A/N: I do not own Star Wars, the original idea of these characters and the universe they live in. Again, it's just another thought in my mind.
This one-shot is loosely inspired by some events from the movie "Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist"
Rock music. The greatest of genres. The 70's had Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd. The 80's gave us Guns n' Roses and AC/DC. Who couldn't forget the 90's when the world was gifted with Nirvana. These days, the greatest rock band to grace this planet was Rebel Scum.
An indie garage band that formed from the small town of Yavin, overnight they became a household name. What made their sound so unique was the unfiltered lyrics and contrasting sound of a soulful violin against a grungy electric riff that so many people could feel in their souls. The voice of the forgotten generation, their lead singer Poe Dameron would always say. And after 10 years, 6 platinum albums and 4 world tours, the band was set to perform a special one-night show in the city of Takodana.
It had been the longest day of the year in Rey's mind. A Friday afternoon in May, the torture of the clock ticking mockingly in her history class was the only thing keeping her from starting her weekend - her much needed break from school and other obligations. Alas, the second hand reached the hour and the bell rang, dismissing the students of Corellia High School to their temporary freedom.
Rey skipped to her locker with her Walkman in one hand and textbook in the other, bobbing her head from the glorious music coming from her bright red headphones. She set her book inside her storage and grabbed her knapsack, excited to go home and forget her responsibilities for the rest of the day.
When her locker shut, she was met with her best friend Rose, standing beside her with a goofy grin plastered on her face.
"EEEEP!" the petite woman squealed.
"Wow, okay. Your scream is louder than my music," Rey giggled.
"Girl, you are not going to believe what Finn just told me!"
"What's up?" she asked curiously.
Before she could answer, said friend appeared at Rey's locker.
"Guys, oh my god this is so exciting!" he hollered.
Rose let out another yelp, the two jumping in excitement.
Rey laughed at her giddy friends.
"Can someone tell me why we're celebrating?" she chuckled.
Finn and Rose stopped their jumping, looked at one another and then at Rey. At the same time, they hollered,
"REBEL SCUM IS COMING TO TAKODANA!"
"Wait- are you serious?!" this time Rey joined in on the giddiness.
"Yup, they just tweeted that they're in town and going to do a midnight show. Tonight!" Rose shared.
"That's so random," Rey was amused.
"Rey, don't you forget, they got their first big break here in Takodana," Finn explained. "They may be from Yavin, but they were discovered in a coffee shop downtown."
"I know that," Rey said. "It's just so very random still."
"Oh, who cares if it's random, they're playing here, and we HAVE to go to that show!" Rose exclaimed.
Their celebrations were interrupted by another classmate walking by.
"Hey losers, I'm assuming you guys heard of the secret show tonight?"
Baz Netal. The resident 'It' girl. She used to be friends with the trio until one day in seventh grade she was welcomed into the popular crowd and left her friends in the dust. There was no bad blood between them, though Baz always tried to one-up anyone with news in her life. When Rose got her driver's license, Baz shared that her father bought her a sports car – despite that she didn't have her license yet. When Rey took a day trip with her father to Cloud City, Baz announced the year long backpacking trip she was planning on taking before starting college. And when Finn introduced his friends – and essentially the whole school – to Rebel Scum when he DJ'd a school dance, Baz had her father snag her tickets to a sold out concert of theirs in Canto Bight.
"Secret show? It's for everyone," Rose said.
"Nope. They're going to have the show here, but you've got to go to two other venues and listen to their opening acts to obtain tickets," she said matter-of-factly. "It's so stupid they're trying to support small acts," she rolled her eyes. "But if you want to see them at midnight you have to go to the other venues."
Normally, that wasn't a problem. Takodana wasn't too large of a town. From end to end, the city limits would be a forty five minute drive at most. However, none of them had a proper mode of transportation at the moment. Rey shared a car with her father, an ER nurse that worked the night shift, Rose's car was in the shop, and Finn drove a motorcycle. Baz of course knew this and simply wanted to ruin their excitement.
"Well, hopefully I see you guys tonight," she spoke. "Or not. I really don't care," she said menacingly.
"Well isn't she just a kill joy," Finn scoffed.
Rey slumped against her closed locker. She really hoped to have a break tonight.
Rey didn't have it easy growing up. With a single father and living in a small ghost town of Jakku, her life had been a struggle. Fortunately, she had been given an opportunity to attend a private school on scholarship in 6th grade in the city of Takodana. Her father moved them immediately to the new city and took on the first nursing job he could – a graveyard shift in the next town over. Rey was nothing like her classmates. She was the scholarship kid. So were Finn and Rose, but they were partial scholarship recipients. The poor girl from a city no one cared to remember needed full support to attend such a scholarly institution. She worked tirelessly to keep up with her grades because she knew the only way to a better life was through hard work. Even though her father was a nurse, his paycheck barely made ends meet for them as Takodana wasn't a cheap place to live. For months, Rey had been working tirelessly on her college applications, hoping to get accepted with a full scholarship to the school of her choice. Not much usually made her happy, but when Finn introduced her to Rebel Scum, she wouldn't have made it through those rough days without the encouraging lyrics that their lead singer Poe Dameron sang in her ears. They were, in her opinion, the best band since the Rolling Stones.
"Screw Baz," Rose announced. "We'll find a way to that concert tonight, Rey. Promise."
Finn nodded at Rose in agreement and nudged his other friend on the shoulder.
"Come on, Rey. What do you say? One last adventure before we all go off to college?"
She looked at her two best friends. The ones who had taken care of her since she moved to the new city. How could she possibly say no to them?
"Let's go find Rebel Scum!"
~.~.~.~
"Man, this band is lame," a redhead guy scoffed.
"Are you just saying that because that bassist turned you down? I saw you try to hit on her earlier," his friend smirked.
