A Place Where You and I Can Stay (Camp Camp)

Card games and just some fucking angst

Sighing, she sat down on her bed and dialled the number once again. The phone rang for a while, and just as she thought it was about to go to voicemail again, someone answered the call.

"What do you want," an irritated male-sounding voice demanded. Gwen was somewhat taken aback by the coldness of the response but quickly regained composure.

"Uhh, this is Gwen, a counsellor at Camp Campbell. This is Max's father, right?"

"Yes, that would be me," he responded.

"It's the last day of camp, you were supposed to have picked Max up a few hours ago," she explained.

"I'm busy, the little brat can wait. We will come collect him later,"

"Ex-excuse me?" She tried to respond but was hung up on before she could.

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Max ran past the mess hall, past the counsellors' cabin, and past the area where the tents had stood until just a few hours ago. He slowed a bit upon realising he wasn't yet being chased by David but kept going until he got to the other end of the campsite.

He made his way through the trees until he reached a small clearing that overlooked the valley. Max had found this place early into his stay at Camp Campbell and often would go here when he needed to get away from everyone else.

Max dropped his backpack on the ground next to him and sat down, wrapping his arms around his knees. Absentmindedly, he gazed down at the lake below, then up at the sky. The sun was nearing the horizon, and wisps of colour stained the sky as a cool breeze blew past.

Hearing movement behind him, Max turned to see an anxious David running towards him through the forest, calling out to him. "Max!! There you are, I was so worried when I couldn't find you I-"

"Fuck off," Max said, as he turned away from David and pulled his hood up.

David sat down next to him. "Max I'm- I'm sorry I..."

"Fuck off"

They sat in silence for a while, before David started talking again. "Max, I... Your parents, do they... hurt you?" David asked concernedly.

Slowly, Max nodded, as he hugged his knees closer to his chest. David felt his heart shatter. Max stayed silent for a while before finally speaking again.

"...David?" Max asked in a quiet voice.

"Yes, Max?" He responded.

"If you tell anyone I said this I'll fucking end you but... I'm... really scared" He said as tears started to well up in his eyes "I don't want to go back there... don't let them take me back," Max tried to fight back his tears and failed, letting out a sob as he curled tighter into a ball.

David wrapped his arms around the crying boy, now trying to hold back his own tears, and for the first time, Max didn't fight his hug. He leant into David and let him hold him. Tears fell from his face and he clutched onto David's shirt.

Now David was absolutely furious, he didn't let Max see, but he was so angry at the people who dared to call themselves Max's parents. Angry the people who dared to whatever it was they did to cause this wonderful child to have such a bad reaction at the thought of going home. Home is a place where he should feel safe. He pulled Max closer. There was no way he was going to let those monsters take him.

They sat there for a while, and soon Max's crying began to subside. The sky was lit up with bright shades of pink and orange, as the sun set further in the sky.

"If you tell anyone what just happened, I will not hesitate to fucking murder you, okay," Max said, pushing himself away from David, who let out a small laugh.

"Yeah, I know," he replied.

Soon the sun had completely set, and they were left in the dark. David gazed upwards, expecting to see a sky full of stars, but he was instead met with large, dark clouds.

A single raindrop landed on his cheek. Then another. Then another, until suddenly, the rain was falling quite heavily. David stood up.

"C'mon Max, we better get out of this rain," he said

"Yeah, this fucking sucks," Max responded.

They ran back to the main part of the camp and were greeted by Gwen outside the mess hall.

"THERE you guys are!" She exclaimed, holding her arms above her head in a failing attempt to keep the falling rain off her. "Where the hell have you two been?! David, do you ever check your phone?!"

"Ah, sorry about that," he said, as the three of them walked inside. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and switched it on to see numerous missed calls and distressed text messages from Gwen. He must've had his phone on silent.

Max went and sat down at the nearest table and rested his head on the surface. Gwen and David walked over to the other side of the mess hall, near the kitchen.

"Hey, David, I called Max's parents and-" Gwen said in a hushed tone.

"They're complete assholes?" David responded.

"Yep," she confirmed.

"I just found that out from Max... Listen, there is no way we can let him go back there. It's not safe for him at all," he told her.

Gwen nodded in agreement. "What are we going to do though?" She asked.

"I was thinking maybe Max could come home with me, for the time being," David replied.

"Really? There's gonna be a lot of problems if you do that though. Plus, do you even have space in your house?" Gwen asked sceptically.

"I have a spare bedroom he can use, and I'll figure everything out, don't worry,"

"If you say so..."

They both looked over at Max, who either hadn't heard their conversation or wasn't listening. David went and sat next to him.

"Hey, Max!" He said.

Max raised an eyebrow.

"You're gonna be coming home with me!" David exclaimed.

"What, so you're kidnapping me?" Max responded.

"Ha ha, no Max. We were just thinking you could stay at my place until we can figure out what exactly is going to happen if that's alright with you," David explained, "Listen, there is no way I'm going to let your horrible abusive parents have you ever again, okay?"

David thought he saw tears start to well up in Max's eyes for a second.

"Yeah ok whatever," he said. Max was extremely thankful, but there was no way he was going to let David know that. "I fuckin' hate you but... literally anything would be better than going back there, I guess. Even suffering your hideously optimistic company," 

David grinned and gave Max a hug. 

"Get the fuck off me, idiot,"

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how do u end a chapter im dyign