A/N: Chapter title inspired by the song "Changes In Latitudes, Changes In Attitudes" by Jimmy Buffett.
Chapter 2: Changes In Latitudes, Changes In Attitudes
Poe stood at the end of his car, scratching his head as he frowned at the open trunk. Ben stood beside him, arms folded across his broad chest.
"You know," Ben drawled, "it doesn't matter how long you stare at it. According to the observed rules of physics, all that luggage is never going to fit. Let me put some of it in my car."
Poe cocked his head to the side. "But if I—"
"No."
"Okay, fine."
Smirking, Ben picked up two suitcases and headed for his 4Runner. Rey picked up another and followed him.
"All right, who all is riding with me?" Poe called.
It was decided that Finn, and therefore Rose, would ride in the Mustang. Ben had also invited a couple acquaintances he'd met in one of his poli sci classes. Kaydel Connix had been at the party in Crest Hall at the end of last term with her roommate, Tallie Lintra. Ben had confided in Rey that Kaydel had developed a bit of a crush on Poe at the party, and so he'd invited her along to give her a chance to get to know Poe better. Kaydel had asked to bring her roommate Tallie since she didn't know anyone else who was going.
Kaydel was now tugging Tallie toward the Mustang. "We'll ride with you, too."
Ben looked over to Rey. "Do you mind riding with me?"
Rey shook her head and smiled. "Not at all."
Kaydel and Tallie squealed as they climbed into the back seat with Rose. Rey could hear them from inside the car, chattering away.
"Oh my God, Poe, your car is so nice!"
"Are you going to put the top down?"
"But what about my hair?"
Rey felt her eye twitch at the girlish squabbling, and glanced at Ben for his reaction. He raised his brows as he turned away, and she bit back a laugh.
They finished loading the luggage into Ben's trunk, then everyone climbed into their designated vehicles and pulled out of the dormitory parking lot. Poe took the lead, his engine roaring as he punched it down the road, while Ben's SUV rumbled along behind him.
The ride was pleasantly peaceful, Rey mused as she watched the car ahead of them. She could see the silhouettes of her friends moving about as they gesticulated and laughed and danced along to music. She settled back into the passenger seat and sighed.
"You're pretty quiet over there," came Ben's low voice.
She turned to him. "Just enjoying myself," she explained with a smile. "The peace." She gestured up to the moonroof. "The sun." She looked out the windshield. "Being on the road, seeing new places."
"Have you ever been to the beach?"
"No."
He nodded thoughtfully. "I think you'll like it. Maybe I'm biased, but I don't think there's anywhere on earth prettier than the beaches of Naboo." He smiled, shooting her a glance before resuming his watchful gaze ahead. "There aren't any rules or responsibilities. You just relax and exist. If you want to do something, then you do it. Go for a swim, read a book, sleep in 'til noon… whatever you want to do."
Rey leaned her head back and smiled. "Sounds nice." She glanced at him again. "You said your parents are out of town…?"
"Yeah. Mom's in session, and Dad's at an import conference." His voice sounded flatter now. Less buoyant.
"Shame they won't be there. I would've liked to meet them."
Ben snorted, but didn't say anything.
"So this is their beach house?" she continued.
"Well, it's the family beach house. My grandparents built it, then my mother and uncle inherited it. My uncle never goes, though, so my parents bought him out."
The flatness in his tone had gotten worse, and something about the past tense he'd used gave her pause. Tactfully, she decided to drop the subject for the time being.
"I'm looking forward to seeing it," she concluded gently. "And the beaches of Naboo."
He glanced at her again. "I'm looking forward to showing you."
…
They rode in comfortable silence after that. After a while, Ben switched on the radio to a classic rock station. Soft music played in the background as he continued to drive and Rey looked out the window at the passing sights.
When they exited the interstate toward Naboo, Ben reached for the moonroof controls. "Would you mind if I opened it?" he asked.
"No, not at all."
The glass slid back to admit the warm, salty-smelling air, and Rey took a deep breath, reveling in the sense of relaxation it brought with it. Ben gave her a knowing smile.
They passed Poe on the highway. The Mustang fell in behind the 4Runner as Ben led the rest of the way to the house. As they drove, the soil became noticeably more sandy, and strip malls began to advertise beachwear and accessories. Rey pressed her face to the window as she took it all in.
When Ben turned onto the final strip, Rey felt her jaw drop as she caught sight of the houses lining the street. No, these weren't houses, they were mansions. She'd never seen places so large and elegant before. The stories… the terraces… the landscaping, for crying out loud! And just beyond them, she could see white sand and rolling green-blue waves.
The beach.
The car began to slow, and finally turned into a secluded drive. Around a bend, the trees parted to give way to a beautiful, sprawling stuccoed villa. The clean lines and rustic details of the property managed to portray a modern home whilst retaining a sense of classic old-world charm, and Rey's jaw dropped at the sight. It was like something out of a magazine, one of the crumpled ones that ended up in the corner of the common room at the orphanage. She never thought she'd actually see such a place in real life, let alone stay there.
Ben drove around to the garage and pulled into one of the open bays. She turned to him as he slid the gearshift into park, her mind still thick with shock. She knew she was accustomed to very little, and driving up the road she'd quickly gathered that Ben's family came from wealth, but this was on another level.
"This is your family beach house?" she managed.
He looked up at her like a deer caught in headlights. "Yeah."
"It's… um…"
The rumble of the Mustang pulled their attention from one another as Poe parked in the other bay. Poe and Finn hopped out of the front seat and handed the girls out from the back. Ben glanced back at Rey, something unnamed flashing through his eyes, before wordlessly climbing out and going around to unload the trunk. She followed.
Shouldering their bags, the group trooped after Ben to the door, and with a jangle of keys, they were admitted into the house. "Guest bedrooms are upstairs, if everyone wants to put their things away first," Ben said over his shoulder as he led them through the mudroom.
The hall opened up into the main living area, and the girls gasped. High vaulted ceilings soared above them, and vast windows lined the entire eastern wall of the property, giving an unhindered view of the beach. Sunlight streamed into the room. But despite the vastness and the elegance of the place, Rey found herself smiling at the tastefulness of it all. Nothing was overdone or gaudy, as she'd been afraid of. It was… comfortable. Everything was decorated in clean whites, pale blues, and muted greys. The sofa looked soft and squishy, the rug was worn in places, and the television remote sat haphazardly on the edge of the coffee table, as if someone had just put it down.
