Camp Camp AU: Max's Sister

Part 3: Regretful Words

"I suppose you better practice, huh Max?" Marianna asked.

"Oh yeah, the big showcase at the end." Max said, "But what are we gonna perform?"

"We'll figure something out." She smiled, ruffling his hair.

As the Sanchez siblings walked away, Max with violin in hand, they walked out of the mess hall hand in hand. David was beyond happy. He'd never seen this side of Max since he came to Camp Campbell. Later that day, Max and Marianna were sitting at the dock looking out to Spooky Island.

"Hey Mari? Can I ask you something?" Max asked.

"What's on your mind, little man?" Marianna replied.

"Where have you been?" Max asked, acknowledging his sister's shocked expression.

Marianna looked at her brother, the curious and sad expression on his face. Marianna looked away for a moment, then pushed her long hair out of her face. Finally, Marianna sighed and looked Max in the eyes.

"Max . . . there are some things that you aren't old enough to understand." Marianna said.

"I understand damn near everything fucked up about the world I'm forced to live in . . . try me." Max sighed.

"Max, I'm serious." Marianna hissed, "Things happened . . . things I wish I could change." 

The shaken and fearful expression on Marianna's face was foreign to Max, Marianna was always confident and cheerful. She was the single sunflower in a field of weeds, but right now she looked like she was withering.

It all started before you were born Max, when I was about 10. Mom and Dad saw a commercial for an acting  company looking for their newest child star. We were poor so I was forced to audition. I ended up having just what they needed, and I immediately got the part. From then on, Mom and Dad did everything to turn me into the perfect little actress. 

"You remember all those posters Mom and Dad had stored in the basement?" Marianna asked

"Oh yeah! The ones from that old kid's show . . . um . . . Happy Go Kids?" Max said.

"That was the TV series I was forced to take part of." Marianna sighed.

Mom and Dad made me into a little angel, all the smiling for the camera, singing and dancing like some puppet . . . all so they could live in the lap of luxury. Eventually, I outgrew the show . . . but ended up getting casted for another. From then on, I became an icon. I outgrew simple living, I outgrew TV sitcoms and made it to the Big Time. 

"I had finally outgrown Mom and Dad's control, I even got a manager that I could trust and confide in." Marianna said, "But just when I was going to break the news to them . . . Mom finally told me that she was pregnant."

Max looked at his sister, the utter disgust in his face. He knew his parents were heartless, but to use him as a scapegoat to force Marianna to stay? That was beyond heartless! 

"At that point I had to make a choice: Either I stay and suffer . . . or leave and be happy." Marianna said.

"So you left me?! You let me suffer alone with those monsters?!" Max snapped.

"Max, I had no idea what was going on!" Marianna rebuttled, "I didn't even think you were gonna survive."

"So you thought I was gonna die?!" Max snapped back, "What kind of excuse is that?"

"It's not an excuse! Mom was a heavy drinker, even when she was pregnant." Marianna snapped, "Either you were gonna die or you were gonna be retarded . . . turns out neither happened."

"You chose the life of fame and fortune . . . not even for a second thinking about your poor . . . unborn little brother." Max screamed, "You're a sellout!"

"The hell I am! I did what I had to . . . you don't even know what shit I went through!" Marianna snapped.

"What about me?! I'm the one that has to go back to that trainwreck!" Max screamed, "Fuck this, I'm out of here!"

"Max? Max . . . MAXWELL SANCHEZ THE III! Come back here, you little shit!" Marianna screamed.

"Fuck you! Go back to your fancy penthouse and thousands of cars!" Max screamed before storming off.

As Marianna watched her now enraged little brother storm of into the distance, she began to grow furious . . . picked up the biggest branch she could and chucked it into the lake. 

"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!" Marianna screamed, dropping to her knees.

Feeling lower than she ever has, Marianna broke into tears. It was one thing to be hated by her parents, but she never imagined that her little brother, the one person who's opinion mattered, hated her beyond comprehension. As Marianna bawled fiercely, a friend appeared from the shadows.

"Hey there, my happy camper. How ya hanging?" The voice said.

Once again, it was David. It was almost as if he was stalking them . . . then again, he did seem to make it his job that Max was safe and sound. Mariana wiped her eyes, smearing her eye shadow. David simply smiled at Marianna, handing her a handkerchief.

"Thank you." Marianna said, wiping her face.

"Care to share some pain, friend?" David smiled, taking a seat beside her.

"I never wanted to leave Max, I didn't even know he was born." Marianna said.

When Max was born, a whole month had gone by before someone tried to tell me. I  cancelled all my shows, movie deals . . . everything and spent that down time with my family. Before I knew it, I was legally an adult. Max was only 7 years old, but I couldn't do anything to bring him with me. At that time, I was powerless to help him . . .

"I wanted to surprise him with this." Marianna said, handing David a paper, "I finally got the court to hand custody over of Max after child protection services took a look at the house."

"So, you're Max's legal guardian?!" David gasped.

"As of last week, I am." Marianna sighed, "But what good is that if Max hates me?"