teenage tragedy (Max Mayfield)

4. twelve

AN: hi i'm alive

sorry i died
life is shit and i'm over it💁🏻‍♀️
i'm also gonna publish the rest of the book tonight bc honestly i need to stop rewriting the last chapter again and again bc it's never going to be perfect but, as mentioned above, i am over it💁🏻‍♀️

hope u enjoy and hope you're all good <3

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Cammie sat on the kitchen counter twenty minutes later, eyes rimmed red and cheeks flushed. Marissa and Peter had yet to come back inside, but Dustin and Lucas had now joined her in the kitchen.

"You okay?" Dustin asked, looking nervously at Cammie.

Cammie shrugged, tugging on a loose strand near a rip in her jeans.

"After the mall, Steve and I found these... brochures in my mom's room. They were for camps that would help kids like me get better. They call them wellness centers, or psychiatry centers, or whatever. But, uh, that's not what they are," Cammie mumbled.

The boys looked at her with small frowns. She looked back up at them.

"They're either places like Pennhurst, or they're conversion therapy camps. I don't know when mom, uh, figured it out. She's never said anything about it to my face. And my dad always tells her to shut up when she starts causing shit. But, uh, they've been fighting a lot. They think I don't remember last year, and I'm doing bad in school, and I'm never at home because I hate being around my mom. She's blaming Max," Cammie said.

"Your mom is full of shit," Lucas said bluntly. "And there's one good thing about being adopted. You're not actually related to her. And we don't think anything is wrong with you. You're happy with Max, and that makes us happy," he said.

"Yeah. We're our own little family, Cam. Us, Max, Mike, Will, El, Steve and the other idiots," Dustin said.

"We should probably try and see if they can talk," Lucas said.

"I'll go and try the walkie," Dustin said, grabbing his walkie and slipping off to the bathroom.

The front door opened and Peter stepped inside, his cheek tinged pink from the slap but otherwise looking composed and normal. He spotted Cammie in the kitchen and walked to the doorway.

"Marissa has gone home to lie down. I thought she would be more of a hinderance than a help. You alright?" Peter said.

Cammie nodded.

"You came and listened, didn't you?" Peter said.

Cammie nodded.

Peter sighed and walked over to her, cupping her cheek. He stared right into her eyes and she blinked a few times wearily. She wasn't scared of her dad, knew he would never hurt her, but she had just seen him practically choke Marissa, even if it was to defend Cammie.

"I believe you kids didn't do anything wrong. And I know that you need Max in ways that I don't understand. But I see how happy she makes you and how happy you make her, and there's nothing wrong with that. Nothing Marissa says will ever change my mind about that, okay? You come first. Always," he said.

Cammie felt tears sting her eyes again and she leaned forward, resting her head against Peter's chest. He kissed her forehead three times, patting her back.

"You're gonna be okay, honey. I promise. I'm not gonna let her do anything to you," he whispered.

"I love you, dad," Cammie whispered.

"I love you, more, kid," Peter said.

He sighed and waited until Cammie pulled back from him before he moved towards the living room.