Chapter Text
David isn’t one for some of the camp’s activities. Don’t get him wrong, he likes the traditional camp activities like archery, storytelling, storytelling in song, and of course hiking. The problem is that it’s Max’s turn on choosing the camp activities today and well…
“Fuck you Harrison, you’re not allowed to use your bullshit magic it’s fucking cheating and you know it!”
Everyone of Camp Campbell was gathered in the mess hall trying to follow Quarter Master’s directions on lock picking. Luckily, Quarter Master had a whole box of different types of locks for everyone to use. Gwen took the liberty of disinfecting the box before public consumption of the products.
“Max, I picked the lock before you and you’re just bitter about it. This activity is practically useless to me.”
A few campers look towards Max and Harrison’s exchange, Nurf being one to bring out the popcorn first.
“I hope you enjoy today, I really do. Cause SOMEONE ISN’T FUCKING WAKING UP TOMORROW!”
Yeah, David does not like certain activities. Surprisingly Quarter Master cuts between Harrison and Max.
“Ah, a Toldedo TBK14 padlock. Not a bad lock but easy enough to pick.”
Quarter Master grabs the lock that Max was holding, only making Max angrier of course, yet he is still listening closely to what Quarter Master has to say.
“Use top of the key way tension with something thin, and with a hook pointing upward towards the top. You know you’re doing good if you hear clicking.”
Quarter Master completely unlocks it in under 15 seconds. Max’s sour face is still on, but he re-locks the padlock and follows Quarter Master’s instruction. Max does hear a few clicks, and about two minutes later he successfully got the padlock to open.
“HA. In your fucking face Harrison.”
Harrison rolls his eyes and has already moved on to his own magician tricks.
“Max, I am both proud and scared of this momentous event!”
“Can it David.”
–
After about an hour of lock picking everyone either got bored or I had to put them in timeout due to their misuse of their newfound abilities. Everyone got a few hours of break time to work in their own stations, because Max was struggling to come up with another camp activity.
“We can do hiking!”
“Fuck no.”
“Canoeing?”
“Suck my dick.”
“Star gazing?”
“Do I look like Space Kid to you?”
Everything that I was coming up with Max didn’t like. This task would have been much easier if Max’s guardians did pick a specific camp for him to participate in, but I would imagine Max wouldn’t have liked anything we had listed anyways. We were cleaning up the various tools and locks in the mess hall together while I was pitching my ideas, but Max shot down all of them.
“Well Max, what do you like to do in your free time away from Camp?”
Max was sitting on the edge of one of the tables trying to pick away at a bike lock. He must have gotten distracted from the cleaning.
“Nothing really.”
I can tell I hit a sore spot, since Max’s once slightly annoyed face became aggressively disgruntled.
“I mean, what do you do for fun back at home? What do you do with friends or at school?
Max turns to me in a bought of rage.
“I fucking told you I do jack shit. I don’t have fun or hobbies or friends.”
...No friends? Max’s face turns fearful. Max knew he fucked up and he tried to recover what he said.
“I-I mean I fucking hate everyone and school gives me so much homework up the ass I don’t have time to fuck around.”
“Max, you and I both know you’re not the type to do homework.”
Max goes red in what I believe is embarrassment since I called him out on his fib.
“Oh? All because I’m the hell raiser devil child I can’t have nice grades? Thanks for fucking believing in me David you’re really a mood lifter.”
I would normally start apologizing profusely, but considering this is Max and I know his track record… Well, already I know I’m in the right here. I put down the box of supplies and take a few strides to where Max is sitting. Max folds his arms and turns the opposite direction of me while I sit down.
“You know, the more camp goes on the more you start to remind me of myself.”
Max’s head whiplashes towards me again.
“This is NOT what I wanted nor needed to hear.”
“I know, but let me explain at least? It’s a PG-13 kind of conversation though so I understand if you don’t want to partake in it.”
Max’s eyebrows raise and relax. He fully turns his body to me and proceeds to uncross his arms and stuff them in his pockets instead.
“Fine, you have the floor.”
I also adjust my position a bit. I lean back against the table and prop an elbow on it to support my chin.
“Well, you remember my story about how I came to fall in love with camp?”
