My head felt heavy after the long flight. The California sun was too bright, and the noise on the curb outside the airport replaced the engine hum that was still stuck in my ears.
"Hey kiddo, are you awake?"
The man next to me adjusted his glasses. Curly hair. A worried look. I knew that face from somewhere I should not have known it.
Before I could think, another voice cut in.
"We need to go over the apartment rules immediately. This is not an efficient use of time."
I turned. The taller man stood stiff, holding a folder like it was important. I knew him too.
The first man rubbed his forehead. "Sheldon, stop. Adrian just got off an airplane. Give him a second."
"No, Leonard. If we do not establish order now, he will start inventing his own routines when he steps into my apartment."
"You mean our apartment," Leonard corrected.
Sheldon. Leonard. Hearing their names snapped the situation into focus. I knew them from a screen, not real life. Yet here they were, breathing, arguing, in front of me.
My mind spun, but I played along. I asked the simplest question I could.
"Where are we going?"
Sheldon gasped. "You see. He has already forgotten the plan. Leonard, we need to present the full schedule now or my living space will become his unstructured environment."
Leonard crouched slightly to meet my eyes. "Sheldon, enough. Adrian, we're heading back to our apartment. Mom and Dad are on a research project in Asia and won't be back for a while. So you're staying with your brother until they return."
My brother.
Leonard Hofstadter was my brother and that was the missing piece.
So I am Adrian Hofstadter and I was in the world of The Big Bang Theory.
To be sure, I tested it. "Is your apartment 4A in Pasadena?"
Sheldon answered fast. "Oh boy. Leonard, your little brother is psychic."
"No, Sheldon," Leonard said, sounding done with him already. "I told Mom my address. She must have told him."
Sheldon looked disappointed. Probably because psychic powers were more interesting than the truth.
They kept talking, but my mind was focused elsewhere. I was really here. In California. With these people. This was not a dream. Compared to my last life, this time might give me something better.
Leonard spoke again. "Actually, Adrian, have you thought about what you want to study when you get to college? Last time we talked, you were really into music, right?"
I searched through the memories that belonged to this Adrian. They were fuzzy, but the feeling was clear. He liked music. A lot. He wrote songs but never shared them.
"Yes," I said. "I still like music."
Leonard smiled. "That's good. You should keep going with it."
Sheldon crossed his arms. "Music is an acceptable hobby, but statistically it is not a stable career choice."
"Sheldon," Leonard warned.
"I am presenting facts," Sheldon said simply.
Leonard turned back to me. "Ignore him. You just got here. We'll get you settled first. You'll have your own space."
Sheldon lifted the folder. "The orientation packet is ready. It is color coded."
Leonard let out a tired groan. "Why do you do this to me…"
A cab arrived. Leonard opened the door for me. "Come on. Let's get home."
I slid into the back seat. Sheldon got in right after, holding his packet like it was a treasure, and Leonard followed. The cab pulled away from the airport, and Pasadena passed by outside the window. Seeing it in real life felt strange after knowing it only from episodes.
Leonard leaned forward to pay. "Alright, we're here."
Sheldon pointed to the building with complete seriousness. "Welcome to the residence of Dr. Sheldon Cooper and Dr. Leonard Hofstadter. Apartment 4A. Please follow all rules once we are inside."
"We're not even through the door yet," Leonard muttered.
I stepped out of the cab and looked at the building. Familiar from the outside and inside. The stairwell where everything happened. The hallway where so many scenes took place.
This was the beginning.
Leonard gave me a small smile. "Come on, little brother. Let's go home."
With Leonard walking beside me and Sheldon lecturing about elevator safety, I followed them through the entrance.
And this is the start of my new and amazing life .