There is no better way to celebrate the beginning of spring than with a party.

At least, that's what Poe told his roommates when inviting them to Jess Pava's bonfire. "C'mon, guys. Let's do something fun! Nothing's more fun than beer, smores , and best friends!"

Rey glanced up from her book. "Poe, you're allergic to gluten. You can't drink beer."

"I'm vegan, so I can't eat chocolate on my smores," Ben chimed, slipping his black hoodie over his head and tossing it on the couch before collapsing next to Rey on the floor. The sunlight shining in from the open window illuminated his face, casting a shadow on the wall behind him. "which basically makes them disgusting."

Finn continued to wash the dishes in the kitchen, barely glancing over his shoulder to reply. "I have sensitive lungs. Fire smoke would irritate them. I would start coughing and be unable to stop." He shrugged, slipping a glass into the cabinet. "I mean, I would go, but that doesn't seem to be much fun for those involved."

"You're kidding!" Poe exclaimed, tossing his hands in the air as he paced across the shag carpet of the living room. "If you guys really didn't want to go, you could have just told me."

"We don't want to go," the three called in unison.

"C'mon, guys!" he dropped to his knees, clasping his hands together. "I'm begging you." The carpet made a soft swishing noise as he shuffled across, closer to where Ben and Rey were seated. "Jess is really nice. Her house is nice. The weather's nice. Everything would be nice, if only my best friends would go!"

His roommates exchanged uneasy glances. It wasn't often that Poe got down on his hands and knees and begged them. Rey was the first to relent.

"Okay, fine, I'll go!" she tossed her book aside with an exasperated sigh. "If it means that much to you, I'll go."

Poe leaned forward and fist bumped her. "Heck, yeah! What about you guys?" he turned to look at the two boys, both who were avoiding his gaze. "Do you love me as much as Rey does?"

Finn heaved a sigh, drying off the last plate before putting it away. "Yeah, whatever. But if I go, Ben goes." He glanced pointedly at his friend. He moved to join them in the living room, crossing his arms and raising his brow.

"Hey! Don't drag me into this!" Ben put a hand up in defense, rising to his feet. "Guys, look. I have a bunch of homework, and I don't really feel like—"

"Ben, you really should come with us," Rey interjected, standing and heading toward her room. "It'll be fun. You can work on your tan."

That was all it took to win him over. "Okay. I guess I'll go."

Rey disappeared down the hallway as Finn and Poe stared at Ben.

"Really? That was all it took? I should have done that ages ago!" Poe said, shaking his head in bewilderment.

"I wonder if I can ask her to make him do my laundry next week…" Finn mused aloud as he closed the door to his room.

Ben rolled his eyes as he sauntered down the hall to his bedroom.

_SW_

"This was a mistake," Ben muttered, staring out his window at the small green house they had pulled up in front of. It looked nonthreatening at first glance, but blasting bass music could be heard from the street. "Someone's gonna call the cops."

"No one's gonna call the cops," Poe assured him, getting out of the car. "Including you, Finn. I don't want you to bust the party just so you can go home."

Finn slid his phone back into his pocket, a sheepish smile forming.

Rey sprang up out of the car and surveyed the house. "It's cute!" she cooed, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "It looks like something from a storybook, with all the flowers and the red shutters." She gestured vaguely at the building, at the terracotta pots bursting with chrysanthemums and daisies, at the vines snaking across the exterior of the cottage.

"A book about hell?" Ben questioned as they headed to the side of the house, unlatched the gate, and went into the backyard.

She shoved him onto the patio as they headed over to the coolers to get a drink. Finn and Poe went over to talk to Jess and her roommate, Snap Wexley. There were a few people that Rey recognized from her classes or just around campus, but no one she felt comfortable going up and talking to, so she wandered over toward the blazing bonfire in the center of the yard with Ben at her side.

"So, is there anyone you know here?" Rey asked, sipping from her can of raspberry lemonade. She was the designated driver for tonight (and every other night, it seemed) and she took her duties very seriously.

He swallowed a gulp of lime-flavored sparkling water—he wasn't big on drinking—and scanned the small area. "No I don't think so—" he abruptly turned the other way, grabbing Rey's arm and quickly walking over to another spot, away from the fire. "Oh, God, I hope they didn't see us."

