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Living a double life was surprisingly easier than he first expected. Grandpa Max was very accommodating. He helped Ben with his missions as The Omnitrix Wielder, mentoring him in how to fight, how to defend, and also about diplomacy. Twelve year old Ben was sure that he wouldn’t have survived his first year if it wasn’t for his grandpa.
Gwen accompanied him less and less now. His cousin was focusing on catching up on her studies. She was frustrated that she didn’t get into the school she wanted, and Ben was pretty sure she would have gotten there if she wasn’t so busy helping him with Plumbers missions. Honestly, Ben felt kinda guilty about it. Guilty enough to share his chili fries with her, which she accepted with a raised eyebrow and an insult. It made him feel better.
Another reason that she didn’t come to accompany him anymore was because her parents were more…. vigilant? Less gullible? Than Ben’s own. It was a bit sad, honestly, that Sandra and Carl actually believed him when he said he was clumsy, or that the neighbor’s dog hated him.
They didn’t even double check if he was okay.
“Done.” Gwen said, having finished wrapping his wounded arm. “The glamour should stay for another week, but it might be undone sooner if you keep, you know. Transforming like a madman.”
“Sure thing. I’ll make sure I don’t transform the next time Vilgax’s goons arrive I’ll just let them munch on my squishy human body.” Ben stuck his tongue out.
“Nice. Can’t wait!” Gwen replied with sardonic chipperness. “Now get out of here, I need to do some extra credit.”
Ben made a face. “Whatever. Dweeb.”
She retorted by using her mana to throw a pillow at him. “Out.”
“Blergh! Show off!” Ben threw the pillow back as he opened the door to exit her room.
Gwen caught it with magic, looking plenty smug. “That’s pretty darn hypocritical of you.”
When Ben jumped down the stairs two steps at a time, he was greeted by Gwen’s brother, Ken. “Heya Ben!” He ruffled his cousin’s hair when Ben reached the first floor. “Thanks for visiting Gwen all the time.”
Ben squinted “Uh… you are welcome?”
Ken smiled a bit at his confusion. “Gwen seems stressed lately. She rarely goes outside to play anymore. So I just… appreciate what you are doing, you know.”
No, Ben didn’t know. He wasn’t there to cheer Gwen up, pretty sure that Gwen’s stress was because of the alien stuff involving him anyway. Ben visited her more often because she could hide his more obvious wounds with magic. Which… kinda felt like a dick move, now that he thought about it.
“She’s cool, even if she is a nerd.” Ben shrugged.
When he left his cousin’s house, Aunt Natalie gave him a bunch of freshly baked cookies, which he munched on as he walked back to his house. The neighborhood was littered with students playing after school. None of them Ben knew very well. Or at all.
He didn’t attend normal school anymore. Grandpa Max said it would be easier for him to do his responsibilities and finish his formal Earth education if he was homeschooled. Ben hated the idea at first. He was already a loser back at school and now he was going to be the homeschooled freak of the neighborhood. Except after barely passing elementary school thanks to his constant exhaustion from missions, he was eager to try the idea.
It didn’t take much to convince Sandra and Carl. All Ben needed to do was to sound excited to try new things and they would agree. Sandra sat him down and told him it was a huge responsibility to do his online homework without supervision. Carl said he was proud of Ben for taking initiative. Ben just wanted more time to stay asleep.
And with him still being the star athlete of his soccer team, he was less of a freak and more of a quirky kid of a hippie family. Whatever. It worked out in the end.