Hey, thanks for the encouragement my lovely readers/reviewers! :)
The guest reviewer who quoted Stephen Merchant's "Kiss her you brilliant fool!" had me laughing so hard, haha! :D Hmm, when will Sheldon do it...?
Happy reading...
-Chapter 15-
Amy couldn't quite believe it, but the new year actually came without much of a change regarding Sheldon's romantic intentions.
Even though she was relatively calm and patient in the beginning, waiting seemed to be something Amy couldn't possibly do any longer.
Ever since they almost kissed, her companionship with Sheldon came along with a distinct sensation of underlying tension. A hint of wanting something more but being too afraid to ask for it. A kind of bashfulness about enjoying each other's company, as if it could accidentally turn into something deeper without them realizing it.
They were much more aware of each other's presence, of their closeness and their involuntary reactions to one another which they couldn't hide. Things like blushing, stuttering like bumbling fools or sudden shortness of breath.
Amy couldn't be sure how Sheldon was handling the tension, but she definitely noticed that she herself was slowly but surely losing it when she was with him. If Sheldon wouldn't make up his mind soon then…
Well, what would happen then?
Amy wondered if she would be strong enough to turn away from him. Would she even want that? Could she? Remembering the days, months and years she was separated from him, when he was in Germany, instantly filled her with longing. No, she couldn't lose him again; their friendship was too precious to give up on it. She already told him this much.
But how could she cope if a romantic relationship isn't what Sheldon wants?
Soon there came a time that literally every college student was looking forward to. A time without studies, classes or nerve-wracking tests:
Spring Break.
Every year, the student association was hosting a great Spring Break party at Harvard's biggest venue hall and not only students from every faculty, but also the teachers were invited.
It was a time to blow of steam, to party and to make wrong, drunken decisions that led to embarrassment the next morning.
In short, it was a time that Amy dreaded.
Always being the quiet, bookish, eager-to-learn type of girl, she was never one to run riot with her fellow students, engage in pranks on teachers or drinking bouts. Especially not the latter since she was still a minor.
And even if she would want to do all those naughty, forbidden things, Amy had never been invited to those kinds of parties.
Until this year…
Amy was packing up her notes and books, biding goodbye to the unfortunate white lab rats before she left the neurobiology lab for the break with a sigh. She'd rather spent her time here with the caged creatures than having to deal with drunken students, going crazy in the hallways and in the rooms next to her own.
She had just opened the door to leave the building and head back to her dorm when she almost collided with another student. He was rather good-looking with tousled dark hair and a broad, toothy smile he was now directing right at her. Amy had seen him before somewhere. Physics undergrad; one of Sheldon's class, she remembered eventually.
"Oh… almost didn't see you there." The young guy laughed and casually shoved his hands into his dark jean pockets. He took half a step back, but was still blocking Amy's way.
"No harm done." Amy said soberly. "It's not unusual that other people overlook that I'm there."
The handsome student lifted his brows, obviously a bit confused about Amy's dry, neutral tone. "Well…" he said, briefly looking to his right where two other boys stood in the distance, watching the scene and whispering inaudibly. "Today is your lucky day then. I actually was just on my way to see you."
"See me?" Amy repeated disbelievingly.
"Yeah… seems like you won't get overlooked this time." he grinned.
Amy still frowned warily. "Excuse me, who are you exactly?"
"Oh, I'm Mark. I'm in physics. Maybe you heard about me, I just got a commendation for outstanding accomplishments in my department." He stood a bit straighter, if that was even possible, boosting his chest. "Got the highest score of all physics classes."
Amy forced herself to smile somewhat genuinely since she assumed that's what that student, Mark, expected. "Good for you." she said.
"And you're Amy." Mark continued, unimpressed by Amy's blatant discomfort about being held-up.
"Yes, h-how do you know me?" Amy gripped her books tighter and took a tiny step backwards.
"Because you are just as much a high achiever in neuroscience as I am in my branch. They say you're a genius." He grinned lopsidedly, which briefly threw Amy off her guard.
"They? R-Really, who's they?" she stuttered slightly flustered.
"Uh… just about everyone." Mark stressed enthusiastically, flashing her another confident smile.
"Oh…" Amy breathed out. Absent-mindedly, she reached for her hair and twirled a lock around her finger. Stop it, what are you doing? She dropped her hand immediately, clearing her throat. "Is… is that really true? Am I the talk of the university?" Amy grinned gleefully.
