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3rd POV
"Did you know the first full-scale working railway steam locomotive was built in 1804 by Richard Trevithick in the United Kingdom? Of course, it wasn't very efficient — but it laid the groundwork for what would become a transportation revolution." Sheldon said, his eyes shining brightly as he looked around the train store.
He wandered among the various toy trains on display, admiring some of the more expensive models. "Oh, brother, look! This is the Tyco Union Pacific GP20 diesel locomotive! It runs on diesel instead of steam, with a cleaner, more technical look. This model was widely used across the western and central United States — it's one of the most efficient diesel engines of the 20th century!" Sheldon said, pointing excitedly at one of the models.
"It's yellow…" Veronica observed, commenting simply on what she saw because she not really care about train and all.
"Yellow provides high visual contrast for the human eye." Tam added casually to Veronica, who nodded in agreement, "Yeah, it's really bright yellow" Veronica said again.
Sheldon ignored their side conversation and pulled Georgie toward another train, "This is the Bachmann Santa Fe F9 Diesel. Like the Tyco Union, it's diesel-powered. I can't deny it — the aerodynamic design and the iconic paint scheme are historically significant. This is one of the most legendary and recognizable train models!" Sheldon said, smiling brightly at Georgie.
One of the store employees approached them, glancing at the model Sheldon had been talking about. "This one's actually pretty popular with kids these days," the employee said, smiling.
Upon hearing that, Sheldon turned sharply to the man. "Kids? Sorry, I suddenly lost all interest on it." he said and immediately walked away toward the next train.
The employee chuckled awkwardly at Sheldon's bluntness, while Georgie and Veronica laughed softly.
"Oh, look, Georgie! There's a miniature town, just like the one Sheldon has!" Veronica pointed toward one of the store displays.
Georgie and Sheldon followed her gaze and moved closer.
"Hmm, this is pretty good, right, Shelly?" Georgie said, leaning in to get a better look. "Well, it's not super detailed, but it's good enough to draw some attention."
"Yes, it's childish," Sheldon declared, staring at the miniature. "If I had the money, I'd build a much more complex setup for my own entertainment."
Tam gave Sheldon a confused look. "You just said it was childish, but now you want to build one yourself?"
Georgie patted Tam on the shoulder and gave him a wise look. "When you have a lot of money, money makes anything you want sound great, no matter how crazy it is."
Tam nodded thoughtfully, taking Georgie's words seriously. "I want a beautiful American wife," Tam said. "Then you better have a lot of money in your pocket." Georgie replied smoothly.
Veronica rolled her eyes at the ridiculousness of it, but somehow what Georgie said was true — that's just how the world works.
"Technically, you could do that," Sheldon said. "You could buy your own island and live however you wanted. Well, you'd still technically be part of a country, but you'd be free to do almost anything you like."
Georgie and Tam nodded thoughtfully at Sheldon's suggestion.
"Are you buying a train or not?!" Veronica said, snapping them all out of their daydream.
"Right… carry on, Shelly." Georgie said, and Sheldon eagerly led them to another section.
"Alright then!" Sheldon said excitedly. "The trains I mentioned before were HO scale, which are generally cheaper. But this —" he said, pulling them over to another section, "—this is what I really want: O scale. They're bigger! HO scale is 1:87, but O scale is 1:48."
"Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the O Scale Section!" Sheldon said grandly, handing them a rack filled with O scale trains, "These models are so detailed I don't even need a magnifying glass to see the interiors and tiny doorknobs." Sheldon said with a little jokes.
"More expensive than HO scale, I guess." Veronica said, eyeing the price tags. "More than double, actually." she added after a second glance.
Sheldon rolled his eyes. "...Women," he muttered under his breath.
Georgie chuckled and ruffled Sheldon's hair. "So, which one do you want, Shelly?" he asked, looking over the trains with him.
Sheldon studied the options carefully. "Our budget is fifty bucks... so either the Lionel 6-8061 Chessie System GP-7 Diesel or the Lionel 6-8210 Union Pacific GP-9 Diesel. I like both," Sheldon said. "They're both yellow, although the Union Pacific model has a slightly stronger motor."