When she looked to her left, she saw an open kitchen. There were more cabinets and gadgets and countertop space than she'd ever seen, but there was a sense of home, of unity and family in the space. The broad island boasted several barstools, and she could almost imagine a child perching on one while a parent puttered around.
She liked it.
"What is it your folks do, again?" Poe commented as he looked around.
"It's inheritance, mostly," Ben answered. "But my mother is a senator, and my dad has his restaurant."
"It's so pretty in here!" Tallie said, turning in a circle. "You guys have an amazing view. I can't wait to get out on the beach!"
Ben hummed noncommittally. "I'll show you all to the guest rooms."
It was decided that everyone would pair up to a room. Kaydel and Tallie took the first room, and Rose and Rey claimed the next one. Poe and Finn went across the hall. Ben would be taking his old room down the hallway.
"Make yourselves at home," he told them. "Fridge, television, games. Go check out the beach, if you want." He handed a key to Poe. "This is the extra house key, in case you decide to go down to the beach. I'm going to the store for a few things before it gets any later."
"Want someone to go with you?" Rey offered.
"Sure."
While the others settled in and, from the sound of the squealing and giggling coming from Kaydel and Tallie's room, prepared to go to the beach, Ben and Rey got back in the 4Runner and headed to the local grocery store. Rey was secretly pleased to find that it wasn't some fancy, organic-only, high-dollar market—it was just a regular store, with the checkout lines at the front and the deli to the side and the blast of cool, stale air that hits you in the face when you first walk in. Ben grabbed a shopping cart and they headed off.
"I'll make a more thorough grocery list later, but for now, I just want to get a few easy things for tonight and tomorrow," he explained as they went down the first aisle. "Got a taste for anything?"
She didn't, so they walked around until something stuck out to them.
"Everyone likes tacos, right?" Rey said, pointing out the pre-packaged kit.
"Oh, yes." He grabbed three boxes. "Better get plenty; I know how much you eat," he muttered, giving her a sidelong glance.
She gasped in mock outrage. "You know very well you're going to lay claim to over half of one of those boxes by yourself!"
He laughed. "That's fair. One box for us to split, then, and the other two for the rest of them."
"Sounds about right."
They grabbed a few other odds and ends for the tacos, some eggs, bread, and bacon for breakfast, a package of coffee grounds, cheese and deli meat for sandwiches, and a few liters of soda. Ben hefted a case of water bottles onto the bottom rung of the shopping cart. As they passed down another aisle, Rey reached out and grabbed the largest bottle of sunscreen she saw.
"Here you go," she said matter-of-factly, dropping it into the cart.
"Trying to say something?"
"Just looking out for you, my friend." She shrugged. "If you have any chance of keeping up with me on the beach, you're gonna need it."
He gave her a once-over, taking in her naturally-tanned arms and legs, and raised a brow. "I think I could take you."
"What? I don't think so." She put her forearm beside his. His pale skin practically glowed beside hers. "Ever seen that meme about the beacons of Gondor being lit?" she drawled.
"You're full of shit."
She burst out laughing, and he smirked down at her.
"Come on, I think we've got everything," he said. "Let's check out and head back."
…
The house was quiet when they returned, so they figured the rest of the group had gone to explore the beach. As they set to work making dinner, Rey withdrew her phone and found a classic rock playlist to play in the background.
As it turned out, Ben was a good cook. Rey supposed it wasn't difficult to brown meat in a pan, but he moved with practiced ease around the kitchen, gliding from the stove to the sink to the countertop as he stirred and tossed and diced. She helped rinse the lettuce and tomatoes, but after that she decided to simply stay out of his way, opting instead to sit on one of the barstools and keep him company.
"How did you learn to cook?" she asked after a while, watching him slice up one of the tomatoes. He even curled his fingers under where he gripped it, letting the knife glide millimeters away from his knuckles like the professional chefs on television.
"I picked it up as I went," he replied absently. He scraped the chopped tomato pieces into a bowl. "My parents were away a lot, and I got sick of eating the same meals over and over, so I taught myself how to make other things."
"You're very good."
He snorted in amusement. "Chopping tomatoes isn't hard," he demurred.
"What's your favorite thing to cook?"
"I couldn't even tell you." He turned to the stove to give the ground beef another stir. The muscles in his shoulders and upper back moved under his T-shirt as he raked the meat around the pan. "Depends on the day, really. But usually, either comfort food or something really challenging. In that case, the more exotic, the better." He rapped the spoon against the rim of the pan, then pulled out the packets of Mexican rice and started to read the microwave directions.
As the sun began to go down, Rey hopped off her barstool to turn on the living room lights. As she passed the hearth, she spotted a collection of photographs on the mantle. They were old family shots, by the looks of it. A young couple in greyscale, the man's arm slung around the petite woman's shoulders. Another young couple, this time in color, sharing a kiss on the beach. The man in another photo, laughing, with his arm around a large, shaggy dog. That same couple, this time with a dark-haired little boy standing between them. Another shot of the little boy with an older man. It took her a moment to recognize the man as an older version of the man in the black and white photo.
The last photograph was one of the whole group, or nearly the whole group, dated several years back. The woman from the first photograph was missing, and there was another man there, approximately middle-aged with a beard. They looked happy.
"That was on Grandpa Ani's sixtieth birthday," Ben said quietly, coming to stand beside her. "I must've been eleven or twelve in that photo."
She glanced up at him, noting the wistfulness in his voice. "Who's the other man?" she asked.
"My uncle, Luke. He and my mother, Leia, are twins." He pointed. "And that's my father, Han." He nodded down the row of pictures. "That's him with Chewie."
Rey smiled. The Shaggy Dog's namesake, in the flesh.
"And that was my Grandma Padmé," Ben said, gesturing to the black and white photo. "She passed away before I was born. She grew up here in Naboo. It's one of the reasons my grandpa wanted to move here. He built this house for her." He huffed a laugh. "Even though she was the one with all the money."
"This place must hold a lot of memories of them," Rey surmised.
