The Fire's Gone. (Camp Camp)

Chapter Three.

Ayo Chapter 3 pog.

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Everyone sits in the mess hall, eating the food that's been served to them for dinner. It was around 5:30 PM-ish. David was in the middle of contemplating whether he should make a choice, weighing out his options. 'If I give Max his letter now, he might open it and find out. Then again, there's a chance that he could just forget about it like everything that's handed to him. I should put my trust in him, he deserves it now. This will be hard, but you can do this.' David pushes himself out of his seat, over to the trio just a few feet away from him. David stands next to him, quietly sighing to himself, preparing the words in his mind.

"Max...we need to talk."

Max stops what he's saying upon hearing his name, despite knowing that David had been the one to say it and when he usually did, Max just ignored it or flipped him off. This time, it felt pretty serious considering the tone of his voice. Even Nikki and Neil stopped talking, as they looked at each other with worried glances, and back to Max.

"If this is another language lecture, I don't wanna fuckin' hear it, David."

"Max, c'mon."

Before he could sigh or make any loud gesture, he saw the look on David's face. It looked almost lifeless, paler than he usually was. "Uh..alright." Looking at Nikki and Neil and back to David, he walks with him to outside of the mess hall. To his surprise, David kneels down to Max's height, looking straight into the boy's eyes.

"I'm about to ask you something, and I want you to be 100% honest with me. Can you do that for me, Max?"

"Uh, yeah, I guess." At this point, Max was getting uncomfortable at the tension. He could tell something, just something, was off. He couldn't tell exactly what, but it all felt wrong to him. Nonetheless, he kept as calm as he could.

David looked down, and nodded to himself. He looked at Max with the most intense eyes he's probably ever made, if not, more.

"Do you...do you genuinely hate me?"

Max was...stunned. And with this came more of a worried feeling, wondering how this came out of nowhere, why would he ask this at this point in time, why now. That wave of guilt came over him, as he rubs the back of his neck with his hand.

"Woah, jeez, I uh, I know I can be a dick at times, but I didn't think this would come out of it."

David just kept his silence, waiting for some sort of answer to give him the sense of relief he wants.

"God, I really don't know how to say this, fuck, but I...I don't actually hate you, David. It's kind of a thing where I act out at any sort of kindness or affection that I'm shown and, like, I haven't learned how to control that. So, I haven't really known what to say to you whenever you act nothing but nice to me. I guess I'm admitting this right here and now, but I...I'm glad your my counselor, and I wouldn't want another camping obsessed freak other than you."

David couldn't help himself. Being so focused on the fact that he got the response he wanted, he immediately takes Max in his arms, as Max just stands there. Weirdly enough it felt...right. Slowly but surely, Max moves himself in which he hugs back.

"You're a good k-kid, Max. Don't ever change, for anyone."

Hearing how, shaky and genuine those words seemed, Max closed his eyes and hugged him tighter. After a few more seconds, David pulls away and reaches into his inner vest pocket. He pulls out the envelope with Max's name written on it in black pen, and holds it out to him. Before Max could pull it away, he makes sure to mention the most important thing.

"Don't open it yet. You'll know when the time is right." He gives a weak smile, as David walks back into the mess hall to help clean.

Max studies the envelope, feeling the thick, white material, grazing his thumb over the black ink which spelled out his name. He heaves out a sigh, shoving the envelope in his hoodie. He also walks back into the mess hall, immediately making his way over by Neil and Nikki. As much as he wanted to tell them, he didn't. He made sure to make that clear with the look on his face, as the three exit the mess hall, feeling more tense as ever. And everyone, the same.

David finally manages to get Gwen alone in the mess hall, as he looks around to make sure that no one else was around. Surprisingly, Gwen was the one to approach him first.

"So, what was that with you and Max earlier? That looked pretty serious. Is everything okay?"

"Oh, yeah, everything's just fine. Actually, I-I was hoping to talk to you as well, if you've got some time. Don't worry, I'll only be a minute or two."

"David, you're scaring me."

He takes another big sigh once again, "Do you actually hate it here at camp?"

Immediately she replies, "Not for a second do I actually think that. Yeah, I have my off days, but everyone does with their job. This is the only thing in my life that's keeping me going, I love it here- wait please don't tell me you're quitting, are you-"

"No, Gwen, of course not. That's all I wanted to hear." He reached into his vest with an even more shaky hand, handing her the other two notes. "Don't open them yet. You'll know when the time is right." He gave the best smile he could, and walked out of the mess hall.

Gwen looked at the note, and back to the door, back to the note. Her name, written in black ink on the thick envelope material. The other, the words 'to everyone'. Just what in the fuck is up with him...?

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Letters: delivered

Sadness: Incoming

Tears: Falling

Hotel: Trivago.