(Lionel 6-8061 Chessie System GP-7 Diesel)
(Lionel 6-8210 Union Pacific GP-9 Diesel)
Sheldon noticed that the Lionel GP-9 was priced at sixty dollars — over their budget.
"Never mind, then. The Chessie will do," Sheldon said with a small sigh.
"Whoa! Look at this one, Sheldon!" Tam exclaimed, lifting up a heavy black locomotive. "It's heavy too!" Then he glanced at the price tag. "...Never mind."
"Ah, that's the Lionel 783 Hudson Steam Locomotive with Vanderbilt Tender," Sheldon said, admiring the piece. "You have a good eyes, Tam. That's not just a toy train — it's a mechanical tribute to industrial elegance. With a Vanderbilt tender, real smoke effects, whistle sounds, and heavy metal framing. Yeah, you have good taste."
"And an expensive one, too!" Tam said, quickly putting it back.
eronica approached Georgie and looked at the train in his hand. "So? Which train did he choose?"
Georgie glanced at the Union GP-9 locomotive in his hand and chuckled. "He wants this one, but it's overpriced," he said, laughing at how Sheldon willingly chose something that went over the budget they had set, even though earlier he had seen Georgie holding enough cash to easily cover the cost.
Veronica shrugged. "So? Are you going to buy it for him?" she asked, looking at the models. "Honestly, I can't tell the difference between the two."
Georgie rolled his eyes.
"Shelly! You want this one?" Georgie asked, holding up the GP-9.
Sheldon looked at the train longingly but hesitated. "But it's over our budget limit..."
"Don't worry about it," Georgie said, flagging down a store employee.
"Ahh, the Lionel GP-9! Good choice, young man. This train—" the employee began to explain.
Before he could finish, Georgie cut him off with a grin. "How about thirty bucks for it?"
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
Sheldon, Tam, and Veronica stood there silently, watching Georgie work his magic. Nobody move and nobody want to interrupted Georgie.
They all swore they saw the poor employee's soul leave his body a little as he reluctantly agreed, giving Georgie a significant discount.
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*3rd POV
The Cooper family's dinner tonight looked a little different, with a bright yellow train placed proudly on the table and Sheldon smiling wider than he ever had before. Missy glanced at the train, then at Georgie, cheeks puffed in annoyance, but she chose not to say anything.
Georgie pretended not to notice her and continued eating quietly. Mary, seeing the silent exchange between her children, smiled warmly at their antics of jealousy.
"Ouhh, that's your new train, Sheldon?" George said, leaning forward to inspect it closer. "Yellow. I like it."
"Yes. This is a Lionel 6-8210 Union Pacific GP-9 Diesel," Sheldon began eagerly. "It's an O scale model based on the EMD GP9, Real Train, produced between 1954 and 1959. It has 1,750 horsepower and runs on a diesel-electric engine." Sheldon pushed the model train closer to George for a better look. "This locomotive pulled freight trains all across America, weighing about 124 tons and stretching 56 feet long. A total of 4,112 units were produced, making it a major production run."
Missy scowled and shot a glare at Georgie, her annoyance growing. "Who cares?! That train can't even take me to the mall!" she pouted, crossing her arms.
"Missy." Mary called out, trying to get her to stop being jealous of Sheldon, She also gave Georgie a helpless look. Meanwhile, the main culprit — George, who had started the whole conversation about the train — simply sipped his beer with a smile on his face.
Veronica giggled at the scene. "Oh, somebody's jealous!" she teased. "Jealous 'cause Sheldon got a gift—or because the gift came from Georgie?"
Missy's cheeks turned a deeper shade of red. She huffed and turned away dramatically, snorting in protest. Mary and George both gave Veronica a disapproving glance; after all, they would now be the ones expected to buy Missy something to make up for it.
Sheldon, oblivious as ever, looked at Missy and started, "Why are you angry, you go—"
"I'm done!" Georgie interrupted loudly, pushing his chair back and standing up.
