An Old Friend

Chapter 12: "Do you still like ice cream?"

Spencer
Emily with Hotch. JJ with Derek. Mia with me. Rossi by himself. Those are the rooming arrangements.
Should I be happy or nervous.
I finally decide I'm happy with the rooming arrangements because talking with Mia is so much fun. She told me everything that happened when she was in Montana with her family. She told me about her roommates who are now her best friends. Lilith and Elouise. They are sweet but they have an evil, prankster side. At least that's what Mia told me.
"Once Lilith tied me up with ropes and stuffed socks in my mouth just so I would tell her where I hide her phone. I wouldn't tell her so she left to find another way to force me. While she was gone I got my hand free and called Elouise. She was at Lily Pulitzer. She is obsessed with that store. When she got back she helped Lilith by tickling me until I told them where I hid her phone."
I laugh at her story.
I wish I had memories like that. I didn't have any friends in college.
I update her on my mom and tell her about my boring college experiences.
"All I did was study. No one wanted to be my friend. But it's ok because I have the team and you now."
Mia gets off her bed and hugs me.
"Well all those people lucked out because you're an amazing friend to have."
"Thank you Mia."
She breaks the hug but stays on my bed. I look at my watch. 10:00pm.
"Do you still like ice cream?"
She looks at me like I just asked the dumbest question in the whole world.
"I thought you are my best friend. Ice cream is my first love."
I smile. I do know that Mia's favorite food is ice cream.
"Ok calm down. I was just going to say I think we passed an ice cream parlor on the way here. Want to see if it's open."
"Yes! I'm always up for ice cream. Plus my head still hurts. We might as well do something because I don't think I'll be able to sleep."

Mia
Spencer and I decide that it would be fun to walk to the ice cream parlor. I'm having so much fun just being with Spencer. I never realized how much I missed talking to him until tonight.
I think I'm falling for him.
This time I tell the truth to myself.
Does he feel the same way?
Spencer and I walk 5 minutes to get to the ice cream parlor.
I hope it's open.
"I would like to know, who is getting ice cream at midnight?" Spencer asks looking at the hours the parlor is open.
"You're standing right next to her." I say giggling.
Spencer pulls the door and holds it open.
"After you miss."
"Thank you kind sir."
Turns out we aren't the only people who want ice cream at 10:05pm. In the back corner is a pregnant woman with her husband and at another table is an older couple. Spencer gestures for me to find a table while he goes up to the counter. I find a table for us in the opposite corner from the pregnant woman and her husband. The parlor is like any other. Its walls are colorful for children and has paintings of desserts. The tables are shiny metal that makes cleaning sticky messes easy. The floor has white and purple checkered tiles.
"I got you your favorite." Spencer says handing me a waffle cone with two scoops of chocolate. Our hands brush against each other and we both immediately pull our hands back. I look at his other hand to see what he got himself.
"You planning on staying awake with me tonight." I say tilting my head towards his cup of coffee.
"I hardly ever sleep. It's hard to shut down my genius brain." He explains sitting in the seat across from me.
"That must suck."
He shrugs taking a sip of his coffee.
"I'm used to it. How is your head? Is it any better?"
I take a few licks of my ice cream before answering. "It's still throbbing but the pain has subsided"
"That's good. So how have you liked your first case? Minus your head being smashed."
I bite a piece of the cone. "It's different. I mean this case was pretty similar to the cases I've had before but the process is different. It's fun. Of course I wish no one has to die for us to work a case."
"I know what you mean."
I look into Spencer's eyes and I swear I felt a spark.
Why don't I tell him how I feel. Because he probably doesn't like me the same way. We are just friends. Or are we?

Spencer
We talk and eat, well I drink, for about an hour before we leave.
When we walk through the front entrance of the hotel we see Derek and JJ waving us over to the elevators.
"Where did you two go?" Derek asks wiggling his eyebrows.
"We went to get ice cream. Well I got ice cream and Spencer got coffee." Mia answers with a smile. Derek whispers so only I can hear. "Did Pretty Boy get some action?"
I blush. "No." I say flustered.
The whole ride up the elevator I pray that Derek doesn't ask any questions about what happened.
But nothing happened. Why am I being weird?
The elevator dings signaling us to split up. JJ goes with Derek because they are rooming together and I go with Mia. When we reach the door Mia pulls out the key card. Yawning she drops it and hurries to pick it up.
"Thank you Spence. You have successfully made me tired enough to ignore the throbbing to sleep."
"Y-your welcome." Maybe she is tired enough to not notice my nervous stutter.
Why am I nervous?
Mia walks in and heads straight for her bed. I shut the door.
"Mia. Are you asleep?"
That's a stupid question. If she is asleep she won't be now after I just practically yelled her name.
But miraculously she doesn't wake up so I walk over to her bed. I slip off her sneakers and socks. Then I carefully lift her legs to pull the cover from underneath her. Placing her under the covers I whisper good night, giving her a kiss on her forehead.