If you follow me you'd know that I currently don't have a laptop, which means I'm writing on my phone via a bluetooth keyboard. That means there will be spelling errors galore an I apologize now. I'll come back and fix it in a week or so when I have a laptop again, so don't worry!! I'm really not a horrible author haha

She was afraid to say the least. Afraid without reason. It wasn't like she was popular, or her story was all over the news or anything, no one would know. 

Or so she thought.

Barriss hadn't told anyone, that was for sure, so she wasn't sure how anyone could have found out, but as soon as she stepped into Coruscant High at seven twenty four that morning, she was bombarded. Kids asking her questions, asking to see her scars, and every time they asked she could only run off without an excuse before she melted into a full blown panic attack. As promised, Barriss met her during the short time before classes, ushering her into the girl's bathroom before anyone could overwhelm her.

"Ahsoka, I swear I didn't tell anyone, I don't know what's happening but I'm so sorry," She exclaimed. They stood in front of the large mirror that looked as if it hadn't been replaced in twenty years, foggy from hard water stains and chipped black in some places. "If we're lucky, the worst of it's over."

Neither of them had touched, Barriss having adapted to her dislike of physical contact months ago. If she wanted to be touched, she'd initiate it, and Barriss knew this, holding back until Ahsoka wrapped both arms around her in a hug.

"Thank you for staying," She said quietly. Barriss nodded into her shoulder, only moving when the warning bell rung. They pulled apart and left with a silent agreement to catch up for real later on in the day.

After her first few classes the only thing left to deal with was the constant whispering from classmates. She didn't catch much, mostly things about "dad" and "police". At lunch Barriss and her were able to avoid just about everyone, and by the final bell things had mostly gone back to normal. The two of them walked down the street to a little ice cream shop called Tyler's, only chatting about homework until silence fell.

It was Barriss who broke it. "Do you want to talk?"

Ahsoka shook her head. "Maybe later. It's still just hitting me." Her friend smiled softly and stepped a little closer in a silent question. Can I do anything? Ahsoka only responded with a smile, grateful for such a good friend.

The mint chip she ordered reminded Ahsoka of the picture she had shown Obi-Wan the day before, of her and her mother. It brought a familiar heartache to the front of her mind, but she pushed it away, not wanting to ruin this time with her friend.

"How are you adjusting to a whole new family?" Barriss finally asked. "It must be odd, living with strangers."

"You know I thought it'd be weirder but Anakin and Obi-Wan are pretty nice, it's been okay so far. And they have a cute cat, so that's a plus." The two chuckled at her reply.

"So you like it?"

Ahsoka needed a moment to think. "It's certainly better than how I was living. They're really patient, at least Obi-Wan is, Anakin's on the iffy side. Definitely an older brother if I ever saw one."

Barriss smiled. "I'm glad they're good to you. I'll have to meet them."

Ahsoka agreed, shoving another spoonful of ice cream in her mouth as she spoke. "You know the English 2 teacher? The British guy?" Barriss nodded, taking a bite of her own. "That's Obi-Wan."

Her face turned to shock. "Really? So is he all proper about grammer and things?" She joked.

Ahsoka chuckled. "A little, but not bad. It's kind of funny."

"It must be weird seeing him at school then." Barriss took her final bite after she spoke.

Throwing her spoon down in her empty cup, Ahsoka stood, Barriss following as they moved to throw their dishes in the trashcan. "I didn't really see him since he's in a whole different wing, but he did say hi in the halls once. Not sure if I should be embarassed or endeared," she joked. "As long as he doesn't start acting all protective or anything I'll be fine."

As they exited the shop, Ahsoka realized she'd be walking. "Hey, how far is ninth ave from here?" She asked Barriss. She only shrugged. Instead she pulled out her phone, speaking to google maps. "Directions to ninth avenue," she told it as clearly as possible. In a moment directions were up on the screen, saying it was about a twenty minute walk. Sighing, she turned back to Barriss. "Are you waiting for a ride?" She nodded.

"My mom said she'd pick me up at three. that should be any minute. What about you, do you need a ride back?" the two scanned the streets for Mrs. Unduli's Honda civic as they spoke.

Ahsoka thought about it, deciding she didn't want to take any time away from Barriss' mom. She knew the woman had a busy schedule. "No, I'll be fine. Thanks though." At that moment was when Barriss's hijab decided to blow in the wind, creating a tense situation for everyone. Quickly Ahsoka reached out for the scarf to tighten it, as did Barriss. After a few stressful moments the two laughed. "You good?"

Feeling around and checking every crease, Barriss responded, "I'm alright. Thank you, that seems to happen a little to often for my liking." At that moment, a silver civic parked a block down, and Barriss went running, waving a hand behind her. "I'll see you tomorrow!"

Waving back, Ahsoka said her goodbyes and headed in the opposite direction. As she walked, trying to avoid the crowds of people walking the streets, she pulled out her phone and scrolled through her contacts to debate calling Obi-Wan. She didn't know Anakin's schedule or when his shift ended, and decided it was best not to call him. As she scrolled she stumbled upon a contact she should have deleted a few days prior, the moment she stepped into her new house. The text spelled "dad" in the worst way possible. Where others might have emojis, or at least captial latters, hers was a dull, scared grey. She questioned why she didn't delete it right then and there. Her finger hesitated over the button, not wanting to erase such a huge part of her life, even if it had been so horrible the last year. He was still her dad, and was so amazing for a long time.

Before she could fall too deeply into her thoughts a voice caught her attention. "Snips?"

Throwing her head to the side she realized she wasn't only in front of a mechanics's shop, but also standing face to face with a dirty, grimy, grease-covered Anakin Skywalker. "Anakin," She started, too timid to actually step into the shop, hovering around the open garage door instead.

