Life as a Student
Spencer spent the first two lessons the next day thinking about how he'd call Sydney and what he'd tell her… The 'how' was a valid question too, since Collins hadn't thought it important to outfit them with cell phones (more like actually making sure they didn't have any available…), and he also didn't have any money to use a pay phone. Also, the other members of the Organized Crime Unit seemed to wholeheartedly agree with him, thus making it highly improbable they would be of any help in that matter. This problem occupied his attention for hours so much, he hadn't even realized the first two times the teacher had called his name. Well, his undercover name, which circumstance added to the difficulties. The third time though…
"Mr. Rossi!" – Shrieked the plump woman loudly, causing Spencer to nearly jump out of his skin in fright.
"Oh! That's me… I'm Rossi. Spencer Rossi…" – He muttered, looking at her expectantly as he was trying to calm his racing heart.
"I realize that, young man. I asked you to kindly walk up to the blackboard and solve us the problem presented on it, if you don't mind." – She repeated for somewhat sarcastically, motioning towards the advanced calculus equation they were apparently learning about.
Looking around, the other students seemed relieved it hadn't been them singled out, as they probably had some difficulties understanding the examples, so they were all doing their best not to look at either him or the teacher and to seem very busy writing in their notebooks.
"Right." – Spencer sighed and proceeded forward to search for a chalk.
It didn't take more than three seconds for the genius to solve the problem, being a mathematician and all.
Everyone gaped at him in surprise, even the most coward students having abandoned any pretence of working by now. Spencer was starting to feel increasingly uncomfortable under the scrutiny and hurriedly returned to his seat at the far end of the room, hoping it would be enough to get away from searching eyes. It wasn't: people just turned around to stare at him. Great…
"Mr. Rossi… Where did you learn that!?" – The teacher asked after a moment of stunned silence, her voice carrying in the classroom like lightning. – "I haven't taught you this complex way of solving such an equation…"
"Oh…" – Stupid Spencer, you went and got yourself into trouble again! There are several ways of solving a mathematical problem; he should have payed attention to use the one they were just learning! – "I… learnt this at my old school…" – He explained.
"Which school was it again?" – The teacher pressed eagerly. – "This is PhD level strategy and even there only the best can apply it with such efficiency."
The expression 'saved by the bell' took on a whole new meaning when suddenly the signal came to inform them about the end of the period. Spencer jumped up quicker than he had been able to before all the training he had undergone, and left the classroom with a nervous wave to the petrified people still gaping after him.
'Concentrate! This can never happen again!' – He chided himself strictly. – 'You're on a mission, no girl is allowed override your sense of duty!'
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The next and final lesson for the day was Computer Sciences which Spencer used to try and communicate with Hotch and his other teammates. He wrote everyone an e-mail then hit the 'send' button just to find that… absolutely nothing whatsoever happened.
"What the-?" – He marveled. – "Hey, sorry!" – He whispered to the nerdy boy sitting next to him, working on some Excel formule or another the genius had finished in five minutes. He needed three tries to get his classmate's attention, but finally, the boy looked up and turned towards him questioningly somewhat annoyed at being bothered. – "Do you happen to know why I can't send e-mails from here? It's like there's a problem with the internet connection, though everything else is working just fine…"
The boy looked at him in a way that told clearly he should have figured it out for himself.
"Don't you know? All means of outside communication have been blocked: Facebook, Twitter, Messenger, Instagram, E-Mails… Along with online games and all social sites. Everything! You can only use the internet when and how the teacher allows it."
"What!? But why would they do that?"
"Because everyone was just using the Computers class to play online game and to chat instead of paying attention; clearly. It's so dull ever since…" – He sighed before redirecting his full concentration at his own task again, presumably already having forgotten Reid even existed.
'Just great.' – Groaned Spencer inwardly, resigning himself to have to pretend to be engrossed in his work for the remainder of the period with nothing to distract himself with. He hated modern technology with a vengeance! It was so boring when a computer did everything for you and you didn't have to think…
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He was still fuming while walking to the bus, thinking about how he needed to call Bennington soon and how Sydney really shouldn't be his top priority right now – but she was anyway. He was so deep in thoughts he didn't hear someone approaching him until the person tapped him on the shoulder, causing him to jump in surpire.
"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't want to scare you! I've been calling your name for ages…" – The ginger haired, freckled boy apologized. He was very tall and lean, much like Reid himself. – "You're called 'Rossi', right?"
"Yeah… Well, 'Rossi' is my father. Spencer will be just fine." – He said, slowing down somewhat to accommodate the boy's shorter strides. He could remember sharing Advanced Calculus with him. – "You're Robbie, aren't you?"
"Yes!" – The boy beamed; apparently he hadn't expected his new classmate to remember him at all. – "Robert Cain, but everyone just calls me Robbie. I was there in Calculus when you solved that problem in just a few seconds… That was impressive!"
Reid sighed, recognizing some serious hero-worship in the way the boy was looking at him with wide eyes. If that was how he had acted around Rossi in the beginning, no wonder the man had wanted to flee.
"Thanks. It was not such a big deal…"
"It is for me! I'm struggling with that class… I hate it!" – The boy said sadly, hanging his head. – "My father insisted I take it; he wants me to become an engineer." – He explained with a strained voice.
"And you don't want that?" – Spencer guessed, already feeling bad for the poor boy for not being allowed to pursue his own dreams.
