Disclaimer: How could I forget the usual, 'I don't own Criminal Minds' statement?

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Hmmm...time to introduce some new characters!


Previously: It's a new year at Quantico High. To Hotch, it's year of high school without Haley. He meets new girl Emily Prentiss and they get on the wrong foot. Eleven-soon-to-be twelve year old Spencer Reid struggles with bullies and problems at home.


Chapter Three: Doubts of the Drama Queens

They saw each other at lunch.

No words were exchanged between them, but their thoughts about each other said it all. A range of thoughts, actually.

Who does he think he is?

Drama queen, someone had to put her in her place.

He has the balls to do that to me, I'll make his life hell.

Why the hell did I see something in her?

Why the hell did I see something in him?

"I can't stand him," Emily announced to her new friends, which caused Hotch's ears to perk up, she was talking about him...again.

"I know, right? He just...He just called you out!" This came from a fellow junior named Jennifer Jareau, or JJ. Other than Haley, she was described as 'The Blondest of Blondes'. She was by no means dumb, but Hotch could understand why people assumed that way about her, other than the typical stereotype that the media glorifies.

JJ had a bun in the oven.

Yes, JJ was sixteen and pregnant. What was she, seven months along, now? All Hotch knew was that it happened during mid-winter break his sophomore year. JJ was gushing about Will LaMontagne to Penelope Garcia, another sophomore during that time in their year. During one of Penelope's parties—she always had parties—Will and JJ at first kissed, it was so innocent and pure. Then they made out, practically groping each other, and then they had their clothes off in less than a minute and had done it.

This was in Penelope's garage on her dad's motorcycle, by the way.

Derek couldn't stop laughing about it. "Dude! Did you hear?!" He had said excitedly, "They did it on a motorcycle! How sick is that?!"

...Then when the rumors spread that JJ was pregnant, everyone knew that it was Will since JJ was a virgin before she met him. Will didn't deny the rumors, even stating that it was the truth. It was weird to see a guy taking responsibility for his actions at Quantico High, but everyone knew that Will was known as a good guy compared to the other asshole jocks in this place.

Emily sulked. "Well, he's terrible at reading a great fucking book."

"C'mon Emily, this isn't really about a book–"

"Yes it is, Will!" Emily shrilled, "He's a-"

Still, she was blabbing her mouth away about him. Fine by him.

Two can play at that game.

"What the hell is the problem with that Prentiss girl?" Ears from a nearby table, no doubt from Emily's, heard that comment. She had said nothing in response directly to him, but if looks could kill...

JJ was flashing her eyes with hatred, kind of like when a cat's pupils dilate as a signal that they're ready to attack. It looked like she was, but to Hotch's surprise, Emily tugged at her arm to sit down when the blonde was standing, she reluctantly sat back down.

"Keep your pregnant ass down!" Emily hissed at her.

Alex, Jason, Derek, and David, who were all sitting with Hotch, froze with such surprise. Hotch was usually such a grouch these days, and with no doubt the most misanthropic person on the planet, but he had never openly gossip on purpose about a specific person. He wasn't even trying to code it either. David, only for a millisecond, raised a brow at the girl, narrowed his eyes, hoping to God and wouldn't catch him. She didn't, as he looked back at his friend.

"I don't know," he says, a smirk creeps up on his face, "But you have been staring at her a lot, she stared at you too."

Hotch squinted his eyes, failing to see the amusement as his lips pressed together in annoyance. "Shut up," he says, "You just heard me complain, didn't you?"

"Yeah but you're talking about her," Derek pointed out. "-and I see you in English class. Penelope said she saw you looking at her in Trigonometry, too–"

"Penelope sees what she wants to see," Hotch interrupted, countering. Derek frowned, he disapproved of him making fun of Penelope and her quirks. But he knew that he liked her as company, though he refused to admit it.

Trigonometry was even worse, Hotch didn't even want to talk about it.

Speaking of Trig–

"Look! It's the baby reading his little math book!"

SLAM!

