You reviews made me want to write more, so here it is, Chapter 17, one hard chapter to write. :) In this chapter and from now on there aren't flashbacks, everything takes place somewhere around the end of 2024, but the chapters are still split into two parts, as we still have Nick as our first person singular, present timed POV character and we still have Amy and Sheldon as third person singular POV characters.

2024 Nick

Finally December comes and with it the hope for Christmas break. I love Christmas. Meemaw often visits us and cooks incredible food. And it's no school. I don't even hope that Mom and Dad will get along, but at least I get to be home, playing and eating cookies.

Christmas would be a lot better with snow, but here in Los Angeles it never really snows. I've only seen snow once, when we were spending a weekend in the Big Bear Mountains. I was only five and I really enjoyed it, but my Californian Mom and Texan Dad were complaining a lot about the cold.

Lately my life consists of waiting for some school break, which always turns out wrong.

I often dream about running away like for forever. There's so much in this world and I feel like, I'm getting the worst of it. Okay, I may not be starving or something like that and I'm not living in a mobile home, but maybe even people who do are a lot happier than me. Plus I think mobile homes look cool. We were once in Louisiana with my family (of course on a conference) and I wanted to see a park full of trailers so much, but my parents wouldn't let me go. If I could travel alone I'd definitely go and see a mobile home park for myself, to find out whether they look the same as in movies and whether the people are happier than me really or not.

I spend my day at school daydreaming about places. Mom and Dad and their friends gave me a ton of articles to read as usual but I don't feel like interested anymore. I mean science is cool, but science people seem really not cool at all.

Debbie is still torturing me whenever she has the occasion to do so. I try not to care. I still have to go to the school counselor, and it's still boring, but I'm waiting for it everytime, because at least it's different from being in class.

Today's biggest invention in picking up on me is, that Debbie's parents told her that my father was called in school Smelly Pooper instead of Shelly Cooper, so now I'm Nick Cooper, a Thick Pooper. So it's not even original, but they think it's hilarious.

So I almost feel a little happiness walking out of class to the counselor's appointment.

She smiles widely when I step into her room, but that's a fake smile, I guess. I guess she has to smile at everyone like this. It looks like a really bad job to me, what she does.

She asks questions about school, my grades ( ridiculous question, I always got A-s if it's a test, and I always got F's for my behavior and work at class.) and about how I'm dealing with my bullies. I tell her the Thick Pooper thing, I guess she'll be happy that I told her anything.

She looks really serious and I can see that even she feels sorry for me.

" It's okay, Mrs Samuels. " I say.

" Nick, you have to learn how to defend yourself. "

" Mrs Samuels, I don't care about them. They always told me not to care about them. " I say. I regret telling her anything.

" They? You mean your parents? "

" Yes. "

" Well, I really think they want what's best for you. Still I think that you're protecting yourself by not caring. But you could do a lot more. You could avoid all this and maybe have friends. "

I shake my head.

" I don't need friends. "

She sighs. " People don't have friends because they need them. People have friends because it's good to have friends. "

I shrug my shoulders.

" Sou you don't want to talk about all this. "

" I don't. "

" What about your family? You barely talk about them. "

" You've met my parents, Mrs Samuels. Well, they are my parents. I also have a sister. She's in preschool. "

" I feel like, something else is going on. " she says.

Usually she lets me drop the subjects more easily. Mabye she also ran out of patience when it comes to me. But it's really annoying.

" That's none of your business. " I murmure.

" Nick…" she starts and she waits until I look at her in the eye. She is clearly angry at me but she tries to hide it. " I'm here to help. But if you think so, maybe you should go back to your class. "

" I will. " I say. I'm the kid who makes his own psychologist angry. I think that's an achievement.

" I hope you'll be in a better mood next time. " Mrs Samuels says with her usual forced smile before locking the door.

I clearly don't want to go to class, but I have no other choice. At least I got away with Mrs Samuels without calling my parents. I don't think I can get lucky twice a day, so no ditching class for me.

The rest of the day goes boring and sleepy. I'm yawning as I walk through the parking lot at the end of the day. But instead of Mom or Dad I see Aunt Penny's car and Aunt Penny in it. Justin is sitting in the front and Dory in the back with little Chloe. I climb between the girls.

I'm really worried. Where's Mom and Dad? Is it possible that something happened to them? Dory smiles at me.

" Hi. " Aunt Penny says.

" Where's Mom and Dad? "

" They are working on some science thingy together. Amy asked me to watch you guys today. She packed you a bag, so you'll sleep at our place. You both can sleep in Justin's room. Leonard will bring you to school tomorrow. Amy also told that she will call you in the evening. Okay? "

" Sure. " So Mom and Dad are all right. And I get to play with Justin and be around Aunt Penny. I can't believe that something good happened to me.

2024 Amy and Sheldon

" Now let me see that math problem of yours. " Sheldon said pulling in a whiteboard into the living room. Amy sat on the sofa looking at her palm, twisting her ring on her finger. She took a deep breath.

" There's no math problem at all. I just wanted to talk to you. "

Sheldon felt surprised. That was really unlike Amy.

" And that's why you asked Leonard and Penny to watch our kids tonight? "

" Yes. " she said.

" Sounds quite irrational. What do you want to talk about? "

" Our relationship. "

Of course, Sheldon tought.

