When Ben handed the book to Rey, one of the first things she had noticed about Black Beauty was how worn its cover looked. The creases were greater along the front cover's spine as if it had been read periodically, rather than read once and stored away on a shelf to collect dust. The corners were curled and appeared to have been dropped more than once by accident. And the pages were easy to turn, unlike most newish novels.
Aside from the book's outerwear and tear, what amused Rey the most was that it was a Young Readers' addition. The print was larger than the average text in adult literature. The chapters were shorter and had black and white graphite-drawn photographs strategically placed throughout its pages. Rey wondered if it was a keepsake from Mr. Solo's childhood, possibly given to him by a family member or if it was something that he picked up later on. Either way, seeing a man of his size read a children's book was enough to give her a clear indication of the kind of person that Mr. Solo was.
His reaction in regards to how the novel pertained to him, as a reader, made her realize that he seemed to be a more sensitive sort, bearing a soul as equally soft as his hair and lips. The thought made her smile, eliciting a warm feeling inside her chest that made her want to know more about the man that she was drawn to.
She meant to begin reading later that night after finishing her homework for Language Arts, History and Trigonometry. Unfortunately, by the time she finished number crunching ten formulas that took up half a page (each) in length, plus reading through a surmount of text to answer questions for the other two classes, Rey was more than ready to catch some much-needed sleep.
Luckily, hump day's school hours were slightly shorter, thanks to block scheduling. Classes began at 9:00 A.M. rather than the usual 8:00, meaning classes were shortened by 10 minutes and passing periods lessened by a minute.
Not that Rey was bummed for having omitted minutes in every class: just Agricultural Science. Ironically, not more than 36 hours earlier, Agriculture had been the class she looked forward to attending the least. However, Rey was excited for her daily talk with Mr. Solo today and hoped to strike up some sort of conversation with him about the book, wanting to begin the day on common ground rather than the usual awkwardness. But Rey needed to actually read the book in order to do just that.
Foregoing the need to catch some extra sleep, like any other student was probably doing with the extra hour, Rey went about her usual morning routine and arrived at the school just before 8:00. Unlike days with the normal class hours, she caught sight of a hand full of students that were occupying the empty hallways. Some appeared to be making use of their time wisely, catching up on homework that was put off from the night before.
And then there was the couple whom of which she begrudgingly witnessed trying to devour the other's face, thinking that no one would see them dry humping against the lockers in the dimly lit corridors. Rey pretended not to have seen, though her eyes had suffered the consequences.
Luckily, her locker was in one of the more vacant hallways, allowing her to have the entire vicinity to herself for the hour and perfect for reading in peace without disturbance. Then, maybe – maybe if she was lucky, Rey would have enough time after reading to pay a visit to Mr. Solo's class before school started. For book talk, of course.
She deposited the books and other belongings from the inside of her backpack to her locker, keeping Black Beauty safely tucked into the crevice between her arm and side before closing the door.
Making an about-face, Rey pressed her back against the locker door and slid down its smooth surface to the tile floor. She flinched when the backs of her legs, uncovered by her denim shorts, met the cold surface beneath her, causing Rey to immediately draw her knees up and plant the bottoms of her red Converse to the floor.
She propped the book against her thighs and opened it to the first few pages of text, holding open and in place with a few fingers. She suddenly became immersed with the scene in which chapter one began to paint.
The first paragraph took her by surprise when the narration began telling the story through the eyes of a horse, or, specifically, a young colt named Black Beauty. She could easily imagine a world that was rich in green pastures, valleys, and open skies, including lakes and streams where no means of vehicle transportation existed – at least none that was by road or air.
The story took place in history when people traveled long-distance by steam engines and horse-drawn carriages. Unfortunately, it was a world where the magnificent animals were seen mostly as being a necessary means for travel, and as workers on farms, rather than seen as creatures that possessed a soul and feelings.
One horse, a beautiful chestnut mare named Ginger, possessed a back story that immediately captured Rey's attention, giving her heartstrings a vicious tug. Time after time, Ginger suffered at the mercy of her owner's son by whip or stick, or words that compared to stones being hurled. Her spirit became broken, as did her trust and faith in humanity, and even became aggressive toward other horses.
