Never Assume

“Come on Sara, it’ll be fun.” Greg reassured her, as he grabbed both of their kits and set them in the back of the Denali.

“But I’m not good with kids.” She rubbed her temples, not looking forward to the day ahead of them.

The high school requested a visit from a real team of scientists to lecture on the benefits of a job in their field. Grissom agreed, of course. “The more kids interested in science today, the more CSIs there will be tomorrow.”

They all groaned, but had no say in the matter. So they decided to make the best of the situation. Except Sara.

Warrick put his and Catherine’s kits in the back also, and Nick and Grissom did the same. They all piled in after a few moments, Nick driving.

“Everyone remember what they’re going to say?” Grissom asked, from the passenger seat. He got two “Mhm”’s from Catherine and Warrick, who were currently occupying the middle seat, a “Yup” from Greg and an “I guess so” from Sara.

Greg put an arm around her shoulders. “Don’t worry, you’ll do great.”

She looked at him funny, and then at his arm, and then back at him. But she made no move to remove it. She just shrugged.

When Greg noticed Grissom eyeing them from the rear view mirror, he quickly removed his arm, earning another odd look from Sara.

“We’re here guys!” Nick said, with mock enthusiasm.

They all piled out, Greg and Sara being the last ones to exit the car, after Warrick and Catherine.

Greg got out first, being closest to the side door, and lent Sara a helping hand out of the vehicle.

“Thank you.” She said politely, but as she set her foot on the ledge of the door, it slipped off.

“Whoa!” Greg called out, as Sara fell on top of him, pinning him to the asphalt. The rest of the team turned around.

“I’m so sorry Greg.” She said, trying to stand up. She inadvertently used his chest for leverage to help her stand up and he cried out in pain.

“Ow! My pancreas!”

Sara laughed, helping him up.

“Alright guys… we’re going to be late if we don’t stop horsing around.” Grissom reprimanded, eyeing Greg critically.

Within five minutes, they were waiting backstage with their kits in Clark County High School.

Sara was pacing, arms crossed.

“Ready?” A polite older woman asked. Probably in her older fifties, the woman was rather small, with graying hair and an expensive looking business suit.

They all nodded.

“Okay. I’ll go introduce you. Thank you so much for coming.”

“It’s our pleasure.” Grissom said, and the woman made her way onto the stage.

The noise quickly died down, and the woman made her announcement, motioning for the team to take the stage.

Greg whispered into her ear, right before they took the stage. “You’ll do great. And if all else fails, at least you’ll have captured all the teenage boys’ attention with your radiant beauty.” He grinned at her, and she patted him on the arm. “I hope you’re right.”

For the next hour, the team aptly explained the world of forensics, did some cool experiments with dry ice and such, and demonstrated a few techniques on how to defend yourself against an assailant.

“Ooh, ooh, I’ll demonstrate!” Greg piped up. Grissom turned to face him.

“Okay Greg, but remember, we’re setting an example here.” Grissom reminded him quietly.

“Sara, be my partner.”

She rolled her eyes. “Do I have to?”

Greg gave her the puppy dog eyes. How could she reject him with those eyes staring back at her?

“Fine.” She agreed, and he led her to center stage.

“Okay.” He announced loudly, standing behind Sara, wrapping an arm around her neck. “I’m the assailant. I’ve got a hold of you. What do you do?”

A girl, probably a junior, raised her hand.

“Yes?” Greg called on her.

“Well… if you were my attacker, I’d let you attack me.” She giggled.

Greg’s face turned red as half the team and most of the audience burst out laughing.

“Uhm…” Greg’s voice cracked. “Uhh… anyone else?”

No one raised their hand, so Sara spoke up.

“Elbow your attacker in the ribs, twist out of his grasp, and run for help.” She demonstrated gently, so as not to hurt Greg.

Greg motioned for her to join him in taking a bow, and she did. Everyone clapped.

“Looks like Greg has some admirers.” Catherine directed the comment toward him, and he blushed again.

Nick laughed, and patted him on the back.

“Any questions?” Grissom asked the sea of students, and about fifty hands shot up0 in the corner, where a group of girls were sitting.

“Yes?” Grissom asked, tentatively pointing to one of the more modest looking girls.

“Can ingesting one ounce of prussic acid really kill you?”

Grissom smiled, silently thankful that her question didn’t involve the amount of pay they earned of how many push ups Nick could do.

“Yes, yes it can.” He answered. “So be very careful when using it in an experiment.”

She nodded.

“Next?” He pointed to another girl, about ten seats away from the first.

She stood up.

“My question of for that guy.” She pointed at Greg.

“Okay.” Grissom stepped aside, and Greg took his place.

“Yes?”

“Is she your girlfriend?” The girl pointed at Sara, whose face has immediately reddened.

“N… no.” He mumbled apprehensively.

“Do you… want a girlfriend?”

Greg looked to his smirking team for help. He got nothing.

“I’m sorry.” He replied. “But I’m afraid you’re only allowed to asked one question. Okay, thank you, next please?”

The next girl they called on, if possible, was even more bold.

“Can you take your shirt off?”

All of her friends stood up, as the whole female student body began cheering him on.

“Take it off! Take it off!” They chanted as the principal tried to silence them.

Greg looked over at Sara, who had joined the chanting, followed by the rest of the team (minus Grissom), who were trying not to laugh hysterically.

The principal finally diffused the chaos, and thanked the team for coming- also apologizing for the students’ behavior.

When the team went to leave, the girl who asked about Greg’s girlfriend status caught up with them.

“Why isn’t she your girlfriend?” She asked Greg, taking a sip of her soda.

He laughed nervously, picking up his pace. Sara kept walking also, looking over her shoulder at the intrusive girl.

She repeated the question.

“Because.” Greg said, unaware that the answer wouldn’t suffice.

“Because why?”

“Because she doesn’t want to be.”

“Oh.” The girl said, looking Sara up and down. “Bitch!”

And with that, the girl threw her soda at Sara and left. Her friends were delighted by the act.

As if the shock of Greg’s previous statement wasn’t enough, now her mouth was open in horror, as she and the other CSIs stared at her soda soaked clothes.

Warrick finally broke the silence. “Wow… girls are vicious.”

“Greg?” Sara said, wiping the soda off of her face with her sleeve, which did no good since it was also soaked.

“Mhm?”

“Can I talk to you in private for a moment?” She blinked a few times. “Like now?”

“Oh, sure, of course.”

She walked over to him, grabbed him by the arm, and began pulling him toward a large shade tree that stood in front of the administration office.

“Because she doesn’t want to?” Was the first thing out of her mouth.

“Well it’s true.”

She stared across the parking lot at their co-workers, and Greg noticed that she was shivering, her shirt soaked with what appeared to be some sort of orange soda.

“Here.” He said, pulling his shirt over his head, handing it to Sara. “Put this on.”

Although he still had an undershirt on, he heard a few catcalls from passing girls.

“Thanks.” She said.

After a few moments of silence, Sara finally spoke.

“How… how do you know that I don’t want to?”

He was about to speak, but couldn’t find any words.

She began walking back to the car, and he followed her.

Once everyone was back in the car, they started to reflect on the crazy day they had.

“Well.” Grissom sighed. “We’re not doing that again.”

“Agreed.” Nick said, followed by a “Thank God” from Catherine.

“Yeah, that was embarrassing.” Greg piped up after a few seconds.

“Don’t worry, you’ll get a girlfriend some day.”

This caused them all to chuckle.

Sara’s hand slowly made it’s way to his, resting on top of it.

He looked at her and smiled.

“You’re probably right.” Greg replied.