"Shut up, Ben," the redhead hissed.
Ben Solo, the golden boy of Coruscant High School. He wasn't a jock, nor was he a straight-A student. He was the son of wealthy business mavens Han and Leia Solo. Ben had his future planned out for him before he was even born. He would go to a prestigious school and take over his family's business in Naboo. For a shy, introverted kid like him, Ben didn't immediately agree to this path that was forged for him. He instead tried to veer off on his own to outcast himself from the spotlight, only to be dragged back by his father and continue their plans for his future. Which was why he found solace in music. Rebel Scum to be exact. He even started a small garage band with his friends called the Knights of Ren for a short while. He hated his pre-set life, but at the end of the day, accepted his fate.
Ben and his friends were lounging at the bar of a rundown venue where he and his band used to play. This, according to Rebel Scum's tweet, was the first venue and first opening act everyone must attend in order to be awarded with the first half of the midnight show ticket. Hux wasn't wrong; the band wasn't the best, but Ben admired the way Rebel Scum wanted their fans to support other bands. This venue wasn't exactly following codes; the bar was open for literally anyone - no ID's necessary. While Ben would have loved to indulge in a couple of beers, someone in his group needed to be the responsible one, and he was the designated driver for the night, should the duty call for him.
He had been sitting at the far end of the bar with his drunk friend Hux when he spotted someone on the other end of the counter. Curiosity filled his mind as he couldn't stop staring at her.
"Rey," Rose whispered in her friend's ear.
"Hmm?"
"Don't turn too obviously, but there's some guy staring at you from across the bar."
"What?" Rey shot her head around, ignoring the first part of what Rose had said.
Sure enough a guy was watching her intently. Normally she would be creeped out by it, but for some reason, now she was lost in his trance.
"Who is that guy?" Rey asked her friend.
"I don't know, but he's a hottie," Rose giggled. Two drinks in and her friend was already giddy.
"Hey ladies," Finn appeared. "What's happening?"
"There's a cute guy over there checking Rey out," Rose teased.
"Oh hush!" Rey swatted her friend's shoulder. "He is not!"
"Uhuh, and you weren't just checking him out too?" she wiggled her eyebrows at her. "I think someone's got a cruuush!"
"Oh, I know that guy," Finn revealed. "He's one of those rich kids that goes to Coruscant."
"Rich and hot? Girl you better snag him before I do," Rose giggled.
"Go for it Rose, because I'm not interested," Rey tried to be coy.
"I'm going to grab a beer, anyone want anything?" Finn announced.
"Yeah, I'll go with you. If Rey's going to be in denial all night, I'm going to need more alcohol in my system," Rose joked.
Rey swatted both her friends and reminded them to drink responsibly. She shook her head and chuckled before turning back to the counter and taking a sip of her water.
"Why hello beautiful," a man appeared beside her.
Ugh, she hated when guys did this. Trying to act suave, but really came off as creeps.
"Hello," she said curtly.
"Name's Armitage Hux," he said at her.
"Your friends call you Armitage?" she quizzically asked. The sooner she made small talk, the sooner she could shoo him away.
"They call me Hux, but you can call me whatever you want, sweetheart," he winked.
"I'm not interested," she flatly said. This guy was pathetic.
"Why not?" He begged playfully.
"I'm just not," she dismissed.
Too much alcohol was already in his system. And too many girls had already turned him down.
"Ugh, what is it with girls in this town?! Is everyone a prude?!" he growled.
"Excuse me?" Rey was offended.
Before the guys spat more words, a strong arm grabbed his shoulder.
"Don't be an ass, Hux."
It was the guy who had been staring at her from across the bar.
"Augh," Hux groaned at his friend. "I just want to get laid."
"Well then go find someone else because she's not interested," he commanded.
Hux huffed before sulking his head, grabbing his beer from the counter and walked off to try his luck elsewhere.
"Sorry about him, he's kind of an idiot," the stranger leaned against the counter next to Rey.
She glanced at him. Yes, he was attractive, but she was still shaken up by what just happened. If this guy knew that creep, was he one too?
"Well if you're friends with the idiot, what does that make you?" she scoffed.
"Oh, I'm an idiot too," he explained, then he looked at her. "For being friends with a dumb ass," he tried to joke.
A smile formed on her lips. She chuckled at his remark.
"I'm sorry. I just got startled by your friend."
"No worries," he waved his hand off.
They sat there in silence, letting the noise of chattering, music and hoots fill the gap.
"You a fan of Rebel Scum?" he tried to make small talk.
"Huge. You?" she asked in return.
"They're the best band since the Rolling Stones," he claimed.
She shot her eyes up at him in surprise.
"What?" he awkwardly smiled.
"Nothing," she softly smiled. "It's just… I said that once too."
They held their expressions for a second, wondering if they should explore it some more.
"Well, I'll leave you to your night. Hopefully my friend and I didn't ruin it too much."
"Thanks," she nodded curtly.
She turned back to her water that was resting on the counter as he stepped the other direction, planning to find Hux. That was until he spotted another familiar face in the crowd. Someone he did not want to see. She was smirking at him, with that mischievous sneer. His ex. She dumped him for a college guy, stating he wasn't mature enough for her or something. And now here she was in the same venue, probably going to rub it in his face that she's moved on and happy while he was still alone and miserable. She decided to stop dancing with others in the crowd and headed towards his direction. Not wanting to let his ex ruin his night - as always - he decided to do something impulsive.
"Hey," he turned back to the girl he was talking to.
She looked up at him. "Huh?" He probably interrupted her thoughts.
"I'm going to do something, just… ahh," he said quickly. He didn't have time to explain. She was only a couple steps away. In an instant, he crashed his lips on the girl sitting at the bar. Normally, Rey would push away, but 'normal' was thrown out the window that night already for her, and after initial shock, she accepted his kiss, and even brought a hand up to his cheek.
