Everyone knows that life is full of problems. Well, everyone except Ben Tennyson. During his summer vacation that ended just yesterday, he had imagined himself untouchable and at the top of the world. His charade came to an end today.
The first day back at school, and he wasn't allowed to tell anyone about the Omnitrix. "No one, not even your parents can know," his grandfather Max had said just before dropping him off at school. Keeping a secret was hard enough, but getting picked on because of the large device on his wrist was just plain annoying. He couldn't even take it off to dodge the fireballs that the kids at school would throw at him.
To make matters worse, Ben had missed the bus that day. When he left the school building and saw his large, yellow bus leaving he regretfully sighed. He had to walk.
Walking was not something he minded so much, as his house wasn't too far. It was the fact that the clouds were a dark ting of gray. They were clumped up against their neighboring clouds preparing to team up in a heavy storm.
Ben Tennyson was only halfway home when the drops of liquid began to come down lightly. Halfway, but still another mile to go. He was sure that he wouldn't make it without being completely soaked first. His parents, Sandra and Carl, had to work late on Mondays so there was no chance of being picked up.
Instead of moping in the rain, Ben decided to think of a few things from his summer trip that he went on with his cousin and grandfather. Gwen had been forced on the trip by her mother, and Ben was completely upset when he noticed she was along for the ride.
At first Ben was positive that he wouldn't be able to enjoy the trip so long as she was with them, but eventually his outlook on her changed. Sure, she was a typical know-it-all girl, but she wasn't a useless bystander. Gwen was helpful and caring – even looking out for Ben on several occasions. He hadn't noticed it until now – the day that he actually thought over past events.
In a way, Ben felt guilty that he never once thanked her. She always thanked him for saving her, but he would just taunt her whenever a fragile moment seemed to be building itself. Ben would always shatter the glass.
As Gwen's image sprang sporadically throughout his head, an idea came to his mind. Gwen's house is closer than mine. I know she's home because her parents pick her up every day. Maybe I could stay there just until the rain blows over?
He was sure that it was a no-brainer plan. All he had to do was walk up the sidewalk a few more blocks and he would see Gwen's house. Frank – Gwen's father – thought of Ben as a good and free-spirited kid. He knew that his uncle would be on his side if Ben ever needed something. No, Frank wasn't who he was worried about.
Ben's Aunt – Lilly – was a shrill woman who was disgusted by Ben's lack of table manners and responsibility. He had one time been thrown out of his own house when she was babysitting one time. It was all because he didn't put the toilet seat in the bathroom down.
"Please be somewhere else, Aunt Lily." Ben said to himself as the rain came down harder.
He walked for a few more minutes until he came upon a thin driveway leading to a seemingly-normal house.
Nothing's normal about Gwen's house, he thought bitterly. Now before the large, green front door, Ben knocked a couple of times – hesitating once. Ben willed every bone in his body not to shake slightly from the passive threat of his aunt. If Lily were to answer the door, it would be like a jack-in-the-box scaring a helpless child.
The sound of a lock being turned was audible just before the door was pulled open. Ben was relieved to see his uncle Frank standing in the doorway.
"Ben...what a...surprise. What can I do for you?" The tall man asked supportively.
"Well...you see Uncle Frank...I was kinda hoping I can hang out here for a while. Just until the storm passes by."
Not even pondering the request, Frank gladly accepted. "Of course, Ben. Stay as long as you like." He then took a sidestep and put his hand out in a gesture for the young boy to enter the house.
Ben walked inside and took a good look at everything. Not much had changed. The floors were still made from a light brown wood and the walls were still blinding-white.
"So uh...where's Gwen?"
Frank spun around as he was heading for the kitchen to make some mid-day coffee. "She's up in her room doing homework. I'm sure she wouldn't mind putting some of it aside while your here," he said hopefully. Gwen wasn't normally the person to push homework down a priority.
Nodding, Ben headed up the staircase that was just before a hallway. On his way up, he recognized pictures in frames. A few were from a Thanksgiving they had all spent together, and others were just of Gwen's family at Christmas.
Not one of their families had spent a Christmas together. Ben remembered how his grandfather had mentioned this during a time they were in the desert on the summer trip. It wasn't until now did he actually feel gloomy about the revelation.
Ben approached a white door with a shiny-brass doorknob. He remembered this door as being Gwen's from his previous visits last year. Not even bothering to knock, Ben headed inside like it was his own.
As soon as he stepped inside, he spied Gwen sitting criss-cross on the cream colored carpet with an English book open. Her silky orange hair moved freely as she bobbed her head to music from to ear buds that were placed into her ears.
