Work Text:
Looking Over My Shoulder
People are swarming into the football stadium behind the high school like locusts. Missy and Junior walk ahead of Sheldon who drags his feet every step of the way.
“C’mon, leadfoot!” Missy shouts over her shoulder, “It’ll be standin’ room only at the rate you’re movin’”
Sheldon slows even more.
“Shelly, I ain’t above throwin you over my shoulder and carryin’ you into this stadium like a bundling of roofin,” his brother threatens.
“Good Lord! The word is roofing!” Sheldon exaggerates his pronunciation, “Not roughing!”
Junior spins around and walks over. Sheldon can register the surprise in his brother’s eyes when he realizes he doesn’t loom over him anymore. In fact, Sheldon is actually an inch or so taller than his older brother. Nonetheless, George Jr. is still twice as broad as Sheldon and could easily carry out his threat.
“Move your ass, Little Brother or I am going to kick you into that stadium so hard, Coach’ll wish he never cut me from the team.”
There is a flicker in Junior’s eyes when he delivers the end of his sentence. Sheldon swallows - it never occurred to him to question why his brother wasn’t playing in today’s game.
“When…” Sheldon begins but Junior cuts him off.
“October. Missed too many days to go to work with Dad,” Junior looks off to his left, “I give as much of my pay to Momma that I can without makin’ the old man suspicious. We can’t depend on him and we can’t depend on Momma to prepare adequately for any - what’s that word you always used?”
“Contingencies,” Sheldon’s voice is gravelly.
Junior makes points his index finger at Sheldon, “That’s the one.”
Missy is beside them, hissing and spitting like an irate feline, “Jesus Christ on a bicycle! Do you two plan to watch football or make out? Game’s about to start!”
George Jr. turns from Sheldon and begins a light jog toward the rumbling stadium. Sheldon catches up easily and, as they walk inside, he almost puts his hand on Junior’s shoulder. Almost.
The Coopers have to climb up high to find seating and Missy shoots her brothers looks of irritation with each level they ascend. Finally she spots an empty area of seating midway to the top and “excuse mes” and “beg your pardons” her way to it.
Sheldon and Junior settle down next to her. Unconsciously, Sheldon cranes his neck and scans the field.
“Bottom right,” Missy whispers in his ear.
Sheldon peers through a sea of purple and gold. He rises slightly and finally spots the cheering squad. He looks then frowns as he sits back down.
“They’re all blond!” He exclaims, “Why is that?”
“It’s how they all can tell they belong on the same squad,” Junior chimes and Missy cackles.
“Was that sarcasm?” Sheldon tilts his head but Missy tilts it the other way and angles it down.
There she is - directly in his line of vision, resplendent in purple and gold with legs that have certainly made a significant transformation in the time he’s been gone. Sheldon swallows. He suddenly feels very warm in his jacket as well as the inexplicable desire to flee the stadium. Penny is gazing at the field, occasionally giving the pom-poms in her hands a shake. Suddenly, she begins to hop up and down excitedly; Sheldon sits up straighter to ascertain what changed her demeanor then slumps back down. Penny is talking to a football player, leaning in and grinning up at him.
“Sucks, don’t it?” Junior blows into his hands.
“I’m sure I don’t know what you mean,” Sheldon answers without taking his eyes off the pair on the field.
“I’m sure you do know what I mean,” Junior mimics him perfectly, “and even if you don’t, I know what yer goin’ through.”
Sheldon snorts. He’s heard rumors about his brother as far as he can remember (which is quite a lot). Junior is, for lack of a better term, a real “lady killer.” He’s always had some girl or other hanging on him.
“Do you remember Laura Price?”
Sheldon nods. Laura Price lived on the next block. She was one of those rare redheads without a freckle. She had aquamarine eyes, was in all the advanced classes and wouldn’t spit on Junior if he was dying of thirst.
“I was crazy about her. Crazy,” Junior continues, ‘but she looked at me like I was dirt. I couldn’t even talk if she was around.”
Sheldon’s eyes widen. His garrulous brother silenced by a girl? Of course, Penny was the one who got him talking, but Sheldon could see the parallel his brother was trying to make.
“My point is, Shelly, I let fear get in the way of goin’ after the girl.”
“Kurt is significantly larger than I,” Sheldon points out.
