The next day at school Rey suffered through gym, her least favourite subject. It was hard to avoid the other girls in the changing room, and she hated taking her clothes off in front of them. She was the same age, but just a late bloomer, or the results of going too long with chips and twinkies as her only nutrition, her body still hadn't gotten the message that she was 16 now.

She lingered over her tattered gym bag, letting the other girls dress and go out, flashy and confident in their designer sports wear. Alone at last, she quickly pulled off her uniform and pulled on her gym kit. There was no set clothes for gym, making it the most hotly contested fashion show at school. Rey was sure she was not in the running, with her uncle's old boxing t-shirt on, and shorts that were at least two sizes too small.

She shoved her feet into sneakers and went out, lowering her head against the teacher's impatient look, and took a seat on the gym floor, behind all the other girls. She could see a boys class taking place at the bottom end of the gym. The teacher started droning on about elective sports, and Rey found herself recognising a familiar head. Ben stood, his face the study of boredom. They were playing basketball, and he was standing on the outskirts of the court, hardly seeming to pay attention. He looked uncomfortable, downed in a a baggy t-shirt, making his skinny neck rise up like a delicate stalk. He hunched over, uncomfortable with his height, his spine curved over, long arms dangling, the picture of athleticism he was not. He met her eyes across the space, and the only sight of recognition she got was the slightest rising of the corner of his mouth.

"Rey Nessuno, come and make your electives" the teacher called, and Rey went forward and looked at the list of classes. Most of them had a gold circle next to them.

"What does that mean?" she asked.

"It's a paid elective, your parents pay for the equipment before the course starts" the teacher explained. Rey chewed her lip as she looked down the list again. Jack hadn't said much about money since she'd arrived. But, she knew there couldn't be much left over each month. He had probably coped fine alone, but now, with a teenager kid and an expensive new school, she didn't need to see the coupons he'd been clipping to feel guilty. She felt guilty enough already.

"I'll take swimming and self-defence" she said, quickly finding two of the only subjects that didn't need equipment. The teacher noted it down.

"They're both mixed classes" the teacher said, raising an eyebrow at Rey, who simply shrugged in response. So far, the girls were more annoying than the boys at this school, she thought to herself.

As she went to take her seat again, she heard a commotion break out from the other side of the hall. The girls all twisting around to see, Rey followed, seeing a fight starting, two boys standing in the middle of the court, and one was none other than Ben.

The other boy was in his face, gesturing wildly and pointing toward the ball. Ben stood his ground, the only sign he was angry was a tick in his jaw. And then, suddenly, Ben threw a punch at the other kid, who went down hard. Silence followed, and then a commotion as the teacher came over shouting. The girls all started whispering and exclaiming over the boy who had fallen, who was now sitting up and holding his nose, red blood dripping down the front of his t-shirt. But Rey only had eyes for Ben, who was walking out, ignoring the shouting teacher and the looks from his classmates. It seemed she wasn't the only deliberate loner at St Augustines.

"Hey! Watch out!" a voice called, right before Rey found a hard body smacking into hers. She looked up and met pale eyes, small and arrogant sneering down at her. She turned to walk around him, and sighed when the boy shifted with her. She looked up at him, waiting for him to do whatever it was he was planning. The hallway was emptying, the bell having rang for 5th period a few minutes ago. She had been walking and reading, an art book the teacher had lent her, and not looking where she was going.

"Sorry" she mumbled.

"Is there something wrong with you? You walked right into me" the arrogant guy said, and Rey tried once again to go around, stopping only as he slammed his arm into the locker beside her head, effectively blocking her from going around him.
'I'm talking to you" he said, and with a cruel swipe, her book shot across the floor. She looked at it, wondered if the pages had ripped, and then squinted up into the bully's face.

"I said I was sorry, what's your problem?" she demanded. His face seemed familiar, and she quickly summoned a name. Armitage Hux, some son of an industry leader whatever, everyone was someone importants child here. Except her.

"You are. Our school doesn't need a sad sack charity case dragging us down" he said. She feinted right, and when he shifted, scurried to the left, passing him quickly, and escaping down the hall, though her pride demanded she not run.