The stern, cold voice in her head that, again, suspiciously sounded like her mother's, was telling her that she shouldn't trust this guy. That he was just playing tricks on her like it always has been. But the little girl inside of her, who just wanted nothing more than to have friends and be recognized, couldn't be quelled in her excitement.
"You bet." Mark grinned back. The boys that were watching them seemed to snicker, but before Amy could wonder about that, Mark had already talked on. "This is why I wanted to be the first one to ask you."
"Huh?" Amy cocked her head. "W-What do you want to ask me?"
Mark smiled brightly. "To accompany me to the Spring Break party, of course."
Amy's heart stopped and then continued to beat twice as fast. Her sixteen-year-old self was performing a joyous, little happy-dance inside of her mind. She remembered her high school prom… or rather the lack of one. No one had asked her to go with her. Sheldon had been abroad and Missy had still been two classes below her. So, in the end, Amy never went to prom.
She remembered crying her eyes out that night. And now here she was, three years later… and a boy, a real boy, was asking her out!
"M-Me?" Amy whispered breathlessly. "You're… you're asking me to go to the party with you?"
Mark laughed, showing his pearly white teeth and running a hand through his hair. "Yes. I'm asking you."
"Oh…" Amy uttered again, covering her mouth with her hand to hide some out-of-character, girlish giggles.
"After all…" Mark continued. "We would make quite the good team, don't you think? We, the two stars of our respective classes."
At that Amy suddenly paused. Her mind was urgently reminding her of something. Of someone, more precisely, who she was supposed to meet after she locked up the lab.
She let her gaze wander around in the university park until she found a tall, lanky figure, standing rooted on the gravel path a few feet away from her. He was too far away to clearly read his expression, but she could tell that his hands were tightly balled at his sides.
Of course, Sheldon would be here, Amy thought. They usually met up in the park after classes. When she didn't show up on time, he must have started looking for her. Great, and what do I do now?
"Amy?" Mark spoke up, shaking her out of her inner struggle. "What do you say?"
"Uhm… I-I… don't know…" Amy stuttered, her throat closing up in panic. She didn't even know what exactly made this decision so hard for her. It's not like Sheldon would want to go to a party. Last year, he and Amy stayed holed up in the university library to study and work on Sheldon's lectures and he couldn't stop complaining about the noise the celebrating students were making all night.
He would never ask me to go with him. Plus, even if Sheldon wanted to, he couldn't be seen with me at a student party. Everyone will talk, Amy mused.
Mark was getting impatient and his friends started giggling even more. He looked around when he noticed that Amy wasn't even looking at him anymore. "What? You got someone else who would take you?"
Amy should have noticed that this sentence was accompanied by just a bit too much malice. But instead all she worried about was that Mark was turning in Sheldon's direction. As he looked back at her, however, lifting his brows in unawareness and clearly awaiting her answer, she exhaled in relief. Apparently, Mark didn't engage in the disseminating gossip about Amy and 'her favorite professor'.
"No." she said and Mark frowned. "I mean… no, I got no one else and yes…" Amy took a deep shaky breath to calm herself. "Yes, I would go with you."
All impatience and malice instantly vanished from Mark's face and back was the toothy smile. "Great. I'll pick you up at nine."
"O-Okay, great." Amy stuttered nervously. "I'm looking forward to it."
"Me, too." Mark said. "See you then." He turned and went over to his laughing friends who he fist-bumped and then walked away.
Amy curiously followed them with her eyes. What were they laughing about? She had no time to ponder, because as soon as Mark and his friends were out of sight, another male suitor stepped towards her, an angry, sharp gleam in his blue eyes.
"What was that all about?" Sheldon inquired immediately.
Amy crossed her arms. "Well, hello to you to, Sheldon."
He rolled his eyes. "Hello, Amy. Nice to see you today. Now, what was that about?"
Amy uncrossed her arms again, deciding to ignore his impoliteness. "It was… nothing important." she claimed, refusing to look at him directly. "Mark… he, uhm… he invited me to the Spring Break party this Saturday."
"Oh, did he?" Sheldon repeated indignantly and now crossed his slender arms. "And what did you say?"
Amy narrowed her eyes upon Sheldon's harsh tone. "What is this, an interrogation? I'm not obliged to answer you." she stated and began walking away.
With his long legs she couldn't actually outrun him, so it took Sheldon all but two large strides to catch up with her. "Amy, wait." He brushed against her left arm, but then quickly drew back his hand. "I'm… I'm just curious. I know this student. His name is Mark Conway. He is smart, but also very snobbish. His parents are rich and as far as I've experienced, that whole family can't take no for an answer."