Junior rolls his eyes and is the perfect reflection of their father when he does. “You aren’t afraid of him and you know it. It’s her,” he gestures toward Penny and Sheldon grabs his arm lest anyone notice, “you’re afraid of what she makes you feel.”
Sheldon doesn’t know what to say. Somehow, his brother is, for the moment, more insightful than Missy. He finds it disconcerting.
“Whatever happened to her? Laura?” Sheldon decides to deflect the attention away from himself and his feelings.
“She got knocked up by some drop-out mechanic from Houston,” Missy interjects, “Doesn’t she live in a trailer there, Junior?” Junior nods. “He left her, too, didn’t he?” Again his older brother nods.
“And I wasn’t good enough for her. At least I’ll have my high school diploma, though it probably ain’t worth the paper it’s written on,” Junior laughs but his eyes are sad.
Sheldon focuses back on the field. Penny is alone again. Her head turns this way and that, taking in the raucous crowd. Her name is caught in his throat. Sheldon has the crazy idea that, were he to shout out to her, she’d hear him over the din. Like she’s been listening for his voice all this time. Junior nudges him with his elbow. Sheldon stands. The National Anthem begins and the moment is gone.
X
In the back of Penny’s sock drawer, there is a Chinese puzzle box - a novelty item Sheldon got off the Internet and presented to her. Penny’s only been able to open it a handful of times so it is the perfect place to keep secrets or things you tell yourself you don’t remember but you actually just never forget them. The contents of the box are: an empty Red Vines wrapper from the only package they ever shared. A note from the one time he helped her cheat on test with the answer to geometry problem number 12 on it. A wing feather from a painted bunting; Penny had held it in her hand in awe, knowing these birds are incredibly shy.
“How?” She asked him. They were sitting on rocks by the creek - Penny had her feet in the water but, once again, Sheldon’s fears of water, parasites, bugs and losing a toe to a snapping turtle kept his legs pulled in close to his body.
“A pair nests in Meemaw’s magnolia every year. Scientists need to have patience, Penny.”
The box also contains a small piece of deep blue cloth. Sheldon’s blue. He had fallen out of the tree on the day that they shared their first kiss (Penny will go to her grave swearing that was her first kiss. The only kiss that gave her chills, though Kurt certainly tries enough) and, after he had left, she had stayed there, crying. When her tears had finally slowed, she wiped her eyes with the heels of her hand and looked around. Right above her head was a piece of cloth from Sheldon’s Superman shirt caught on a branch. She managed to knock it off with a few well-thrown rocks and tucked it in her pocket. Small as it was, that piece of cloth retained that icy clean smell that was unique to Sheldon for almost two months. Once it faded, Penny removed it from its hiding spot under her pillow and tucked it in the puzzle box.
Penny knows she should be getting ready. Kurt is coming in twenty minutes and she is sitting on her bedroom floor holding a box filled with childish, but meaningful mementos. If Penny is honest with herself, she really doesn’t want to go to this party down by the very creek where Sheldon handed her the feather. She’ll be expected to drink beer, even though she hates the taste. Kurt will sit with his arm slung over her shoulders all night until he decides it’s time for them to make out in the woods where Penny, through a beer haze, will fight off his multiplying hands. She’ll act the part of cheerleader dating star quarterback. Penny has become very good at acting.
She stuffs the box back into her sock drawer when there is a light tap on her door.
“Yeah?” She brushes her bangs out of her eyes. Her brother, Tommy, walks in.
“Hey,” Penny greets, rising from the floor and brushing off the seat of her jeans. Tommy’s presence in the house is a rare occurrence and a visit to her room could fall under the category of urban legend. “What’s up?”
Tommy has changed so much. He lives a hard life that her parents studiously ignore. He’s mastered the art of flying under the radar, of doing just enough not to draw unwarranted attention to him. Her brother is soft-spoken, well-mannered and probably on his way to becoming one of the most dangerous drug dealers in the county. He drove her home once during a blinding rainstorm and when he stopped short due to the car in front of him, the gun under the passenger seat whacked her ankle. Penny stared at him open-mouthed, but Tommy simply picked it up and stashed it in his glove box, never saying a word.
“I’m gonna be at that party tonight,” Tommy begins without preamble. His voice is low, deadly, kinda like Mickey Rourke’s in Rumblefish
“You are?” Penny’s brows climb up her forehead. Tommy was so “over” high school antics, “Why?”
