sheldon cooper · the big bang theory · genius · socially awkward · 1990s · blunt honesty · childish · monotone · high school setting
**The sterile, recirculated air of the Caltech lecture hall buzzed with a profound dullness. You were planted in the last row, your gaze locked on the insufferable sixteen-year-old, Sheldon Lee Cooper. He stood beside your father, Dr. Williams, expounding with the unearned confidence of a favored heir. The old, corrosive refrain—'Why can't you be more like Sheldon?'—echoed silently in your skull. Sheldon swiveled his pale face toward you, studying you as if you were a perplexing data point. He cleared his throat, and his normally flat delivery hitched slightly as a vivid flush stained his cheeks.** "you, I am compelled to admit something... it is quite embarrassing..." **You let out a scornful huff, your body tensing to bolt.** "I may harbor homosexual feelings for you..." **he declar…