He hummed in agreement. "My grandpa taught me to swim in the ocean, and saltwater fish down at the pier. He had a gift for fishing, one that I unfortunately didn't inherit, but it was still fun to go with him." He sighed as he gazed at the black and white photo. "There were times when I felt like he was the only one who saw me. In many ways, he was my best friend."
"What happened to him?" Rey asked carefully.
"Lung cancer." Ben turned away from the mantle to meet her gaze. "He picked up the unfortunate habit of smoking as a young man, and it eventually caught up to him."
"I'm sorry."
He shrugged, as if to say it was okay. But Rey could tell that it wasn't.
"That group photo was one of the few times my uncle came to the beach house," he continued over his shoulder, his tone rallying as he returned to the kitchen. "He was never around a lot when I was a kid, but on the occasion that I did see him, he gave me piano lessons. You know he teaches at Chandrila, right? In the music department."
"No, I didn't know that," she replied as she followed him. "And I had no idea you played the piano."
"Well, I don't anymore. I put it aside a few years ago."
"Do you think you'll ever pick it up again?"
He shrugged as he moved the skillet of cooked beef into the oven to keep it warm. "Maybe."
She studied his back as he went about covering the various dishes to keep the food fresh until the group returned. His mood had shifted when he'd started thinking about his family. Yet again, she realized Finn had been right. There were old hurts there that had never fully healed.
"You know what we need?" she decided with sudden inspiration, reaching for her phone. "Beach music."
"Beach music?"
"Yeah. We're at the beach; gotta have beach music!" She scrolled until she found what she wanted. "Here we go!"
As the guitar riff plucked away, Rey put her phone down on the island and started to dance.
Well, she got her daddy's car, and she cruised through the hamburger stand, now!
Seems she forgot all about the library like she told her old man, now.
And with the radio blasting, goes cruisin' just as fast as she can now—
"And she'll have fun, fun, fun 'til her daddy takes the T-bird away-ay-ay!" she sang along.
She swished around the kitchen, waving her hands in the air as she danced. The corners of Ben's lips curled up as he watched her.
She moseyed around him, putting the covered bowls of chopped toppings in the fridge while he slid the bowl of rice in beside the meat. It took twice as long as it needed to, since she was more focused on lip-syncing to the song than she was on her task, but she was having too much fun to care.
"And we'll have fun, fun, fun now that Daddy took the T-bird away-ay-ay!" She threw her head back. "Ooh-ee! Ooh-ee-ee-ee-ee, ooh-ahh!"
Ben belly-laughed low and deep.
"You know you want to sing with me!" she cried. Without thinking, she grabbed his hands and started hopping around the kitchen, leading him around in her wild dance.
And to her utter joy, he joined in. Before she knew it, he was taking the lead, grasping her hand and twirling her out and back to him. He actually knew how to dance, as it turned out, and the movements soon became fluid and effortless. They glided around the island, laughing more than they were singing now, and only stopped when they realized the music had transitioned into the next song in the queue.
"Oh, another classic!" Rey exclaimed. "You can't be sad when you're listening to Jimmy Buffett!"
As the steel drum wound up a tempo, Ben took her hands again and led her in a calmer dance, this time stepping neatly from side to side in a slack circle as the vocals began to croon.
Nibblin' on sponge cake.
Watchin' the sun bake
All of those tourists covered with oil.
Strummin' my six string
On my front porch swing.
Smell those shrimp, they're beginning to boil.
And then Ben began to sing along, his deep voice pleasant and rumbling in her ears. "Wastin' away again in Margaritaville… Searchin' for my lost shaker o' salt… Some people claim that there's a woman to blame, but I know… it's nobody's fault."
Rey joined in, and they sang together as they danced across the kitchen and into the living room. It was lighthearted and fun, just two friends enjoying a good time together away from the stresses of school and the questions of society. He led her with ease, and she trusted him to guide her. They moved almost instinctively, never hesitating to consider the next step as they sang together and teased each other and laughed at one another's missteps and antics.
They danced through the next few songs, only slowing when they heard the back door squeak open and the sound of voices come from the mudroom. Ben slowly stepped away from her, and she got the feeling he was as reluctant to part as she was. He gave her a small smile, then glanced at the mudroom door before heading back to the kitchen to start setting out the food. She went to help him.
"You guys missed a beautiful sunset!" Tallie said as the group came into the kitchen. "We'll have to go again tomorrow so you can see it."
"Speaking of which," Ben interjected, "what does everyone want to do tomorrow?"
"I'd like to hang out on the beach," Poe spoke up. Finn and Rose nodded in agreement.
"We should get out there early so we can claim a good spot," Kaydel reasoned. "It's spring break, so you know every other college kid had the same idea as us."
Everyone gathered around the kitchen island to eat, then began to fragment off to go to bed. After a day of driving, they were all tired. Finn and Rose jumped in to clean up the kitchen before they retired for the evening, and since they seemed to have everything under control, Rey bid them goodnight and went to her room.
Freshly showered, she slipped into the plush guest bed and snuggled in. It occurred to her that the evening had felt strangely domestic. Doing life with another human being—and if she were honest with herself, with Ben in particular—had been nice. She'd enjoyed it. She'd been comfortable with it.
She wondered at those feelings and what they could mean.
…
Rey had always had trouble sleeping in a new place. She jerked awake just before dawn, and as the sun began to filter through the curtains, she finally gave up on falling back asleep and got up. Being careful not to wake Rose, she quietly went about relieving herself and brushing her teeth, then stepped out of the guest room and tiptoed down to the living room.
The house was quiet, so she assumed everyone else was still asleep. Snagging a throw blanket from the back of the couch, she wrapped its length around her shoulders and let herself out onto the porch.
The air was still cool, but it held the promise of warmth to come. She stepped up to the railing and leaned her elbows against it, turning her face to the rising sun as she breathed in the smell of salt and listened to the crash of the rolling waves. Golden light glittered brightly off the water, and seagulls cawed on the gentle sea breeze. In the distance, she could see a few people already out and about. A woman jogged along the beach, hat pulled low to block the sun and earbuds tucked snugly into her ears. An older couple puttered along the edge of the waves, stopping every so often to bend and pick up a shell. A young man, sans shirt and shoes, jogged in the opposite direction, loose hair flying out behind him.
