My mom has been sick for the last month and I haven't slept well in weeks as I live with her (the rent's cheap and I have massive loans) and she wakes me constantly in pain. It has been hard to focus. This is a fairly straight-forward story, so I expect it to be completed sooner rather than later.

It started as a random encounter at a coffee shop while she was in law school. For the next sixteen years, they'd stay casual friends through the ups and downs of life until sparks finally flew.

The Invisible Friend

Chloe Wright first met him when she was a low point. She was in her second semester at Georgetown Law and was close to quitting and returning to New Hampshire. Surrounded by study materials, in a crowded coffee shop, Wright was on the verge of tears.

"Can I sit here?" he said.

She looked up at the gawky-looking guy standing in front of her.

"Sure," she said. "Don't mind the mess."

He found a tiny open spot to put a sandwich and coffee.

"You're studying law?" he asked.

She let out a painful sigh.

"Trying," she said. "The cases and precedents are getting mixed up in my head. My advisor all but said I should withdraw before I dig myself deeper into debt. I'm sorry I'm babbling all my problems to you."

"No, it's okay," he said. "Would you like some help?"

"Wait, you don't even know my name and you're offering to help me study for law school? Are you in school too?"

"No," he said. "I briefly considered law, but I like facts and can help you memorize them."

"You still don't know my name," she said.

"What is your name?" he asked.

"Chloe Wright. You?"

"Dr. Spencer Reid."

She gaped at him.

"You're a doctor? Like Dougie Houser?"

"I don't know who that is, but I have doctorates in math, chemistry, and engineering."

"So, you're a genius."

"I don't believe intelligence can be properly quantified, but I am."

"What do you do?" she asked.

"I'm an FBI agent," he said. "Let's get back to you. Let me help you study."

"Okay," she said shuffling flashcards. "I'm studying civil procedure; the case involves determining how much of a business has to be in a state to be subject to the state's laws."

"Like International Shoe Co. v Washington?"

She stared at him.

"Where did you come from?"

"Las Vegas," he said with a shrug.

"So, what are you having trouble with?" he asked.

"The details. I can't keep the numbers straight."

"If you associate a number with each fact it gets easier," he said. "Do you have paper?"

"Yes," she said moving things around and grabbing a pen and scrap of paper.

"I'll dictate notes."

The coffee shop slowly emptied out as Reid gave her note taking tips and she asked questions when she needed clarification on a fact. Eventually the staff came around and cleaned nearby tables.

"Thank you so much," she said. "What do I owe you?"

"Nothing," he said. "It was a pleasure to help you."

Wright began to clear up her things.

"Any chance you can help me again sometime?"

"My work involves a lot of travel so I can't guarantee I'll be around."

He pulled out a card and scribbled his number on it.

"Call me and we'll try to arrange some time to meet again in maybe, a month."

"Sure," she said and scribbled her number on a piece of notepaper.

She looked at him admiringly.

"You're amazing, you know that?"

He hung his head down.

"Sometimes knowing facts doesn't make me popular, people look at me weird because I know things like how the inventor of the modern shopping mall hated it's development so much, he left the United States."

"That's cool," she said. "Knowledge is power. I've always thought that."

"Even when it doesn't seem relevant to the situation?"

"Spencer, you have a gift, screw whoever thinks knowing too much is dumb."

He smiled.

"Thanks, Chloe. I think we are exactly what we needed tonight."

She stashed everything in backpack.

"Thank you again," she said.

"My pleasure," he said and waved as he got up. "We'll meet again next month."

"I look forward to it," she said.

…

"International Shoe v. Washington established jurisdiction rules that prevented businesses from circumnavigating the system of taxation and unemployment," she stated.

The professor stared at her. He was a grizzled tenured professor who was rumored to have been there since the school opened.

"When did you get so smart, Wright?"

"I found a tutor in an odd place," she said.

"I hope you're paying him well," he said.

Wright merely smiled.