Driving Dr. Cooper Chapter Five
Driving Dr. Cooper
by trippy41
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1, 130
Author's Note: A small spoiler about the film "Inception"
After a few more night time driving lessons, on actual - yet low traffic - streets, Sheldon was improving. He only turned one corner a little too sharply once, and went slightly on the curb - hell, she'd done that recently herself - but overall Penny was pleased with his progress.
So when Penny got a text from Sheldon, 'Can you come over please? - Sheldon' she thought he wanted another driving lesson.
She went over to 4A and entered without knocking-he had asked her to come over after all-and stopped. It looked like Sheldon's whiteboard had babies. There were, Penny counted, six whiteboards spread in a semi-circle around Sheldon, as he flitted between one to another.
He looked up when she came in, "Oh, Penny, thank you for coming so promptly." Sheldon began stacking the extra whiteboards.
"What's up Moonpie?" Penny gestured to his whiteboards.
Sheldon ignored the "Moonpie." He was annoyed, but resigned. "I'm looking at the equation in several different ways - that way I can try to change a variable on each--well you don't want to hear about that." He leaned the extra whiteboards against the refridgerator, behind his whiteboard on the stand.
"Uh, well--" Penny started. She hadn't actually said that she didn't want to hear. She wouldn't have understood, but she wouldn't have stopped him.
"Yes, why I asked you here--" Sheldon interrupted, "I need you to drive me to the Academy theater--I'm meeting Amy there for a movie in--" Sheldon looked at his watch, "a half an hour."
"Amy?" Penny's eyebrows shot up. Was he actually going out on another--date?
"Yes, both you and Leonard said I should be spend more time with her," Sheldon was washing his hands at the kitchen sink, "so I thought going to see a movie would be an acceptable social interaction."
Yup, thought Penny, this was a date. That she'd be driving him to. She swallowed down a strange, weird feeling in her throat "Where's Leonard? Why can't he drive?"
"Leonard is continuing his redundant reasearch--" Sheldon stopped while Penny looked angry, "--in the lab, at Caltech."
Penny was pissed - so much for Leonard not bailing on Sheldon while he was stuck - though apparently Amy hadn't. Penny felt that feeling in her throat again, "Ok sweetie, I'll go get my keys." She smiled at him, though her smile just a little tighter than normal. She had promised him driving duties, even if it meant taking him to his date - again.
Sheldon grabbed his apartment keys, locked his door, and followed Penny while she picked up her keys and her purse.
They headed down the stairs to the parking garage - Penny only managing to keep up with Sheldon by taking the stairs at a lope - "So how is Amy meeting you at the movies?"
"She is borrowing her mother's car - which is why she can't pick me up and get to the movie for the time I have tickets for." Sheldon had reached the bottom floor, and waited for Penny to catch up to him. They walked to the parking garage together.
"What movie are you going to see?" She asked by the time they got to her car. She unlocked the doors, and got in.
Sheldon got in the passenger side, "Inception."
"We already saw that." And they had. Penny had gone with the boys to see the film - mainly because she though Leonardo DeCaprio was hot, but also to be going to a movie that she could talk about with them - geek out a little. Of course, they did geek out about it over Chinese after the movie. Penny believed that Cobb got back with his family, and that the top would stop spinning - a happy ending. Sheldon's opinion, of course, differed from hers. Arguing that Nolan loved sequels - and nearly went off on the tangent of the Batman films until Leonard stopped him, Sheldon believed that the top would not stop spinning, thus leaving the ending ambiguous - and decidedly not happy - and ready for a sequel.
"Yes, but Amy hasn't," Sheldon began, "I would like to hear her opinon on it - we could have a lengthy discussion.
"Are you two running out of things to talk about?" Penny teased.
"Yes." Sheldon said bluntly.
Penny stopped at a red light and blinked - she hadn't been expecting that answer.
Sheldon noted her reaction, "Our interactions almost always contained references to science. I thought we could try to find other--topics of conversation."
Now she felt a little bad about being a bit uncomfortable taking him to his second date. He was trying - just what she had wanted him to do. She stepped on the gas at the green. He was her friend and he need her to - well, not tease him, "That's a really good idea Sheldon. This is one reason why movies are good for dates. It gives them something to talk about to relieve any awkwardness."
Sheldon nodded thoughtfully, "I don't know if I'd classify this as a "date" per se, but yes, I see your point."
It was soon after that they pulled up to the theater's parking lot. Penny parked, and Sheldon looked around for Amy's mother's car.
"You wanna go in and wait?" Penny asked after they'd sat in her car for five minutes. She should have let Sheldon drive them here - it would have taken longer. She unbuckled and got out.
"Alright." Sheldon was following her into the theater.
The theater was restored from the 1950s - the decor, the consession stand, and Penny imagined, the theater seats too. She looked at Sheldon, "This is on your theater-approved list?"
Sheldon smiled, "I like the history behind this building - and they have an Icee machine."
Penny laughed, then she spotted Amy coming in behind Sheldon, and she waved her over. Sheldon turned around to see her approaching them."
"Sheldon, Penny." Amy nodded to them both.
"Hi Amy," Penny said cheerfully, which differed from Sheldon's nod back to her, "Amy."
"Penny, will you be joining us?" Amy said pleasantly.
Penny looked over Amy at Sheldon, but he shook his head. He didn't need her this time. Not like the "help me" pleading look he'd given her on their first date. She smiled, "No, I only gave Sheldon a lift over and was keeping him company until you got here." She looked at them both, "Have a good time," and turned and left.
She didn't look back. He was on his own - and that was a good thing, Penny thought. It was--really.