[TBBT] Ch: 3 [Apartment 5B] (Patreon)

AN: Another one. Hope you like it.

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Two weeks had passed since I left home.

It was strange how quickly things changed once I made the decision to stop following the path everyone else expected of me. Two weeks ago, I was sitting at my family's dining table arguing with my father about my future. Now I was driving around Pasadena, looking at apartments and figuring out where I wanted to live.

The biggest surprise after leaving home had been the money.

I expected to leave with only what I had earned myself. I had enough saved to survive for a while, and that was all I needed. I wasn't planning to rely on my family after everything I had said during that dinner.

Then Mom ruined my plan.

She found me the morning I was leaving, hugged me tightly, and slipped a new debit card into my hand while Dad was still asleep.

I looked at the card, then back at her.

"What's this?" I asked.

Mom smiled in that way mothers did when they knew they were about to do something their husband wouldn't approve of. "Something to help you get started, sweetheart," She whispered.

I already knew that answer meant trouble. When I checked the account later, I found five million dollars waiting for me. $5,000,000 in 2007 is equivalent in purchasing power to approximately $8,052,348 in 2026. 

I immediately called her.

"Mom, what did you do?" I asked, confused. I wasn't supposed to use the family's money. If I do, then the deal is off. 

She laughed softly before replying, "I helped my son."

"Mom, Dad specifically said no family money."

"I know."

That answer somehow made me even more confused.

"Then why?"

"Because I know you, sweetheart. You aren't going to waste it. You're going to build something, work too much, forget to take care of yourself, and pretend everything is fine. I wanted you to have some breathing room. Besides, it's not the family's money. It's mine. So, feel free to use it, and if you need more, just give me a call."

I tried arguing.

She ignored every single point I made.

Honestly, I should've expected that. My mother had spent twenty-one years dealing with me. She knew exactly how stubborn I could be, and she was the only person before whom I was able to be me, just me... not the hyper-intelligent Karl. Still, I decided I wasn't going to touch the money unless I actually needed it. The whole point of leaving home was to build something on my own, and I wanted to stick with that. 

The first problem was finding somewhere to live.

I looked at houses, condos, and apartments across California. Some places were too expensive, some were too flashy, and some just didn't feel right. A few looked perfect online but felt completely wrong once I walked inside.

I wasn't looking for something impressive. I just wanted a place where I could work and actually feel comfortable. Also, I need to be closer to a comic book store and maybe a market area. Oh, a supermarket sounds good, and a nice restaurant close by will save me tons of gas money.

Then I found the Los Robles Apartment Building.

2311 North Los Robles Avenue, Pasadena.

The moment I saw the address, something clicked.

At first, I didn't care. Then the memory came back.

The Big Bang Theory.

I stood outside the building entrance for several seconds after realizing where I was.

"You've got to be kidding me."

Out of every apartment building in Pasadena, I somehow ended up here.

The building looked familiar, although seeing it in person was different from watching it on television. 

This was where Sheldon lived.

Sheldon Cooper, Leonard Hofstadter, Howard Wolowitz, and the others weren't fictional characters anymore. They were real people somewhere in this world, living their own lives.

I had known for years that this universe existed, but I never expected my life to cross paths with theirs.

Then again, I never really paid much attention to the details of their lives.

I remembered the important things. Sheldon Cooper was a brilliant physicist who could be incredibly annoying, Leonard was the more reasonable one who somehow managed to put up with him, and their group of friends was full of people who were far more interesting than they probably realized.

Then there was Penny.

I remembered enough about her to know that she was probably the last person Sheldon would've expected to become part of his life. She was beautiful, outgoing, completely different from the people Sheldon usually surrounded himself with, and my first crush in my past life. 

I looked toward the hallway.

"Ah, crap."

That was the part I hadn't considered. I had spent years focused on my own plans, and somehow I completely forgot that living here meant I could actually run them, and this could get interesting. Though I've zero idea how to talk to a girl who happens to be my crush and a character from a TV Show. 

For a moment, I wondered if I should find another apartment.

Then I shook my head.

Nah! I'll be fine. How hard can it be? Besides, god gave me a new life, and my fate brought me here. So, what the hell? Let's roll with it.

Besides, that was a ridiculous reason to move. I liked the apartment, the location was good with a comic book store 10 minutes' walk from here, and there were many shops and supermarkets around the block. And maybe we can become friends? Who knows?

Let's focus on the apartment for the moment. It wasn't huge, but it had enough space. There was a living room, a small guest room, a bedroom, a kitchen, and an area where I could set up my equipment, which I'm gonna buy soon. Also, the rent was reasonable.

I signed the paperwork that afternoon.

The apartment number was 5B.

I couldn't help laughing. A minor character named Wendell was supposed to live in Apartment 5B. He locked Sheldon on the roof of the building during Leonard's tenant association presidency campaign. But with me there, Wendell is out of the picture.

Well, the universe really had a weird sense of humor.

But just for the fun of it, I might lock Sheldon on the roof, should he get too annoying.

I carried my first box upstairs later that evening. It mostly contained clothes, books, certificates, my laptop, and a few personal things. I kept everything simple because I could buy anything else after settling in.

When I reached my apartment door, I looked down the hallway.

