The Game The Started the Change

Chapter 11: Mary and MeeMaw Gets Priceless Gift

Sheldon put away his phone as he moved to the lounge. Raj had just messaged that Penny has cried herself to sleep on his lap and that she would be better after she wakes. Sheldon looked up to see Rachel glaring at him. He now understood what the saying if looks could kill meant.

"She will be okay." Sheldon told the girl.

"Oh I know she will be. That is not why I am currently glaring at you." Rachel growled.

"Then may I ask you to explain why you are?" Sheldon knew that Rachel's opinion of him mattered to Penny. Much more than her parents from what he had gathered by her reactions to Rachel.

Rachel sighed as she rubbed her forehead. " You really don't know, do you?"

"No." Sheldon simply answered her.

"Penny mentioned that you want her to take an IQ test and a learning test while she is here." Rachel explained before she gestured to the couch for Sheldon to sit down.

This caused Sheldon to twitch as he hadn't been able to find his spot for Rachel's place yet. He glanced around the room for a few moments. There was a couch similar to the one at his place but it was configured differently than his apartment. He truly seemed at a loss on what to do.

"Sheldon..." Rachel pointed to a spot on the couch that was similar to his at home. She was pointing at the middle seat of the couch. "Penny sat there last night and this morning. She muttered something about 0,0,0,0. When I asked why she didn't sit in the seat on her left where she normally would, she told me that was your spot."

Sheldon couldn't help but smile. He quickly sat in the spot that Penny told her friend was his spot. And he found that he was comfortable. Just knowing that Penny would be sitting next to him was enough.

"Penny is worried about what you will think if she finds out she has a high IQ." Rachel explained. "She says that you enjoy being smarter than others."

"Why would she think that?" Sheldon's face showed his dismay at this price of news.

"Really? Mr. I-have-an-IQ-of-187? You really wonder why?" Rachel snarked at Sheldon.

"That doesn't mean I enjoy being smarter than others. I enjoy imparting my knowledge to others but I also enjoy being able to talk to others of significant intelligence." Sheldon responded.

"Well according to Penny that is not how you come across to others." Rachel explained.

"Oh." Sheldon sat and contemplated what Rachel had informed him for a moment. "I... I don't mean to. I am trying to change but I am homeostasis. I have to take small steps and get used to them first. This trip is an experiment. I am trying out a new hairdo and new clothes. Not to mention going to the game. I will be trying to ignore all the germs and whatnot. Penny has been helping me change for 4 years now. It is now my turn to do something to change myself into who I want to be."

Rachel studied Sheldon as he talked. He was slowly relaxing even though he was in a new environment. She knew not knowing the rest of the house must be bothering him. She stood up and stretched after glancing at the time.

"I have to head off to cheerleading practice. The cleaning supplies are under the kitchen sink. There is an opened bag of gloves for you to use. The vacuum is in its box in the hall closet. I had to buy a new one and haven't had the time to unpack it. You are welcome to clean any part of the house that the doors are open to. If you have any questions, call me. It might take me a bit to respond but I will as soon as I can. Otherwise, have fun and please follow my organization chart I put up for you on the fridge. Penny warned me that you enjoy cleaning. So I leave that to you." Rachel started to head upstairs before she stopped to turn back at the stunned man. "One last thing... the room that says do not enter... it is my personal bedroom. I will have you help me organize my closet tomorrow. And the sheets, blankets, and pillows were professionally cleaned yesterday at a place your Meemaw said was Sheldon approved. Yours is still in the plastic bags they came in. You can choose any room you wish to use as long as it's empty."