"That goes for you and your loser uncle" his voice shouted, following her around the corner where she drew up abruptly to avoid another full body collision. Ben stopped mid step, his book bag falling forward with momentum as Rey threw her hands up to stop bumping him, and only just grazing his chest.

They stared at each other, and then, she saw Ben make to go past her.

"Wait!" she said, her hand shouting out, she grabbed his arm to stop him. He stiffened at the contact, his dark eyes staring down at her hand on his arm, his brow furrowing.

"Are you ok? What's wrong?" she asked, following his eyes to her hand. She snatched it back, grabbing the strap of her bag instead.

"I'm fine." He said shortly, and gave her a look of confusion.

"I'm Rey, we met yesterday, in the woods" she said helpfully. The ghost of a grin touched his lips.

"I recall." Rey huffed, her hand sliding up and down her strap as she fidgeted from one foot to the other.

"Are you alright? I saw the fight in the gym"

"I'm fine."

"Aren't you in trouble?" Ben just shrugged, and Rey found herself studying the way his floppy black hair waved into his eyes. He really needed a haircut.

"Not really" he admitted, and held her curious gaze.

"Are you trying to get kicked out?" she suddenly asked, fascinated by his unreadable expression.

"You ask a lot of questions" he finally said, starting to walk away, down the hall as Rey trailed behind him, watching him go.

"And you don't ask any!" she called half-heartedly.

The weeks rolled by in much the same pattern as Rey settled into school. She didn't make any friends, and eventually Jack stopped asking about that at dinner.

She did start to catch up in class, for most of her subjects, which mean she had more time for art. Her personal emergency fund kept growing, fuelled by an amazingly unobservant student body, or one so rich there was nothing they couldn't afford to replace.

She saw Eliza Montgomery again, and saw how different the social circles of her and Ben Solo were. Eliza was the darling of the school, dating a procession of jocks and trust fund kids, all with the same clean cut all American good looks. Rey realised how much of a secret it was that she even knew Ben, for he seemed to be as much a social outcast as she, though, unlike Rey, he seemed to be one through choice.

He was taciturn and non-communicative, and it was only a few days until she heard about the other part of his reputation, one for violence. Apparently, he had started and participated in quite the number of fights, one and off the sports field. He never apologised and he never backed down. It was then Rey had learned exactly why he was never expelled, and why indeed Eliza had chosen him for their indecent arrangement. His family were the biggest donors to the school, and in a student body that boasted sons of sheiks, that was an achievement. More than ever, he intrigued her. In a school of people desperately trying to prove their superiority over each at every turn, someone who sailed through, careless of other's opinions was like a beacon to Rey. Always on the unconventional side herself, she was drawn in by that self-assurance, by the independence it took to simply not care what others thought.

She soon found out how he managed to keep to himself most of the time. He spent most of his classes ensconced in advanced studies where only a small amount of students studied together in loosely structured time, with a professor on hand to help.

Jack was happy that Rey was catching up, and even attended the parents evening, to Rey's horror. How could she tell her uncle that she felt like an outsider at the school he was so proud of? That the students he looked after and cleaned up after day after day thought more of the dirt beneath their feet than him. It hurt her, seeing those looks when she walked into the school on parents evening, beside Jack, wearing the old black jacket he wore to funerals and a navy tie. She squirmed with embarrassment as they waited along with the other parents, whose handbags and clothes flashed names she only knew from the billboards she used to see around the city, when she would tag along at her restless mother's side. Her mother. She would walk into the school like she owned it, be sarcastic and rude to the other parents, sneer at the teachers, if she'd come at all, but Jack, he tried, he tried for her, and it broke her heart a little bit, that kernel of embarrassment. The cruelty of strangers, and the shame of wounded pride.

Her teachers were happy with her progress, though it as mentioned more than once that she might try to integrate more with other students, though it was never acknowledged that it might be impossible. Maths, her worst subject was predictably average, and Rey saw her uncle's face tighten with worry at the teacher's words.

"Rey must try harder to catch up, the material is moving quickly now, and if she doesn't get on top of it, I'm afraid she will fall further behind."

"What can we do?" Jack asked.

"I would suggest private tutoring" the teacher suggested, and then trailed off, as though just realising the impossibility of that.