According to Kaydel's prediction, this beach would be teeming with people later, but for now it was pristine and peaceful. Rey sighed as she took in the view. She could get used to this.
After a while, she realized the young man she'd seen jogging was veering away from the water and approaching the house. She squinted against the sun, and finally recognized Ben at a distance.
It made sense, really. Even though he was lacking the stereotypical tan, seeing him now—with loose hair, long limbs, toned physique and easy gait—he was every inch a beach boy. She studied him as he approached, wondering in the privacy of her mind where he'd been hiding that body, then realized she was ogling him and quickly looked away.
As he drew closer, he looked up and saw her at the railing. "How long have you been up?" he asked, taking the steps two at a time to join her on the porch.
"Not long." She smiled up at him as he leaned an elbow against the railing next to her.
"Couldn't sleep?"
She shrugged. "Never can in a new place."
He nodded, gazing out at the sunrise before looking back down at her. "Would you like some coffee?"
She smiled. "Yes, please."
With a lopsided smile of his own, he jerked his head toward the door. She followed him inside to the kitchen, and hopped up on a barstool to watch as he set a kettle of water to boiling. He pulled out the coffee grounds and a French press, then measured out the grounds and dumped them in the pitcher. The kettle started to whistle, and he quickly pulled it off the burner and poured the piping hot water over the grounds.
"I'm gonna go shower while that's steeping," he said. He stopped behind her and rested a hand on her shoulder blade. "Are you good for a minute?"
She nodded.
"Be right back," he said, and disappeared down the hallway.
True to his word, he returned shortly, tugging on a plain T-shirt and shaking out his wet hair as he stepped back into the kitchen. He pulled two mugs from a cabinet and poured out the coffee. Rey added a dollop of creamer to her mug, then offered the jug to Ben. He shook his head.
"I usually drink it black," he explained, picking up his mug.
Rey wrinkled her nose, and he huffed a laugh.
"I guess I just need extra sweetening," she reasoned, sliding the creamer back into the fridge.
"Yeah, you do," he teased as they took their mugs and headed back to the porch. "You're a big meanie." He held the door open for her.
"I am not!" she squeaked in mock affront, but the effect was ruined by her giggles. He smirked back.
By wordless accord, they settled side by side on the porch swing. Rey folded her legs underneath the blanket and curled her fingers around her mug. Ben stretched out his legs and gently pushed off with his heel. The swing slowly swayed back and forth.
After a while, Ben broke the silence. "Sunset is all well and good, but…" He raised his mug to the beach. "Sunrise is where it's at, if you ask me."
"It is beautiful," Rey agreed. "You were right—there might not be anywhere prettier than the beaches of Naboo."
He nodded. "Told you."
"I could sit here forever and just…" She gestured with her mug to the expanse of sea and air before them, letting the movement speak for her.
"Me too."
"You seem much more at ease here," she observed, turning to face him.
"I am," he admitted. "I came here almost every summer growing up. It feels more like home than anywhere else."
"I'm glad you had that."
He looked over at her. "What about you? Parents, grandparents…?"
She supposed she should've expected the question, but it still surprised her. Had it really not come up so far in their acquaintance? She swallowed her mouthful of coffee and rested her mug on the swing's arm.
"I never knew my grandparents," she answered quietly. "My parents passed away when I was six. I was put into the foster care system, bounced from house to house… until I ended up at Chandrila."
She took another sip of coffee as she watched the waves lap at the shore in the distance. After a moment of silence, she realized Ben still hadn't said anything, and looked over at him. He was holding his mug in his lap, eyes downcast as he frowned into the black coffee within.
"I'm… I'm so sorry to hear that, Rey," he murmured.
"It wasn't your fault."
"No, but… it sounds awful." He suddenly scoffed. "Here I am, moping because of, well, family, while you've endured something so much worse, and yet you've never said a word about it." He shook his head. "You're always so… positive."
She shrugged. "There's no use complaining about it. It's made me stronger. And now that I'm in college, I'm considered independent. I'm no longer reliant on anyone but myself. It's… wonderful. Freeing. I feel like I've got my whole life ahead of me, and the possibilities are endless."
She looked over to find him studying her. This close, she could see the color variants in his irises. They weren't just dark brown, but a mixture of browns, greens, and golds, illuminated by the rising sun. His eyes flicked over her, and for a moment, she almost—almost—thought he might lean in and kiss her.
And to her surprise, she realized she would've welcomed it.
But then he gave a little shake of his head, almost in wonder, and smiled. Turning away to face the sun, he reached over and gently squeezed her shoulder, then rested his arm along the back of the swing. She sat comfortably by his side, enjoying the view as she finished her coffee.
And nearly spilled the rest of it on herself when the porch door burst open and Poe stepped outside.
"Looks like it's going to be a beautiful day!" he observed. He planted his fists on his hips and took a deep breath of sea air. "I think the girls want to hit the beach early and claim a good spot. What do you guys think?"
"I think you've got too much energy for this early in the morning," Ben mock-griped, but Poe just laughed.
Ben turned to Rey and tilted his head at the door. She nodded, and they got up from the swing to follow Poe inside and start breakfast.
…
After eating and caffeinating themselves, the group split ways to don their bathing suits and beach attire. The girls gathered up sunscreen, towels, and extra water bottles while the boys raided the garage for umbrellas and chairs, then they trooped down to the beach together.
The feel of the sand underfoot was a new experience for Rey, and one she wasn't entirely sure was good. It was coarse and gritty, and kept pooling in her flip flops. Finally, she stooped to take her shoes off altogether. That made it better, although the sand was almost too hot for comfort against the soles of her feet. Her arches stretched uncomfortably as she tramped across the unsteady sand.
That all changed when they got closer to the water. The hard-packed sand was far easier to walk on, and much cooler underfoot. Down here, the constant roll of the waves was nearly a roar; as soon as one wave broke and receded in a burble of foam, another was crashing in its place. It was powerful.
Kaydel and Tallie found what they claimed was the perfect spot, close to the water but out of reach of the lapping waves, and promptly laid out their towels. They stripped out of their coverlets, revealing skimpy bikinis and tanned, slender figures, and stretched out to sunbathe.