A few seconds later, they broke the kiss, probably because they needed to catch their breaths from the intensity of it all. She was taken aback, didn't know what to think of what just happened. She looked at him, an apologetic yet desperate look in his eyes. Then, she realized what just happened. The intimate moment they shared. And she smiled. He was caught off guard. He would've never thought the girl whose personal space he invaded would react with a such sentiment. But her smile was infectious, and it made him smile back.
"Ben!"
They broke from their gazes to turn to the woman tapping her feet, arms crossed in front of them.
"Baz," he spoke.
"Rey?" she turned to her.
"Hi?" Rey was confused.
"Um, what's going on here?" Baz questioned annoyingly. "How do you two know each other?!"
"Uh…" Ben gulped.
Without thinking, Rey spoke up.
"We're on a date."
Ben glanced at Rey briefly, thankful for saving him, then to Baz and nodded. "Yup. We're on a date. Right now."
"I didn't even know you two knew each other," Baz said.
"We met at the record store," Ben thought on his feet. He looked at Rey for some help.
"We were listening to Rebel Scum's new album," she added.
"And I asked her to come to the show with me tonight," he finished. They exchanged quick grins.
"Rey, how come you never mentioned you were going on a date with my ex-boyfriend," Baz spat.
It all made sense now, Rey thought.
"Why does it matter to you?" Ben sounded defensive.
"It doesn't," Baz huffed. "See if I care that Rey get's my sloppy seconds," she greedily chuckled.
This angered Rey. Baz always wanted to have the upper hand. Just once, she wanted Baz to be rendered speechless.
So, she impulsively grabbed Ben's arm and tugged him down, crashing her lips on his like he had done moments ago. He was shocked at first, but even he couldn't deny he wanted to do this again, so he grabbed her waist and held her as they deepened the kiss for just a few seconds. Again, they needed to catch their breaths.
Rey fluttered her eyes at Ben, hoping he wasn't too upset at what she did. She needn't worry because he wore a goofy expression and glassy eyes when they broke apart.
She then turned to Baz.
"Maybe he just didn't find you interesting enough," she said proudly.
Baz's jaw practically dropped to the floor. With nothing else to say, she stiffly walked away.
When she left, Rey turned to Ben, who was still holding her at her sides, her arm also around his neck. Slowly, they let go of their connection.
"I'm sorry about that," she sheepishly chuckled.
"What, no!" he exclaimed. Then he cleared his throat. "No, no," he said a bit calmer. "I should be sorry. I did it first."
As awkward as it was, they couldn't help but smile at one another.
Their moment was interrupted when Ben's phone beeped. Hux had texted him that they were going to leave soon.
"I should get going," he said to her. "Thanks again."
"Yeah. No worries," she softly grinned.
"I'm Ben by the way," he held out his hand.
"Rey," she shook it.
When Ben disappeared into the crowd, Rey didn't have time to gather her thoughts because a heavy arm swung her seat around.
"Girl, what was that?!"
Rose and Finn had returned.
"What was what?"
Finn chuckled at Rey's feigning innocence. "Rey we saw what happened."
"Yeah, we saw you and that cutie from the bar making out! And don't you deny it!" Rose squealed. "Spill!"
"Nothing happened you guys. We just kissed," she tried to play it cool.
"BULL SHIT!" Her two friends hollered.
"Augh," she said. "Baz came up to us, turned out to be his ex. You know how much of a witch she is, so we kissed just to get her to stop bothering us."
"He went out with Baz?! How the hell is he still alive? She's a monster," Finn joked.
"I don't know, we didn't talk much," Rey said.
"Yeah because you two were swatting spit the whole time," Rose chortled.
Suddenly, a loud siren blared. Everyone began to panic.
"Cops are here! Better run before you get caught for under-age drinking," a random person tugged at Finn's shirt.
"Oh crap, let's go!" he said to his friends.
The room erupted into chaos. Everyone was desperately rushing to the nearest exit. With the pushing and shoving, Rey lost Rose and Finn in the crowd, deciding to first make her way out of the building before meeting up with them again.
She found herself shoved outside the back entrance of the venue with a group of other people, everyone stopping to catch their breaths. More people ran out of the exit and passed her by as she tried to calm her adrenaline.
"Rey?" someone called as they scurried out the building.
"Ben," she saw him standing in front of her.
Before they could speak some more, sirens grew louder and everyone in that alleyway fled.
Ben and Rey ran with the small crowd the opposite direction of the sounds to end up dispersing in a crowded street. They stopped in front of a building, catching their breaths.
"What a night, huh?" he said, huffing between words.
"Wild," she acknowledged. "I don't even know where my friends are."
"Yeah I lost my friends too. Damn cops," he chuckled.
Rey's phone rang.
"Finn, what happened?"
"We got pushed to the front. Cop cars were right in front of us so we just ran as far away as we could. Are you alright?"
"Yeah, I'm good. I got pushed to the back alley, a bunch of us ran off too. Where are you guys now?"
"Well Rose and I just followed a crowd. They let us hitch a ride to the next venue. I can ask them to pick you up. Where are you?"
"No, it's fine. You don't know them; they're already being nice and giving you a ride. I'll catch up with you I promise."
"Alright, be careful Rey. The next set is at 10 PM. At the Cantina on the east end."
"I'll see you there."
*Click*
"My friends hitched a ride with strangers," she shared.
Ben finished typing a message on his phone before speaking.
"Hux and Phasma took a cab with other people also. Everyone got shaken up."
"How far is the Cantina from here?"
"Is that the next venue?"
"Yeah, but not until 10."
"It's a couple miles that way," he pointed towards the general direction. Then he glanced at his watch. "That's not for like another two hours though."
"Plenty of time to walk there," she said.
