Life Through the American TV Show World

County High School.

Adam held a camcorder, following young Sheldon as they knocked on the principal's office door.

"What now, Sheldon?" 

The principal, seeing Sheldon, felt a headache brewing but quickly noticed Adam and the camcorder. Frowning, he asked, "What are you two up to?"

"Hello, Principal," Sheldon replied solemnly. "We're filming a video to convince my mom to let me go to college early. We need your and the teachers' support."

"Okay, no problem." 

The principal cut Sheldon off mid-sentence with a smile. "We'll cooperate. You want me to say I support you going to college now, right?"

Seeing Sheldon nod, the principal eagerly said, "Let's get started."

Sheldon raised an eyebrow, surprised by the principal's sudden enthusiasm, but quickly dismissed it and turned to Adam. 

"We're ready." 

Adam gave a thumbs-up.

"A student like Sheldon is a once-in-a-lifetime phenomenon," the principal began smoothly, a seasoned pro at interviews. "When he leaves, our school will never be the same. But I know he'll achieve great things, and I'm honored to have played a small role in his journey." 

He concluded with a warm smile.

"Excellent. Next up is Mr. Givens," Sheldon said, clearly pleased with the principal's praise. With a slight nod of pride, he turned and left the office.

"Should I let them know to cooperate?" 

The principal asked enthusiastically.

"That won't be necessary," Adam replied, putting away the camcorder. "I believe all the teachers, like you, are fond of Sheldon."

"Heh, heh." 

The principal chuckled, giving Adam an approving look. "Your name's Adam, right? You've got talent. I like you!"

Just as expected, every teacher eagerly cooperated upon hearing that the video was to help Sheldon leave for college.

The science teacher: "He's ready. Fall? No, he can leave right now. Please!" 

"Cut!" 

Director Cooper interrupted, uncertainly looking at Adam. "Was that sarcasm? It feels less convincing than the principal's." 

"No, he's genuinely expressing himself," Adam replied earnestly. 

"Okay." 

Sheldon, unable to distinguish sarcasm, nodded at Adam's affirmation.

"Mr. Givens, tone it down a bit," Adam gestured subtly to the excitable bald teacher. 

"Alright, alright." 

The science teacher realized his overexcitement and restrained himself for the next take. "Sheldon is my most accomplished student. I'm proud that he's heading to college so early. Strike while the iron is hot, as they say. To support him, I'll pitch in for travel expenses and even help him move into his dorm. Whatever he needs..." 

He took a deep breath and raised two thumbs up. "Please, let him go. To college."

"Perfect." 

Sheldon was satisfied this time and motioned for Adam to film their homeroom and English teacher, who was already waiting by the door.

The homeroom teacher: "I have nothing left to teach Sheldon. He's definitely smarter than me..." 

"That's true," Sheldon interjected, giving a thumbs-up on camera. 

"..." 

Noticing the homeroom teacher's strained smile, Adam quickly ended the take and moved on to the math teacher.

The math teacher, a kind-hearted and expressive African-American woman, said emotionally, "Honestly, teaching Sheldon has been the hardest task of my career. Not because he's difficult..." 

Alright, ma'am, could you be a bit more sincere?

"...but because he's exceptionally intelligent. To keep up with him, I've had to study every night. I'll miss him dearly." 

Seeing Adam gesture toward his eyes, the math teacher remembered, *The eyes are the windows to the soul.* Avoiding direct eye contact with the camera, she lowered her gaze, putting on a touched and thoughtful expression.

"Zoom in for a close-up," Sheldon instructed, pleased.

The math teacher froze in place, closed her eyes, and imagined happy thoughts, her face now radiating genuine emotion.

"That was excellent." 

Adam packed up the camcorder, giving a thumbs-up.

"Phew." 

The math teacher let out a sigh of relief.

"Let's go see Dr. John Sturgis," Sheldon said, gearing up for the most critical part of the video.

The principal and teachers' endorsements were just a prelude. They weren't enough to sway Mary, Sheldon's mom. After all, these were the same people who had repeatedly urged Sheldon to transfer schools ever since he started high school. Their support carried little weight.

The real linchpin was Dr. John Sturgis. 

First, Dr. Sturgis had been Sheldon's pre-college mentor for the past year. 

Second, he was Sheldon's grandmother's ex-boyfriend and had always looked out for Sheldon. In fact, due to their similar intellect and habits, Sturgis got along better with Sheldon than most of his family—except for Mary, who was a *world's best mom* type.

Third, Sturgis worked at the University of Texas at Austin. While it was some distance away, it was still in the same state, allowing Mary to keep an eye on her beloved son.

Once Adam finished filming Dr. Sturgis, he declined Sheldon's invitation to join him in presenting the video to Mary. Adam wanted no part in her deliberations, especially since her large eyes could be quite intimidating when she stared someone down.

---

**Cooper Household.**

Sheldon explained the situation and played the video for Mary.

"Hello, Mary." 

Dr. Sturgis's appearance immediately softened Mary's expression.

"I understand this is a tough decision for you, and I wouldn't presume to tell you how to raise your child, as I don't have any of my own. But I can tell you that in all my years in science, I've never encountered a talent like Sheldon. He's extraordinary. If you let him come here, I promise we'll take good care of him."

Although Dr. Sturgis wasn't socially adept, he had learned from Sheldon's grandmother not to mention his ex, Paige. This time, he focused solely on Sheldon, much to Sheldon's satisfaction.

"Sheldon Cooper is ready for college and ready to change the world."

The video ended with a dramatic narration, but Sheldon's blunt addition stood out: "If this doesn't convince her, I really don't know what's wrong with her."

Mary: "..." 

Yep, that's definitely her son.

---

*(End of Chapter)*