annabel lee [spencer reid]

chapter iii

September 11, 2015
"I want to be teacher's pet."

The first week of classes is finally over and Kat has never been so relieved to see the weekend. She's already overwhelmed with the amount of homework she has received.

Today, Kat gets to work a shift from 1 to 4. She admits she is glad to go to work. Between the stress of school and the thought of Dr. Reid still haunting in the back of her head, making coffee is a perfect distraction. Sadly, today AJ has the day off. Instead, Kat gets to work with Bryan Lopez.

Kat remembers meeting Bryan on her first day of work. Her initially thought of him was that he was definitely on drugs, but as she slowly got to know him, she realized he is the last person to do drugs, and just happens to have the personality of a 10 year old.

"Is that Katty?" Bryan yells as soon as Kat walks into the shop.

"Is that Bryan?" Kat walks towards him and he scoops her up in a giant hug.

"I missed you." Bryan releases her, and ruffles her hair.

"I missed you, too." Kat then clocks in, and wraps her apron on before beginning her shift.

Not only is the blending of frappés and foaming of milk a comfort to Kat, but so is Bryan's presence. Many times while he is making a drink, he suddenly bursts out singing or dancing to the music that's playing in the shop. It never fails to make Kat grin.

As Bryan belts the last note of Unchained Melody, down the street on campus, Spencer has just finished his last lecture and he is exhausted beyond compare. The last thing he wants to do is sit in his apartment, planning lessons and grading papers. Instead, he decides to grab a cup of coffee, a warm pastry, and a good book. He grabs the stack of papers that is left on his desk, and carefully slips it into his satchel before heading to the only coffee shop in town that caters to his picky palate.

Before his dad left, and his mom's schizophrenic episodes were at a minimum, they would always bake as a family. Spencer's personal favorite has always been his mom's blueberry muffins, and Stumptown's version of the baked good is the only one that has ever resonated with him.

It reminded him of the feeling of happiness. The feeling he felt before his dad eloped, before his mom constantly relapsed, before the bullying struck, before he witnessed the love of his life get murdered- simpler times. Now he's desolate. Sad. Alone.

When Reid walks into the shop, Kat doesn't know what to feel. She is supposed to be working the register, but she can't bring herself to face him... yet, so she cleans the steamer, despite Bryan cleaning it less than two minutes ago. Bryan soon realizes Kat is busy, and swoops in to take Spencer's order.

After Spencer pays, he sits at an empty table by the window, unpacking Nobody's Women by Steve Miller from his bag.

Kat prepares his order- a plain black coffee, and a single blueberry muffin. Before she even realizes what she is doing, she carries the plate with the muffin in one hand, and the steaming mug of coffee in the other to the doctor.

"One blueberry muffin, and a dark roast." Kat places the items onto his table.

"Thank you." He replies. She shifts her eyes onto his hands to see a familiar book.

"Anthony Sowell." She murmurs.

"Pardon?" Dr. Reid pauses in the midst of the paragraph to view the young girl.

"Anthony Sowell. The Cleveland Strangler."

He smiles at her, impressed by her knowledge. "I'm sorry have we met?" Spencer can faintly recognize her face, but can't entirely put his finger on it.

"Katrina Clark. Most people call me Kat. I'm in your criminology class." Kat informs him, gaining more confidence.

"Oh right, right. You returned my notebook with..."

"AJ." She reminds him.

"That's the name." The two awkwardly stare at each other. Kat's brain whirls trying to think of some way to carry the conversation.

"I know I should've respected your privacy, but I read it. What's the deal? Do you study them?"

Spencer's smile slowly fades. Of course he loved working at the Behavioral Analysis Unit, and he loved his team, but the things he saw, and the things he faced scarred him.

"I, uh, used to... it was for an old job."  Spencer tries to hide his dismay, but Kat can read his face. She wants to keep asking him questions, but she doesn't want to intrude.

"Kat! I could use a little help here!" Bryan yells at his coworker. Kat is so intrigued with Dr. Reid, that she didn't even notice the line forming.

"You should probably go." Spencer tells her softly.

"Yeah. See you around, Dr. Reid." She gives him a slight wave, and heads back to the counter to save Bryan.

"Kat, this is work, not tinder!" Bryan shouts, trying to pour a shot of espresso in a mug and warm a scone in the oven, simultaneously.

"Oh, shut up." She rolls her eyes, and resumes her work.

Kat can't describe the way she felt talking to Dr. Reid. She wants to feel nothing, but she can't deny the way her heart accelerates when she sees his tousled, golden waves. Or the feeling of her stomach turning when his copper orbs meet her gaze.

She hopes that this is purely platonic, and will eventually go away, but deep down inside of her, she knows it will not.

Author's Note
Short and kinda crappy :((( I feel like this is going slow, but it'll speed up :)