The house was buzzing with excited energy. Rey took a seat off to the side of the kitchen, watching the others uncork multiple bottles of wine and gather up snacks. The whole "don't kiss and tell" rule wasn't in effect in this house. She wasn't in the mood to join in their antics.

Rey was still processing. She hadn't dated before so having fifteen in a single day was staggering. She opened her notebook and flipped through the pages. Rey had picked it up on her second date with the intent of adding bullet points for each candidate to help her make her decision over the next few days. Each page she scanned was blank.

After Ben, she'd made her way down the corridor, one pod at a time, meeting each of the remaining eligible men. Some of the conversations had been pleasant; others not so much. Regardless, not a single one made her feel the way her first date had.

"What a day!" a girl collapsed onto the couch beside Rey. "I still can't believe I'm here. Can you?"

"Not really," Rey admitted.

Jyn Erso was a few years older than Rey with a well-established interior design business based out of Jedha. Jyn was assigned the same bedroom as Rey, which intimidated her at first. Jyn had her life figured out, was financially-stable, and had a rebellious flair that Rey envied. She was everything Rey wanted to be.

They'd hit it off, which surprised Rey whose only friends were Finn and Poe. Jyn told Rey to own her story. She believed Rey was more powerful than she realized.

"You're a survivor," she told Rey before they went into the pods. "And no matter what happens here, you'll get through it. Remember that this is your journey. You choose how it will end."

As they sat together in the living room, Jyn tied her shoulder-length brown hair into a bun at the nape of her neck. "What did you think of today?"

Rey held out her blank notebook.

Jyn's face fell. "Not a single one?" she asked, concerned.

"I liked the first guy I met," Rey told her. "Ben."

"Ben?" Jyn repeated, eyes widening in surprise. "You're kidding."

"You didn't like him?"

"Well...," Jyn trailed off with a scoff and shook her head. "He was awkward."

"I think he was just nervous. All of us are, right? It's a lot to wrap your head around."

"Not me. I know what I want. I'm here to find a husband, get married, white-picket-fence, and all that jazz," Jyn stated candidly.

Rey laughed. "White-picket-fence? You?"

"Figure of speech," Jyn returned. "But okay, so you liked Ben. Care to share why?"

With a shrug, Rey closed her notebook. "I felt comfortable with him. He was easy to talk to."

"Really?" Jyn seemed skeptical.

Rey's brow creased. "You didn't think he was nice?"

"Nope," Jyn answered. "I thought he was weird. He kept asking me what I thought about Kylo Ren. At first, I assumed he was a big fan but it got a little creepy when he asked if I knew the man had an eight-pack."

Laughter bubbled up from Rey's stomach. "You're kidding."

"No," Jyn said, shaking her head. She held up a hand. "Scout's honor, he asked me that."

Rey couldn't stop laughing. She didn't think Jyn was lying but she couldn't imagine Ben asking about something so bizarre. Jyn went on but none of her accounts aligned with the experience Rey had had with Ben. She decided that Jyn must have mistaken his appreciation for the author.

No one had seen Kylo Ren in years. The popular mystery novelist hadn't published a new work since Cloud City Publishing was acquired by Empire, Inc. Rey didn't know much about the author but she did know his books. Each was masterfully written with complex characters who worked on multiple layers. They had been friends when she had none and the worlds he had created served as an escape.

Considering what Ben has shared with her, Rey suspected he felt the same.

"What about you?" Rey inquired. "Did you meet anyone you felt a connection to?"

Jyn's cheeks reddened. "A couple of guys but one stands out in my mind."

"Which one?" Rey asked, leaning in.

"Cassian," Jyn confessed. "There's something about his voice. The moment he said 'hello'...I don't know," Jyn paused to laugh nervously, "I felt it." She held out her arm. Rey saw it was covered with goosebumps.

"Jyn, that's great! Are you going to see him again tomorrow?"

"Yeah, I've already written out my request," she replied, reminding Rey that she needed to get her submission ready too.

An ear-piercing shriek interrupted their conversation. Both Rey and Jyn turned to peer over the couch into the kitchen.

Bazine Netal was cackling over a fresh glass of Pinot Noir. Rey had not clicked with the severe-looking woman. Unlike Jyn, Bazine came hadn't worked for anything she had. She was what Jyn referred to as a 'trust-fund baby'. Rey gave Bazine a wide berth, not wanting to get in the way of her or her acrylic nails. They were as fake as the rest of her.

"Most of these guys are marriage material but some of them...," Bazine trailed off, rolling her eyes as she took a long sip of wine.

"I liked Cassian," one woman, Rey thought her name started with a 'K', remarked. She felt Jyn stiffen next to her.

"Don't get any ideas, Blondie," Bazine snarled. "He's mine."

"Baz, it's only the first day," another girl cautioned, placing a reassuring hand on Bazine's arm.

"We only have six weeks until we get married," Bazine snapped, yanking her arm free.

"If you get married," Jyn spoke up.

