The Student Teacher

Chapter 7: The Text Exchange

Ben Solo: I'm home. I had a fun night with you.

Rey Kenobi: Thanks for the ride, I would have made it home! I had fun also.

Ben Solo: Your life is best not left to chance. I'll come by tomorrow and bring you back to your car.

Rey Kenobi: You don't have to do that. I can see if Finn or Rose will bring me.

Ben Solo: Oh. If you'd rather not see me tomorrow, that's fine.

Rey Kenobi: No! That's not what I meant. Of course I'd be happy to see you. Why don't you come around 11:00 and bring me back to my car. Then maybe we can get lunch?

Ben Solo: Are you still drunk?

Rey Kenobi: I wasn't drunk, I was tipsy. And I've had a bottle of water and some snacks, so no.

Ben Solo: And you still want to get lunch with me?

Ben Solo: See you tomorrow

Did he just use an emoji? Rey was feeling a lot bolder through text. She felt Ben's insecurity through his texts, but was a little too tipsy to try to negotiate that right now. Instead, she slid into bed and closed her eyes. She could tell she was aroused, just from the text exchange, but her eyelids drooped and she slipped off into sleep.

She woke up the next morning with butterflies in her stomach. She couldn't believe she was bold enough to ask him to lunch. It wasn't a date, exactly, but she still couldn't drop her nerves.

She reached for her phone to text Rose.

Rey Kenobi: Ben drove me home last night and we're getting lunch today.

Rose Tico: WHAT!!!?!??!??? This is not enough information. What time?

Rey Kenobi: 11:00 he's coming to get me.

Rose Tico: Stay put, I'm coming over NOW!

About 10 minutes later Rose pulled into Rey's driveway and let herself into Rey's home. "Rey!" she called out.

"In here," Rey responded from the bedroom.

"Tell me everything," Rose demanded.

"There isn't much to tell," Rey said shyly. We got a drink after school yesterday and I had one too many, he drove me home, dropped me off and offered to take me back to my car later. I asked him to get lunch after that. It's nothing," Rey pleaded with Rose.

"Oh honey, it's not nothing. You've seen Ben Solo, right? It's not nothing. Has the word date been used?" She asked, seriously.

"No," Rey quickly answered, "it hasn't, because it's not a date," she paused, "but what am I going to wear?" she giggled and Rose dove into her sad excuse for a wardrobe.

"Does every outfit you own have a matching cardigan?" Rose asked, exasperated. "Do you ever dress NOT like an 80 year old teacher?"

"Hey!" Rey answered.

They heard the outside door open, "Rey?" she heard Finn ask.

"We're in here," Rose called out. "Thank God, I could use another set of eyes," she said.

Finn and Poe walked into Rey's room to see Rose waist deep in clothes.

"What is happening here," Poe asked.

"Rey has a date," Rose sang.

"WHAT?" the men answered in unison.

"Stop it!" Rey responded, clearly embarrassed and turning multiple shades of red. Poe, Finn, and Rose were all rooting in her closet now.

"Tell me ALL about it!" Poe smiled at her.

"IT'S WITH MR.SOLO" Rose couldn't contain herself.

Both Finn and Poe turned to look at her in unison, mouth's agape.

"It's not really a date," Rey finally managed to speak words without being interrupted. "It's lunch, and a ride back to my car," she responded.

"Where is your car?" Poe asked.

"At the bar they went to together last night," Rose smirked.

""Finn, what about this," Poe asked.

"Seems formal for a lunch date," Finn added.

"NOT A DATE," Rey yelled, a little louder than intended. After another half hour of her friends rummaging through her closet before they pulled together a nice pair of jeans, a cold shoulder top and a pair of flats. Rose helped her apply very limited makeup, per Rey's request. Then Rey shooed them away. It was 10:45, Ben would be by soon. Rey felt the butterflies in her stomach and wondered if Ben felt anything similar.