Chapter 2: The Unexpected Friendship

The next day at Caltech, President Seibert stood up from his seat, flanked by Dr. Gablehauser and Mrs. Davis from the Human Resources Department, and cleared his throat to grab everyone's attention. "May I have everyone's attention please?" he asked, his voice booming across the cafeteria. Sheldon, sitting with his friends at a table, rolled his eyes and muttered, "Oh great, another announcement. It's like Dennis Kim all over again!" Howard shot him a warning glance. "Sheldon, shut up! This is probably really important!" Raj, equally frustrated, chimed in, "Can it, Wolowitz!" Leonard joined in, hissing, "Would you a**hats shut up and listen?" President Seibert smiled and nodded at Dr. Gablehauser, who took over. "Dr. Gablehauser, you have the floor." Dr. Gablehauser smiled warmly. "Thank you, President Seibert. Fellow colleagues, I'm pleased to announce that we have a new colleague joining us here at Caltech University. She is exceedingly smart with an IQ of 185 and will be joining us in the Physics department. Please welcome new theoretical physicist, Dr. Leo Fordyce." The cafeteria erupted in applause as Leo smiled and waved, her eyes scanning the room. Sheldon, however, looked less than thrilled. "Oh no! What is she doing here?" he complained to his friends. Leonard intervened, "Sheldon, don't start. We just met her yesterday." Sheldon shot back, "Exactly, Leonard! We can't seem to catch a break from her! She's starting to be the bane of my existence!" As the applause died down, Leo made her way over to their table. "Hi guys. Just my luck, I'm seeing you guys here too. Oh, this is great," she said, sitting down at the end of the table. Sheldon raised an eyebrow. "Bazinga." Leo looked puzzled. "What the hell does that mean?" Leonard jumped in, "Don't bother asking that." Later that evening, at Penny's apartment, the gang gathered to celebrate Leo's new job. Penny offered Leo a glass of wine, and Bernadette asked, "So, how was your first day at Caltech, Leo?" Leo replied, "It was good, except Sheldon was a little uncomfortable with my presence." Penny snorted, "Figures. He's such a whack-a-doodle." Amy, Sheldon’s girlfriend, chimed in, "You guys are talking about the person I love, who I'm in a romantic relationship with, Penny!" Leo looked surprised. "You're Sheldon's girlfriend?" Amy nodded. "Yes, I am. What's it like being with him?" Amy's response was candid: "It's almost like having coitus with a cat. One minute he's sweet and charming, and the next, he's like an emotionless robot." Leo looked taken aback but amused. The conversation flowed easily, with the women joking and laughing together. Just then, there was a knock at the door. "Penny!" "I'm not crazy!" "My mother had me tested!" Penny rolled her eyes. "What do you want, Sheldon?" Sheldon called out, "Nothing! I just wanted to point that out!" before walking back across the hall to his own apartment. As the night went on, Leo suggested they play some music. She put on her favorite song, "Stand Up" by the Flobots, and the group started dancing in the hallway. Sheldon, however, was not amused. He stormed out of his apartment, shouting over the music, "What is that infernal racket? Turn it off, or you'll all receive a strike!" The group refused to back down, and Leo retaliated by spitting in Sheldon's face when he entered her apartment. Chaos ensued as Sheldon chased Leo around the bathroom, with Leonard intervening and slapping Sheldon for his behavior. The night ended with Sheldon storming off, and Leo reflecting on the unexpected turn of events. The next morning, Sheldon showed up at Leo's apartment, uninvited, and asked for tea bags. Leo was startled but agreed to give him some, on the condition that he wouldn't enter her apartment uninvited again. Two weeks later, Leo stood up for Sheldon when Leslie Winkle insulted him in Leo's office. Sheldon overheard the conversation and was surprised by Leo's defense of him. As he reflected on the encounter, Sheldon began to develop unexpected feelings for Leo. He pushed them aside, focusing on his relationship with Amy. That evening, Amy and Sheldon had a date night, during which Amy conducted an experiment to study Sheldon's emotions and brain activity. Sheldon seemed fine, but his mind kept wandering back to Leo. As they watched a movie, Sheldon's subconscious began to play tricks on him, and he saw Leo instead of Amy. He freaked out, bolting from the apartment and leaving Amy stunned. Sheldon returned to his apartment, confused and anxious, unsure of what was happening to him. As he lay in bed, he couldn't shake off the feeling that his feelings for Leo were growing stronger.