Breathe || Max X Reader - Camp Camp

XXVIII

Y/N's POV
Word Count: 1,536

Finally, things were starting to look familiar. We had recently passed the small clearing that Max used to hang out and get away from everything, so I knew that we were close to camp. "Max?", I prompted. "What're we gonna' tell David?" The annoying sound of crunching leaves was beginning to feel routine.
Max shrugged without looking back to me. "I don't know," he admitted. He stuck his hands back into his hoodie pockets. "I just thought we'd tell him the truth. It's not like David would actually kick our asses or anything. He'll separate us, though. You know that, right?"
I nodded, even though he wasn't looking back to see it. The pebble that had been wedged in my shoe was beginning to get on my nerves. With every step I felt it press into my foot. It wasn't painful, but it was aggravating. "Max, I-I don't get it.", I commented. The boy slowed his pace to glance at me, raising an eyebrow. "One minute you're sad, and then you're regular, and then you're mad, and it just cycles. So, do you want to leave camp or not?"
Personally, I just couldn't understand where that boy's head was at. It was like he was thinking of a million different things at once, and expected me to understand. "That's a pretty retarded question.", Max spat. I didn't quite like that word, but I didn't want to scold him. To distract myself, I started hoping on one foot as I struggled to get that freakin' pebble out of my shoe. "Of course I want to leave camp. I can't, though. I can't just leave you in this Hell-hole. Plus, you would've ended up stranded in the woods. I'm not as dumb as you think, Y/N."
As I put my now pebble-less shoe back on, I furrowed my eyebrows. "I never thought that.", I defended. That was one weird thing about Max, that he liked to assume things. "I think that you're really smart. I just think that maybe, um, maybe you don't see it?"
Max stopped dead in his tracks. I slowly met up with him. He looked to me with a finger resting upon his lips. "We're at camp.", Max announced. "I was thinking while you were talking, and, I think I know a way to get back to camp without a punishment for leaving."
I screwed up my expression. "Wait, hold up.", I started. "So you just ignored me, then?"
The boy puffed out his bottom lip and shrugged, waving his hands in the air. "Anyway, pay attention you little shit.", he ordered. I crossed my arms and nodded hesitantly. "If we can get back into our tents without David seeing us, we can act like we were here the whole time."
"And what about us getting separated?", I added.
Max shook his head and let out a sigh. "Can't do shit about that.", he huffed. "But we can go now, it looks like everyone is at lunch or something."
I nodded. "Okay, I'm making a run for it.", I told him. I shoved the boy out of my way and sprinted through the trees. Only a few seconds later the trees were long behind me, and I was in camp.
While I wanted to take a minute to enjoy my surroundings, I knew that I had very little time.
Once I had made it to the cluster of tents, I quickly spotted the one that belonged to Nikki and I, and raced inside. It fell right onto the bed, hugging the sheets tightly.
I let out a huff of air. We did it. Instead of joining the other campers for lunch, I decided it'd be best if I stayed in my tent for a short while.

It was about an hour later when I was joined by trouble. David marched into my tent, jamming his heel into the ground, baring a wide stance. "Y/N!", he growled.
     Never in my life had I seen him so upset. Taken aback by his sudden change, I gripped the bed sheets for dear life. "Y-Yes?", I asked, startled.
     There was no time to ask what was going on. There was no time to think about it, either. "I am very disappointed. Come to my office, now!", he demanded. Mouth agape, I left my tent and followed him as he walked me to the counselors' office.

David kept a stern, stone-cold expression as he sat down at the same table we met at a few weeks ago. But it was different this time, he wasn't here to help me. "W-Where's Max?", I choked out.
It was clear that the gig was up, so I didn't find it harmful to ask about Max. If anything, he had to've been the one to give us away, because it sure wasn't me. Wait, was it?
I shook my head at my intrusive thoughts. I gnawed on my nails as I waited for an answer. "We had to send him home.", David sighed.
My expression turned ghostly. I covered my mouth my with hand as I averted David's gaze. How could he have done that? It's only been about an hour, if that. My entire world just sort of stopped in that moment.
Without Max, it felt like there was nothing left. I watched as David's mouth continued moving, but all that I could hear was silence. "Y/N? Y/N!", David snapped. I twitched as I quickly looked back over to David. "Those are your choices. What're you going to to do?"
I had no clue what the heck that man was talking about, but for the first time ever, I didn't care what David had to say. Max was gone. "Why'd you send Max home!", I screamed. I balled my fists. Keep your head, Y/N. I felt my skin begin to crawl as pure anger consumed me. I couldn't bare it. "And what about me? I can't believe you! He was all I frickin' cared about and you just sent him away!"
Y/N, chill out. My left hand started to shake. It was becoming unbearable. "Y/N, I told you, he was becoming a distraction for the other campers and he put you in danger.", David explained. He shielded his anger with a grin, and spoke with a rather calming tone. But I wasn't buying it. "Now what's your choice, Y/N? We can send you home on our terms or call your parents and talk to them about what we'll do next."
That was it. That was why I was angry. "David, you fucking idiot!", I screamed. I had never said anything so foul in my life. I was out of control. I shot up and out of my seat to send my fists flying at the tabletop. David, quite surprised, jumped out of his seat and stumbled a few feet backward. "Max's parents are horrible! Why would you send him back? You knew about it, too! You sick, sick man!"
I lifted the corners of my lips to reveal my teeth. Slowly, David sat back down. "Y/N, he made the choice himself. I told him that he could either stay here and get separated from you and the other campers, or be sent home in drastic measures. Y/N, I want him to stay here just as much as you do.", the man reasoned. He pushed a rouge strand of auburn hair away from his eyes.
I scratched my arm in anger. I didn't want to say anything or do anything that I'd regret, so I took it out on myself. "You're a liar.", I spat. My e/c eyes narrowed and pierced right through David. My gaze was sinister. All of my rationality had left me. "If you cared, you wouldn't have let him leave!"
On accident, I caused my arm to start bleeding. My jagged, bitten nails became dangerous. Everything was dangerous, really.
I was dangerous.
David slowly approached me. As soon as we were nearly nose-to-nose, he grasped me in a strong bear hug. "Let go!", I screamed. I struggled to escape his grasp, but to my surprise, he was fairly strong.
"You're hurting yourself!", David screamed. "Stop it! Stop it, stop it, stop it!" He refused to let go. All of sudden, I wanted to cry so badly. I don't know why. Maybe it was the hug. That sudden feeling of someone doing something against your will to protect you, that might've been it. I didn't know, really.
I stopped struggling. I wept. David didn't say anything, he just stood there. Slowly, his hands started feeling my arm to find the wound. He removed his yellow handkerchief and wrapped it around my bloodied arm. For the longest time, it just stayed that way.
And amidst the commotion coming from the campers, and the anger radiating from my core, I still managed to let myself fall apart, again.
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A/N - Oh my God, this is literally the best chapter I've ever written. Who agrees? 😂 Actually, that's a good question. Guys, which chapter is your fav so far? ☁️