" Fine. Let's get it over with. " he said still standing next to the whiteboard.

" You might want to sit down. "

" I don't. I hope we could finish quite quickly. I mean I could use the time working on my field instead at least. " he said. Amy was really unfair and irrational lately. He wanted to avoid this conversation, as it was holding nothing for him but getting criticized. He was still holding the whiteborad pen in his left hand which he squeezed strongly.

" Sheldon, please. " Her voice was trembling.

" Amy I didn't make any comments on how you decieved me and tricked me into this talking thing, so please try to appreciate that. "

" Okay. "

" Will you finally tell me what aspects of our relationship are you unsatisfied with and what behaviours shall I alter in your opinion? If you have a list, you should just gave it to me and I'll email my answers back overnight. After that we could negotiate further if you insist that it's still neccesary."

He tried to minimze any hints of emotions in his voice. He knew this would make Amy upset easily and now that was exactly what he wanted. How could she not realize how humiliating this was for him? Couldn't she understand his need for control? How could she overpower him so easily without showing any empathy? How could she force him into situations and talks as if he was a child?

" Sheldon are you sure that you want to talk in that manner to me? " she asked crossing her arms.

" I think I expressed myself precisely. " he still sounded cold and he kind of liked how angry he could make her. He had totally enough. Now she didn't have the excuse, not to fight in front of the kids. If that's what she wants, she gets it.

" Okay. " she said. She sounded angry and maybe a litte insecure.

" Does the whole conversation consist of you repeating the word okay? Because if it is, then maybe my presence is redundant. "

Amy shook her head.

" So, then let's do this. I'd just like to inform you that I didn't plan to make suggestions about how to alter your behaviours. If you don't mind using your words: I'd rather want to alter the paradigm of our relationship. "

" As we are already married and have children together I don't know about any possibilities how to make any more commitment. "

" I don't want to make any more commitment. I'd like to have the exact opposite of commitment. "

" So that's it. It was predictable in a way. In an other way it's still surprising. She looks at me like she was curious with wide eyes, like she still wants some kind of an answer. I can't believe that. " Those were the only thoughts that ran through Sheldon's mind before he decided to stick to his original plan: pretending not to really care.

" You just had a problem with my language and here you are using oblique words. If you want to make sure I understand your intentions, you should make a clear statement about your wishes. " he said.

Do you dare?

Amy gulped.

" Fine. I want a divorce. Clear enough for you? "

So she does dare.

" It is. " he answered automatically.

" Good. "

Silence fell between them. He didn't know how to react. Should he try to object to her, try to change her mind? He knew the answer as soon as he asked himself. He had no chance to change Amy's mind. He also knew that she was right. Their marriage failed. Now he was wondering why Amy wants this divorce now. They've had this rough patch for a while and it was definitely worse lately than ever, but could it be that she is seeing someone else? He was really curious about that, but he didn't want Amy to know that he actually cared.

" Have you told the kids? " he asked finally.

" No, of course not. I wanted to talk to you first. "

" Great. Any suggestions about our living conditions? "

" You own partly the house, but I'm planning on staying here, so I suggest to find a real-estate business both of us are okay with and ask them to estimate it's prize. After that I'd like to buy your part. So you should move out if you find an apartment that's suitable. "

An aparment. On my own. That just sounds strange. If she wants to stay in the house, sure she wants our children too. I won't be living with them either anymore…

" I will. Any thoughts on child custody? "

" Yes. I want them to live here with me. I'm okay with joint custody as long as you promise they can live here. I want them to have a permanent home. But you can visit anytime or meet them. If you find a place they can sleep there on the weekends and you could have half of each school vacation. "

" Sounds fair. " he said.

" I know. I already spoke to a lawyer. I'll email you my petition for divorce tonight, and you can discuss it with your lawyer so we can make a few alterations if we both agree, before sending it in. I want a quick and peaceful procedure. "

So she already talked to a lawyer. This is real. She is serious. On one hand it was rational but on the other it all sounded like madness. Amy wanting a divorce? This was unbelievable for Sheldon.

" Reasonable. Do you plan on telling it Dory and Nick alone? " he asked.

" I'd prefer you to be there and do it together. I think we should get it over with tomorrow. I'll pick them up. We'll be home around five hopefully. "

" Tomorrow works for me. " he said. Why is this conversation this sterile? Is it normal? Basically they talked about everything in less than ten minutes. Why isn't Amy showing any feelings? Isn't she sad? Sheldon hated how bad he at was reading other people's facial expressions but mostly he could see how Amy felt. But not now.

" Good. "

" Yes. " he nodded. There was nothing left to say about the house or the kids. Was this the end of their fourteen years together? Just like this? Sure Sheldon loved talking in clear terms and agreeing upon things but was this really the way people got divorced?

After another long pause he cleared his throat.

" In that case I'm gonna go to the university to get some work done there. I have tons of it, so you know, probably I'm only gonna come home really late. " he said and grabbed the whiteboard and tried to push it back to the corridor. It got stuck on the edge of the carpet.

" Can I help you? "

Sheldon righted himself and looked at her in the eye.

" I think you have already done everything you could to help me. "

I know, I know… Still soo angsty. But I don't think it was a surprise…

And the story is still not over. Not even close to the ending.