"Aw, what's wrong? Why don't you go cry to your mommy?" Two bullies, he was sure from his Trigonometry class, had gone up to that genius kid–Spencer something–and threw his book on the floor. Something inside of Hotch made angry, no–scratch that–it made him beyond furious. Sure, he was a little annoying, but he's just a kid. He didn't look older than ten, and the kid looked like a kicked puppy when his book was thrown. He wasn't rude to his classmates, it was more like he couldn't pick up social cues for his life, and that he was so literal to the point of being awkward.

The kid didn't deserve this treatment, knowing that more than once or twice he had helped him with a problem he didn't understand in class. He took his time out of a novel–that he read so fucking fast, Jesus– and proceeded to help him without anything in return.

"I'm...I'm just...C-Can you l-leave me alone?!" He pleaded, but the bullies laughed in response.

That poor little guy... Emily was thinking, watching on with her suppressed anger, feeling extremely bad for him. She had watched the entire scene, her eyes never leaving the little boy's place. Sure, she knew he was a social outcast, definitely because of his age, but people didn't need to remind him of that. The poor thing was stammering back at them, completely terrified of these kids that were twice his size. She had seen him in trigonometry, a little geeky, but he was very sweet to her.

"L-Leave me a-a-alone!" The boys mocked him. One of them saw a nasty bruise on the side of his face. They laughed and tilted his head in amusement,

"Looks like someone took great care of him today!"

I need to say something...Thought Hotch.

He looks so scared...Thought Emily.

She stood up and walked over to Spencer.

As did he.

They hadn't noticed each other, it didn't matter. The kid needed their help.

"Can you two idiots leave him the hell alone?" Hotch picked up the kid's math textbook and gave it back to him.

"Pick on someone your own fucking size!" Emily then ended her statement by kicking those two in their groins.

The two bullies groaned in pain, clutching their private parts as they fell to the ground. The cafeteria fell silent at the confrontation, and that is when the two noticed each other, their heads turning simultaneously to look at each other, not stare or glare. No words were exchanged, and it looked like telepathic communication.

Did he say something?

Did she just kick them in the balls?

They broke away as Emily sat down next to Spencer and said, "Are you okay, sweetie?" For a second there, Hotch thought she looked genuine, maybe she was. Spencer nodded at the question. Emily gave him a reassuring smile, "Don't listen to them, they're just fuck-faces who won't get good jobs." Not used to people cursing around him, he just nodded meekly.

Now it was Hotch's turn to surprise Emily. "Do you need to go get an ice pack?" It worked. Emily thought that he looked empathetic, maybe he was. Spencer shook his head dismissively.

"No...but thanks for helping..."

"You're welcome," the two said at the exact same time. Their eyes met again, taking note of the other's features before they quickly broke away once more. This was becoming more and more frequent.


"Can you believe it? They just stood up to them in front of everyone!" A girl, who was a bit on the heavy side with colorful outfits with a quirky sense of style could not stop squealing to her friend Kevin Lynch during lunch in the cafeteria the day after.

Although she was young, Penelope Garcia could say that she loved Kevin. They seemed to get along so well; and everyone thought they'd be perfect together. He was so cheesy, so adorably sweet. However, she hadn't missed the way his fist would curl up when Derek Morgan ever approached the two. Kevin was never very welcoming, and the hints of jealously were sprouted all over his face.

"Really?" He was nodding off again, Penelope noticed.

"Yeah! So...Aaron Hotchner–Derek calls him Hotch by the way–" At this point, Kevin blocked out her conversation as soon as he mentioned Derek's name, he didn't want to hear it.

Although she had a crush on Kevin, that's when the gossiping started; all the rumors and secrets. When everyone believed that they should be a couple, since they were always around each other, anyway. But so was she and Derek, they were best friends. Because she hung out with two guys the most; more rumors had started, and kids, she realized, could be very cruel. She doesn't even want to go into the one rumor where someone suggested, "They had threesomes every Friday in the boiler room at seven pm." Penelope had been taught at an early age on the beauty of optimism and peace–her parents were such hippies–but she loved them for it, but she hated them for it as well, for she saw both sides of the world; good and bad, great and evil...

