We're All Just Pawns

A week passed and I was starting to be okay with everything. My aunt’s loft apartment didn’t have sectioned off rooms so we put up temporary walls to make my room. We also went out and bought floor length mirrors, so I could turn half of “my room” into a ballet studio. I bought a portable ballet bar too. Things were looking up. Penelope (she insisted I drop the aunt) left me at home for just an hour-- she swore –to go to work and find some things for the team. Three days a week I went in with her, as an intern with the bureau. The other days I watched old movies and danced. It’s hard to make friends in such a big town; they would just have to wait until this summer was over.

The first day I realized I had a crush on Spencer Reid was not that first day at Quantico, but when he stopped by our apartment after work one day. My aunt had already called to tell me she was going to have to wait for another hour on our Thai food, so not to be worried about her. Her call is what made me jump when I heard the doorbell ring. She had a key, so if not her, who? I turned down the music and wiped the sweat from my forehead with a towel before going to look through the peephole. I could feel my muscles ache with each step I took and my chest was burning now that I was slowing down my activity. Reid was standing on the other side of the big door with sever files stacked in his arms. I pulled the door open quickly without thinking and ushered him in. The first thing he did was sit the files on the counter, and then he looked at me. I saw something in the way his eyes traced my body, it reminded me of a teenage boy. I was in a sports bra and small dance shorts, my body covered in sweat. My first thought was, oh God please don’t tell me I stink, that’s just what I need. “I’ll tell my aunt you brought these by when she gets home.” My voice was shaky, but I needed to break the silence. I ran back into my “room” and grabbed my towel again. “Sorry I’m gross,” I joked, “I’ve been trying to dance again. I took last year off so I’m really out of shape.” I had to make myself stop talking. When I’m nervous I talk a lot, it’s just word vomit, it can’t be helped. “Don’t apologize; sweat is just the body’s way of maintaining its core temperature.” I rolled my eyes. “Next you’re going to tell me that on an average a person loses about 500 ml of water in the form of sweat.” I finished off my bottle of water, the realized he was smiling. “What?” I questioned, grabbing my foot and stretching out my leg. “You just surprise me with facts, even if I already know them.” I grinned and walked to the fridge. “Would you like something, coffee, water, juice? I’m a fan of ruby red grapefruit juice. Wow, I’ve never realized what a huge mouthful that is.” He laughed at me and said he should really be going. I was disappointed but waved and let him see himself out. I really needed to be working out anyway. I had just finished a round of plies and releves when I glanced in the mirror and met the eyes of Spencer. I dropped down from my toes and grabbed my chest. “You scared the crap out of me.” He smiled that sweet dork boy smile and clapped. “I’m sorry, I came back to tell you something else to tell Garcia and forgot when I saw you doing,” he paused looking for the right word, “that.” I flushed. “Well I guess I’ll see you tomorrow.” I said and turned away slowly, bending my knees while my heart fluttered.

That’s when I realized he was the dreamiest nerd I’d ever seen, and probably would ever see. I spent the whole month of June and part of July splitting my time between ignoring Reid and flirting with him. The first week of August came and Aunt P told me she had to go away for ten days to some international conference. “But don’t worry,” she said to me while we stood on the stoop together, “Morgan had plans, but I gave Reid a key so he’ll stop in at least once a day to check on you. I’ll be back for your birthday. And you don’t have to work this week either, so please try to go out and get some sunlight. You don’t want to end up like me.” She joked and kissed my cheek before running to her taxi. Any normal teenager might have been ecstatic at the thought of a week and a half alone, but not me. I hated being alone. I walked up the stairs slowly, dragging myself through the door and shutting it with a loud bang. The digital clock on the stove said that it was just after twelve in the afternoon. This meant I had all the time in the world, to do whatever I wanted.