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3rd POV
{With my intelligence, I managed to answer question after question my brother threw at me during our trip to Florida. It made me wonder—maybe I'm not as insufferable as they think I am. Huh. But no, that's not the reason I haven't left this ridiculous planet}" – Adult Sheldon.
The journey from Medford, Texas, to Cape Canaveral, Florida, takes approximately 12 to 15 hours by car.
Where's the fun in such a long trip? Nowhere.
Even rockstars, traveling from city to city, cover distances like this but spend more time resting than performing or playing music for fun.
Even for Sheldon, a notorious chatterbox, there was a limit. If the conversation didn't pique his interest, he remained silent.
George focused on driving, occasionally glancing at his son resting in the back seat and Sheldon beside him, who stared blankly at the road ahead with his usual deadpan expression.
"Sheldon," George called, drawing his son's attention. "Tell me about your future. I know you're a smart kid, but have you made any concrete plans?" he asked with a smile.
Sheldon looked at his father with an expressionless gaze. "First of all, calling me smart just cost me 40 IQ points out of my 187."
George was momentarily speechless but remained patient.
"And yes, I've made some plans for myself," Sheldon continued, shifting his gaze away.
George waited, but Sheldon didn't elaborate. "What kind of plans? I know you want to be a scientist, and I have no doubt you can achieve that. But have you considered a backup plan? Like in football—if a star player gets injured, the team needs a solid backup to step in."
Sheldon was silent for a moment before looking back at his father. "The likelihood of me not becoming a scientist is extremely low, but I understand your point."
His gaze drifted toward Georgie, who was still resting with his eyes closed in the back seat.
"I've calculated Brother's chances of becoming a famous singer, and he will—provided he stays away from drugs and alcoholism. Women too. A lot of rockstars stray from their path because of these things."
George shuddered slightly at the thought of Sheldon's words coming true for Georgie.
Taking a deep breath, he steadied himself and met Sheldon's gaze with determination. "I won't let that happen."
Sheldon simply nodded.
"Well, with Brother's help, I doubt there's a university that wouldn't accept me," Sheldon added, sounding somewhat reassured. "They'll fight to make me their scientist—not because they know me, but because they know Georgie Cooper."
George glanced at him before refocusing on the road.
"Don't worry, Shelly! I'll always have your back!" Georgie's voice suddenly rang from the back seat, startling them both.
George managed to keep control of the wheel.
"I thought you were asleep," Sheldon grumbled, eyeing Georgie, who chuckled at their reactions.
"I was," Georgie admitted, stretching. "But you two were too loud."
George twitched his lips at Georgie's remark.
"What about you, Georgie?" he asked, his tone laced with sarcasm. "Do you have a plan for your grand 'Get Rich' goal?"
Georgie ignored the sarcasm and grinned. "Hmm… First, I'll become a famous singer and make a fortune. Second, I'll stay away from drugs and other money-draining vices. Third, investment." He shot them both a look.
Sheldon nodded in approval. George did too—until he fixed his son with a serious gaze in the rearview mirror.
"If you ever touch that stuff, I'll personally beat you so bad you'll spend a full month in the hospital," he warned.
Georgie swallowed hard and nodded before adding, "Fourth… I think I'll invent something—maybe technology or something else." He turned to Sheldon. "Hey, Shelly, how about we create something together?"
Sheldon sighed. "What do you want to make? For the record, I refuse to work on anything pointless like a burp counter or something equally ridiculous."
Georgie's lips twitched. "Of course not! What am I, six? I don't have anything specific in mind yet, but I'll come up with something and let you know."
Sheldon nodded, thinking it over. Money wasn't particularly important to him—science was.
George chuckled. "How about an instant beer cooler?" he joked, laughing at his own absurd suggestion. He wasn't sure if such a thing existed or if he'd have to move to the North Pole to achieve it.
"What do you think, Shelly?" Georgie asked, ignoring their father's laughter.
Sheldon pondered for a moment before sighing. "There are a few options, but I wouldn't recommend them. Most are expensive, and some are too advanced—like my previous rocket research."
George raised an eyebrow, realizing Sheldon was actually taking his joke seriously.
Georgie didn't interrupt, knowing that despite his reincarnated knowledge, he wasn't familiar with the mechanics of rapid cooling technology or something like that.
"We could use a Peltier module, but they require too much power to cool things quickly, making them impractical for home electricity or standard batteries—unless we invent a better battery."
Georgie snorted. "Too costly. Too much research funding needed."
"Vortex tube," Sheldon suggested, shaking his head immediately.
Georgie followed up, "Too big."
Sheldon exhaled. "Another option is spray cooling, but using CO2 or liquid nitrogen isn't safe for food or drinks."
Georgie leaned back. "Yeah, we'd need serious funding for that kind of research." He sighed. "Sorry, old man, your dream is still out of reach."
George twitched his lips. "I was just joking! You two didn't have to overthink it!"
This time, Sheldon gave him a strange look. "What are you talking about? Every weird idea creates something extraordinary, Dad," Sheldon said before continuing, "Orville and Wilbur Wright were considered crazy for inventing the airplane. People told them that no human could fly."
Georgie smiled at that. He noticed that Sheldon wasn't being sarcastic or mocking their father, just because he had said something that sounded absurd.
George also listened to the conversation, glancing at Georgie through the rearview mirror. "Alright, alright! If I want something, I'll tell you guys!" George said with a grin, cutting Sheldon off before he could go on about famous inventors.
