Rey had never had a boyfriend before, but she could tell that Ben was a very good one. Over the next weeks, the Saturdays dedicated to watching movies had turned into afternoons spent cuddling on his bed, the two of them barely paying attention to the TV and finding more interest in each other.

Even though they'd agreed to keep it a secret at school, she'd been quick to tell her friends the second she'd seen them in the confinement of Rose's room two days later.

"You're doing better than I thought," Poe mused when she described how everything had happened.

"Yeah, but you can't let Hux know about it," Finn added with a serious look. "He would destroy you."

Dismissing the possibility of Armitage even finding out about it, Rey shrugged. "Speaking of," she said as she turned to Poe, "I need you to make a dyeing shampoo. I want his hair to be black. Like coal. Darker than coal. Burned coal."

A scoff escaped Poe at her request, only confirming her theory that her idea pleased him.

After school and on the weekends, Poe could usually be found in his parents' shop surrounded by the latest homemade beauty products. Even though she'd only been there twice, Rey vividly remembered the aggressive smell of various soaps mixed with incense, and her head almost started spinning.

"Now that's something interesting!" Poe exclaimed with a bright smile. "What happened?"

Trying hard to ignore the guilt already building up in her stomach, Rey gave him a shrug. "Turns out he's not behaving as a friend should. At least not with-"

"Ben. We get it."

Judging by Rose and Finn's amused faces and the clock hung above the door, she'd been talking about her boyfriend for twenty minutes- and God, it still felt weird calling him her boyfriend. Was she supposed to give him a nickname? Just as she was about to ask, Poe let out a sigh and flopped onto the nearest chair.

"I'll get your damn shampoo, but you better not get pregnant by the end the year." Not giving her time to process the warning and what it implied, he raised a finger, a determined look in his eyes. "We've got to crack Armitage Hux. We crack him, and we crack years of Thirsties reign."

"Say crack again." Rose said behind him.

"Crack."

This time, Rey joined her friends as the three of them erupted into a fit of giggles. Shaking his head, Poe rolled his eyes and sighed again.

"Come to the shop tomorrow. But you can't tell your boyfriend."

"I can't believe you did that," Rose giggled as they sat in English class a week later.

Neither could Rey: blinded by the innocent voice she'd used and his own pride, Hux had been quick to accept her cursed present. Of course, he wasn't stupid and had asked the next day why his hair had suddenly turned so dark, to which Rey had replied with such a big lie she was still surprised he'd believed her: "It's part of the moisturizing process. It's an ancient root that slightly dyes your hair, but it'll disappear in a few days,"she'd explained during lunch, careful not to meet Ben's eyes when she'd felt them on her. Of course, it didn't- and by the end of the week, the coppery color of his hair was nothing more than an old memory.

"I know," Rey mumbled as she placed her notebook on the desk. Even though her friends all seemed pleased with her idea, she was now feeling guilty whenever she looked at Armitage. She may have decided that she hated him, but something in her head irritatingly similar to her father's voice kept reminding her of the importance of kindness and respect; what she'd done was neither respectful nor kind in any way.

The guilt only increased as Mrs. Kanata stepped into the class weighed down with books piled up in her arms and a coffee threatening to fall from her hands with every step she took.

"Good morning!" The woman chanted as she sat behind the desk.

The entire classroom replied with enthusiasm, except Rey, who felt a lump settling in her throat. Of all her teachers, Mrs. Kanata had been the most understanding since her arrival, taking time to explain everything without once showing irritation or amusement. She'd truly been an amazing ally during those first months. Suddenly, the words she'd written a few days ago came back to Rey along with shame and regret. She was only trying to follow the plan but… hearing her friends laugh at what she'd said had been oddly satisfying.

Fake, she reminded herself. Fake friends. Well, she didn't mind Phasma, and Ben was now more than a friend but… What exactly was Hux?

