June 25, 2016
Phoenix, AZ; 1:13 pm
Another hot day without working AC.
"How much farther is the hotel?" Ben groaned out from under a wet towel.
"Another half-hour sport." Max kept up an air of positivity, but it did nothing to hide the sweat pooling in his undershirt.
"I can't take this anymore," Gwen sputtered. "Grandpa, please, pullover so we can find somewhere that isn't in danger of catching fire." Finally giving in to his grandchildren's pleas, Max pulled into a fast-food parking lot.
Ben stretched his sore muscles as he exited the Rust Bucket. The trio had spent the last couple of days helping Max's sister, Vera, clean out her garage. With Ben being young and full of energy, he was in charge of moving all of the heavy junk. Unfortunately, this left his arms feeling like oversized spaghetti noodles. The crisp hundred-dollar bill in his wallet stopped him from complaining, though.
Gwen practically ran into the building, only stopping once she felt the cool air. Ben followed her in with Max right behind them. The building wasn't anything crazy, just another burger chain, but the milkshakes had their attention. They ordered their food and took a seat at a nearby booth.
"So I've made a list of museums and other hot spots to see while we're here." Gwen pulled out a small stack of papers. "We have the instrument museum, the Phoenix art museum, the Phoenix zoo, some hiking trails, and a ghost tour."
"Is this what you were up to while I was breaking my back moving that engine block out of Aunt Vera's garage?" Ben grumbled as he looked over the ghost tour.
"It was still admirable of you to take on all the work yourself," Max said.
"It would have gone faster if I'd gone Four Arms."
"You know we couldn't do that. The fewer people that know about the Omnitrix, the safer it'll be." Their number is called, and the trio dug into their meals, effectively dropping the subject. "Why don't you take the lead today, pumpkin?"
With no objections from Ben's side, Gwen gave a big smile and began listing off her plan for the coming days. Ben couldn't help but smile at how excited his cousin was acting. It was something their previous trips were severely lacking.
After finishing their late lunch, the three made their way to the Rust Bucket. Just as Max unlocked the door, two men with a camera and microphone approached them.
"Hi, can we just have a moment of your time?" The man with the microphone asked. "We're from the Van Buren social media team. Would you be interested in partaking in a contest?"
"We're actually in a rush to get to our hotel," Gwen protested.
"It'll just take a second," the man reassured them, " we'll just ask you a few questions, and then you'll be on your way."
"Come on, Gwen," Ben said. "It sounds like fun."
Gwen let out a sigh but didn't object any further.
"Great! I'll ask you a series of three questions, and if you succeed in answering all three, you'll win two tickets to tonight's Crash & the Derelicts concert." After confirming that they understood the rules, the cameraman began filming. "Question one: which musician is considered the most influential electric guitarist?"
"Jimi Hendrix," Ben answered confidently.
"That is correct! Question two: Which famous pop artist started their music career in the ska band No Doubt?"
"Gwen Stefani," Gwen answered. Ben gave her a surprised look, but she continued to drink her milkshake.
"Correct again! Final question: which London punk band originally included Joe Strummer, Mick Jones, Paul Simonon, and Nicky "Topper" Headon?"
"The Clash," Max said almost immediately.
"Ding ding ding! We have a winner!" The man handed Max the two tickets before returning to the camera to speak to the future viewers.
"I'm surprised you knew that, grandpa," Ben said.
"Yeah, well, your uncle Frank had a bit of a punk phase back in the day. Tried to keep up to date on bands, so we had something to talk about when I came home." Max said.
"Dad had a punk phase?" Gwen looked at her grandfather as if he had grown a second head.
"He did. I wish I could have taken him to more concerts." Max recalled the dozens of shows he promised to take his son to see. Unfortunately, most of those bands are either dead or broken up. Max gave his grandson the tickets before returning to the Rust Bucket.
"Looks like there was a change of plans." Ben looked towards Gwen to see her dropping the stack of papers.
"Wouldn't be a Tennyson vacation without a little chaos," Gwen said as she walked past him. Ben couldn't help but wonder which side of the family she learned to be so dramatic from.
After arriving at the hotel, the Tennysons attempted to salvage the remains of the tarnished plan. Unfortunately, a quick run through the museum and sightseeing were all they could fit in before the concert. Thankfully the venue was within walking distance of the hotel. With Max wishing to stay behind, the two cousins made their way to the Van Buren.
