The Game The Started the Change

Chapter 9: Meeting Rachel

As soon as MeeMaw let go of her, Penny felt hands grab her strongly around her waist and pull her away from the Sheldon's family. She tried to pull away but the hands changed to holding her bottom as a tongue thrust its way into her mouth. She tasted stale breath, alcohol, and bad breath spray.

Based on the height and the glasses pressing into her face, the hands and mouth belonged to her boyfriend. She was still pissed at him. His attitude before he left, the phone call to Sheldon, and now this... display of ownership. Because that was all she could think it was. His way of showing everyone she was his. She swore she could feel Sheldon's gaze on her.

She put her hands on his chest and tried to push him off of her. They needed to talk and she wasn't in the mood for this. Again she felt Sheldon's gaze and knew he was hurting. She knew because had it been her watching him in this situation, she would be hurt.

She tried again in vain to push him off. She could feel his erection pressing into her and for once actually would have preferred Howard's attention than Leonard's. With a mental shake she brought her knee up to make contact with his groin... hard. She pushed him off as he crumpled into himself.

"Ugh..." she wiped her mouth as she looked for Sheldon. All she could see of him was his hasty retreat away from her. She felt like crying as she knew he didn't get to say goodbye. Not introduce her to his brother. She caught meemaw's eyes and quickly mouth sorry. Meemaw smiled softly in that elderly way grandmothers had. Penny knew she would talk to Sheldon. She nodded and turned back to her friends.

"What the hell?!" Leonard yelled from the ground.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Penny yelled back as she looked down at him and then the other two. "Anyone?"

"We had taken the week off to enjoy the Sheldon-free time. But this one," Howard pointed to Leonard, "decided that we needed to come here as soon as he realized you weren't waiting for him at home."

Penny raised an eyebrow, much like Sheldon, at Howard referring to Leonard as this one.

"Yes, Penny." Raj spoke up appearing next to Penny's side. "Leonard here changed all of our plans just because you weren't there. That's not cool."

"Raj... Have you been drinking?" Penny didn't smell an ounce of alcohol on him.

"No, he just hasn't slept." Howard spoke up. "Leonard has been driving us both crazy since he got back from dropping Sheldon off."

"And you not answering your phone hasn't helped at all." Raj again spoke up. "Thank you Penny. We both have been wanting to do that ourselves for days."

"No problem Raj. Is there a reason you are suddenly able to talk to me?" Penny doubted it was because of not enough sleep.

Raj turned his chocolate eyes to meet her green ones. "There is. Can we talk about it later?"

Penny saw his eyes cut to Leonard and back. "I look forward to it. How about lunch tomorrow?"

"You can't go. You are having lunch with me." Leonard demanded as he finally stood up.

"I would love to." Raj answered as if Leonard never spoke at all. "Where are we going to go?"

"Picnic?"

"Awesome. It will be my treat. I have wanted to talk with you for so long now." Raj quickly hugged her before heading back towards the car they came in. He grabbed her stuff on the way.

"You can't go on a date with him. You are my girlfriend, not his!" Leonard yelled causing yet another scene.

"Keep it up and you won't like what happens!" Penny told him viciously as she followed after Raj. Rachel caught up to her and entwined their arms together.