Close | A Spencer Reid Story

6. Ow

Spencer's POV (Flashback)

When I first met her (if you could call it that) she brightened up my miserable day. I didn't see her face. I only heard her voice through the bookshelf. I had shoved a book back too hard, frustrated by the unlucky ending to our case and my mother's worsening health condition, subsequently knocking a book off on the other side.

My eyes had widened as I heard gasp and an "Ow."

"Sorry," I clenched my teeth, wincing prematurely, expecting some form of retaliation.

"It's alright." The faceless voice echoed though the books. "I mean, I didn't plan on having a headache today, but shit happens." I heard her slot the book back, her breath changing as she stretched upwards on her tiptoes to reach higher shelves. "I may have a concussion though." She called out her voice was becoming fainter, but the teasing was prominent. She must be walking down the aisle away from where I was standing. "You're lucky I didn't die. Although death by raining books isn't the worst way to go. I wander how many deaths a year occur because of book falling onto people's heads?" By now she was far enough away that I could only assume she was talking to herself. People say that's the first sign of madness, but I think it just proves someone eccentricity. That encounter made my forget about all my problems. That often happened when I was around Y/N. That was exactly what I needed.

The following week, one of cases led us to a new hotel that was opening in the DC area. We all had to attend the grand opening and keep an eye out on the crowd to see if anyone matched our profile. I guess that was when we actually met. I was stood beside Luke listening to him complain about Penelope ragging on him. I had been stood in the same rigid position for too long. My back felt stiff. I stepped backwards, crashing into someone.

"Sorry," I gushed, turning around in time to steady myself and my victim. I hovered my hand over her arms, just in case. But she seemed steady.

"It's alright." I remember finding it strange that was the second time I had heard that expression in a week. It wasn't common dialect around this part. "My fault I should watch where I'm walking." She mumbled looking down at her phone with a frown. She shook her head and turned it around in annoyance. At the phone, not me. "Sorry." Her bottom lip pouted out, innocently, as she looked up. She turned sideways edging past me through the tight gap.

"You know her?" Luke asked me. It was probably because my eyes tracked her as she weaved through the crowd. It was easy enough. Her lilac dress was an apparent contrast to the sea of black and white that most people were parading around in.

"No. I don't think so. Just...déjà vu." I theorised.

"Tell me about it," Luke rolled his eyes. "Every day when I hear 'Newbie' come out of Garcia's mouth I relive my nightmares all over again."

I couldn't help but chuckle. Every interaction between Penelope and Luke was entertaining.

Luckily before he could call me out on it a high-pitched screech seared my ear drums. The hotel owner tapped the microphone, drawing everyone's attention to raised platform in the centre of the lobby directly underneath a grand sky light.

"Welcome everyone." He waited for the applause to die down. "I was wondering if this day was ever going to arrive. I have aged thirty years over the last two years. I'm actually twenty-nine under all these wrinkles." He joked. He laughed along with the crowd. It was at these moments where I dragged my eyes around the crowd to see if anyone caught my attention. But it was the wrong type of attention that was being captured. Every time I scanned the crowd my vision would latch on to the pop of lilac. Her head was tilted to the side was a proud smile exuding from her. I caught myself and tugged my gaze from her and back to my job.