The Theory of Attraction: Spencer Reid

i. A New Face

April 24, 2006

When Phoebe Kolesar awoke on that Monday afternoon, she was surprised to find herself in her apartment. Normally this wouldn't have come as a shock to her, but the last thing she remembered from last night was that she was on the other side of town at Joe's Tavern. How she got back to her apartment, she didn't know nor did she really care at this point. She sat up in her bed feeling a sudden rush go to her head. Pressing her fingers into her temple, she focused herself. This would be an interesting morning.

Phoebe reached for her glasses that were placed neatly atop a stack of textbooks on her nightstand. She spied a hastily written note next to the books and read it.

Phoeb,

You didn't look so good last night so I brought you back here. I'm worried about you. Call me if you need anything.

Lila

Phoebe sighed and dropped the note back onto the nightstand. She glanced at her watch and cursed under her breath. She should have left for her first lecture about five minutes ago. She shrugged off her blankets and hopped out of bed. Scurrying over to her dresser, she pulled out the first few things she could find. She quickly changed into jeans and a t-shirt. She glanced at herself in the mirror and straightened herself out desperate to at least look presentable. It was official: she was a mess.

She didn't have time to brush her hair or wash her face before her phone began buzzing with an incoming call. Tripping over the scattered clothes on her floor, she was able to answer.

"Phoeb where are you? Don't tell me you're skipping again." The voice on the other end asked in a patronizing tone. Phoebe groaned and grabbed the bookbag hanging from the desk chair.

"Lila, get off my case. I'm leaving now. Stop acting like my mother." Phoebe rolled her eyes as she walked out the door, locking it behind her.

"I'll stop acting like your mother, when you start acting like an adult, okay?" Phoebe stopped for a second before letting out a sigh and continuing down the hall.

"Be there in 5." She said and hung up. As she ran down the stairs, all she could think about is how much she despised Lila right now. Ever since they split last November, Lila insisted they should still stay friends. Phoebe didn't mind this idea at first, but she then realized that Lila was becoming more of a babysitter than a friend. And the last thing that Phoebe thought she needed was a babysitter.

Phoebe pushed open the door at the bottom of the concrete staircase and hurried out to her lecture hall. She lived fairly close to the Walter E. Johnson Criminal Justice building where most of her classes took place. It proved to be very convenient because recently she was almost always running late. 

Once she arrived at the large brick building, she pulled open the glass doors and joined the group of students in the common area outside the lecture halls. Making her way through the crowd, she entered Lecture Hall A and spotted Lila in her normal spot in the front of the auditorium. Passing the other students already in their seats chattering among one and another, Phoebe dropped her backpack on the seat next to Lila, who turned around and looked Phoebe up and down.

"There you are! I was worried sick. You look terrible!" she shouted a little louder than Phoebe was expecting.

"Hello to you too," Phoebe sighed and sat down pulling her laptop out of her bookbag. As soon as she could sit down and get herself situated, all eyes in the auditorium turned to the young man at the front of the room quickly making his way to the podium. Phoebe did not recognize him, but she assumed that he was most likely a TA judging on his age. The man was limber and dressed and in a light purple dress shirt with a tan cardigan overtop. As he hurried towards the podium, Phoebe could catch a glimpse of mixed match colorful socks between the hem of his pant legs and his black converse. 

When the young man reached the podium, he paused for a moment, shifting his weight anxiously from one foot to another. He leaned over slightly tucking a strand of his hair behind his ear.

"Hello everyone! I apologize for being a little late. Traffic was a nightmare." He spoke, glancing around the room.  "My name is Dr. Spencer Reid and I'm going to be filling in for Professor Winchester while she is out on maternity leave. I've guest lectured at a few different institutions but this will be my first time teaching a full class. I currently am employed by the FBI and work in the Behavioral Analysis Unit, but since I broke my arm, I am taking a month or so off to recover." Dr. Reid pulled back his cardigan showing a navy blue cast around his forearm. The students in the class didn't say anything and blankly stared at him as he pulled a file out of his satchel.

"Let's get started. Shall we?"

A/N: Hi guys! I originally wrote this story a couple of years ago and I wanted to try to rewrite it and hopefully finish it!