Chapter One
Rey wakes bright and early and slips into a pair of running shorts and a loose T-shirt. She likes mornings, the potential of whatever day lies ahead of her. Starting it off with a good run in the trails that loop through the thick woods that surround their secluded home makes her feel like she's in control, starting it off right.
Once her ponytail is plastered to her neck and sweat stains her shirt, she slips into the shower and scrubs away the evidence of her exercise while remembering what she has on the agenda. World History quiz, Hamlet essay for Shakespeare class, essay on Nathaniel Hawthorne for English, geometry homework, her article for the paper is due in two days…
Rey prides herself on being a good student. She knows it's dorky - but while everyone else is out getting wasted and having unattached sex which inevitably lead to nasty breakups in the cafeteria, Rey is focused on the future. College. Life beyond the bubble of high school.
She skips down the stairs in a new dress. It skims the tops of her thighs, and combined with her loose jean jacket and ruffled anklet socks, Rey thinks she looks pretty cool. Her long chestnut locks fall in a thick curtain around her heart-shaped face. Her best friend, Phasma, is constantly teasing her about how popular she could be if only she would give up her virginity.
Not likely. Rey always snorts and dismisses the idea. Sure, some boys at school are interested in her - but it's not her brains that catch their attention. She loathes the idea of being arm candy, a piece of ass for some horny senior, a notch on someone's bedpost. When she does have sex, it'll happen because she's in love.
"Morning," she greets cheerfully. Her father, Poe Dameron, was perched on a stool at the breakfast bar while her stepmother scrambled his eggs on the stovetop. Amilyn was pretty cool, as step parents go. She has lavender hair and though she's a few years older than her dad, her style and energy and appearance is much younger. She smiles kindly as Rey grabs an apple out of the crisper and shoulders her backpack.
"Maybe Amilyn can take you shopping," Poe says. Rey glances up in surprise, eyebrows arched.
"What she's wearing is brand new," Amilyn murmurs. It's loud enough that Rey can hear, though - she looks down over her sunflower print dress and frowns.
"What's wrong with my dress?" Yeah, it's kind of short. But nothing scandalous. Nothing the other girls at school weren't wearing. Phasma wore outlandish, eye-grabbing outfits that revealed tons of her pretty pale skin. Poe never said anything about that.
"It looks like something you wore when you were twelve," Poe says, gesturing to her legs. He strokes the stubble of his cheeks thoughtfully as Rey rolls her hazel eyes. He always said she took more after her mother, who had passed when Rey was quite young. She doesn't even remember the woman, which makes her feel guilty. She was three - shouldn't she have some kind of vague something instead of absolutely nothing?
"So? What's wrong with that?" Rey retorts. "It's what's in style these days, Daddy."
He heaves a sigh and shares a look with Amilyn, who shrugs and turns her attention back to the skillet. Of course - it's always two on one in this household. Them against her. Rey glances at her wristwatch and catches herself right before she swears. "Don't make me the bad guy, Rey. Your dress is inappropriately short."
"You're not the bad guy, Daddy. But I am the prisoner," Rey says dramatically. Tears threaten to spill over her lashes - it's been like this so much lately. Nothing she does is good enough. From her clothes to her chores, there's always something for Poe and Amilyn to get after her about. It's infuriating. Anger flares up, hot in her chest, and she bites her cheek to keep from saying anything worse.
"Oh, save it Rey!" Poe exclaims.
"Honey, you're not a prisoner," Amilyn says softly, reaching a hand towards Rey, who steps back before her stepmother can touch her.
"I'm late," she says, biting into her apple. She gives Amilyn a one-armed hug and scowls at her father over the woman's slender shoulder. "Can I go now?" She doesn't wait for a response.
She snags her keys off the hook by the front door and jogs out to the driveway. It's a gorgeous autumn day, the leaves changing colors and drifting lazily down to pile on the ground. The air has that slight chill to it that she loves - autumn in Michigan is glorious. It puts a smile on her face as she backs down the long, gravel drive to the dead end street they live off of.
Rey bobs her head to the radio as she navigates the morning traffic. It's incredible, she thinks, how much her father hates to see her grow up. He treats me like a toddler, she thinks bitterly, remembering how he had gazed at her outfit in unveiled disdain. She gets straight A's! She's never drinks or smokes, she's always the designated driver on the rare occasion she goes to a party with Phasma and Finn. It's like he can't let little Rey go and grow up and be a real person. Frowning, she pulls into the student parking lot and parks her sporty little Jeep at the rear of the lot. It's a longer walk, but makes getting out of the lot after the final bell much easier.
