It Had to be You

Chapter Two: Back At Camp

The drive took almost ten hours, all of which were filled with David's horrible songs and made up stories about David's time at camp. It was so normal, Max had almost forgotten what had happened. David was his Dad. No, David would never be his Dad. But David had adopted him. Which, if Max was honest, hadn't really sunk in yet. He couldn't imagine living with David all the time, David making him lunch, David walking him to school. Max shook his head and groaned. This was going to be awful.

David turned around. "You okay back there?" He asked, a concerned expression on his face. "We'll be there in just a couple of minutes."

"Fuck off, David," Max grumbled. "I'm fucking fine." David turned back around, and Max caught a hint of a smile on his face.

"Okay then, Max. Oh boy I'm excited! Can't you just smell the fresh camp air?" David said, rolling down the front window.

Max grabbed at his hair, that was now flying straight into his face. "Fuck! Could you roll that window back up?!"

"Language Max!" David said, leaving the window stubbornly down. "Is there a nicer way for you to ask that?"

Max flipped off David again, and then crouched down into his seat, pulling his blue hood over his head in an attempt to contain his curly black hair which did not work out well. Instead, the hair was pushed into his face further. Defeated, Max pulled back off his hood and crossed his arms over his chest, in an attempt to look grouchy.

David hummed a tune as he turned into the drive for Camp Campbell. The smooth paved road turned into a rougher dirt one, and Max was forced to grab his bag as the car bounced up and down the road. "Shit!" Max exclaimed, as his belongings almost fell on the floor, for the fifth time in a couple of minutes.

"We're here!" David sung out, smiling ear to ear as he practically bounded out of the car. Max was slower to exit, taking time to gather his stuff that he had strewn around the back seat of the car before opening the door and stepping outside.

"Come on Max!" David yelled, from over by the camper tents. "Let's get you set up! The rest of the campers are getting here tomorrow morning, so it'll be just you, me, and Gwen until they arrive."

"Great." Max mumbled under his breath. Hitching his bag up on his shoulder and pulling his suitcase behind him, he headed toward the tents.

"Take your pick!" David said, pointing at the tents. "Benefits of being first! I have to go run over some paperwork, to get this camp running ship shape!" David winked over dramatically at Max and saluted, before running off toward the counselors office.

Max grabbed his bags again, and hauled them toward the closest tent. It may not have been the nicest, but Max was for sure not dragging these heavy bags any further. Opening up his suitcase, he pulled out his sheets and started to drag the corner over one of the cots in the tent. He was so focused on getting it tucked into the corners, he didn't notice Gwen enter the room.

"Hey kid. I thought I heard someone get here. Your parents drop you off early again?" She walked over to the bed, and made quick work of getting the sheets tucked in. "Here, hand me the blanket."

Max obliged and she quickly tucked that in as well.

"Well you little shit? You gone mute or something?" She continued, in an almost affectionate tone.

"Fuck off," Max grumbled. "Yeah, I got dropped off here early." Technically, he wasn't lying. He usually got dropped off early anyway, the only difference was that his guardian was still here. And David. Whatever, Gwen would find out eventually.

"David here yet? He's usually here much earlier than me, but I've been here two whole days, and he hasn't shown."

"He got here at the same time I did," Max told her, feeling a little guilty now about all this truth avoiding, "I think he said he was headed toward the counselors office, to do paperwork or some shit."

"Aw man, paperwork?" Gwen grumbled, "Mind if I help you set up? Anything is better than paperwork."

To be honest, Max would rather she didn't. His ten hour ride with David had sucked all of his human interaction energy out of him, but he also didn't want to condemn Gwen to paperwork duty. "Fine," he mumbled, "Can you get this pillow in the case? I'm too short." She laughed, but she took the pillow.

"So how was your year kid?"

That made Max pause. This last year? This last year had been hell. He had been beaten and bruised, ignored and starved. Taken out of the hellhole that was his house, only to be thrust into a group home and forced to share a room with four other kids. But he couldn't tell Gwen that. Not yet. "It was fine, boring." He finally said, placing Mr Honeynuts on the cot, in front of the pillow.

They spent the next hour or so in silence, which was only broken by the occasional question from Gwen, and terse reply from Max. It was getting late and the sun had just begun to set, smudges of orange peeking up from behind the trees. Max heard footsteps from outside the cabin, and then David stuck his head out from behind the tent flap.

"Hey Ma- Oh Gwen! I thought you weren't here yet!" David ran up to give his fellow counselor a hug. "It's so good to see you! I see you're hanging out with Max."

"The kid needed help with setting up. So David, I thought you said you were getting a kid to adopt before coming here today. What happened to that? Did I help you with all that paperwork for nothing, because I swear!" Gwen retorted, poking her finger at David's chest.

David looked confused. "What do you mean, Gwen? Of course I adopted someone. Why would you think I didn't?"

"Well then where are they, David?" Gwen said back, now looking just as confused as David did.

"Right here!" David exclaimed.

"But there's no one here but M-" Gwen started, but stopped, as understanding crossed her face. "Oh kid, why didn't you tell me?" She asked, crouching down to Max's level.

"I don't know." Max mumbled. "Don't tell the other campers, alright? They'll think I've gone soft or some shit."

"They're not dumb Max. They're going to figure out somethings up eventually."

"No, I'll make fucking sure they won't!" Max said, raising his voice a little.

"Okay kid." Gwen said, patting him on the head a little awkwardly, "I won't, I promise."

"Good." Max said, quietly.

"Well Max," David intercut, a little awkward after the prior exchange, "Why don't you get to bed. It's almost 9 o'clock, and you want to be well rested to see your friends again tomorrow! They'll be here at eight, so I'll be waking you up bright and early."

"Fine." Max said, "See you tomorrow Gwen."

"Goodnight Kid." Gwen said, as she walked out of the tent, closing the flap behind her.

"Nighty night Max! Don't let the bedbugs bite!" David half sung, as he too left the tent. "I'll be back at seven thirty for breakfast!"

Max crawled into his cot, and nestled himself in the sheets. It was weird to sleep here alone, without Neil or another camper in the cot across from him. He lay there for a while, thinking about the days events. Just this morning he was a ward of the state, living with twenty other kids in group home. Now he was adopted, and back at camp, sleeping in a cot that was practically his second bed. Life was weird. And also exhausting. Tomorrow he would see his friends, but for now it was time to sleep.

An: Here's another part! Next time, the campers will arrive, so you won't be stuck with just Max and David. And don't worry, I'm not sticking any OCs in there. Until next time!