A/N: There is not a lot of change in the story, but Sheldon and Missy will be born on 2/26/1983 not 2/26/1980, that way he's not 5 years older than Penny but rather 2.25 years older. This was going to be a one-shot, but I will expand it to a total of 15 chapters; AU
The community college sat on the outskirts of a small Nebraska town, its modest campus a stark contrast to the sprawling universities found elsewhere. The main building, a squat structure of aging brick and fading paint, was the heart of the campus. Its windows were smudged, some with cracks running through them, a testament to years of neglect and budget cuts. The entrance was marked by a simple sign, "Lincoln County Community College," the letters weathered and chipped.
Inside, the hallways were dimly lit, the fluorescent lights flickering intermittently. The linoleum floors were scuffed and worn, with patches where the color had faded entirely. Bulletin boards were cluttered with outdated flyers and notices, some curling at the edges from being left up too long. The walls, once a bright cream, had yellowed over the years, adding to the feeling of tiredness that permeated the place.
Classrooms were small and sparsely furnished, with old desks that creaked when students shifted in their seats. The chairs, a mismatched collection salvaged from who-knows-where, bore the wear and tear of countless students before. Whiteboards were stained with the ghosts of lessons past, and the chalkboards—relics of a bygone era—were rarely used anymore, their surfaces scratched and pitted.
The library, such as it was, occupied a corner of the main building. Shelves lined the walls, filled with outdated textbooks and a sparse collection of fiction and reference books. The carpet was threadbare, and the few computers available were outdated, their sluggish performance a constant source of frustration for the students who relied on them.
In the student lounge, a handful of old couches and armchairs provided a place for students to gather, though the furniture was lumpy and worn, with springs that poked uncomfortably. A vending machine stood in the corner, often out of order, with a few sad snacks visible through the glass. The small cafeteria, staffed by a single cook, offered a limited menu of basic fare; sandwiches, soups, and the occasional hot meal that tasted more like sustenance than anything particularly enjoyable.
The faculty offices were cramped, with professors sharing spaces barely large enough for a desk and a couple of chairs. Many of the staff were adjuncts, juggling multiple jobs to make ends meet. Despite the conditions, they were dedicated to their students, often staying late to offer extra help or to prepare for classes.
Outside, the campus was dotted with patches of grass that struggled to stay green, bordered by gravel parking lots where cars kicked up dust as they came and went. The sports fields were little more than open spaces with uneven ground, their lines faded, and goalposts rusted.
Yet, despite its underfunded and run-down appearance, Lincoln County Community College was a place of hope for many. The small college was filled with first-generation college students came to pursue their dreams, dozens of single parents took night classes to better their lives, and where people who had fallen on hard times sought a second chance.
Sadly, Penny felt that with all this doom and gloom that the college provided, she fit right in. She often thought of herself as limited, lacking something that made her stand out, as long as you didn't include good looks. It was why after she barely scraped by high school, she didn't get any offers to go to any of the big fancy colleges or universities like some of the other students that she went to school with.
With her parents having no money, she worked at a small café right outside of campus, fairly busy due to the lack of quality food provided in the college cafeteria, not that it was hard to be better than what they could offer.
Penny actually thought that her job was pretty decent, especially when you factored in that she was a pretty girl that with a couple of flirty words, could get 5's and 10's as tips.
The building, a charming one-story structure with a red brick facade, had a front porch lined with white wooden railings and a couple of sturdy rocking chairs. Above the entrance, a faded but lovingly maintained sign read "Mary's Cafe," the cursive lettering evoking a sense of nostalgia and warmth.
The large front windows, framed by simple white curtains, offered a view of the cozy interior. As you stepped inside, a small bell jingled above the door, announcing your arrival. The smell of freshly brewed coffee and homemade pastries filled the air, mingling with the subtle scent of bacon sizzling on the griddle.