"Alright class, let's get star-"

A jingle cut her mid-sentence. Within seconds, all the students were staring at the small screen overhanging the board where their principal's face appeared, visibly nervous.

"Good morning everyone," Mr. Skywalker grumbled from his desk. Half-hidden behind his glasses, his eyes lingered on a small piece of paper he was holding and he cleared his throat. "I was told today is the day we finally know the names of our Spring Fling Kings and Queens."

"I'm starting to regret Hamlet," someone whispered in the back.

If Mr. Skywalker's face was any indication, he, too, was regretting Hamlet. After another sigh, the principle looked down on his notes and spoke again. "The nominees are, as follow: Armitage Hux and Gwen Phasma, Dopheld Mitaka and Kaydel Connix, and Ben Solo and Rey Andor."

Rey didn't hear the end of the announcement, too focused on how her heart had mysteriously disappeared from her chest. Far too aware of the looks on her, she turned to Rose who was already quickly typing something on her phone. "Did you know about this?"

"I didn't-" A frown creased her brow and she glanced at her, a small smile on hers lips. "Poe said… I thought he was joking."

Poe. Of course. Repressing a sigh, Rey closed her eyes and gritted her teeth as she remembered her friend's role in the student council. Being best friends with the class president apparently had its perks. "I'll kill him."

"I'd suggest you do it before lunch," Rose whispered as Mrs. Kanata cleared her throat. "Finn wouldn't appreciate you killing his boyfriend."

Feeling their teacher's eyes on them, Rey nodded briefly then drifted her attention to the book she'd just opened, gathering all her strength to focus on the lesson for the remaining forty minutes. When finally the bell rang, she stormed out of the classroom and stomped to the sciences corridor where she found Poe laughing rather loudly with one of his Senior friends- Snaps, or something like that. Doing her best not to look at Ben, since Phasma and Hux weren't far behind, she elbowed her way toward Poe, who greeted her with open arms and a radiant smile.

"Rey, babe! How's our new Spring Fling Queen?"

Feeling a blush creeping on her cheeks, Rey grabbed his arm and dragged him away from his classmates, her voice fast and low. "Why on Earth would you-"

"Hey, easy!" Poe protested, idly removing himself from her grasp. Had it not been for Finn's love for the damn jacket, she would've ripped it into pieces. "Hux is always King," he explained in the same hushed voice she'd adopted. "You have to steal his place."

It wasn't a bad idea. Considering her initial goal, it was actually a rather good one.

Still, this wasn't something she'd agreed on. "No one's ever gonna vote for us," she started cautiously. "Nobody knows we're together."

Well, maybe this was about to change, now. Instinctively, her eyes lingered on Ben, who was still staring at her. Catching her gaze, he gave her an inquiring look, to which she replied with a shrug.

"We'll talk later," she mumbled as Ben left his own friends and started walking towards them.

Luckily, Poe seemed to catch the nervousness in her voice and gave her a nod before disappearing in the crowd. Judging by the frown creasing Ben's brow, he'd heard the announcement- and if the suspicious looks of Hux and Phasma were any indication, their secret was out.

"Hey, did you…"

"No," she hastened to murmur. "Sorry, it's- my friend Poe."

"Oh."

There it was: the disappointed tone she'd feared. She hadn't been able to keep their secret for more than two months, all this because of a stupid plan she'd agreed to follow for the sole purpose of… Of what, exactly? Having friends? As fun as her little reunions with Poe, Rose and Finn had been, she'd surprised herself wishing they would sometimes do something else. Hux was starting to take a huge place in her life for someone she didn't appreciate that much- but then again, the little voice reminded her of something she'd tried to ignore for a long time: this wasn't like her.

Swallowing with difficulty, Rey bit the inside of her cheeks and let her eyes drop to her feet. Two months. She hadn't expected this to end so quickly.

She hadn't even expected it to end.

"Sorry… I'll ask him to cancel us."

"Or we could stay in the run."