Mary looked at Veronica questioningly. "What happened to him?" she asked, but Veronica simply waved a hand dismissively.
Missy ignored them and continued eating her dinner angrily, unaware that Georgie had returned, carrying something for her. Georgie stood behind Missy and said, "Did you really think I forgot about you?" before planting a kiss on the top of her head.
Missy's face lit up instantly at the sight of the box Georgie was holding. Without a second thought, she stood up on her chair and squealed excitedly.
"Ohhh!!!" she exclaimed, reaching for the box.
Veronica chuckled at the sight, while Mary quickly grabbed Missy's arm to keep her from falling. "Be careful!" she scolded, though Missy clearly wasn't listening.
George watched the scene unfold with a soft smile, while Sheldon nodded approvingly. They didn't always get along, but Missy was still his twin.
"Alright, princess, sit back down before you fall." Georgie said, placing the box onto the table.
"Hey, hey, that's a big box," George chimed in. "You can finish your dinner first, then open it."
"Sure!" Georgie said, smirking mischievously as he picked the box back up and held it out of reach.
Without a second's delay, Missy dove into her dinner, eating at lightning speed.
"Slowly!" Mary scolded, wiping Missy's messy mouth with a napkin.
"Thirty-three chews, Missy! Such a barbarian…" Sheldon reminded her, shaking his head. Missy, of course, ignored him again.
"I'm done!" she announced triumphantly, then dashed after Georgie.
Watching the scene, Mary and George exchanged looks before George asked Veronica, "Where did Georgie get that much money, anyway?"
Veronica shrugged casually. "He got paid today. James and the others gave him an envelope for their next gig. It's his first paycheck."
"How much money are we talking about?" George pressed, earning a sharp glare—and a light smack—from Mary.
"We don't care how much he earned!" Mary said firmly... though she immediately turned back to Veronica with a curious look.
George grumbled under his breath, "Women..." and took another sip of his beer.
"Two hundred dollars," Sheldon answered matter-of-factly. "Not bad for a first timer. He'll earn even more once his popularity grows."
A loud cheer from across the house interrupted them:
"UWOHH!!! THANKS BROTHER!!"
"Yes, two hundred dollars," Veronica confirmed with a nod. "Georgie said that's just for tomorrow's gig. He's performing at a bar that requested him back after the crowd loved his last show."
"Two hundred bucks, huh. Not bad," George said, glancing at Mary. "Well, better than bartering for alcohol—ouch!"
He winced as Mary smacked him again.
"Is it okay?" Mary asked Veronica with concern. "Him spending all his money on gifts? Shouldn't he be buying better clothes? Maybe shoes for performing?"
"Well, he did that too, actually," Veronica said, sighing a little as if remembering something really weird.
"Georgie and Veronica had a date after they dropped us off." Sheldon chimed in, causing Mary to look at Veronica with a little smile on her face.
Footsteps echoed from the hallway, and Missy burst into the room, striking a proud pose.
"How do I look?!" she asked, beaming.
George looked up and said flatly, "Nice shoes."
Mary's face lit up. "Ohh, you look beautiful, honey!"
Missy twirled, showing off her new pink LA Gear women's high-top sneakers—an iconic model from the late '80s and early '90s, featuring sporty high-top designs with bright white-and-pink colors, velcro straps, and signature vented sides.
"You look trendy, girl!" Veronica added enthusiastically.
"It's good." Sheldon said simply, stopping himself from adding more after catching Georgie's warning look.
"I'm gonna be more popular now!" Missy squealed and dashed off again.
"So, what did you buy, Georgie?" Mary asked, curious.
Georgie grinned wide, while Veronica lowered her head in silent embarrassment. "Glad you asked! Check this out!" he said, raising his wrist proudly.
A black bracelet with a 'Yang' symbol gleamed under the lights. "Cool, right?!" he said.
"And check this out!" Georgie continued excitedly, grabbing Veronica's wrist to reveal a matching bracelet. "It's couple bracelets!!"
Mary and George stared at Veronica, completely flabbergasted.
"...I tried…" Veronica muttered helplessly.