"It's… so… hot…!" Ben whined, his head rolling back and his mouth wide open, tongue hanging out to the side.
Using the space given to him, the brown haired teenager spread out her arms and legs to allow the air to hit his skin.
Seeing her cousin practically deflate on her couch, Gwen rolled her eyes as she sat on the recliner a few feet away from him. "Your whining isn't making it any cooler, ya know." The redhead snorted as she lifted a paper fan and began waving air into her face at an even pace. "In fact, it's just flat out annoying."
Ben didn't even bother picking his head up and instead opted for flipping her the bird. "Screw you." He countered with a panting breath.
"What would Aunt Sandra think if she caught you doing that?" Gwen inquired coolly.
"Probably yell like a bat out of hell." Ben muttered to himself, but his redhead cousin was still capable of hearing him. "Good thing neither of our parents of home, huh? That means I can do whatever I want."
His cousin snorted and momentarily stopped waving her fan, shooting Ben a stern glare. "Just because my parents are at work doesn't mean anything, Ben. My house, my rules."
As much as the brown haired teenager would hate to admit it, Gwen did have a point.
Instead of relaxing at his own house, Ben had been told by his parents to stay at his cousin's house. Their reason? It was their anniversary and they wanted to spend the day out watching movies or simply finding time to enjoy the little things in their relationship. But because they were to be out all day, they clearly stated that Ben was to stay out of the house.
One reason was because it was his last day of school, which was also the day his grandpa, Max, was scheduled to pick them up for their summer vacation.
The other reason was their fear of Ben leaving the house a mess for them to clean up when they get home.
So far, it's been an hour of pure hot boredom since they were let out from school.
And honestly, Ben could care less about staying home. There was nothing over there for him to pass the time with. His video games? Taken for a week since he forgot to wash the dishes. Normally he would choose an afternoon nap as a back-up plan, but the sun had other plans.
The weather forecast said that the day was a solid 100 degrees, bright and sunny with mild winds.
And if there was one thing Ben and Gwen could agree on, it would be their hatred for the heat.
Ben thought about the air conditioner that was set up in his room. It was broken.
Even if his parents hadn't locked the doors – and windows – so he couldn't sneak in, he'd only be laying in a sweat soaked bed with the little air that attempted to circulate his house.
At least in Gwen's home, the cool air was average at best.
But it did little to change their current situation.
For the moment, Ben and Gwen had changed clothes the second they got home from school.
Ben's regular black and white T-Shirt and green cargo pants were thrown in a plastic bag. He took some of his packed clothes and found something more suitable to 'help' against the heat. Now, he found himself laying on the couch with a baggy white T-Shirt and a pair of light green basketball shorts.
Gwen tried to keep things simple too. After tying her long hair into a ponytail, she sat on her recliner wearing an attire of a purple tank-top and black track shorts.