"Yeah," he agreed. They were about to begin their trek when he spoke up again. "You want to grab a bite first? All this adrenaline made me hungry."
"Yeah, I could eat," she smiled.
~.~.~.~
"So, Rey. Are you originally from Takodana?"
Ben and Rey stopped at a pizza parlor for some dinner and conversation.
"Jakku actually. A very small town. I'm… here on a scholarship," she shared. Rey was an exceptionally bright student who earned her scholarship to attend Corellia, but she still felt the negative connotation people assumed with being a scholarship student.
Ben, the 'rich guy' that Finn had mentioned, then surprised her.
"You're lucky."
"Huh?" she furrowed her brows. He noticed her expression and chuckled. He knew she'd be confused.
"I come from money. A lot of it," he said. "And it's just been that thing that defined me. But sometimes I want to make my own name for myself, not just rely on my parents' fortune."
"That's admirable," she replied. He grinned at her.
"You're lucky because you know your worth. You're smart. You worked hard for it. And the scholarship is a result," he shared. "I want to do so many things, but I'll never know if I can do it on my own if I still have my parents attached to my hip."
Rey placed a gently hand on his arm.
"It's never too late to try."
They spent the time sharing stories of their childhood, how Rey's was a struggle and Ben's was planned out. Rey shared how she and Baz came to be enemies – not that Ben was surprised – and how Baz treated Ben horribly in their short run relationship – again, to no one's surprise. Then the topic of college came up, seeing as they were both seniors in high school.
"I got into the University of Alderaan."
"Ben, that's great!" Rey exclaimed. "That school's amazing."
"It would be nice to go there," he said. "But my parents are set on me going to Naboo Conservatory."
"Oh," Rey said. "Why is that?"
"I've got a job lined up for me over there. It's where their company's headquarters are."
"Is that where you really want to go?"
"I don't know. I mean I love my parents, but I just want to figure out if I can make it on my own first. That's why I applied to another school. But I don't want to disappoint them… And I've got to make a decision soon because Alderaan is only holding my spot until tomorrow. There are so many people on the waitlist it's insane. I'm still surprised I even got in."
He paused in his thoughts. He was fighting this internal struggle on who to please more – himself or his family. Rey saw this as he sighed dejectedly to himself.
"I'm going to Endor Academy." She broke the silence. "If you went to Alderaan we'd only be an hour away."
Ben smiled at the thought of knowing someone – especially Rey – living in close proximity in a town he's never been. If he had the choice, he'd probably go to Alderaan. Yet the lingering responsibility to work for his parents kept him at bay.
What a shame, Rey thought. She kind of liked the idea that she'd be near Ben if he went to the school of his choice. Starting over in a new place was always scary. Having him around, though she barely knew him, would be less stressful.
"Have you been a fan of Rebel Scum for long?" he changed the subject.
"Ever since their album 'Resistance' came out. My friend Finn is a DJ and he played it at our school dance one time. Everyone went nuts. I was hooked since. You?"
"I was hooked when they released their EP 'A New Hope'. I even started a small garage band because of them."
"You did?" she was amused by what he said. "What were you guys called?"
"Knights of Ren," he chuckled. "We played a few gigs around town for a while. Then our drummer Snoke ditched us to for another band, the First Order. Hux, Phasma and I just called it quits from there."
"Darn, I would've loved to see your band play," she smirked at him.
"We weren't that good," he chortled. "Mostly we covered songs from Rebel Scum. They just write such good music."
"I know right?" Rey agreed. "What's your favorite song?"
"You tell me yours first," he said.
"Say it together on three?" she suggested.
He nodded happily.
One.
Two.
Three.
"Trust Your Rebel Heart."
They grew wide eyed at one another then burst into laughter.
"How am I not surprised we like the same song?" Rey shared.
"You've got good taste in music," he said.
"It's mostly Rebel Scum, so you're not wrong," she replied.
"Man, it's such a good song. Hearing it live is even better," Ben smiled at the thought.
"I just love the lyrics," Rey shared. "It really spoke to me… If you trust your rebel heart, ride it into battle. Don't be afraid, take the road less traveled. Augh, it's brilliant!"
"It's amazing," He nodded in agreement.
"The song helps me when I'm feeling down. Especially at school. It's hard being the scholarship kid. No one expects anything from a poor little nobody from Jakku." Rey didn't think she'd share something so intimate with someone she hardly knew. But here they were, sitting in a pizza joint, and Rey sharing her feelings with a stranger.
"But you're here," Ben encouraged her. "You shut the naysayers up."
"I took the road less traveled," she softly smiled.
Ben took her courage as a sign for him to be vulnerable as well. He barely knew this girl but he felt comfortable talking to her.
"My favorite line in the song is 'you won't make yourself a name if you follow the rules. History gets made when you're acting a fool.' Talk about feeling a connection am I right?" he chuckled.
Rey couldn't help but giggle at him.
"You're not a fool, Ben," she said sincerely. "You can forge your own path if you want. Who cares what other people say?"
He needed to hear that. What with the meticulously thought out life plan for him, if someone like Rey believed in him, then maybe he would gather the courage to start making his own choices.
"What's the most rebellious thing you've done?" he veered slightly off topic.
"Ha," Rey snorted. "I'm the least rebellious person you'll ever meet."
"Come on," Ben implored, "I used to blow up mailboxes with my cousin Ahsoka when we were little. It was for absolutely no reason at all, but we had a kick out of it. What about you?" he asked again.
"Honestly, Ben. I'm not as fun as you think," Rey said.
"I beg to differ," he playfully smirked.
"No, really," she couldn't help but laugh at his antics. "My whole life I always had to have a plan because my father and I were living day-to-day. It was hard to break out of that routine… I guess tonight's the most rebellious thing I've done if I must say."
"Going to a late night show?" he wondered.
"No, hangout with a total stranger," she winked at him.
