The Life We Once Knew

Penelope got back to the BAU, feeling like a zombie. She hated seeing gory crime scenes, and the one she just saw was one of the worst. Three local teenage girls were taken and raped, then their limbs were cut off, and laid beside them. The teen girls were all prostitutes. Two were only 14. Penelope shuddered at the thought. Girls with so much life ahead of them, killed before they had the chance to turn their lives around. It made her depressed.

As she was walking back to her “corner”, Spencer ran up to her. “Penelope, can I talk to you?”

Penelope smiled. “Go ahead, Wonder Boy. Amaze me.”

He pulled her over to the corner. “I picked Jessica up from school a few hours ago.”

Penelope stared at Spencer, quizzically. “What do mean? Doesn’t school let out right now?”

Spencer nodded. “She called me from a gas station. She’d left school.”

“Why would she do that? She was fine when I dropped her of this morning?”

Spencer swallowed. “Some girl was making fun of her. I’m sorry Penelope, I didn’t know what to do. She tried calling you, but your phone was off. I didn’t want to just leave her there.”

Penelope nodded. “It’s fine. I’m going to run home now, and make sure everything is okay. And thanks.”

Spencer smiled. “Anytime.”

Penelope grabbed some things she needed to take home with her, and was about to walk out the door, when Derek stopped her.

“Hey, Baby Girl. Are you okay? You seem to be in a rush.”

She smiled. “Oh, Hot Stuff, I am. Jessica left school hours ago, and I need to get home to see what’s up with her.”

Derek put his hand on her arm gently. “Do you need me to come with you?”

Penelope shook her head. “No, Spencer just told me she was picked on by some kid at school. So I’m going to see what’s up with her.”

Derek kissed Penelope on the head. “Okay, let me know if you need anything later.”

Penelope nodded. “I will.”

She walked out the door slowly. She could feel Derek watching her, and sighed once she turned the corner. She knew he was trying to figure her out based on her demeanor. He was a profiler, that’s what he did. She rushed to her car, and drove the few miles home.

She walked in slowly, looking around. She could hear the TV in the next room. She walked in, and saw Jessica, sitting on the couch, watching it. She looked tired, and her eyes looked bloodshot, like she’d spent a few hours crying.

Penelope knocked on the outside wall. “Hey, kiddo.”

Jessica looked up, and sniffled. “Hey.”

Penelope smiled. “Mind if I come in?”

Jessica shrugged. “It’s your house.”

Penelope nodded and walked in. “So Spencer told me he picked you up? Why?”

“S-she made fun of me. For something she saw.”

“What to you mean?”

Jessica bowed her head, and pulled up her sleeves, revealing the cuts she had shown Spencer a few hours earlier.

Penelope gasped, then closed her mouth quickly. “Sorry. I-I knew you were into things, but not this.”

“Yeah, it’s fine. I haven’t since I was in Seattle though. I don’t want to anymore. But I-I don’t know if I can stop. I just…I feel so-so…ugh I don’t know how to explain it.”

Penelope nodded. “Don’t try to. But you can’t just skip school, you know that, right?”

Jessica sighed. “I know.”

Penelope stroked Jessica’s hair. “If you want, I can get you a therapist. I know they’re easier to talk to than people you know.”

“If you think it would help, go for it. I’m out of options now.”

Penelope patted Jessica’s hand, then walked out of the room. She wasn’t sure what to do. Would a therapist really work? And should she keep Jessica in public school? She knew how cruel kids were. She was an outsider like Jessica. She sighed as she walked into the kitchen, and pulled out her cell phone. Leaning against the fridge, she waited for Derek to pick up.

“Baby Girl, everything okay?”

Penelope sighed. “Not really. Can I meet you somewhere? The park? I need somewhere private so we can talk.”

“Sure. I’m leaving now.”

Penelope hung up, and walked down the hallway, back to Jessica’s room.

“Hey. So I’m going to get us some food. I’ll be back in a bit. Are you okay here by yourself?”

Jessica nodded. “Go ahead.”

Penelope smiled. “Does pizza sound good?”

Jessica nodded. Penelope waved goodbye and walked out the door. She would’ve told Jessica about going to see Derek, but she wasn’t sure how Jessica would feel about Derek knowing what was going on. Penelope didn’t want to hide things from Jessica, but she wasn’t sure what to do, and she needed another opinion. Besides, Derek always seemed to be right. The year before, he was certainly right. Penelope told him about how this really hot guy asked her out, and how she was unsure about going out with him. He told her if she had bad feelings about the guy to stay away from him. Penelope got upset, because she thought he meant that no one who was ‘hot’ would be remotely interested in her, unless there was something in it for him. So when the hot guy called her asking her out for dinner, she accepted. That night, when he took her home after dinner, he shot her, in fear that she was on to his other killings. Penelope almost lost her life.

Ever since, she and Derek had been closer than ever. She realized how much he cared about her. Admittedly, though, it made her sad to think that he saw her as a friend. She wanted to be with him, but knew how he was. She didn’t think he would ever settle down. And if he did, she doubted it would ever be with someone who looked like her.

