Woohoo! I'm on fire, yeah! TBBT is not mine, yeah! Let's roll, yeah!
It has been two weeks since Amy and Sheldon 'broke up'. Sheldon didn't contact her since then, and Amy is too scared to contact him first. Neither Penny nor Bernadette contacted her, too, so Amy assumes that everyone, except her, is happy now she's no longer part of their life.
Why wouldn't they be happy? Amy thinks. As far as I know, I was only a disturbance for all of them. It was just like what Sheldon had said; Amy was there just because of Sheldon. Now that she and Sheldon are no longer friends, Sheldon's friends, including Penny and Bernadette, don't have to play nice to Amy.
Amy has always known that she is different from the likes or Penny and Bernadette anyway. So, just like Sesame Street says: This one is different, so this one will die alone.
Amy thinks for a moment why in the first place was she offended by Sheldon's remark that she is alone and miserable. She IS alone and miserable. She feels so stupid, believing that maybe Sheldon will feel jealous about her wanting to copulate with other man. Sheldon doesn't jealous, he is just annoyed because Amy is just the same as Penny and Bernadette, a stupid hallucinating girl. Well, Penny and Bernadette are not hallucinating; they do have men acting crazy all over them.
And who on earth did she try to convince that she can have a man who wants to copulate with her? Amy chuckles bitterly, biting her lower lip.
Now that she no longer has the right to contact Penny, Bernadette, Sheldon and the rest of the gang, Amy decides to be more careful. There are no other persons she can call if she's drunk, so she gets back to the way she was before Sheldon. Alone, strict, and straight headed.
Amy walks slowly along the supermarket's hallway. She pushes her empty cart through frozen meat section and stops at the fruit and vegie's section. She decides to make salad and tuna for her dinner, with some cold milk. After dinner she will play harp and go to bed early, the routine she had before she started to have a real life.
Amy stretches her hand to get the only salad dressing left on the shelf while a man's hand stretches at the same time. Their hand brush and Amy spontaneously draws hers. "I'm sorry," she apologizes automatically.
"Oh, I'm sorry," the man speaks. "Please take it, Miss," he adds.
"No. I'm fine. Please take it," Amy says. She rushes to go without looking to the man's face.
"Ames? Amy Farrah Fowler?" The man surprisingly calls Amy.
Amy looks up to the man's face. "Hi! It's me Peter!" he says happily.
"Oh, hi, Peter," Amy says calmly. All the memories she doesn't want to remember rush back to her head. Peter is Amy's first crush. He was a basketball player in her high school. She once thought of him as her friend, but of course, like others 'friends' she had, he ended up hurting her.
But now is not high school. Even though Amy hasn't changed very much from high school, but she thinks Peter has. Amy tries to smile. "How are you?" asks Peter.
"Oh, I'm fine," answers Amy. Peter has changed quite a lot since high school. He wears formal suit and now has sharp and intelligent eyes rather than wild and energetic ones he used to have back in high school. He also seems kind.
Amy doesn't want to drag the meeting since she has felt awkward around Peter. She seems out of place talking to someone like Peter. "What do you do now?" Peter asks. Amy cannot really tell if Peter knows she is uncomfortable, but decides to drag their meeting anyways; or Peter doesn't realize she is uncomfortable.
"I – I got to go. Nice meeting you, Peter," Amy hates herself for being back to her old timid and scaredy-cat self. But Peter is someone from that very time, the most miserable time of Amy's life. Peter was a man that almost destroyed her.
"Ames, wait!" Peter catches Amy's hand before she manages to go. "Please, I would like to have a drink with you. Please," he pleads. Surprised, Amy spontaneously squeals.
Two of the supermarket's crews come rushing to their spot hearing Amy's distressed voice. Amy is so embarrassed and explains to the crews that she was just surprised because her old friend surprised her.
"I'm-I'm really sorry, Peter," Amy says embarrassedly. Peter makes her feels like her 15 years old self who felt unwanted and isolated. Well, thinking about it thoroughly, Amy always feels that way. Not at the times she was with Sheldon and the gang, but now she's no longer part of the gang, she starts to feel that way again.
