I went from a six-year writing hiatus to a six-month fanfiction binge, all over these two space bozos. How could I resist?

Financial Aid

Chapter One: Fees Are Extra

Rey Jackson had always been a girl who took pride in herself and her appearance. As a young woman surviving by herself in a cutthroat world, she knew it was important to stand up for herself, project the strongest image to others, and never allow anyone to see her weaknesses.

At this moment, however, the woman at the Financial Aid desk was going to see a side of Rey that she hadn't unleashed in a long time if she didn't start showing her some empathy and consideration for her world-ending plight.

"Ma'am, I am going to have to ask you to calm down," the older woman droned in a nasally voice that made Rey cringe. They were on the 10th floor of the administration building of Corellia College and Rey was not alone as she stood in the middle of the busy department. There were men in suits coming in and out of offices, secretaries on phones, other students waiting in line for their turn, and a plethora of people glaring at her for disrupting the normal quiet of the office. None of these things mattered to Rey, who was quickly spiraling into a panic and ignored every person who surrounded her besides the woman who was supposed to be helping her.

There were two things that Rey was never calm about- food and money. This woman was threatening her with the loss of both, thoroughly catapulting her into a frenzy.

"I am not going to calm down," she grit through her teeth as her volume increased. More and more people were beginning to stare at her as the back of her neck started to prickle with sweat. "I filed all the necessary paperwork with the office in the spring. Classes have already started and you're telling me that I owe how much?"

"Right now the balance comprises the cost of full tuition, fees, room and board. That also includes your meal plan, Miss Jackson. It comes to a grand total of $27,595 dollars." Rey started to rub her temples as a massive stress headache began to settle in her skull.

"How many times do I have to tell you? I should be on a Reduced Tuition List because of my applications with the state for Financial Aid. Plus the check from the government should be coming in for the balance."

"Yes, the Financial Aid office has notified that your check from the Federal government is on it's way. However, with the remaining fees, you still come up short at about $8,000 dollars."

"How is that possible?!" she screeched. "I calculated the tuition down to the penny!"

"Yes, but did you consider the fees? Fees are extra." Rey wanted the earth to just open up and swallow her whole. How could this be happening to her? "If you're not registered for at least a payment plan by Friday you will be dropped from your classes for the Fall semester."

The number rattled around in her brain so much she could barely wrap her head around it. Eight thousand dollars. Eight thousand. It might as well be eight million for all that Rey made at her part-time job. What was she going to do?

"Where is the application for the payment plan?" She asked, biting her lip as all the fight suddenly left her. She felt defeated, like she couldn't argue any more even if she wanted to. Rey was too proud to look up at the faces staring at her, not wanting to see their pity. It was bad enough that she could hear the agitated students behind her, tapping their feet impatiently as they waited for their turn to speak to the bursar. She just wanted to get as far away from this office as possible and retreat to her dorm room to wallow in her misery, but she didn't even have that luxury. Her next class started in 20 minutes.

"The application can be found online. There are three payment dates: September 10, October 10, and November 10. For your balance of $7,899.76, each payment will come out to $2,633.25. Thank you and have a nice day."

That was it, then. Rey was officially dismissed and absolutely screwed. She nodded angrily, bit back every nasty curse she wanted to say, and squinted against the tears gathering in her eyes as she made her way out of the office and toward the elevator. She shouldered past the other students in line, the staff members, and the professionals in suits, trying not to notice the looks of sympathy she was receiving. They could take their looks and shove them. They weren't going to help her pay her bills.

The elevator arrived, and she realized she wasn't alone when a tall man with long dark hair entered behind her. He was in a tailored, deep-navy suit with a charcoal tie and matching pocket square; the type of suit that informed her that this man had money to spare. He stood to her left and said nothing while she pressed the button for the ground floor. She had the distinct feeling that he was watching her, which she confirmed when she turned to glare at him. It took a moment, but she vaguely recognized him. He had been in the Financial Aid office, exiting one of the offices while she was having her own personal meltdown. She remembered his pale face, his long, sloping nose, and his wide mouth with lips turned down in a frown.

Despite her glare, the ridiculously tall man continued to stare at her without saying anything. While Rey was known for her usually sunny and bright disposition, she was already at the end of her rope and was not in the mood to suffer rich men who didn't have to worry about tuition and the threat of homelessness.

"Can I help you?" Rey snapped, obviously startling the man who looked a bit rattled by her outburst. A flash of annoyance shot through his features as his eyes narrowed at her, and she could see his jaw moving around nothing before he finally spoke.

"Hmmm," the stranger's voice was deep, and by the look of him the man had to be in his late twenties or early thirties. Definitely too old to be a student. The suit also bespoke a level of professionalism that none of her other coeds possessed, so what was he doing here? "I wonder if you can."

His answer threw her off and she wondered how long she would have to sit through the most awkward elevator ride of her life. She should have kept her mouth shut and suffered through his staring in silence. Now she had to force her way through this conversation when all she wanted to do was scream and cry and rage at a system that always managed to beat her down into nothing.

"I'm sorry, I don't mean to be rude, but I'm having a shit day and you're a complete stranger. There isn't a single thing I can do for you, pal. I'm sorry." She had to crane her neck up to look at him, and it felt like his broad-shoulders took up half the space around her. The elevator was starting to slow down and she breathed a sigh of relief. Nothing was going to stop her from heading straight for the exit the moment the elevator doors opened.

Imagine her surprise when the next thing he said stopped her dead in her tracks.

