(WIP) A Cliff On The Edge Of Nowhere (David/Camp Camp Character Study)

Mist

(WIP)
(IGNORE MY GRAMMAR MISTAKES I'LL FIX THEM I  S W E A R)

Sometimes, David went on walks at night. It was so calm, so serene.. at times like this, he felt all the weight of the world was lifted, if only for a second.

It was 8:30. The sun had already set, and the crickets and the spring peepers, well, peeped like always.

He gingerly walked through the damp, dew  covered grass in the camp. The cool feeling of the water seeping through the tips of his shoes was comforting, relaxing even.

The air was crisp and cool. Not cold enough to warrant a jacket, but still cool. The air was still, and the stars were not quite out yet. He stopped and stared into the sky and thought about nothing but the clouds overhead.

He kept walking, reaching a slight incline of the nearing cliff. He pushed away the wet branches of the low conifer trees that hid his favorite spot in the world. As he pushed away the final branch he sighed a breath of relief.

At last, his sanctuary.

The cliff was nothing special. It wasn't incredibly high, nor grand, but it was his. There, on that small cliff, a damp log for sitting, and nothing more. A small ring of rocks was there, from the few times he'd made a fire; he was cursed that every time he lit a fire, it would rain. That fire pit had grown many plants now.

David didn't like to call them weeds. If anything, he invaded their turf, it didn't feel right to call them something with such a negative connotation.

He sat down on the edge. His shorts were sure to be wet, but he didn't mind. He looked out across the wide view, and hummed. His favorite part was the calm mist rising from the creek.

He swung his legs and checked his watch. 8:50. Goodness, where does the time go?

He hadn't brought his guitar with him, so he just sat for a while. His brain was calm, and in that moment, his smile was real.

At times, when dealing with the campers, it could be.. challenging. Although he loved his kids, sometimes all he could do was, quite literally, grin and bare it.

Ha! Get it? Bear? It was funnier in his head, he guessed.

He looked above himself again. The clouds did not secede. Without the moon, he'd have to use his flashlight. He didn't like to, as it disturbed the animals, but that's not as big of an issue as falling off his cliff.

"Holy shit you are boring!"

"Ah, hello Max. Can I help you?"

He stood up to face the kid. Max turned off his light and walked up to David.

"Well, I was trying to see you're dirty secrets, 'cause I watched you sneak out of the counselor's cabin. But you're boring as shit.."

David was quiet for a second, other than his quiet 'language'. It's not like he was doing anything wrong. The campers all go to bed at 9:30, and he around 10:00.

"No dirt here except on the ground, buddy." He sat down on the ledge again. "You're welcome to join me, but I am quite boring."

Max sat down too. "Ugh. Just being at this cliff makes me wanna talk about my trauma and shit." He groaned, but stayed nonetheless.

"Did you want to?" Offers David, in typical David fashion.

"Fuck no. I came here to get information to ruin your life, camp man. Not tell you about mine!"

David chuckled. "Fair enough." He looked up again to see the clouds beginning to disperse, letting him see a slight line of the cosmos. He fell backwards, now laying down to watch. "How pretty.." he smiles.

"Jesus fucking Christ, David! I get it!" He lays down, but angrily, in contrast to David's softer motion.

The stars were bright and beautiful that night.

"Okay, you win. This is really nice." Max says slowly.

David inhales deeply. The smell of pine, of water, and of the grass fill his senses. "I always come here after you guys drive me crazy. It's been my comfort spot for as long as i can remember."

"Oh god, are you gonna open up to me? Hell no, dude. Stopping you right there."

"What if i spill something that could ruin my whole career? I mean, I won't. But I could!"

"..I'm listening. But you've gotta promise there's no life lesson at the end, or I swear to god-"

"There won't be." David chuckled.

He sat up again. What was there to talk about? He hadn't really thought this through, but Max was pretty trustworthy with his more, personal secrets.

Like the time he found David's "friend" pills.

In theory, that wasn't bad. Except David didn't know that Max had found them, and especially didn't know Max had taken it apon himself to find out what they were.

Lo and behold, it was prescription depression medication. Big shock for Max and poor Neil, whom Max had made test the pills.

"Oh, I don't know where to start." David mumbles, closing his eyes for a moment.

"I don't know! You're the one who wanted to get all sad 'n shit in the first place."

"That's true. I don't know either. What would you like to hear about?"

"Why do you take so many pills? I know I, er, me and Neil tested the 'friend' pills.. but there was a lot of stuff in there too."

"Ah, well.."

Jeez. That was 20 questions compiled into one. How was he meant to answer that? At last he mustered up an answer.

"I've just got a lot of problems."

Nailed it.

"Okay, needs to be more specific. Hm. Why do you take testosterone?" Max asked.

Oh boy. "Why testosterone?"

"I thought the name was stupid. What's it for?"

David thought for a moment on how to explain that to him.

"You know what being trans is, right? Transgender?"

"Sure. I don't live under a fuckin' rock, David."

"Some guys take testosterone when they were born as females and become males."

"So why do y-" Max stops himself. "Oh. Okay. That makes sense, i guess."

"Mhm." They sat in silence again. "You've got more questions, I can feel it." David says at last.

"Who else knows?"

"Gwen. Mr. Campbell, i think, but I cant remember. Also, my parents."

"And now me?"

"Yup." David pops the 'p'.

They return to the familiar silence.

"Sorry I called you a girl the other day, David." Max says, barely above a whisper.

"Aw, bud. It's okay. You didn't know." David sits up and gently rubs his back.

They sit like this for a while, until David checks his phone. "Goodness! It's 10:00 already!" He turns on his flashlight, taking Max's hand and standing up.

Max smirks. "Alright, camp man."