"No, I'm sorry that I've scared you," Peter smiles, and his smile turn mischievous. "But…" he says, "I think you owe me for that."
Amy looks up to him, confused. "Oh right," she says. "Well, I can at least pay for your grocery," she speaks. It is a non-optional social convention to at least pay for someone's grocery when I unintentionally embarrass them in public, Amy thinks.
"Really, Ames, you are exactly the same as the way you were in high school." Peter shakes his head, slightly amazed.
Amy cannot tell if that's a compliment or a jibe. "Well…" she stops, doesn't really know how to respond.
"That's a compliment," Peter hurriedly responds. Amy cannot believe if that's truly a compliment; that she is still the same quirky, nerd girl. No fair, she doesn't even like geek stuffs. It's no wonder Sheldon doesn't feel any emotions towards her.
He must think of me as one of the guys, Amy thinks.
"Well, thank you," Amy responds.
"But, I don't need you to pay for my groceries," he says.
"Well, I am aware that now you have reached a certain position in your life where you no longer need anyone to pay for groceries. But I can't think of anything more suitable at this time on how I can make up to my foolishness," Amy says.
"You even still sound the same," Peter smiles become wider. "And I have one thing in my mind that can totally make up your little debt," he says.
"What is that?" asks Amy.
"I will pay for your groceries and you will allow me to treat you to a coffee," he says.
"I don't think that is a fair deal," Amy titles her head a little, trying to grasp the offer Peter made, which absolutely – according to her – was a loss on Peter's side. "I can at least treat you to a coffee," she offers, completely forgets that she should be avoiding him.
"A man should pay when he asks a lady to go drink or eat with him," Peter clearly knows Amy well enough to anticipate that she has a set of thought that is different from other girls.
Amy looks at Peter and asks, "Is it a non-optional social convention? As in you have to offer beverage to someone visiting your place?"
"Yeah, sure," Peter completely agrees.
"But I will still owe you then," Amy is not satisfied with the arrangement.
"We can forget about it for now," he says.
Amy ponders for a while and then nods in agreement, albeit still reluctant to go. "Great. I know a cozy place just across the street," Peter says happily.
Peter insists on paying for Amy's groceries, because 'it will be a shame for a man who doesn't do it'. Although Amy disagree and thinks that a fine man can pay only for his groceries, but she is an open minded girl and can accept new ideas, so she doesn't protest.
Peter brings Amy to a small coffee shop in one corner of the street. Amy lives in the neighborhood, but she never pays attention about places like coffee shops, so she is surprised to see such a lovely place in walking distance from her apartment.
After a nice waiter serves them (pumpkin latte and pumpkin pie for Amy; black coffee and scone for Peter) and bids them 'a good time', they stars to chat. "So, what do you do, Ames?" Peter asks.
"I'm a neurobiologist," Amy answers. "What about you?"
"I'm the new anchor in Station One. Just got transferred from DC," he explains. "Do you live around here? My apartment is just across the block, you see, the one with bamboo trees near the gates."
Amy is surprised to find that Peter lives three blocks away from her apartment. "Yes, mine is three blocks away. The building with pink canopy," Amy answers.
"Cool. We will be neighbor. We can hang out together all the time," says Peter, smiling. Amy just smiles back. She understands when people just act nice. There is no way Peter needs or wants to really hang out with the likes of Amy. Just like when they were in high school. A sharp painful memory rushes to Amy's brain. She feels a little dizzy, but tries to shoo it away because she doesn't want to act like an impolite kid. After all, high school was long over.
"So, any boyfriend?" asks Peter.
Amy shakes her head slowly. Peter's question makes her remember Sheldon and how much she has grown to love him. Now she cannot even say that he's her kinda-sorta boyfriend any more. Not even her boy/friend.
"Amy!" Amy is surprised hearing a familiar voice calling for her. Not very long Penny and Bernadette walk through the door inside the coffee shop.