"Even if it means solving your little Financial Aid issue?" He asked smoothly, his voice getting deeper with every word he spoke.

It was like the blood had frozen in her veins. His deep voice ricocheted through her, the words "Financial Aid Issue" hovering over her head like the blade of a guillotine.

The doors opened. People were waiting on the ground floor to enter the elevator, but Rey couldn't stop looking into the stranger's deep brown eyes. The man placed a long arm around her shoulder and gently guided her out of the elevator and into the main lobby of the administration building. She didn't take her eyes off of him once as they walked into a quiet alcove and out of earshot.

Normally, Rey was very good at reading people. She had been in the foster care system since she was a young girl, so it had been an invaluable tool in distinguishing who she could trust and who she could not trust over the years.

This man however, this stranger, was making all of her years of experience fly out of the window. He was an intense-looking man, with his tall stature, broad frame, and eyes that felt like they were staring through her. She sensed power, both physical and mental, based on the way he carried and presented himself to the world. As intimidating as he seemed, however, she couldn't tell yet whether or not his intentions were honorable. But he had piqued her interest greatly and she should at least have the decency to hear him out before she ended their odd conversation.

She looked around to make sure no one could hear her before she addressed the man before her. "Who are you?"

The man's voice was even. Controlled. Deep in a way that almost began to soothe the sting that the Financial Aid office had left behind. "You may call me Mr. Ren. I am a benefactor of the college."

Rey's nose wrinkled in distaste. "So you're a really rich guy who likes to give his money away?"

The man didn't smile, but she could detect a dry sense of humor in his tone. He stood tall, posture rigid, with his hands clasped behind his back. Everything about the man screamed professional, from the cut of his suit, to the way he slicked back his black hair. "Ah yes, one could say that."

"So what does that have to do with me? I've already reached my limit as to how much the school can give and I no longer qualify for scholarships because I'm in my third year-"

"I'm not talking about scholarships. I am talking about dinner."

Rey froze. That was the last thing she had expected to hear from the tall, suited man before her.

"W-What?"

"How old are you?" She could not keep up with the conversation she was having with the man in front of her. He kept interrupting her, and every single thing that came out of his mouth threw her off in the most debilitating way.

"I'm twenty, about to be twenty-one…" He cut her off again.

"And your name?"

"Well, it's Rey, with an 'e'. . ." She trailed off when he pulled out a business card and handed it over to her. The card was black, embossed in thick red ink. The name Kylo Ren could be seen on the front, followed by a phone number and a business address. She was struck dumb as she stared at it, feeling his eyes linger on the crown of her head.

"Call this number. Make an appointment with my secretary for dinner. If you show up, you won't have to worry about your September tuition payment."

It took a minute for Rey to process what the man in front of her was saying. Dinner? Tuition? Was he…? Did he just position her for . . .?

She had never been so angry before in her life.

"I don't," she could barely speak through the overwhelming offense that was building in her chest. Did this man think she was a ...? "I'm not just some whore you can boss around and throw money at…"

"I didn't say anything about sex," he interrupted her again, even more coldly than before. "All I said was dinner." She was about to argue with him once more and the man, Mr. Ren, sighed angrily. "Take the card. You're either going to meet me tonight or you're not. I hope you have enough self preservation to make the right choice." With a pronounced frown pulling down his lips, Mr. Ren stuffed his hands into his pockets and walked away from Rey without another word, leaving her alone in the dim alcove.

Rey was as silent as death as the man stalked off. She refused to take her eyes off of him as he left the building and disappeared into the sea of students that were making their way across campus. The embossed writing of the card brushed against her fingers as she turned it over and over in her hand. A million jumbled thoughts ran through her mind and she was too overwhelmed to grab one of them and try to decipher what she had just experienced.

What the hell had just happened? Everything had unraveled so fast that Rey could hardly believe it. The emotional whiplash left her stunned as she considered her very limited options.

The first option was to rip up the card and pretend that their conversation had never happened. Rey had never seen the man before and she had been a student at CC for two whole years. What was the chance that they would run into one another again? Highly unlikely. She had been taking care of herself for years, and this snafu with the financial aid office was sure to work itself out sooner or later. Right?

She doubted it. Her financial aid woes would see her homeless and without an education, something Rey could simply not abide. Her second option, the only other viable option available, was to call the number. But then what? What could possibly come of it? Could the man be telling the truth? Was he willing to offer her almost three grand just to show up to dinner?

Her common sense said no. A very dark, secret part of her that did not trust anyone was screaming at her that this was a trick. He was trying to get her alone for some unknown and nefarious reason so he could take advantage of her, she was sure of it.

However, she didn't feel very sure of it. As aloof and cold as the man seemed, she couldn't sense any maliciousness in his actions. Maybe Mr. Ren really was just a benefactor. A rich guy willing to extend his generosity to a student in need. He had been there to witness her quasi-meltdown, and knew she was in financial straits. This was just his way of helping the school out, albeit in a more personal, life-changing way.

Could this man truly be the answer to her plight? Was he really willing to help her out of the goodness of his heart? Or in this case, the goodness of his wallet.

There was only one way to find out. She pulled out her cell phone and dialed the number printed in red as she exited the administration building and headed towards her next class. A man with a crisp accent answered on the third ring.

"Mr. Ren's office, this is Mitaka speaking. How may I help you?"

"Good Afternoon, my name is Rey Jackson and I was told by Mr. Ren to call and set up an appointment for dinner…"

Oh how I missed fanfiction! I'm happy to be back.

-Your Friendly Neighborhood Minsk