"What are you trying to tell me with this?" Amy asked without slowing her pace.
"Nothing." Sheldon shot back way too quickly. "Just that he's a little brat with no manners whatsoever."
Amy gave him a dirty look. "Oh, yeah? Well, at least he's got enough manners to ask me to go out with him and I said yes."
"What?" Sheldon exclaimed, which came out higher than in his normal voice. He stopped walking for a second, but quickly hurried to her side again. "W-Why would you do that? You don't even like college parties." He sputtered quickly.
"Maybe I do and you just never bothered to ask me to go with you." Amy replied defensively.
Sheldon's mouth opened and closed without making a sound; apparently he was too upset to sort his thoughts. "But… I-I couldn't… you… we… last year, we were in the library." he finally uttered. "You seemed to be quite happy there… with me."
"Well, and this year I'm going to a party. Simple as that." Amy sighed. She noticed how quickly their conversation got out of control; and not for the first time these days. Waiting is something I can't possibly do any longer, she realized once more. "Sheldon, I don't know why we're arguing about this?"
"We're not… arguing." Sheldon said, forcing himself to calm down his voice. "We're discussing."
"What is there to discuss?" Amy inquired again. They have reached a round gravel yard in front of her dormitory where more students gathered. Amy and Sheldon were yet hidden behind a slight curve of the path and a tree, protecting them from curious ears and eyes. She stopped, turning around to look up at him. Sheldon seemed startled by her piercing gaze and swallowed nervously. "Sheldon…" Amy said calmly. "Do you have a problem with me accepting another guy's offer?"
He swallowed again and rapidly blinked his eyes; a clear sign for Amy that he was about to lie. "N-No." Sheldon mumbled stubbornly. "No problem. I just wanted to inform you that Conway isn't the most… trustworthy person."
"Okay." Amy said, disappointed that he apparently wasn't able to come clean to her when he was so obviously bothered. "I appreciate your concern, but I will still go."
Instantly, the sharp edge was back in his voice. "You can't be serious!"
Amy threw up her hands in frustration. "Yes, I am! I want to make new friends, believe it or not. And since you can't seem to admit that you're clearly jealous, Sheldon, I don't see why you should get a say in this."
Sheldon's jaw dropped and he inhaled in shock. "Sheldon Cooper does not get jealous!" he stated fiercely.
That firmness hurt Amy more than she wanted to admit to herself. "Fine!" she hissed. "Then there's nothing left to discuss. Mark and I will go to that party together." Amy turned on her heels and quickly marched away. She heard how Sheldon called her name, but she didn't care.
If he doesn't want me then I am free to look around, she decided angrily.
Amy's burst of resentment was fairly short-lived.
She tried to stay mad at Sheldon, feeling that for once in her life she should be free to choose with whom she interacts. But only a day after their argument, when Amy went shopping for a suitable dress all by herself, she began to feel guilty for running out on him like that.
Maybe Sheldon did mean well. Since Mark is one of Sheldon's students, he must know him better than Amy did. What if he was right and Mark's intentions weren't as pure as she hoped them to be?
Amy pushed that thought aside; too big was the urge to find out how it would feel to be 'desired' by someone. Sheldon is just jealous and doesn't know how to deal with that, Amy reasoned. She had been burdened by this unwelcome, heavy feeling of jealousy twice before, but she realized it must be the first time for Sheldon.
A powerful, warm sensation coursed through her. Oh, yes, he is jealous. He is interested in me. Romantically interested.
If he would only admit it.
Amy was lamenting Sheldon's reluctance as she stood near a corner in the loud, colorful decorated venue hall, waiting for Mark to return to her with a drink.
She felt terribly out of place.
The dress she had chosen was floral and purple and reached her knees. Amy considered this as short. She smoothed down the long sleeves of the dark cardigan she wore on top. Not only because she froze easily, but also because she would feel naked without it.
One look around the spacious room told her that other girls didn't seem to have such problems.
Their dresses were more like long shirts by Amy's standards and she was actually embarrassed by the display of so much naked skin.
Mark had been nice, but also relatively curt with her. He arrived with her, greeted some of his friends without introducing them to her and laughed with them about jokes she didn't get. When she asked about it, Amy needed to shout over the loud music and Mark only dismissed her, telling her to loosen up.