Sheldon nodded and turned to Georgie, who gave him a thumbs-up.
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Third-person POV
"Where have you two been?" Mary asked, eyeing Connie and Veronica as they entered the salon.
Mary and Missy had already been there for a while, drying their hair, when Connie and Veronica finally arrived.
"I got a flat tire," Connie said with an exaggerated sigh, lying with impressive acting skills.
Veronica chuckled softly, gripping her purse tightly.
Hearing this, Mary's expression immediately turned to concern. "Oh my, what happened? Are you two okay?"
Connie took a seat beside her, getting comfortable for her salon treatment, while Veronica followed and smiled at the staff.
"We were lucky! We stopped right in front of a repair shop," Connie added, keeping a straight face as she continued her lie.
On the way there, Connie had warned Veronica not to say a word if Mary questioned or interrogated them.
Veronica obeyed, merely smiling at Mary without adding anything.
"Why are you so late?" Missy asked Veronica.
She was already done with her hair treatment and was in the middle of getting her hair dried. Her face showed irritation toward Veronica, but she quickly forgot about it once the warm air hit her scalp. "My head is so hot!"
Veronica chuckled. "Like Memaw said, our car tire went flat, and we had to wait for it to get fixed before we could come here!" she said before shifting her focus to her own treatment.
Mary finally sighed and gave Veronica a gentle smile. "Alright, you two, sit down and relax for now." she said.
Veronica took a seat beside Connie and whispered, "I feel bad for lying."
Connie snorted. "I'm the one who lied. You just don't mess it up!" she whispered back.
"What are you two whispering about?" Mary asked, eyeing them suspiciously.
"Nothing," Connie answered with a sweet smile, trying to appear innocent.
"Haha, I bet they haven't done it yet…" A female voice echoed from the entrance, one that Veronica instantly recognized.
A voice that made her blood boil.
Jana and Lisa walked into the salon, spotting Georgie's family inside. They also noticed Veronica through the large mirror.
"Hello, Mrs. Cooper! Hello, Mrs. Tucker," Jana and Lisa greeted Mary and Connie with cheerful smiles, waving at Missy, who was sitting at the far end of the room.
Jana then smirked at Veronica, who stared at them with a deadly gaze. "What are you doing here?" Veronica asked, holding herself back from standing up and confronting them.
Jana and Lisa simply smiled sweetly. "What? Are we not allowed to be here?" Lisa asked before turning to the salon staff. "Do you have room for two more?"
The salon employee smiled politely. "I'm sorry, as you can see, we're fully booked. You can wait for a bit if you'd like."
Jana and Lisa exchanged glances before Lisa sighed. "Alright, it's okay. We can come back another time." She tugged at Jana's hand, trying to pull her away.
However, Jana wasn't done yet. She kept her smile as she looked at Veronica.
To Veronica, that smile wasn't warm or sweet. It was a fuse, ready to ignite her anger. And then, as if to push her even further, Jana ran her tongue across her lips in a deliberately slow motion.
"..Bitch.." Veronica muttered under her breath—but loud enough for everyone to hear.
Her eyes stayed locked on Jana, who was still mocking her with her presence.
Jana merely smirked, unbothered. If the Cooper family hadn't been there, they probably would've already started a fight.
Mary and Connie, who also heard Veronica's words, were slightly surprised. But they knew better than to say anything at this moment, choosing instead to remain polite toward Jana and Lisa.
"See you again, Mrs. Cooper, Mrs. Tucker." Jana said after finishing her silent taunts toward Veronica.
Mary and Connie simply nodded with forced smiles, maintaining their composure.
Missy, who had been itching for some gossip, turned to Veronica with curiosity. "What happened?! Why did you call her a bitch?"
Mary shot Missy a look. "Language, young lady!" But then, she turned her attention back to Veronica, who was still fuming.
Well, she was a woman, after all. And she did love gossip.
Connie also looked at Veronica, but it seemed like she had already figured out what had happened between her and those two girls.
Veronica took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. "It's okay, Mary, Memaw, Missy," she said with a small smile. "I apologize for my language."
Missy wasn't satisfied with that response and pressed further. "What happened? Aren't we sisters?! Tell me!!"
Veronica's expression softened at that. "Aww, thank you, little sister. I'll tell you when we get home, alright?" she said, giving Missy a warm smile.
The salon staff chuckled. "What? That's not fair to us! I practically kicked them out for you!" she joked.
Connie snorted. "Hmph, if she told you, Berta, the whole town would know by tomorrow!" she said before turning to Veronica. "You can tell us when we get home," she added, this time more serious.
Berta scoffed. "What? I just like gossip!"
Connie ignored her and patted Veronica's hand, reassuring her.
"Seriously! I want to hear it!" Missy whined, looking at Veronica impatiently from her seat.
Mary, having momentarily set aside her annoyance toward Connie, was now more curious about what had happened between Veronica and those girls.
"...Is it about Georgie?" Mary finally asked in a hushed tone, unable to hold back her curiosity.
Veronica's face stiffened for a moment before she awkwardly smiled and gave a small nod.
"Oww... What did he do?" Mary asked again, only to receive a side-eye from Connie.
"Come on! She'll explain everything later!" Connie said, shutting Mary down.
Mary sighed and reluctantly held back her curiosity.
"Seriously!" Missy grumbled, frustrated that she couldn't eavesdrop on their conversation.