The floors were a worn but polished hardwood, creaking slightly with each step. Booths with high-backed red vinyl seats lined the walls, their surfaces gleaming from years of careful upkeep. Each booth had a small vase with fresh flowers, a touch that made the space feel welcoming and cared for. The tabletops were classic laminate, with a subtle pattern that had likely been there for decades.
In the center of the room, a few round tables were scattered, each with mismatched wooden chairs that added to the cafe's charm. The walls were adorned with black-and-white photographs of the town from years gone by, along with a few framed pictures of the cafe's regulars, capturing moments of laughter and community.
Behind the counter, which was topped with a worn but sturdy marble surface, the cafe's staff worked with the practiced ease that comes from years of familiarity. The menu was written on a chalkboard hanging above the counter, offering simple but hearty fare: fluffy pancakes, crispy hash browns, meatloaf sandwiches, and homemade pies that were the talk of the town.
A vintage jukebox stood in the corner, its colorful lights flashing softly as it played a selection of old tunes—everything from Patsy Cline to Buddy Holly to Elvis Presley. The hum of conversation filled the room, a comforting backdrop of locals catching up on the latest news, exchanging stories, or simply enjoying a quiet moment with a cup of coffee.
The cafe's owner, a kindly woman named Mary, moved from table to table, greeting customers by name and making sure everyone felt at home. Her presence was the heart of the cafe, her warmth and genuine care turning a simple meal into an experience of comfort and connection.
The large windows let in plenty of natural light during the day, casting a golden hue over the room as the sun rose and set. In the evenings, the soft glow from the hanging lamps above each booth created a cozy, inviting atmosphere, perfect for lingering over a piece of pie or a late-night cup of coffee.
On this particular Saturday; November 15, 2003; the café was not overly busy. No, the cold weather had driven everyone home early. There was an odd drunk Junior or Senior every now and then, but Penny was mostly just sitting around behind the counter. Pouring drinks, servicing slices of pie.
Due to the lack of business, Mary had left her alone to run the café with the cook, a slender accounting major from the community college, the pale man with his spiky black hair, freckle splattered face, thick glasses, long sleeved grey sweater and black pants, non-slip black shoes, white apron, hairnet on his head. He looked as bored as she did.
"So, Penny, how are the classes?" asked Brian
"Honestly? Not that great" answered Penny
"Math still getting you?" asked Brian as he folded a cheesed covered egg in half, placing it on a roll before handing it over to the blonde waitress.
"I just don't get it" complained Penny as the door opened and bell rung, "What does math have to do with acting?"
The young man who entered was pretty tall, but Penny couldn't help but notice as he walked forward that the lanky boy moved with a slightly awkwardness. His face was beginning to lose some of its youthful roundness, giving way to a more defined jawline and sharper cheekbones. His dark brown hair had a natural, relaxed look. His large, expressive blue eyes carry a hint of the seriousness, but ooze curiosity as if he was looking at the world's most interesting puzzle. He was wearing a nice white button-up shirts paired with what looked like an equally nice black sweater over it, black dress pants, and black dress shoes, with a black satchel slung over his shoulder, resting on his right hip.
"Math is important to acting for several reasons" said the young man, his voice showing that he couldn't be much older than Penny herself, "I can list them for you if you want?"
Penny rolled her eyes before saying, "Sure brainiac"
"First you have timing and rhythm, it's important as it helps with hitting marks, moving on stage, and delivering lines with the right pacing. Then, budgeting is essential for managing finances, contracts, and understanding production costs. Third, stunts and special effects as understanding basic math can ensure safety and accuracy in physical scenes-"
Penny stopped him by raising her hand, "You don't have to explain everything like that, it was sarcasm"
The boy makes a face of understanding, with a flash of frustration thrown in as well, "Oh, I see. May I see a menu please?"
Penny smiled, "Of course, Honey. Take seat and I will be right over"
The boy flashed a smile as he turned around and studied the room, looking at each table and booth. He sat down at one table, before grimacing and moving to another table, then another, then finally a booth which produced a happy smile on his face.
Penny shared a look with Brian who circled his finger next to his head, calling the boy crazy without any words.