Penelope would distract herself from all the bad, by replacing it with all the good. She had always known that she had been a little odd; with her extravagant outfits and her other quirks; but she considered it a good thing, not at all freaky or abnormal, but unique. Whenever she'd see or hear anything bad, she'd maybe buy a new outfit, or add a new–what others would say–unusual decoration to her room. It's not like she cared; it made her happy.

So when she saw that sweet little boy named Spencer Reid get bullied the other day, she immediately felt bad that she didn't say anything like Hotch and that Emily girl did. It reminded her of those rumors thrown in her direction; it pained her to see anyone else go through that, and JJ was the only girl that stuck by her side through it all. Yes, Kevin and Derek were there, but sometimes she wanted girl talk. The little boy was faced with people twice his size it was unfair. Spencer was just so adorable! You could just hug him!

Penelope had an idea.

She was going to have a Halloween party soon.

It was simple, really. After all, a Penelope Garcia party was a party that cannot be missed. She was going to invite a bunch of people, like that new Emily girl and the adorableness that was Spencer.

...and she was going to kiss Kevin Lynch.

One of these things are probably not related.


"Hi...my name is Ashley Seaver, I'm a freshman, and I'd like to join the cheer squad." The petite blonde's words were said cheerfully and with confidence, although Ashley Seaver would be described as 'abnormally shy' from anyone who knew her. But she took gymnastics, she was a cheerleader in her old middle school because she loved the art and fitness through movement. Next to her was Elle Greenaway, her best friend, who also wanted to join the cheer squad. As beautiful as she was, she was the most conscious about her eyes. She hated the shape of her eyes, their size, and it didn't help that when she was in middle school that her then-boyfriend broke up with her all because she had "fish eyes." She was the opposite of Ashley in almost every way. She was not shy, and her hair was dark while Ashley's was blonde. Elle was more on the wild side while Ashley was more careful.

"Okay," Cat Adams, the new cheer squad captain said. If Haley was considered an alpha bitch, then Cat Adams could be described as the devil's mistress. She was, indeed, an ice queen. Cat used to be Haley's protege, being a freshman when she was a sophomore, and that's when people kind of understood why Cat was the way she was. According to those who were bullied, anyone who was using Haley Brooks as their role model was practically doomed from the start. But still—Cat took mean to a whole new level. But to those who weren't bullied mercilessly under her wrath, Cat had a personality that wasn't so mean. She was hurt, as far as they knew, but everyone knew that her dad was an "abusive prick who'd probably drink beer out of a toilet."

The girl next to Cat was also a sophomore, Lindsey Vaughn, her best friend. She was friends with Cat because she could relate. After all, they both had "daddy issues" as their stupid hippie guidance counselor would say. Lindsey's dad was in prison after he was involved in the mafia, being a hit man and all. Lindsey's eyes pierced through Elle's, intensely, "And you are?"

"I'm Elle Greenaway," she answered, "I'm also a freshman, and I wanna join the cheer squad." Cat and Lindsey looked at each other for a moment, as if they had psychic powers and could read each other's minds. Both of them gave each other curt nods before turning to the two girls.

Cat plastered a smile on her face. "Well, you're in luck. Although there's a lot of girls trying out, but since we're short a lot..." She trailed off, almost looking upset after thinking of Haley. "...I guess that we can let you two try out."

Ashley and Elle looked ready to squeal until Cat stopped them from doing so.

"On one condition," the girls paid rapt attention as the cheer captain continued, "You have to meet us at Greenbelt Gardens tomorrow after school. But there are other girls who want in too." The two freshmen looked at each other, confused. Lindsey smirked and said, "It's a nearby park from here...you can't miss it."


Diane wasn't ugly, or anything close. In fact, Diane Turner was a pretty sophomore cheerleader, just not Kate-Callahan pretty. (more on her later) She was a fabulous cheerleader, but not Cat-Adams fabulous. She was a high honor roll student, just not Spencer-Reid high honor roll. She was flawed, yes, but was considered intelligent and 'smart beautiful.'

