Chapter 14: Rise and Shine
Rey was halfway up the stairs when she remembered that she was meant to check in with Mara before going to bed.
She turned reluctantly back down, going slowly in the hope she wouldn't bump into Kylo Ren again. What had been the odds of him being in the corridor just when she was, after that weird, disturbing... suddenly heated dream?
And where on earth had it come from? She promised herself to never think of sparring with him before going to sleep again.
She never had dreams like that, about anyone. Least of all some douchey rich kid knight wannabe with a huge chip on his shoulder... Ugh.
She found Mara in the kitchen, mercifully with no Kylo Ren.
"Are you off to bed Rey dear? How are you feeling?" Mara smiled at her warmly.
Rey returned the smile somewhat shyly, "Yes. Just going to get some water then I'll go up. I'm feeling fine, just quite tired."
"Well that's understandable, you had quite a day. Sleep well, and if you wake in the night feeling unwell press this," She handed Rey a fob with a button it it. "It will alert me to come up, okay?"
Rey nodded and Mara left with another smile.
She drank some water and took a couple of the painkillers that Joselor had given her, it wasn't bad but since that stupid dream, her head had started to hurt again. Bloody Kylo Ren.
She re-filled her glass to take up with her and turned away from the sink to find Hux leaning casually in the doorway leading to the lobby.
Rey was disappointed to see she hadn't broken his nose. Shame.
She raised her eyebrow, "If you don't move out of my way, my water may accidently fly out of my hand in your direction."
Hux walked towards her menacingly, "If you think you've won, scavenger scum, you are sorely mistaken."
Rey rolled her eyes at him, "You really need to grow up." She went to move around him and he put a hand on her arm, it wasn't forceful but that wasn't the point.
He leaned in close to her, "It's just a matter of time." Was all he said, then he let go and she left to go to bed.
What had that meant? It didn't matter, he had probably said it in the hope she would worry over what it could mean. And she would not give him the satisfaction.
When she got to her room she was surprised to find she was sleepy. Just before she let oblivion take her she had a worrying thought - what if she dreamt of Hux too?
The next morning she was happy to wake up to find she had dreamt of neither Kylo Ren nor Hux.
She had slept till 5.30 which for her was some sort of record and during her shower she realised her head didn't hurt - in fact none of her did.
After she was dressed she went cheerfully downstairs, made herself some tea then went and settled in the reading room till Finn was up.
She had hoped Poe's cat would be there, but he wasn't yet so she settled into the chair she had sat in yesterday and did some reading.
It was only about ten minutes later when Poe came in with his coffee, followed by a chirruping furry shadow that danced around his feet.
"BB8! Stop that or I'll spill my coffee on you!" He was saying as he came through the door. He looked up and noticed Rey who was trying not to laugh at the ridiculous display at his feet.
"Oh Hi Rey. Did you sleep well? Quit it BB8 you idiot, you've already been fed!"
Rey stopped trying and laughed out loud, Poe grinned ruefully.
"Everytime he walks away from his food he forgets it's there and then pesters me. His head is just full of fluff." Poe said as he sat down and BB8 hopped up onto the arm of the chair he'd sat in, purring.
"What does his name mean?" Rey asked curiously.
"Oh that. When I first adopted him he insisted on catching and eating bees. I played around with the words Bee and eat or ate till I came up with Bee Bee Ate." He shrugged, "It's dumb I know but it stuck and he responds to it." He laughed. "So who did you dream of last night?" He asked then laughed again at her expression and casually added "I dreamt about Finn."
"Oh really?" Rey said suddenly interested. "I wouldn't be surprised if he dreamt about you too."
Poe looked delighted, "Do you really think so?"
"I can't be absolutely certain, but I would be very surprised if he did not." She said.
Poe suddenly looked a little awkward. "...Because we did wonder, if you and Finn were together? You two seem really close and the way he's started calling you Peanut… Ismasta was particularly wondering actually."
Rey choked on her tea. "Me and Finn? Oh no, no. He's like… well he's my best friend… Who's Ismasta?"
Poe looked pleased, then amused. "Oh he won't be happy to know he made such a small impression on you. You sat next to him during the movie last night."
"Oh." Was all Rey could think of to say, unsure what to make of it. She felt her stupid cheeks heat a little.
They lapsed into comfortable silence punctuated only by BB8's purring.
When it came time to meet Finn, Poe came too giving Finn a dazzling smile that made Finn look nervous, which made Rey smirk in amusement.
Just as they were about to leave, Mara caught Rey by the arm, "Rey dear, I've just had a note from Master Luke. Your afternoon lesson of fencing has been changed to mixed martial arts and will be in the smaller studio at the gym, you will need to take your P.E. clothes not your whites. Did you sleep okay? You look well rested."
Rey blinked, wondering what the lesson change meant but answered Mara, "I slept really well, thank you Mara."
Mara beamed then went off and Rey joined Poe and Finn for breakfast.
As they walked to the refectory Jessika caught up with them and linked an arm through Rey's.
"So, Rey. I think we need to take you shopping this weekend." She said as they walked.
Rey stared at her blankly, still processing the fact that Jess was touching her so casually. "Pardon?"
"Jess is right, we totally need to take you shopping." Poe agreed. "What's your allowance?"
"My what?" Rey said weakly.