That's why he was away to get her a drink and taking an awfully long time to do so. Amy had reminded him that she was only nineteen and legally not allowed to drink alcohol yet, but Mark either didn't hear her or he decided to ignore her.
Maybe this was a mistake, Amy thought.
"Having fun?"
Amy whirled around as a voice spoke near her ear and she gasped as she recognized him. "Sheldon? What are you doing here?"
He straightened up again after having to bend down to her level and stood there in a ridiculously checkered, thin suit, looking just as much out of place as she did… maybe even more so.
"I thought since you insisted on enjoying parties as of late, I decided to see for myself what seemed to appeal to you at this gathering." Sheldon stated, his head held high. "Until now I couldn't fathom what it is and therefore my question, are you having fun?"
Something in his voice told Amy that Sheldon was pretty sure to know her answer. As if he had watched her long enough already to see her nervous fiddling with her clothes and the lack of a smile on her face. As if he was just rubbing it under her nose that he knew she wouldn't enjoy herself.
Maybe, if Amy weren't just as stubborn as Sheldon, this wouldn't have brought her anger back. But since she definitely is, Amy crossed her arms and looked back at him defiantly. "I do, actually. I'm just waiting for Mark to return with my drink."
"I hope you're not planning to consume alcohol." Sheldon lectured a little taken aback.
Amy frowned. "Who are you? My mother?"
"Amy!" Sheldon stressed, stepping closer to her. "Can't you see that he is having a bad influence on you already? Please, be reasonable. Mark is not good for you."
"Oh, now this again." she sighed exasperatedly. "Sheldon, I understand your feelings, I really do. Remember how I felt with Paige and those girls in your class?"
Sheldon stared at her blankly. "Yes. But what has this to do with anything?"
Amy held her hand to her head in annoyance. The bright neon lights dancing on the walls and reflecting on every surface started to make her feel dizzy and the music wasn't helping, either. This wasn't the right place for a conversation like this. "I can't do this with you right now." she said. "Just… trust me, okay? You have nothing to worry about with Mark. I'll be fine."
"I strongly feel otherwise." Sheldon insisted, balling his fists and inching closer yet again.
"Don't get so close, you're not the only teacher here." Amy reminded him, widening the space between them.
"But Amy—"
She lifted a hand as he made moves to follow her. "And stop following me around. I'm a big girl now. I can take care of myself." Amy turned away from Sheldon and spotted Mark at the punch bowl. Bravely, she made her way over to him, passing a crowd of dancing bodies and knowing full well that Sheldon's aversion to human contact would most likely stop him from going after her.
"There you are." said Mark as he noticed her slinking over. "I thought you'd left already."
"I-I was waiting for you. You said… you would go get drinks?" Amy asked self-consciously.
"Yeah, but that doesn't mean you have to stay at the same spot I've left you half an hour ago." Mark laughed. "You're a smart girl; you're free to talk to anyone you like and get to know a few people."
Amy clasped her damp hands at her sides. "Oh, I… I don't know. I-I hoped you would introduce me to—"
"Well, this might help." Mark cut her off and handed her a red plastic cup. "It will make you lose that stick up your…" he stopped and grinned. "Well, you know what."
Amy looked wide-eyed at the offered cup. "Oh, no, I'm not allowed to—"
"Relax. It's not very strong." Mark stressed with an eyeroll. "Just have a little fun for once."
"I-I really shouldn't." Amy stuttered.
"You can stick to water the rest of the evening if you don't like it. Just taste it first."
Amy still hesitated. Behind her she could practically feel Sheldon's eyes on her and she wondered what he would do if she did take the drink. Maybe if I only take one little sip it won't affect me so quickly…
"Or maybe I'll give this to someone else instead." Mark said dismissively, grabbing the cup and turning around to a giddy, blonde girl dancing closest to them.
"No, I'll…" Amy exclaimed, taking the cup back and carefully eyeing its content. "I'll taste it." Amy brought the drink close to her nose and sniffed. She thought she was able to detect a slight scent of alcohol, but when she sipped from it, the punch only tasted fruity and actually quite good. Maybe it isn't that strong after all, Amy thought. "Mmh…" she voiced unintentionally.
"See… good girl." Mark grinned broadly, taking a sip from his own drink. "Now, let's do something fun…"
Uh oh... what will happen to Amy? (I know it, haha)
Once again, I have no idea what students normally do at spring break parties. I just heard about it, haha...
Please leave reviews, dear readers! :)