Once inside the massive old brick building, Rey hikes up to the second floor and down the West Hall to her locker, where her best friends Finn and Phasma are waiting.
"Listen," Phasma says quickly as Rey dials in the combination to her locker with a small, knowing grin. "I know you said you can't go out tonight, but you have to. I swear to god, the Outpost is so cool and they never card hot girls…"
"Guess I'm out," Finn sighs, rolling her eyes. Rey shoots him a sympathetic look over her shoulder while Phas rolls her big dark eyes.
"It's eighteen and up. You'll be fine. It's us minors that have to worry." Phasma snaps her gum before turning her gaze back on Rey. "So. Cool band. Hot guys. Take a night off from being the smartest girl in our grade. Be stupid and young and fun for once." Phasma cups her shoulders and bends her knees to get on Rey's level, making the smaller girl toss her head back and laugh.
"Oh, Phasma… I don't know. I can't get behind…"
"One night will not kill you. I'm with Phasma," Finn announces, earning him a fist bump from the tall platinum blonde.
Rey bites her lip, glancing between her two best friends. Both eagerly watch as she inwardly debates which way to go - but then both turn the puppy dog eyes on her and she groans in surrender.
"Fine! But there really better be hot guys," Rey says, giving Phasma an "or else," look. Phasma holds out her pinky finger and Rey giggles as she hooks her own around her friends.
"It'll be great, Rey. I promise."
—
The Outpost turns out to be a tiny coffee shop/bar in a trendy little building all the way across town. Rey calls Amilyn to let her know she's studying over at Phasma's house - a tiny pebble of guilt settles into her gut as she lies to the only mother she's known. But it's a one time thing, Rey reasons. It's not like she's going to take up lying recreationally.
The squat building is brick with exposed rafters in vaulted ceilings. It's packed tight as sardines inside, vape hanging in the air as punks, goths, skaters, emos, broody art kids all mingled in one loud but calm atmosphere. Rey feels so underdressed and out of place. In her sunflower dress with her saddle shoes, she looks too young and sweet to fit in with this crowd. Finn and Phasma don't seem to notice or care.
"We really shouldn't stay long," Rey says, ringing her hands anxiously. "I do have homework. So let's just order to go."
"Such a wet blanket," Phasma sighs dramatically, before grinning to soften the good-natured dig.
They wait in line to order drinks and Rey lets her gaze wander as Finn and Phasma argue the merits of coffee versus tea - as long as they are arguing, Rey figures everything is as normal as can be. The pair get along only for Rey's sake, and they didn't even manage it all the time.
"Tea is just hot leaf water -"
"Coffee is hot bean water!"
"You're a bean!"
Rey chuckles as the conversation devolves to half-hearted insults and glances towards the upper level. Guys are shooting pool on the tables up there, and she gulps nervously. They look rough. Like trouble. One has short red hair slicked back, and Rey watches as he makes a shot and motions for another guy to come over.
When she sees him, Rey can't help but suck in a deep breath. She's never seen a guy this handsome in real life before. Tall, with shaggy black hair that reaches his shoulders. His black long-sleeve Henley hugs every inch of his muscular, broad chest and arms. She feels almost stuck, pinned to her spot on the sticky floor, when his dark eyes scan the crowd and land on her.
Oh my god. Her cheeks heat pink under the dusting of freckles and she combs a hand through her thick brown hair, tearing her eyes away nervously. He totally caught her checking him out. When she gets the courage to look again, she finds him still watching her.
His face is reminiscent of the Roman busts she's seen in her humanities textbook. Long, aquiline nose above plush, full lips. High cheekbones and deep set eyes. He leans over the table, rubbing the cue stick between the circle of his fingers braced on the table as their eyes hold. He body feels hot and cold all over unde his searing gaze.
"Who is that?" Phasma asks, bending to rest her chin on Rey's slender shoulder. They gaze up together at the redheaded guy and the other, most gorgeous man Rey has ever seen.
"I don't know," Rey says, feeling dazed. What she does know is that she hopes to see him again.