Ben smiled as he saw a perfect opportunity to annoy her. Jumping across the room, he landed on her blue-purple bed and made an audible crashing noise as his head slammed into a nearby wall.
Gwen jumped up in surprise, her heart was pounding from sudden awareness. She turned to face the direction that the crash had come from and her hands were up by her face glowing blue. Gwen was prepared to defend herself with the knowledge of spells she had obtained over the summer.
Putting her guard down, she sighed. It was only Ben.
"Ouch..." the boy said ruefully. He hadn't planned on going head first into any sort of wall.
Gwen looked at him angrily. What made him think he could just burst into her room in the first place. Why was he even there? However, her anger and questions soon faded when Gwen took a look at him thoroughly.
He was halfway upside-down rubbing his head from the recent collision. She had put her hands on her hips and furrowed her brow in order to appear angry, but the ruse wasn't going to work. Soon she was bursting out in laughter.
"You dweeb, why would you do that." she managed to say in between historic laughs.
Ben sat up, rubbing his head – which was now aching. "Yeah yeah...very funny geek-a-zoid."
"Oh what's that supposed to mean?" Gwen queried.
"You're the one that sitting here doing homework up in your room when you could be..."
"Outside?" Gwen chided playfully, it wasn't as if she could go outdoors. The weather – and her father – wouldn't permit it.
Ben backed down. "No...just something fun."
Gwen's face gained a smile. Fun huh? She thought menacingly.
The brunette boy waltzed around her room in search of something to tease her about. He never could hold a normal conversation with his cousin – it just seemed that he was afraid to.
While looking at Gwen's scholarship awards and offers on a wall, something soft and fluffy smacked his aching head.
Wincing from his headache and the new impact, Ben turned around to see what was amiss. He was confused when he noticed Gwen standing almost eight feet away from him with an awkward smile on her face. Ben looked down by his feet and saw a pillow lying on the ground.
"You don't think I can have fun?" she asked, "Please, I was the one who made the summer vacation with Grandpa fun. Without me you would have been bored out of your mind."
"Yeah right. Without you I would have actually liked it." he laughed and picked up the pillow – chasing her around the room.
Gwen's room was large enough to where they had running space and somewhere to go, but Ben was fast. His cousin might have been in jujitsu classes, but he had been on a track team. Although, he got cut during the second practice.
Gwen turned around in an attempt to dodge Ben. Sweeping her legs out in order to quickly turn around, she made a mistake.
Instead of pivoting around, she unexpectedly kicked Ben's legs out from under him. The pillow that he had been holding flew right from his hands.
Gwen, not wanting him to fall on his face, tried to catch him. However, she hadn't known how heavy he was and fell along with him.
Ben landed smack-dab on top of Gwen – who cushioned his fall. Suddenly, the memories of her saving him during the summer rushed back into his mind. For a brief moment, he thought they were back with Max fighting aliens and she had just put herself in mortal danger.
"Whoa...Gwen are you alright?" he asked, still lying over her.
Gwen had the wind knocked out of her lungs, and could only cough in response. Realizing that he might be suffocating her, Ben pulled up slightly but kept his hands clamped around her wrists – just in case something went wrong.
"It's your fault you dweeb." she wheezed between gasps of air.
Ben rolled his eyes. "Oh no...don't blame this on me. If you hadn't turned around then none of this would have happened."
They looked at each other for a while. Ben was solely worried about her, but Gwen was reforming past memories. Memories that had taken place just recently.
Ben stared at her – looking lost, as if he entered a new universe. It reminded Gwen of the way they had looked at each other only a day ago when she and Max dropped him off at his house. They never actually said goodbye and instead told each other than they wouldn't miss being around one another. It was a horrible lie.
As soon as Max drove away to head towards Gwen's house, they had regretfully gave each other a parting stare. Gwen had been standing at the back of the RV looking back at him – obviously wishing that they could of had more of a summer together.
That day, part of Ben wanted the summer to never end because he enjoyed his freedom and the fact that he could go hero whenever he wanted. But there was also something else in his feelings. Something that he had never experienced before. It was attachment.
Gwen, now having fully gained her breath back, breathed slowly as Ben still sat over her. She wanted to tell him how much she missed being around him, and how much she liked his flaws and believed they were perfect.
"Hey Ben..." Gwen started, looking up into alien-green eyes.
Not even waiting for her to ask a question or say what she had been wanting to. Ben provided a peripheral answer – an answer that would close up so many gaps that were made over the summer.
"Yeah, I miss you too."
"You let who into the house!" the shrill screaming of Lily rang throughout the house.
The two cousins glanced at Gwen's doorway and then back at each other.
"Uh oh" they said in unison.