Fourteen pairs of eyes stared at her, though none as menacing as the glare Bazine threw her way. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me," Jyn said, shifting in her seat so she could meet Bazine's stare. "There's no guarantee that whoever you pick will go through with it once he sees the real you."

"I guarantee that you won't be walking out of here with anyone," Bazine sneered. "Who would want a flat-chested, no-name like you?"

"Lucky for me they can't see me, then, isn't it?" Jyn said with a smirk. "Unfortunately for you, they will be able to hear what a bitch you are. No screen can hide that."

"Why, you little—."

"Hello, ladies!" Bazine was cut off by Leia Organa sweeping into the room. "I hope you all had a wonderful first day."

A chorus of 'yes's' rang out.

"Good. I'm here to collect your requests while Luke does the same for the gentlemen. Since it is still early in the experiment, we ask that you honor any requests you receive tomorrow, even if you didn't request that person in return. First impressions aren't always accurate. After tomorrow, we will only honor mutual requests," Leia explained.

She held out a small box and each woman approached her with slips of paper. Rey and Jyn left their spots on the couch to deposit their selections. Bazine made sure to elbow Jyn as she passed them. To her credit, Jyn didn't slug the other woman, though Rey suspected she wanted to.

"Rey, isn't it?" Leia asked when she dropped a single slip of paper into the box.

"Yes, ma'am."

"Please, call me Leia. I see you're only interested in one participant. Are you sure you don't want to keep your options open? You won't be able to meet anyone if you aren't willing to open up."

"I have opened up," Rey insisted.

"To one person," Leia pointed out. "When we interviewed you for this experiment, you told us you struggle with intimacy due to your past. The pods are an excellent way to get over that but you have to be open to trying."

"I appreciate what you're saying but I know what I'm comfortable with and Ben is—."

Leia's expression changed immediately. "Ben?"

"Yes, the person I'm requesting another date with," Rey clarified. "He's the only one who made me feel safe. Talking with him...it was comfortable. He understands."

"Oh...isn't that...," Leia struggled to complete her thought. "Well, good." She cleared her throat, blinking. Rey noticed her eyes had gone misty. "I'm glad you feel that way. And, of course, I wouldn't ask you to put yourself in a position you weren't comfortable with."

"Thank you."

"Have a goodnight, Rey. You'll keep me updated on how things go?" Leia asked hopefully. "For the experiment," she added quickly.

"Of course," Rey agreed. "I know you're looking forward to how the results will impact your research."

"Yes, exactly," Leia said, beaming. Her eyes were watery again. "Please excuse me. I need to review the requests with my brother so we can prepare the schedule for tomorrow."

With that, she left the girls' house.

Rey went to her room, needing a break from the drama of the kitchen. As she laid on her bed, she wondered what Ben was doing and if perhaps he was thinking of her too.

Ben paced the pod nervously. Even after his uncle's speech last night on first impressions, he'd only been interested in one girl. His heart had jumped into his throat when he got up for breakfast to find she'd also requested him.

Knowing he wasn't alone in this— whatever this was —gave him the push he needed to continue with the experiment. Ben was still skeptical but it was hard to discount the method. His family was correct. Removing the outside elements made it easier to focus on similar experiences, shared values, and understanding who the other person was. He only hoped he didn't screw it up.

After Rey, Ben hadn't been able to stop shaking. He hadn't meant to start babbling about his job or how much he loathed working for Snoke. Those were thoughts he kept hidden behind his mask. Ben would sooner return to high school than admit his mistake to his parents. They'd never understood his need to strike out on his own.

After his failed writing career, they'd tried convincing him to join the family business. Ben didn't want to be a scientist. He had no interest in studying people. He'd been subjected to their cruelty for years. All he wanted was to be left alone to write but that was no longer an option.

Ben hadn't forgiven his parents for not stepping in to prevent his uncle's publishing house from being acquired. They'd fought about it for weeks. In the end, Ben stormed out. He hadn't been home since.

The first time he'd spoken to his mother in almost seven years had been last week she told him she needed a favor. One of the participants had dropped out last minute and she needed him in Takodana or their experiment would be canceled.

He still wasn't sure why he agreed. Ben told Cassian it was family obligation but the truth was he missed his mother. Seeing her yesterday, made him regret not visiting sooner. He promised to be at Thanksgiving this year. She told him that she would add two place settings— one for him and the other for his new wife. Ben saw it as a joke but he was starting to hope she was right.

Just then, he heard a door open on the other side.

"Rey?"

"Ben?"

The relief in his voice was instantaneous and he felt his face heat up. "Hi."

"How are you?" Rey asked through the wall.

"Okay. How are you? Did you have a good first night?"

He heard rustling and he tried to picture what she looked like, curled up on a couch similar to his own, staring at the LED panel separating them. "It was interesting, " she told him.

"Interesting how?"

"Some of the other women here are hard for me to relate to. The things they value and the things they are worried about aren't on my radar," Rey explained. "They are catty. One is already trying to put my roommate down and some of the others are trying to stake their claim on certain guys. It hasn't even been twenty-four hours yet!"