The drive didn’t seem long, and before she knew it, she was at the large local park. She parked in front of the picnic tables, after having spotted Derek sitting at one of the last ones. She waved, and walked over.

“Thanks for meeting me here.”

“You know I’d do anything for you, sweetie. Now what is it?”

Penelope set down beside him and sighed. “You know how I told you about Jessica being picked on at school?”

Derek nodded. “Yeah.”

“Well, it’s because the girl that was picking on her saw her arms. Derek, she cuts herself.”

Derek rubbed Penelope’s back. Penelope turned to him, tears threatening to fall down her face.

“What am I supposed to do? Derek, she told me she wants to stop, but doesn’t know if she can. How can I send her back to that school, knowing that that girl, and I’m sure her friends, are going to continue to harass Jessica? I know it only happened once, but knowing teen girls, it won’t stop.”

Derek stared at her intensely. “It won’t stop, I’m sure. You know, there are other options. Home schooling for one. Private school. Public school’s not the only one.”

Penelope nodded. “I know. Maybe home schooling? Private school would be even worse. All it is, is stuck-up kids whose parents make a boatload of money as politicians.”

“You’re right. So what are you going to do about it, hmm?”

Penelope stood up, determined. “I’m going to look into home schooling! Like, maybe online?”

Derek stood and kissed Penelope on the forehead. “That’s my girl.”

Penelope looked up at Derek and smiled. “Thank you. Arg, why do you always seem to be right?”

Derek laughed. “That’s just how I do.”

Penelope giggled. “True. Well I better go. Told Jessica I’d pick up some pizza.”

“Okay.”

Penelope started to walk away, but Derek grabbed her arm. “Penelope?”

Penelope turned. “Yeah?”

“You’re being a great big sis. I wish you were mine!” Derek laughed.

Penelope smiled shyly. “T-thanks.”

She turned and walked away, feeling happy and sad, all at once. She hated feeling that way. She was happy that she got her fears for her sister off her chest, but at the same time, she felt sad. Was that all Derek saw her as? A sister? She wanted to be so much more than his sister. Maybe her pathetic attempts at flirting were starting to show, so he wanted to make how he felt clear. She got into her car, and watched as Derek walked to his. She pulled out of the parking lot, and drove to the pizza place, all the while trying to control the tears that were about to fall.

After managing to keep the tears at bay in the pizza place, she drove home. At this point, she couldn’t move. Penelope just sat in the driveway, staring at the steering wheel. The next move she made was putting her hands over her face, so if anyone came outside they couldn’t see the tears quickly falling. She let them out in two large sobs, then somehow managed to pull herself together. Penelope wiped her eyes, and wiped away the mascara that streaked her face. She pulled out a compact from her purse, and smiled. Seeing her large, red eyes and flushed face accompanying the fake smile she was trying desperately to make seem real just wanted to make her cry even more.

She sighed loudly, and stared at the door, before finally managing to open it. She grabbed the pizza and her purse, got out, then shut the door loudly. She walked in, to see Jessica sitting on the couch, reading a magazine.

Jessica looked up and smiled. “Hey.”

Penelope turned to her, and Jessica’s smile faded.

“Are you okay?”

Penelope shook her head, and went to put the pizza on the counter. She could hear Jessica following her.

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

Penelope made herself busy by getting out plates and cups. She grabbed a pepsi from the fridge and poured herself and Jessica a glass, while Jessica put pizza on their plates.

Jessica continued to stare at Penelope. “You’re not okay. I can tell. Do you want to talk about it?”

Penelope sighed. A part of her wanted to talk about it, but another part of her was embarrassed. What would Jessica say about Penelope never really dating, because she’d always hoped that Derek would ask her out? Would she find it pathetic? Because, to Penelope, that’s just how it sounded. Pathetic.

“Um, sure, but it sounds stupid and pathetic.”

They grabbed their plates and drinks and headed for the living room.

“So, go ahead. What’s wrong?”

Penelope swallowed hard. “Well, on my way to get pizza, I stopped to talk to Derek at the park. I needed his advice on what to do with you, school-wise. I decided on looking into some online classes, if that’s okay with you.”

Jessica smiled. “That sounds good. Now what happened?”

“I thought you’d forget after I told you that.”

Jessica laughed. “Good try, but no. Now what happened?!”

Penelope shrugged. “I was leaving, and he told me I was a great sister. And that he wished I was his big sister. Sounds pathetic, huh?”

Jessica shook her head. “No, it doesn’t. You like him a lot, I can tell. And I think he really likes you too.”

“I don’t know.”

Jessica patted her leg. “Have you seen the way he looks at you? He doesn’t look at you the way a brother looks at a sister, he looks at you like a man who is attracted to a woman. He really likes you. Maybe he’s just scared.”

Penelope smiled. “You think he likes me like that?”

“I do! Oh my gosh, I just noticed that we sound like a couple of teeny-boppers. Is this when we start listening to the Jonas Brothers and add the word ‘like’ to the beginning of everything we say?!”

Penelope laughed. “Like, hell yeah!”