Just as fast as they'd appeared, her worries vanished, making place for a joy she couldn't explain. She didn't care about a Spring Fling Queen title; still, her heart made a loop inside her chest. Repressing a sigh of relief, she looked up with an incredulous smile on her lips, picking each of her words carefully. "I'm… not sure Hux would appreciate that."

"I don't care what Hux thinks."

Mirroring her expression, Ben gave her a timid smile and closed the gap between them. Instinctively, Rey craned her neck and closed her eyes as his lips captured hers, soft and gentle. Their hands immediately found each other, fingers lacing as they always did when they kissed; except this time, they weren't in the privacy of his room. This time, an entire crowd of students was watching them. Rey couldn't care less.

For a brief second, everything disappeared –the stress of the nomination, Poe, Hux- leaving her alone with Ben and the soothing sensation of his mouth moving with hers. Her heartbeat hastened at the realization of what was happening. This was official. He had made it official. Somewhere behind them, a voice she recognized as Poe's said something she didn't understand, eliciting a few giggles from the crowd. It must've been funny, though, because Ben was now smiling through the kiss.

"See you tonight?" he murmured as he pulled away slowly.

Still drunk on his touch, it took Rey a few seconds to process his question, and a few more to find her voice again. "Tonight?"

"Back to the Future."

Of course. Smiling apologetically, she gave him a firm nod. "Yeah, see you tonight."

Just as she thought about stealing another kiss, the bell rang above her head, beckoning the two of them to get back to their respective classes. Begrudgingly, she let go of his hand and watched him go back to the sciences corridor under his friends' surprised gazes. Not far away, Poe gave her a wink and a thumbs-up before disappearing inside the classroom.

Thankfully, the rest of the day wasn't as stressful as Rey had thought. With a little help from Ben's texts and Finn's eyes, she managed to avoid Hux during lunch and, instead, eat her cheese fries in the company of her real friends. After months spent away from them, sharing her lunch break with Rose, Finn and Poe felt both surreal and natural. No rules, no fears: just the four of them having a good time, away from the elitist table she hadn't dared to look at.

When the bell finally rang at four, Rey burst outside the class to the corridor, walking to the exit with haste. Even though students weren't allowed to run inside, she felt like she could easily have beaten a jaguar. Her heart was drumming fast inside her chest, its beats only hastening when she joined Ben in the parking lot and in his father's car, and later as she followed him inside his house.

Once the movie started, she let out a sigh of relief. Everything felt so much simpler when away from school, and even more with Ben's arms around her. Hadn't it been for his phone constantly buzzing against the nightstand, the evening would've been similar to the ones they usually spent together. Unable to fight her curiosity, Rey glanced at the screen; just as she'd expected, the name of her worst enemy appeared. Just like the five previous times, Ben ignored it, his eyes focused on the screen while his fingers kept gently stroking her hair.

"Hey," Rey murmured the second a scene came on that seemed unimportant enough to interrupt their silence. "There's something I should tell you."

An inquiring 'hm' vibrated against the back of her neck, sending a wave of shivers over her entire body. God, staying focused would be more difficult than she'd thought. "When you said you didn't care about Hux's reaction… did you mean it?"

Another humming caressed her skin, this time followed by Ben's voice. "Of course."

"But you two are friends, right?"

The answer wasn't as fast to come this time, only confirming her suspicions. "I guess we used to be," Ben stated cautiously. "Well, I guess we still are."

"But he's…" The word died on her lips, repressed by her teeth seizing her lower lip. This wasn't a conversation she'd planned, but… after Ben's gesture this very morning, she couldn't help feeling even more guilty about her secret: the other secret, the one he didn't know about.

But was it really a secret? She'd never denied her friendship with Poe, and her hatred toward Armitage only grew bigger each day. She wasn't exactly lying- more like omitting some details. Still, something about it felt wrong. And wrong wasn't something she wanted to feel when with Ben.

