A/N: Fast forward a tiny bit more! They only have a month and a half left until graduation! (Spencer's been in Quantico for around four months now, I believe). The end is nigh...but I hope you still enjoy this chapter!

Also, I just posted the first chapter to a new Moreid teen AU. It's called "Bureau Boarding School" if you're interested!

Please Review!

/

Chapter 34: Time Flies

"I can't believe we're almost done." Emily commented to her friends as they sat in an assembly strictly for the (graduating) seniors.

"Stop reminding me." JJ replied unhappily, anxiety hitting her hard at the thought of moving on. "It's happening so fast, I never thought it would end, you know?"

Emily nodded, "It felt like we were going to be stuck here...now I'm not so sure I want to leave."

"I'm just glad that applying for schools and scholarships is over, that was insanely stressful." Penelope said angrily, she went through five of her beloved flower pens on that crap.

"I want to know if I actually received any of the scholarships, I don't see why they have to keep us in the dark about it." Aaron commented in an annoyed fashion.

"Of course you did, Hotch. You're you ." Will laughed.

Hotchner smiled slightly, the words easing his worry. His thoughts moved on and he frowned slightly, "I can only imagine the people that will be in my classes."

"You think they'll be more serious than you are?" Will joked.

"I'm not that serious, not all the time at least." He replied, brushing the comment off.

Spencer smiled slightly, "That's true, I was consistently surprised when I first met you how many jokes you cracked, and how much you laughed. But it's not bad to be serious."

Hotch grinned pointedly at LaMontange, "Ha, see?"

"I'm more afraid to meet my roommate than my classmates." Garcia reflected, lips scrunched together, "They better be fabulous."

The group laughed, quieting down afterward to listen to the assembly for a minute. Derek broke the silence.

"It's like..I'm ecstatic for it all to happen, but once we get those diplomas and walk out of here...I don't know how I'll feel." Morgan said slowly, unsure if he was conveying his message correctly.

Spencer, too, was somewhat unhappy about graduation. Graduation meant he and Derek only had a couple months together before they had to go their separate ways.

Graduation meant starting over, again, in a new town and school...as a sixteen year old college student.

He knew he shouldn't worry, he and Derek would call each other and FaceTime, but life gets in the way. And he had a feeling that a couple of his relationships with his friends wouldn't be quite as strong if they weren't seeing each other every day, but he knew that was to be expected.

Morgan squeezed his hand, giving him a concerned look. I guess I haven't spoken in a while.

He gave him a pathetic excuse for smile, pretending to focus back on what the principal was speaking about.

"Pretty Boy?" Derek sing-songed before turning serious, "What's up?"

He sighed, "Just thinking about graduation..us."

Morgan nodded his head, sighing as well. He looked off to the rest of the row from his end cap seat, "I've been doing that a lot, too."

"Statistics aren't in our favor...people separate after high school, rarely do people stay 'high school sweethearts', I don't want that to happen to us." He whispered to his boyfriend.

Derek gave him a side-hug, "It won't."

Aaron nudged Spencer, "Did you hear that?"

Reid looked at him quizzically, "Hear what?"

"You're definitely valedictorian, Gideon just announced it, congratulations." He smiled, clapping him on the back. The others clapped towards him proudly.

"Thank you." He smiled back before his mind began to worry about giving a speech, as every valedictorian is forced to do.

"Hey, hey..Reid!" Derek's voice was still quiet amongst the crowd, but he'd successfully alerted the teen. "Get out of your head, baby."

Spencer nodded, "Sorry."

"I'm very proud of you all, you don't have much time left here. Make the best of it!" Gideon informed everyone proudly before dismissing them.

The group stood after the crowd cleared out a bit, Penelope taking the lead like a mama duck.

"It's going to be horrible not seeing you guys everyday." Garcia said sadly.

"We'll keep in touch, we all have phones." Rossi replied, though he too sounded doubtful.

"All of my teachers say we'll never speak to anyone we met in high school after we're gone...I wish they would just let us pretend that that doesn't happen." Emily spoke with a hint of bitterness.

"Why don't we promise each other that we'll all come back here during summer vacations? At least for one week, and just hang out?" Will suggested, peaking the interest of each teenager as they sat in the lunch room- they didn't have to go back to class since the assembly ran long.

Spencer smiled, the rest of the group joining in. Aaron nodded thoughtfully, "If we can afford it, we should."

Derek grinned at his boyfriend, "See? We're going to be okay, we'll figure everything out one step at a time."

.

.

The gang had left the school, deciding to head to Penelope's and spend time together. They were all feeling particularly vulnerable and depressed at the thought of the future and wanted to so something fun.

Garcia suggested they all bake cookies, with eight different colors of dough (Red, blue, green, pink, tan, brown) so they could create things.

No one in the group was the least bit surprised that she had everything for a spontaneous baking party, nor Spencer to the fact that her bedroom was a rainbow of colors and weirdness.

He grinned at the skeleton mobile, hitting it lightly with his fingers and listening to it jingle.

"I really like your room." He told her as he, Derek, and David came into the kitchen.

"Thank you, my sweets. I try." She grinned proudly and handed them a bowl to carry to the table.

They'd all sat down, pieces of cookie sheets lining the table beneath them as the pulled bits off of each dough ball.

There were also icing pouches, sprinkles, edible markers, and cookie cutters scattered around..though most of those would have to wait.

The first batch was supposed to be creating a cookie-person based off another person in the room. Derek and Spencer made each other, JJ and Will following suit on the couple idea, Garcia and Prentiss, and David and Aaron.

They'd turned out laughable, everyone cracking up at the (quite honestly) terrifying faces of their little cookie people.

"I think we should eat them just to put them out of their misery." Rossi commented, half serious. He waited for no one, biting off the head of his replica.

The rest joined him, some making noises of approval at the taste.

"Damn, baby girl, your recipe just gets better and better." Derek complimented, happily polishing off his sweet treat.

They all laughed, smiling towards each other and enjoying their private party. The conversation never going back to graduation, just living in the moment.

Spencer smiled to himself, Maybe we will be okay.