"What was that?" Rey rubbed her arm and glanced around. "Who didn't see us?"

"Well, well, well. Look who we have here," a cold, thin voice sneered. The couple spun around to face a short, red-haired man and a bleach-blonde haired woman who towered a solid six inches above Ben. "If it isn't Ben Solo."

Ben bristled, taking Rey's arm again. "Fancy running into you here, Hux," he replied, his voice high-pitched and jagged. "We were just leaving." He started to move away, but the tall woman stepped in front of them.

"Oh, but don't you want to introduce us?" she asked, a wide smile crossing her face. It looked out of place. It looked sinister. Rey's skin crawled with gooseflesh as the woman placed a hand on her shoulder. "And who might you be?"

"I'm Rey," she answered, her firm and no-nonsense expression looking braver than she felt. "And if you would kindly move out of our way—"

"I'm Phasma," the woman interrupted, taking her hand from Rey's shoulder and wiping it on the hem of her gray sundress, as if she were wiping off dirt. She turned to Hux, a mischievous glint in her eye. "Hux, did she just say her name was Rey?"

Hux seemed to be deep in thought before he answered. "Oh, yes, Rey. I remember that name. Isn't she, if I remember your words correctly, Ben, the bitch who knocked into you like an idiot and made you lose the order of your thesis, which caused Professor Snoke to assign you extra work for two weeks?" he spat the words with a smug grin. "Oh, boy, oh, boy. Do I remember."

"Get out of my way, Phasma." Ben's tone was cold.

"Ben, please, let me," Rey interjected, patting him on the shoulder. She turned to the two, a diplomatic smile gracing her features. "Yes, I do think Ben has mentioned you two before. Phasma, the over-preforming, underwhelming teacher's pet with a real fragile ego and a superiority complex. And Hux, the smug, pretentious prick with daddy issues." The calm smile never left her face. "I remember now."

Indignation painted their faces almost comically. Phasma snatched Hux' hand and the two marched away, huffing and scoffing in disbelief.

"Care to explain what just happened?" Rey downed her drink and tossed it into a recycling bin. "Are there going to be anymore ego-fests I'll have to break up?"

"No, I don't think so," Ben shook his head, incredulous. "How did you know all that?" he asked her as they strolled over toward their friends. "I don't think I've ever really spoken about them before now."

She shrugged, slipping her hand into his as they approached Finn and Poe. "Just a hunch. They had that look about them." She covered her mouth as she giggled.

"What? What is it?" he nudged her as she continued to laugh.

"Nothing, nothing," she waved him away, her laughter dissipating. "I'm just trying to figure it out—did you used to actually be friends with them?"

Ben exhaled heavily, kicking at the grass with the toe of his boot. "Uh, yeah, they were my roommates for my first two years before I moved in with you guys," he paused to scratch his head, his eyes looking everywhere but at her. "I guess I was a real loser back then, huh?"

She knocked her shoulder into him as they sat down on a bench, close to the fire. "You're still a loser," she grinned. "Now you're just a loser with better friends."

"Hmm. Thanks." He rolled his eyes, turning serious again as he locked gazes with her. "I really didn't mean it, you know. About calling you a bitch and everything. I mean, I meant it at the time, but now that I know you—" his eyelashes fluttered as he shifted his eyes to the ground. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be," Rey murmured, leaning her head on his shoulder. "I called you things a million times worse than that after you ran into me in the hall that day."

He lifted his gaze. "Wait, what?" his brow crinkled. "Um, you totally plowed into me."

"Uh, yeah, no. Well, maybe, but what person just stands in the middle of the hallway?"

"I'm six feet tall! How did you not see me?"

"I was reading my schedule!"

"How about you look up every now and then!"

Poe glanced over at the two arguing and then back at Finn. "They fight like an old married couple, and they're not even dating yet."

"Get used to it, pal," his friend agreed as they clinked their cans together in a toast. "We're in this for the long run."

"Cheers to that."

A/N: okay so basically I got my nails done and IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO TYPE WITH ACRYLICS ON I AM STRUGGLING I HAVE SUCH A HAND CRAMP

Anyway, as I write this is the pad of my finger, hope you enjoyed!