She sighed and smiled in content as her boyfriend of three years kissed her neck, feeling his smiles back and they giggled. They did this in the boiler room during their lunch period every Friday, just to keep their romance alive. Diane ensured him that this was important, for reasons that weren't the truth. She told him it was to keep their romance alive, that was true, but what she didn't tell him was that it was the only reason it was alive.

Call her crazy, but her boyfriend was slipping away from her. She could feel it, and she longed to hold on to the love that they once had, and she refused to admit that things have changed, and that his feelings have changed. It was a reminder that this wasn't middle school, it was high school.

"Babe," her boyfriend whispered to her. "I love you," Something about the way he says this throws her off. Those three words he uttered so simply, yet it had the complex of something different...not a good different.

He said it like he wasn't lying to her.

She whispered in his ear, returning it just as vague as he did. "Love you too, Bobby."

Later...

"Ugh, freshman..." Cat says to Lindsey as she enters the latter's house. She grinned devilishly. "Time for initiation?

Lindsey smirked back. "That's the plan, right?"

"Obviously," Cat said mischievously. "Gotta make Haley proud, right?" Although she was laughing through it, intending to be high spirited, even Lindsey saw the way her eyes grew upset when she mentioned the late cheer captain's death.

"Yeah, we do," was what Lindsey says instead, getting sad herself.

"Good. If we do this wrong, she'll be rolling in her grave."

"Did you buy the ?" Lindsey asked her, making Lindsey feel like a second in command. Well, she kind of was.

"Don't be stupid, Linds. Of course."

After that, the two silently began doing their assigned 'homework,' which wasn't really homework. It was the easy work that's always given out in the beginning in the year, only to be surprised when the work is seemingly different and difficult.

Then they heard a frustrated groan that didn't come from either of them.

"He is the absolutely the most annoying boyfriend ever to grace planet earth!" Diane exclaimed dramatically, not even bothering to knock when she entered Lindsey's house. "He is god-awful, stupid, and painfully oblivious!"

"Oh this'll be interesting," Cat sarcastically says to Lindsey. She already knew that this was about Bobby, all Diane ever did was whine about Bobby Putnam and his 'terrible boyfriend' ways. They've been together since seventh grade, and Lindsey and Cat had an ongoing bet on when those two would split. Don't get Cat wrong, she liked Diane a great deal, just not when she complained about her boyfriend.

"Who are you talking about, Diane?" Cat says, although knowing perfectly well who it was. She just wanted to pretend to be interested, which she excelled at for those past three years. Remember, Cat genuinely liked Diane. Who Cat really didn't like was Bobby, who could be a total jerk when he felt like it. For the past six months, it seemed, Bobby was just feeling it. Because really, according to Diane, he was a jerk through and through. But why doesn't she break up with him? Well, she was pretty convinced that she was in love with him.

"Bobby Putnam and his stupidity and ignorance!" Diane continued to whine. "Oh, and his arrogance! But especially his sweet, sweet lips!—"

"What did he do this time?" Lindsey said, cutting straight to the chase before she can ramble on and on about his sweet, sweet lips.

"Oh, is today Friday?" Cat asked, ignoring the algebra questions she had to answer that her teacher gave, when the class was actually geometry. Again, it was supposed to be easy. The next day, however, Cat wouldn't be surprised if it seemed like rocket science.

Diane looked at Cat like she committed a mortal sin. "Ummm, yes."

Knowing that was the answer, Cat went back to her homework. "That's why."

Lindsey sighed. "Diane-"

"When we were kissing," Diane interrupted, pacing back and forth in intense thought. "-and he said he loved me." She emphasized, making the other two sophomores look at her, completely bewildered at the vague information she gave out.

"...And?" Lindsey drawled out, failing to see the point.

"Both of you have said 'I love you' to each other before," Cat reminded.

Diane sighed and stopped her pacing, plopping herself down on the couch across from the two. "Yes, don't you think I know that, Cat?" She paused, getting up to pace back and forth again.

