𝐋𝐀𝐁𝐘𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐇- spencer reid ✔️

𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐓𝐘-𝐓𝐖𝐎

𝐂𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐀 𝐖𝐀𝐒 𝐑𝐔𝐍𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐀𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐏𝐋𝐀𝐂𝐄 𝐋𝐈𝐊𝐄 𝐀 𝐂𝐇𝐈𝐂𝐊𝐄𝐍 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐈𝐓𝐒 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐂𝐔𝐓 𝐎𝐅𝐅. Everything about today had to be absolutely perfect. The store opening would be Celia's first large public appearance since the disaster at her showing which resulted in her hospital visit. "Everything is going to be fine," Margot assured her. "You're gonna do great." With the store finally opening, Margot suggested an in-store event to attempt to create some buzz about it all. It was all a little over the top for Celia's taste, but Margot was insistent on planning the entire thing. There was a small crowd forming outside that Celia could see through the windows, and she felt a surge of panic which she tried to mask with a nervous smile. 

"Big turn out," Nathan commented. Celia appreciated how he was trying to make her feel better, but it only made her more nervous. She wasn't that great with crowds, no matter how much she pretended to be. She'd just gotten good at pretending like she could function normally under the spotlight. "You two look gorgeous," he mused, wrapping each of his arms around both Celia and Margot. "My girls."

"How do you make everything sound so cheesy?" Margot grumbled, yet made zero effort to pull away from him. "You're calling my charm cheesy?" He raised his eyebrows and Margot nodded her head, and a smirk pulled up on Nathan's lips. "Well, I must be doing something right because it worked on you, didn't it?"

Celia pulled away from the two of them, and took the liberty of making sure that everything was perfect and in place. She adjusted the clothing on the racks, making sure that each item was equally spaced apart on the hangers, and double-checked to make sure that there was enough drinks, and that everyone else was ready. 

"Everything's all set," Margot declared after she'd finally managed to pry herself away from her boyfriend. Celia rolled her eyes when she caught a glimpse of the large silver scissors in her hands, "Is this really necessary?" Margot nodded without hesitation and shoved the scissors into her hands and ushered Celia toward the glass doors. She paused before she reached it, feeling that familiar panic seize her chest. Her shoulders tensed, and she clutched the scissors in her hands a little tighter. "What's wrong?" Margot asked her, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder, which helped slightly, but Celia still couldn't find it in her to move. It felt as though cinderblocks were strapped to her ankles grounding her in place. "It's completely normal to be nervous," she assured her with a comforting smile on her face. 

"What if it goes terribly?" Margot looked unconvinced that Celia was being completely honest, but she didn't pose any questions about it. "Then you'll bounce back like you always do. Because you're Celia Clairmont." Margot sighed, then pointed out toward the front where people were waiting to come to the party after she cut the obnoxious red ribbon outside. "And there's security lining every inch of this place. I promise you it won't be like last time."

"You're right," Celia reluctantly admitted, letting her shoulders drop from their tense position. "I'm being stupid."

"Did I say that?" Margot crossed her arms over her chest and rolled her eyes. "Frankly, I'd be more concerned if you weren't nervous after everything you've been through," she admitted. "But you know as well as I do that there's people out there who are dying to label you as 'hysterical' and 'unstable' so go out there with your biggest smile and fucking prove them all wrong. Show them that you rose above everything, Cece."

"Let's get this over with," Celia sighed. She knew Margot was right, and if she bailed on this at the last second, it would only make things worse for herself. People would talk, and it was honestly the last thing she wanted right now. The whole point of this opening was to have her name in the media for something that didn't have to do with the murders of her family, or the fact that she'd almost been murdered at her last showing. She wanted to be known for something else entirely, but people often tended to only talk about women in the context of anything else but everything they'd managed to accomplish. Celia had learned that lesson the hard way over the last few years, and Margot was right about needed to prove all of them wrong.