Chapter Eighteen
"I never want to get on another train again" Penny growled at Sheldon while they got off on their stop. They had been on the train for days! Sheldon planned the entire trip, which Penny was thankful for since she had her own plans to work on. However, she didn't take into account his disdain for planes or his extreme love of trains. That is how she found herself stuck on a train with nothing to do. She brought a Cosmo and Glamour but those can only last a girl so long. So Penny had spent the last few days being lectured about all the dangers of Texas. She now knows about every kind of poisonous reptile and what types of insects to avoid.
Glaring at Sheldon, Penny hoisted her duffel over her shoulder before getting her bearings. First thing about Texas she noticed? How flipping hot it was! She hadn't been off the train for more than five minutes and she was already starting to sweat. She looked over at Sheldon to see him in just a t-shirt and looking quite content.
"How are you not melting?" Penny whined. Sheldon looked down at her, eyebrow slightly raised.
"Penny, it is unlikely that a human being would ever 'melt' unless given the proper chemical imbalances in its makeup"
"You know what I mean smart-ass. How are you not affected by this blasted heat?"
"I grew up here Penny. I find the temperature to be most pleasant. California, most of the time, is too cool for my liking."
"That's why you always wear the long sleeves?" another facet of the real Sheldon was now uncovered. Who knew that Sheldon liked things hot?
"Affirmative"
Penny noticed that Sheldon's attention was fixed over her shoulder. Looking around, she saw Missy sauntering up to them. Her tight, black tank top, with ripped jeans and red/black cowboys had all the male patrons of the station stopping to stare. 'I want some boots' was all Penny thought before she was swept up into a big.
"Penny! You look a little rough around the edges. Did Shelly here not tell ya about how long the train ride would be?" Missy's smile was infectious and Penny soon found herself smiling with her.
"He didn't even mention that we would be taking a train! I've been in that box for days!" Laughing, Missy turned to Sheldon with a mock reproachful look.
"That wasn't very nice Shelly. How could you do that to Penny?" not waiting for his answer, Missy turned back to Penny, "Don't worry, Pen. The rest of the family is not nearly as crazy as this one. Speaking of which, we need to head out. Trey is circling the lot cause ya know findin a spot is impossible." Linking arms with Penny, she steered them out to the parking lot.
"He's in his truck" Missy called out over her shoulder at the trailing Sheldon. 'Which truck?' is all that Penny could think when she looked at the parking lot. It was a sea of trucks! Any kind of truck you could ever imagine was there. 'Second thing about Texas: lots of trucks.' She jumped back at the sound of a car pealing out and screeching its tires. Looking over, she saw a truck racing towards them. Before it could hit them, it screeched to halt in front of them. Its engine rumbled before it was cut off.
Hopping out of the cab was Sheldon's doppelganger. 'Ugh! No more movie nights with the guys. I'm thinking like..' she couldn't finish her thought before she was pulled into a huge hug. Her breath was squeezed out of her as she was spun around by the laughing man.
"So you're the little Mamacita that has our Shelly in such a tizzy! I've been lookin forward to meeting ya ever since Shelly told me about ya'lls little war." Putting Penny down and back on her feet, he grabbed her duffel. Tossing it in the bed of the truck, he continued on with his introduction. "Name's Trey! You need anything you just ask, little Mamacita. We gotta get going. Meemaw is looking forward to meetin ya. She's made pecan pie and all of Shelly's favorites." She was ushered into the back of the truck cab, and they set off.
The siblings bickered the entire time but it was cute to see Sheldon in his natural environment. It was rare to see him so relaxed and it made Penny happy to witness. The three of them together looked like a formidable trio. Penny could imagine them driving their poor mother up the walls. Being in such close quarters, Penny could see the similarities between the three of them. 'What did their mother feed them? They are all so tall!'
It was thirty minutes later that they pulled off into a small suburb. The neighborhood they were in looked so normal. She never would have imagined that a super genius like Sheldon came from here. The truck stopped in front of a little blue house that screamed 'Home!' Smiling, Penny jumped out the back and waited for the three siblings to follow suit. It wasn't until she was on the sidewalk that she started to worry. 'What if Meemaw hates me? What if my plan backfires and creates another alter? What..' an arm around her shoulders brought her back to reality with a jolt. Looking up, she was surprised to see that it was Sheldon holding her. It'd been months since their encounter and he never seemed to bring it up. Oh how she wanted to bring it up but she didn't want to stir up on alter.
"Penny. My Meemaw has expressly stated her desire to meet you. There are no grounds for you to be concerned" this brought a smile to her face. Sheldon wanted her to meet his family!
Concerns gone, Penny grasped his hand and all but dragged him up the sidewalk to the house.
***Sorry for the late update! All my free time is spent trying to learn Spanish. Hope you enjoyed and I'll get the next chapter out as soon as I can! Much Love!***
