"What about this one?" Rose asked, pivoting from the display table of camisole tank tops to where Rey stood adjacent.

Rey cocked her head, upper lip drawn awry at the dark burgundy garment that Rose was holding for approval, pinched between her forefingers and thumbs. It was almost identical to the others that Rose suggested; except one had been black and the other a pukey shade of mustard.

"It looks just like the other two," Rey scoffed, watching her friend's hopeful face fall to distress.

Why did it matter if the shirt was blue or pink or – whatever? Rey dared to ask just as much, and Rose fired back with a look that was the equivalent to someone having stomped on her foot.

"Please, tell me you didn't just ask me that!" Rose cried out dramatically, raising her voice over the grunge music that played inside the apparel store known as Garage.

Who in the hell would name a clothing store after a space where cars were stored? Or let alone shop in one! But Rey refrained to ask, fearing that Rose would find it more blasphemous than the previous question.

"I guess I did," Rey shrugged, confirming the obvious without remorse.

"The cami is what pulls the entire outfit together, duh!" Rose quipped with a not so subtle roll of her eyes. "And I need something that'll match this sweater."

Rey snorted, drawing her arms into a fold over her chest. The motion made the little pink and striped bag from Victoria's Secret in her grasp bump against her side. "Then why do you need my opinion? I'm the last person you should be asking about this."

It was true, as a matter of fact. Rey never spent time gushing over clothes in magazines or kept up with the latest trends like Rose, which surprised her when she agreed to go on the after-school trip to University Park Mall after Rose invited her during lunch.

Watching the fashion diva prowl through the clothing racks at every department store, in search for the perfect outfit for Poe's party, was like witnessing a glamorized episode of a predator stalk their prey on the Discovery Channel. Not a single article of woven silk, denim, or cotton was left untouched, and underwent a heavy inspection before Rose declared it unfit for the event.

So for Rose to want Rey's opinion over something as simple as 'what color tank top should I get' was more than enough for the notion to be considered honorable.

"Because you're my friend and, obviously, your opinion matters so that I don't look like a mismatched tramp at this party tomorrow," Rose assured with a pout.

Rey heaved a sigh and lowered her gaze from Rose's pleading eyes, regarding the cardigan that was draped over the crook of her arm. It was a frothy shade of espresso, embellished with a red and black Aztek design, enhanced by a jagged cream-colored border that offset the darker diamond-shaped designs from the brown.

"Why not just go with the white cami?" Rey suggested thoughtfully, her head cocked.

Rose blinked and frowned at the cami. "Why the white? You don't think that'll be too boring?"

"No, it'll bring out the white around the edges here," Rey explained, motioning a finger at the lighter geometric shapes on the sweater to clarify what she meant. "You need something to balance out the dark."

Rose's confused expression faded to impassive. It wasn't that dumb of a suggestion – was it? Rey was definitely no expert in the field of fashion, but she liked to think that she had some sort of competency to offer an educated opinion when needed.

"I mean, definitely don't take my word for it," Rey assured without taking offense, withdrawing her hand to its previous spot. "White is my 'go to' color anyway because it goes with just about anything."

"No, I like it!" Rose chirped, eyes brightening with excitement. It was like someone had flipped the light on upstairs and suddenly declared the former vacancy inhabited.

"Really?" Rey asked, stunned that Rose accepted her advice. Her head swelled with renewed self-assurance and watched her friend exchange the burgundy for the white on the table.

"Absolutely! And here I almost considered my faith lost in you," Rose teased, flashing Rey a smile that exposed her dimples.

"Such a relief to know that I've regained your confidence," Rey affirmed, feeling proud about her success.

"Now we just need to find something for you," Rose declared over her shoulder, leading Rey to the nearest register to pay for the two shirts draped over her arm. "You've followed me like a lost puppy this whole time! Surely there's something around here that's caught your interest besides body spray?"

It wasn't the first time that Rose had been right, but Rey wasn't about to admit she couldn't afford the floppy wool cowgirl hat that she saw earlier at The Buckle. It was something that Rey never thought she would want to buy, but she loved the turquoise beaded hatband was garnished with pheasant feather at the end.

But the hefty price tag made her slightly nauseous at the thought of having to pay seventy bucks (on sale) for a piece of headwear. It wasn't like she had anywhere special to wear the garment either...

Besides, Rey was already guilty after splurging some of her savings on a bottle of Pure Seduction. Now, having to spend more money on attire, where everyone would probably be too drunk to notice, seemed pointless.

