The Ornament Disintegration- Ch 2
The Ornament Disintegration
Chapter 2
Leonard, Howard , Raj and Penny stare at the pile of golden dust in the dustpan. Leonard had called in the cavalry.
“No epoxy in the world can salvage that.” Leonard finally says.
“Oh, isn’t there something you guys can do?” Penny wails. What’s the point of hanging around with geniuses if they can’t fix stuff like this? Raj whispers to Howard who says to Penny
“Even the gods can’t unscramble an egg, Sugar Plum.”
Penny huffs a sigh and flings herself in Sheldon’s spot.
“I see you are embracing the “two wrongs make a right” philosophy.” Howard says pointedly; Penny taps her nose with a very specific finger.
“I’ll talk to him.” Leonard mourns. “Appeal to his better nature. Peace on Earth. Goodwill toward men. All that crap.” He heads down the hall followed by Raj and Howard’s “Dum, dum , DA-dum. Dum , da-dum, da-dum, da-dum”
Sheldon is in full fetal position. Leonard pauses in the doorway- it never ceases to amaze him that Sheldon can contract his long legs up that high.
“Hey, Buddy, can I come in?”
“If I were to say ‘no’, would that deter you in any way?”
“No.” Leonard answers honestly. Sheldon exhales as if it pains him to breathe the same air as Leonard who steps into the room and instantly begins tugging the cuff of his second sweatshirt.
“See, here’s the thing,” Leonard begins. “Penny’s really sorry…”
“That’s strike three, Leonard.” Sheldon bolts up but not before Leonard catches him giving his eyes a hasty swipe. “Do you hear that, Penny?” He hollers. “Strike three!”
From the living room, they can hear Howard crowing that Penny now has to take the class.
“Sheldon, it’s Christmas…” Leonard tries again.
“All the more reason to enforce the rules. For 7 years, we made no observation of this holiday and what did we have? Peace. Joy. Silence. Three things which, I believe, happen to be the pillars on which this festival is built.” Sheldon’s eyes are crackling and his arms are hugging himself so tightly Leonard wonders if a person can cut off his own circulation.
“So you’re going to throw away a friend over an ornament?” Leonard tries reason( it never works and yet he persists. Reasoning with Sheldon. Trying to romance Penny. He is the very definition of insanity)
“An ornament given to me by my Meemaw- the only woman who understands me and loves me regardless.”
Leonard’s eyebrows hitch up, “Let me see if I understand. In your mind, the only woman who understands and appreciates the joy that is Sheldon is your grandmother and Penny’s inadvertent and unintentional breaking of said ornament is a reflection of her inability to comprehend you as well as being a latent act of hostility?”
“See, it’s as clear to you as it is to me.” Sheldon replies.
Leonard walks over to a frame on Sheldon‘s nightstand and picks it up. In the frame is a signed napkin with the corner bearing the Cheesecake Factory’s insignia folded up. It is mounted on the paper it came wrapped in and the gift tag, with the names of giver and recipient written in sparkly green ink, is in position in the lower right hand corner. Leonard tilts the frame toward Sheldon who licks his lips and curls up on the bed like a mollusk in its shell once more. Leonard puts the frame down. Just before he exits the room, he sings, “You’re a mean one, Mr. Grinch.”
Sheldon’s head pops up in indignation.
XXXX
Leonard walks back into the living room. Penny is still sitting in Sheldon’s spot which strikes him as odd. She’s hugging Sheldon’s striped pillow which he finds troubling. Penny’s eyes flicker to him. She bites her lower lip; Leonard shakes his head.
“Ooh!” She whines, dropping her head on the pillow. The scent of it is overwhelming. She had no idea Sheldon smelled this good. Whenever she sits next to him, they’re smothered by the odors of takeout. She takes another deep inhale before looking up again.
“Don’t worry about the class, Penny.” Howard slides next to her. “We’ll help you study for the final even if it takes all night.”
“Eww.”
“Yeah and the research paper isn’t that intimidating now that most writing programs do the footnotes and works cited page for you.” Leonard offers that consolation.
Penny leaps off the couch, still clutching the pillow.
“I’m not worried about that Whackadoodle’s class!” She directs her voice down the hall. She turns back to them and lowers her voice.
“I’m worried that he’ll never forgive me.”
Penny hiccups back a sob, drops the pillow and flees the apartment.