Luckily, that was before Ginger came to a more hospitable life on a small farm, followed by Beauty's arrival shortly after. With insurmountable patience and kindness, Ginger was able to learn what it was like to love and be loved by more caring owners, and have a happier second-chance at life.
Rey managed to make it to page 36 in her reading before the high-pitched sound of sneakers scuffing over the tile floor diverted her attention from the book to the intersecting hallway of lockers to her right. She sighed, repressing a groan when she saw Poe coming towards her. Was it really too much to ask to read for an hour in peace?
His sleek, black Under Armour athletic shorts, paired with the maroon cut-off sleeve t-shirt that read MISHAWAKA HIGH SCHOOL in white letters, gave Rey the assumption that Poe must've been in early for athletic training. Not that she cared to know, really, though her initial perception of him had gradually subsided to him being the typical, self-entitled jock who could get whatever he wanted. Poe was nice but, unfortunately, his ego had a tendency to outshine his ability to be pleasant company.
"What are you doing here so early?" Poe asked. His mouth was half full with granola from the granola bar that he was holding in his hand, an Adidasduffel bag was strewn casually over the opposite shoulder.
Duh, Rey wanted to say. Her book was in plain sight, but she refrained from the use of sarcasm. She obliged him by raising the half-closed book, keeping her forefinger in between the pages to mark her spot. The motion briefly left the cover viewable for Poe to see for himself before Rey returned it to its former spot.
"Reading," she replied shortly, stating the obvious out loud for him.
"Ah, you're one of those bookworms." Poe teased whilst leaning his shoulder against Finn's locker. Urging the strap of the duffel bag off his shoulder with a shrug, the garment proceeded to carelessly drop onto the tile next to his shoes with a soft thump. "Whatcha reading?"
"Black Beauty."
Poe nodded and swallowed his food before he spoke. "Interesting choice," he said, eating the last bite of granola. He rubbed his hands together, ridding them of any crumbs that lingered. "For fun or for class?"
"For class," she answered, but remembered that Poe and Finn had the same literary class as she, just at a different time. She could've kept it simple and corrected the tiny white lie, but reconsidered with the possibility of being too suspicious. She darted her eyes briefly to Poe, clearing her throat before adding more fuel to the lie – kind of. "It's for Agriculture, actually."
Poe arched a brow and snorted. "Is Solo going soft on you guys or something? I never would've guessed him to be the type that handed out children's literature in class."
"Classic literature," Rey corrected, giving his Nike shoes a sidewise glance. "And it's for extra credit if you must know."
"Interesting," Poe quipped, turning his back against the locker to slide down its remaining length. He kicked his feet straight out in front of him when he came to an abrupt stop on the floor alongside her, crossing his shoes one foot over the other at the ankle. "Solo never gives extra credit."
Rey rolled her eyes, becoming annoyed with the sudden interrogation. "How would you know? You've never had his class."
Poe shrugged, reaching for his phone from a small outer pocket on his bag. "Just going by what I've heard about him," he explained, opening the Facebook app. "There are a couple Ag guys on the football team that had him last year. I've just always known him to be a dick."
And you aren't? The insult was tempting, but Rey resisted and reverted to changing the subject.
"So, how's come you're here so early?" She asked, turning her attention away from the pages of text to Poe.
"Coach likes us to do conditioning in the morning," he replied, not looking up from his phone. "You should come by practice sometime after school."
Rey curled her lip at the thought. "Do I look like the kind of girl that enjoys football?"
"Just as much as you look like an Ag girl," Poe retorted with a smirk. "But you can't blame me for wanting to try, at least."
Rey narrowed her eyes and huffed. Turning her interest to the parallel row of lockers, her head nodded back against her locker, making a noticeable 'thud' when it came in contact with the metal object. Her eyes remained fixed on a large dent near the bottom of the locker, positioned directly across from her. It was a lot more interesting to wonder how the dent got there rather than listen to Poe mock her interests.
"By the way, do you have Facebook?" Poe asked, finally looking away from his phone to Rey. "Finn and I tried to search for you during Study Hall yesterday, but couldn't find you."