"I'll just find something at home to wear," Rey assured, flashing a smile to disguise her disappointment. However, the frown that followed didn't go unnoticed as Rose raised an eyebrow at Rey, handing her cash to the store clerk..

"Why do I need another outfit anyways?" Rey groaned. "I probably won't ever wear it again."

Rose accepted the bag from the clerk, genuinely thanking the woman and turned to Rey. She led them out of the store, joining the herd of shoppers that'd increased in size.

"Because everyone needs that certain party outfit that's different from school clothes, Rey. Plus shopping can be therapeutic," she grinned, satisfied with her purchase.

"Maybe for you," Rey mumbled, raising her brow at Rose. "It always feels like a chore, watching you fuss over outfits was exhausting enough."

Rose laughed. "Oh, come on, it can be fun! You don't have to go all out to make it a 'party outfit' if it makes you feel any better. It can be something as simple as a new shirt. Like I have a pair of cut-offs at home I'll be wearing these with," she motioned her head at the Garage bag, meaning the clothes inside. "I just wanted something different to give that little extra pizzazz. And I may have been eyeballing this sweater since they released their Fall line earlier last month."

Rey narrowed her eyes at the dirt specs and scuff marks from shoes that littered the tile floor as they walked. She chewed on her bottom lip, gauging the amount of money that was left in her satchel, bumping against her side with every step.

Rose eyed her pointedly then smiled, offering reassurance with a nudge of her elbow to Rey's bicep. "Look, the day is a treat on me anyways. So no worries, okay? Just pick something out."

"You don't have to buy me anything," Rey scoffed. "Seriously, please don't think that I'm being some sort of charity case here."

Rose looked offended but stood by her offer. "Offering to buy you a shirt hardly makes you a charity case. I invited you and, as your friend, I should be able to buy you a fucking shirt if I want."

Rey huffed and rolled her eyes, not knowing whether to direct her frustration at Rose or the hunger monster that insisted he growl at the pit of her stomach.

"Fine," Rey relented. "But only if it's on clearance."

Rose grinned in triumphant, conceding to Rey's simple term with a nod. "Deal."

"Can we get something to eat then? I'm fucking starving."

"Absolutely!" Rose confirmed. "There's a Flat Top Grill here in the mall. You can customize your own stir-fry."

Rey's mouth watered at the thought of consuming anything that was edible, especially stir-fry. Using her hunger as motivation, Rey was determined to find something appropriate enough for Poe's party.

The choices at H&M came down to a black and white polka-dotted jumper with short sleeves and a sash that crossed over the front, a cut-off tank with an embellished image that depicted the various phases of the moon, and a similar cut-off shirt that adorned an overhead image view of Los Angeles. Rey was beginning to see a pattern with the cut-off shirts, confirming her suspicions when Rose insisted that Rey not be afraid to show off a little bit of skin to her fabulous taut figure.

In the end, Rey found a white cut-off tee, embossed with the phrase 'you are my sun, my moon and all my stars' with images of a sun, moon, and star that portrayed the words in the expression. It exposed more skin on her stomach than Rey wanted to show, but she remembered the pair of rolled-up jean shorts and light-knitted grey cardigan that she owned, in which it would initiate a little peek-a-boo action at the top.

The best of all was that the shirt was five bucks on sale, leaving a very satisfied Rey and an even happier Rose.

"Poe may like it too if I may say so myself," Rose commented suggestively, forcing her short legs to work faster in order to keep up with Rey's quickened pace, walking toward the restaurant.

Rey curled her upper lip, repulsed by the thought and forced a dry swallow. "You're kidding, right?"

Rose looked surprised. "Seriously? Poe? Why, what's wrong with him?"

Rey tried to play off the topic as not being interested and gave a nonchalant shrug. "I don't know, he's just –."

"Not someone else?" Rose quipped, arching a brow. She eyed the knowing look that panned over Rey's face.

"No." Rey countered through her teeth, not wanting to admit that there was someone other than Poe. "He's just too pushy."

It wasn't a lie when it was already a fact, right?

Rose nodded, retrieving her phone from the back pocket of her skinny jeans. "Yeah, well, that's a typical jock for you. Nothing new there to explain."

Rey snorted, content that Rose didn't press for more on the topic after she became engrossed with her missed text message.

The pair made their way to the restaurant in companionable silence, which was located at the furthest south end of University Park. While Rose was lost in her texts, Rey drifted further into her thoughts.

