Round Table

Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own Criminal Minds. (Though I do wish that I owned Reid.)

WARNING: Some things may be triggering. Mentions of mental illness, abuse, eating disorders and possibly other things.

(Early September, irst day of school)

Emily Prentiss hated school.

She always had. Her mother expected perfect grades, a perfect record, perfect attendance, perfect everything out of her daughter. Instead, she got rebellious Emily Prentiss who wore black skinny jeans, ran with boys like Ian Doyle, and skipped more school than she actually attended with a detention record worth bragging about. The only grounded people she had in her life were her tight-knit group of friends who did not share her hatred of school.

Take Spencer Reid. He was fourteen, a Junior, and bored in his honors classes. Bored! Despite what a great cheat sheet he made, he had no friends outside of the group. But Emily loved him to death. They all did.

There was also Derek, Reid's best friend and one of the oldest in their grade since he got suspended his Freshman year. He didn't talk about Chicago, where he was from. No one knew why he got suspended or what happened there, but she assumed it was bad.

"Decided to actually show up today, huh, Ms. Prentiss?" Principal Strauss greeted her tersely. Emily scowled and flipped her the bird behind her back. Emily's best friend JJ suddenly appeared, grabbing her arm. JJ always seemed to appear and wrangle Emily under control.

"We have first hour Geometry with Penelope," JJ told Emily.

"Ew, math. Do you know what sounds better? The mall. Or getting my eyes poked out with a hot stick. Or like anything else."

"Don't be so melodramatic," JJ lectured with a roll of her eyes.

"Jayje, Em! So this morning I was eating and then I stepped on a frosted flake this morning, and that's how I became a cereal killer," Penelope laughed, causing her to snort, but she quieted down when Mr. Lee walked in. Mr. Lee was a dark-haired, boring teacher in Emily's opinion. She counted down the hours until lunch, and then the end of the day.

Lucky for everyone, the seven friends had the same B lunch. Hotch was there first, along with Rossi, the two seniors of the group. Spencer showed up last, sporting a fresh bruise on his cheek.

"Was it Jacobs, again?" Derek asked, examining the bruise.

"It's fine," Spencer assured him, not meeting his eyes. Derek was still smoldering, but he let it drop. For now.

"You gonna eat, Jayje?" Penelope nudged the blonde.

"Not this school's food," she shuddered. Spencer offered her half of his sandwich, but she quickly declined his offer.

"So there's a party at Joe's house. Who's coming?" Rossi asked.

"Me," Emily promised.

"Duh," Garcia proclaimed.

"You know it," Derek declared.

"Sure, I'll be there," Hotch said.

"Fine," JJ relented, seeing everybody begin to join. Everybody looked at Spencer.

"No," he declared.

"Please," Penelope begged.

"No."

"Please."

"No."

"Please!"

"Fine."

"Really?"

"No."

"Spence!" JJ pouted. She was with Penelope on this, she wanted him to come. If she had to, he had to.

"I'm gonna regret this, aren't I?" Spencer groaned. He was so not looking forward to this.

"Yes!" Garcia squealed excitedly.

A/n: I am really excited about this. I have so much planned and this is just the beginning. Please tell me what you thought!

Aufenthalt Gold lovelies,

- Alee XxX