The 5 times Max's family life was fucked up (and the one time it wasn't)

Chapter 6

The sixth time his family life changed was on the next morning drive to child protective services.

Max was dead. He had to be. This wasn't possible in any sense of reality. He had to be dead. They got into a car crash and he passed away in the aftermath. Sure, it was a bit hard for him to buy into the idea of Max making it to heaven, let alone the concept of not immediately being faced with eternal nothingness upon death, but he didn't have any other explanation. There was no way this was real.

And yet, he could still feel the vibrations buzz underneath him when David slammed on the breaks in the middle of the road and whipped around so fast he was surprised he didn't get whiplash from it. He could still hear David's begging and pleading ringing in his ears like he had just said them a couple of seconds ago (and, well, he did, but it felt like an eternity ago to Max).

"Now, I know would never be able to replace your birth parents, Max, and I know I am completely clueless when it come to parenting, but I care about you too much to dump you somewhere that could just leave you in a situation that's just as terrible as your last one! And while I am aware that i'm not the...ideal person to take up the role of your father and that i'm sure i'll mess up a lot, that's why i'll never stop trying. Because somebody fucking has to!"

There they were. Clear and transparent. From David's mouth.

Fucking David.

David, the counselor who he had spent every day of his three months at camp purposely annoying to the point of exhaustion. David, who he constantly reminded that he didn't care about or trust him. David, the man who was constantly forced to scold Max for his profanity and he had only seen swear twice. David, the incredibly frustrating motherfucker that Max drove up a wall almost everyday with his countless failed escape plots. David, who couldn't possibly be any different from any other adult, hell, any other person, wanted to adopt Max?

What the actual fuck?

Then he felt David's hand on his shoulder and Max felt like he couldn't breath and David started rambling on and on about how sorry he was for even asking in the first place Max in this situation and promising to take him to child protective services right now and Max can't believe that even after all this this motherfucker is still second guessing himself.

"-and I promise that we'll find your better parents that can pr-"

"Are you fucking shitting me, camp man!?"

David looked back up at Max to be met with a trembling child with tears dripping down his face and heavy breathing.

"Jesus fucking christ, I can't believe you're pulling this bullshit! Of course I wanna be your kid, you fucking moron!" Max sobbed as David's face softened and immediately wrapped his arms around Max, not even thinking about daring to scold the child for swearing and surrounding him in safety and security and pure love, something he haven't felt in a long time. And  jesus christ, did he miss it.

Max didn't notice the cars behind him beeping their horns or how gross and humiliated he felt for crying on David's shoulder and letting him be held by the bane of his existence and he didn't even entertain any thoughts on all the shitty and dumbass changes life put him through or how none of this mattered since death was inevitable anyway or how hard he wished that his birth parents could hold him instead of his counselor because none of that shit could take away mind off the startling realization of the fact that David cared. Someone actually gave a crap about his shitty existence. And person cared enough to be his dad.

That might not make up for losing his parents, but god damn did it come close.