Marks

Chapter 5: It just isn't the same.

Neil watched as his best friend got in the car with his abusive parents. It was all his fault that he was stuck with them. He should have just kept his lousy mouth shut. As the car drove away Neil could faintly see Max's parents yelling at him.

"Come on Neil." David said sadly. Neil looked up at him.

"You aren't just going to let them take him?" Neil yelled. "You saw how they are you have to do something!"

"Its too late for that now. Your going to have to get used to it." David said. Neil expected better from him.

"What the hell? Are you insane?! They could kill him and it would be my fault!" Neil said.

"They wouldn't to that. Me and Gwen will handle things Neil, don't worry about things you're just a kid after all." David said trying to comfort Neil.

David led Neil to his tent to give him some time to cool off.

"There is ice cream waiting for you in the councilor's cabin for when you're ready Neil." David said as he closed the tent. Neil sat down on his bed and stared over at Max's. What if Max were right? What if they would never see each other again? Neil stared over and noticed something. He walked over and found one of Max's hoodies. He grabbed it and put it on. He curled up in a corner on his bed and cried into the hoodie.

Oh but if anything happens to him wouldn't it be YOUR fault?

Neil heard the voice. His throat closed.He started crying more. He heard a crinkling in the pocket of the hoodie. Neil wiped his eyes and read it.

"Neil, I'm sorry for snapping at you when I found out what you did. It wasn't your fault I was just scared but now I realize that what happened was my fault. If I had never told you what I had been doing none of this would have happened. But in any case, I wanted to tell you something, I love you Neil. I know I never said it enough but I figured since we may never meet again I may as well say it. I'm sorry for any trouble I may have caused. Don't blame yourself for anything that happens it's not your fault. I miss you.

Love, Max"

Neil smiled softly at the note. Max had awful handwriting, you could just barely make out what the note said. He almost started crying again. Camp wouldn't be the same without Max.

Around an hour passed and Neil finally left the tent. He walked over to the councilor's cabin and knocked. David answered.

"You ready for your ice cream Neil?" David asked. Neil nodded. David gestured for Neil to come inside. Neil walked in and David followed. Neil sat down at a small table in the middle of the cabin. David pulled down two bowls two spoons and some vanilla ice cream.

"I feel kinda guilty about Max." Neil said. David set a bowl of ice cream in front of Neil and sat down in front of him.

"I see why but its not your fault I hope you know that, its perfectly natural to feel guilty." David said and smiled softly.

"Yeah I think he wants me to know that too." Neil said. He had the paper in his hands.

"Well what do you mean? Did he tell you?" David asked.

"He uh left a hoodie in our tent and I took it. There was a note in it. So obviously I read it." Neil said.

"What's it say?" David asked. Neil squeezed the note in his hands.

"Something about him being sorry and that it wasn't my fault and some junk. That it was his fault for telling me in the first place." Neil said and took a bite from his ice cream.

"Well be happy he felt safe enough to tell you, it's not always easy. Sure he put that on you but he felt safe with you." David said.

"And I blew it. Thanks for the talk David." Neil said and walked out of the cabin. He walked to his tent and was stopped by Gwen.

"Hey Neil you alright?" She asked and kneeled down to his height.

"I'm fine thanks for asking." Neil said and kept walking to his tent. Gwen walked into the cabin.

"What the hell did you say to him? You were supposed to give him ice cream and talk to him about it, you know make him not feel guilty about all of this?"

"He thinks he blew his whole friendship with Max and he thinks that they are never gonna see each other again." David said and shrunk in his seat.