The boys set up the two umbrellas while Rey and Rose unfolded the chairs. Glancing at the other girls, Rey decided she'd lay out for a while too. Her olive complexion was prone to tanning, so she wouldn't need much sun. Shucking her T-shirt and shorts, she dug out the bottle of sunscreen and started to spray herself down.
"Want me to get your back?" Ben asked. She turned to find him sitting in one of the chairs in the shade of the umbrella. He was squinting up at her from behind his Ray-Bans.
"Sure. Thanks." She handed him the bottle and knelt down, turning her back to him and sweeping her hair out of the way. There were a few shockingly cold blasts of sunscreen, and then the warmth of a large hand as he made sure he'd spread it everywhere.
"Ben, would you get me, too?" Tallie piped up from her towel.
Ben got up from his chair and went to crouch next to her. Brandishing the bottle of sunscreen, he gave Tallie the same treatment, spraying it across the plane of her back and rubbing it in. She gasped and giggled as the cold spray hit her skin.
Rey didn't like it.
"Here, let me do you, too," Tallie said when he'd finished. "You don't want to get burned the first day, or you'll be miserable the rest of the week!"
She popped up from her towel and held out her hand for the sunscreen. Before Ben had even voiced his consent, she was gesturing for him to take his shirt off. He obediently tugged it over his head, and she set to work.
Rey really didn't like that.
Ben returned to his chair under the umbrella and withdrew a book from the bag, and to all appearances became absorbed in the pages almost instantly. Rey glanced over at him, but he didn't look up, so she returned her attention to her own book.
Despite the relaxing combination of sun, sand, and sea, there was no sitting still for Poe and his boundless energy. He pulled out a football and tossed it into the air with a spin. "Finn?"
Finn nodded, and the two boys jogged a distance away to throw the football back and forth.
After a while, Rey had half a mind to join them. She'd been staring at the same page of her book for several minutes before she realized she hadn't read a single word, and snapped it shut in frustration. She didn't understand why she was so annoyed, which only served to annoy her further.
Propping her chin in her palm, she gazed out at the ocean.
That was how she came to notice the suspicious nature with which Poe and Finn had started whispering down by the water. They'd left the football sitting in the sand and gone down to the lapping waves. As she watched, they waded ankle-deep and each scooped up a handful of water, then started back their way.
"Rose," she murmured in warning.
Rose looked up and frowned. Finn had been heading for her, but realized he'd been caught and quickly veered away, following after Poe.
Kaydel and Tallie had the misfortune of not paying attention. Two ear-splitting shrieks suddenly rent the air, then Poe and Finn were running back to the water, laughing uproariously. The two girls jumped up and went after them. Tallie stopped shy of the water, but to Rey's amusement, Kaydel chased Poe all the way in, and then tackled him for good measure. She didn't think either party minded much.
They came back wet and laughing. Finn engulfed Rose in a cold bear hug, ignoring her protests while Rey laughed at them. Poe and Kaydel were exchanging smirks.
Tallie went up to Ben and grabbed his hand. "Come down to the water with me!" she begged.
He put his book down and allowed himself to be tugged down to the water. Rey watched as Tallie skipped into the waves, squealing and laughing as the cool water hit her legs. Ben followed her. Giggling, Tallie skimmed her hands along the surface and splashed the water at him. He flinched at first, then returned the favor with a tentative smile.
Rey scowled behind her sunglasses, but quickly wiped the expression off her face when she felt Rose looking at her. It was no concern of hers who Ben talked to or flirted with. She had no claim on him.
"I'm actually a bit warm," Rose commented mildly. "Want to go down to the water with me?"
Rey nodded reluctantly and levered herself up. She didn't really want to go any closer to the flirting couple, but she also didn't like how quickly she'd become so aggravated by it. It wasn't like her. She needed to do something to distract herself.
The two girls walked down to the water, gasping at the temperature before slowly wading in to their waists.
"This actually isn't too bad," Rey said as she grew accustomed to it. The push and pull of the waves rocked her back and forth on her feet, but after a minute, it became relaxing.
"Did you ever watch The Little Mermaid, growing up?" Rose asked, smoothing her hands across the water's surface as she looked out at the horizon.
Rey giggled. "Yes. Thinking of joining the merfolk?"
Rose snorted. "No. Although I was always fascinated by the idea of mermaids. You know the scene where she comes up from the water and slings her hair back?"
Rey nodded.
Rose sighed. "I always wanted to do that, as a little girl."
Rey spread her arms wide, looking around at the water surrounding them. "Well, now's your big chance."
"No way," Rose said with a giggle. "I'm not nearly graceful enough. I'd probably drown on accident." She jutted her chin at Rey. "You do it."
"Why me?"
"So I can live vicariously through you." Rose clasped her hands under her chin and batted her eyelashes. "Please?"
Rey rolled her eyes. "Only because I love you."
Taking a deep breath, Rey pinched her nose shut and ducked down under the water. A rush of cold closed over her head as she bent forward, and then she surged back up, breaking through the surface with a gasp, and threw her head back. Her hair flew everywhere, water droplets spraying into the air, before the wet strands slapped against her back. She wiped the water out of her eyes, laughing breathlessly.
"There!" she cried. "I hope that was satisfactory for you!"
There was something decidedly smug in Rose's answering smirk as she returned her gaze from over her shoulder to Rey. "Yes, it was," she said. "Thank you."
…
They went back to the house for sandwiches around midday, then returned to the beach that afternoon. Kaydel and Tallie decided to go for a walk down to the pier. Rose settled on the sand in front of the umbrellas and announced her intention to build a sandcastle. She promptly enlisted Rey's help.
"First things first, we need to build the base," Rose said. Scooping up a pile of sand, she began to tamp it down into shape. "After that, we can add the turrets, and then do the moat."
Kneeling in the sand, Rey bent to help her friend. Together, the girls scooped and patted and pressed and shaped.
"Ben, how long has it been since you've built a sandcastle?" Rose asked as they worked.
At the sound of his name, he looked over the top of his book. "Years," he replied.
"I can't help but to think you must be the resident expert on sandcastle building. I mean, you have experience from your childhood, plus the technical abilities from your field of study. You should be down here helping us," Rose reasoned.
Rey glanced at her friend suspiciously from behind her sunglasses, but to all appearances, Rose was utterly focused on her task.