“I wanna celebrate the home team’s victory, why else?” His smile is cold.
Penny snorts - Tommy cares about high school football as much as she cares about the Pythagorean Theorem.
“Somebody owes you money?”
Tommy’s smile grows colder, “I may have a business matter or two to attend to while I am there. If I tell you to go home, you go- no arguments.”
Penny nods vigorously. She fears for her brother but part of her is secretly thrilled that he is such a bad-ass but still cares enough to look out for her. Perhaps she should tell Missy to ask her momma to add Tommy’s name to her prayer circle.
Tommy turns to leave then pauses, “Hey, Penny, Kurt is already downstairs…”
“He is?” She is horrified; she hasn’t even put on any makeup and he hates to be kept waiting. She grabs deep purple eyeliner that shows off her green eyes better and begins swiping it on hastily. She drops the pencil twice and then begins to slick on some lip gloss.
“Hey, Sis, take it easy. Let’im wait,” Tommy advises, “I have something else to tell you.”
Penny puts down her Wet-n-Wild lilac eye-shadow and looks at her brother. He has circles under his gray eyes and he needs a haircut. Also, his mouth has a hard set to it, like it’s forgotten how to genuinely smile and can only produce the icy sneer he gave her earlier.
“I saw George Cooper the other day,” Tommy begins.
“Sheldon’s dad?” Penny is confused.
“Pay attention, Barbie!” Tommy flicks her forehead with his thumb and index finger, “Not Sheldon’s dad - his father doesn’t move from that barstool at The Spur and you know it. His brother.”
“Oh, Junior.”
“Yeah,” Tommy frowns, “I refuse to call a kid who is eighteen and the size of a barn ‘Junior’.”
Penny laughs - it is a ridiculous nickname.
“Was he buying?” Her face is serious and concerned.
“George? Nah - George hasn’t done anything more serious than smoke a joint and that was sophomore year. We just ran into each other at the store.”
Penny nods but secretly she is relieved. There is enough substance abuse, among other kinds, in the Cooper household.
“What I want to tell you is Sheldon is home. At least until Thanksgiving weekend is over. He was at the game yesterday and he’ll be at the party tonight.”
Penny has lost all feeling in her knees. Her brother is talking but his words don’t make sense. Sheldon hates football - why would he go to the game? And parties? He’d rather have root canal without sedation.
“You’re lying,” Penny’s protest is weak. Tommy doesn’t lie - it’s what makes him so good at what he does.
“Why would I lie about something like that? George was so excited he was coming home, guess they all thought they’d never see him again once he got to Austin.”
“Sheldon would never go to a football game or a party,” Penny slips on dangling metallic green earrings in the shape of feathers into the holes on her ears, “Never.”
For once, Tommy’s face shows utter disbelief until Penny realizes it’s aimed at her.
“Really?” He crosses his arms, “You can’t think of a single thing on this planet that would make Sheldon Cooper do something he hated?”
“His Meemaw,” Penny replies.
Tommy chuckles and ruffles her hair, “Alright, Sis, if that’s the way you want to play it. I’m just doing my duty as a big brother and giving you a heads up. You might wanna keep that meathead boyfriend of yours on a leash tonight. Sheldon’s going to be totally out of his comfort zone and you know how that usually goes.”
Penny nods again.
“More important, Missy and George will be there so Kurt better not start anything if Sheldon tries to talk to you; it won’t go well for him.”
“I know.” Penny whispers. She’s seen Missy fight at school - it never ends well, for the other girl that is - and a few guys too. As for George, Sheldon told her his temper is even worse than their father’s. She shudders.
“You guys want to ride with me?” Tommy asks, “I can’t promise a ride home, though.”
“Yeah, sure,” Penny smiles, “I’ll be down in a minute.”
Tommy closes her door behind him. Penny looks at her reflection in the mirror. Too much makeup. Her mother is always scolding her for wearing too much makeup. Says it makes her look like a tart. Penny laughs. A tart - what a silly word.
She pulls a tissue out of the box and wipes off a layer or two of blush and the lip gloss, opting to put on tinted lip balm instead. She leaves on the eyeliner - Sheldon always said her eyes were one of her best features.