If I'm Han Solo, You're Princess Leia

San Diego hadn't changed much since the last time Maria had lived here. The same buildings still occupied the city, the same houses that she had once walked past to get to school were still coated in the same old paint. Maria felt as if the only thing that had changed was herself, as if she was the only shiny new toy in the neighbourhood after being away in Manhattan for 6 years with her father and his new family.

"Señorita we're here." The Mexican cab driver said over the soft alternative music playing on the radio. Maria grabbed her wallet out of her purse and pulled out the money she owed the driver, she passed it to the driver and thanked him for his service. The man smiled at her, he got out of the cab and helped her take her luggage out of the boot then left the way they came.

The house looked so similar except for the flowers her mother had planted in the front yard. Maria's eyes took in the surroundings and a small smile graced her lips. The last time she was standing on this driveway she had long black hair that slightly covered her left eye, a nose ring and wore dark skinny jeans paired with a dark top. Everything about her used to be dark, but now, she stood out like a sore thumb. Maria now had ash blonde hair that fell past her shoulders in slight waves, she sported matte red lipstick and wore a light pink short sleeved woven tee, white pleated skirt and light pink flats to match. She now looked like a doll and the reaction from her mother was priceless.

"Is that really you?" She asked her daughter. Maria giggled, she opened her arms and pulled her mother in for a big hug. "Manhattan did you good my dear." The two separated slowly and from behind her mother, she saw two men standing next to each other with smiles on their faces as well; one was her mother's new husband and the other, Maria's step-brother Levi who was 18. The two man walked towards her and gave her a hug. They carried her luggage into the house and up to her room while she and her mother talked about her plans for staying in San Diego.

"Well since I got my degree in graphic design I was thinking I would try to find some work here but if I don't, I'll do something else. I doubt I'll stay here too long, so don't worry, ma."

"You can stay here as long as you like."

Maria smiled and gave her mother a kiss on the cheek, "Thank you but I really don't want to be such a burden and besides, it's time I finally get my own place."

"That's true but just take your time, alright?"

"Alright, ma."

"Okay! Everything's up in your room now." Levi said happily to his step-sister. She walked over to him and ruffled his hair and they laughed together.

Careful steps carried her up to her room and upon opening the door she started to shake her head.Nothing had changed. All the old posters she had put up when she was merely 15 were still hanging on the walls and the sheets of her bed were the same shade of black that her hair used to be. She walked towards the windows and opened them to let fresh air in, then she got busy taking down all of the posters and changing the bed sheets to the ones she had brought from Manhattan that were navy in colour and had a simplistic grid pattern on them. After nearly an hour or so, Maria stepped back to analyze what the room now looked like and she felt pleased. The walls were a bright white colour and really brightened up the space. A few decorations later and she walked down towards the kitchen with the garbage in a large bag she had found trapped in the closet.

"Ma, where can I throw this out?"

"The garbage bin is outside the front lawn, just put it in there, it'll be collected tonight."

"Okay."

Maria walked slowly out the door and down the driveway, she made her way towards the garbage bin. With one hand she opened the lid and with the other threw the large bag into the bin. When the lid closed she realized someone was walking towards her, she turned her head to look at them. A tall man covered in tattoos was walking down the sidewalk with his phone in one hand, he noticed Maria standing by the bin and slowly came to a halt.

"Um, excuse me." He said gently. Maria looked at him curiously, "Did the Gonzalez family move?"

"No? They still live here." She said.

"Oh. If you don't mind me asking, who are you than?"

Maria chuckled at his confused expression, "I'm Anita Gonzalez's daughter, I just moved here from Manhattan." She said with a smile, "How do you know my mother and her family?"

"My mother and yours are good friends, we often come over for barbecues and birthdays."

"Really? Wow, what a small world."

"It really is." He chuckled, "Anyway, my name is Tony, nice to meet you."

"Tony? Tony Perry?"

"Yeah... How'd you know?"

'So this is the guy? What kind of taste did I have back then?'

"I- I think we used to be friends when I lived here? I'm-"

"Maria Smith! I'm so stupid, I should have realized!" He exclaimed, "You've changed so much since I last saw you."