“Sadly yes, but continue.”
“Well, I may have fibbed a few things in that story.”
Max snorts and chuckles.
“No fucking shit you did. The plot was understandable but some of the shit details you gave were obviously a cover up or made up.”
“Yep no fooling you Max!”
I decided to turn my line of vision straight down at my shoes, cause looking at Max was harder than I thought for this conversation.
“You see, back when I was your age I didn’t have a good support system. My mom died before I could walk and my dad committed suicide when I was eight.”
I pause for a second to see if Max had anything to say, but silence pushed me to continue.
“From that point on I moved halfway across the country to live with my aunt on my mom’s side. We… didn’t exactly see eye to eye on things but we made things work. She was never around due to work so I learned how to cook, clean, and defend for myself. School was terrible since I was the new kid and my voice was so squeaky I was called chew toy. No one really wants to be friends with someone nicknamed chew toy, so to sum it up I had no parents, no one liked me, and I was forced to be an adult at such a young age. In my Camp Campbell story, I lied about how I really acted. I… really acted like you Max.”
I raise and turn my head to Max, and it’s full of pure shock. He’s so shocked in fact that his mouth was hanging wide open. I tap my chin so he gets the hint, but he doesn’t fully close it.
“What do you mean you acted like me? Like… David swearing, pulling pranks, being an overall piece of shit was normal!?”
I had to giggle a bit at that.
“Haha well… yes. I wasn’t a huge prank puller but I did do a lot of stealing.”
To prove my point, I grab the lock Max was just working on along with a paperclip out of my back pocket and get to work. Within ten seconds I get the simple bike lock picked and unlocked. Oh gosh am I rusty… but Max is still visibly impressed.
“What the fuck!? You did that faster than Quarter Master and that guy has done some shady shit.”
Huh, I guess I did do it faster than our beloved yet questionable groundskeeper.
“Not to speak ill of Quarter Master, but I think he has expertise in some other illegal activities. Thieving though? I used to have that mastered down to the last detail.”
Max snickers at my remark. I set the lock back on the table and tuck the paperclip back into its pocket.
“Anyways, after receiving my very first badge I realized I could do more and it sparked motivation in me. But then… this is another lie I told you.”
I wipe away the incoming tears before I shatter Max’s perception of me.
“I… know what happened to Jasper.”
“whAT!?”
Nodding my head I feel the tears roll down my face.
“Yeah, I lied. When you, Nikki, and Neil came to my door about Jasper I didn’t have the heart to say what happened. I’m sure you all already know the story since you figured out his name and what was bothering me at the time.”
Max looks like he had something to say, but he decided on a simple head nod.
“Well, that was traumatic for me as well. The one friend I was able to make died and I felt like it was my fault. It was like, one step forward and two steps back, you know?”
I feel a tug on my shirt and I turn to see Max offering a tissue. I take it and try my best to wipe away the oncoming shower.
“Thanks… and sorry for the water works. I know you’re used to it by now, but as you now know I didn’t have the room to express emotions as a child so now that I have the freedom to do so it can get out of hand.”
I take a pause to blow my nose, and I feel a little bit better knowing that everything is off my chest. Max has yet to speak, so I decide to close my speech.
“Overall… I just… Want you to know that I’ve experienced things no kid should ever go through. I know the signs of neglect because I’ve been through it. Max, if you ever feel like you’re put in a bad place know that you can come to me anytime. I know I’m not your favorite person, but just know that you don’t have to go through anything alone.”
Silence ensues for a few seconds. I wipe away a few more tears before fulling looking at Max, and I find that he’s sniffling and holding back tears of his own.
“Fuck David… I really was not prepared for this…”
Max takes out another tissue from his hoodie pocket and wipes away his own tears in a frantic manner. I had to smile, seeing him get even a little bit emotional over my story means touched his heart in some way.
“Don’t fucking smile like that it’s creepy. Don’t make me punch you in the throat.”
Max doesn’t have visible tears anymore, but his face is puffy and eyes are still a bit red.
“You know I won’t stop smiling Max… Now, help clean up and we can figure out an activity afterwards, okay?”
I stand up and stretch out my arms above my head. Max without a word starts picking up the bike lock.