Rey frowned.
"Probably because it still has me being from Florida," she explained, rolling her head against the locker to face Poe with a sigh. "I haven't changed my location to Indiana. Try 'Rey Kanata' again."
Poe proceeded to do just what Rey asked of him, even providing the correct spelling of her last name. Watching his thumbs dance with grace over the digital keyboard on the screen, ensuring there weren't any errors, she was surprised to see that there were well over a few dozen 'Rey Kanatas' around the world. And here she always thought her name was the one and only.
She watched closely as Poe scrolled through the numerous profiles on display down the screen, pointing with the top of her pinky at the photo that corresponded with her profile when he finally discovered it.
Her eyes extended to the shape of saucers when she saw the profile photo of her wearing a pair of neon-colored board shorts and a matching bikini top. Her hair was drawn into a messy bun with one hand propped upon her hip, her face ridiculously tanned and half-shielded by large-framed sunglasses, smiling a toothy grin that elicited her excitement for being at Clearwater Beach. Eagerly, Poe clicked on her profile to send a friend request.
"Wow!" Poe blinked and brought his phone closer for a better look at her picture. "You may be the only girl I know that has fucking better abs than I do. Looks hot if I may say," he remarked, the expression on his face mirroring the tone of his suggestive remark.
Shit! Rey grimaced at the knot coiling inside her stomach, noting the need to change the picture when she got home. Her aunt had told her the night before that their internet was expected to be installed that day, and Rey intended to put it to good use.
"What time is it?" Rey scoffed, shifting uncomfortably in her spot.
She never kept her phone on her during the day at school. Instead, she always kept it safely tucked inside the pocket of her backpack and left in her locker.
Poe glanced from her picture, eyeing the time displayed at the top corner of his phone. "8:30."
Now's your chance, Rey!
"Shit, I forgot I have a grouping in Ensemble today," Rey stated abruptly, lying through her teeth. She quickly pushed herself into a squatting position from the ground and stood to her full height. "Tell Finn to add me as well if you see him, and Rose and Mitaka. I don't have the app on my phone so I'll accept your requests tonight when I get home."
Poe looked amused. "You're probably the only person I know that doesn't have Facebook on your phone."
"My aunt is a little paranoid when it comes to going over our shared data plan. I did it once before and it wasn't pretty. So, unless there's Wi-Fi, I don't use my phone."
Poe nodded. "Will do," he assured and quickly fell in suit, grabbing the strap of his duffel bag as he stood. "See you at lunch, Rey."
Rey gestured a hand in the air, addressing Poe with a lazy wave. She jogged in the opposite direction towards the Ag hall, hoping that a certain teacher would be there to give her company – unlike what was given by an arrogant jock.
**
Rey was surprised to see Mr. Solo not wearing his usual plaid. After seeing him for two days wearing the signature attire, Rey was beginning to wonder if she could anticipate what color he would wear next. If she hadn't been attracted to Mr. Solo before, she certainly had a reason to now as his new look sent her ovaries into a full-blown eruption.
It was enough to make her pause, one foot set directly over the threshold of his classroom, and gaze at every part of his 6-foot 3-inch form. Mr. Solo was sitting along the front edge of his desk, a leg casually draped over the edge, the other stretched out in front of him. His attention was focused down at one of several papers held in his hand.
His hair appeared to have been trimmed. Maybe, by an inch or so, throughout once longer layers of locks that framed the defined features of his face and kept his larger than average ears hid. It was a tiny detail and one that seemed insignificant about him, but being able to see them clearly, for the first time, brought a smile to her face.
His azure blue button-up checkered shirt, its sleeves rolled to his elbows, was partially hidden beneath a midnight blue vest with a coordinating tie and dress pants. He looked more like an attendee at a formal gathering rather than a teacher that lectured about Earth studies and livestock.
How in the hell was she supposed to focus during class with him looking like – this?
Breathe, Kanata. Just breathe.
Following her own advice, Rey took a couple deep breaths before she forced herself to put one foot in front of the other.
"Am I in the right classroom?" Rey asked aloud, formally announcing her presence and making his head glance away from the documents in his hand. "You sure don't look like Mr. Solo."