He smirked at her.
"Maybe by the end of the night we won't be."
~.~.~.~
There was something about Rey that he couldn't put a finger on. This newfound confidence, openly flirting. He never did that. There was no doubt that he was in fact interested in her, but was she interested in him?
Rey had never been so bold in her life. Maybe Rose was on to something because she was starting to admit that she was totally crushing on Ben.
When they finished their meals, which took longer than they thought, they decided to take the bus and head over to the Cantina to meet up with their friends. Settling into their seats, they continued to get to know one another.
"What are you planning to major in?" Rey asked.
"My parents want me to major in business, so something like finance maybe."
"And what about you?" she asked again.
"What about me?" he asked quizzically.
"What do you want to major in, Ben?" she asked intently.
"I never really thought of it," he admitted. "If I'm going down my parents' path, I've only planned for that. But, if I ever did get to decide I'd probably want to do landscape architecture."
Rey was surprised by his choice. She would have never guessed, this tall rough man who wore nothing but black from head to toe, would be interested in the beauty of landscape design.
"Surprised?" he chortled.
"A little," she confessed. "Come on, look at you! You don't exactly shout 'designer'," she giggled at him. "But you know what, you've surprised me so much tonight. I think that's amazing," she gently spoke.
He shyly looked away from her, hiding his tinted cheeks because of what she said.
"It's very random though," Rey added.
"A bit," he said. "Have you been to Naboo? Or Alderaan?"
Rey shook her head.
"It's a very green place. I love nature. My grandmother Padme's vacation home stretched over rolling hills. I played on it so much when I was a kid. Learned to love nature," he shared.
Rey couldn't help but smile at his story. Ben had a sensitive side. Who knew?
"You know now that I think of it, the most rebellious thing I did when I was a kid wasn't blowing things up with my cousin," he shared. "It was when I was 10 or 11. When I started to lash out at my parents. That was when they told me I had to follow their plans and I couldn't choose for myself anymore. All I wanted to do was join the soccer team at school, but my dad said soccer wouldn't do anything to help my grades."
Ben wrinkled his forehead at the memory of when his angst began. Still, he continued.
"At night, I'd sneak out of my window and run to the park in the city. You know the one with the small hill and duck pond?"
Rey nodded. She knew where that park was, but never once went by. Probably because it was situated in a very rich neighborhood that would make her stick out like a sore thumb if she ever passed by.
"It was my escape. My hideaway. I'd sit around on a bench or feed some ducks for an hour or two before sneaking back home. But whenever I snuck out, that was the only time I allowed myself not to worry about the future my parents planned for me. I could just be me."
Ben hadn't shared that story with anyone before. No one knew of his late night escapades as a child, nor the spot in the park where he hid. It just never came up in any conversation. Not that he ever wanted to share his secret sanctuary with anyone. Until now. With a girl he just met.
He glanced at her; she was amazed.
"What about you? What are you majoring in?" he asked.
She blinked a few times to come back to her thoughts.
"Wow, way to put pressure on me. My major is not nearly as grand," she joked. "I want to be a social worker. Boring I know."
"It's not boring," Ben chuckled. "I get it. You want to help people like you. That's admirable."
"Thanks," she smiled. "I love my dad, but when my mom died, it was rough on us. I just want to be able to help the less fortunate. I don't ever want someone to feel the same struggle I had. That's why I've worked so hard to keep my scholarship. I'm going to Endor on a scholarship as well."
"That's great, Rey. Congrats," he praised. "I know you must've worked really hard for it, so you deserve that scholarship."
"Rose said it's not as bad in college. People finding out that you're there on scholarship," Rey said. "At least I won't have to worry too much."
"Like I said, be proud of it, don't hate it," Ben reminded her.
"Thanks," she said. "What I'm most worried about though is that I'm going off to school far away from my best friends and my father. But this is a great opportunity and a full scholarship. I'm not going to turn it down."
"I hear you," Ben said. "But you'll still see your friends when you come home to visit. It's only four hours from here. Where are your friends going?"
"Finn and Rose are going to the state college in Takodana. On scholarship too. We're the only kids at our school on scholarship. That's why we're friends," Rey shared.
"At least you've got a good support system with you. Screw everyone," Ben said.
"I know, it's just hard when you've got people like Baz telling you that scholarship kids are the 'charity cases' on an everyday basis."
"Ah, you go to Corellia? With Baz."
"Yes," she nodded. "We're the charity cases."
"You're not the charity cases," Ben assured her.
"Did you know Baz was a scholarship kid too?" she shared.
"Really?" Ben was surprised.
Rey nodded. "That's how we became friends in the first place. She arrived the same time as me, Finn and Rose and the four of us were there on scholarship. The following year, her dad married some super rich heiress and he started paying full tuition. She thought she was better than us now, so she ditched us and became the lovely little pain in the neck that we both know and hate," she laughed.
"Wow, I could see that. Her dad's a gold digger. Apple doesn't fall far from the tree," Ben chuckled.
"Can I ask you something?"
"What's up?"
"It's just," Rey paused to think of the best way to word it. "How did you end up dating Baz Netal?" she couldn't help but laugh.
Ben joined in on the tease. "Rey, I've made a lot of dumb choices in my life. Look at my friends, one of them foolishly hit on you tonight," he joked. "And Baz was just another act of rebelliousness. I met her through Phasma, who met her through their dads' country club. My mother hated her. And I just stayed with her to piss them off. But trust me, I was not happy at all. Thankfully she found some other guy and dumped me."
"You seem so heartbroken," she kidded.
Ben laughed at her. "Of course I was bummed that a girl dumped me, but it was for the better."
Rey took in a deep breath before asking her next question. "Then… why did you kiss me when she saw you at the bar?"
"Would you believe me if I said I did it just so I can kiss a pretty girl?" he smirked.
