11:40 AM

"Come on, Rey, you know Jessika is getting sick of having to pick us up from parties! Someone needs to make sure we're not being complete idiots."

"Call an uber then." Rey shrugged, not looking up from her computer screen as she typed away. The photography major's roommate rolled his eyes. "Do you know how much those cost?"

She looked up at Poe. "Like a dollar per mile."

"Exactly! I'm already super in debt with student loans. I'll be broke by the end of the semester!"

"That's two weeks."

"Your point being?"

Rey rolled her eyes, tossing a pillow at him. "Maybe you shouldn't go to a party the week before exams?" She suggested. Poe sighed, plopping down on the couch. "Says you who spends all her time either in a coffee shop or in this dorm studying. I mean, if you were anyone else, I'd be thinking you've just been getting laid this entire time-"

"Poe." She shot him a death glare before turning back to her laptop and typing furiously. "The last boyfriend I had was that Hux guy last spring. And you remember how that went."

"Exactly! Which is why you should come! Get back in the game!" Poe insisted.

Rey sighed, closing her laptop. "You know I don't like parties-"

"You don't have to stay the whole time! Or you can stay outside with the other sober people." He said. Poe's cat, BB8, crawled out from behind the sofa and jumped up onto Poe's lap. Her roommate laughed and pet BB8, the cat looking pleasantly satisfied. "See Rey, Beebee would want you to go!"

She groaned, reaching over to scratch BB8's ears. "You owe me big time, Poe." She relented.

"Rey I know you're not going to regret going!" Poe said.

She rolled her eyes, opening her laptop up again. Pretty soon, Finn got home, and the three of them settled back into their ordinary routine.

5:00 PM

Ben Solo tightly gripped the steering wheel, going well above the speed limit but not caring because if he didn't make it to his parents house by three, his dad would be mad. His mom would have that disappointed look in her eyes, torn between wanting him back and wanting him to stop causing so much trouble. Then he and his dad would fight, and that never went anywhere good.

So here he was, ten miles out from the Resistance University campus with a sorry excuse for takeout in the passenger seat. It was ten minutes to the airport from First Order College in LA, four hours from LA to Chicago, another two hours from Chicago to New York, and another hour from the airport to his parents' house at the RU campus.

Ben reminded himself that he only had a few months, a few months until he was done with college and could finally leave New York and everything there behind.

He pulled into the driveway right at three. He gave both of his parents a quick hug when he walked in. He dropped the takeout on the counter, went upstairs to drop his bag on his bed.

"So how are your classes going?" Leia asked at point during dinner, trying to break the uncomfortable silence that hung in the air.

Ben shrugged, pushing the long cold lo main noodles around. "Good I guess."

"Have you decided which classes you'll take next semester?"

He nodded.

"Has preseason started yet? I hope you're working on your pitch." Han said.

"I quit baseball last year." He responded, not looking up. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Leia and Han exchange a what-can-you-do? look. He pretended not to see it.

"Have you made any plans with your high school friends during break?"

"They're all busy." He mumbled.

"Remember that Poe Dameron kid? He's coming by later on the way to a get-together. You should go." His mom suggested. Han nodded. "I always liked that kid."

More than me. Ben thought bitterly. It wasn't a secret that his relationship with his parents was tense. He bolted the day he turned eighteen with a full ride scholarship to First Order College in California, not bothering to ever look back. It took a lot of convincing for him to just come back for New Year's Eve and day. Han had always hoped that Ben would follow in his footsteps and become a pilot, but he hated flying. He hated the way he felt connected to his old man when he was flying. So he took up guitar and music just to piss him off.

"I'll think about it," he responded, setting his fork down, wiping his mouth and standing up.

"Thanks for getting the take out, Ben." Leia said as he left the room. He mumbled a quick "sure" as he walked up to his room. He changed into a black hoodie and jeans, stuffing a pack of cigarettes into his pocket. His phone had several emails from his professors, two texts from Gwen Phasma and Armitage Hux.

from: phasma
i'm borrowing your laptop charger while you're gone

from: hux
professor snoke expects you at preseason in january. i would go

Ben rolled his eyes, responding to Hux.

to: hux
i'm not going, i quit the team last year

from: hux
professor snoke expects you at preseason

He scoffed and shoved his phone into his pocket. Ben sat there for a while, strumming on his guitar, ignoring his mother when she called that Poe was there. It wasn't for another hour until his phone started to buzz. He reached for it, not recognizing the number and letting it ring through. A few seconds later, the same number called again. Ben turned on do not disturb. When it rang through the third time, he grunted and answered.

"Hello?"

"Heyo is this Benny Solo?"

It was Poe Dameron.

"Poe Dameron?"

"Do ya mean Poe Hot DAMNeron?" He slurred loudly.

"Are you drunk?" He asked.

"Maybe just a tiny bit." A pause. "Yeppie. And my roommate's car broke down, so we both need a ride."

"Call an uber."

"You know, you're the third person who's said that to me today." Poe said. "Anyway, I'm in major debt and those things are crazy expensive. When I was at your house, your mom said to call you if I needed a ride."

Ben ran an annoyed hand through his hair. His parents wouldn't be happy if he didn't help Poe. "Fine. Text me the address."

"Oh, you're a lifesaver Benny Solo." Poe yelled. "I'll see ya there!"

Ben hung up. He reached over for his car keys, stuffing them into his pocket. He passed his parents on the way out, giving them the usual "I'll be back later." before stepping outside and closing the door behind him.

notes: based on the song hey there delilah by the plain white t's