Breathe || Max X Reader - Camp Camp

XXXV

Word Count: 1,364
Y/N's POV

     "Nikki, before you jump please double check that your safety restraints are on correctly! I'll be right back, campers!", David instructed. He swiftly walked away, making it apparent that David had somewhere to be.
     I looked to the sky and noticed the sun moving down. Gwen should be back by now. It was likely that David was on his way to meet her.
     "What's eatin' you?", asked a low voice. I tilted my head up to see Nurf towering over me. Oh, Lord help me. "Well? What're you lookin' all bug-eyed for? Want a knuckle sandwich or somethin'?"
     I quickly averted my gaze and swallowed hard. "N-No, not at all!", I assured him. I fiddled with my collar of my t-shirt. "I'm just thinking."
"Yeah, well no shit."
I kept my gaze low. Nurf scared the ever living Hell out of me. "Sorry.", I muttered. I didn't know what I was sorry for, but the silence was getting awkward.
Jumping a mile high at the feeling of Nurf's meaty hand landing on my shoulder, I let out a small cry. As my feet hit the ground, Nurf showed me a confused expressed. "What're you actin' like that for?", Nurf asked.
Oh God, how do I get out of this in one piece? I looked around for a minute. All of the campers were congregating near the edge of the cliff that Nikki had jumped off of. It seemed as if they were all ignoring the camp activity. "I'm just tired.", I spoke in a low voice. I didn't meet my eyes with his, though I could still feel his stare. The boy towered over me. I could smell his breath. It was warm, and vaguely reminded me of Dr. Pepper that was left sitting out in the sun for way too long. "I...want to ditch the camp activity today."
Nurf laughed. Why did I just say that? What's going on with me? I scratched a mosquito bite on my thigh. The high of the itch was enough to distract me from the situation that I was in. "Why would you ditch alone?", Nurf prompted. That's a weird question. "Don't you think that'd be lonely?"
I locked eyes with Nurf. I cleared my throat. "All I've been lately is lonely.", I confessed through gritted teeth.
"Then don't ditch alone."

     I had to've been the craziest camper, or maybe just the loneliest, because that was all I needed to hear in order to be convinced to ditch the camp activity with Nurf. I was so lonely that anybody was able to be my somebody.
     Crunch.
     Without Max around, it was as if my life had no purpose at all. He was what kept me going. I was a puzzler, and Max was the boy who I'd puzzled over for so long. There were still so many missing pieces to my puzzle.
     Snap!
     Nurf was still right beside me. "What was that?", I asked. I craned my neck to reveal nothing behind us. "Nevermind..."
     "So what were you goin' on about?", Nurf probed. "Not that I care, or whatever."
     Max. "Can we just not talk?", I begged. Nurf gave an understanding nod in response. I was sure that he didn't understand my situation, but he seemed to understand pain. It was like he just knew. After being out with Nurf for so long, it was like I could see a different side of him. For once, I wasn't fearful that he'd hurt me.

Preston's POV

Y/N was nowhere to be found. I couldn't help but sweat. I knew things were wrong. Without her Max, she was just too vulnerable! A caged bird with clipped wings! I was afraid of what she might be doing with her loneliness. She was a star, but she had never known it. I looked to Harrison with concern. I twirled a piece of hair near my ear. "I think I have to go find Y/N.", I insisted. She'd been off for the entire day, I couldn't even imagine what she was feeling now. She truly had lost him, in her eyes. She was grieving. "Harrison?"
Harrison pulled on the end of his glove. "Well?", he asked. "Don't just stand there, go get her!" I loved it when Harrison showed me his big, goofy smile. Y/N isn't feeling loved right now. This was a serious situation.
I nodded to Harrison. "Thank you.", I told him. I pecked him on the cheek and ran off into the woods.

As I walked, I would occasionally pick up sticks and snap them. Being in the woods of Camp Campbell alone was serious business. This wasn't a camp like other summer camps. Y/N was out alone. Though she'd been at Campbell for a while, she hadn't yet bared witness to the terrible secrets it held.
The further I walked, the more lost I had become. I began to hear less of the campers behind me and more of the nature surrounding me. My fears of becoming lost were quickly remedied by the sounds of bird chirping and frog croaking. Though a city boy at heart, the sounds of nature had always felt inspiring to me. Since as long as I could remember, Grandma and I had lived on the outskirts of the city, in a tucked-away countryside area. Near the home was a small lake. Every morning I'd wake up to the sounds of geese calling. When I was younger, the sounds of the geese infuriated me. However, as I'd grown, my familiarity of the geese had grown with me. I began to slowly accept the sounds of nature.
I felt a drop of water hit the top of my head. "Ew!", I shrieked. It was slimy. I noticed that I felt a warmth being projected onto the top of my head. I looked up. My eyes bulged out of their sockets. A grizzly bear!
Without a second thought, I ran. How long was he there for? I flailed my arms around as I continued moving in order to dodge branches. I could hardly see through the forest's thick foliage. I glanced behind me to see a smudge of brown in my field of view. It's still there! I felt my breathing shake. With each time my feet hit the ground, I began to ache. It was a chore to move branches away with my arms. I can't keep this up. My little legs persevered. I grabbed onto a thin branch as I continued running and snapped it from its tree. I threw it behind me as I continued running.
What the Hell! I skidded to a halt. "A ravine! We have a ravine now?", I screamed with frustration. My hair was sticking up on all ends. The bear was barreling towards me.
Breathing.
Eyes darting. Trees, pebbles.
There's no time. The bear was gaining on me.
"Ground!" My vision was clouded by dust and bear pelt. I shielded my eyes, hoped for the best, and leapt to my right. Nothing could've been heard over the sounds of sticks crunching as I hit the ground.
And just like that, it was over. I slowly opened my eyes. No more bear. My plan had worked. The bear really was stupid enough to send itself off a cliff.
     I observed the area around me as I stood. And I really was stupid enough to get lost. I met my palm to my forehead. "Damn it."
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A/N - Hello readers! I haven't been writing lately because I've been busy with signing up for my college classes and getting all of that taken care of. I've also just been busying myself with other hobbies. I cannot always promise that this story will be updated quickly, but I can promise that I will not be forgetting it completely. ☁️

Comment Question of the Chapter:

How are your lives going? I feel like with quarantine now is a very important time to take care of yourself mentally. I just wanted to check in with you guys and make sure that you were doing fine! I love you, stay safe!