Wow, I should ask for a specific amount of reviews more often, haha. I got exactly ten! ;D Thanks a lot, guys!

Okay, now I briefly have to inform you about something: This will be the last chapter which is proof-read by my good writer buddy cosette141. She aspires to become a professional writer and I'm sure you will hear from her in the future, because she's awesome. ;) So, from now on I will post my stories by myself, which means I'll maybe be quicker with updates because I already written everything except the final chapter. But it also means that there will probably be a few mistakes here and there that I hope you can overlook. ;)

I will do my best to write the best chapters I can and I hope you'll continue to read and enjoy them!

Anyway, that's why I dedicate this chapter to you, cosette141! Thank you for everything you taught me about writing and for continuing to support me with my grammar questions, haha! :D

On with the chapter...


-Chapter 5-

It was a tense half hour before Mary and Karen came into the kitchen where Sheldon and Amy still waited. Mary had her arms crossed defiantly while Karen seemed immensely irritated and sullen.

"We'll go to one of those alleged specialists." Karen had said, which made both children's faces light up with hope.

Apparently, Mary managed to convince Mrs. Fowler that it couldn't hurt to obtain a non-biased second opinion and recommended a children's psychologist that worked with Sheldon.

"Your father won't drop the subject anyway." Karen had added in annoyance, but even that couldn't spoil Amy's good mood.

So, not long after that day, the Fowlers went to the doctor's office and the young psychologist was immediately smitten with the sweet and clever girl. Devotedly, he arranged for a meeting with both the head of Amy's current middle school and the principal of Medford High School.

After several heated discussions, mostly consisting of Karen Fowler fiercely threatening everyone that she would sue the school and the psychologist if anything traumatic should happen to her innocent little girl, at last, there was an end in sight for Amy's boredom.

It had been decided that she should stay in middle school for the remainder of the school year and then switch to high school after summer when she's almost twelve years old. Thus, the age gap wouldn't be too big and Amy's mother had time to calm down and hopefully forget about her suing threats… at least that's what the school hoped for.

The day this glorious announcement had been made seemed to be the happiest day of Amy's life.

It also was the strangest day of Sheldon's life.

As it happened, Amy's bubbly excitement and happiness led her to do something that was normally very out of character for her.

She hugged Sheldon.

If there was one thing Missy loved to tease the two friends about, then it was that despite the closeness of their minds, Sheldon and Amy both shared an aversion to actual physical contact. For Sheldon it was the fear of germs. For Amy it was her unfamiliarity with showing affection, because she never experienced it from her parents.

But on this day, Amy seemingly couldn't help it as she gleefully skipped towards Sheldon, telling him the good news and simultaneously throwing her slender, young arms around his neck.

Sheldon froze, his eyes widening in shock. But just as instincts kicked in and he wondered if it would be customary to bring his arms up to hug her back, Amy quickly stepped back and looked at him, equally startled.

"Oh, Sheldon… I'm sorry, I didn't mean to invade your personal space like that." When Sheldon didn't manage to answer right away, she nervously kept on blubbering, "I-I was so happy that I… it-it just seemed like the conventional thing to do after receiving good news… Missy keeps hugging me, too, and I know how awkward you must feel and… and..." She paused again, looking at Missy for help who stood a few feet away with her mouth hung open and her eyebrows raised. "I'm sorry, Sheldon." Amy repeated on the verge of confused and distressed tears.

"No… no, it's okay." Sheldon finally uttered. He felt how flamingly hot his cheeks burned and how a metaphorical frog, sitting in his throat, kept him from swallowing his nervousness. But when he realized that Amy was about to start crying, he knew he had to say something. For the life of him, he couldn't explain why he said… what he said.

"It's okay, really." Sheldon repeated dumbfounded.

"Really?" Amy echoed. "I know you don't like to be touched, which I completely understand, because I don't care for skin contact, either. I… I don't know what came over me…"

"Don't worry. It is no problem." Sheldon heard himself say. He saw the look of pure skepticism on his twin sister's face but chose to ignore her blatant staring. Concentrating on Amy and her still doubtful frown of worry he tried to explain. "I, uhm… I understand that your excitement had caused a displacement activity. That's an involuntary reaction to a stressful situation like—"

"I know the definition of displacement activity. I taught you that term." Amy reminded him.