"Ames, what happened to you? It's been two weeks. How come you don't tell us you've been back from DC? And who is it?" Penny says loudly all the sentences in one breath, leans in Amy's chair and smiles oh-so-sweetly to Peter.
"Peter, Penny and Bernadette. Penny and Bernadette, Peter," Amy introduces them.
"Hi, Peter," Penny and Bernadette greet. "Hi," Peter greets them. Penny and Bernadette cannot hide their amazement to Peter who is very handsome, tall, with dark hair and well-built body.
"Please join us," Amy says.
"Are you on a date?" asks Penny.
"No, of course not," Amy hurriedly responses. She is so happy to see Penny and Bernadette and slowly loosens up. They chat happily together.
Penny eyes Peter and her sixth sense for romance can tell that Peter has a thing for Amy. Poor Sheldon doesn't have a chance, she thinks. But on the side of table, Amy seems purely doesn't realize that her handsome companion glances lusting hints towards her.
"Ames was so kind and cool back in high school," Peter explains to Penny and Bernadette. "I bet she is until now," he adds.
"Oh, yes, she is," Bernadette responses happily. "By the way, why didn't you contact us when you got back Amy?" asks Bernadette.
"I never went anywhere," says Amy.
"What? But Sheldon told us that you went to some seminar in DC. What's the deal? What happened since two weeks ago?" Penny asks confusedly.
"Sheldon told you that?" asks Amy. "Well, that was not what happened. He was angry with me and ended our relationship. And he also said that he would forbid all of you from befriending me. So that's why I didn't contact you. I thought that all of you have ended up hating me." Amy explains.
"What?" Penny tries hard to calm her revolting mind. Both of her and Bernadette look at Peter, who seems at lost to what is happening.
But Peter wasn't at lost at all. "Sheldon was your boyfriend?" he asks.
"No. We were just friend," answers Amy. But her painful eyes completely betray her.
Peter looks at Amy and Bernadette. "I don't know what they were. They were kinda… unique, if you know what I mean," Penny says, shrugging.
Peter nods understandingly. If Amy is still the same girl he knew back in high school, he certainly knows for sure what Penny meant. He is intrigued, by the way, about this Sheldon guy.
"Why did you fight anyway?" asks Penny.
Amy glances towards Peter, frankly uncomfortable to tell Penny and Bernadette about that matter. "Maybe we should talk about it later," Bernadette says.
"Well, it's been very nice to meet you, Amy," Peter holds Amy's hand and stands up. "Ladies," he nods to Penny and Bernadette. "Can I call you sometimes?" he asks Amy.
"Oh, yes of course," Amy is a little stunned by the touch. Peter waits. "I think you should give him your number," Penny elbows Amy.
"Oh-oh, yes. I'm sorry," Amy stutters. Penny hands a pen and Amy writes her number and email address on a paper napkin.
"I will call you," he promises and walks out of the coffee shop.
Penny and Bernadette watches Peter walking away until he disappears from their sight. "Oh, wow!" Bernadette sighs.
"Yeah, you don't see many of that," Penny says, exhales, and sips her latte.
"I think he likes you, Amy," Bernadette says in her gossipish way.
"No, no, no way," Amy shakes her head and hands.
"So, what's happened?" Penny asks. Amy tells them the entire story.
"That little…" Penny is so furious because Sheldon jeopardized Amy's relationship with her and Bernadette in order to gain advantage of his stupidity and selfishness.
But she knows that the only way to get back to Sheldon is by playing his game. And if she is still the same Penny that can – figuratively – smell pssion from miles away, they have just the man that can actually beats Sheldon to pulp – figuratively and literally.
Why a whole new character? Because I think there should be some normal people out there who can actually like Amy. I mean Sheldon got girls who want to jump his bone in some events (even though he didn't realize nor care). So why can't Amy?
Of course I know this chapter is kinda boring because there's no Sheldon-Amy interaction. And I don't think I managed to bring out Peter as Sheldon's worthy rival just right. So, please dear readers, constructive critics are always warmly welcomed.
Ps: Just pretend that the Flaming Spittoon Acquisition never happened in my TBBT universe. I love the episode, but it will clash with my story.