Title: Happy Birthday
Author: hamelin
Pairing: gen
Rating: PG
Summary: My tenth birthday wasn't a very special day but it was definietly memorable. It was the first time I realized that my parents didn't notice me. Reid's POV.

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My tenth birthday wasn't a very special day but it was definietly memorable. It was the first time I realized that my parents didn't notice me.

I walked down my house's creaky wooden stairs to find my parents fighting, yet again. It wasn't abnormal to see them ringing eachother's necks. Most of the time they would fight about money and work, but ninety-nine percent of the time they were fighting about me.

You see, I am not a normal child. At the young age of nine I have an IQ 187 and I can read 20, 000 words per minute. That's a hell of a lot more than most kids in my class can do. The teachers at school have encouraged me to skip several grades so I can be more at my level of learning, but my father disapproves of the idea. My mother is the exact opposite of my father. She agknowleges my ability for higher learning and my smarts. That is why I think that they quarel all the time. Their personalities and the way they think and act are opposites. Even though the law of electrostatics state "like charges repel and opposite charges attract", it's really not the case in my situation.
As I sit at the bottom stair unoticed I listen to their conversation.

"You know the kid should really learn how to throw a freakin' football, cause I'm signing him up to be on the team next year." My father said.

"Are you kidding me Frank? He's going to die out there. He should just concentrate on his studies, it's what he enjoys. Just leave him alone."

I smile as I think of my mother's reply. 'She really does care about me' I though to myself. My thoughts were interupted by my father screaming.

"I don't want a book worm in my house and I sure as hell don't want him staying home all the time studying. He should go out and meet people"

"For the love of god he's only nine"

I guess they did forget it was my birthday. Well at least my mother is sticking up for me, it's all I could ask for in this estranged family. I start to go up my creaky wooden stairs, but I stop when I hear my father yell one last time this early morning.

"Fuck you Anna."

I reach my spacious bedroom and sit on my queen sized bed. I try to think of happier times with my parents, but nothing comes to mind. As I sit there alone I sing to myself a tune that everyone seems to know.

"Happy birthday to Spencer, happy birthday to Spencer. Happy birthday, happy birthday, happy birthday to me."

As I say that last word a single tear runs down my cheek.

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