"Right… uhm, anyway…" Sheldon mumbled, the redness of his cheeks now creeping up to his ears while he could still feel all the warm places that Amy had involuntarily touched. "I guess a hug is a common way to congratulate someone who successfully beat the school system and is now able to climb up the educational ladder." he added.

"So… you're not mad at me?" Amy asked for clarification.

Sheldon shook his head. "No. I was just… surprised. It was an unexpected reaction, but not… entirely… unpleasant." Sheldon admitted almost in a whisper.

"Oh, boy." Missy exclaimed under her breath.

"You really think so?" Amy whispered back with another of her infectious smiles that made her green eyes sparkle.

Sheldon found that he wasn't able to do anything but nod in affirmation. "In fact, I have some exciting news to tell you myself." He stood a little straighter and boasted, "I'm going to start college at East Texas Tech next month. My Meemaw is in a relationship with a professor there and he put in a good word for me."

In contrary to the last time Amy heard about Sheldon's college plans, she now seemed to be truly happy for him. "Wow, Sheldon, that's incredible! You're going to outsmart everyone there."

Sheldon smiled smugly. "I know. I plan to oscillate between Medford and the university with Dr. Sturgis, Meemaw's friend. So I will still be living at home and keep you informed about the curriculum in the math and physics department. It's going to be very enlightening."

"Of that I have no doubt." Amy grinned. "You know, Sheldon… since you mentioned that a hug seems to be an appropriate way of showing shared excitement, I wondered…" She shyly bit her lip, looking downwards. "Uhm, I wondered if you would mind me repeating that action." She folded her hands behind her back; the picture of innocence. "I-I noticed it didn't repulse me, either." Amy added, blushing in embarrassment.

"Oh, boy!" Missy repeated, louder this time. But no one acknowledged her.

Sheldon's eyes widened again. "Y-You mean… you would… hug me… again?" he stammered.

"Yes." Amy confirmed. "Just to congratulate you on… how did you put it… on 'climbing the educational ladder even higher'."

Sheldon's stomach flip-flopped and he felt his heart skipping a beat. Only the rising panic attack, for sure, Sheldon reasoned. Surprisingly, his answer to that panic was another displacement activity. It must be; there was no other way to explain that he nodded his head yes. "Okay."

Wait, no! What am I doing?

"Okay." Amy repeated, beaming at him.

No one noticed it, but a few feet away from them, Missy was holding her breath.

Amy hesitatingly took one step towards Sheldon, not meeting his eyes. He still stood frozen like a statue. Only when she raised her head and limply extended her trembling arms, Sheldon reacted by doing the same. He took a step towards her, clenching his jaw to suppress his panic. Amy was close enough now to encircle his frame with her arms, her head over his shoulder. Sheldon was tickled by her soft, brown hair as she drew her arms closer to actually hug him. Almost robotically, Sheldon lifted his arms further and awkwardly padded Amy's back.

He didn't know how long it lasted; probably shorter than he thought. And yet, when they parted and he saw her smile, Sheldon realized that he was smiling back.

That was the moment when Missy finally exploded.

"Sheldon and Amy sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-S-I-N-G!" she chanted at the top of her lungs while dashing out of the twin's bedroom.

Once again, Sheldon's cheeks reddened. "We're doing no such thing!" he yelled after her.

"And that was too many S's for that word!" Amy added, as she and Sheldon chased her.


It all worked out quite well for the young masterminds.

When the time came, Amy integrated nicely into the high school crowd. Or at least as nicely as an over-the-top conservatively dressed, bespectacled twelve-year-old could.

Sheldon had been right. The pupils, being already familiar with a weird, young kid who seemingly knew everything going to their school, mostly didn't bother Amy. There were a few who constantly made fun of her for the way she dressed or the things she read, but that was something Amy was already used to. And since she still was friends with one feisty Missy Cooper, even though they weren't going to the same school anymore, Amy was getting better at standing up for herself and ignoring her bullies.

The only one who still frowned upon Amy's new way of life was her mother. And to Sheldon it seemed like she showed that very clearly... even for his poor skills at reading facial expressions.

