Chapter 18: The last day of summer
Now that summer has drawn to a close it's been an adventurous and an interesting summer to say for everyone including the new couple of Ben and Gwen, however before Max dropped off either of them to their respective parents they had swore to never reveal their love for one another whatever the situation may be.
As everyone left the New York City hotel, it was so quiet in the Rustbucket that if one of them dropped something, they would hear it; Gwen was not only upset at summer ending but also sad to see Ben leaving knowing that in school he was miserable as it could get, to make matters worse he had bullies who had picked on him knowing Ben she decided to make her way towards a quiet Ben.
"We'll be in Bellwood tomorrow." Ben says to Gwen, Ben wasn't looking at Gwen for his own personal reasons, and then Gwen embraces Ben with her eyes closed as she held onto him tightly.
"I wished summer had never ended." Gwen confesses, her voice was breaking as then she started crying on Ben and his favorite shirt started to get wet above his heart as Gwen continued crying, "Don't worry, we'll see and hear from each other again." Ben states, to Gwen it sounded as he was making a promise, Gwen stops crying as her tear-stained face looks up to Ben as if he was so sure of himself, "How are you going to do that?" Gwen asks Ben.
"Here's how, you ask your folks if you can visit over the holidays like Christmas when we were younger and I'll do the same on my end."
Gwen simply just nods at Ben's words as the lovers embrace before Max would take him home, however Max has his own plans for the children, "Hey kids, how would you like to end your summer by going to the fair?" Max asks the two lovers, Ben and Gwen's heads each shot up as if they heard something loud and trying to figure out what decision to make since their own grandfather had offered them to go to the fair, the two had nodded their heads in agreement to their decision, maybe they wanted a little normal time together or just tired of fighting with their enemies as Max drives to the fair that was in town for a few days, to Ben it was nothing new, maybe it was who knows.
As everyone pulls up to the fair, Max then says something as if he was saying something important, "Alright you two, before you guys charge in there I just to tell you guys to have fun today as even through you'll be separated during the school year, I got you these." Max then gives the kids cell phones.
"Hey Grandpa?" Ben asked his grandfather.
"What?"
"Aren't we too young to have phones?" Gwen buts in, Ben turns to her as if she had stolen what Ben was going to say, luckily if they weren't together Ben would have probably hit her in the arm playfully at this point in time but decided not to do anything.
"For the average ten year old yes, but you Gwen are acting more mature compared to them, Ben however is the average for a ten year old boy." Max explains; all Gwen could do was crack a smirk at this information Max had explained to them.
"HA! I told you I was more mature." Gwen teases Ben, Max had an expressionless look on his face, Ben on the other was just as annoyed as the other times Gwen had rubbed something in his face, and obviously he was tired of coming in second compared to his cousin/lover.
"I'll show you who's more mature!" a frustrated Ben boasted to his lover, seeing Ben more motivated to do better probably would result in a better Ben but no one at the moment had an answer to the possible theory.
Then the two children run into that fair with reckless abandon obviously leaving their grandfather behind them, Max really thought for a moment there things had changed between them.
"It's either they're getting more energy, or it's me slowing down." He says to himself in amazement as he walks in front of where the kids supposedly had ran off to trying to make sure that they didn't get in trouble since he doesn't want to be left behind.
After a few hours of playing in that fair, obviously winning prizes, even Max went out of his way a bit and won some things, as everyone went into the Rustbucket to drop Ben off home.
"Looks like everyone was a winner tonight." Ben says in a happy manner, he had won himself a lion in one of those ring toss games, Max had also brought them three fair t-shirts.
"You should have seen me hit those bowling pins off the table, SMACK!" Gwen says in reply, obviously she was so happy winning a cute teddy bear that she actually had smacked Ben across the face accidentally, once she realizes what her hand had hit, she turns to Ben seeing him holding his cheek.
"Oh my God!" She cried out to attend to him, "Ben, I'm sorry."
"Sure, say sorry to the one thing she last expects to hit." Ben gritted from his teeth, when he removed his hands from his cheek it was painfully obvious to see where had Gwen hit him at it was red.
A minute later Gwen had gotten some ice as she puts it on his sore cheek, "I'm really sorry Ben, and I just want you to believe me." She says in a low voice, obvious to Max, she was sorry indeed while there was no input from him; Ben just grabs the ice pack she had put on his cheek and simply says "It's alright."
Seeing Ben like this was not what Gwen had wanted, it's true she felt bad for accidentally smacking him across the face, so to make it up to him she has an idea to make it up to him so she goes over and sits next to him, then Ben looks away from her.
"Ben." Ben ignored her calling him, Gwen however knowing she's not the giving up type, she did something that she thought she never have to do, she actually grabs him and turns him around resulting in Ben facing her directly and he knew this time that he was in for it rather he wanted out or not.
"Look at me, I said I'm sorry and if you don't stop being a jerk then-"Gwen was explaining until Ben had cut her off with a wave of his hand.
"I said it's alright, I was expecting some of the Gwen I fell in love with to smack me anyway." He explains, this resulted in Gwen suddenly embracing Ben in a vice-like hug that resulted in both of them falling to the floor and their faces met each other both of them obviously red as Ben's cheek was during that slap.
"Ben." Gwen says, obviously Ben can't stop looking at her.
"Yeah Gwen?"
"I said I'm-"Gwen was cut off by Ben's lips pressing against hers, as if Ben was telling her to shut up right then and there, it was a good way to tell her that she said too much already as the two continued to kiss for quite a while, Max didn't even pay attention to the make out session like he was ignoring their little kissing session.
The little make-out continued for about five minutes until Max stops at a house that has a dark red roof, white mostly all around with a path leading to the stairs; a sad grim look is on Gwen's face as she embraces Ben around his waist wanting him to stay before he leaves the Rustbucket with his stuff packed.
"Don't go Ben, please." Gwen pleaded desperately to him; she really had wanted to stay with him, "I'll skip school and I'll find a way to see you." When this was said Ben turns around surprised at what Gwen had just let slip out of her mouth, the Gwen he had to come and love was the caring straight A student; now he was wondering if leaving her like this was even a good idea.
"Gwen." Ben said in an almost pleading tone not wanting Gwen to be crying her eyes out, he wipes her tears in an assuring way while Gwen looked up at him. "Don't worry, we'll find a way."
"You promise?"
"Promise." And with that he leaves towards his house where his parents were waiting for him.
As Ben watches the Rustbucket out of sight, he couldn't help but shed a tear; if Gwen was acting up like that without him the thought of him without her would boggle his mind even though he isn't the brightest bulb of the bunch when he made a promise he had the intention of living up to that promise.
When the Rustbucket was out of sight, Max looked at the mirror and notices the hurtful look on Gwen's face, sighing and can't take the emotional pain he speaks up "You know you'll see each other again."
"Yeah." Gwen said half-heartedly, "You might be right."
"Cheer up; once your birthday passes you'll be able to-"Max stops himself for almost giving away some important information.
"Able to what?" Gwen asked now highly alert hearing after what Max had said.
"It's nothing." Max lied but he said it as if it was nothing to him, 'Almost gave it away, Looks like I'm going to have to be a bit more careful from here on out.'
End of chapter 18
A/N: I know this chapter was longer than I originally planned it to be up there, registering for spring is annoying me like crazy, studying for finals has also cut in on my time as well and a lack of confidence almost stopped me from updating altogether. Now that I got some confidence back I'll try to update faster.
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