"You could help at home, with her homework" the teacher added, and Rey felt angry at the careless words. She saw Jack's fingers tighten on the papers he held a moment, before relaxing.

"We'll work something out" he said, standing to leave. Back at the cottage, Jack asked to see Rey's homework.

"Don't worry about it, I'll work harder. Anyway, it's not like I'm planning on being a mathematician" she grumbled as she gave him the workbook.

"Maths is important, and passing your exams is important."

She had merely shrugged in return. Her uncle had turned a rare angry look at her then, and she had frozen under the weight of it.

"This opportunity, this school… it's not something to take lightly Rey. It's a gift"

"It feels more like a curse. I hate it there" she had shot back.

"I know you hate it there, do you think I can't see? But it's the best chance I've got of giving you a better life, and I'm going to do it, no matter the cost." He had said, running his hand through his thick wavy hair in frustration.

"I could just go to public school" she suggested and he had looked almost pained at her words.

"This is one of the best school in the country. With this in your background, college, jobs, everything would be easier for you. I know it's hard now, I know that, I know they don't make it easy, but if you give it up, the only person it punishes is you and they win" his voice softened.

"Don't let them win Rey. Take this chance that you've been given and wring the most of it. Make it count" he said roughly, before turning back to the Maths homework and sitting down that the wooden dining table. She had stood more a moment longer, and then slinked away and gone to bed, unwilling to see him pouring over the sums and making the guilt and ache in her heart even worse. She lay in the dark and thought about the student's disdainful looks as she had walked through the school and the terrible loneliness of being disliked by people who barely knew your name. Jack was right. If she had to endure all those things, might as well make it count, and as she lay there in the dark, watching the shadows move across the wall, she realised she had a solution.

She shifted uncomfortably in the tree, her homework done and boredom was setting in. It was the fifth day she had waited here to see Ben alone again, and she was beginning to doubt her brilliant plan. Then through the trees, a white shirt flashed, and she felt triumphant. She watched as he walked toward the tree she was hidden in, his jacket folded carelessly over a bag strap, his too long hair flopping in his eyes. She started down as quickly as she could.

Ben stopped under the tree, and reached into his bag for a pack of cigarettes. He lit it slowly and looked to her, seemingly completely unsurprised by seeing her here. Even smoking looked awkward on him.

"Hello." Rey said lamely, suddenly nervous. He took a deep draw of smoke and nodded a greeting.

"Smoking's bad for you, you know"

"So are a lot of things" he murmured, leaning back against a wide tree trunk.

"Did your parents go to parents evening?" she asked, trying to find a way to bring up her request.

"They didn't quite manage this one" he said, his tone sardonic.

"Jack went" Rey said, looking away as the tell-tale flush of embarrassment remembered tainted her cheeks.

"I'm not doing so well in Maths" she admitted, forcing herself to meet Ben's expectant gaze.

"I was thinking maybe you could tutor me" she blurted out. His eyebrows shot up for a moment, and he coughed. She had surprised him. He stubbed out the cigarette.

"Why would I do that?" he asked bluntly, his tone now amused. Rudy scuffed her old converse on the pine needles littering the floor.

"To be a nice guy?" she tried. He smirked, inviting her to try again.

"To prove to the kids at this school that they didn't win. That they couldn't break me" she said, her voice truthful, and her expression open. She couldn't know what a pitiful picture she made, with her pleading expression and large eyes, her thin cheeks, barely distinguishable as female except for her generous mouth, now downturned. Her shabby inform, second hand to begin with, and scrapped up knees, knobbles of bone on skinny legs. Ben saw it all. A little misfit like Rey was amusing enough to observe, but to get involved with?

He shook his head.

"They don't matter enough to me, and they shouldn't to you either" he said, grabbing his bag off the floor and starting for the path.

"Wait!" she touched his arm as he passed her, looking up into his hidden face, the hanging curtain of stringy hair concealing a strong jaw, pimpled with red spots and shiny nose. Puberty was not being kind to Ben Solo.

"Please. I need help, and we can't afford anyone, and I don't want to let Jack down" she said. He looked down at her small hand on his arm. He wondered when the last time was that someone had voluntarily touched him.

"I'm not a very good teacher"

"Perfect, I'm not a very good student" she replied, pleading in her eyes.

