Chapter Text
“This is so exciting! I remember Maxxie attending camp every summer when he was little,” Goofy said, tearing up while gripping the steering wheel. Max sat beside him in the passenger seat, earbuds in, with music blasting to drown out the world. In the backseat, the triplets—Huey, Dewey, and Louie—giggled and chattered excitedly, seemingly unaware of Max’s growing sense of dread.
Max wasn’t supposed to be here. The plan had been simple: drive his cousins to camp, drop them off, and head straight back home to prepare for a summer of freedom at PJ’s lake house with him and Bobby. The three of them had been planning this getaway for months—a final hurrah to celebrate their graduation.
But then the triplets had mentioned in Goofy’s presence that the camp they attended each year was looking for volunteers. That was all it took. Goofy had been overjoyed at the idea, practically signing Max up on the spot. He’d gone on and on about how perfect Max would be for the role, how he’d spend the summer among peers and have lots of fun.
Now, as they drove deeper into the wilderness, Max could only scowl at the towering trees that lined the increasingly narrow road. The camp was in a secluded area, miles from civilisation—no houses, no streetlights, just an endless stretch of forest.
“Here we are!” Goofy announced his enthusiasm was still at its peak. Max could hardly believe how excited his dad was for a camp he wasn’t even attending. “Huey, Dewey, and Louie—listen to Max and don’t cause any trouble. I’ll be back in three weeks to pick you up!” Goofy then turned to Max, pulling him into a tight, nearly suffocating hug. “I know you’ll do great here, Maxxie. I’m so proud of you.”
Max forced a smile, his heart not in it. “Thanks, Dad.” There was no point in arguing anymore—it was too late to back out now. He quickly shot off a text to his friends, letting them know he’d arrived at the camp. Whether or not his phone would be confiscated was still up in the air, but as a camp counsellor, he figured he had some leeway.
“Brad!” Dewey suddenly called out, pulling Max from his thoughts. He looked up from his phone to see where the triplets were running, spotting a tall, athletic-looking guy who seemed to be waiting for them.
A week ago, the triplets had been casually discussing the camp over breakfast. “There’s this one camp counsellor we really like,” Huey had mentioned while pouring cereal into his bowl. “Yeah, he’s a bit stuck-up, but a total hotshot,” Louie had added from the sofa. “He’s fun at times, great at archery and other camp activities, but he’s so closed off,” Huey had continued. Max had barely paid attention, focused on filling out the camp application, which Goofy had insisted on. “You guys will get along just fine,” Dewey grinned, poking Huey in the arm. Max had raised an eyebrow, sceptical. “What is that supposed to mean? I’m just going there to watch over you, so you don’t cause any trouble.”
The guy—Bradley, apparently—looked up as the triplets rushed toward him. “You guys again?” he asked with a smirk. “And it’s Bradley,” he corrected them, a smile tugging at his lips, “Welcome back.”
Max walked over, sizing up Bradley as he approached. “So you’re the camp counsellor my cousins keep talking about,” Max said, nodding a few times as he looked Bradley up and down.
Bradley scoffed lightly, ruffling Louie’s hair, to which he received a playful tongue-sticking from Louie. “Why, of course, I’m their favourite,” Bradley said smugly.
Max narrowed his eyes slightly before extending a hand. “I’m Max. Looking forward to working with you.”
Bradley grinned as he shook Max’s hand. “A new staff member, huh? This should be fun. I’m Bradley.” There was something about Bradley that Max couldn’t quite figure out. He didn’t dislike the guy—not yet, anyway—but there was something off about him.
As the triplets dashed off to their cabin, already shouting greetings to their camp friends, Bradley turned to Max, “Come on, I’ll show you around.”
Max followed him through the camp, trying to take in the sights while his mind kept drifting back to the summer he’d been looking forward to—out on the lake with PJ and Bobby, not trudging through a camp with a guy who looked like he could be on the cover of a sports magazine.
Bradley led the way to the dining hall, casually gesturing to different areas of the camp as they walked. “This is where you’ll spend most of your time,” Bradley said with a wave of his hand. “Kids come here to eat, obviously, but we also hold evening activities and some of the bigger group games here.”
Max nodded, doing his best to focus, but his thoughts kept wandering. He could be on the lake right now, not here, not with Bradley.
“Something on your mind?” Bradley asked, raising an eyebrow.
Max snapped back to reality, shaking his head. “No, just… getting used to the place.”
“You don’t seem like the camp type. What are you doing here, anyway?”
Max hesitated, not wanting to come off as ungrateful. “Just helping out with my cousins. You know, family duty.”
“Family duty, huh?” Bradley echoed, “Well, you’re in for an interesting summer. The kids are great, but they can be a handful. Especially those three.”