Penny walked over to the boy, a menu in hand. She handed it to him and which he took and peered over the menu.
"What would you suggest?" asked the boy
"Hmm, just about everything is good here" answered Penny
The boy looked up at her with confusion on his face, "That is statistically unlikely"
"Do you like burgers?" asked Penny
"I do see here that you have a BBQ burger, would you be able to put the tomato, lettuce, and pickles on a napkin on the side?" asked the boy
"Sure" said Penny as she wrote down the order, "Anything to drink?"
"Is the lemonade bitter or sweet?"
"It is a bit more on the sweet side" admitted Penny
"Then I would like that as well" said the boy as he handed her back the menu before reaching into his satchel and pulling out a thick textbook.
Penny walked the order back over to behind the counter and handed the order for the burger to Brian before getting started on the lemonade, the café filled with silence outside of the sizzle of the grill.
The lemonade came out of the press and Penny sprinkled a little sugar over the top of the glass before walking back over to the boy, presenting him with the lemonade. He grasped the glass and took a small sip and Penny smirked as he immediately a second deeper gulp of the lemonade.
"This is great" he said when he finally placed the glass back down, half of the drink gone already.
"Told ya sweetie" said Penny with a hint of pride
"I might have to stand corrected" admitted the young man, his eyes looking doe like as he looked up at Penny
"Well, if you need anything, just holler" said Penny, "I'll be behind the counter doing some homework"
The boy nodded and Penny was a bit taken back when he immediately went back to reading his thick textbook, but then again everything about this boy was slightly off. She walked back around the counter, glancing up at the mirror behind the counter, she wanted to frown when the boy's eyes never once made their way towards staring at her ass. Maybe he was gay? Wouldn't be the first time a well-groomed somewhat attractive male came into the café, probably wouldn't be the last.
She was struggling with a simulation of a budget, trying to calculate the taxes she would need to put aside, agent fees, union fees. It felt hopeless to her to the point that she was almost happy when Brian rang the bell to alert her that the burger was ready.
Double checking that it was written on the notepad, she brought it out to the young man, "Here you go sweetie"
"Thank you" said the boy before he looked her, "Do you want to bring you homework over here and join me?"
Penny was going to refuse almost immediately, but she looked around the nearly empty café, the wind blowing all the fallen autumn leaves outside, this admittedly not ugly young man was offering her some of his time.
"I guess, are you any good at math?" asked Penny
The young man made a weird twitching face, "You could say I am really good at math"
Penny perked up that, before running over to the counter to grab her stuff and returning to the booth, sliding in across from the young man.
"My name is Sheldon" said the young man, finally introducing himself to Penny
"My name is Penny" countered Penny, introducing herself to Sheldon
"I kind of figured that" admitted Sheldon, "You have it written on your name tag"
Penny blushed ever so slightly, "Well not everyone is as sharp as you"
"Thank you" said Sheldon, beaming with pride at the sarcastic compliment, but Penny was content to allow him to think the sun shined out of his ass if it meant he could actually help her with her homework.
Brian had tried once or twice on a slow day similar to this, but Penny hadn't been able to learn much from him. He couldn't break it down into easily understandable words for her, he only could use the terms in the homework and that didn't help her, because if she could understand the homework, she wouldn't need help now would she?
Penny watched Sheldon recreate the burger, relaying things in a manner that seemed to be extremely specific. Then he took the knife on the table and cut the burger in half, then the two halves in half again, creating four little wedges of burger. He then used the fork to mush down the buns of all four wedges before looking up at her.
"Did you want to get started on the questions?" asked Sheldon
Penny blinked, "Oh yeah, the first question is asking "If you are on a TV show that pays 75,000 dollars per episode, 20 episodes per season, assuming that you have the standard rate of a 3.5 percent agent, how much would you bring home per episode after taxes?' How am I supposed to know that?"
Sheldon bit his lip and Penny was sure that even he was in over his head, but much to her surprise, he closed his book and pulled out a piece of loose leaf paper.