"Neither am I" he said.

"But you're really smart, I know, everyone knows." She pleaded. He looked at her impassively a moment longer, his eyes drifting back to her small hand on his arm, turning over her proposal in his head.

"Sorry little scavenger. I'm not the sort of person who can help you" he said decidedly as he turned and started away.

"What, not smart enough?" she challenged, her voice ringing with frustration.

"Not patient enough" he replied, shooting her a slight smile, before leaving. She watched him go, determination forming in her bones. She couldn't give up so easily, not when Jack was so invested. She'd just have to think of a way to persuade him, she thought, eyeing his all back disappearing from the clearing.

"Are you in trouble?" The smooth voice pulled Rey from her plans of how she was going to achieve bring Ben Solo around to her side, and she looked up to see another student, one she hadn't seen before sitting beside her chair, his book bag resting on his lap. He was surveying her with interest, his mahogany eyes warm and bright, his tentative smile more welcoming than anything she'd seen directed toward her at the school in weeks.

"I don't know. Maybe" she admitted. The boy frowned, his polished dark brow creasing with curiosity.

"You don't know? Didn't they tell you why you had to come here?" She shook her head, resting back against the wall in resignation.

The door to the office opened then, and they both looked up to find Principle Kendsho there.

"Come on in" he gestured, and they hurried to comply.

"Rey, this is Finn. He is student liaison for another school in the area, Insorto Heights. It's our sister school in the community" Kendsho explained, and Rey thought of all she knew of the public school within a few miles. It didn't have the best reputation, but where would after St. Augustines.

"We are working together on some projects to bring our schools closer, and share… the benefits we are lucky to enjoy at St Augustines with Insorto, and we want it to be student led. Student involvement, student ideas. Finn is representing Insolvo, and I thought that you Rey, might like to be St Augustines representative." He finished, and sat back, waiting for her reaction.

"Why me?"

"I thought, given your background, you might be interested in learning more about the community and other schools, other students. Similarly, I thought that you and Finn would work well together, and have a lot in common. Also, it will look great on your record" he said, with barely a flush at the assumptions. Rey quickly surmised that he couldn't get any of the rich and important students at St Augustines to agree to work with lowly public school students, never mind go to the school and couldn't entice them with school record appeal, as these students were guaranteed entry to whichever University they wished.

"What do you think?" Finn asked, and she looked over at him. He seemed nice, and normal for once, his sneakers being a brand she had actually heard of. His gaze was steady, no tricks, no sneers, his expression open, and she found herself smiling instinctively back. She nodded slowly.

"That's very good news Rey, I am pleased." Principle Kendsho said with no little relief. They started to plan their first meeting, and Rey found herself looking forward to working with Finn, and maybe even making a proper friend.

On their way out the office, Rey hung back, as Kendsho turned back to his computer.

"Sir?"

"Yes Rey?"

"I was wondering if there was a tutoring program available at school?" she asked.

"In what way?"

"Well, at my old school, you could sign up for help, from older students, volunteers" she explained, and lost hope as Kendsho's head began to shake.

"I'm afraid not, voluntary spirit has never been something valued at St Augustines. I'm sorry, I wish it was." He said, and he did sound regretful. She thought a moment,

"Maybe that's something we could help set up? Between our schools I mean, it would definitely help our profile in the community, and benefit the students who needed help" she said, watching the Principle turn it over.

"Maybe, it might be a great idea Rey, talk it out with Finn and see what you come up with" he suggested, and she smiled as she left. She was going to get help with Math one way or another.

That afternoon was her first martial arts class as her gym elective. She waited again until all the girls had changed been hurrying into her clothes and scooting out, sitting down at the furthest edge of the group.

The floor was cold under her bare thighs and she wrapped her arms around her waist, listening as the teacher talked through the syllabus. They were to try several different types of martial arts and even some self-defence, which Rey was looking forward to. The first few sessions would focus on physical fitness. As Rey listened, she became aware of a pair of eyes watching her and turning her head, caught sight of Ben Solo's dark, solemn gaze. She stared back, still stung by his refusal to help her, before the teacher bid them all to stand and run around the hall for 12 minutes. The class was small, not many other girls, and Rey wasn't surprised. There were a lot of other sports on offer, and if money was no object, they had all the choice in the world. She started jogging around alone. The pace was fairly brisk to begin with, though a few front runners soon fell back and Rey continued on. She wasn't tired, she was fit and ran a lot, she could tell that a lot of the kids in class weren't very active, maybe just preferring the idea of being able to do cool kung fu moves. She felt a presence coming up to her side. She knew it was Ben because of the radiating stillness, an aura of unapproachability he seemed to surround himself with. She ran on and ignored him.

