The Mentor - A Reylo College AU

5 - Just Friends

The week's photography lecture returned quickly, leaving Rey anxious to encounter Ben in such a close proximity again. While they ran into each other one around campus, there was always an opportunity for her to put adequate distance between them to ensure they didn't need to interact. The lecture, of course, didn't allow for that. She could blame Professor Maz for not trusting grown legal adults to pick their seats in a college-level course, and she could also blame herself for not changing her name from her family name with whom she had no relationship, but she knew who the actual culprit was: Ben.

The lesson that day was a proper display of enthusiasm on Professor Maz's part as she brushed over a few famous photographs and led a beginning-level critique of the work, fostering conversion about the meaning behind the photographs. Of course, that work directly related to the projects they were completing with their partners, and she appreciated the sneaky connections Maz slid in there without it being too obvious.

Rey soaked up every minute of the lecture and focused on everything about Maz, from her chunky jewelry hanging from her bony wrists that sounded like a cheap plastic windchime blowing in the window to the flowing linen clothing that engulfed her body and trailed behind her like a cape. Anything that kept her from thinking about Ben sitting next to her reclined so casually; his one arm extended onto the table between them to hold the side of his laptop as he scrolled through a website of pirated sheet music. Admittedly, she was curious about what instrument he played, but her ego wouldn't allow her to ask him out of fear it would make her seem too eager to get to know him more.

The last portion of class was dedicated to time for Maz to check in with the partner pairs about their proposed ideas for the assignment due next Tuesday. It was apparent quite a few of the teams had not discussed anything by their quick panicked whispers. Rey was thankful Maz had elected to start at the end of the alphabet, only a few tables ahead of her that way, because she hoped to be able to finish up some reading after lunch and before her next class.

"Okay, so for my photos, you should probably wear black," Ben murmured while scrolling through the music websites. "You could wear just dark colors, but black means less editing for me. Do you have anything you can wear?"

"Uh, I have a black t-shirt with my High School's logo on it, but that's it," Rey responded but was met by Ben's questioning look. "Or not."

"Do you think Gwen has anything you could borrow?"

"Probably somewhere in the department store that is her closet. I'll ask later."

"What should I wear?" Ben asked, a tiny smirk forming a dimple on his cheek.

"Well, to start, no black," Rey responded immediately, the glimmer in his eye fading. "Do you have a white shirt?"

"Besides my dress shirts, no." His answer came as no surprise to Rey. "Have you seen how I dress?" He joked and gestures to his all-black outfit and flipped his hair back, the same nervous knot forming in her throat in response.

"Okay," Rey rolled her neck as she regained her thought process. "Does someone you know have a shirt you can borrow?"

"Well, Hux does, but he's too little and his shirts won't fit my buff arms," Ben grinned, flexing his arm and pulling a blush to Rey's cheeks. "My dad lives in plain white shirts so I'll stop by and grab one before I pick you up Saturday."

"You're ridiculous," Rey laughed, shaking her head, trying to hide the small smile trying to pull at her mouth.

"You know you love it."

"Alright, Ren and Palpatine, your turn," Maz's voice interrupted, saving her from trying to find a non flirty way to respond to his overtly flirty jeer.