As if sensing the seriousness behind her voice, Ben let go of her hair and shifted on his bed, leaving her with a sensation of loss where her back had been covered by his chest. "Well, I can't deny that I love the temporary dye your shampoo gave him."

Even though his words had probably been meant to make her laugh, they only tightened the knot settling around her stomach.

"Yeah, about that… It may be permanent."

Time seemed to stop for a moment, and then accelerate as various emotions crossed Ben's face. Somewhere between amusement and shock, his eyes widened and his mouth opened a few times before he finally managed to speak again. "You did what now?"

"I…" Once again, the word died on Rey's lips. Urged by Ben's inquiring look on her, she took a deep breath and explained everything.

She started speaking slowly. Poe's idea, the guilt, the anger: everything flew from her tongue with more ease as she articulated the truth about the past months. When she was done, silence fell between them, wrapping the entire room with a tension that spurred her last words. "Please, say something…"

As if dragged back from a daydream, Ben blinked twice and took a deep breath, quirking an eyebrow as his eyes lingered on her. "Am I… part of the plan?"

"Of course not," Rey murmured shamefully. "You weren't supposed to happen." As if to emphasize her statement, she shook her head and risked a movement in his direction. "I'm sorry, it was stup-"

"Unexpected," Ben whispered with disbelief. Another deep breath heaved his chest and he closed his eyes. "You should've told me."

"I know, I just… I didn't…" Swallowing with difficulty, Rey waited for his eyes to open again. "I didn't want you to be even more… ashamed."

Once again, silence fell on the room; except this time, Ben was the one to draw closer to her. "Why would I be ashamed?"

"Well, I'm… not exactly like you. I'm just…" Another lump settled in her throat; but this time, Armitage Hux had nothing to do with it. "I'm… no one. . I don't know anything about real life, I keep saying stupid things and I'm…"

Flashbacks from her first day at school came rushing back: the teachers, the cafeteria, Poe's warnings. "I'm not entirely stupid, I can see I'll never be as cool as everyone else. I'm trying but… in the end, I'm nothing."

A brief silence followed her statement, during which she realized that tears were gathering on her eyelashes.

"I think you know more about real life than I do," Ben said as his arm wrapped around her shoulder. "And as far as I'm concerned" -his free hand took hers and their fingers laced- "you're far from nothing."

All of a sudden, tears rolled down her face. There they were: the tears she hadn't allowed to flow since her arrival. She couldn't remember the last time she'd wanted to cry –there'd been so much since the beginning of the year- but she remembered the last time she had as if it were today. Packing the last sixteen years of her life in a small bag had felt surreal, but watching her homeland visibly shrink behind a plane's window had only brought tears and fears. Even though she loved her new friends, it felt like a part of her would always love Africa; the exact same part that now mourned the simplicity of her old life.

"I just miss everything," she murmured; and just as the tears began to fall, her face met the soft fabric of Ben's shirt as he pulled her in for a very much needed hug.

Calmly, his fingers made their way to her hair and stroke gently.

They stayed like this for a few more minutes- or hours, maybe- before Ben finally spoke again, his voice muffled in her hair. "You want to stay here tonight?"

Shaken by a shiver as she pulled away, Rey ran her sleeve over her cheeks with a sniff. When her eyes found Ben's, she registered what he'd just said and frowned. "Your parents-"

"They left yesterday," Ben said hastily. "They're away for the week."

"Oh."

She took a moment to dry her face as much as her sleeve could handle, giving him just enough time to add: "Actually- you could even stay for a few days. I you want to."

A few days. A few days in an empty house with Ben. Oblivious of her puffy eyes, Rey gave him a timid smile and shrugged as the words crossed her lips in a whisper. "I'll have to ask my parents."

Technically, Rey'd asked her parents. She'd just omitted the detail of her friend's identity, and hadn't contradicted them when Rose's name had been brought up. She didn't really know why she'd lied: her parents had never prevented her from seeing a friend, but Ben wasn't exactly a friend.

