My Teacher, My Lover, My Kylo Ren

Chapter 20

Graduation day. Rey was in her room at the house, trying to think how best to wear her hair when I came in carrying Anakin. "Can we talk? You were closed up in your room all day yesterday."

"I was busy." Rey replied.

"You.... know you can talk to me right about anything."

Rey smiled at me. "Yes of course I can. What's wrong?"

"Nothing. It was just... when you get drunk you get a little crazy. You go hyper and not in a good way. You're like that person who goes crazy to vent out their inner feelings."

"Well... I don't have any inner feelings. I'm fine. I'm going to med school. At Harvard. outer feelings and inner feelings are both in agreement that I'm happy about that. I'm going to learn how to drive. I'm going to go to the zoo with my dad. I'm feeling very clever actually and accomplished."

"Rey! You cried all night when you came home drunk. When you weren't snoring!"

"My room is miles away from yours... were you checking up on me?"

"Yes....no....yes." I replied. "And Sapphire couldn't sleep that night either." I worry about Rey. She seems oblivious to the worry.

"I'm fine. I went crazy because of some vodka shots. It's all fine now. I'm not going to do that."

"You're going to Harvard! On your own with no friends. There's going to be alcohol there! Who's going to look after you when you can't control yourself."

"I can control myself. I'm not an alcoholic."

"Not yet." I roll my eyes. I've seen this story unfold before. It got worse before it got better.

"How do you think I should wear my hair? Down? Up? Somewhere in between?"

"Wear it like you always do. Continue your life, like you're always going to do it. With routine and auto-piloting." I replied dryly and left the room. Anakin whined a little at the movement.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Rey went after me.

"It means... you're never going to evolve."

"What have I done?" Rey asked.

"You're stuck...in your orphan mindset. The world is great Rey. You have a family! You don't have to be scared anymore! You don't have to get drunk for an excuse to cry or vent your problems! You can talk to us! And you have your dad especially! You don't have to be alone again! And stop putting yourself into dangerous situations without thinking. You're approaching 18 in June. Be a little bit more.... responsible."

Rey swallowed.

"You've been longing for this your whole life. Family... you don't have to keep longing for it Rey. We all love you. And I know you love us."

Rey sighed. "I'm sorry if I gave you the impression I was...wasn't aware of how amazing you or anyone else is."

"I didn't think that." I replied. "Do your hair up in that style you usually do it. Put on some makeup though. Wearing that black jumpsuit you have. It'll go with the cape. And stay away from any alcohol that might be going around." I warned her. I planned on coming home immediately and taking a nap.

"Yes mum!" I heard Rey say as we both made our ways in the opposite direction. I went back to the bedroom and Kylo was fixing his tie. I smiled at his attire. Nothing different, but it was always nice seeing him dress up.

*

I collected my certificate first, by first just before Amethyst. Finn and Pie already collected theirs. When I got off the stage and stood/waited beside Finn and Poe for Rey to get her's. Kylo left the side of his mother and joined my side. The twins were beside Leia and Han. Chewey was also watching them. He constantly sniffed them. They laughed when he did that. Rey was really awkward which was no surprise. She looked scared the whole time and looked around. She let out a huge sigh of relief when it was over and waited for the whole thing ot be over to go find her dad again. Chris Walker was the last one to go up and collect his graduation certificate.

"Hey hey hey....I won't take up your time." he took a microphone. "But I just want to talk about what a year it's been. Mostly studying and studying and studying. Because I was always going to go to Yale. Yale was it for me. Whole family are riding on it. Of course I'm absolutley poor."

"Where is this going?" I asked. His speech was kinda boring and over done.

"Sob story. It's going to be a sob story." Finn said.

"Relying on the scholarship aren't I? And I got it. I got it and you know what happened... my papers got sent to everyone's favourite cat video presenter. He finds one question that didn't deserve one mark. He couldn't just let it go."

"You should get off the stage now." Hux told Walker, which only caused him to get knocked over. Chris drew a gun.

"WEll fuck you Skywalker. "

"No! No! NO!" Rey tried to run but it went off before she could. She ran to her dad after that. She couldn't stop it. The gun. "No No no no. No. No. Please don't die. please don't die."

Kylo shielded me, and Poe and Finn covered each other. My thoughts were of only the twins. Kylo wouldn't let me go to run and check on them. "Mother has them. They're safe" he whispered to me.

Rey was beside her father the whole time. She called the police. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Chewey. He was bolting and took down Chris. Practically ripping out his throat. Biting him and holding him in place until the police got there. They had to wheel Chris away in a bag, since Chewey killed him. Everyone was in shock.

I snapped out when Luke was wheeled into the ambulance.

*

Rey was sobbing in the waiting room, her body shaking. The doctor came back and told them the news. Rey cried even more, I held her as she sobbed into my dress, blood dried on her hands and underneath her fingernails. The twins were crying. Kylo and Leia were trying to calm them down. They could tell people were upset.

Rey sobbed herself to sleep in my lap. I didn't move. Dried tears on my own face. Leia handed me my daughter. Almost instantly Sapphire calmed down.

"It's ok honey. Mommys here." I kissed her forehead. Kylo sat down next to me. Anakin calmed down as well. I rested my head on Kylos shoulder. A sense of calm rushed over my body.

Going to college was definitely out of the question.