheldon, did you propose to Amy and she said no?"
"I think the more important question is did Penny tell Amy about the ring?"
"No. We were honestly shocked that Amy never mentioned it."
"Well how could she? I never had an opportunity to propose marriage."
Pulling into his assigned parking space at the North Los Robles Apartments, Leonard kills the engine before turning to Sheldon.
"You never... wow. We all assumed that this was what caused the break. We even had a bet on which movie you quoted as your proposal."
"That's preposterous. I was going to present Amy with the finalized version of The Marriage Agreement. For the record, I quite elegantly paraphrased Stardust when initializing Project PEBKAC. Now, if you will excuse me, Leonard, I would like to be alone."
"Sure thing. Oh, Sheldon, this time no cats, okay?"