"Har har," she joked.
"I didn't want her taunting. And I sure as hell didn't want her to throw her drunk self at me. I didn't want Baz to think she had the upper hand. You know, because that's why you kissed me," he shared.
Rey grew wide-eyed. That's right, she did use him too.
"Fair enough," she tried but failed to be serious. They laughed to ease the awkward air.
"Well I hope you learned you lesson dating a crazy person like Baz."
"Trust me. I did. I just want a nice girl I can actually take home to my mother and just be proud that she likes me for me. You know?"
"I get it," Rey nodded in agreement. "I just want a guy to choose me for once too. Not for pity, or not because my friend Rose is taken – I swear every guy kisses the ground she walks on," she giggled. "But me. Just me."
They reached their destination moments later. Ben and Rey stepped off the bus and outside to the entrance of a more sophisticated night club, 'Maz's Cantina'.
They stepped inside, the music already blaring from the second act of the night. Lee than two hours until they reached Rebel Scum. They slowly tried to make their way through the large crowd to spot a familiar face. Though they found nobody they knew. Ben decided to be bold and grab Rey's hand amid the chaos. When she didn't let go and instead gripped his tighter, they looked at one another and smiled. He was glad he got separated from his friends. And although Rey missed hers, she too was happy to spend the past couple hours with him. They made their way to the bar, finding a couple stools to perch on. The noise around them was too loud to make conversation, but they had spoken so much, shared so much about themselves already that they knew all they needed to spark interest in one another. Silent exchanges of smiles and giggles were shared between the two, forgetting they were supposed to meet up with their friends.
Until…
"Rey you're alive!"
They turned to see Rey's friends walking up to them. Rose was first to bring her best friend into a tight embrace.
"We thought we lost you!" she practically screamed above the noise. Then she glanced behind her friend's shoulder to see she had company. "But I guess you were in good hands," she smirked.
Rey blushed, suddenly feeling heated in that crowded space.
"Ahh, Ben and I ran into each other when we were running from the cops. We figured since we were heading the same way to stick together," she tried to explain coolly.
Finn and Rose were not buying it one bit. They're smirks said it all. Still, Rey tried to act cool.
"Ben, these are my friends Finn and Rose," she gestured at them. "Guys this is Ben."
Ben stood up straighter and stepped beside Rey, her two friends noticing their body language and close proximity.
"Hey, nice to meet you both," he said curtly, shaking both their hands.
"Thanks for looking out for Rey for us, man," Finn acknowledged. "For keeping her company."
"It's no problem. She's really fun to talk to," he smiled.
Rose held in a squeak.
Rey glared at her.
Ben noticed Rey was starting to look flushed. He leaned forward and whispered in her ear, asking if she wanted a drink. She nodded, and he whispered again that he'd be right back with their beverages. He didn't need to ask that privately, but he did it anyways, and in Finn and Rose's eyes, well… they couldn't help it.
"OH MY GOD!" Finn and Rose hollered when Ben left.
"Are you two… you know, 'hanging out'?" Finn asked.
The way he said those words made Rey turn crimson.
"Girl you're redder than a cherry tomato! What happened tonight?!" Rose finally let out her squeal.
"No, we're not hanging out like that!" she protested. "We're just hanging out. None of that stupid air quotes, Finn."
"Oh you're so full of shit," Finn laughed. "He was undressing you with his eyes when we saw you guys."
"He's not like that," Rey defended. "He's… sweet."
Before she could take back what she said, so stupidly, she had to suffer the consequences.
"You are so totally crushing on him I knew it! Didn't I say that Finn?!" Rose exclaimed.
Rey was about to retort. Really, she was. But these were her friends. She couldn't keep up her charade for that long.
"Okay maybe there's something, I don't know," she couldn't help but smile.
Her two friends, excited as they could be, continued to attack Rey with a million questions.
Ben picked up a couple bottles of water and made his way back to Rey. He met eyes with her just a few steps away, smiling uncontrollably. Nothing could have made his night any better. He reached the trio and handed Rey a bottle, wondering why they were all smiles.
But before he could speak, someone called his name.
"Yo Ben!"
He turned around and found his friends walking up to the growing crowd.
"Man, where'd you disappear off to? One sec we're running, and the next Phas lost you in the crowd."
"I didn't get any help from you Hux. You were practically saving yourself!" the tall woman next to him spat. "Sorry we lost you, Ben. Had to get this drunk dumbass out of sight before the cops found him."
"It's alright guys, it was pretty crazy back there," Ben said.
Hux, still a bit tipsy, looked over Ben's shoulder at Rey.
"Oh shit, it's the chick from the other bar!" he said. "Hey sweetheart, you change your mind about me?"
Rey scowled at him. Disgusting.
"Can it, Hux," Ben grumbled at the drunk.
His intoxicated mind became more obnoxious.
"Wha- did you two hook up or something? Is that why you told me to leave? So you can have the little minx all for yourself?" he smugly grinned.
"Hey man," Finn stepped in.
Ben stopped him, knowing how aggressive Hux could get when under the influence.
"I got this Finn," he said to him. "Hux, go splash your face with water. No more beers tonight. Or I'll have to kick your ass for your dumb comments."
"I'm not that drunk Ben!" he sloppily replied.
"Ben let's go. We got a ride to the show," Phasma signaled him.
Ben didn't want to leave. As much as he'd like to enjoy a reckless night with his friends, at that moment he would like nothing more than to spend more time with Rey. He was about to say just that when the worse person in the world appeared.
"Ben, I've been looking all over for you!"
"Oh shit, Baz!" Hux exclaimed. He gave her a clumsy hug.
The moron was friends with the witch, Rey thought. Go figure.
"Hey Hux, Phas," she acknowledged the duo. "Ben, can we talk?"
