The twins' room is silent. They're supposed to be asleep, though Missy can't get her mind off of Amy. She can't put how she feels about her. She almost feels bad for her, really. The kids at the middle school, her parents; she clearly has it rough.
"Sheldon?" Missy glances toward Sheldon's bed, "Are you awake?"
"I am now. . ."
"What do you think about Amy?"
Sheldon sits up, rubbing his eyes. "She's okay," He brushes off his blanket, "She's better company than most people. Why do you ask?"
"Doesn't it all seem a little weird? Like how she's locked in a closet, or can't like boys?"
"We should start locking you in a closet." Sheldon rolls over, falling silent.
"Come on, admit it. Even without the guilt, she's kind of weird–"
"She's not weird." Sheldon sits up again, suddenly defensive.
Missy scoots back, scrunching her eyebrows. "I didn't mean anything. She's just odd is all–"
"No, she's astute, unlike you. Go to sleep."
Missy's taken aback by his sudden defensive response. "What, is she your girlfriend or something?"
Sheldon perks up, his cheeks turning pink. "She is not! She's a girl who happens to be my friend, but that's it! She's just a girl who's a friend!"
Missy giggles, rolling over for bed. "Yeah, right. . ."
Sheldon grumbles, laying back down. He knows he can't win an argument against Missy this late at night. He isn't as intelligent when he's sleepy.
"Bless the food we are about to receive and bless the hands that prepared it."
This wasn't the first time Amy's been over at the Coopers' house for dinner. She's been over plenty of times. She just doesn't know what's different about this time that's making Mrs. Cooper smile so much.
The prayer wasn't new to Amy, had she heard variations of it throughout her life. Though, it was new to her to hold hands with everyone around the table. Her family didn't do that, especially with company over. However, her family also didn't let her even watch TV.
Though, something that was new to her while staying over at the Coopers' house was the mittens. Sheldon's hand-crocheted mittens, crafted by his mother. She can't help but wonder why he wears them, but with the few weeks she's lived in Medford she's learned better than to question Sheldon. In fact, the other day while she was visiting Sheldon, she asked why it mattered who sat where on the couch. Boy, did she get a talking to.
Something that also was new, and quite frankly disgusting to her, was spaghetti and hotdogs. She ate it without a single complaint, even if it was a rather unpleasant combination.
She was purposefully sat next to Sheldon for this dinner by Sheldon's mother. She doesn't know for sure, but she's pretty positive that Mrs. Cooper thinks of her as the last chance of Sheldon ever meeting a girl.
"So," Mary starts, setting her napkin in her lap, "How's Medford been treatin' y'all?"
Y'all. She can't help but cringe at the word. Just because they live in Texas doesn't mean they have to live up to the stereotypes that go along with it.
"It's been very welcoming, thank you." Amy politely answers, just as her mother told her. In her household, they're very strict with manners and how to address adults, even if they do say 'Y'all'.
Sheldon raises an eyebrow, placing his mittens aside. "I don't think 'welcoming' is the right word. You can say terrible, we won't judge you."
Mary glares at Sheldon as he speaks. Amy can't tell what happened with the look, but Sheldon suddenly turns silent.
Mary turns back to Amy, clearing her throat. "How would you like to stay over for the night?"
Simultaneously, both Sheldon and Amy freeze up. They both fight to make up excuses, almost seeming like they're trying to make the best excuse first.
"Well, I don't know if my mother would-"
"She's only just moved in-"
"I think I have things for tonight-"
"I don't want her to."
Mary looks at the both of them, scrunching her eyebrows. "I checked with your mother already and she said it's fine if you stay with Missy."
Amy visibly relaxes at the mention of Missy. Sheldon, however, doesn't.
"I thought my argument was sufficient–"
"I'd love to stay, Ma'am." Amy straightens her posture, smiling widely. Now that she knows that her mother has no worries, she can finally spend a night. She's been wanting to since she first started hanging out with Missy, but her own mother was always skeptical. Not of Sheldon, though; of Georgie. The big, strong, girl-addicted Georgie.
Even if Georgie would be around, that's not who Amy thought of during her English class and throughout lunch alone. Georgie wasn't on her mind before she went to sleep. She thought of the flustered boy who claimed her as his friend who's a girl. Even if to him she'll always be a girl-friend, never a girlfriend.
Now, she didn't deny that Sheldon was odd. He really was, even if she played it off as 'gifted'. Even so, something's intriguing about that boy. Whether it's his obsession with trains, Professor Proton, and cleanliness, or how he can't go a day of breaking his normal schedule, she can't tell, or rather wouldn't like to admit.
Amy is quickly snapped out of her train of thought when Missy and Georgie start bickering. This is going to be a long night, isn't it?
Sheldon wanders around the garage after dinner, away from everyone. He looks at his trains, but won't turn them on. He doesn't hear anyone enter the garage, either.
"Shelly, what are you doing out here?"
Sheldon jumps, quickly turning around to meet face-to-face with his mother.
"Everyone's inside. Why aren't you playing with Amy?"
"I don't want to." Sheldon speaks straightforwardly, as he always had his whole life; factual and to the point.
"Well, Baby, you kind of have to." Mary takes Sheldon's hand, rubbing his palm gently.
"Why?"
Mary pauses a moment at the simple question. "Because sometimes Mommies want their kids to play together. Go play, have fun."
As his mother pushes him out of the garage, all he can think of is how he doesn't want to play with Amy. Or anyone, for that matter. She might be intelligent like himself, but she was still irritating. She tried to sit in his spot and had the audacity to ask why she couldn't. She also touched his trains! Foolishness. Nobody touches his trains.
Now, Sheldon's explained this plenty of times to his mother thoroughly, but she acts almost like she doesn't care! Can you believe that?
"Now, go play," Mary scolds as she pushes Sheldon into his shared bedroom, where Amy and Missy are.
Sheldon awkwardly stares at the girls, more so Amy, unsure what to do.
The tension in the room only intensifies when Mary closes the door. Slowly, Sheldon backs up and opens the door, walking out without turning away from the girls. What a waste of effort to even put him there in the first place.
Amy couldn't help but be a little hurt by how he just left. She was hoping to get to know him better on an intellectual level, though that ship sailed the second they locked eyes.
"What's your deal, Amy?" Missy turns to Amy, giving her a scolding look.
"What? What did I do?" Amy whips her head to look at Missy, confused.
"He's always nervous around you. What did you do to him? Did you hurt him!?"
"No! I wouldn't hurt him," Amy throws her hands up in a surrendering manner. "I didn't do anything! I swear! Maybe he's just like that?"
Missy shoots Amy a mean look before pretending to believe her. She's good at that, so pretending that Amy was in the clear was easy. But she isn't. Missy can't help but know something's off.