"Still sore about the tutoring?" he remarked, sounding as unbothered by the run as she was.

"No. I've already come up with another solution, no thanks to you. Why are you in this class? Aren't you a senior?" she asked.

"It was the only option given my schedule. That's a shame about the tutoring" he said, and she almost stopped.

"Why? Did you change your mind?" she asked hopefully, turning to glimpse a small grin playing around his full lips.

"Of course not, I just wanted to hear you beg some more" he said, and she couldn't resist sticking her toe out a second to trip him. He easily jumped it and kept running, a sound coming from him that was almost a laugh. She scowled.

"You're the worst"

"I thought you'd already handled it?" he continued, and that teasing grin was back. She wasn't sure what had gotten into him today but it irked her.

"I have… maybe you're not the only one who can make secret arrangements to get what they want" she said, and Ben dropped back, almost stopping running for a moment, before sprinting faster to catch back up.

"Rey, that's not funny, you're just a kid" he said, and she could see all pretence of kidding was gone. She snorted, annoyed by his condescension.

"You don't know me Solo, and you didn't want to help, so it's not your business anymore" she fumed and pulled away, working up to an easy sprint. His assuming she'd do whatever it is that Eliza does with him to get what she wants sent her into a spiralling rage. She didn't know what exactly the details of their arrangement were, but she was sure it wasn't ever the kind of thing she would do, and the fact that Ben so easily thought she would was galling.

Their interaction seemed to have made an impact on him too, as she found him waiting for her outside the locker room. His hair damp from the showers, pushed back behind his too large ears, he looked like he wished the ground would swallow him up. She stepped out the door, and upon seeing him, pivoted on her heel to go around him. He pushed off the wall and approached her.

"Rey. I shouldn't have said that – should have assumed you'd…"

"Be a whore?" Rey said, and saw him flinch.

"That's not what I meant. I don't think Eliza is a whore, I'd never call her that. She's desperate and alone… we give each other something we need" he said.

"Sex and money" Rey stated and watched a red flush tint Ben's cheeks.

"How old are you anyway kid? You make me blush" he asked, a half smile tugging his lips. She shrugged in response, her face hard.

"So, what do you want?" she asked after a long moment of silence.

"I wanted to say I didn't mean to upset you. I'm not… good at interacting with people all the time. I find it hard, to understand people, what will upset them" he ground out, looking uncomfortable.

"In case you haven't noticed, I don't really fit in here" he said, running a large bony hand through his hair.

"And I do?" she snorted, crossing her arms over her chest.

"No, you stick out like a sore thumb" he said with a shadow of a grin.

"Well, don't be so pleased about it" she muttered as she moved around him to get to her next class.

Armitage Hux.

Rey became aware of a growing animosity toward her in the halls, and she was pretty sure it was coming from one boy in particular. The very one that had knocked her things out her hands in the hall, and she had finally learned his name. She had been hiding in a stall waiting for the other girls to finish straightening their hair applying lip gloss after swimming when she'd heard some girls talking about him. Pale and read haired with that icy expression, apparently it took more that a bad personality to put these girls off, as they were intrigued by his cruel, bad boy looks. Rey knew better. That cruel superiority and vicious smirk were just signs that he was more interested in abusing and tormenting that romancing, she'd seen the same look on her mother's boyfriends. All so very similar in looks and attitude she'd be hard pressed to summon an actual face to mind, but the cruelty, the predatory gleam they had shared, that she would never forget. She tried her best to steer clear of him, avoid his eyes, or his insults and she managed well. She was used to disappearing, used to avoiding curious gazes, evidenced by her growing rainy day souvenir fund.