"Really, now?" Ben inquired with a raised brow, amused by her comment. "And why's that?"
"Did you miss laundry day?" She teased, gesturing a hand toward his urbane wardrobe. "I'll be extremely disappointed if you tell me that you ran out of plaid."
Ben shrugged. "Kinda," he replied, his tone set to compliment his straight face. "My mom forgot to wash them last night."
Rey scoffed, firmly planting her feet in place and crossing her arms as she came to stand at the edge of his desk. "Seriously?"
"No," Ben chuckled, his smirk to breaking the serious façade. Turning his back to Rey, he tossed the papers onto his desk before returning to meet her puzzled turned affronted look, palms placed casually on his desk. "I should be offended that you thought so low of me. But I'm actually perfectly capable of doing my own dirty work."
I don't doubt that you can, Rey confessed silently to herself, entertaining the million and one possible dirty things that he could do to her.
Realizing that she'd accidentally drifted into a momentary state of erotic fantasizing about the man in front of her, Rey proceeded to issue him a goading glare and stick her tongue out. As childish as it looked she hoped that it would be enough to cover up her cheeks becoming flushed. "Funny."
Ben chuckled lightheartedly. "Honestly, I'm surprised to see you here so early. You're four class periods too soon, you know."
"I know," Rey replied sheepishly, her bottom lip drawn between her teeth. "I actually wanted to talk to you about something."
"Oh? What about?"
"It's nothing important, really," Rey hastily countered. "I mean, if you're busy we can discuss it later."
Her words immediately captivated Ben's attention. Not that it was hard for him to become mesmerized by her, anyway. Ben would listen to her explain how paper bags were made all day if it meant that he would hear that spellbinding accent of hers, and watch how the irises in her eyes beamed whenever she became too excited.
"A distraction is actually more than welcome right now," he replied softly. "Even if it's not important. What's up?"
Rey smiled at the encouragement, shifting her weight to the right as her hip dug into the edge of his desk. Not only did it draw her closer towards him, but she could now smell the faint scent of his Polo cologne. It was enough to make Rey want to bury her face into his neck and spend eternity memorizing his aroma – if only he would let her.
"I started reading Black Beauty this morning. I only got through chapter five though." Rey affirmed, gesturing the book that was held in her hand, her tone bitter. "Poe, one of my friends, wouldn't stop pestering me, unfortunately."
Ben's eye twitched at the mentioning of Poe's name. "Dameron?"
Rey frowned, "You know him?"
Of course, he probably knows Poe, she scolded, drawing her conclusion from the fact that he was teaching in the same school that Poe played football for.
Ben nodded, his jaw flexed. "His father is head of the school board. And I've seen him play football a few times. No offense, but there's no way he could've made the team without his father's help."
Rey laughed at that, stealing a glance at the toes of her shoes. "I believe you, truly. And don't worry, it didn't hurt my feelings any."
"That's good, then," Ben stated, clearing his throat. He quickly changed the subject to a lighter discussion. "Anyways, so you did get to read it then? What do you think of it so far?"
"Yeah! Well, like I said I didn't get very far into it, but I love Ginger."
"Ginger," Ben repeated softly, cocking his head with a knowing look. He knew that the character lived (and would lead) a tragic life later in the story, but he kept the detail to himself, not wanting to ruin her interest in the story. "Why her?"
"She's courageous," Rey smiled. "There's a lot of depth to Ginger that makes her different from Beauty's story. Beauty was trained as a colt to know discipline and to always show kindness towards others. Ginger didn't have that life: she was constantly abused. She never knew what love was or how to act properly, and she guarded herself by lashing out at those around her. But Beauty wasn't afraid of her and he befriended her when nobody else would."
"That is true," Ben added. "Beauty does have a significant impact on Ginger, and you'll find that his upbringing and living by those important life skills is what makes him a survivor. Through every good and bad situation, Beauty never loses sight of who he really is. That's what I find most admirable about him."
Tilting her head askance, Rey took a moment to reflect on the significance of his words. Was Beauty the one that Mr. Solo related the most to in the story?