"What're you doing here?" He asked, wiping his hands off on a rag about as grimy as his hands. His tone wasn't condescending, only confused with a hint of concern. Anakin guided her inside towards what looked to be a break room.

Ahsoka, albeit slightly embarrassed, answered with, "I was with a friend, I was walking back to the apartment."

"Well it's a good thing you caught me now, my shift just ended." They were about to walk through the doorway when both caught sight of a man walking through the same one. As the passing employee was about to hit Ahsoka head on, Anakin grabbed her shoulder in a tight grip to pull her away. She gasped, first out of shock, then out of fear. The hand wasn't Anakin's, it was her fathers, about to shove her against a table or down to the floor. Ahsoka wrenched her eyes shut and breathed deeply, anticipating the air being knocked out of her lungs in a few seconds. Instead it was her foster-brother's voice, like a wave of calm in a stormy ocean. "Hey, I'm sorry I touched you, that was dumb of me. Listen to my voice, okay?" Gulping, she clenched her jaw shut and opened her eyes again. Not to her father's angry face, dimmed lights and broken glass, but a heavily concerned Anakin.

Both hands were in sight, he stood back to give her space, and she only then realized she was pushed against a back wall. "I'm sorry, I didn't- I didn't think," Her voice caught in her throat as she tried to speak. Stutters were all that she could manage. "It's not you, just-"

Anakin moved a little closer after concluding that she was at least somewhat aware of her surroundings again. "It's not your fault Ahsoka, it's okay. Just sit still for a second." Nodding towards a chair she sat dutifully. He took a seat across from her while she took the best version of a calming breath that she could. "Want me to get you water?" He asked. Clearly he knew somewhat of what to do in this situation, for that she was grateful, she only wondered why he knew what was happening and how to help. She shook her head.

"No thanks." Anakin continued on in silence, taking a clipboard from the desk and signing off on a time sheet. In a few moments she was ready to continue speaking, the weight on her chest easing. "It was nothing to do with you, I just freaked out," She said softly, running a hand through her hair.

Anakin looked up from the paper with a sad smile. "Like I said, not your fault. I get it Snips."

With some hesitancy, sha asked, "Why?"

He looked confused. "Why what?"

"Why do you get it?"

Anakin's look hardened from the soft, concerned expression to one of slight fear and anger. "Not now." Ahsoka nodded. She understood enough to not pry. A few beats of silence later and he seemed to soften. "Want a ride home?"

"Ya, if you don't mind. I was planning to walk but just kind of... Stumbled upon you instead. Then had my whole freak out, and held you up."

Anakin shook his head. "Kid, it's not your fault. I should have known not to grab you like that." She nodded, accepting that the conversation was over. "Ready to go?"

"Do you mean ready to go finish the homework I was supposed to do over the weekend? Because no." The smile on her face was enough to elicit a chuckle as he stood, leading her back out the break room door. He waved goodbye to what Ahsoka assumed were co-workers by the matching uniforms, bringing them both towards the exit near the back, where she figured his truck sat parked. She was correct, hopping in the front seat.

The engine roared to life, making it difficult to speak for a few moments as everything warmed up. When the noises settled Anakin was the first to speak. "What sort of homework do you have?"

In response, Ahsoka grabbed her black backpack from the floor and pulled out a binder. "Mostly algebra, but I have an assignment in politics I have to finish, luckily I got an extension for that one."

"Want some help with it when we get home?"

She looked at him quizingly, wondering how much he really meant it. He looked genuine from what she could tell. "If you remember algebra than I'd love some help. I figured graduates just forgot about everything, I sure do."

Anakin laughed deeply as he continued waiting at a light, glancing her direction for a moment. "How exactly do you plan to graduate if you can't remember anything?"

"Well I remember it for the test, then I forget it, I'm not dumb," She joked.

They drove in silence for a few moments before Anakin swore under his breath in a language Ahsoka could only assume was Arabic, sheepishly turning towards her when the light changed. "Can we make a stop first? It'll take ten minutes, tops," he promised.

"Ya, course. Where are we going?"

"I promised my girlfriend I'd check in on her before heading home." Ahsoka gave a sly grin.

"Padmé, right?"

Anakin furrowed his brow. "You know her?"

Ahsoka threw the binder back in her bag, realizing it was still in her lap. She zipped it up as she spoke. "Obi-Wan told me a little about her," she responded. "She sounds amazing."

Anakin smiled, a genuine smile he hadn't seen before. One of total admiration and awe. "She definitely is. I think you'll like her." As if on cue Anakin parked his car outside an apartment building that could be called fancy, at least on the richer side of the city, that was for sure. Ahsoka stayed buckled in while Anakin hopped out, assuming he's want privacy. "I'll be back in a couple minutes, kay?" She nodded with a small smile.

What it must be like to have people in your life that you check in on like that. That you'll drop everything and run for, that you always make sure are safe and cared for no matter how far apart you were. Sure, her and Barriss were good friends, she would easily go as far as to say best friends. But she didn't have that connection with Barriss like she might a significant other, or a true sibling. She just couldn't imagine it.

Before she got too lost in her own thoughts, Ahsoka heard a knock on her window. It startled her, but Anakin's face on the other side calmed her down a bit. He was quickly becoming more and more familiar each minute spent with him. Unbuckling and cracking the door open to speak, Ahsoka stared and Anakin's somewhat embarrassed face. "Hey," he started. "I told Padmé you were in the car and she wanted to meet you, do you mind? I can tell her you're not-"

Ahsoka quickly cut him off. "No, I'd love to, she sounds amazing." Sliding off the seat, her feet hit the ground and she was ready for anything. This new life was starting to grow on her.