In the space of seven days, she'd discovered many new things: being left without supervision, the pleasure of ordering pizza on a weeknight, and the soothing feeling that came with falling asleep next to Ben. Day after day, she realized how natural things felt around him. Even though she'd never been extremely self-conscious about her body, she'd surprised herself with how little clothing she was comfortable wearing in bed. Sure, the nights were still cold, but his body heat always made up for it.

"So! Last night," she said as she collapsed on the bed. "What did you chose?"

Barely moving from the impact, Ben gave her a brief smile then returned his attention to the remote. "Footloose."

When his eyes drifted back to the screen, Rey's lingered on his fingers idly dancing on the buttons as he navigated through the DVD's menu. The temperature of this room felt insanely high.

Gradually, their attention shifted away from the movie as they went through what was now their usual routine. First, they laced their fingers together, then their legs; and soon enough, Rey's hand was timidly grazing Ben's skin under his T-shirt. A shiver ran through her body when the hand stroking her hair moved to her neck, guiding her head away from his chest to ask for a kiss.

"I'm gonna miss sleeping with you," Ben murmured against her lips.

She would miss it too: his warmth, the feeling of his arms around her, or even simply brushing her teeth next to him.

"It was grool," she agreed with a grin.

A giggle interrupted Ben in his attempt to kiss her again, causing them both to fall in an uncontrollable fit of laughter. Biting her lips with amusement, Rey took this as an opportunity to straighten up. She could feel his eyes on her as she sat next to him, but something else caught her attention as she turned back to him. Hesitancy; fear, maybe. Probably realizing it, Ben cleared his throat and straightened up as well. "I- I'd never been with anyone like this before."

"Me neither."

A heavy silence fell between them, interrupted some time to time by the characters they'd abandoned long ago. Rey could tell from the way his brow was creased that he had more to say. She moved a little closer as Ben opened his mouth again, holding her breath.

"I…"

"Yes?"

Rey bit her lips again when she realized she'd interrupted him. Still hesitant, Ben shook his head with a smile. "No, this is stupid."

His fingers were drumming against the blanket, his teeth seizing his lower lip. Careful not to interrupt him again, she stopped the drumming with a hand on his and moved closer, dropping a kiss in the corner of his mouth.

"Stupid like what?"

"Nothing-"

The kissed deepened, firmer and hungrier.

"Like what, Ben?"

A sigh left him and he pulled away just enough to murmur the words against her lips. "I think I love you."

Someone was singing in the movie, but she couldn't care less. An uncontrollable smile had crossed her lips, her heart beating so fast she didn't know how she managed to hear what he said next.

"And I… I mean, we don't have to, but…I'd like to show you how… much-"

"I'd love to."

She'd interrupted him again; but from the smile he gave her, he didn't mind at all. Before she could speak again, his lips caught hers again; and even though they'd kissed a lot lately, this one felt different. It was nothing like the chaste kisses exchanged in the morning or the more passionate ones that sometimes made their way in the dark. This one was new and full of meaning.

Once again, the room felt insanely hot, and Rey wondered if Ben was as excited as she was.

"Hey," Rey murmured as she pulled away for air.

"Hm?"

"I think I might love you too."

Their eyes met, then their lips, and Rey could swear she heard their hearts beating unison when they both fell on the mattress, Ben above her as her legs made way for him. This was probably the longest kiss they'd shared- and the messiest. Just as she gasped for air again, she felt Ben fumbling with the ribbon ornamenting her sleeping pants and let out a chuckle. A loud chuckle, according to Ben's expression: still trying to undo the bow, he gave her an inquiring look that only made her laugh more.

"It's decorative."

"Decora..?" Still frowning, he glanced at the ribbon once again and rolled his eyes. "That's absurd."

"You're absurd."

A symphony of giggles echoed across the room, soon interrupted by kisses and gasps as Ben finally abandoned the bow, to Rey's great pleasure.