Chapter 20

It was Saturday and few days since the family came back from visiting William and Beverly in New Jersey. Sarah is in her room doing stuff on her computer while listening to the radio while Penny was in the kitchen preparing lunch and Leonard in the garage, tinkering with his car. Penny heard the door bell and went to the door, finding Bernadette and Halley standing on the porch.

"Hi guys! Come in!" Penny said while hugging Bernadette and Halley. "Where's Howard and Michael?" she asked.

"They're at our garage, Howard's teaching my son how to repair a car. Let's just hope it doesn't explode or something." said Bernadette making Penny and Halley laugh.

"Have a seat." Penny said before turning to the stairs. "Sarah sweetheart! Halley's here!" Penny yelled before hearing the young lady run out of her room towards the stairs, excited to see her 'big sister' while Penny went to the garage, informing her husband of their guests. Leonard told her to go right ahead and he'll join them shortly.

"He'll join us later." Penny said to Bernadette and Halley. "I'm gonna get you guys something to drink." she said.

"Thanks Penny." said Bernadette as Sarah came downstairs, running over to hug Halley.

"Hi Hal!" Sarah said while hugging her 'sister'. "How have you been?" she said.

"I'm doing okay I guess." said Halley.

"Yeah right! She's been bugging me to come here to find out what's William been up to." said Bernadette slightly embarrassing Halley.

"Mom!?" Halley said to her mother.

"What? That's nothing to be embarrassed about." Bernadette said as Penny came back with a couple of fruit juices for Bernadette and Halley.

"Don't worry Hal, my brother is doing alright over there. Although, my grandma is not doing so well." said Sarah.

"Oh my god, what happened?" Halley asked.

"Well, my grandma's almost eighty-five now. She's very weak and frail." Sarah said, becoming sad at the thought of her grandma.

"I'm so sorry Sarah." Halley said, consoling her 'little sister'.

"Hey before I forget, I have something for you." said Sarah as she stood up and ran back to her bedroom. She came back in no time, handing a lipstick to Halley. "I thought you might like it. I'm wearing the same one, see?" Sarah said as Halley looked at her glossy lips.

"Thank you Sarah. This is so nice." Halley said as she checked out the lipstick.

"I know right, Erin uses the same one." said Sarah. 'Oh no!' Penny thought, hoping that Sarah won't say anything to make Halley worry.

"Who's Erin?" Halley asked.

"Oh, she lives across the hall from my brother's apartment. She let us wait in her apartment when we first came over to visit William." said Sarah.

"She's William's neighbor?" Halley asked.

"Uh huh! She lives there with her roommate Kim." Sarah said. "She's so cool you know, being independent after graduating high school and stuff." she added.

"And you hung out with her?" Halley asked.

"Yeah, mom let me hang out in her apartment. She's so smart you know. Well not book-smart but street-smart." said Sarah as Halley looked at her, not knowing what to think. Sarah realized that she somehow let on more that she had to. "Don't worry Hal, I told her that my brother is yours." she said reassuring her 'big sister'. 'Here we go.' Penny thought.

Bernadette put her hand on her daughter's shoulder. "Don't worry Halley, I'm sure they're just neighbors. Right Sarah?" she said.

"Aunt Bernie's right Hal, you have nothing to worry about." Sarah said.

"Then how come William never mentioned her to me?" Halley asked.

Sarah didn't know what to tell her and just stared at Halley. Halley faced Sarah with a serious look. "Tell me the truth, are they just neighbors?" she said looking Sarah in the eye. Sarah hesitated for a little bit making Halley grunt in frustration. "I knew it! Tell me!" she demanded.

"Hal?" Sarah said.

"Sarah please, tell me what you know!" Halley said as she started to freak out.

Sarah looked at her mother and decided to tell Halley what she knows, "Well, Erin sort of invited William to dinner at her apartment when he first moved in." she said making Halley cry.

"I can't believe you would hide this from me!?" said Halley as Bernadette consoled her daughter.

"Halley sweetheart you have nothing to worry about. William loves you." said Penny. "And they were just being good neighbors to him." Penny added.

"Then how come I'm the last one to know about this?" Halley asked while still crying.

"Because you have nothing to worry about!" Penny said as Leonard came in the living room to join them, seeing Halley cry.

Leonard sighed and shook his head. "Oh my god Sarah, what did you do!?" he asked his daughter.

Sarah looked at her father. "Why me!?" said Sarah.

