Freshman Year

4

"Do you two know each other?" Spencer asked when he saw JJ's face light up. "Oh, we go way back. All the way to the study room last night." Emily smiled. Everyone dropped it, they'll hear the story eventually.

The conversation continued but JJ just stared at Emily. The way she smiled, the way she laughed. It made JJ's stomach turn. She had never felt like this before, no one had ever made her feel like this. Spencer tapped on her arm, pulling her back to reality.

"Spencer and I are going to the soccer party tonight with a couple friends. Wanna join us?" JJ asked, praying that Emily said yes. Emily nodded, not breaking eye contact with JJ. "Oh maybe Pen and Derek could come. Would that be okay? I don't wanna impose." Elle said, turning to JJ. "Like our Pen and Derek?" JJ asked Spencer, smiling.

He nodded. "They have an invite already. I'm wrapping up here. Do you all wanna meet at Pen and I's dorm in like half an hour." They nodded and left the library. JJ told them what dorm as they dropped Emily and JJ at their building.

"They're so gonna date." Elle said when they left them alone. JJ stood on the elevator next to Emily, trying to not melt at the thought of her. "Do you want to get ready in my dorm? Pregame?" She asked. Emily looked at her and smiled. "I would love to."

JJ looked away, trying to hide the blush covering her cheeks. The stopped at Emily's dorm on the ride up. "Sorry it's messy." Emily said as she threw things around her room, trying to clean up. JJ laughed. "It's ok. It's super cute." JJ looked around the dorm, trying to learn everything she could about Emily by the decorations.

Her dorm was covered in movie posters and books were everywhere. A book caught her eye and she picked it up. "Have you read it yet?" Emily asked.

JJ looked at her, holding a possible outfit in her hands, small smile on her face. "I love this book." She said with a small smile. Emily grinned and started talking about the book. She talked about everything she loved about it, JJ just smiling at her.

She watched Emily go through her closet, turning her head to add a new detail about the book. She picked out a plain cropped band tee and threw it on, tossing her sweatshirt into her dirty clothes bin. She gathered her makeup and threw it in a bag, quickly brushing her hair before she grabbed a drink.

She offered one to JJ, still talking about the book. When she sat down, she made eye contact with JJ. "Sorry. I haven't gotten to talk about it with anyone yet." She gave an awkward smile, attempting to apologize for the tangent she just went on.

"No. I liked it. It was cute." JJ said. The pair sat on the bed, staring at each other, both wanting to make a move but deciding against it. "We should go to your dorm." Emily said, directly staring at JJ's lips. JJ nodded, knowing something was going to happen if they stayed.

JJ led them to her room, any thoughts being interrupted by Penelope and Derek watching a movie in the living room. "You guys ready?" She asked, stepping over them to show Emily her room. "Yeah. It was boring after dinner so we've been partying since." Derek smiled, hitting his can against the can Emily held out to him.

"I just want to change and I think I'll be good. Everyone else is meeting here in like ten." JJ called out to them, already digging through her closet for something that could get dirty. Emily sat on her bed and looked around the room, it was not what she expected. "Surprised?" JJ asked, she had seen this reaction before.

As Penelope put it, "I expected a baby blue Instagram model bedroom, not perfectly arranged chaos." Emily looked at the walls, covered in band posters, pictures and things from JJ's past.

Everywhere Emily looked was something new, giving her something else to learn about the blonde. "I think it matches you perfectly." Emily smiled. JJ froze.

She had always been self-conscious of her bedroom, even at home. She felt it matched her, but any time someone new saw it, they thought the opposite. The band posters and vines should be photo collages and fairy lights.

Emily looked at her and tilted her head, thinking she said something wrong. "That's the first time someone said that. Like ever." JJ smiled and contemplated closing the door and kissing her right there.

She put her hand on the doorknob and thought about it. That moment in Emily's couldn't have been just that. It wasn't only a moment. Every time JJ talked to her she felt a moment. She started to close the door as she heard something come from the living room.

"Jay, they're here." JJ let out the breath she was holding and went back to her closet. She pulled out a grey t-shirt, tying it in the back and tucking the tail into her bra. "Coming?" Elle yelled at them. Emily yelled back and followed JJ out the door.

The group did a shot before they left, JJ locking the door on her way out. They walked down the street, each with a drink in their hand, Spencer had a soda. "Does anyone know where we're going?" Emily asked, noticing no one had their phone out. "JJ does." Penelope said, causing JJ to smile back at Emily.

She nodded and kept following, she would follow JJ anywhere. They walked up to a grey house, one of the boys soccer players on the front porch. Elle, Emily and Hotch hesitated, not knowing how they were getting in. JJ whispered something to the 'bouncer' before pointing back at the group. She waved them forward, getting them all in.

"So you're a soccer player?" Elle said, loving the fact her new friend could get her into soccer parties. "I am. Welcome to the soccer house." Elle, Spencer, Hotch and Penelope went towards the living room, pulling Derek along. "How long have you been playing soccer Blondie?" Emily asked, following JJ to the kitchen. "As long as I can remember."

The pair went back and forth for an hour, before JJ was called over by Derek. He was pointing at a picture of her on the wall. She was in the middle of shot gunning a beer, 'Shot gun champion' was on her shirt. "This can't be you." He said, jaw almost on the floor. JJ smiled and started to put her hair up. "Wanna bet?" She asked.

Emily grabbed her a new beer and started to count them down. People around them joined in, finally saying go. Derek popped the can but JJ waited. She winked at Emily, giving Derek a head start before doing the same. She finished her can, wiping her face while Derek finished his. "Damn blondie. Respect." He said, giving her a high five.

"That was impressive." Emily said, pulling JJ's attention back to her. JJ laughed and followed her to a couch. "How did you find out you could do that?"

"Well when you go to enough parties it becomes a talent." JJ smiled. She got lost in Emily, every word she said, every time she scrunched her nose. She wanted to capture it all. She let Emily talk, adding in a few times, getting distracted in everything she did.