"Do these questions count towards our daily two?" Rey asked, feeling hopeful that it wasn't the case.
Ben chuckled and gave her a reassuring smile. "No, book discussion doesn't count."
"Good," Rey beamed. "So what made you become an Agriculture teacher when you clearly have a love for horses?"
He grimaced at that. "And what makes you think that I love horses?"
"Because you get this look in your eyes whenever the opportunity presents itself to discuss them," Rey stated gently, eyes fixed on his. "You have a passion for them, I can tell."
Ben swallowed heavily and broke her stare, glancing down at his interlaced fingers that'd begun to fidget in his lap. He should've known that BlackBeauty would open up those doors that'd been long closed for discussion. Surprisingly, Ben decided to be a little more amenable to her question, and enlighten her a little more on the sensitive topic. Taking a breath, he gathered his thoughts.
"Teaching wasn't my first career choice, that you are right about," he confessed, treading with care over his words. His eyes returned to hers then. "My parents raise Morgans on their ranch not too far from here. I grew up around horses and showed them occasionally. They're hard not to love once you meet one."
Rey smiled at the thought, having never gotten the chance to see a horse up close and in person. It was a very rare occurrence to see such magnificent animals in the city other than the few she had caught glimpses of, giving chauffer rides around one city block to another, while once riding to the store with Maz.
Rey told Ben just as much. In return, Ben pined over every possible way he could ask her to come with him some weekend to the ranch, and notsound like a total creep in the process. His brooding was momentarily relieved as the subject seemed to spark the next question that Rey wanted to ask him.
"Do you have a favorite? Horse, I mean."
Ben nodded slowly, "There's one, yes."
"What's its name?" Rey asked, eliciting her eagerness through her eyes.
"Good question," Ben confirmed with a coy smile. "But one for another time, your two questions are up."
Rey huffed and rolled her eyes, shifting her weight to a bent knee. "Do we have to take it that literally?"
"I'm a man of my word, Miss Kanata. I believe you owe me two now."
"Fine," Rey surrendered with a bitter pout.
Ben chuckled, pushing her former question aside to ponder something else. The need to ask Rey her age remained a thorn in his side, one that was constantly at the tip of his tongue, begging to be expressed. But there was so much more he longed to know, things more important than a number that made little to no difference how he thought of her.
He settled for an obvious question, accompanying an even more obvious answer. But it was genuine and one that Ben wanted to hear Rey explain herself.
"Where are you from?"
"Originally?" Rey snorted, adding her own dry humor to the tale. "London. After that, there was Manhattan, Charlotte, and Orlando," she stated in one breath, "and now Mishawaka."
Ben frowned at her response. Did that mean she would be leaving here, too?
As if Rey had been able to sense his concern, she reassured him with the answer that her aunt had every intention to stay in Indiana. She was certain that mentioning Maz would make him want to ask where her parents were, and she was prepared to explain the dreadful memory.
But he didn't.
Instead, he asked her how she was liking the Hoosier state. In return, she obliged him with the answer, one that Ben could've sworn it pertained to him as she stared intently back at him.
"So far, it's not how I thought it would be."
"Should I take that as a good or bad thing?"
Rey smiled. "Good. Definitely."
It nearly took half a minute after the morning bell's first ring for Rey to realize that she still needed to obtain her World History book and supplies from her locker. Ben accompanied Rey to the classroom door, hands shoved into the pockets of his slacks, feeling more like a kid that was escorting his girl home from a date.
"Rey."
She turned just before entering the hallway, hands clasping the book in front of her with an expectant stare.
Ben swallowed heavily and took a breath, shifting nervously on his heels. "During non-class hours, you can call me Ben. But only if you want to, of course."
"Ben," she parroted, considering it a name as one that she could definitely get used to saying. It already felt like she had been saying it for years rather than seconds. "Alright, Ben, I'll see you later."
His insides felt like they had turned to mush. Hearing her say his name made him wish he could keep her voice on repeat inside his head. There was something so innate the way it extended from her lips.
Needless to say, Ben hated watching her leave, even if he was able to see her again at fourth period. One thing was for certain though, those hours in between would surely feel like centuries.