Maria nodded and looked down at her shoes, she was desperately trying to remember what exactly her past with Tony held. From what she had read in her diary, she used to be very much in lust with him but she couldn't remember a single thing about him. How old was he? He looked a few years older than her and that made her even more confused, how had she known him? Maybe through her mother? Perhaps but they obviously had spent a significant amount of time together if they had been friends. 'Why can't I remember?'

"You never used to dress in anything other than black, white or gray and you had really long hair."

"I grew up I guess..." She smiled gently up at him, "I wish I could say something about you but I don't remember you that well, sorry..."

"Ah, nah that's fine. It's better if you don't remember me from back then."

Maria cocked her head to the side and studied the man before her for a few seconds, "Why's that, Tony?"

"I wasn't much of a friend and when you left I didn't even say goodbye."

"That probably explains why I don't remember you than. I must've been hurt and after I left, I blocked all of the hurtful memories."

"Which also explains why you've changed so much." He said, "I'm sorry by the way, for what I did."

"Apology accepted, it's in the past anyway, everything's long gone."

Tony smiled slightly, he checked the time on his phone and looked back at Maria. "I have to go, my mom's waiting for me. It was nice seeing you again." Maria smiled back at him and waved farewell, "Okay, bye and likewise!" She stood at the bin for a few minutes just watching Tony walk away; her brows creased after she looked away, she really wanted to know what had happened back then and why on Earth she had liked him.

When Maria walked back inside the house, her mother looked up from the stove where she was preparing lunch and asked what had taken her so long.

"I bumped into Tony Perry."

"Really? Did he remember you?" She asked with a big grin.

Maria chewed on her bottom lip and nodded, "I didn't remember him though and I still sort of don't."

"He used to come over all the time when he was younger, you and him would always play video games together even though he was four years older than you."

"Really? What else did we do?"

"You hung out a lot, he often took you to the movies when the holidays came around and he was really nice to you, especially because since his mother and I were best friends -and still are,- you guys had become really close as well."

"Did anything bad happen between us?"

"Hmm... No, not that I remember. He did stop coming over often but that was because he had gotten a girlfriend and spent most of his time with her but apart from that, I don't remember..." Her mother thought for a second, "Maybe something was said on one of your outings but I wouldn't know because I wasn't there, darling."

"Yeah. Thanks for telling me, ma."

"No problem honey. He's a good man. Actually, something you may not have guessed, he's in a band and often tours around America or the world! Isn't that awesome?"

Maria rolled her eyes slightly, of course she would have guessed that, what with all his tattoos and attitude. She guessed he was in one of those post-hardcore bands she used to love and worship when she was a teenager and that explained part of why she had found him attractive back in those days.

"His music's amazing, Mar!" Levi called out from the living room, "The band's called Pierce The Veil, they're pretty huge."

"Oh really? I've never heard of them though."

"Probably because the only music you listen to now is boring indie folk."

"Hey! It's not boring!" She groaned.

"Sure, sure." Levi mocked and she decided to just let it go, it wasn't worth getting into an argument over music on the first day she started living under the same roof as him for the second time around.

"Anyways, ma; That is pretty cool. He looks the part."

"You should listen to them sometime!" Levi called out again.

"No thank you!"

Her mother laughed and put the pot of corn to the side so it could cool down, "Even I've listened to their music, they are pretty good. Give them a chance."

"Whatever kind of music they make-"

"It's post-hardcore!"

"Shut up, Levi!" Maria snapped but then started to laugh, "That music is in my past. There's a reason I don't listen to it anymore and I'm not about to start again."

Both Levi and her mother sighed deeply. Maria chuckled at their reactions and walked over to the cupboard to help set the table. Everything from this day forward would be perfect, she would continue to live her life as she had in Manhattan even if she was surrounded by her past in so many ways and she would never listen to Pierce The Veil, but she would give Tony Perry another chance at friendship if they ever met again which was more than likely to happen; even if she wasn't too fond of his looks or what he reminded her of; now that she had some sort of clue.

Notes

Oh, my goodness. I'm writing a Tony Perry fan-fic after 2-3 years and I'm so excited! Haha. For the past couple of years, K-pop has consumed my life but last night I had this dream of Pierce The Veil playing a gig where I live and I met Tony and I just... It made me so nostalgic that I realized how much I miss PTV and Tony so this is the result of a dream and I'm super stoked.

I hope you like this story, it's gonna be pretty cool.