Chapter 5

Leonard and Sheldon sat on the couch bickering amongst themselves. Pris was nowhere to be seen.

The front door flew open and Bernadette, Howard and Penny walked in.

"We're here for the showdown." Howard said. "I mean. We brought cake."

"Where is she?" Bernadette pouted. "I wanted to see Sheldon's ballbuster."

"Excuse me?" Amy walked in wide-eyed and just as curious.

"You mean the pain in my neck? She's in the bathroom." Sheldon tried to shift in his seat but the tape kept him in one place.

Everyone eyed the tape but decided not to mention it as they took seats. Leonard's phone rang and he stood up to answer it in the kitchen.

Pris returned, humming to herself. Sheldon sighed audibly and stared at her.

"Hi Pris," Penny greeted her. "This is Bernadette. Howard's wife. And that is Amy."

"Sheldon's girlfriend." Amy stated.

"Wow you really are pretty." Bernadette gaped at Pris.

"Thank you." Pris blushed. Amy walked closer and shook Pris's hand, studying her face with scrutiny.

"Not even a tiny blemish on you." Amy stated in awe.

"What did you do?" Penny suddenly asked Pris with a wide grin.

"What do you mean?" Pris tried to stare down Amy but their focus broke and they looked at Penny.

"Sheldon is giving you the death stare!" Penny squealed.

"He refuses to admit that he needs to go to the bathroom." Pris smiled. "I won't sit in your spot, Sheldon." She said kindly as she sat in her seat. "I have a seat, thanks."

Sheldon calculated his options. "Okay fine." He stood from the seat with the cushion still stuck and froze, unsure of how to get free of all the tape. He sat down again.

"Didn't think this one through, did you?" Pris asked. She removed a pocketknife and cut through the tape before Sheldon could scream. But that didn't stop him from squealing anyway. Sheldon took a deep breath and removed the cut tape.

"If you will excuse me." Sheldon stood from the cushion and hurried down the hallway out of sight.

"So." Bernadette asked, "What do you do for a living?"

"I'm an installation artist." Pris said, wondering how many of the brainiacs would actually know what that is.

"Hey, I just got the weirdest call from my mother." Leonard walked back to the couch. "She wants to sue my father. Our father." Leonard stated. "For not including her in his experiment."

"Wow."

"Have you spoken to her? Or anyone else in my family?" Leonard asked.

"I met Michael and Hayley. Gave them the same speech that I gave you. You can imagine how paranoid I was by the time I got to you. But you ended up the nicest. My dad told me that he would talk to your mom. I guess he just did." Pris said.

"This is weird." Leonard sat down.

"Hayley looked at me down her long nose and didn't react at all. And after I stormed his office and told him, Michael scheduled a dinner with me four months in advance, that's how busy he is."

"Well, she wants to meet you." Leonard said carefully.

"Oh? Should I be scared?" Pris frowned.

"I don't think so. She said she took notes in the book and wants to ask you a few questions."

"When?"

"Tomorrow."