Work Text:
Office hours at Jakku High began every weekday morning at seven. Doors opened to students ten minutes after the hour, with the first warning bell ringing at seven-twenty. At seven-thirty, a volunteer student from the senior class recited the Pledge of Allegiance before reading the morning announcements.
Student volunteers rotated weekly. This Friday marked the last day for Jaina Solo, niece of world history teacher Ben Solo, until her next turn. Sweet girl, near the top of her class, but it pained Rey to see her. The girl, by virtue of her family name, reminded Rey of Ben and the fact that he was getting married in a few months to a fellow teacher at the school. Rey had pined for Ben the last few years, even went out with him before he hooked up with Miss Netal, yet they failed to click. The date had been a master course on how to fuck up an attempt to impress a crush–in the end, both parties agreed to remained friends.
Rey tried, and failed at that as well. Bad enough Ben himself had to pass by office manager Rey’s desk every morning en route to the faculty mailboxes. Lately, Rey had taken to hiding out in the adjacent administrative lounge until the teachers all trickled out to their respective classrooms.
“Good morning, Miss Niima.” Jaina reported to Rey’s desk at seven-twenty-five. Rey returned the greeting and handed over the morning’s typewritten announcements, keeping pleasantries to a minimum. She shared the office with three other staff and preferred to limit gossip related to her love life, or in this case, lack thereof.
Rose Tico, attendance secretary, paused by Rey’s desk. “Is Jaina okay?” she asked.
“I don’t know. Why would you ask that?” Rey watched the girl pace the alcove near the P.A. system and peruse the stapled sheets given to her.
“Never seen her smile that way before.” Rose talked quietly and tilted her head as she studied the girl. “Like a comic book villain.”
Rey laughed softly at that. “I think we both need coffee.” She stood to fill her mug but Jaina had switched on the P.A. and sounded the patriotic intro music. Rey sighed and straightened her posture, her hand over her heart and standing next to Rose as Jaina called for the school to rise for the Pledge.
“Please remain standing for a moment of silence,” Jaina then said, and after a beat began reading the morning announcements. Rey took the cue to point Rose toward the lounge.
Rey decided to put her own romantic woes out of her mind. “So,” she said to Rose, “did you ask him yet?”
Rose pulled two tickets from her back pocket. “Actually, I thought maybe you and I–”
“I’m busy that night,” Rey cut her off.
“You don't know which show the tickets are for.”
Rey tilted up her chin. “I don’t want to go.”
Rose arched an eyebrow. “You don’t want to see Hamilton ? Even though you can recite the soundtrack front and backward?”
“Ask. Mister. Hux.” Rey gritted her teeth. Great kriff, one of them deserved some romance in her life. Rose and the school’s principal were circling each other to the point of tamping down a rounded ditch in the school office. Something had to give soon.
“He’s. My. Boss,” said Rose.
“He’s mine, too, and do you see me…”
What was that?
Rey glanced out the doorway to where the rest of the office staff drifted closer to Jaina. The girl clutched the P.A. mic and nothing else. She continued to talk without reading the sheets–she was going off-script.
“Before I sign off for the day, I have some important additional announcements that the Jakku High School student body, as well as select faculty and staff, need to hear,” Jaina was saying.
“What’s happening?” Rose whispered, but Rey moved forward, past her colleagues to where Jaina stood. Jaina held up a hand in warning, and to Rey’s own surprise she stopped.
“Jaina.” Rey hissed at the girl and made a slashing motion across her throat. No dice.
Jaina looked right at Rey and spoke into the mic. “As many of you know, my uncle Mr. Solo is engaged to Miss Netal,” she said, and Rey’s stomach panged at the reminder. “My uncle is one of the coolest people I know, and he deserves somebody who loves him.”
At this, the door to the principal’s office opened and Armitage Hux stormed into the common space. He was livid, his pale skin now matching his red hair. “Miss Solo, you will cease using the P.A. at once.”
“Miss Netal is cheating on you, Uncle Ben.” Jaina said it quickly while backing into a corner, eyes wide and staring down her detractors. “My friend Jannah and I saw her at the mall two nights ago with another man going to the movies and they were kissing!”
Hushed voices around Rey fluttered their disbelief, but Rey covered her mouth. Poor Ben, if this was true. Their only chance at a relationship might have crashed and burned, but he certainly didn’t deserve that level of treatment from his fiancee.
Outside the office, other voices shrieked. Jaina was on a roll. “I’m sorry to let you know like this, Uncle Ben, but we tried to tell you privately and you wouldn’t listen. Anyway, it’s not like we expect you to be crushed, because we know you settled for Miss Netal. We know you’re not completely over Miss Niima…”
Holy kriff. Rey wanted to leave her body. When Mr. Hux pushed past her, she barely moved.
“Miss Solo, that’s enough! You will report for detention after school today.”
“I think she still likes you, too, so maybe ask her out, like, soon?” Jaina turned her back to shield the mic. “And while I’m still here and already have detention, everybody knows Mr. Hux and Miss Tico like each other, so they might as well go out on a date, too.”
Rose muttered an expletive and fled for the lounge.
“Thank you for listening to today’s morning announcements. Everybody have an awesome day. Go Scavengers!” Jaina cut off the P.A. and handed Rey the mic. “It was worth it,” she said.
Mr. Hux lowered his gaze and rubbed his forehead. “Miss Solo,” he said, then sighed, “go to your class.” Softer, he added, “Miss Tico…”
He looked up, confused for a second.
“Lounge,” said Rey.
“Right. Back to work, everybody,” he snapped, and closed the lounge door behind him and Rose. Jaina, smiling like a comic book villain, opened the glass office door to amplified distance cheering and applause.
Nothing left for Rey to do but go back to work and wait for this humiliation to pass. At her desk she pulled up the day’s emails to read and answer when she heard a hard tapping on the glass walls.
She looked up and nearly melted. A contrite-looking Ben Solo stood on the other side, holding a hall pass and waving at her.