She did well in avoiding him in all but swimming. The first day she had stepped out the changing room, nervously adjusting the straps on the new swimsuit that Jack had picked her up at the supermarket, the first thing she had seen around the pool was Hux. He had looked her up and down with an icy distain, his cruel lips curling back in a smirk, before leaning over to his cronies and whispering something that made them all look over and laugh. Her cheeks flaming red, she had tried to ignore them and gone and sat on the edge of the pool staring into the blue depths to try and calm down. The class itself was fine, though Rey continued to be a terrible swimmer. She hadn't had much chance to practice before and still only knew basics. The rest of the class were much better, though there were some girls who didn't want to get their hair wet, so she didn't feel too bad about her performance.

At the end of class, as she lingered, unwilling to change with all the other girls, she slowly reached the ladder and started to pull herself out. As she found the bottom rung and started up, she saw a pair of feet approaching her, and knew in her belly she had made a mistake, even before looking up and seeing Hux's face.

He smiled down her her, and she froze. He was blocking the top of the stair, bracing his hands on the poles. She looked around and could see that everyone else had headed to the locker rooms, including the teacher.

"What do you want?"

"How dare you join this class and pretend to be one of us. What kind of dirty street diseases are you infecting the pool with just being in there?" he said, his voice silky with malice. She tried not to let that particular barb hurt her, but it did. Sinking into the vulnerable place where her past and present met and all her insecurities writhed.

"Get out my way" she said flatly.

"Or you'll do what?" he pressed, stepping closer as she attempted to climb up the ladder, thinking she could just force him back. Then, faster than she could anticipate, he suddenly stepped forward, bring his foot down on the top of her head, and she was underwater. Unprepared, she swallowed a huge mouthful as she screamed, and she felt it burn up her nose. His foot was a lead weight on her head and she twisted to try and get out from under it, but she was panicking and every move she made he anticipated. Her lungs started to scream for air, and she forced herself to stop struggling and stop making it easy for him. Instead, she stilled, and brought her hands up quickly, grasping his foot, and took hold of his toes. She gripped the smallest one and largest and pulled them in the opposite directions as hard as she could. She pulled with all her strength and felt his foot start to shift on her head, and then she was able to slip out from underneath. She broke the surface, gasping for air, her nose streaming with water and snot, her eyes burning red. She hacked up the swallowed water, spitting it into the pool remorselessly and shot her eyes around the pool, looking for the next attack, but he has gone. Trembling, she held onto the edge of the pool getting her breath back, her lungs still rattling wetly.

Ben Solo watched the clock on his laptop, and softly shut the lid. He could try and pretend it wasn't, but in his heart he knew that the extremely late hour meant that his father wasn't coming home.

Again.

He knew that his mother would be done waiting and would already have gone to bed. Resigned to another night alone.

He wondered if she preferred it.

He put his laptopn on the floor and shifted onto his side to sleep. Shadows moved beyond the blinds, sending their spidery fingers across the white of his wall. It was late, and as always he struggled to sleep. He thought of Eliza and tried to summon some comforting memory or thought of her and their time together, her silken skin, her breathy moans, her complete submission, but it left him cold, as usual.

Sometimes he felt as though he was retreating further and further into a fortress of ice in his heart, and his body was slowly freezing from the inside out. He felt so removed from everything, so distant, nothing seemed to penetrate his isolation anymore. But what excuse did he have for being unhappy? For being lonely?

He thought of Rey then, a tiny ball of fire and energy, a tiny star burning with feeling. Surely, she would have an excuse for isolating herself, withdrawing, for feeling aching emptiness. It made him feel weak and ashamed that he couldn't manage better than a half-starved street urchin. And he did know a little of her past, he had been one of the few to read past the headlines. To read of her background and the situation she had been found in. Yes, he thought maybe Rey was a kindred spirit, though her pain was earned but her difficult life, whereas his was merely the product of being a strange, inconvenient, ungrateful boy, born into a family of power and wealth and left cold by it all.

He brought to mind the words of his tutor, his only true friend, if he were honest with himself, though he was much older. Professor Snoke told him that all men of true power were alone, and his isolation now would only make him greater later. Words to placate a confused adolescent, he was sure, but he took comfort in them anyway. His Professor had never lied to him, unlike most of the people in his life. Finally, he drifted into a restless sleep.