All seemed to be right in the world until Rey tugged the door open to the restaurant. That was when Rose pried her attention from her phone, acknowledging the rigid voice of a certain principal that exited through their entrance. She had been sent to the red-headed demon's office three times in three days, accused of wearing shorts that were deemed 'too short' according to the school's highly enforced dress code.

Rose's eyes flailed daggers as she glared at the pasty carrot top male, dressed in a neutral dark grey Alfani suit in which the principal of Mishawaka High wore daily. Luckily, he was too concerned about keeping the phone held to his ear and the conversation to express anything more than Rose's last name.

"Tico," he sneered, holding his chin high.

"Hugs," Rose glared. He passed by without another wood and stood patiently at the center of the hall, waiting for his counterpart.

All the while during Rose and Hux's icy exchange, Rey stared doe-eyed at the man who had stopped before the threshold of the open door, as equally surprised to see her as Rey was to see him.

"Rey," Ben breathed, a barely noticeable smile tugged at the corners of his lips.

"Be–," Rey stopped short and blinked, not meaning for Ben's first name to slip past her lips. She cleared her throat, proceeding to correct the mistake with an apologetic smile. "Mr. Solo."

The hours felt like a lifetime since they had last saw one another, neither concerned of the fact that Rose and Hux lingered in the background. It was the first time they were able to see the other outside the classroom, greedily taking in the other's appearance.

Rey looked just the same she had earlier at school, giving his eyes a not so subtle swoop over her attire. She was wearing a pair of cut-off jean shorts with pockets that peaked below the hemlines of the legs, and a green and yellow tie-dye shirt with a pair of navy blue Tom flats on her feet. Her hair was up in a messy bun, unbothered by the few wispy strays that framed her face, curling slightly at the ends. She looked beautiful, even without makeup and Ben had to bite his tongue, suppressing the urge to tell her.

When Ben came upon her pink and striped bag, a coordinating piece of tissue paper that extended from its top, his eyes retreated back to meet Rey's. He tried not to think about the possible garment hidden from his view. It didn't help that he'd seen her profile photo the day before, sporting the strappy bikini top with those god damn shorts.

Goddamnit, why was this so fucking hard?

And Rey, it was the first time seeing Ben without having on some sort of professional attire, assuming that he changed into the olive green t-shirt that clung to his chest and a pair of dark jeans.

Her gaze lowered from Ben's, perceiving how the loose-knitted shirt displayed the outlines of his pecks. Rey couldn't resist wondering what he would look like if he lost the shirt completely, or help him rid of it.

Their hearts sunk when their eyes met again, reminded by the complexity of their relationship. It wasn't normal. Normal people who were interested in one another could hold hands, kiss, and hug freely without the worry of being seen by friends or colleagues.

It pained to see Ben slip behind the mask of Mr. Solo, his face impassive and strict, implying that she was nothing more than his subordinate.

However, the person that shoved his hands inside the front pockets of his jeans, having no clue what to do with them over the awkward moment, was Ben. He was the sensitive person who seeped through iron façade whenever they were alone.

"Doing some shopping, Miss Kanata?"

She had to follow his lead, knowing its importance while in the presence of other students and members of Mishawaka High's faculty. It made her more nervous that Principal Armitage Hux stood not far behind, still blathering to whoever the poor soul was at the receiver end of the line.

Don't fuck up this time, Kanata!

"Yeah, just got done though. We were ready to eat," Rey replied, referring to Rose who stood idly nearby.

"You coming or what, Solo?" Hux's aggravation resonated through his voice, having lowered the phone to his chin, not wanting to yell directly into it.

Ben scoffed, eliciting a pointed glare at Hux. His eyes grew soft again when he revisited Rey's.

"I'll see you tomorrow in class," Ben murmured.

She could hear the remorse in his voice, even though the fierce look in Ben's eyes easily said otherwise. Before Rey had the chance to respond, Ben was already slipping past her, leaving her to stare at the empty space of air that remained in place of his absence.

"He's – intense?" Rose remarked once Ben was out of range, looking amused.

Rey nodded wistfully, regaining her thoughts. "He has his moments," she affirmed, taking it upon herself to lead the way inside the restaurant.

Meanwhile, near the exit doors, Ben answered to his own onslaught of questions after Hux had ended the phone conversation.

"So, who's the girl with Tico?" Hux inquired, arching a brow at the phone in his hand.

Ben looked at him briefly and grimaced. "She's a student of mine."