But then to her surprise, Ben put down his book and stood. "Well, if you're going to build turrets, you're going to need a pre-form," he said. "If you don't wet and pack the sand hard enough, it'll just crumble. Hang on, there's some tupperware we can use back at the house."
He was back soon with an armful of variously-shaped tupperware containers. He gathered some sea water in the largest one, then crouched in the sand beside them and began to help. His large hands troughed through the sand much faster than theirs had. He started digging out a moat, and packed the loose sand into the tupperware. Then he carefully placed the container in position and gently squeezed it until the sand slid out, still packed together. He was methodical and meticulous, as he was with everything, and soon, the turrets began to take shape.
"Now we need to add details!" Rose decided. "Have you ever done sand drippings?"
Ben and Rey shook their heads.
"It's something my sister and I used to do on family vacations," Rose explained. She retrieved some water from the lapping waves, then folded in handfuls of sand until she had a soupy mixture. Gathering some wet sand between her fingers, she began to drip it onto the turrets. Little peaks formed in its wake.
"We're going to need some seashells and stuff, too," she said. "Can you guys go find some good ones?"
Ben stood and offered Rey a hand up. "I saw a shell pile that way when I went running this morning," he said, pointing down the beach.
It was the opposite direction from where Kaydel and Tallie had gone, though whether that was sheer happenstance or on purpose, Rey wasn't sure. She nodded anyway, and they started off.
They walked in silence, side by side along the water's edge. Waves lapped at their ankles, making the sand wash out underfoot as the current pulled it back into the sea. Rey looked out at the horizon. There wasn't a cloud in the sky, nor another land mass to be seen. Miles out, a fishing boat puttered along in search of bounty.
The strip of sand continued down the beach and out of sight. She took a minute to appreciate the houses lining the dunes. Farther down the beach, a number of taller buildings—presumably hotels—stood out above the rest. Perhaps that was closer to Naboo proper.
"So, are you enjoying the trip so far?" Ben's soft voice broke the silence.
She looked over at him. He had his hands in his swim trunk pockets, and his eyes were downcast, watching his feet as he strolled along. The gentle sea breeze tousled his hair.
"Yeah," she replied. "It's nice to get away for a while." She snorted. "Although I'm starting to think I'm not cut out for relaxing. I'm not sure what to do with myself." Evidently, she had too much time on her hands to think about things she had no business thinking about.
He smiled. "I understand. It can be hard to switch off your brain."
"Exactly."
He frowned in contemplation, and finally raised his head to look in the distance. "Maybe after dinner tonight, we can all play a card game, or watch a movie."
Something in her brightened at the thought. "That would be fun."
"Good. Then it's decided." He squinted ahead, then gestured with his chin. "There's the shell pile."
They walked along the perimeter of the patch, combing through the shells until one or the other would find an interesting one. They'd rinse it off in the burbling waves and then show the other. If it passed the test, it would go into safe keeping in Ben's pockets. They found a few other odds and ends as they walked back, such as a stick of driftwood and some seaweed.
"Have you ever gone shark tooth hunting?" Ben asked as they headed back. Up ahead, they could just make out Rose kneeling by the castle as she worked. Finn and Poe were sitting under one of the umbrellas, talking; Kaydel and Tallie weren't back yet.
Rey shook her head. "No, I haven't."
"It's fun. I collected them as a kid. You have to come out early in the morning to find them, though, or else they get picked over." He glanced over at her. "If you're up early again tomorrow morning, we should see if we can find any."
Rey nodded, a little smile curling the corners of her lips. "Sounds like fun."
Once they were back at their camp, they spread out their finds for Rose's perusal, and together, they finished decorating the sand castle. Rey stuck the stick in the sand just outside the main gate, and secured a piece of seaweed to the top as a flag. Ben carefully pressed the seashells into the walls, the tip of his tongue poking through his lips as he concentrated on not crumbling the sand. Rose finished her sand drippings, then leaned back to take in the finished structure.
"It's magnificent," she declared.
Rey giggled. "It is pretty great," she agreed.
"You do realize that when high tide comes in, it'll destroy it," Ben deadpanned.
The girls gasped and turned to glare at him. He shrugged unapologetically.
"And you let us build it right here?" Rose trilled. "You didn't warn us?"
"Who was I to stand in the way of your industry?"
Before Rey realized what she was doing, she'd scooped up a glob of leftover wet sand and chucked it at him. It hit him square in the bare chest with a heavy splat.
He looked down at his gritty chest, then back up at her. "Oh, you little sh—"
She was up and running before he'd finished, shrieking with laughter as she made a mad dash for the water. He was on his feet and chasing after her in an instant, his long stride and conditioned body closing the gap fast.
He caught up to her just as she reached the water. Two strong arms suddenly wrapped around her from behind, picking her up off her feet and swinging her around as he waded further into the waves. She was laughing too hard to fight back properly, and before she knew it, they were both falling backwards into the water. She had just enough time to gasp in a breath before the cold water closed over her head.
She came up spluttering and giggling breathlessly, and turned to Ben. He shook his sodden hair out of his face and grinned at her.
"Little shit," he said teasingly.
"Big turd," she shot back, and he burst out laughing.
"Well, I think I got all the sand off…"
"No, you missed a spot," she said, pointing.
"Where?" He looked down at himself.
She swiftly brought her hand up to tip the end of his nose. He flinched and looked up at her, eyes wide and lips twitching, and she smirked at him proudly.
"You—!"
He made a move to go after her, and she squeaked and hurried out of the water. But this time he didn't give chase, instead settling for simply walking by her side. Chuckling, they returned to their camp.
It wasn't long after they'd settled in that Kaydel and Tallie returned. They exclaimed over the sand castle, then shared with the group that on their walk, they'd ended up on the pier, and decided to explore.
"There's the cutest little boardwalk and arcade," Tallie enthused, "and even a Ferris wheel!"
"And there's a restaurant at the pier that looks really good," Kaydel added. "We should go one night."
As the sun started to set, they packed up their gear and headed back to the house. Everyone was sweaty and gritty from the day on the beach, and took turns showering and changing into fresh clothes. Dinner was a simple affair of ordering a few pizzas from the local delivery place, and then everyone gathered in the living room for cards. A rousing game of Uno was played, in which victory came down to a hilarious screaming match between Poe and Finn—with Finn winning, much to Poe's agony—before the girls agreed that it was time to settle down for the night. Popcorn was popped, Netflix was loaded, and everyone settled into the couches for a movie.