He looked at Rey, hoping to find some sort of answer. Unfortunately, with all the things that were happening right now, she, Finn and Rose stayed quiet.
"We have nothing to talk about," he simply said. "And I'm kind of busy right now." He gestured to the mixed company around him.
"Oh didn't we tell you?" Phasma said. "Baz's dad got us a party bus. She texted us to meet up with her here before the show."
"So come on Ben, let's go," Hux gestured for him to leave.
"I'm not going anywhere with Baz," he told his friends. "Plus, I'm here with Rey."
Everyone turned their attention to her.
Rey spent her whole life being invisible. The one night her presence was acknowledged, she wanted nothing more than to disappear.
"You're with… her?" Phasma questioned. She didn't know who Rey was, or much about the situation. But one look at her and her friends, even Phasma knew they were from different crowds.
"Ben, she's not one of us," Baz spat. "None of them are." She glared at her schoolmates.
"What do you mean?" Hux asked.
"They're the scholarship kids at my school. This one's from that ratty town, Jakku," she scoffed.
Hux obnoxiously began to laugh.
"Oh man, you're hanging out with charity cases?!" his voice smug with insult. "Is this some kind of publicity stunt your mom's making you do to look good to the admission's office?"
Rey, Finn and Rose sulked their heads in disgrace. These were the bullies they've tried to avoid for so long. Rey felt it was her fault for fraternizing with Ben; obviously part of the entitled crowd. One look at their sullen faces, Ben's patience had gone out the window. Never did he think Rey's miserable appearance would hurt him so much.
"That's enough. All of you!" He glared at his 'friends' and Baz. "They're no different than us. They're probably better people than we'll ever be, so apologize. Now!"
Phasma, Hux and Baz exchanged glances. Was Ben serious?
"You're kidding right?" Phasma almost laughed.
"Weren't you the one who said you hated scholarship kids?" Hux sneered.
"I never said such a thing!" he defended. He turned to Rey desperately. "Honest."
She didn't know if she could believe him. Rey wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt, but this entire confrontation was just overwhelming.
Baz didn't like how comfortable Ben and Rey were being. She didn't like it at all.
"Ben, I don't know what kind of mind games Rey put in your head but we're not like them," Baz proclaimed. She stepped closer to Ben. "Look, I get it. You were trying to make me jealous. I forgive you, baby. You don't have to pretend to like Rey anymore."
Rey never let the thought cross in her mind that Ben would be pretending to like her or be kind just because she was the only company he had that night. That is until now. Had Ben just been stringing her along for his own entertainment? Was any of what she learned about him true?
"Don't you have a boyfriend?" Ben mentioned.
"Oh, are you jealous baby?" she seductively spoke. She invaded his personal space, wrapping her arms around his neck.
"Get off me," he coldly replied.
She glared at him and let go. But she didn't want to lose. Not in front of Rey. She grabbed Ben's arm and pulled him towards his friends. He didn't expect her to be so forceful, so he stumbled forward to their direction. Hux caught him before he fell and held on to his shoulders.
"Come on Ben, our ride is outside," Baz spoke loudly. "You don't need to hang out with those losers anymore."
Before he could protest, he was being dragged away by his friends, and before disappearing outside, he glanced back to see a heart wrenching view of Rey being consoled by her friends.
"Come here," Rose said to Rey once the crowd dissipated to just the three friends.
"Well that was the scariest moment of my life," Finn shook off his jitters. "Are you alright?" he asked his friend.
Rey nodded slowly, wiping a rogue tear from her cheek.
"I'm really sorry for that," she told them. "I should've known better."
Finn looked at Rose, then they turned to their friend. Rose hugged her again, combing her friend's hair with her fingers.
"Sweetie don't be sorry for giving someone a chance. Ben's just part of a different crowd. He can't help the life he was born into, like how we can't help with the struggles we were given. He's not the worse person in the world."
"Yeah, that's Baz," Finn tried to get her to laugh.
"You know what the worse part is?" she told her friends. "I actually thought he liked me."
~.~.~.~
It was the grand finale of the night. The second act finished, and all attendees were given the second half of the ticket to the midnight show. Rey, Finn and Rose took the bus to the city center, where the secret concert was to be held on the rooftop deck of the Hosnian Prime Hotel. A lively crowd gathered in the space, everyone exhausted by the night's journey.
"I can't believe we're about to watch our favorite band perform for us live at a private show!" Finn was practically having an out of body experience.
After her friends consoled her, Rey wiped away her tears and declared that someone like Ben or even Baz would not ruin her evening. It was her last real adventure with her best friends. She wanted to remember it for a long time.
Her thoughts however, still lingered
"Come on, Rey, cheer up, please?" Finn patted her shoulder. "Just forget about him."
"I'm not really thinking about him," she said. Okay she was half thinking of him.
"Then why the long face?" he asked his friend.
"It's just…" she began. "It hit me that this may be one of the last actual adventures we're going to have together before we head off to college."
"No, no, no," Finn stopped her. "We promised not to be sad about this until graduation."
"Oh, stop with the 'macho' stuff Finn and give us a hug!" Rose teased their male friend.
They three best friends buried their faces together, contemplating their inevitable future.
"Maybe I should just defer Endor and stay here in Takodana. I won't know anyone there. I'll be a loner again," Rey sighed.
"No, girl. You will not turn down a great opportunity for us," Rose stopped her. "You're going to Endor and you're going to be the best social worker in the world. Finn and I will be here, always."
"She's right," Finn agreed. "You got to be our wonder woman," he smiled at her.
"Promise we'll call each other every day?" she asked.
"Like that's even a question!" Rose exclaimed.
"Hey, you going to be okay?" Finn asked her seriously. She knew what, or rather whom he was referring to.
"I will, eventually."
The DJ turned his microphone on to grab the audience's attention. In less than five minutes, Rebel Scum would take the stage.