Rey sounded upset. Ben pursed his lips. He knew she couldn't be referring to him. The only date request he'd received was from her. His stomach twisted unpleasantly. He wondered how many requests she'd gotten this morning. Distractedly, he rose from the couch to make himself a whiskey neat. Ben was already imagining how Snap would mock him if he was excused from the experiment early because none of the girls wanted to date him.

"It's so juvenile," Rey continued with a sigh. "I feel like I'm back in high school. If I had known this was how it would be, I don't think I would have signed up. It brings up a lot of bad memories."

Ben froze, the glass tumbler in his hand poised on his lower lip. He set the drink down and turned to face the wall. "You didn't like high school?"

"I liked the school part," Rey said. He heard fabric rustling again. "I didn't enjoy the social aspect. Being a new student is never easy. Add to that the fact that my voice was different and I only owned hand-me-downs. It didn't take long for people to land on an opinion. And it wasn't a flattering one."

"Mine wasn't either," Ben confessed, sitting cross-legged on the floor in front of the screen. He forgot about his whiskey as he stared at the changing colors in front of him. "When you're six-foot-two and weigh one-hundred and eighty pounds, you tend to be awkward. People land on nicknames pretty quick."

"Worse than sand rat?"

Ben's hands balled into fists at his sides. "Someone called you that?"

Her voice was detached as she spoke. "I guess it's better than the alternatives, which were backwater trash and garbage girl."

"Assholes," Ben spat.

"What did they call you?"

"Gonzo, Big Bird,….Dumbo," he added, thinking of Snap.

"Wankers," Rey cursed. "You know what I think?"

"What?"

"I think they were jealous of you," she told him, her voice growing stronger. "You towered over them and that probably made them feel inferior so they tried to level the playing field by bringing you down."

"I never thought of it that way," he admitted.

"Doesn't mean it was okay for them to do it," Rey insisted. "They are still a bunch of prats that deserve a swift kick in the behind."

Ben laughed. There was conviction in her voice. He did not doubt that if he gave her the names and addresses of his former tormentors, Rey would track them down and deliver. What didn't make sense was how quickly she rose to defend him when she hadn't protected herself.

"Did you confront your bullies?" he asked.

"No, I was too afraid of my foster father. When he wasn't happy with me, I didn't get—." She abruptly cut herself off.

Ben felt his chest tighten. He was clenching his hands so tight that he could feel his nails digging into his palms. He had a sickening feeling that he already knew the answer but it didn't stop him from asking, "Didn't get what, Rey?"

Her answer was so soft he almost didn't catch it. "Fed."

A surge of rage shot through him. Ben turned to throw a punch into the sofa. It rocked on its feet, loud enough to alert Rey.

"What was that?"

"I stubbed my toe on the couch," Ben lied.

"Are you okay?" was her immediate response. "Should I see if one of the assistants has any ice?"

His face burned. Ben could almost hear his father chuckling in his memory, Women always figure out the truth. Always.

"Uh, no, don't worry about it. I'll be fine," he assured her.

"Really? It sounded bad."

Ben winced. He had to get his temper under control. "I'm good. Promise."

"Okay, if you're sure," Rey replied tentatively.

"I am," Ben confirmed. "I'm more worried about you."

"Me?" She sounded surprised.

"Yeah, those women in your house sound terrible. I feel like I should sneak over there and steal you out the window," Ben told her.

Rey started to laugh and he relaxed. She sounded carefree again. "You're really going for the romantic vibe, huh?"

"That depends...is it working?"

"Absolutely."

Ben's cheeks hurt from his hard he was grinning. "Good."

They lapsed into silence for a moment while Ben considered how angry his mother would be if he followed through on his plan.

"Hey, Ben, can I ask you something?"

"Anything."

"Do you think— hypothetically speaking —could you see us walking out of here together? Would you...want that?"

More than anything, he thought.

"Hypothetically speaking?" he asked instead.

"Right," Rey answered hastily. "Completely hypothetical. I mean, we just met and that's kind of the point of this whole experiment, but it only works if both people are—."

"Rey?"

"Yeah?"

"Yes. There aren't any hypotheticals for me."

"Me either."

They swapped stories about growing up. Rey told him about how she'd taught herself how to fix things, working her way up from radios and toasters to dirt bikes and eventually cars. Ben spoke about flying with his dad, one of his favorite childhood memories. Rey let him know how excited she was to leave Jakku. It was the first time she'd left the city since she arrived in the States.

When Ben shared that he had a chocolate lab named Chewie at home, Rey squealed. She asked for pictures, only for him to remind her that they didn't have access to their phones. "When we walk out of here together, you'll get a chance to meet him," Ben promised.

Before she could reply, there was a knock on her door. He heard a muffled voice telling her that she was late for her next date.

"Ben, I'm sorry. I have to go. See you tomorrow?"

"Sure, Sunshine," he told her, even if his chest felt like it was cracking open.

"Sunshine," she repeated. "I like it."

I like you, he thought as he heard her walk out.