Homecoming

Chapter 3

Author Note: I'm going to do what the original writers were too cowardly to do....make Emily Prentiss a gay icon.

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You only had one class on Tuesday - Genetics - so you had the rest of the day to catch up on your work and have lunch with Emily. Emily promised to bring the friend she was talking about to lunch, so you all could make plans for next Saturday night. You had to move it to next weekend because you promised yourself a relaxing weekend to recover from your big move. You texted Emily that you were heading over from the Biology building over to the cafe. You enjoyed your walk over to the cafe, taking your time to breathe in the fall air and soak up the sun as its beams parted through the trees. This campus was prettier than Georgia Tech. Georgia Tech was the personification of a serious, analytical STEM major while Cal-Tech resembled a more artsy, sophisticated scholar. You could walk around campus all day and never get tired of looking at all the beauty the campus architecture offered.

You pushed open the door to the cafe and smelled the aroma of coffee beans and chocolate. It was bustling no matter what time of day. The line of anxious, caffeine-dependent college students trailed out the door. You looked in the back corner of the cafe where you found Emily and her blonde friend sitting in the comfy chairs around a small round table. Emily spotted you, waving her hand over to you.

"Hey! Aww, you guys got me a frappe? That's so sweet! How much do I owe you?" you asked, so happy you already found a good friend in Emily. You only knew her for two days, but it felt like you've known her for years.

"Don't worry about it! It's on me," Emily said, handing you the drink as you sat down.

"It just Emily's sneaky way of making you pay for shots next Saturday instead," her blonde friend teased.

"You must be the famous Penelope Garcia I've been hearing about these past two days. I'm Y/N. Do you go to Cal-Tech?" you inquired. You weren't sure how Emily and Penelope knew each other. You never would have guessed that they were friends just by their appearances. Emily was very nice and good-humored, but her outward appearance gave off an "I'm an empowered boss ass bitch" vibe which was a little intimidating at first. Penelope, on the other hand, looked like a ray of sunshine with her adorable outfit and colorful hair accessories.

"Oh, no, no, no. I'm self-employed as a computer specialist," Penelope responded.

"Wow! That's great! So, how do you know Emily, then?" you questioned further.

"My roommate, Jennifer, is her girlfriend! They are just so cute! Ugh, my heart!" Penelope gushed as she clasped her hands over her heart to prevent it from bursting out of her chest. You loved Penelope's contagious energy already.

Emily chuckled with a blush on her cheeks, "Actually, she's going to be joining us next Saturday if that's alright with you?"

"Of course! The more the merrier!" you chimed in.

Penelope leaned in real close and pulled you and Emily inward by the shoulders, so the three of you formed a huddle.

"Okay, team, here's the plan for next Saturday. No sleep. My place. Bar. Club. Another club. Another club-"

"Woah, Garcia! That's a lot of clubs for one night. Are you sure this East Coaster can handle West Coast partying so soon?" Emily interrupted.

"Bring it on," you playfully shot back.

The three of you laughed and broke up the huddle. You took a few sips from your drink. It was delicious! Emily made a good choice.

"What about you, Penelope? Are you seeing anyone?" you wiggled your eyebrows, causing Emily to almost spit out her drink from laughing.