Summer Camp I

JULY 1ST 1997

"Alright, people, you know the drill. We do it every year, and this time, like any summer break, we're heading to Summer Camp to meet the Evans and hang out together..."

Ben, together with his older sister Brandi, had an impassive expression on their faces as they looked at their Dad, Michael, dramatically delivering his speech in front of the RV.

Their mom, Beth, along with their sister Brooke, clapped perfunctorily, while the twins Emma and Eden squealed, jumping up and down in excitement at the mere mention of 'Summer Break,' 'Moris Camp,' and 'Evans family.'

HISTORY

See, every year, Ben's family went up to this camp in WAY Northern California, almost to the Oregon border. Their family met with the family friends, the Evans, and usually stayed for four weeks all at once. This year, just like the previous years, they're leaving on July 1st and returning home four weeks later on July 29th.

As for the Evans Family?

Well, it all started way back during their mom's school days. She and Deanna had been roommates during their studies in UC Barkeley, and the two women had been practically inseparable.

They did everything together, they signed up for classes together, they took their meals together and they even double dated. After graduation both young women went to work in the same company, and when they met their husbands, both men had to passed the approval from the best friend before taking anything further..

Even after marriage, the two weddings comming just months apart, the two women continue to do everything together. They bought houses on the same Bay Area in the same street, they got pregnant around the same time with Daenna giving birth to her first daughter Dayna, and Beth giving birth to brandi just three weeks later.

And they continued this trend with the rest of their children. Two years later, their daughter Beth gave birth to Ben, and Deanna to Dawn. Two years after, Brooke was born, and a month later, Dorothy Jean (DJ) followed.

The only thing that threw the women for a loop was Ben's baby sisters, Eden and Emma. They were an accident nearly four years later—or so OG Ben thought. However, as a person familiar with the canon, he knew the real story behind it.

[┏('▀_▀')ノ♬♪]

Anyway, one thing leads to another; being both family friends and neighbors, it was normal for children to become pals: Brandi with Dayna, Ben with Dawn, and Brooke with DJ... As for the twins, they're everyone's baby sisters.

Their family did everything together, even went to a same vacation camp annually where the kids pretty much stayed in pairs 24/7, even sleepiny in each others beds.

However, three years ago, when Ben was 10, his father got a BIG promotion that required him to relocate his family to Orange County... It was difficul for both family split, but the promotion was too big to pass up the Addams and Evans went on their separate ways.

HISTORY END.

"Damn Dad, can you please lowered you're voice? The neigbors can hear you!" Brandi complained as she noticed that some of their neigbors are staring at their father's weird ritual speech with interest.

"Language, young lady!" Beth glared, making the other party back down. She then turned her eyes back to her husband as if nothing had happened. Michael, seeing his wife resolve the issue with Brandi, just shrugged his shoulders.

"... Anyway, as I was saying, the trip will take eleven hours of travel and yes it will be tiring. However, we'll have several stops so you don't have to worry about getting motion sickness..."

***

SOMEWHERE IN THE MIDDLE OF ROAD.

"... Blurrggrrhh..." Ben vomited...

"Ughr dammit Ben, that's disgusting! This is third time isnt it? Grrr," Brandi let out an annoying sqeal as Ben spurt out yet another vomited.

"Uhh, i don't usually agree with big sis, but this time I think she's right Ben." Brooke added as she covered her nose, however if one were to look close, the mischivous smirk on her lips could be seen.

"Ben, don't come near us after this!" Emma chirped as she hid behind Brooke, while Edden beside her nodded in agreement. "Yes, Ben is stinky~!"

"Gurkk-" Ben choked as he felt like crying. It would be fine if it's only the two sisters, but now that the twins are with them, he really felt like he received a lot of critical damage.

*Clapping sounds*

"Okay girls, stop teasing Ben..." their mom said clapping her palms to attract everyone's attention. "Go back to the RV and do your own thing instead of watching Ben's vomit, come on."

"Boo~KJ.", "But its so boring inside, watching Ben is Funny!" "Yes, its funny!" "..."

Their mom's words cause various complains from the girls, however, the former deliberately ignored it. Turning her attentionn towards Ben, worry etches on her face as she said: "How is it Ben? Are you okay? Do you think we should visit a doctor right away? I thought you're already used to long drive? why did you suddenly get motion sickness?"

"..." Hearing his mom's consecutive's questions, Ben was speechlesss. 'That's five question in one sentence.'

However, her question brought another thought to him, making him wondered why he was getting a motion sickness at this time.

Five hours after they left their Hometown, Orange County, their way toward the summer camp was smooth sailing until around the third hour when he began feeling like vomiting, which is very strange.

According to the inherited memory, OG Ben should've been used to such a long drive, and technically, it should also apply to him. However, it wasn't the case at all.

"Perhaps I've only inherited OG Ben's memories, not his experiences," he pondered, which makes sense if one were to think thoroughly because if he had truly inherited OG Ben's experiences, it would be challenging for him to distinguish himself from him.

Think of it this way: If he really had OG Ben's experiences, then he would wake up confused, not knowing whether he was Ben from the novel or an ordinary man from a parallel universe who happened to know Ben's life through a novel derived from OG Ben's universe.

But it wasn't the case at all; he knew from the start that he wasn't Ben. Sure, he often acted like him, thought like him, and did things he often did, but that was something he did on purpose to integrate into his new life.

"Yes Mom, I'm Good, No need for doctor, Yes I'm used to it and lastly, I dont know." Ben answered as he was snap back to reality.

"*Whistle* Wow, you answered my questions one by one." Beth, with a slight surprise on her face, smiled as she looked at her son.

"..."

***

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

I'm going to change Ben's father's occupation because it doesn't make sense for a lawyer to relocate their home for a BIG promotion.

This time, I'm going to make him an HR Director or Chief Human Resources Officer of an advertising company.