Lindsey felt herself get dizzy as she watched her. "What's different? You're not really giving us anything here, Diane."

Diane bit her lip apprehensively. "We have said that we loved each other. I just, well...when he said it sounded, weird."

"It sounded weird?" Cat repeated. Perhaps this one time she's intrigued with Diane and Bobby's drama. "How so?"

"Well, the way he said it...the tone of his voice, It's like he's trying to say the opposite." The way Diane's eyes grew wide in fear, tension, and...well, mostly fear, actually, just further proved how 'serious' this situation was. Well, according to the mind of three fifteen year old girls, it was.

Cat immediately put her homework away, she'll do it the period before geometry. "Are you saying he doesn't love you?"

"God, I hope not," Diane shuddered, freezing up at the horrid thought. "But, I think he's...confused. I mean, he's a jerk, but...he always told me he loved me in a specific tone, yet this one is much different, and..."

"What kind of tone?" Cat pressed.

"His tone was more romantic. I don't really know, Cat. It just has this certain spark. Just, when he said it this time, I didn't feel a spark."

"Maybe it's not him," considered Lindsey. "Maybe you feel differently, and your mind is stating otherwise."

"No," Diane said firmly, as if that idea was the worst thing in the world. "We've been together forever, how can I not love him?"

Lindsey hesitated for a bit. "Three years is an awfully long time to be with someone. Maybe he's getting bored, or that he wants to move on," she paused to see the distraught look on Diane's face. "But that doesn't mean I'd give up all hope," reassured Lindsey.

"Does it really sound like a bad thing if you two break up, though?"

"Cat!" Lindsey gasped, horrified.

"What?" Cat exclaimed, feeling like she was getting reprimanded for being honest. "Like Diane said, he's a total jerk. And, really, Diane? Do you want to be with a jerk?"

"I love him," Diane stated, sounding very confident. She wasn't very confident, however, when she said this: "But I don't know if he loves me."


Spencer spent his lunch in the library opposed to the cafeteria. Things would probably be safer that way, even though he knew that no one would ever mess with him for while since those two people stood up for him the other day. In every single one of his classes, he heard the whispers and stares meant for his direction, but once he made eye contact, those stares quickly vanished and whoever it was went back to their work. Right now, he was stimulated and relaxed with the comfort of books surrounding him.

He almost didn't notice someone sitting across from him.

"Is this seat taken?" The girl asks worriedly, as if she were afraid that she had offended him in some way. Her voice, her sweet little voice was very chipper, but not to the point of being overbearing and annoying. "Excuse me?" Spencer finally looks up to see a girl not too much older than him, most likely a sophomore by the looks of it. She had wavy brown hair in a ponytail, with bangs in the front, giving off a vibe of goodness and innocence. The two lose curls that framed her face reminded Spencer of a fairy.

Spencer took one last look at her before going back to his book, nothing thinking much of it. "No." His answer is short and to the point, which made the girl grin eagerly and sit across from him. She caught the cover of his book and smiled.

"Sir Arthur Conan Doyle," she says. "He's my favorite author."

Surprised, Spencer looked up from his book to face her again. "Really?"

She giggled and held her finger up, beginning to quote something. "It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. Insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts."

Spencer found himself smiling for the first time in a long time. "As a rule, the more bizarre a thing is the less mysterious it proves to be. It is your commonplace, featureless crimes which are really puzzling, just as a commonplace face is the most difficult to identify."

"The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes," she noted, knowing where that quote was from like the back of her left hand. She nodded in approval. Then she giggled again, forgetting to introduce herself. She held her hand out. "My name's Maeve Donovan, by the way." Spencer had these things about germs—he believed that it was spread so easily through handshakes, that it was safer to kiss. But, mind you, he's eleven, and he was still in that stage where he thought kissing was icky, but that'll change in time.

He guessed this time he could make an exception for his handshake rule. "Spencer Reid."


A/N: This is literally the shortest chapter that I'll ever write for this fic. Seriously though. My chapters will always be over 4k words.

Nonetheless, please review!