Robbie shrugged.
"There are other things I'd like to do more but my father says they're for people who are… well. Not us. He's a lawyer, you know? And my mom is a doctor." – He didn't appear proud of a prestigious heritage like that.
"What are you interested in?" – Inquired Reid kindly.
"I… ahm… You'll laugh at me." – The boy blushed.
"Why would I?"
"Because my father says I should be ashamed of myself to be thinking about it… Well… Okay: I'd like to sing and play music. I'd like to be part of a band and play in front of an audience… All right, go ahead: laugh."
Spencer stopped and turned to his classmate.
"Robbie, there's nothing to laugh about it; I think it's a brilliant idea!"
The boy seemed to be taken aback.
"You do?"
"I absolutely do! The world is full of horrible things… Everyone needs cheering up and music does just that. I wish there were more people like you." – He answered honestly.
"Wow, nobody has ever been supportive of my idea before! Thank you, Spencer." – Robbie looked suspiciously chocked up and took a moment to gather himself, while they continued their walk towards the bus stop. – "I wanted to… well… ask a favor of you, Spencer… Only if you don't mind, of course!"
Reid looked sideways at the boy.
"I don't think I'll mind. What would it be?"
"I… khm… could you… you know… khm…"
"Yes…?"
"Helpmewithmyhomework…"
"Sorry?"
"Could you help me with my homework? Please… I'll fail the class otherwise, I don't understand a word of what the teacher is saying."
"Oh! Of course, no problem." – But only if it wouldn't prevent him from helping Sydney, thought Reid to himself.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" – Spencer was afraid the boy would jump into his arms but luckily, in the end, he held himself back and said instead: - "You can ask for anything in exchange. Anything at all!"
"I don't nee-" – But then he got an idea… Hm… - "You don't happen to have a cell phone, do you?"
"Of course, I do!"
"And would you mind if I called someone very quickly? Just a moment, I swear."
"Of course, here!" – The smiling Robbie thrust a cell into the stunned Reid's hands right away, smiling happily that he could help his newfound friend.
The youngest profiler was facing a great dilemma: he should call Bennington and ask about his mother's health. He should call Hotch and tell him they were fine. He should be concentrating on his assignment to be done with it as soon as possible and get back to the BAU where they belonged. He should have done a lot of things but certainly not the one thing he actually did in the end: he dialed Sydney's number from memory.
She picked up at third ring.
- Hallo?"
Spencer felt his legs starting to shake and he stepped a bit farther away from a curiously looking Robbie so that he wouldn't overhear the conversation. He'd have to remember to delete the call list later…
- Hi… khm… I'm Spencer."
- Oh, Spencer! I'm so glad you called, I was afraid you wouldn't! Is it about the tutoring in French? Look, could we begin this week? I'll have a test next Wednesday and right now it all seems rather hopeless to me…"
- Ahm… Yes, of course, don't worry about it. Should we meet in the Library? Ahm… there is a library, right? – He asked, only now realizing he hadn't seen it yet.
- There isn't one within the school building, just a public one not far away and I don't really like it… Couldn't we go to your house? I would offer ours but I have a very annoying little brother, so…
It wasn't a good idea. Not at all. His room didn't look anything like a teenage boy's room should look like and Rossi didn't know about her, and the members of the Organized Crime Unit would see her and-
- All right. Let's meet by the main entrance after the last class on Friday then. Bye.
- You're the best, Spencer! I can't wait! Bye!
He quickly deleted all traces of the call before handing back the cell to his new friend.
"Thanks, Robbie, I appreciate it very much. I'd be glad to help you tomorrow after school, if it's all right with you?" – That way, Friday would be free for his date… khm… tutoring. Pull yourself together, Spencer!
"Great, after school then!"
Robbie was satisfied, Sydney was satisfied and Spencer was even more than that: he was happy. Who cared about anything else, right?
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"So, Kiddo, did something interesting happen today?" – Asked the senior profiler as soon as he entered the apartment.
"No, nothing. I'm going to work on my room now." – With that, he disappeared inside.
The curious older man followed him in a few seconds, watching as the 'teenager' hung posters on the walls and placed books on the shelves, doing his best to make the room look like there was a sixteen-year-old boy living in it instead of an FBI agent with a brain too big for his own good.
"I thought you didn't care about appearances. Why is it suddenly so important?" – He inquired.
"I… well. You all told me I'm to befriend people from the school, right? Well, I sort of did and I invited one of them here for Friday."
"Wow, I must admit, I didn't think it would go this fast… You were very adamant not to make friends with 'children'. – Rossi teased while Reid threw some school things onto the desk to make it look more realistic.
"She might have important information…"
"She!? I see. That explains a lot."
"I really don't know what you're talking about, Rossi. She's a senior and has been a student here for years, so she might know something about the cult or find a teacher suspicious." – The boy insisted, ignoring the fact that whenever he as much as thought of Sydney, he seemed to forget the real reason he was here in the first place. – "It won't hurt to carefully ask." – He concluded, setting a Lego Darth Vader alarm clock (courtesy of Simon and Ian) on the nightstand as a finishing touch.
"Sure, Kiddo, whatever you say." – The older man winked. Actually winked! – "Just don't make me a grandfather for a while; I don't think I'm ready for that just yet. I only just became a father after all…" – With that said, he left the room still smirking, leaving a mortified Reid behind.