"Let's go this step by step, 75000 times 20 is 1500000, 150000 multiplied by 0.035 is 5250 dollars and when you subtract that amount from –" explained Sheldon as he broke down the question step by step, talking slowly yet confidently.
Penny watched as this guy, who couldn't be much older than her, did the math almost instantly. As he finished the question, he slid the paper over to her and slowly picked up and ate one of his four wedges of burger.
"You make it seem so simple, it really was basic math" commented Penny as she clearly saw the math for what it was, creating a big total and slowly removing from that number step by step.
"Most math is simple, word problems are designed to create a problem" said Sheldon as he sucked in air with a little laugh
Penny ignored the terrible pun as she used way Sheldon had answered the first problem to do all the ones that were similar to it on her homework sheet. She was pleased that she was able to answer 6 of the 10 problems, all because of the simple way that Sheldon had explained that one problem.
"You would be a really good teacher" said Penny
"Thank you" replied Sheldon as he wiped his mouth with napkin, "I have a lot of experience in tutoring"
"Really?" questioned Penny before she admitted, "I can actually see that, especially the way that you broke down the way to answer this problem"
"So, why are you here in Lincoln County?" asked Penny
Sheldon took a second to answer, "I am here for a lecture on Physics at the community college"
"Oh, is that what you are studying?" asked Penny
Sheldon nodded in confirmation, "Yes, may I ask what you are studying? Is it to be an agent perhaps?"
Penny let out a small giggle, "No silly, I want to be an actress"
Sheldon opened his mouth to reply, but Penny cut him off, "Yeah I know that it's nearly impossible and silly to think I could make it as an actress, but it is still something that I really want to do"
Sheldon frowned, "I wasn't going to call it silly or impossible, I think you should pursue your dreams no matter what. I know what it is like for everyone to tell you that you what you want to do isn't what you should do"
Penny felt her heart flutter for a moment as her body grew warm, the sincerity and 'matter of fact' tone that his voice carried was something she didn't know that she needed until she finally got it.
"I didn't mean to make you cry" said Sheldon, "Did I say something wrong?"
His tone was like a cat or dog who had gotten their tail stepped on recently, clearly scared of something going wrong. Penny hadn't even realized that she had started to tear up until Sheldon said something.
"No sweetie, these are tears of joy" said Penny with a smile
"Oh, then I'm glad I could provide said joy" said Sheldon with a wide awkward smile
"You're a funny guy" said Penny as Sheldon finished his third wedge of burger
"Not the compliment that I usually get, but I do try" replied Sheldon, "May I ask why you want to be an actress?"
"I mean who doesn't want to be famous, making a bunch of money, traveling around to exotic places" said Penny with a dreamy look on her face
"I get some of that, I want to be the greatest Psychist the world had ever seen" declared Sheldon
"Why?" questioned Penny
"Physics is the language of the universe, the math behind everything you can see, touch, taste, feel, and hear. Being able to contribute, to be known as someone who helped the unknowns of the universe become common knowledge, it's everything" said Sheldon
Penny for the first time in her life understood why older women had always made it seem like career driven men were so attractive, because the passion that Sheldon had made him a lot more attractive in her opinion.
Brian snorted from behind the counter, "You guys aren't doing any of that shit. Penny, you might as well pick a way more realistic career option and you, the stretched out child looking guy, you're better off accepting that you'll peak as a science teacher than some world famous physicist"
He walked out the front door, clearly taking a break from the lack of work the café was dealing with. Silence hung in the air and Penny actually felt the tears well up in her eyes this time as she felt her heart shatter. A dose of reality was the cruelest thing to give to someone who had dreams.
She felt Sheldon's hand touch her hand on the table ever so lightly, his thumb rubbing soft small circles around the back of her hand.
"There there" said Sheldon and Penny looked at him, his face was much calmer and not all bothered by the harsh words given to them by Brian.