"Here we go!" Finn cheekily grinned at the girls.
"Rey!" a voice yelled from the crowd.
Ben had been searching for her throughout the room ever since his group got there.
"Hey man, I don't think this is a good idea," Finn stopped him.
"Finn, please. I need to explain myself to her," he said to the man.
"She doesn't want to see you," Rose stepped in as well.
He was desperate. He looked over at her.
"Rey, please?" he begged.
After a moment to think, she patted Finn's shoulder.
"It's fine you guys."
Reluctantly, they both sighed and shot her an encouraging smile, leaving the two alone.
"Where's Baz? And your friends?" she began.
"I don't care," Ben said. "I just wanted to see you."
"I'm not really in the mood to get harassed twice in one hour so if your friends are going to show up again, then just leave, Ben. Please."
"No," he shook his head in frustration. "I don't even know why I'm friends with them. They're jerks. They don't understand me. You do…"
"It's alright Ben. We're just two different people. No hard feelings," she dismissed him.
But he was persistent.
"No, we're not," he said to her. "I've never felt so close to anyone before. You're the only one I've ever related to. That I've ever opened up to. You're the only one who sees me for me."
"You chose Baz and your friends," she reminded him.
"I didn't choose them," he retorted.
"But you didn't stop them from choosing you."
"I don't want to be a part of their group anymore."
"We can't always choose what we want. Sometimes we just have to deal with it. That's life," she stated.
"I wanted to choose you," he shared.
"Ben, no. Don't do this."
She didn't want to give in to his words. She didn't want to get hurt again.
"You got to believe me."
"I want to believe you. But what about what your friends said? What Baz said…"
"I never told Hux I hated scholarship kids. I told him, just like I told you, that people with scholarships made me jealous. Because you actually worked hard for it. Can you believe me on that?"
Slowly but surely, she nodded. Ben was at his last string of hope.
"Rey, can I ask you something?"
"O-okay."
"Would you have chosen me if I chose you?"
Before she could answer, Baz showed up, scowling at Rey and pulling on his shirt.
"Come on, Ben. She's chosen her side and you chose yours. Your little date's over," Baz spat. "No hard feelings right Rey?" she sneered at her.
Rey shrugged. What else could she do or say? Baz won. Like always.
"Ben let's go baby. The show is going to start soon!" Baz tugged at his sleeve.
He hesitated, not knowing where he should stand. Rey hadn't answered him, and he was desperate for a reply. It was getting hard to resist from Baz's pull. He turned to Rey.
"I'm sorry," he muttered. Then she took him away.
And just like that, her magical night had ended.
"Come on girl, the show's about to start." Rose tried her best to comfort her. "It's Rebel Scum!" she softly cheered.
Rey weakly smiled. The night didn't go as planned, but nothing was planned when it came to Ben. Meeting him, running from the cops, going to dinner, talking on the bus in the middle of the night. For once, she didn't think about what to do next. She only thought about being with Ben. But he was with Baz, and that's how it should be. The golden boy Ben Solo would never go for a scholarship charity case like Rey.
Finn and Rose hugged their friend, knowing it had been a long night, but hoping that her favorite band's music would cheer her up as it always did.
As much as she would have wanted to enjoy the night and hear the voice of her favorite singer live, the only voice she wished to hear was the man who was being dragged across the room to his perfectly planned life.
"Rey."
That voice. She froze. Could it be? She turned around and standing in front of her was the stranger she had met at a bar, the guy who turned her world upside down.
He smiled at her and she blushed so faintly. This was the right choice. Rey was the right choice. Just like he'd done when they first met, Ben stepped forward and crashed his lips to Rey's, deepening their embrace with such passion and promise.
When their lips parted, nothing but white noise surrounded them as they got lost in each other's eyes.
"Whoop!" the muffled sound of the crowd yelled.
A deep rumble from a bass guitar string vibrated the room.
"Welcome everyone! Have we got a show for you tonight!" spoke the voice of the lead singer of their favorite band.
"Ben! Ben!" a faint voice of Baz's echoed.
Ben smiled and held his hand out to Rey.
"Let's get out of here."
"Ben! You come back here right now!" Baz's voice roared to life.
Rey looked at his extended arm, then into his deep brown eyes. Slowly, the corners of her lips formed into a smile and she placed her hand in his. Without out a second thought, they bustled through the crowd towards the exit.
Finn and Rose exchanged glances and smiled, knowing their best friend Rey would be alright after all.
~.~.~.~
In the wee hours of the early morning, Ben had taken Rey to the city park. The one he told her about when he was a young boy. Where he went to get away from the grand life of his. His hideaway; and now he shared it with her. They spent the past couple hours curled up together on a park bench, content with just being together, talking and watching the sun rise to a new day. This night had not turned out the way they thought it would. In fact, it was better than they'd ever imagine.
"I've been thinking more about Alderaan," he said out of the blue.
"Yeah?" she turned to him.
He glanced at her and flashed her a cheeky grin.
"I think it'd be nice to know someone an hour away."
Did that mean Ben saw a future with her? Did that mean he chose her for who she was? Only time would tell. But Rey was happy where this was headed.
For the first time, Ben didn't have a course carefully planned out for him. This was his path, done his way. He wasn't sure if he could do it on his own, but just knowing that Rey would be there with him, well it was a chance worth taking.
The End.
A/N: The song they talk about is a real song – "Road Less Traveled" by Lauren Alaina
So, three one-shots in and I wanna say thanks for anyone who took the time to read. If you're following my stories, you may get a feel for my writing style and how I convey these characters (very OOC, and lots of Reylo).
I wrote a story a month ago and just finished penning the end. It's going to be a multi-chapter. Will publish it soon. Hopefully some of you check it out!
As always, thanks for reading!
-ThoughtsInMyMind