Sheldon was barely tolerated at the Fowlers' house and he and Amy weren't allowed to play or study alone in Amy's room. Although, it was mainly the fact that he was under constant observation that creeped Sheldon out the most. They had to stay in the living room where Karen always kept an eye on them and intervened whenever it seemed like they were having too much fun.

Sheldon didn't understand why Missy seemed to have no restrictions concerning Amy's room, despite being also viewed as the wrong crowd.

Because of the awkwardness that came with meetings at the Fowler household, Amy preferred to visit the Cooper's. Even though that also wasn't the same as it used to be. Her time was very limited and her mother always chaperoned her over and picked her up precisely on time. And only after she had a chat with Mary Cooper concerning the children's activities.

Listening in on a conversation of his parents, Sheldon heard how Mary explained that she didn't mind that Karen took an interest in what the kids were doing, but she seemed to think that Karen asked for rather peculiar reasons.

To Sheldon and his sister all of this made very little sense, but they accepted the new status-quo. What choice did they have when the alternative was not meeting again at all? For all three of them, Sheldon, Missy and Amy, that possibility was out of the question.

Recently though, Sheldon began to notice that something else was different about Amy.

He was aware that detecting human emotions and social cues was not something he excelled at. Most of the time he didn't mind that in the least. He had far more important things to think about than that. His college studies for example. And whenever there truly was a situation where he struggled to interact with someone, Sheldon had his sister with whom he was getting along better recently. And he also had Amy, who was always interested in discussing the human mind and its motivations with him.

But this time, the change of demeanor was very subtle. So much so that Sheldon wondered if he was imagining it.

Amy seemed… quiet.

Even more so than in the beginning of their acquaintance. She was shy and not as quick with her smiles. Sometimes Sheldon caught her staring into space while he was telling her about his marveling studies in particle physics. At first, he was upset that she wasn't paying attention to the wonders he was introducing her to and she always apologized and promised to stay focused.

But Amy simply couldn't seem to concentrate. It was like she had lost her curious nature. Even when Sheldon asked about her favorite topics, like biology and the human brain, she didn't tell him much. In fact, he now realized, she actually seemed to avoid those topics in general and clammed up whenever he made thematic-related inquiries.

Because of his inexperience in the assessing of social situations, Sheldon didn't believe his observations to be valid until Missy had a talk with him.

"Something is wrong with Amy." she bluntly told him one evening after their mother kissed them goodnight.

Sheldon rubbed his tired eyes and propped up in bed when Missy switched on her bedside lamp. "What? What makes you think that?"

"I don't know, she's just… different… somehow. Even you must have noticed; you're around her all the time." Missy said.

"Not as often as we used to be." Sheldon replied, laying back down, facing away from his twin. "You know I don't do well with facial cues."

"Right, but you can trust my social instincts. Something is bothering her." Missy insisted.

With a sigh, Sheldon turned around again. "Then why don't you talk to her?"

"I did. She says she's fine."

"Well, then that's it. She's fine. You were wrong." Sheldon concluded.

Missy vehemently shook her head. "No, she's not. I can feel that."

"Amy wouldn't lie." Sheldon reminded her. "She always is purely honest."

"Not this time, Sheldon. I tried to tell her that she can talk to me. That I'm her best friend and whatnot, but she refuses to open up." Missy sighed. "I don't know what else to do and I'm worried about her. She's not herself anymore and she hardly ever laughs."

Sheldon listened up. "I… I noticed that, too."

"See." Missy stressed. "We have to do something."

"But what?" wondered Sheldon. "If she won't tell you what's wrong then how should we help her?"

"She doesn't tell me," Missy implied. "But maybe she would tell you."

Sheldon frowned. "Me? Why would she tell me?"

Missy rolled her eyes. "Because you're her special friend, dumbo." she said, emphasizing on the word 'special'. "You two have this weird mind connection. I bet if you would ask her and you wouldn't take her crap about 'being fine' then she would tell you."

"Missy, your language!"

"Don't be such an old man." Missy deadpanned. "So… are you going to talk to her or what?"

Sheldon worried his bottom lip between his teeth before nodding. "Okay. I'll try. But I doubt that talking to me will change anything."


You'll find out what is wrong with Amy very soon... until then, please review! :)