Criminal

The Plane Ride

I step onto the jet in a new outfit, holding a suitcase that's filled more than it should be. I've never been on a private plane before and I'm beginning to see some of the perks of the job. I sit in a seat across from one of the agents I remember goes by JJ. She pulls out a deck of cards. "Do you know how to play Bullshit?" She asks with a mischievous look on her face. I can tell that she's using a deck of cards as her icebreaker. "Yeah! Actually, it's one of my favorites." She smiles and calls the other agents over. Everyone crowds around the tiny plane table except for Agent Hotchner who keeps his focus on a over-filled file. The game lasts a few rounds, and to my disdain, JJ seems to be a professional bullshit player, winning almost every game.
As the game dies down, Hotchner gets up and tells us that the eta is about an hour. Some of the agents go back to their original seats, but Dr. Spencer Reid hangs back. "So," I say, trying to start up a conversation. "Does everyone call you Dr. Spencer Reid? Or do you like to be called by a nickname." He looks up from the file he was staring at intensely and smiles. "Reid. You can just call me Reid. You could also call me Spencer if you want, but agents around here don't really call me that." He looks into my eyes and I feel as though I'm a subject he's studying. "How do you like it here so far?" He asks. "Well... I didn't even get a chance to set up my desk before I got on a plane to California. I guess I feel a little overwhelmed. It is my first case after all. Everyone here seems so good at their jobs, and I'm worried that I'm inadequate."
Woah. What was that? I just overshared way too much with someone I met only this morning. Why did I do that? Maybe it's because he seems like the kind of person who just understands. He has this look in his eyes, like the things he's been through have helped him to be a more soft, kind person.
To my relief he looks at me with sad eyes and a smile. "I understand you completely. My first time here was scary. I didn't know how I would get along with the team, but then I realized they have my back." After he says that, melancholy comes over him. I wonder what kind of things he's been through?