Better Than Me (Camp Camp) (Dadvid)

Chapter Five

Max

Normally, I don't feel bad about stuff. But when his expression dropped, I felt like shit for asking.

"As of right now, no." It wasn't what I was hoping to hear from David. the family looked nice, and with how happy he always is... I thought maybe they'd be nice. My grandparents died a few years ago. I miss having them. "There's no plans for that."

That threw me off. But I went on to ask further for some dumb reason.

"Christmas?" I suggested. "Thanksgiving? Holidays?"

He shook his head.

"Sorry, Max." He apologized as we got to a huge mall with a massive parking ramp. "But no. We don't celebrate holidays with them."

I'm an asshole. He pried at me over the summer, this was my then.

"Why not?" I didn't think that this was a bad subject. "Do they live far away? Is that way you moved out early? So you didn't have to transfer your senior year?"

It was silent for a moment.

"I mean, we have every holiday with my grandparents." I tried to reason with him why I asked. "They we're a few hours away, but we traded off. Until they for in an accident and you know, died. That's kind of how it goes when your heart stops. But are they just too far away or...?"

"No," David pulled into a spot and turned off the engine. "They live in the same place they've lived in for the last 30 years last I checked. I didn't have a say when I moved out, Max. I didn't want what happened to happen. They kicked me out. I haven't talked to my parents in 7 years. I... Try not to think about it too much. Gwen asked me the same thing when we started counseling. I try to stay happy. There's no point in dwelling over it. It's not like I can do anything about it. Move on and accept it. I have you now, Max. I have better things to worry about."

Before I could say anything, he let out a breath.

"Anyways, enough of the depressing history." He remarked and put his keys in his pocket. "Let's get you stuff."

David

Now we were on the same level. We both had messed up families. Mine kicked me out for his sexuality. His neglected him and got arrested.

I should probably take that photo down from the living room. Find a happier one. One that won't make me want to scream every time I see it.

We walked into The Children's Place and I kept my eye on Max as he wandered around the store like this was a candy store. When I uh... Well, a little kid ran into me. An accident, of course. And I looked down to see a sweet little girl with curly, ginger pigtails.

She laughed.

"Sorry!" She said it barely loud enough for me to hear, but it was cute. She was probably 4. And a man came running up behind her.

"Danielle, you can't just run up to people in a mall." The man insisted and I looked at him because my goodness he looked... Like my brother. The oldest of all of us, Alex. He looked at me, and didn't realize it right away. "I'm sorry, she has a lot of energy right now. She didn't hurt you, did she?"

"Uh, no..." My brain was doing something else. "She's fine. I like her hair. Is she yours?"

"Yup!" It's the seventh time I've done this in this mall now. Everyone is nice here, I swear. Just strike up a random conversation. "She's 4. We're visiting my parents for my sister's 16th birthday. The others are here. Somewhere. With their own kids or partners or whoever they brought with before we go to our parents house. Do you have a kid?"

"Uh.... Yeah." It was my first time actually saying that I have a kid. "Adopted, but yeah. I just got him so I took today to make sure he gets what he needs. What he likes."

"Aw, congrats." My brother told me as I saw my sister walk over. She's 21, next youngest to me. She didn't have a kid. Didn't have anyone with her. Here, at least.

"Hey, Alex." My little sister confirmed this was her. Her name was Eliza. "Do you think Rachel would like a rainbow pocket shirt?"

"Not unless you want mom and dad to kill her or something." Alex responded to Eliza. "She'd probably love it. Mom and Dad not so much."

"I suppose." Eliza agreed with the suggestion and notice me. "Who uh... Who's your friend? You can't be cheating on your wife."

"Oh, I would never." That sentence hit me like a bullet. To hear that Alex got married. He had a kid with this woman. "My God, I dated one guy in college. One. I was curious. I'm married now. I'm happy with the marriage. But Eliza this is... I don't know his name. We just started talking."

Before I could open my mouth, Max could.

"David!" He said, walking over from two aisles over. Holding a few different things. "I need a dressing room."

I turned around and sighed.

"Max, we much as I'd love to get you a dressing room." I told him, scanning the room for a worker. "I don't have keys for the dressing room. There's a worker at the till, let's go see if she can help."

I waved goodbye to them as Max and I found somebody with keys. As he was in the dressing room, Alex walked back over to me. This time, everyone was with. Excluding Mom, Dad, and Rachel. The rest of the family. And the family I haven't met the last seven years. Being I've, you know, been gone.

I was scared shitless when they all approached me. Because what the fuck.

And then I noticed something.

Eliza had a woman with her, Zander, who's 19 now, had another guy with him.

Alex handed me an invitation for a 16th birthday party that was taking part tonight at Mom and Dad's place.

"They don't know any of us are coming." Alex explained to me. "We tried to find you and we couldn't over the summer. But I mean, Eliza and Zander are both going. Mom and Dad kicked them out, too. So if you have time, come by. Bring your little shit, too. I want to meet him."

I looked down at the card. It was legit.

"Are you sure?" I asked my older brother, not wanting to intrude. "I haven't seen anyone in—"

"Yeah, no shit." Eliza cut me off and just shrugged it off. "I haven't been there or seen anyone in 3 years. I told them after I graduated and got accepted to college. Zander came out last year. You'll be fine. Just get a present. She's a teenage girl. You know nothing about them but I mean... Makeup. She likes art according to her Instagram... Yeah. We'll see you tonight?"

"Yeah!" I assured them, looking at the time written in the invitation. "Yeah, I'll be there."

As they walked away, my soul must've returned to my body because I thought I never go home.

This was going to be an amazing day.