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Language:
English
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Published:
2023-08-14
Updated:
2025-02-18
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27,815
Chapters:
8/?
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Social Skills

Chapter 2

Summary:

Leonard receives his first letter (Sep 21)

Notes:

shoutout to

justmereadingalotoffanfics, Noa, Yasssay1310, sak_supernatural, and ficsandgiggles

for giving me encouragement to keep writing!

Chapter Text

 

Young Leonard walks inside with the full intent of disappearing into his room for hours. He made a C on his surprise math exam, was bullied out of his lunch money, and a car splashed a muddy puddle on him during the walk home. That’s just today. He’s hungry, but he mostly just wants to flop on his bed and become a human burrito for the rest of his life. Or at least the rest of the week.

 

“There’s a letter for you in the kitchen,” Angela tells him on his way up the stairs.

 

“Me?”

 

She stares at him like he’s an idiot and keeps walking. Leonard barely registers his sister having a quick conversation with their mom, followed by the front door opening and closing. He slowly walks down the stairs and stops at the landing. His mother is on the sofa, analyzing the family finances, and Leonard tries to calculate the possibility statistics of knicking the letter and returning to his room without her notice when…

 

“Come on down, Leonard. The veil of stealth that shrouds your being is but a mere illusion. Your belief in your own clandestine prowess is gravely misplaced.”

 

He frowns at her words but graces her with his presence only to walk up to the kitchen island counter. There’s a sealed university application for Angela, two soliciting magazines, and a single letter for him. He takes it in his hands, and his eyes widen when he reads who sent it.

 

Sheldon Cooper

5501 Grant Ave

Medford, TX

 

“Who would write to me from Texas?” He mumbles aloud.

 

“One would find it most reasonable to engage in the act of unsealing the very letter in question, for it is through this action that the pathway to addressing your inquiries shall be illuminated,” his mom responds as she walks past him into her study.

 

“Right…”

 

Leonard brings the letter up to his room and locks the door. Rather than open it immediately, however, he begins to pace. Part of him believes this is some stupid form of bullying or intimidation, and he wants to just toss the letter in the trash. Part of him thinks maybe this is just some distant family member asking for him to donate them some cash or a wedding gift, possibly. He doesn’t receive letters unless they’re for his birthday, but that’s months away. Finally, he decides that not knowing is very much worse than any piece of knowing. He sits at his desk and opens the letter.

 

d.Sep 16

To Leonard,

As you can see on the envelope, my name is Sheldon Cooper, and I live in Medford, Texas. I’m here because my mother and I have agreed that I will attempt to make a friend, and this was the most favorable solution regarding my introverted social life. School is difficult. Not my grades, but simply my classmates. They never take me seriously, and I’m unsure where I stand among my teachers.

I have an older brother who attends school with me, but he doesn’t make things better. He feels as though I embarrass him, so he’s asked me not to directly talk to him from eight in the morning through three in the afternoon. I also have a younger sister, but she’s still in grade school. We don’t have too much in common. Perhaps you and I will. My father had a heart attack and went to the hospital last night. I wore my brother’s football helmet when we stole Meemaw's car and snuck out to drive to the hospital. He’s home now.

Tell me about you,

Sheldon

 

Leonard smiles as he rereads the letter. Someone else his age signed up for the pen pals program and is actually taking it seriously. He might make a friend yet. Adjusting his glasses, he takes out a piece of his own stationery, clicks his calligraphy pen, and starts writing a response.