I want to thank everyone who reviewed my last fic. I was so overwhelmed by the positive response that I had to write more for this fandom. This will be a multi-chapter fic based on the episodes of Community that I want to explore deeper in relation to the Abed/Annie relationship. Friendship fic in the early chapters, might get romantic later. Please enjoy.

You Said We Were Friends

"Ummm, excuse me. Hi there."

Abed turned at the soft girlish voice and found himself face-to-face with a petite brunette. She was pretty, he concluded quickly, probably an eight on the traditional scale of female hotness despite the wrinkle in her brow and the fine lines that hyphenated her mouth as she frowned. He cocked his head to the side; she might be a nine if she smiled.

"Hi, Annie right. You're in my Spanish class. Front row, middle seat, one pink pen, and three #2 pencils. You were the one that asked all the questions about the syllabus." Abed tapped his fingers as he counted off the facts he noted about her character during their first class.

Color rose quickly from the top of her chest to her face as Annie blushed furiously under his comments and her frown deepened. "Yes I did," she said with a hint of defiance in her tone, almost like a challenge. She took a little breath and Abed could practically see her attempting to regain control of the conversation. He couldn't help but find her tightly wound, neurotic demeanor interesting, reminding him of Claire from "The Breakfast Club" or Monica from "Friends". "I saw you talking to Troy Barnes just now? Was it something about Spanish class or a club or something?" She squeaked out the last bit, her pitch climbing higher and higher as she spoke.

"Oh that?" Abed said blankly as he jerked his thumb behind him where Troy had just walked off. "I was inviting him to join a Spanish study group," he paused, "he's gonna be our Emilio Estevez."

"I don't understand what that means," Annie bounced back with a confused shake of her head.

"It's from the movie 'The Breakfast Club'," he answered like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "I want the best dynamics possible in the group in order to maximize interest and the possibility for shenanigans and hijinks, 'The Breakfast Club' is one of the films I am modeling for the group. Troy will function as the dumb jock with a heart of gold, like Emilio Estevez's character Andy."

"Oh," she said softly, sounding a bit put out. "Either way," she reasserted herself, "why wasn't I asked to join your little group? I had a 4.0 grade point average in high school and I was the only one who actually read the assigned reading and it isn't very nice to have a secret study group and you shouldn't just invite people out in the middle of the hallway where anyone can see and get their feelings hurt and-and," Annie tapered off as she lost track of her rant, her blush returning with a vengeance. Taking another deep breath, which Abed was beginning to see as one of her character markers, she met his gaze firmly. "I would like to join your study group.

Abed shook his head firmly. "I already have all the people I need for the group and you didn't reach the standards I had created. I haven't calculated you into the dynamic and to try to integrate you now seems too unpredictable. He had spent the last few hours coming up with the perfect list of people to join the study group based on personality, age, perceived religious and political affiliations, and their high levels of emotional distress in order to create compelling drama; adding another person would be completely off-book and totally unacceptable. Abed returned his focus to Annie, realizing from the expression on her face that he had quite obviously offended her. "I've offended you."

Annie's eyes narrowed. "Yes you've offended me! And you know what? I don't want to be in you're stupid study group anyway." Her eyes glossed over with, what he could only assume were, unshed tears and her eyes fluttered slightly. "I thought college was going to be different but you are just like all those girls back in high school who decided that I wasn't cool enough to join their little groups. Poor little Annie is too crazy to be friends with, better stay away from her! Her voice taking on a sing-song quality as she mimicked her former classmates. "Well you know what? I am not that girl anymore! I am not going to cry in the bathroom stall. I am going to start my own Spanish study group and it will be so much better than yours!" She finished her rant with a little twist of her tightly clenched fist, her breathing rate accelerated and her face flushed.

Abed stared at her for a moment, not quite sure what to do with all the information he had just received. She definitely had high levels of emotional drama, he thought to himself. She is at the right age, they definitely couldn't have another member in their thirties. Pretty enough to add sexual tension to the group, but not too pretty to distract from the overall dynamic. But most importantly, Abed realized, she was interesting. Way more interesting than he had initially thought, which in and of itself was a startling realization; he was usually spot-on when it came to first impressions. When he saw her in class he had noted her obvious attractiveness and her driven, almost perfectionist demeanor and assumed that she was more of a Stepford type, not really suited to what he wanted the group to be. But now, he saw something more.

"You should join our study group," he decided out loud.

The scrunchiness of Annie's face immediately melted into shocked blankness at his words. "What?

"You should join," Abed repeated. "You are a far more compelling character than the other girl I had lined up."

"Is that a compliment?" She asked cautiously.

"No."

"Really though. You want me to join? Cause I don't want to if you just feel bad for me; I don't need your pity," she replied vehemently.

"I don't feel bad for you," he said as he picked up his bag from the floor. "I've just decided that you one of the most interesting people in our class."

"Oh," she said, glancing down at her feet. Abed thought he might have embarrassed her but she didn't comment so he decided not to as well.

"We are meeting at the library at four."

"Okay, I'll be there." Annie nodded. "See you then." She turned, walking down the hallway at a brisk pace. Halfway down the hallway she turned and gave him a small smile.

Nodding , Abed headed off towards the cafeteria. Definitely a nine, he thought to himself.