Marks

Chapter 8: Why?

Max woke up alone in his tent. He looked around for Neil but he wasn't there. He rummaged through his bag to find the stuffed Cow that Neil had given him. He smiled at it. It was such a dumb gift. Max got up from his bed and walked out to the mess hall to get a late night drink of water.

"Max what are you doing awake?" Neil asked. Max shrugged.

"Getting water, what are you doing up?" Max asked as he filled up his cup.

"I was also getting water, did I wake you up when I left the tent?" Max shook his head.

"No I woke up from a nightmare." Max slouched, he wasn't lying. The nightmares had come back, even though he had nothing to be afraid of he was still scared. What if David was lying and his parents were looking for him.

"Oh I'm sorry Max." Neil said. Max looked up at Neil.

"It's not your fault." Max said finishing up his water and throwing the paper cup in the small garbage bin next to the water cooler.

"Come on let's go back to the tent." Neil said putting his arm around Max's shoulder. They walked back to their tent together. Max's bear and cow that Neil gave him were sitting on his bed.

Max sat down on his bed and put his head in his hands. Neil sat down next to him.

"What's wrong." Neil asked.

"I just don't know what's going to happen when camp is over. I know you have never been in this situation but your smart sometimes, do you think their going to send me away?" Max asked. Neil stared at Max for a second. It was weird seeing Max of all people so vulnerable, typically Max wouldn't open up to anyone about this.

"It'll be fine Max, you'll be fine." Neil said, he hugged Max. Max hugged Neil back.

"Neil?" Max's voice broke.

"Yeah?" Neil answered. Max let go of Neil and looked down at his hands. He started to pick at his nail beds.

"Why do you care so much." Max said through shaky breaths.

"I don't know what you mean." Neil said. Truly he didn't, why wouldn't he care. Max was his best friend after all.

"I mean," Max took in a deep breath. "am I of all people really worth it, you know to care about?"

"Max-" Neil started.

"I mean why would you go through all of this with me? You could go do anything else but instead you're wasting your time with me, trying to make me feel better." Max explained. "I'm sure you know that I'm not getting fixed. I will always have my worries and I will always be a problem."

"Max you're not a problem. You're the best thing to have happened to me." Neil said. Max rolled his eyes. "I mean it, I will do anything to make you feel better because I need you."
//
"But you don't. You got along fine before you met me." Max said. He wanted to hurt himself again, not the voice, he did. All on his own.

"Max, you're tired. It's late you should get some rest." Neil said. He got up to walk over to his bed.

"Neil?" Max said tears fell from his face. "Will you stay over here? Like that one night? I don't want to have a nightmare again."

"Sure Max." Neil smiled and walked over. He layed down in Max's bed and covered up. Max cuddled up to him and fell asleep almost immediately. Neil fell asleep staring at Max. When they were together Max felt his troubles melt away for a while. There was no voice, no nightmares, and no memories. Just them.

"Campers wake up!" David yelled. All of the campers woke up. David almost went to wake up the two but remembered what had been going on. They needed rest so he left them. Neil woke up shortly after David walked away.