"Your allowance, the money you have to spend on stuff while you're here, like clothes and snacks and downloads."
Dimly Rey remembered being informed of such a thing when she had been enrolled but she hadn't understood what it meant till now.
"I don't know." She said slowly. "Why do I need to go shopping?"
Jess snorted in disbelief and looked at Poe who rolled his eyes in mock horror, then patted her hand, "Just trust us, you do."
Now it was Finn's turn to smirk. Rey shot him a glare, but he just grinned at her. "So who did you dream of last night?" He asked, as if expecting an answer.
Rey punched him on the arm and he squawked like a bird and then just starting saying names.
Rey walked quickly ahead, Jess trotting beside her, giggling.
At breakfast Rey and Finn seemed to be naturally absorbed into Poe's group of friends. Part of Rey felt that it had been almost too easy, like it would turn out to be some sort of trick. And yet, their friendliness seemed genuine. It made her uncomfortable.
Which, she admitted to herself, was ridiculous; but she couldn't just turn off her natural instinct to mistrust people's intentions.
Hux and his group of lackeys took the next table over from them, Hux seating himself directly in her eye line.
If he had hoped it would intimidate her, he was going to be disappointed. She gave him a small amused smile then ignored him and carried right on enjoying her breakfast.
The mornings lessons went quickly, Rey was getting the hang of using the tablet, and she and Finn worked well together, usually if one of them didn't understand something the other was able to help them.
Their last lesson before lunch was a new one, Personal and Social Development.
Rey wasn't sure what that would entail and when she asked Finn he shrugged and said, "Loads of random stuff like morals, religion, careers, community, drugs and just anything else they shoehorn in there."
Rey frowned. None of the schools she had attended over the years had included any of that sort of thing. How odd.
The classroom they entered had lots of posters on the walls, some of which mentioned things that made Rey blush and look quickly away. Finn had not mentioned some of the subjects that would be covered here, on purpose she was sure.
The teacher behind the desk was short but had a commanding presence and kind face. She looked up as Rey and Finn entered and smiled, making her seem much younger than her greying hair suggested.
"You must be Rey? I'm Mrs. Organa but while you're in lessons please call me Leia." Rey nodded and sat down with Finn, in the middle by the windowless wall which was now their habitual spot.
When everyone had settled Leia said, "Today we are going to start on the subject of families; how they work and how their dynamic has changed over the past few generations…"
Finn and Rey exchanged an uncomfortable look, this was not going to be fun for either of them.
They both left that class somewhat miserable and embarrassed.
"It's not all like that," Finn said eventually as they walked slowly to the refectory. "It'll just be a few lessons, hopefully then we'll change onto another topic."
Rey groaned at the idea of more lessons when she had to explain that no, she didn't know why her parents had abandoned her and no Unkar Plutt had not been a good father figure… Ugh.
The idea of sitting with chatty happy people for lunch made her want to hit something and she said as much to Finn.
"Oh, okay, well we don't have to." Finn answered, clearly disappointed.
Rey almost smiled at that, "No, no I didn't mean both of us, you should get lunch with Poe. I'm just grumpy, and will be better off on my own."
Finn frowned, "But what about Hux? I don't want to leave you on your own again."
"Oh I'll be fine," Rey replied airily. Finn frowned even more at that and Rey sighed. "Honestly, I will be fine. Anyway, you should hang out with Poe… you know he likes you right?"
Finn was instantly diverted by that, "Really? I mean, what do you mean by like? Like a friend like, or more like an I like you sort of like?"
Rey gave him an encouraging grin, "You should work that one out for yourself."
Finn showed his dimples."Okay, but I insist you get some food to take away with you, no more skipping meals - you're too skinny as it is."
"I am not too skinny to kick your arse you know." Rey said, but followed him to get some lunch anyway.
She went back to the bench that was hidden by bushes and contentedly ate her lunch by herself.
She was used to being on her own, and whilst having friends was nice and Finn was wonderful sometimes she just needed to be on her own. Especially when she felt grumpy. In her experience, grumpiness should be experienced on your own, or with someone you wanted to (and could) punch.
Before lunch time was over she made her way back to the dorm to pick up her P.E. kit. She frowned as she looked at the sports bra, vest top and leggings. The trainers were fine but the rest was not the sort of clothing she would have chosen; everything looked like it would be… tight.
And once she had changed into it in the changing room, her fears were confirmed. The leggings were made of a slinky material that covered everything but left nothing to the imagination; at least they didn't restrict her movement. The material of the top was thankfully not of the same material but was still tight, with a scooped neck and back and no sleeves.
It would show her scars. Rey wasn't a vain person but she didn't like people seeing her scars, there was something deeply personal about them, they all had stories, they all meant something and reminded her of an event or a person.
If no one else could see them, no one else could ask about them.
Rey had always gone for an androgynous look, to begin with it had been because that was what she had been given or could scavenge, later it was because looking like a boy had been safer, less trouble and now it was because that was what she was comfortable with.
At least whomever had bought her school uniform and P.E. kit had not also taken in upon themself to get her new casual clothes. That would have been disastrous.
She sighed to herself, squared her shoulders and made her way up to the small studio Mara had told her to head for.
A/N: My brothers cat likes to catch bees (she is an idiot) and he has to pull the stingers out of her lips, my friends dog (also an idiot) likes to catch wasps, eats them then pukes them up.