SF Chapter 48: Before the Premiere
The next day, on Sunday, Samantha had already left. Daniel went with Jake to his sister's house.
He was talking to her while Jake and Luke went with Phil to the go-kart track.
"Hi, Dani," Haley greeted as she came downstairs from her room. Alex was already lying on the couch, reading a book.
"Hello, Hay-hay," he pulled her into a hug, and she sat close to him at the dining table.
Haley let out a delighted exclamation. "It's already next week! We're going to meet a bunch of celebrities!"
"Yes! Finally!" Daniel said, just as excited.
But soon Alex approached as well and raised an eyebrow. "Are you nervous?" She looked surprised when she noticed the glass in her uncle's hand shaking.
He set the glass down on the table and placed both hands on Alex's face. "Who's nervous, my little potato niece?" he asked, trying to fake his uneasiness.
He started pinching her cheeks, even as she swatted his hands away.
"Stop bullying her, Dani," Claire scolded lightly. She stepped closer and wrapped an arm around her brother's shoulders.
She kissed the top of his head. "Everything's going to be alright. People will like it," she comforted him.
[Claire commentary]
Claire was sitting on the kitchen counter. "My little brother, Dani, is usually easygoing and completely carefree about everything…"
"But when it comes to new releases, he turns into an anxious, hyperactive raccoon. He was the same way with the first Wimpy Kid book, and with Percy Jackson too."
She went on, "I can't blame him, since it's a big deal."
Claire glanced around. "And it's not a bad thing, seeing him worried about something for once..." she confessed.
[Commentary ends]
"Yeah, it's going to be a big hit, Dani," Haley said, hugging him as well. "I've already told everyone at school!"
"Yes, it will be alright. But can you please stop pinching me?" Alex was still trying to dodge her uncle.
"No way, my mashed-potato princess."
But she finally managed to break free.
"Oh, Monica, Ross, and Carol, plus our Uncle Jack and Aunt Judy, are arriving Friday morning. They took the day off," Claire informed them about their relatives.
"Monica even took a week off to stay here."
"So we're going to have a professional chef at home for a week?" Alex pointed out, having heard about her cousin from her mom.
"No. We are not making her cook anything!" Claire admonished her daughter. "She is a guest, Alex."
"Huh, you're going to keep starving then..." Daniel muttered to his nieces, making them giggle.
"Did you say something?" His sister stared at him.
"That I love you, Sis," he said, going in to hug her.
She spoke in an exasperated tone, pushing away her clingy brother. "Stop it, Dani. Get off me!"
[Haley, Alex and Daniel commentary]
"Sis can do a lot of things, but..." Daniel began.
"...cooking isn't one of them," Haley finished for him.
"You can see why everyone in the Dunphy family is so skinny," he continued.
And Alex joined in, remembering the past. "Those were great days when Dani lived here. He used to sneak us some good food at night."
"And I gained some weight!" Haley exclaimed, outraged. "So maybe it's not so bad that Mom's a terrible cook..."
[Commentary ends]
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After that, Daniel joined Phil, Jake, and Luke, with Manny showing up as well, along with the quartet from the previous night - Raj, Howard, Leonard, and Sheldon.
They played laser tag all afternoon, and Phil drove the kids back home afterward.
Meanwhile, the quintet met up with Penny and Alexandra at The Cheesecake Factory.
"All right! I'm moving my infantry division." Sheldon grabbed several salt shakers and other condiment containers and pushed them forward. "Augmented by a battalion of orcs from Lord of the Rings."
He gestured toward the space in front of Howard. "We flank the Tennessee Volunteers-"
"-and the North, once again, wins the Battle of Gettysburg," Sheldon announced.
But Howard cut him off. "Not so fast! Remember, the South still has two infantry divisions," he said, grabbing the ketchup and mustard bottles, "plus Superman and Godzilla."
"No, no, no - orcs are magic. Superman is vulnerable to magic," Leonard intervened, sitting between Sheldon and Daniel.
"Not to mention you already lost Godzilla to the Illinois cavalry and the Hulk." He picked up the green sauce and showed it to Howard.
Alexandra was looking at them in slight disbelief at what they were doing, but then turned back to Daniel. "So, how was last night?"
Daniel looked at her, then pointed at the items in front of Leonard. "I think Godzilla..."
Penny spoke unfazed. "Dani, we are not dating. You don't need to change the subject."
"I know, Penny, but I don't want to talk about that in front of you... because if it were the other way around, I wouldn't want to hear it."
"There are no other guys..." Penny shook her head. "And I just want to focus on my career. No dating for now."
But she asked, "Was she pretty?"
Daniel replied promptly. "Not as pretty as you." Then he glanced briefly at her chest. "Not even close," he smirked, and received a kick from Alexandra under the table.
"Behave yourself."
Penny ended up laughing and whispered, "So, my little gigolo, are you coming back with me tonight?"
"You bet!" He placed his hand on her thigh.
Alexandra just picked up the menu and ignored the two friends.
"You guys ready to order?" A waitress came over, but then smiled. "Penny."
"Hey, Bernadette," Penny said, standing up to give her a hug.
"Bernie, these are my friends," she gestured toward the table, "and that's Leonard," she added, pointing at the physicist.
Daniel smirked and whispered to his cousin, "Get up. Go say hi. You lucky dog," nudging him.
Leonard did so and went to introduce himself properly, but it quickly became a little awkward since Bernadette needed to take their orders.
"Wow, how old is she?" Daniel inquired as soon as Penny sat back down beside him.
"She's the same age as me - twenty-one," Penny rolled her eyes.
"You don't need to stare at me, Lexi. I don't break the bro code. I'm happy for Leonard." He picked up the menu.
After Bernadette took everyone's orders, Howard immediately turned to his friend.
"Please, Leonard, let me have her. I would marry her!" he trembled, clenching his fist dramatically.
"No!" Leonard objected firmly.
Howard then looked at the girls. "Come on, Penny and Alexandra, don't you have another girl like that you can set me up with?"
"Nope," Penny shook her head.
"No, I don't have anyone I hate that much..." Lexi replied more bluntly. She was obviously disgusted by the way Howard was looking at Bernadette, even if the petite blonde had a rather disproportionate body...
[Raj commentary]
"They forgot that I exist..." Raj muttered. "Thankfully, Penny and Alexandra went to the restroom together, and I was able to ask a male waiter for my order."
[Commentary ends]
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