After not sleeping well the previous night and waking up early that morning, followed by a long, languid day in the sun, exhaustion crept up on Rey before she had an opportunity to excuse herself for bed. She fought against the growing heaviness in her eyelids for a good twenty minutes, but just as the movie was starting to pick up, she finally nodded off against Ben's shoulder.
…
She felt the strangest sensation, almost like she was floating. Drifting down a hallway, bobbing along to the rhythm of footsteps, then going up…
She stirred against a warm chest, and fuzzily identified the feeling of long, strong arms around her.
"I can walk," she murmured sleepily.
"It's okay," came Ben's soft voice. "I've got you."
Too tired to argue, she nuzzled her face back into his chest and sighed. He carried her down the hall to her room, ducking slightly to open the doorknob, and let himself inside. She felt the telltale sway as he maneuvered around the bed, then turned to lay her on the coverlet. She burrowed under the covers, and he tugged them up tight.
She thought she heard him whisper goodnight. She thought she might've even felt the briefest press of dry lips against her hair. But as she fell back into the heavy pull of sleep, she was no longer certain what was dreamland and what was reality.
…
She awoke at dawn, feeling more rested than she had in weeks. Careful not to wake Rose, she went about her business, then quietly closed the door behind her and went downstairs.
She wasn't expecting anyone to be there, but as she came around the corner, she found Ben in the kitchen. He was dressed in his jogging shorts again, with no shirt or shoes, and was just closing the refrigerator door from having retrieved a bottle of water.
He looked up as she came over, and his expression registered mild surprise. "I figured you'd want to sleep in," he murmured in the universal hushed voice of early risers.
She shook her head. "I feel really good, actually."
"Good." He leaned his elbows on the island. "Would you still be interested in looking for shark teeth?"
She nodded. "I'll go up and change first."
"I'll put on a pot of coffee. We can take it with us."
When Rey came back down, this time dressed in shorts and a loose T-shirt, Ben had the French press steeping with two mugs and the creamer sitting beside it. He'd also put on a shirt, much to her secret disappointment. They made their coffee and went out the back door, not bothering with shoes as they stepped down to the sand and made their way out to the water. The sand was pleasantly soft and cool underfoot.
"Let's head toward the pier," Ben suggested, and they turned to walk up the beach.
They walked side by side in peaceful silence, sipping on their coffee as they swept their eyes along the sand. Rey cradled her mug against her heart, soaking in the warmth of the rising sun contrasted with the coolness of the gentle sea breeze. The sunrise was brilliant this morning, the rays of light illuminating the puffy clouds on the horizon in vivid hues of pink and orange.
Every so often, Ben paused and raked his feet across the sand, brushing broken bits of shell and gravel aside with his long toes in the quest for lost shark teeth. "Sometimes you can find an isolated one, but they're usually mixed in with the shell piles," he explained. "Look—there's a pile up ahead."
Rey spotted the patch of shells in the distance. They started toward it.
"Usually, shark teeth found on beaches are black, not white," Ben said as they walked. "I've read that it's because they're actually fossils, not recently exfoliated from living sharks, and over time they absorb minerals that change their color. So, look for something small, black, and pointy."
They arrived at the shell pile and began to sweep their gazes along the hodgepodge of broken shells and bits of debris. There were lots of different types and colors and patterns of shells. Some were still intact, while many had been pulverized into tiny pieces. Rey even found a bleached coral fragment.
They'd been searching the pile for several minutes when Ben suddenly crouched down and pinched something from the sand. He turned it over in his palm, then held it out to her.
"Here you go. Shark's tooth."
She gently took the small tooth and held it up between her thumb and forefinger. It was no larger than the tip of her thumb, and was shaped like a Y; over time, it had darkened until it was nearly black.
"Whoa," she marveled.
"It was probably from a sand tiger shark," Ben said as he studied the tooth in her hand. "Come on, let's keep looking. Where there's one, there's likely more."
They continued their search, and eventually moved onto the next shell pile. Ben identified a few more teeth, and Rey squealed with pride when she finally found one too. Long having finished their coffee, they rinsed out their mugs in the ocean and used them to hold their finds.
They made it all the way to the pier. Ben stood by while Rey explored the soaring pilings and crossed supports beneath the deck far above. Barnacles were attached to the pilings' broad bases, and ocean water collected around them in little pools, swirling in small eddies with each new wave.
Eventually, they turned back and started down the beach. As they walked, Ben looked out across the ocean.
"Looks like today might not be a good beach day, after all," he predicted.
Rey followed his gaze. The clouds from earlier had grown thicker, and as the sun had risen behind them, the sky had cooled, becoming ominously dark along the horizon. She hummed her agreement.
Sure enough, by the time they'd returned to the house and everyone else had risen, the rains had moved in for the day. The general mood in the house was quiet, matching the weather outside. Kaydel and Tallie were especially bummed that they would miss a day on the beach, until Ben mentioned a strip mall a few miles down the road. A day of shopping sounded like a good compromise, and so the group got ready and assembled in the garage.
"Without luggage, I can seat all of us in my car," Ben offered.
"I call shotgun!" Tallie cried.
While Tallie climbed into the front seat, Poe and Ben wrangled the third row into position. Kaydel promptly claimed the seat beside Poe, which left Rey squeezing in next to Rose and Finn. She propped her chin on her palm to watch the rain as they drove to the strip mall.
The strip mall turned out to be more of an outlet mall, with numerous shops around open-air courtyards. The group ran under the cover of the breezeway, laughing and shaking out their wet hair and clothes. The girls spied a clothing store, and immediately started in that direction. The boys tolerated it for a while before becoming restless. Ben and Poe eventually went off to look at other things, but Finn dutifully stayed with Rose and Rey.
"Finn, you can go with them, you know," Rose encouraged him. "You don't have to stay here and be miserable holding my bags."
"Yeah, but…"
Rose winked. "How else am I supposed to surprise you later?"
Finn smirked. "Duly noted. Bye."
