Chapter Text
Gwen couldn’t believe David was doing another parent’s day after what happened last year.
When she heard, she genuinely thought he was joking. Then a second later, realized he was serious, as David wasn’t the type to joke about dark stuff like that.
Gwen protested the idea, but David kept assuring her that max’s parents would come this time. Even telling her that he had proof.
A flicker of hope appeared in Gwen’s head before being replaced with worry.
If max’s parents were really as bad as Max had said, why would they come out here?
That worry was quadrupled when she smelled alcohol on an unfamiliar parent, a woman she suspected to be Max’s mom.
She watched with David as she silently avoided talking to, or even looking at her son across from her.
The look on Max’s face, a look she’d never seen before, soured her worry to anger.
He looked so desperate to get her attention, but afraid to at the same time.
That, along with confusion. Making Gwen wonder if he thought the same thing she did.
——
Later, Gwen stood by the mess hall as all the kids hung out with their parents.
However, Gwen wasn’t looking at them.
Gwen was watching Max and his mom.
More specifically, how Max stood silently as his mom smoked.
Thankfully, David pulled him aside. Gwen visibly eased as she saw David smile at Max.
Maybe things won’t be as bad as she thought..
But.. something still feels wrong..
——
Gwen lay on her bed in the counselors cabin, scrolling through her phone, trying to distract herself from the uneasy feeling screaming at her.
I mean, she doesn’t really know how his mom is, right? What if she just has trouble showing how she feels?
Gwen sighs, she sounds like David and she knows it.
She turns off her phone and gets up. She’s been avoiding it all day, but she has to talk to Max.
She walks out of the cabin, immediately seeing Max’s mom.
She’s shrugs it off, briefly considering asking her where Max is, but deciding against it.
She came from behind the counselors cabin, maybe Max was there.
As Gwen made her way back, she tensed, preparing herself.
However, she wasn’t prepared to see Max cry.
When she saw the way he clutched onto David, her heart broke.
Her feet moved on their own, walking towards them.
“What’s going on..?” She mumbled, anxiously watching as David turns to her, his face unreadable.
Her gaze turns to the gun in his hand, and anxiety turns to confusion. Especially when she sees the look of shock on Max’s face.
After a moment of silence, David speaks.
As David tells her what the woman did, the proof in his hands, her vision turns red.
“I’ll be right back.” She mumbles, silently walking away.
As she turned to the front of the counselors cabin, her eyes locked on the caramel woman, leaning against the tree, casually smoking as if she hadn’t just told her son to kill himself.
Gwen practically ran to her, her fists clenched. The woman looked up, only to get slapped across the face, knocking the cigarette out of her mouth.
The look of shock she received only enraged her more.
“What the fuck is wrong with you?!” The woman shrieked, standing upright.
Gwen’s breath hitched. “What the fuck is wrong with YOU?! How could you tell your own son to kill himself?!” Gwen yelled, not caring that everyone was looking at her.
The woman didn’t say anything, only looking up at her with shock, then anger. In a split second the woman was hitting Gwen, trying to knock her off her feet.
Gwen, caught off guard, was knocked to the floor, before quickly regaining her composure and pulling her to the ground with her, grabbing her hair and pulling herself on top of her.
Gwen punched the woman in the face several times before the woman reached up and pushed her thumbs into her eyes. Gwen yelled in pain, giving her the opportunity to get Gwen off her and kick her.
Gwen roared in rage, getting up and grabbing the woman by her hair, using her grin as leverage as he punched her.
Both women yelled profanities at each other as they fought, drawing everyone to watch in shock.
Gwen heard David’s voice in the crowd, begging her to stop. Gwen didn’t notice Max squeeze in through the crowd and attempt to stop them.
In her rage, Gwen accidentally hit Max, knocking him back. Stopping her dead in her tracks.
“Max! Fuck! Im so sorry!” She scrambled to him, guilt overcoming her. She’d wanted to hit him so many times before, but she never thought she actually would.
However, Max’s mother was unaffected, going back to hit Gwen again.
Gwen held her hands out, shocked as the woman hit her, unfazed by her son.
She didn’t even stop when she punched max, who wouldn’t stop trying to get her off.
At one point, his mother got so frustrated, she purposely kicked him away, the blow hitting him in the stomach.
Gwen immediately grabbed her leg and pulled, knocking her onto her back. The woman let out a pained groan. Gwen took the opportunity to restrain her, finally ending the fight.
Another parent quickly took over, helping Gwen restrain her as she struggled against them, cursing them.
Gwen turned to Max, her adrenaline running down.
Max was already looking at her, holding his stomach with an unreadable expression.
Guilt overcame her once again. She has acted without thinking and gotten him hurt in the process.
“..Max.. I”
“I’m not mad at you” he interrupted, looking up at her.
They sat in silence for a second.
“…thanks..” he mumbled, blushing faintly.
Gwen softened, hesitating before resting her hand on his head.
“Anytime, kiddo.”
___
Max’s mom left soon after, the threat of having police called having her practically running to her car.
About half the kids were taken home afterwards, half of that group being new.
Nikki and Neil were uncharacteristically nice to Max during dinner, unnerving Max.
Meanwhile, David lectured Gwen for acting without thinking, but his demeanor quietly admitted that he would’ve acted the same if he’d been in her situation.
The damage Max endured was visible. His lip was busted, and he had a black eye. Both from his mother.
Max was obviously embarrassed after his dirty laundry had been aired out for the entire camp to see. The sympathetic glances made him sick to his stomach.
Ok I don’t know how to end this chapter so take this and I might edit it later and give you an ending lol