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Max sat quietly in his tent, he couldn’t bare to withstand the heat outside any longer. Even though his tent did almost nothing to keep out the humid Summer air, it was better than being surrounded by a bunch of idiots.
Max scratched at his hoodie, wishing that just maybe he could take it off for a little bit, but he just couldn’t. The thought of someone at this God forsaken Camp seeing his mutilated arms sent shivers down his spine.
He sighed, scratching the nape of his neck. ‘What would David say?’Max thought grimly. Max played with the idea, ‘He’d probably ship me to a mental hospital. Or maybe he wouldn’t bother, and just laugh at me…No. David wouldn’t do that…’
Max took a shaky breath in. ‘Nono, You can’t cry! Grow the fuck up.’ Max rubbed his eyes and slouched over to stare at his feet.
A few moments later, there was an audible, “knock knock,” from the front of his tent.
Max tiredly turned his head to yell a quick, “It’s open.” He immediately regretted his words, because a cheerful redhead came through the tent flap.
“Oh no, not you.” Max said. Though silently relieved he wouldn’t be alone with his thoughts, “What do you want?!”
David smiled at the boy, “Sooooo, the other campers were thinking of having a swim day! That’d be a fun activity, right? To cool everyone down?”
Max felt frozen in time. Nope, no way in Hell was he was swimming. He scowled at the man, “Yeah, no.”
David shook his head, “Aw, come on Max, it’ll be fun! I insist!”
“David, no. I’m not swimming in that lake.”
“Why not?” David pushed.
Max could feel his walls breaking. ‘Whatever, it’s fine. Just whatever you do, don’t. Cry.’ “I just don’t want to.” Max said stubbornly.
David’s still beamed, “Max, please. You’ll have such a good time, really. Nikki and Neil already asked me where you were, they really want you there.”
Max rolled his eyes, feeling trapped. ‘Think of a way out, think of a way out, think of a way out.’ Max sniffed. ‘Nope! Stop stop stop, not here, not in front of David. If you cry in front of him, he really will think you’re some stupid little kid.’
David’s smile faltered, “Max, are you crying?”
Max’s heart stopped, ‘No!’. Max held his face in his hands, covering the tears spilling out of his eyes. “Get out David. Please.”
David looked at the exit, and then back at the ten year old. God, he didn’t know what to do. He sighed, eventually taking a seat next to the boy. They say there for a few minutes, the tension in the air getting tighter and tighter.
“Max,” David finally spoke, “do you need to get something off your chest?”
Max didn’t respond. He still had his head in his hands, covering his little break down.
David stared at the ground in front of him, “Is this about your hoodie...?”
Max tensed.
David must have noticed because he kept talking after that. “I always did think something was up. I just, well, if it is what I think it is, I didn’t expect you to be doing that at such a young age.”
David smiled a pitiful smile and shook his head, “I’m fine now, are you?”
Max didn’t want to answer the question, so he just sat there with his eyes to the ground. They both sat quietly for what seemed like hours until David spoke up.
“Max,” he started, “I understand. I can help you,just let m-“
“No.”
David looked at the boy in shock, “No?”
“No.” The boy stated again. “What gives you the right to say that you understand?”
David let the boy speak.
“You don’t know shit Camp Man. You don’t know anything about me. Stop pretending to be perfect and relatable when you’re not. You’re just some stupid twink working at this HellHole of a camp, got it?!”
David sat quietly as the boy finished his rant. The ten year olds face was flustered red, and his cheeks had fresh tears on them. David couldn’t help but feel his heart break. Not because of the boys words, not at all. It was the boy himself. How broken and feeble he’s become. David kept his eyes to the ground, “I know a lot more than you think, Max.”
Max froze. David sounded dead serious. His usual cheery and optimistic attitude had vanished, leaving a shell of the David Max knew. The boy didn’t know what to do. He bit his lip nervously waiting for a response from the ginger.
The man looked at the kid, “Can I show you something? I’m sorry if this is weird…”
Max awkwardly shrugged.
David looked uncertainly at the boy. He silently thought to himself for a moment before pulling up his shirt.
Scars. Scars covered the man's stomach top to bottom. Max didn’t know what to say. He wanted to faint. He wanted to throw up. Max kept staring in awe.
David saw the boys expression and quickly covered the scars.
David apologised in a quick, “I’m sorry, I really am! I just didn’t know what else to do.”
Max looked at his feet, ‘do what?! What’d you do CampM-‘
“I was 18, maybe 19 when I got tired. I’d been hurting for awhile at that point… I just, well, I wanted, I…” David struggled to find his words. “I wanted to die, ok?” David’s face was flustered with embarrassment.
Max looked at the man with shocked eyes, “Well, what happened?!”
David tried not to make eye contact with the raven haired boy, “Let’s just say… One day… I just…”
David’s eyes pricked with tears, “I just… I-I..”
Max shook his head in disbelief.
“Fuck it, I tried to kill myself, Max. I couldn’t take it anymore. If I couldn’t get better, why would I try? God… I just-“ David cuffed his face in his hands as fresh tears fell from his eyes.
Max had no idea how to react to this new-found information. What was this feeling? Empathy? Maybe????
Max looked at his feet. “I’m sorry David…”
“Please, don’t be. I really am f-fine now,” David smiled a small smile as he tried to fight his tears.
Max frowned, “Who found you? When you…”
David did not to make eye contact with the kid, “My parents.” He said a little too harshly. No further explanation.
“Sorry,” Max held his hands above his head, “touchy subject.”
David waved his hands in disapproval, “Nonono, it’s fine, really! I just, I don’t like to think about them. They were… not the nicest people”
Max nodded.
“Anyway, make a long story longer,” David laughed a pained laugh. “After they found me, the doctors were able to bring me back. I was a little disappointed, but… I got over it. After that they hooked me up with some pills and I was good.”
Max waved his arms, “Wait wait wait, you take pills to be happy? That’s messed up.”
David shook his head, “Actually, I haven’t been taking them recently.”
Max tilted his head, “What? Why?!”
David smiled nervously, “I wanted to stop. Plus, I’ve just been feeling happy on my own this Summer.”
Max looked at the roof of the tent, “huh.”
David giggled and looked at the boy in a more serious tone, “Max, please don’t hurt yourself anymore.”
Max looked at his feet with dull eyes. As his eyes trailed up the tent wall he say the mans face. He sighed, “Alright.”
David let out a relieved sigh.
“On one condition.”
“And what would that be?”
“Don’t try to do any of that stuff again.”
David smiled, “Ok Max.”
Max rolled his eyes, “This is way to fuckin’ sappy for me.”
*silence*
Suddenly Max embraced the man in a hug. (Three whole seconds, that’s a record!)
“Don’t tell anyone about that either.”
David smiled at the boy, “Ok Max.”