Neighbors (S. R.)

May

Sunday, May 2

Day 48

You: Thank you for dinner the other night! I had a good time

-

Wednesday, May 5

Day 51

Spencer: Absolutely! It was my pleasure. I would love to do that again sometime

-

Friday, May 7

Day 53

You laughed at your coworker's joke before taking a sip of your drink. You kind of had to pee. You stood up only to run straight into a beautiful black woman.

"Oh! I'm so sorry!" you exclaimed.

She smiled brightly at you.

"It's okay!" She eyed you for a moment. "Do you work at DelCorp?"

"Yeah! I'm in HR. What about you?"

"Accounting," she grinned. "I'm Audrey."

-

Tuesday, May 11

Day 57

"Spencer Reid?" the pizza man asked.

"Oh! Uhhhh, yeah. One sec."

You grabbed a few dollars from your purse before handing it over.

"Thanks."

"No problem. Have a good night," he said.

"You, too."

Pizza box in hand, you walked over to Spencer's door and knocked. He answered, his face one of pleasant surprise when he looked down to see you standing there. Even though you had hung out with him just a few days ago, you were still happy for an excuse to see him.

"I think your mail got sent to my place on accident," you joked. He chuckled, taking the pizza box into his hands.

"Thank you."

He hesitated.

"Would you like to come in? I can't eat all of this by myself."

"Are you sure?"

"Absolutely."

He held the door open for you as you stepped into his apartment.

-

Sunday, May 16

Day 62

You: Hey! Are you busy today? I was thinking about going out for a coffee and was wondering if you'd like to come too?

Spencer: I'm out of town, I'm sorry. I should be back sometime next week, maybe we can do it then? I'll keep you updated.

You: Okay, cool! Thanks!

-

Tuesday, May 25

Day 71

The sound of your front doorknob rattling woke you from your sleep. What the fuck? You checked the clock. 2am. The rattling got more insistent this time, the sound of someone trying to fit something through the lock.

Your heart racing, you grabbed the biggest knife you had from the kitchen and made your way to the front door. You were almost out of breath, terrified of what you would find on the other side. Was Spencer home yet? He had a gun. If he wasn't, you could probably scream loud enough for someone else to hear you. You peered through the peephole.

What?

You unlocked the door and threw it open, setting your knife onto the table by the door. Spencer stood on the other side, his keys in his hand. It only took a few seconds to realize what was going on. The subtle smell of alcohol hit you, and you looked up at him to see that he was staring down at you confusedly.

"I thought..." he started.

"Is everything okay?" you asked.

"Yeah, I..." he trailed off, taking a look behind you and then down the hall to his own apartment. "I guess I got the wrong door. Sorry."

Something was wrong. He turned to walk to his own apartment, but something made you stop him. You reached out, grabbing his wrist before he walked away.

"Spencer, are you okay?"

"Yeah," he replied, his voice monotone. His eyes were glassy, his cheeks flushed; he was definitely drunk. Had he just gotten home from his trip?

"Why don't you come inside?"

"My place is right there," he said simply, pointing to his door.

"Yeah, I know. Maybe just for tonight though?"

He shook his head.

"No, I'm bothering you. I'll see you later. Night."

Without another word, he shook himself from you to shuffle to his own door. You waited until you heard his lock turn from the inside before you went back to bed.

-

Day 72

You: Hey, just checking in. Everything alright?

Spencer: Yeah, I'm okay. Sorry about yesterday. I didn't mean to wake you.

You: It happens. As long as you're safe

Spencer: I am.

Spencer: Is there any way I can make it up to you? I'm free to get coffee later this week.

-

Saturday, May 29

Day 76

"I'm sorry about the other night," Spencer apologized again, sighing at you from across the café table.

"It happens," you replied. You took a moment before you asked the big question.

"What happened? You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, though."

He looked away from you, as though he were ashamed.

"I sometimes visit a victim from an old case. I guess he was also the murderer, too. He has Dissociative Identity Disorder, so he wasn't in control of his actions at the time. But he's... stuck in the personality that is the most dangerous to himself and others. I visit him to see if I can bring him back, if that makes sense?"

He made eye contact with you. It kind of made sense, but you needed a little more context for the situation.

"So..." you started, "He's not present anymore?"

Spencer shook his head.

"No. It's just demoralizing every time. I try over and over. I don't think I'll ever see him again. But I have to keep trying because nobody else will. I know he's there, alone and scared, and he needs someone to be there for him. Someone to believe in him."

"Oh."

"Yeah."