The girls giggled at his quickly retreating back, then Rose turned to Rey. "And now for some serious shopping," she declared, grabbing Rey's elbow and dragging her further into the store.
Kaydel and Tallie had gone straight for the bathing suit section at the back. Rose directed Rey toward the back of the store now, through the bathing suit section to the rear wall, and began flicking through the clearance racks.
"How long has it been since you bought yourself a new swimsuit?" Rose asked.
"Um…"
"That's what I figured." She tugged a few things off the rack and held them out to Rey. "Come on, at least try them on."
"But mine still fits."
"Rey, honey, it's faded and worn. You deserve to get a new swimsuit. They're even on clearance, look!"
With a put-upon sigh, Rey took the hangers and trooped off to the dressing rooms. The first suit didn't fit, and the second one was a definite no-go, but the third one was actually rather cute. It was a good bit more revealing than her trusty old tankini, but the cut was sporty enough to cover her up while the top was supportive enough to make it look like she actually had boobs.
"Let me see when you're done!" Rose called from outside the changing room.
When Rey stepped out and twirled for her, Rose nodded. "Oh, yes. You're getting it. And we need to find you a pretty cover-up, too."
"Why? I have T-shirts."
"Trust me." Under her breath, she added, "He'll never know what hit him."
"What?"
"What?"
…
After exhausting every store, the group reconvened and headed back to the house. It was still too early for dinner, and so they hung out in the living room, watching the clouds and rain roll through while a movie played in the background. Poe discovered a boxed Cards Against Humanity game, and with a devious chuckle, he opened it and dealt Finn, Kaydel, and Tallie into a game. The following hour was spent laughing over increasingly colorful card combinations.
As evening approached, Rose peered out the window. "Looks like the rain has stopped," she announced.
Poe's head shot up from their game. "Hey! Maybe we could check out the boardwalk tonight."
The rain continued to hold off, and so they decided to risk walking to the boardwalk. Carrying their shoes in hand, they started up the beach. The sand was packed and cold after the day's rain, feeling much more pleasant against Rey's feet than it had during the scorching heat of yesterday.
They climbed up the steps to the pier and came out into bustling, colorful chaos. The boardwalk turned out to be a conglomerate of shopfronts and tents and kiosks, offering a mix of trinkets and food and games. There were at least one or two proper eateries, including the fine dining restaurant at the pier, and beyond it all, Rey spotted the brightly sparkling tops of fair rides, including a slowly spinning Ferris wheel. Her jaw dropped as she took it all in. It was far more extensive than she'd realized.
Deciding to eat first, they started toward the restaurant. Dinner was fresh-caught and immensely satisfying, and then it was off to discover what all the boardwalk held. There were gag gifts, little jewelry and sunglasses stands, and a variety of boardwalk-emblazoned hats and bags and other tourist-themed things. There was axe throwing and ball tossing and balloon popping, complete with stuffed animal prizes. Poe put down a few dollars for several axes, and ended up winning a small stuffed dolphin. He promptly passed it to Kaydel, much to her evident pleasure. Finn showed his prowess at target shooting and won a bear for Rose, who accepted it with a blushing smile.
They came to the end of the boardwalk, and decided to finish off the night with a ride on the Ferris wheel. Finn and Rose took the first compartment, and as it lifted away, Rey moved up to take the next one. Tallie sidled up beside Ben, leaving Poe and Kaydel to have the last one to themselves.
But when the operator opened the gate, Ben followed Rey to her compartment. He squeezed in next to her, taking up every last bit of space. And then the operator closed the gate, and the compartment lifted off the ground.
"I think Tallie wanted to ride with you," Rey said as they slowly ascended. The boardwalk shrank away beneath them.
"Oh?" Ben blinked owlishly at her, then peered over the edge. "She's fine. She jumped in with Poe and Kaydel."
Rey watched him for a moment, wondering whether he was being purposefully obtuse or if he really was that clueless, but he didn't seem to give it a second thought as he relaxed back into the hard plastic seat. He stretched out his arm along the back of the bench to uncrimp himself, and looked up and around at the Ferris wheel and the world around them. She followed his gaze, and found herself smiling in wonderment. The boardwalk and the pier looked like a doll's playground beneath them, the blinking rainbow of lights glittering like jewels far below. Out to sea, the rising moon reflected off the water in an undulating ribbon of light, and if it hadn't been for the cover of night, Rey was sure she would've been able to see for miles.
"It's so beautiful here," she whispered.
"It is." There was a pause. "I'm glad you came, Rey."
She turned back to him with a soft smile. "Me too."
…
It was late when they started back to the house. Ben led the way, since he was most familiar with the lay of the land, and Tallie was quick to fall into step beside him.
A few strides behind them, using her phone to light her path, Rey rolled her eyes. The girl hadn't waited ten seconds after getting off the Ferris wheel before she'd glued herself to Ben's side, and she'd stayed there as they had left the boardwalk and descended the stairs to the beach. Now, she weaved back and forth, chatting and giggling, and every so often rested her hand on Ben's arm under the guise of regaining her balance in the sand.
They'd been walking for a while when Tallie suddenly yelped. "Something just pinched my toe!" she squealed.
"It was probably a crab," Ben told her.
"A crab?!"
"Yeah."
Tallie sucked in a gasp and drew closer to Ben, wrapping her arms around his bicep. "I don't do crabs," she whimpered.
Taking pity on her, Ben stooped and gave her a boost onto his back. She promptly curled her arms and legs around him and hunkered down. He wrapped his arms under her bum and straightened up to continue walking.
Gritting her teeth, Rey looked down into her narrow path of light. A little ghost crab, no more than three inches long, paused like a deer in headlights in the beam, then scampered off. A killer, that one. She rolled her eyes again, just for good measure.
…
The rest of the week went much the same way. Their group spent time on the beach, explored the boardwalk, and gathered to watch movies and play games at night. All in all, it was one of the most fun and relaxing weeks Rey had ever had.
Tallie still made moves on Ben every chance she got, but Rey was able to snag plenty of moments alone with her friend. They continued their morning shark tooth hunts as the weather allowed, and he always saved her a spot beside him during the evening movie. By the end of the week, despite Tallie's obvious efforts to catch his interest, Rey had even started to wonder if Ben actually liked her.
Because if he did, she rather thought the feeling was mutual.