"Let me see, whatever it is, I'm not gonna blame my wife and I sure as hell am not gonna blame Bernadette for making her own daughter cry. So, tell me what did you do young lady!?" Leonard said.

Sarah sighed. "Fine dad. I might have told Halley about Erin." she said.

Leonard sighed. "Oh my god, why did you do that?" he said. "Now look at her!" he added.

"Sorry dad, I got carried away." said Sarah.

Leonard went near Halley to reassure her that she has nothing to worry about. "Halley listen to me, Erin and Kim are just William's neighbors. That's all there is to it." said Leonard.

Halley began to calm down. "Do you think so uncle Leonard?" Halley asked him.

Leonard smiled to reassure the young lady. "I'm sure Halley." he said. "Okay how about this, let's Skype him so we can catch up with him." said Leonard as they looked at Halley.

Halley nodded while wiping her tears. "Okay." she said as Leonard took Penny's iPad and dialed William's phone while setting it on the coffee table so they would all be in frame. After a few minutes, William answered his phone.

Wi: "Hi dad!"

L: "Hi son, look who's here with me!" he said as the girls waved hello at him.

Wi: "Hi mom, Sarah. Halley, aunt Bernie? What are you doing there?"

Ha: "I just wanted to catch up with Sarah here."

Wi: "Then why are you crying? Oh my god Sarah what did you do!?"

Sa: "Why do people always think it's my fault!?"

Wi: "That's easy, because mom and dad wouldn't make Halley cry. Aunt Bernie would certainly not make her daughter cry so who does that leave us with?" he said as they all laughed until they heard a voice over William's apartment.

"William come on, you're missing the game!" said a woman's voice that Sarah and Penny immediately recognized as Erin's voice. 'This is gonna be bad!' they thought.

Ha: "Uh who was that!?"

Wi: "Oh I forgot to mention, I'm playing a video game with Erin and Kim. They live next doors." he said casually while focusing the phone on the two girls in his apartment. Erin and Kim waved hello to them before returning to the game.

Penny, Sarah, Bernadette and Leonard looked at each other and didn't know what to do.

Ha: "Why are they in your apartment?"

Wi: "What? Why not? We're just playing Halo."

Ha: "And what else!?" she asked as she began to tear up.

Wi: "Nothing! We're just playing a game! Why are you crying?"

Ha: "Why are you doing this to me?" she said as she cried on Sarah's shoulder.

Wi: "I'm not doing anything Halley. Please don't cry!" he said as Erin and Kim decided to join in.

E: "Uh hi Halley. I'm sorry but you have nothing to worry about. We're just friends with William." she said.

K: "She's right. We're so sorry but William told us everything about you. We're just friends. Please?"

Wi: "Do you believe me now?"

Ha: "You told them everything about me?"

Wi: "Yeah. They asked me if I have a girlfriend back home and I told them about you."

Ha: "Then how come you never told me anything about them!?" she yelled as she stood up and ran out of the house crying.

Wi: "Where are you going?"

Bernadette sighed and faced Penny. "Why didn't you tell me anything Penny?" she asked.

"Because there was nothing to tell. Do you think my son would cheat on your daughter?" Penny asked.

Bernadette sighed. "You're right. I guess we better run after her." said Bernadette.

"I'll come with you aunt Bernie." said Sarah.

Bernadette held Sarah's hand. "Come on." she said as they run out the door to go after Halley.

Wi: "Mom?"

P: "Yes sweetheart."

Wi: "Where is Halley?"

P: "Don't worry sweetie, Bernie and your sister are running after her."

Erin then joined in.

E: "We're so sorry Mrs. Hofstadter, we didn't mean to make Halley cry.

P: "It's alright Erin, you and Kim did nothing wrong. Don't worry about Halley, we're gonna talk to her."

Wi: "Okay, I'm gonna hang up now mom. I'm just gonna call Halley on her phone."

P: "Okay sweetheart. You take care of yourself alright?" she said as William ended the call.

Meanwhile in William's apartment...

"I feel so terrible Will." Erin said.

"Me too." Kim chimed in as they put the game controllers on the coffee table.

"It's alright. I guess it was my fault, not telling her about you guys." he said. "I'm just gonna call her and explain. Don't worry about it." he added as Erin and Kim stood up to go out of the apartment.

"Bye William, I hope you can square it out with Halley." Erin said.

William sighed. "I hope so too." he said as Erin and Kim closed the door behind them.