Breathe || Max X Reader - Camp Camp

XLVI

Word Count: 1,381
Y/N's POV

Freshly brewed coffee awaited me the following morning. Nikki's humming caused me to wake. "Here," she greeted, offering me a cup of a coffee. I sat up in my bed and took it. I stretched my left leg as I took a slow sip. "Is it good?"
I nodded. "Yeah," I replied. Nikki could hardly hear over the sounds of ruffling plastic. The tent swayed vigorously. "Windy morning."
"Definitely!", the wide-eyed girl agreed. "We should get to the mess hall! It won't be so loud!"
Nikki sprinted off. I stood at my leisure and stretched until I heard my back crack. "Ahh, that's it," I murmured. I wandered my way over to the mess hall in my zombie-like state. Not even the intense wind was enough to wake me.

Today's breakfast remained dead silent. Every once in a while Dolph dropped a bead, which sounded so loud that it echoed. David had decided that it'd be a good idea to assign us a "mini activity" during breakfast. David provided his campers with clear, stretchable string, as well as several medium-sized totes full of beads. He instructed that we craft either bracelets or necklaces.
     Harrison was seated on the opposite side of my table to my left. Though we were relatively close, Harrison never once held eye contact with me.
     Max felt it was necessary to stop by my table when he noticed Harrison's annoying groans and grunts. He kept huffing and crossing his arms, obviously irritated. Max left Neil's side and walked over to me, crouching down beside me. "Hey, are you all good down here? Is Harrison starting shit?", Max asked.
     I snuck a look to Harrison and shook my head. "Nah. It's not me, it's the bracelet," I whispered, motioning in Harrison's direction. Max watched as Harrison's yellow beads all slipped off of their string, spilling all over the table.
     Max suppressed a giggle. "Okay, I can go back now, don't worry," he promised. Max smiled, baring his partially-aligned teeth. Near the back of his mouth, Max had a little snaggletooth. Though I never pointed it out to him, I always thought it looked kind of cute. Max snapped at me, pulling me out of my trance. "I'm gonna' go back now."
     I nodded and turned back to my little project. As Max walked away, I continued to work. I paid little mind to Harrison as I continued slipping beads onto my string. The only thing bugging me was Preston, who was absent from the mess hall. David never seemed to notice, but I surely did.

     Space Kid wasn't bad at jump roping, he just couldn't get the rope over his ridiculously big spacesuit helmet. David watched Space Kid, counting every time the rope passed Space Kid's feet. The boy's face was blurred by the steam inside his helmet, which clung to the glass. "Stop!", David hollered. Space Kid collapsed, tangled in the rope. "That was twelve in one minute!" Gwen helped untangle Space Kid. "Ered, you're up next." David reset his timer.
     "Today's activity is stupid," Max blurted. He looked to me. I shrugged in response. "I mean, what's jump roping supposed to teach us?"
     "I don't know," I replied. "So," I motioned in David's direction, "you think you're ready to handle that guy once camp is over?"
     Max ran a hand through his hair. He scratched his scalp. "Yeah, I don't know," Max admitted. He crossed his legs, relocating a bit of loose dirt. "I'm trying to be positive about it. It's a fresh start, I guess."
     My eyes widened. "You mean you're not mad?", I interrogated. "What happened to hating David?"
     Max shifted uncomfortably. "About that," Max took a breath, "I never really hated David in the first place." I raised a brow. "This is gonna' sound dumb, but I was jealous. I mean, look at the guy! He's always so happy! It doesn't matter what the situation is, he always makes it good somehow. I guess I sort of wish I was able to think more like him."
     I bit my lower lip. Max looked away. "I'm sorry, I didn't know," I replied in a hushed tone. I cleared my throat. "I-"
     "I wouldn't have expected you to know," Max interjected. I shut my mouth, giving Max a nod. "Keep going? Okay." Max straightened his posture. "It's just like, for years...I've been choosing bitter over better. I'm so sick of myself. I don't want to be miserable forever. I don't wanna' be numb anymore, or hateful. I'm ready to change."
     I couldn't stop smiling. "That's the most amazing thing you've said all summer!", I gushed. I pulled Max into my lap, bear-hugging him. "I'm so proud of you!" If it wasn't for the sea of other campers, I probably would've cried tears of joy.
     "Alright, alright!", Max hissed. "Don't make it a big deal or anything." He broke away from me and awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck. I was still smiling ear to ear.
     I looked back at David. "Nice job, Ered! Fifty-two must be your lucky number, because that's how many times the rope passed your feet in one minute!", David praised. Ered pointed finger guns at David and handed over the jump rope. "Y/N, it's your turn."
     I stood up and ruffled Max's hair. "I guess I'll be back, then," I commented, winking at Max. He playfully shooed me away.

The majority of the campers were settling into their tents, anticipating a good night's rest. However, I was still out.
I gnawed on my inner cheek as I scribbled out a few sentences. I can't tell him that! I scribbled out a few more. No, I can do better than that! I watched as my draft disappeared before my eyes. I groaned. I buried my face in my palms. No matter what I wrote, it felt like it wasn't going to be good enough. The last thing I wanted was to leave my recipient on a sour note, or for them to misinterpret my letter. The words just wouldn't come to me.
     Max is a sweet boy. I wanted to make sure I included in my letter that I had always seen the sweet boy in Max. Even in his bitter moments, I believed in his goodness.
     It felt weird to write "I love you" on paper. I didn't doubt the way I was feeling, but it just hit differently. It was surreal to me. I just hadn't expected to've fallen in love.
     I coughed into my arm. As I cleared my throat, the bushes bordering the campground rustled. I cocked my head to the side and focused on the noises. Maybe it's a badger? I cautiously folded up my letter as I focused my gaze in front of me. An entire bush was shoved away to reveal Preston Goodplay emerging from the forest.
     He was a deer caught in headlights. Preston had frozen completely. I hastily shoved my paper and pen into my pocket, keeping eye contact with Preston. He slowly moved his back leg in front of the bush, entering the campsite. Preston stared at me, eyes whelming with tears. He took in a deep breath and slowly moved in my direction. Preston's shadow traveled with him. The setting Sun casted an orangish tint upon Preston's face.
     The collar of his shirt was torn, as well as his ornamental shoulder pieces. Preston had a small cut under his right eye. He held himself at the ribs. A single tear escaped him. "You know, don't you?", Preston sniffled. Preston's sniffles quickly turned into agonizing sobs.
     I nodded. "I know."
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A/N - This chapter ended up being a bit short than I had anticipated, but it's till effective nonetheless. I think I might've accomplished what I was trying to do here in terms of the plot. Sorry about the wait, I just wanted to have a nice and relaxing weekend. I really enjoyed having a little break. I hope you guys aren't upset by the wait. I'm not superhuman, and writing isn't easy, so it's not a fast process. Just have faith in me, guys. ☁️

Comment Question of the Chapter:

Do you own any Camp Camp merch?