Go Fishing Day (June 18th)
Penny rubbed the bridge of her nose and tried to tune out the guys. Why on earth had she thought this would be fun? What a damn waste of a good holiday. The girls were enjoying themselves. Hell, even Priya had gotten into the spirit of the day! She was sitting on the side of the dock, feet dangling in the water, laughing with Amy. Missy and Bernadette were munching on pretzels as they re-baited their hooks.
But.
Sheldon was complaining loudly about all the possible diseases one could contract from the algae and bacteria in the pond. Howard was constantly shuddering and begging someone else to bait his hook. Leonard was whining about how hot it was. Raj was asleep and snoring, a fishing pole loosely clutched in one hand. Even Mark was irritable and kept saying how bored he was just sitting around waiting on a stupid bass to come along.
Penny rubbed the small of her back, tension making her ache. She sighed and looked at her watch. They had left the apartment at 7 am. It was only 8:42 am. Not even 2 hours in and she was ready to give up. Or just send the guys away. Or maybe just leave herself.
Sheldon eased down onto a cushion he had brought with him and looked at Penny cautiously. He swallowed the lump forming in his throat when he took in the tense set of her shoulders. He noticed she was not even glancing in his direction.
"Penny? Are you upset?" he asked. He tried to keep the hope from his voice that she was not enjoying herself so that they could go home now. If they hurried, they would be in time for the Farscape marathon.
Penny leaned away from him, and hunched her shoulders forward. "Oh no, Sheldon I'm not upset. Why on earth would I be upset? I got to pick the holiday this month, and I wanted to do something fun and different. A nice peaceful day at the lake. Some fresh air, good friends and relaxation." A tear appeared in the corner of her eye. "Instead I get whining, complaining, snoring, and snippiness." Penny reeled in her line and sat her pole down. She stood and walked away.
Sheldon sighed softly. Penny had been extremely moody the past week. He assumed it was hormones from the pregnancy, but knowing the cause didn't stop her from being irrational. He rolled his eyes. More irrational. Leonard sat down beside him.
"Penny doesn't look happy," he said worriedly. "She tried to blow up my head as she walked by."
Sheldon nodded. "She does not think we have entered into the spirit of the holiday."
"Why would she think we would enjoy this?" Howard asked grumpily as he joined them.
"Maybe because we joined in with your stupid Star Wars holiday last month, Leonard!" Bernadette said as the women approached.
Priya nodded. "We never once complained about the holiday you picked. Penny encouraged us to really get into it. She knew how much it meant to you."
Mark ran a hand over his jaw. "I guess we have been a bit grumpy. It's just that I'm not really much of a relaxation kind of guy."
Amy glared at the guys. "Well, learn to fake it! This means a lot to her. She's emotional and missing her family. She really wanted to do this today because it reminds her of when she would go with her dad and her grandpa on fishing trips in the summer."
The guys looked at each other and nodded. Amy was right. This was Penny's holiday and it was important to her. The guys grabbed their fishing poles and began to fish. When Penny came back from the bathroom at the picnic area, she was surprised to see everyone sitting on the dock, poles in hand, and apparently laughing and having fun. She walked over and sat back down beside Sheldon. She looked at him inquiringly and he just shrugged bashfully. Penny smiled and leaned against his arm for a moment. Sheldon put his arm around her and pulled her closer. He placed a kiss on her temple and she gave him a brief hug. Penny picked up her pole and cast her line out. Maybe it was going to be a good day after all.