If he had seen her before he got in the (too long) line for the deli counter, Spencer Reid might have skipped his quest for edible turkey entirely but Rossi had seen his lunch that day and sighed, as if wondering why Reid never ate anything edible for lunch if they weren't going out.
So there he stood, shopping basket over arm, in a very slow moving line; slow moving because the employee count seemed to be low and the customer currently at the counter seemed intent on ordering every kind of salad the store had to offer.
There were three people between Reid and the first person in line and he was seriously considering skipping the whole thing, not because of the time it would take but because of the girl standing a few feet away, texting.
Her hair was perfectly styled; long and curly blonde ripples that cascaded down her back in an impression of perfection. Her make up was flawlessly matched to her coloring, with a few things, like the eye shadow she wore, seeming to literally make her eyes pop like the commercials and magazines clothes looked expensive. Expensive and tailored to perfectly fit her athletic, size 4 frame.
Her phone was the newest model, something that Reid only knew because Garcia had been gushing over it recently. The fingers texting had perfectly buffed and polished nails and the whole picture of her summed up one word in Reid's mind:
Popular.
As he stood there, she grew frustrated with her texting conversation and whipped the phone up to her ear.
"Of course I called," she said to her friend on the other line. Her voice carried; she was making no effort to be quiet.
"Because you won't listen when I tell you," she continued. "Stop trying to set me up with Brandon."
Of course. The source of her troubles was which popular boy she'd date. Spencer tried to not be taken back to high school himself; the memories from then weren't good.
"He has no concept of personal space," the girl said, her voice loud. "And I told you. I want Lee to ask me."
She was quiet for a moment. Spencer tried to think of something to distract him but it almost seemed like she stepped closer, as if to point out to him that he couldn't escape her.
"What do you mean, Lee won't ask me?" She asked. "What, am I not smart enough?"
Spencer tried to not show surprise but it was an exceedingly unexpected line for a girl like her to have. Not smart enough?
"Omigod, Tracy, that's not how it works," the girl snapped. "I can't ask him. Suppose he turns me down?"
She paused, waiting. "Well, yeah, but at least he knows to expect rejection."
Back to vanity. She was obviously assuming that this Lee boy would be too afraid to ask her because of her status.
Spencer tried to refrain from sighing.
He pitied Lee, but envied him at the same time.
"Omigod, he's here," the girl said. "Gotta go."
She hit the call end button on the screen and then used the camera to check her make up and hair. Spencer almost felt like telling her she still looked perfect but she terrified him.
He wondered 'who' was here, Brandon or Lee. The conversation hadn't made it specific.
He wondered what Lee looked like. He was probably a jock too, tall and buff and what girls would call hot, dressed in today's fashions for teens.
"Excuse me," a voice said, and Spencer moved from standing in front of a display. "Sorry," he apologized.
"It's fine," the boy said. He was shorter than Spencer but dressed in a similar fashion with prominent glasses that he very obviously needed.
Spencer's heart almost stopped when the girl approached him.
"Hey, Lee, what are you doing here?"
He moved ahead in line when it was his turn, his head still spinning. "Can I get half a pound of the turkey?" He asked. "Sliced very thinly."
Had times really changed that much?
Was the popular girl really falling for the geek in earnest and not to play tricks on them?
He glanced back at the two.
The girl's nervousness belayed any trickery he might have suspected her of. She was fidgeting and her pupils had dilated (from what he could see) and she was using any excuse to touch him or make him touch her.
He left the deli counter quietly, considering things, when there was a tap on his arm.
"You dropped this."
It was the girl, sincerity in her every motion. She was holding his shopping list and Lee was standing behind her.
"Thank you," Spencer said, taking the paper and turning away again.
"Hey, are you that actor?" She asked, bouncing on her feet.
"No," he said. "You have me confused."
"Oh," she said. "You looked like him. Same eyes."
"Which actor?" He asked curiously.
"The one on the crime show, I don't remember his name," she said. "Well, never mind then." She was about to leave when she turned around. "He's hot, though. And so are you."
Her honesty shocked him and he stood in front of the Ramen noodle display for much longer than he should have.
Was he hot? In a girl like her's standards? He was hot?
Had times really changed that much?
He whistled as he got off the elevator the next morning, almost colliding with Morgan.
"Hey," he greeted.
"You look happy," Morgan said, nursing a mug of coffee and looking like he had a headache.
"You alright?" Spencer asked. "You look rundown."
"I may have gotten a little tipsy last night and tried to unlock the wrong apartment door," Morgan confessed. "I spent fifteen minutes convincing her to not call the police. She was new in the building, what can I say?"
He watched Spencer closely. "But you, on the other hand, seem to be dancing on air."
Spencer shrugged. "I only just realized how much times have changed for the better," he said contentedly.
"How so?" Tara asked, approaching them. "What with Paris being attacked and Black Friday, humanity's worst hour, almost upon us, how can you say that times have gotten better? Not to be a downer."
"Acceptance," Spencer said simply, sitting at his seat and pulling things from his messenger bag. "And honesty. Hey, Tara, you look really good in that color."
"Really?" Tara asked, flushing a bit and looking down at her purple shirt. "It's just an old thing. Thanks."
"What's that about?" Morgan asked when Tara had walked away again.
"Sincere compliments brighten everyone's day," Spencer said simply.
"I've known that for a long time," Morgan said. "Why do you think I flirt with every woman I come across?"
He patted Spencer on the back. "It's a good game plan," he said. "Spread some sunshine."
Spencer smiled as Morgan walked away.
He intended to.