a/n: yesterday i took my last midterm so that means i'll be able to update more. also i'm sick today so i'm probably going to be doing a few updates if i can.

"he's strange."

"what do you mean?"

"remember when we went to leia's house? i went to check on ren."

"and why would you do that?"

rey shrugged, "i don't know he seemed sad i guess."

"you're too nice rey...but still, how was he weird."

"he seemed broken in that moment i guess, he was sad."

"that's something new for that prick."

"i guess it is..." rey looked down at her feet. "we better get back to work though, before he comes to check on us."

poe nodded, "you're right..." he turned towards the counter. "where's finn?"

"he's been sick for the past week and a recluse. it was a struggle to even get him to leia's house."

"oh, tell him poe said to get well soon."

"i will," rey gave poe a small smile as ren walked into the room.

he bore the same usual scowl, washing away the remains of his former vulnerability.

the only difference this time was that he was joined by someone else, a young woman.

the same one from yesterday.

"bazine, these are some of the people who worked for my father," he simply beckoned at both rey and poe and in response bazine batted her lashes.

"i think i met the girl yesterday."

"my name is rey actually, not 'the girl'."

"of course, of course," she smiled grimly at rey, who seemed almost smug in the moment.

"well, me and ben are heading out..."

"heading out?" rey crossed her arms across her chest, a look of distaste on her face.

"yeah? you have a problem with that?"

in response she stepped forward, getting close to bazine's face.

"yes, actually i do. and before you flatter yourself saying i lust after your shitty boyfriend, hear me out...ren is my boss and you can't just take him out of work just like that!" rey turned to face ren. "and today is payday."

bazine simply snickered in response, "i don't care girl." her voice was low, "he's the boss and he could do whatever he pleases, so that means he comes with me."

daggers shot from rey's eyes as she watched the pair make their way out the door. the cool air stung at rey's face, making her face scrunched in irritation at the betrayal that had just occurred.

"fuck ren and fuck that bitch."

"rey!"

poe seemed startled at her sudden outburst. cursing wasn't something rey was very fond of doing.

yet here she was.

"look, i'm sorry okay? he's just so..."

"frustrating? annoying? trashy?"

"exactly," rey nodded her head slowly. "well we should probably get back to work, he may have run off with that girl but he's still our boss and i need my paycheck."

poe laughed as the two headed near the front. he walked towards the door, flipping the sign to "we are now open."

"also it doesn't matter at this point, he'll get what he deserves."

"and how is that?"

"i can be quite the snitch," rey smirked. "i normally don't lean that way but i can't stand him at the moment."

in response poe didn't say anything, instead he nodded in simple agreement and started to help the first customer.

"rey?"

"yeah?"

"do you mind heading towards the back to get more ribbon?"

"no i don't, i'll be right back."

nodding appreciatively at poe she ran off towards ren's office. it was a very cluttered space. folders and papers littered across the desk.

the ribbon must be here somewhere.

rey's eyes scanned around the room and they soon landed on a small wooden door. it looked to be a storage closet of some sort.

walking forward she went to turn the knob. instead meeting with the sound of a large bang as a box hit the ground.

rey jumped back at first before slowly reaching towards the box. it looked a bit old and rey knew it most likely didn't have the needed ribbon in it.

but she was curious. too curious.

reaching forward she removed the lid, setting her eyes upon a few notebooks and a few pieces of memory like a theme park ticket and a dried up dandelion.

a dandelion.

her breath seemed to hitch and she didn't exactly know why. but it sparked the familiar feeling of being able to dream and wish.

rey didn't bother to pick the flower up, it looked as if it'd fall apart at any given moment anyways.

instead she reached for one of the books, choosing to flip to a random page.

on this page was a picture of a girl and guy. the guy she recognized almost immediately: it was ren. he looked much happier and younger, but it was ren.

next to him was a girl. the same girl she watched him leave with. except in this image she lacked the coldness that rey had seen before.

the date had been written neatly under the picture.

junior year, 4/17

on the page next to the image were a couple of words. it looked to be a song, rey tried to read it but a good amount of the writing was smudged by tear drops.

we'll try
to fly
without
the wings of mine
we'll die
fragile lives again
we won't proceed in this life
if we don't see what we need
won't succeed please tell me
where did we go
where did we go

it was about bazine.

all of it.

she broke his heart and that's why he'd been a mess. why he'd been such an asshole and why he'd been so closed off to his parents.

so rey then found herself on the ground crying, reaching forward for the dandelion sitting in the box. and she blew the fragile seeds within tears.

wishing for something more.

the need for ribbon far from her mind.

a/n: i'm so sorry for the long wait for another update, but here it is!! midterms recently ended so now i have some time to update more lol, hopefully you enjoy this chapter. it's a bit longer than usual