Keep Warm

Chapter one: Arrivals and Questions

"One can always find true warmth with those who they can rely on and can rely on them."
-Kathryn T. age 14

Ben looked out the RV window bored out of his mind. He'd change into one of his alien forms but he was too bored even for that. He looked around the RV and noticed Gwen, his annoying red headed cousin, was on her laptop looking at the screen in fascination. He settled for looking out the window again, occasionally asking "Are we there yet?" as they went along the road.
It had felt like a million years until Ben's question was answered with a "Yes Ben we're here." from his grandfather. The ten year old leapt up and was instantly out the RV, lucky him the RV had been parked when he had leapt out. He looked around at the campsite in slight disappointment; he had thought they would be closer to the mountain since he wanted to climb it.
That's when he noticed her, Alexandra Elisabeth Thomas, a girl from his school. He had heard she would go camping in the mountains every few summers but he had never expected to see her. Her hair was jet black with the ends dyed a red color that seemed so opposite yet so complementary to her bright blue eyes. Standing a bit taller than Gwen; Alexandra, or just Alexis or Lexi to very close friends, had a T-shirt like Ben's black and white shirt except instead of white it was a baby blue and her jeans were normal length but flared at the bottom. "Hey Ben." She called, oh great she noticed he was there. She came over to him smiling. "Didn't expect to see you out here." She said calmly.
"Yeah, same here." He replied, just as calmly. He had no emotions for Alexis but he was one of the many people she was kind to. Only a few people had ever gotten on her bad side and those people had tendencies to "disappear" for a few days then return to get the cold shoulder treatment from Alexis. He was one of the guys who would just hang out with her when there was nobody else to hang out with. She'd throw rocks at old abandoned buildings, help out in the community, yet sometimes she could be evil. Nobody understood her, not even she understood why she did half the things she did. "We just got here." He said relaxed, he was about to ask her something but he heard his grandpa's words derail his train of thought.
"C'mon Ben help set up!"
"Coming Grandpa." Ben called turning away from Alexis for just a moment yet when he turned back to her to tell her they could talk later she was gone.

Keep Warm

Chapter two: Problems and solutions

"We shouldn't judge people on the outsides, but by what they are on the inside. Pink wet and squishy"
-Christopher T. Age 16
Note: this chapter will be the first one in this story to have 1st person, in Alexis's POV since I can't perfectly simulate someone's thoughts like some authors I've had the pleasure of knowing.

I sat in boredom; I had seen someone I knew from school but he had to help unpack, I on the other hand had to eat lunch. Goody for me right? Not really, my aunt Jess had decided to make something really weird. I had no idea what it was so I asked and when she told me I went "Oh but Aunt Jess I'm allergic!" So I got to eat some sandwiches instead. I swear the "I'm allergic" works almost every time. Anyway, I was sitting on a log looking straight up at the clouds when I heard footsteps.
"What are you doing?"
"Looking at the clouds."
"Why?"
"No idea." I leaned my head back more and saw Ben's bright green eyes staring at me in bewilderment. I flipped over and landed gracefully on my feet, at least I liked to think of it as graceful, I had fell flat on my back when I flipped. "Well that was fun." I commented as I pulled myself up, I noticed the thing on Ben's wrist, I guess thing was the only was to describe it. It covered more of his arm than a watch but less than some gloves I've seen people wearing, it had a dial but it didn't have the time on it. So it couldn't be a watch.
I put the thing on my 'Must ask about later' list...along with fifty other things such as 'Why are people called black and white if we're pink and brown?', 'If it was a big deal for black people to sit in the front of the bus during the 50's and such why do they mostly sit in the back now?' and 'Why is it most songs taught to small children are modeled after murderers and great tragedies?' and the ever valued 'If God created everything what created God?' I looked at Ben for a moment. "Let me guess," I started. "you want to go up onto the mountain."
"Yeah, but nobody'll tell me I can, do I have a sign saying 'I'm not able to walk up paths and climb a mountain!' on my back or somethin'?" Ben asked in annoyance, I thought about the problem for a moment and then my mind clicked.
"I can pull some strings." I said calmly. "Make it so we can go up there."
"How can you do that?" Ben asked in an 'I don't think you can really do that.' tone. I laughed for a moment.
"It's a long story. To make it short I know the head honcho's cousin's best friend's lawyer's second cousin's hair stylist's fiancé's sister-in-law's best friend's sister's daughter's best friend's aunt twice removed and her family." I said smiling as Ben tried to figure that out in his head. "Aunt Jess, I'm gonna take a walk with my friend OK?"
"Sure hun, don't go too far."