STAR WARS: THE FORCE HITS SNOOZE

CHAPTER XII: ENEMIES WITH BENEFITS

Later after we have had some time to change the subject, putting the pain behind us just like the past in order to not make us upset anymore, we get ready to leave. Ben and I seem to have a different connection, one that is fully honest, and understanding... I mean we get each other more now. And it feels so nice to have someone who knows what I have been through. I stand by my statement. I am not alone... Not anymore.

We stand at the opening of the Walker, wraps around our shoulders again and bags on our backs. I have my goggles on my forehead but I don't think I'll need them. The wind has died down mostly. But it still blows at the loose parts of our clothing as we stand there. He looks at me when I'm finally ready, squinting from the sandy breeze, his dark hair blowing from it. It's a serious gaze as I rub the last traces of tears from my face, making sure I don't have makeup smudged under my eyes. I look up at him as his eyes lock with mine. "...Are you going to be alright?" he mutters, not trying to look too concerned, but I can see past it pretty well, even if his expression is hard and serious.

I reach up and gently place my hand on the side of his face. "It's okay... I'll be fine," I say with a faint smile of reassurance.

There is a gentleness in his eyes when I say this. He just nods once after some hesitation, his expression not changing. He moves my hand to his lips, kissing my palm casually, his brows still set as he lowers my hand from him, giving it a soft squeeze before letting it go. He looks out over the dunes and puts his hood up, ready to go.

"Hey Ben?"

"Mhm?" he acknowledges as we trudge through the sand.

"Tomorrow can we watch a movie at your house?"

"Ew. Depends on the movie. You have horrible taste," he sighs, teasing me.

I chuckle a little. "Yeah but I still have better taste than you, you'd probably want to watch something stupid and emo."

"Aww does this mean we can't watch 'Death of a Kitten'?" he sasses back

"Yeah I'm sorry, I know you've been looking forward to that all week," I say mockingly sympathetically.

"What would you have us watch? 'The Adventures of... My Little... Unicorn'? Or something even more tediously boring like an autobiography of your life?"

"Aw what's wrong? Will the mean unicorn scare you?"

"Yeah it's one of my biggest fear—oh crap," he sighs. "I left my phone in the walker. Go on I'll catch up," he commands and jogs back to the wreck.

"Don't die on the way back!"

He turns his head to look behind him at me. "I'll try! Thank you!" he calls. "Stay annoying!" he returns as he keeps walking.

"Stay uh... ugly!" I call back at him.

He is laughing now and hops down into the AT-AT.

I giggle to myself and shake my head, turning and continuing to walk idly across the sand, not traveling very fast so that he doesn't have trouble catching up. Not like he would anyway. Stupid long legs of hi—a sudden sharp explosion shocks my ears and I'm blind, seeing only black until I am thrown to the dirt, stars lighting up my eyelids as something completely stuns my body.