"Aren't you upset or hurt? He basically said we were crazy to think we could ever chase our dreams?" asked Penny
"Is he from the future?" asked Sheldon
"No" answered a confused Penny
"Then how does he know what you or I will do?" asked Sheldon
"I don't know"
"Exactly, and neither does he" confirmed Sheldon
"So you think I can become an actress?" asked Penny
"Why not?" questioned Sheldon, "You have all the qualities of an actress, you qualify as physically attractive, you have a southern bell charm about you, you remembered the details of my order which means you can learn lines"
Penny felt her heart lurch, "Thank you. Sometimes I feel so lost … I needed to hear that"
"It's okay to get lost" replied Sheldon, "Christopher Columbus was looking for India when he found America"
Penny giggled as she pulled her hand free of his and rubbed the tears from her eyes, "You're going to be the smartest man in the world one day"
Sheldon let out a wheezing laugh, "That's the plan. You know, you're what? 18 years old? You have a long life ahead of you, you can do anything"
Penny smiled, "Actually I don't turn 18 for another couple of weeks, my birthday made me start school early"
Sheldon gave her a look of approval, "See, even better. You're 17 years old in college, something more people wouldn't be able to do"
He took a final sip of his lemonade, drinking the remainer of it, before saying "I hope to see you on television one day. Miss Penny"
He pulled out his wallet and dropped a pair of 20 dollar bills on the table, slipping his book back into his satchel as he stood up.
"Wait, you're leaving?" asked Penny
"Yes, I have a schedule to keep" answered Sheldon
"Is this goodbye?" asked Penny
"It would appear so" said Sheldon and for the first time, a hint of sadness could be heard in his tone, "Although, I might be back in the future"
Penny nodded, "I mean you come to the college often right? You're studying physics right?"
Sheldon shook his head, "No, I am just here for the lecture, I do all my research at Caltech in California"
Penny's eyes widen. Her mystery supporter wasn't a local guy, but he had a slight southern accent even. She never would have guessed that he was a California guy.
"Penny, you seem like a bright young woman" started Sheldon, "Do not let people who have given up their dreams tell you not to dream"
And with that, he slipped out of the booth and made his way to the door, Penny looked at the 27 dollar tip that he left, and she snatched up the money and ran after him, "Sheldon wait!"
He was only a couple feet from the door when he stopped and turned around, "Did I not leave a suitable tip?"
"No, this is way too much" said Penny, "I can't accept this"
"I insist" said Sheldon
"Why?" asked Penny
"You took your time to have lunch with me, even provided me some math" said Sheldon with a wheezy laugh, "Besides, it's just money"
Penny shook her head, "It's a lot"
"Don't worry, I will always make more" said Sheldon, "Perhaps you can use it to treat yourself to lunch?"
"I guess" said Penny as she looked at Sheldon before blurting out, "Do you want my phone number?"
Sheldon blinked, "The inquiry seeks to ascertain whether the observed communication is an attempt to establish continued dialogue with the intention of fostering a professional or interpersonal relationship"
"Huh?" said Penny
"You're asking if I want your phone number so that we can talk on the phone and be friends" clarified Sheldon
"Yes" nodded Penny
"I find that idea to very agreeable" admitted Sheldon, "But I don't have a phone until I get home. I guess I could acquire a cellular phone"
Penny used her little waitress notepad to scribble out her number and ripped it out, handing it to Sheldon.
Sheldon slipped it into his satchel before saying, "May I?"
Penny realized that he was asking for her notepad, which she promptly handed over, Sheldon quickly scribbled something on one line and then something else on the other line.
"That is my home phone number, but since I am still traveling for a couple more weeks, I included my email as well" said Sheldon before he told her goodbye and walked over to a town car that apparently had been waiting for him as the driver came out to open the door for him.
That's weird thought Penny before she looked down at her notepad and saw that his email read as SLCooperPhD
A/N: soft little launch chapter, feel free to ask any questions via PM or review, I will respond to all of them. Hope you enjoyed the start of this story.
As always, please think about joining my discord, lots of conversations and just overall good vibes in there. Join using invite code: wV4bzhyQ
Until next time