Along the way, Ben thought about how frequently they ended up alone. He recalled how he felt when he learned he'd be spending his whole summer trapped with his dweeb of a cousin eight years prior. But it probably wasn't as bad as he had reacted less than a month ago. "The more things change, the more they stay the same," Ben thought.
They arrived just as the doors opened. The line was a little long, but it quickly moved through security. When their turn arrived, the guards asked if they were under twenty-one.
"She is," Ben said before handing the man his ID. Satisfied, the guard handed it back and stamped the back of Gwen's hand. Gwen gave him a dirty look but kept her mouth shut until they were inside.
"You have a fake ID," Gwen said accusingly.
"Blame grandpa," Ben replied. "He was the one that gave it to me." He gave her the ID to look over. She had never seen a fake ID before, but she couldn't find any difference between this one and her own. Max presumably pulled some strings to get a real ID printed.
"According to this, you're twenty-three."
"Happy sixteenth birthday!"
Gwen couldn't believe that her grandfather would give his grandson a fake ID for his birthday. Except she could believe it; she knew exactly why. Max needed Ben to help him on a plumber mission, but taking a minor across the country into dangerous situations proves to be a challenge. She knew from experience. Still, she couldn't deny that it hurt, especially when all she had received that year was a worthless kindle (she had a strong attachment to paper that eBooks couldn't compare to) and new clothes. "Must be nice being the favorite," Gwen thought to herself. She was pulled out of her thoughts when she noticed Ben walking toward the bar.
"What do you think you're doing? What are you going to do if you get caught?"
"I'm not going to get caught. What's the point of having a fake ID if you're not using it?" Truthfully, Ben wasn't that big on drinking, but something about being alone with her here made him want to loosen up. Something Gwen needed as well. "Why don't I buy you a drink," Ben suggested.
"Are you crazy!?" She wanted to scream. "I was just lecturing you about how you shouldn't be partaking in the dangers of underage drinking, and you want to pull me in with you!?"
"You need to relax. I bet you never went to any high school parties, did you?" Gwen remained silent. "Come the fall, we're going to be integrated into the adult world. So why not experience a little teenage rebellion while you still can? Either way, I'd like to have someone to drink with."
She felt conflicted. Gwen knew how bad it was to start drinking. She never even had a desire to try it. But those eyes, they're calling to her, making her want to believe his words. To throw her morals aside just to see him smile. They were a siren's call, and like the sailors in legend, she plunged into her demise.
Truthfully, it wasn't as bad as she thought. Gwen had one drink, a fruity mixed drink containing more sugar than alcohol. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't particularly tasty either. It made her curious why people love to drink. Further research would require more drinking, and she wasn't sure if that was worth the discovery.
The opening band played their set without much applause from the crowd. The second band seemed to be a little more well-known if the small group of screaming girls was any indication. Finally, the headliners began performing.
The cousins danced along to the music, joked around trying to make the other laugh, and were having a good time together. About halfway through the set, the band started playing a slow song love song causing couples to get closer.
Ben was in a sense of hyper-awareness, being ever conscious of the redhead. He figured she'd get weirded out if they continued to dance. He was considering getting another beer when he felt a hand grab his own. Ben watched as she leaned in closer and closer until he could feel her breath on his ear.
"Dance with me," Gwen poised it as a question, but it may as well have been a command in Ben's ears. They brushed up against each other and stared at one another. "Do you still remember what I taught you?" He nodded. Gwen allowed him to take the lead as long as he promised not to step on her shoes. The two continued to dance, even after the song changed to a more energetic one. They were too busy looking into each other's eyes.
Ben's head felt fuzzy. Whether it was from Gwen or the alcohol, he wasn't sure. One thing he did know was that he was having a great time. Nothing could ruin this moment. Except for that voice in the back of his head. The one that couldn't shut up about how beautiful she was. How smart and funny she is. How soft her lips were. He was now looking down at her lips. They were glossy and would probably make a mess if he were to…
He realized his face was getting closer to hers. He thought about pulling away, but then she closed her eyes. She was allowing whatever crazy thing his love-drunk brain schemed up. He leaned in closer. Just as he felt her breath hit his face, the venue lights turned on.
"Excuse me, can I have your attention, please!" A security guard said from the stage. "There's been a terrorist attack about a while away. We need everyone to remain calm and stay inside until the situation is dealt with." Panic spread through the crowd. Some members of the crowd wanted answers, while others demanded refunds. They checked the local news feed to find any information on the attack.
BOMBING AT LOCAL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL: SUSPECT ALLEGED TO BE THE SAME AS THE CHICAGO ATTACK