The Intern - SEQUEL to The Mentor

The Big One

A/N: If you haven't read the Mentor yet, then go to my profile and read that first! This is the sequel to that one!

But if you don't care about reading them in order then carry on 🤷🏼‍♀️

Rey's POV

It's hot, like really hot. I can feel myself sweating profusely in places I shouldn't be despite the light blue sundress I'm wearing. I at least had enough common sense to pull my hair up into a nice bun before leaving the house this morning which is making the heat a little more tolerable. Gwen walks next to me, taking her normal annoying long steps which are almost impossible for me to keep up with especially considering the 3-inch wedge heels she talked me into.

The main lawn of the campus is crawling with activity and there are over a thousand black chairs in the middle all fanning out from the main stage that is placed in front of the beautiful stone Main Lecture Hall. Leia has spent her last month meticulously planning every part of this day, even more detail given to it than she had in the past due to her own son being one of the graduates this time. Even Gwen has been going crazy getting ready for graduation for both Hux and Ben and had forced both boys to let her pin the cap on their heads this morning so it was perfect. Ben had let me stay in bed after he got up though so I haven't seen him in his cap and gown yet.

At the end of their freshman year, Gwen, Rose, and I had rented a house just off of campus, only one block away from Hux and Ben. In my sophomore year, I had decided to become a Student Mentor with Rose. Ben was thrilled to have me as a mentor with him, despite the freshman girls' distaste of his girlfriend being so close in proximity at all of the freshman events. Ultimately, being a mentor for Professor Maz's photography class inspired me and I decided that I wanted to be a teacher after graduating so I added a secondary education minor onto my Arts Degree.

Hux secured a job as an assistant curator at a local museum where he interned his Senior year so Gwen and he would be moving into an apartment down on Mainstreet about halfway between the museum and the college. After he proposed last fall, she finally stopped being stubborn about having her own space and agreed to move in with him.

Ben and I signed a lease yesterday for an apartment right on the edge of Canto that was built in an old shoe factory. The minute we walked into the two-bedroom apartment with exposed brick, ductwork, and massive windows, I fell in love, and Ben was happy to agree with me.  He was able to secure a permanent spot on staff as an Intern Photographer at the fashion magazine he did his senior field experience at the last 8 months and is excited to start next week with a raise and his own cubical.

I spot Han over the crowd following the instructions Leia sent me in the family group chat. Within a few months of Ben and I getting back together, Leia had pretty much adopted me as her own and quickly added me to the chat after she apologized endlessly for almost ruining our relationship forever. I think she loves having a "daughter" by the number of girls days we have getting coffee, going to the flower shop, going to get our nails done, or any of the other activities we can't drag Ben and Han to. As we approach, Leia turns and spots me under her jet black sunglasses and smiles. She's wearing a black doctorate graduation gown with a long hood, her cap in her hands. "Rey." She says with her normal soft expression and gives me a hug. "I was just getting Han all settled but I have to head back inside with the graduates."

"Hey, sweetheart," Han says as he hugs me and we sneak past him to our seats. Leia has obviously reserved seats for us as we're sitting in the front row right behind the rope marking the path the graduates take back to their seats after they receive their diploma.

We get settled in our seats and wait for the ceremony to start, fanning ourselves with our programs. As the clock on Main Hall Chimes one, we hear the bagpipes start behind us, signifying the processional starting. I turn in my seat and look back, trying to see if I can spot Ben, but there are nearly 600 graduates so it's nearly impossible. Leia leads the graduates up the main aisle one section over from us. She walks with grace and confidence and looks beautiful. As the graduates reach the front, they split off into two groups into their respective rows filling in the two empty sections just to the right of us.