Max couldn’t help but smile a little. “Yeah, I’ve noticed.”
As they continued walking, Bradley gave Max a sidelong glance. “You seem cool enough. Just a word of advice—don’t let the kids get too attached. It makes the end of camp harder for everyone.”
Max frowned slightly at that. “Is that why you’re so ‘closed off’ as the kids say?”
For a moment, Bradley’s expression faltered, but he quickly shrugged it off without answering Max’s question.“Anyway, this is the end of the tour. You’ll figure out the rest as you go.”
Max wasn’t sure what to make of Bradley. On the surface, he seemed like a nice enough guy, but there was something about him that kept Max on guard. Still, he had bigger things to worry about—like surviving a summer as a camp counsellor and keeping the triplets out of trouble.
Bradley then led him to the staff cabin. “This is where we’ll be sleeping,” Bradley explained, opening the door and stepping inside. “Our cabin needs to be open at all times in case any of the kids need help.” He nodded towards the corner of the room. “You can take the bed over there. There are fresh sheets on the shelf.”
Max eyed the cabin, noting the three beds. “Is it just the two—well, three of us on this camp?”
Bradley shot him a confused look, clearly wondering if Max had been paying attention during the tour. “Of course not. This is the boys’ cabin—it’s you, me and Tank. He’s at the swim area right now. You’ll meet him at dinner. There’s a girls’ cabin across from ours. You must’ve zoned out or something,” Bradley scoffed, but with a smile.
“Sorry, I guess I did,” Max admitted, starting to unpack his bag. He could feel Bradley’s gaze lingering on him, but when he turned, Bradley was already heading towards the door.
“When you’re done, come to the dining hall. We’ll do an introduction, and then you can help with dinner prep,” Bradley said, stepping out onto the porch. “Introduction?” Max groaned inwardly—just what he needed, more attention.
“Yes, Max, introduction,” Bradley called back without turning around. “We don’t want a stranger walking around camp. Unless you’re a murderer, then I guess staying anonymous is fine,” he added with a smirk, glancing back over his shoulder before walking away.
“Of course, I’m not!” Max shouted after him, though Bradley was probably out of earshot.
After finishing unpacking, Max made his way to the dining hall, now bustling with kids sitting at tables, chatting, and wandering around. He spotted Bradley talking to a girl—another staff member, judging by the bold “STAFF” printed on the back of her shirt. She was laughing at something Bradley had said.
Max, meanwhile, was struggling with his own staff shirt. It was uncomfortably tight, and the material itched like crazy. It had been neatly placed on his bed, but it was definitely not his size.
“Hey, little guy,” a raspy voice called from behind him. Max barely had time to turn around before he felt a hearty smack on his back. He spun around to face a towering guy—Tank, he assumed. The name suited him perfectly. The guy was built like a brick wall, and Max couldn’t help but feel a little intimidated.
“H-Hey,” Max stammered, trying to keep his cool.
The big guy laughed, extending a hand. “I’m Tank. Bradley must’ve told you about me.”
“Yeah, he did. You manage the boats, right?”
“Hell yeah, sweetheart, that’s me,” Tank replied with a nod, picking up a log from the ground. “Come on, let’s introduce you to everyone.”
Max felt embarrassed as Tank led him to the centre of the dining hall, where the kids had gathered. Being introduced to a bunch of eleven-year-olds wasn’t exactly how he’d envisioned his summer. Tank clapped his hands, getting everyone’s attention. “Alright, everyone, this is Max. He’s our new staff member, and he’ll be joining us for the summer.”
The triplets were sitting off to the right, surrounded by their camp friends. They cheered for Max, making him smile despite himself.
“He has fangs!” a girl suddenly shouted, pointing at Max’s face. Max had taken off his piercings earlier but had put them back on before heading to the dining hall. Now he wasn’t sure if that was a mistake.
“Like a snake!” another kid exclaimed from the opposite side of the room. The kids seemed more intrigued by Max’s piercings than anything else.
Bradley, who had been standing to the side with the other staff members, took a moment to really look at Max, his gaze lingering on Max’s lips a bit too long. When Max caught his eye, Bradley quickly looked away.
“Mr Fang, please sit with us!” a boy with black hair called out, tugging on Max’s shirt as he and the other staff members handed out meals. “Fang?” Max chuckled at the nickname.
“No, no, not mister—he’s not that old,” a blonde boy corrected, playfully punching the first boy’s arm. “He’s just Fang .”
Max didn’t protest. It was nice to be given a nickname by kids who clearly had a lot of influence at camp. He decided to sit down with them since the other tables were already being taken care of. The kids were more interested in Max’s piercings than the food in front of them.
While eating, Max could feel Bradley’s eyes on him from across the room. He wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or not, but he had a feeling that something would come up back at the cabin later.