Penny knew she was setting herself up for a summer of being Sheldon's personal driver. And she knew the minute Raj got wind of the fact that she needed Sheldon's help, she'd be driving Sheldon to work too. Of course Amy drives him places, but with her own work schedule, she's hardly at his beck and call.

Penny looked down at her script. She wanted to be better. She needed to be better. She needed to make Sarah come alive the way she did in her own mind.

As her many acting classes taught her, the first step to identifying with a character was learning about the character, either through research or developing a backstory for them. It's easier to act like someone when you actually know who they are. From the text, Penny knew some basics about her upbringing. She was born in the suburbs of Philadelphia. She was pretty smart and went to college on a partial scholarship. And she dated some guy in high school on and off for two years.

Not exactly my life…

Sarah seemed enamored by the professor for a few reasons. For starters, he was extremely knowledgeable in his field. Sarah respected him in a way she never respected her other teachers. More so, he didn't boast about it. He didn't speak in a presumptuous manner. He came across as your normal, attractive male with a keen sense of humor and an infectious smile. But he'd be hard-pressed to lose in a battle of wits. They had a clear connection, and against Sarah's better judgment, she allowed this connection to supersede the forbidden student/teacher relationship. He stood in front of her, lecturing to a room of 50 students, and yet she'd forget that he was her professor.

At the end of the play, they didn't end up together, but Sarah clearly learned to look at the world as an adult. She learned that it's not enough to just want something; you need to look at the road ahead and be smart about what may try to stop you in your pursuit.

God, I would have killed to be as smart as her at that age. Instead, I followed a jerk and ended up alone with a dead-end job. Granted I'm not alone now, so it all worked out for the better. It just took me a lot longer to get here. And I still don't have a real job. Maybe the show will get a decent review and help me get my name out there. It's just a local theater, but you never know.

Penny thought about Sarah's past for a moment. Perhaps meeting someone essentially "better" than her lowered her self-confidence. No, it didn't seem like a confidence issue. Maybe she just generally became obsessed with him in a creepy, Hollywood fashion. Penny chuckled. Sarah was too well grounded to go crazy like that. Maybe Sarah was used to getting her way and became obsessed with the professor since he was unobtainable.

Yes. I like it. She pursued him because she knew it was taboo. She knew it would be amazing, and yet almost impossible to pull off. Sarah had to have him because she couldn't bear the idea of not having him.

Penny liked having a motive behind some of Sarah's "bat-crap" crazy scenes. She rolled over on the couch and looked at her clock.

9:02pm. I bet Sheldon has just thrown everyone out. Perhaps now is a good time to ask him.

Penny got up and ran across the hall. For the first time in a while, she knocked. Sheldon answered the door, slightly baffled by seeing Penny.

"Can I help you?" He asked.

"Yeah I need to ask you something, can I come in?"

Sheldon normally would have said something about her interrupting his preparation for bed, but he didn't want to chastise her on a night when she was actually being polite.

"Alright." He said, as he motioned for her to enter the apartment. He closed the door behind her and walked to his spot to sit down.

Penny sat down on the other end of the couch. "So you know how you helped me run lines for my audition the other day?"

"It was exactly 5 days ago, but go on." He responded.

"Well, I was hoping that you could continue to help me. You know, read lines with me a few times a week and help me work on my character."

Before Sheldon could respond, Penny continued. "In return, I'll drive you to whatever when I'm not working. It'll be fun! What do you say?"

"I'm not sure I want you driving me to 'whatever' as you call it, but I'm guessing you're suggesting an exchange: My assistance with your work for your vehicular services. A sort of 'tit for tat', if you will."

"Yes! That's exactly what I mean. What do you say?" Penny asked again.

"I'm confused. You already drive me to the grocery store, the train store, most recently the comic book store…"

"Yes, I'm aware Sheldon."

"So you're asking me to do you a favor in exchange for something you already do. Hardly seems beneficial for me to accept." He responded.

"Alright, look. I need your help with this. I can't ask the girls because my problem is with connecting with male actors. How about this… I'll get my car fixed if you agree to help me." Penny suggested.

That's not going to be cheap.

"How often am I going to have to put up with this charade?" Sheldon asked.

"I don't know, at least the next two weeks until rehearsals start up. Then we'll take it from there. We can start Wednesday night. Now that Halo night is on hiatus until Leonard gets back, we have plenty of time."

"Alright, fine. Wednesday night." He reluctantly responded.

"Thank you so much! How about we do dinner first? I'll make your famous spaghetti with the hot dogs." Penny suggested.

Sheldon nodded. "That would be acceptable. You should consider comparing recipes with Amy beforehand."

"Comparing recipes? Why? It's just spaghetti."

"Yes, but Amy's is far less crunchy. I suggest you inquire about her cooking techniques."

Penny glared at Sheldon. "Gee thanks."

"No problem. It's late; you can show yourself out." He responded before retreating to his bedroom.

This seemed like a much better idea before he opened that hole in his face.

Penny walked back to her apartment.

Now I have to get my car fixed too? I'm going to have to pay a couple hundred dollars for his services essentially. I should have just hired a real actor…