never grow up, criminal minds

073. school project

"Are you sure you're gonna be okay?" Spencer asks.

"Dad, you've been on a case before since... you know, sobriety and everything." Clara reminds.

"I know, but--"

"You don't have to have a panic attack every time you leave me alone." Clara says. "I-I get it, and I'm so sorry that I make you so panicked, but... but I'm okay. Really."

"You don't need to be sorry." Spencer frowns.

"Yes, I do." Clara argues. "You're so freaked out because I got addicted to a bunch of shit and then tried to kill myself. That sounds like it's my fault."

"Baby, it's not on you. It--"

"Okay, okay, fine. Look, guilty feelings are a much longer conversation that you don't have time for." Clara points out. 

"Cla--"

"I'm okay." Clara insists. "And if I'm not okay, I will go to Aunt Penny or I will call you or Emmy, or even Rossi or Luke or anybody else on the team. I swear on-- on Mittens' life."

"Okay. Okay, fine. I'll go." Spencer says, grabbing his bag. "But, really, if--"

"Go." Clara kisses his cheek. "I love you. Bye."

"I love you so much." Spencer says. "Don't forget to--"

"Lock the door, call, keep Mittens off your bed. I know. Bye bye." She shuts the door and locks it. "Goodbye, dad!" She calls out, standing there until his footsteps disappear down the stairs.

Clara turns around when she hears Mittens meow.

"Yeah. He was bad before... my stupidity just made him worse." Clara sighs, walking over to pet her cat. "Maybe he'll get better... hopefully."

+++

"Now, for this project, you will be partnered up." Clara internally groans at the words. "So you and your partner can choose one of the genetic disorders to research and give a presentation about. Now, I choose the partners, so, no, you're not going to get partnered with your best friend or boyfriend or anything." Collective groans come from most of the students. "Ugh. I'm a monster, I know it." The teacher quips.

While the teacher starts listing off partners, Clara waits for her name to be called and tries to mentally prepare herself. She's kept completely to herself during her first few weeks of school. The last thing she needed was more high school drama or fake friends. She just wanted to get through the rest of high school.

"Clara Reid and Landon Lawrence." Clara quietly sighs, preparing to accept her fate. She looks around, not exactly who she should be looking for until a boy sits next to her.

"Clara?"

"Guilty." Clara breathes out. "Landon?"

"Yep." He nods. "I'm Landon." He holds his hand out. Clara hesitates before shaking his hand.

"I'm Clara." She says. "How'd you know who--"

"Well, the teacher introduced you, like, five weeks ago." Landon says. "Not super recent, but not too long ago. Plus, I haven't seen you ever talk to anybody and people have mentioned the new girl who doesn't talk to anyone."

"Oh, great. Even staying out of trouble, I still have a reputation." Clara scoffs.

"Not really. Just that nobody really knows you." Landon says. "At least that's for the stuff I've heard about."

"So you... you don't know anything about me?" Clara asks.

"Uh... well, it--" Landon winces.

"What?" Clara pales.