"Is that so?" Hux quipped, teasing a smirk. "You must be losing your touch. Since when did you become more personable for students to talk to you?"

Ben snorted, choosing to remain mute over the remark.

**

Rey held off from messaging Ben right away that night on Facebook, tormented by the shame of her conscience after nearly exploiting him in front of Hux and Rose. Her attention diverted occasionally from the textbooks, splayed over the quilt of her bed, to the laptop beside her. Doing homework seemed to be out of the question without having some sort of reassurance from Ben that all was well. While Rose never showed signs that she noticed the tension between them, she hoped they hadn't been obvious to Hux.

As the hour of 11:00 P.M. drew closer, Rey finally caved into temptation and pulled up her Facebook.

– Rey Kanata –
Hey
You still up?

Ben veered his attention from the lecture being prepped to his phone that sat alongside his thigh on the sofa, acknowledging the chirp from the Facebook Messenger app that alerted him of the new message. He smiled when he saw Rey's name appear on the screen.

– Ben Solo –
Unfortunately
Doing my own homework

– Rey Kanata –
About earlier...at the restaurant
I hope that my mess up didn't make things difficult between you and Hux

– Ben Solo –
Not at all
I don't think he noticed
If he did, Hux wouldn't have waited to make a scene

Rey sighed heavily, feeling the weight immediately rise from her shoulders.

– Rey Kanata –
That's good

Her fingers hovered over the keys for a second as she drew her bottom lip beneath an incisor. She typed out the next message, ignoring her heart's rapid beats.

– Rey Kanata –
I'm glad that I got to see you tonight
Outside of school

Ben took a shuddered breath and read over Rey's message multiple times, debating whether or not to tell Rey that he had also been happy to see her. His thumbs trembled as they tapped the screen of the iPhone's.

– Ben Solo –
Do you have plans for tomorrow?

– Rey Kanata –
Going to a party at Poe's
Unfortunately

"Damn it," Ben mumbled, hoping his disappointment wasn't as obvious through the text.

– Ben Solo –
Have fun

Rey frowned at her screen. Did Ben just try to ask her out? What if she just blew it for good? It was time for damage control.

– Rey Kanata –
What about you?
Got anything planned?

– Ben Solo –
Nothing too exciting
Prepping lessons
Along with the usual

– Rey Kanata –
Wanna do my History homework, too?

– Ben Solo –
I actually love history.
It's fascinating

– Rey Kanata –
I wish I could say the same >:(
I've been stuck on this fucking topic in the syllabus for over an hour

– Ben Solo –
Tsk tsk
Language ;)

Rey rolled her eyes, laughing.

– Rey Kanata –
Shit
My bad :P

– Ben Solo –
Lol
I can try to help
What's the question?

– Rey Kanata –
It's not really a question that needs answering right now, per se
I have to write a 10-page essay by the end of the semester
About a moment in history of choice
And I have to formally give the teacher my topic choice tomorrow

– Ben Solo –
For World History or American?

– Rey Kanata –
World

– Ben Solo –
Do you have Holdo?

Rey nodded and rolled her eyes.

– Rey Kanata –
Yes!!
Ugh, she's a horrid wretch.

– Ben Solo –
Not really, you just have to know what strikes her attention
Which is a good thing I know she withholds a great deal of interest in the Russian Czar
She'll devour that paper easily if you write it

– Rey Kanata –
OMG
Seriously??

Ben nodded, not caring that Rey couldn't see.

– Ben Solo –
Most students go for the obviously easy topics
World Wars, Native Americans, Boston Tea Party
The more obscure the better you'll do with Holdo

Rey sighed contentedly, wishing it was possible to hug him then.

– Rey Kanata –
You're a life saver, Ben Solo
I really appreciate it

– Ben Solo –
You're welcome
I'm happy to help

– Rey Kanata –
One more thing...
Before I let you go for the night

– Ben Solo –
Oh? What might that be

Rey took a breath, insisting that she shed light upon possible changes to her weekend plans.

– Rey Kanata –
If anything should change tomorrow night
I'll let you know
Just in case

As much as Ben wished for her plans to change, he knew that it was probably best for the arrangement to remain as it was. For now, at least, it was fruitless to believe that anything good would come out of something so complicated, while every odd was held against them.

The last thing that Ben wanted to do was hold her back from having a normal school year, with friends, and doing normal teenage things. Which is exactly what he would do if he were to encourage Rey to halt her plans or show the slightest amount of enthusiasm that she would.

– Ben Solo –
Good night, Rey.