Somewhere in this building, Sheldon Cooper was probably working on equations, organizing his life around his own rules, or annoying Leonard with something completely unnecessary. And somewhere across from him, at least according to what I remembered, Penny would eventually move in or might have moved in.

I had left home hoping for a fresh start.

I just hadn't expected that fresh start to come with interesting neighbors.

I reached into my pocket and pulled out the key. For a moment, I looked at it and smiled.

This was where everything started.

I inserted the key into the lock, turned it, and opened the door to my new apartment.

...

..[3rd Person POV]..

Leonard Hofstadter had learned one important lesson after living with Sheldon Cooper for several years.

Never assume a quiet day means a normal day.

Sometimes, quiet simply meant Sheldon was concentrating on something unusual, and unusual things had a tendency to become complicated very quickly.

When Leonard stepped into Apartment 4A that evening, he placed his keys into the bowl near the entrance before removing his jacket. The familiar sound of equations being written on the whiteboard immediately greeted him.

Sheldon stood in front of the board with a marker in his hand, completely absorbed in a complicated physics problem. His apartment was arranged exactly the way he liked it, with every object in its proper location and every routine carefully maintained.

Leonard looked toward him while setting his bag down on the couch. "I see you've been busy."

Sheldon continued writing for several seconds before responding. "I have been attempting to solve a theoretical problem involving quantum field interactions, although your entrance interrupted approximately twelve seconds of productive thought."

Leonard walked closer and looked at the board. He understood enough to recognize that Sheldon was working on something far beyond ordinary conversation, although he also knew better than to pretend he fully understood it.

"Sorry for ruining those twelve seconds. I didn't realize they were so valuable."

Sheldon finally turned around, giving Leonard a disappointed look. "Every second is valuable, Leonard. That is why I maintain a carefully structured schedule. A person cannot achieve greatness while allowing random interruptions to consume their time."

Leonard sighed quietly. He had heard versions of that speech many times before.

He walked toward the kitchen area and opened the refrigerator. "By the way, we have a new neighbor," He said as he took out a bottle of water.

The marker in Sheldon's hand stopped moving.

For a moment, he remained completely still.

Then he slowly turned around.

"A new neighbor?" Sheldon asked.

Leonard immediately recognized the change in his roommate's expression. It was the same look Sheldon had whenever something disrupted the carefully organized structure of his life. "Yeah. Apartment 5B."

Sheldon stared at him. The color seemed to disappear from his face slightly. "Apartment 5B?"

Leonard nodded. "Yes. Someone moved in today."

Sheldon placed the marker down with extreme care before walking toward the couch. "This is concerning."

Leonard looked confused. "Concerning? Someone moved into an empty apartment."

Sheldon sat down while processing the information as though Leonard had just delivered news of a possible scientific disaster. "Leonard, you are underestimating the severity of this situation. Apartment 5B was vacant. That vacancy represented a critical component of my living environment."

Leonard raised an eyebrow and asked, "A vacant apartment was a critical component?"

Sheldon nodded with complete seriousness. "Of course. The hallway has a predictable pattern. My apartment, the stairwell, the elevator, and an empty space separating us from unknown variables. That empty space functions as a buffer."

Leonard leaned against the counter.

"You mean a buffer zone."

Sheldon looked surprised. "Exactly. A buffer zone. I am pleased that you understand the importance of spatial organization."

Leonard immediately regretted helping. "I understand the words. I don't necessarily understand why an empty apartment was protecting you."

Sheldon stood up and began walking around the room.

"Because proximity creates opportunities for interaction. Interaction creates expectations. Expectations create obligations. Obligations create disruptions. This person has entered my buffer zone without my approval."

Leonard crossed his arms and said, "You don't own the apartment building, Sheldon."

Sheldon stopped walking. "That is irrelevant. Ownership is not required for a person to have reasonable expectations regarding their environment."

Leonard shook his head slightly. "What do you know about the new neighbor?"

Sheldon looked offended by the question. "Very little, which is precisely the problem. Unknown individuals represent uncertainty. They could have irregular schedules, loud habits, poor hygiene, incompatible television preferences, or an alarming number of scented candles."

Leonard stared at him. "You listed scented candles as a serious concern."

Sheldon looked toward him as if the answer should have been obvious. "Have you ever attempted to concentrate while someone nearby burns artificial lavender? It is an assault on both the senses and productivity."

Leonard tried not to laugh. "For all you know, the person could be completely normal." He finally opened the bottle and took a sip before closing the cap.

Sheldon returned his attention to the whiteboard and said, "That possibility is statistically insignificant until proven otherwise."

Leonard put the bottle back in the fridge and walked toward the door. "I'm going to meet him right now."

Sheldon immediately turned around. "You should proceed cautiously. Gathering information is acceptable, although unnecessary social engagement should be avoided until a proper risk assessment has been completed. For all we know, he could be a criminal running from the FBI."

"Thanks for the warning," Leonard said with a smile as he opened the door.

"You are welcome," Sheldon said with a smile. 

Leonard gave him that look.

"Was that sarcasm?" Sheldon asked, confused.

"Yes." 

Leonard walked out and closed the door.

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AN: This is it for now. Next I'll release Modern Family.