Tangled Up in You (The Story of Us Book 2)

Chapter 9- Bullying Leaves Lasting Scars

Spencer Reid knew that the moment Tobias Hankle told him to tell him that Dilaudid didn't help and he couldn't that he was an addict. Since getting off the drug, he had made a pretty clean recovery and was proud of himself. With each day that went by, he became the person he wanted to be and Dilaudid went further from his mind. But that's not to say that it was completely forgotten. Some things just made him itch for the drug, despite being clean for almost a year now, and he hated it. He had enough problems without craving a drug.

However, those problems were the very source of his craving. For instance, when his 10-year high school reunion had come around, Amanda Hotchner was no longer in his life so he avoided it like the plague. He had managed to go more than 10 years without seeing a single one of the people that had tortured him every day of the four years he attended Las Vegas Public High School and he was content with that. In fact, he was perfectly content with never seeing any of them again.

Which is why when they contacted him about speaking at the alumni ceremony they were having a few months prior to the event, he had promptly thrown the invitation away. What he didn't plan on was the school board contacting Hotch to get him to come. It was ridiculous. It was a high school, why the hell did they even have an alumni ceremony? Nonetheless, the very idea of going was giving him anxiety and making his cravings more prominent.

This is how he found himself at a Narcotics Anonymous meeting for law enforcement officers. It worried him how when Hotch had told him he had to go that his first thought was to get high and he hated that he knew this would be a recurring problem in life. He had never actually been to an NA meeting but he knew how it worked and was shocked by what came out of his mouth when he got up there.

He had been telling himself that it was all because of that stupid invite but really it went back to the case with Jack and Lindsey Vaughn. He knew, of course, that the kid was a bad one and that he didn't actually feel remorse for his actions, but he was just a kid. As Spencer talked, that's what he focused on that he hadn't been enough to save that kid which was ridiculous because even if the kid had lived, there was no saving him for his psychopathic tendencies and if he ever did get out of prison, he would likely strike again.

The more he speaks, the more his subconscious begins to sound like Amanda telling him that it wasn't his fault and that he can't take the blame himself. Spencer takes comfort in that voice and it begins to trip up his speech as he realizes that he should just talk to Amanda. Then his phone begins to go off and he takes it as a welcome distraction to leave. He apologizes to the crowd and makes his way outside until a familiar voice stops him. "Dr. Reid," he calls and Spencer turns with a frown.

Out of all the people to see at an NA meeting, Harrison Sharp was certainly not at the top of his list. "Uh, sorry, sir, I have to go."

"You've caught a case, I see." Spencer nods with a frown, still wondering why Harrison was there. The answer was obvious, of course, he was some sort of addict, but Spencer never would've pegged the man as such. He had been promoted to director after all and Reid had seen him with his family. He never looked like the type to do drugs, then again, Spencer should know that looks can be deceiving. "You're probably trying to figure out why I'm here."

"Sir-" Spencer starts by Harrison holds up a hand to cut me off.

"Call me Harrison, that's what Amanda does. I'll answer your query, even if you haven't asked it yet. About 9 years ago, when Sam was pregnant with Michael, I had just become assistant director. Now, most administration positions usually are given to desk agents but everyone knew I was working towards director and I had high recommendations from the others being considered for the position. I wasn't used to not being out of the field though. So when I was asked for assistance on a case that I no longer had business being on, I agreed.