Skeleton In The Closet

Chapter 7

"What the fuck was that?" Neil wondered to himself. Curious, he grabbed his bag & walked up the drive to the house. When he got inside, he dropped his bag beside Max's, next to the door, & continued inside. All the lights were off (presumably to save on power. David became kind of a stickler about that kind of thing ever since he became the camp director of Camp Campbell) except for one light shining from underneath a mostly closed door, slightly cracked open. Max's room.

Neil wandered over to it. It was a big wooden door. It had to be an antique of some kind. The door itself was large & made of what looked like oak colored & preserved with lacquer. The doorknob was rather large & looked like bronze. He knew it had to be old because the keyhole was big enough to see through, like the kind you'd see in a Loony Tunes short. Lucky for Neil that the keyhole was as big as it was.

He peaked through it & could see Max lying prostrate on his bed, & David was sitting next to him when he started speaking. "I'm really concerned, Max." David started. "Neil said that you had a bad dream. Are the nightmares starting again?" Max didn't answer, just laying face down on his bed, motionless. "I wish you would at least consider seeing that therapist. It's okay to not be okay, Max."

"Just leave me alone, David." Max finally said.

"Okay, Max." David replied. "I'll give you some space, but please at least consider what I've said." He said as he got up off of Max's bed & started towards the door. Neil saw him coming & bolted to the living room, seating himself on the couch.

David walked into the living room with him & told him "If you're going to pretend you weren't eavesdropping, you should at least turn the light on." David told him as he walked to the wall & flipped the switch, filling the room with light. "So, how much did you hear?"

Neil responded. "I heard you talk about nightmares starting again & something about seeing a therapist. How'd you know I was listening, anyway?"

"I'm not deaf, Neil. I heard you bolting down the hall." He answered.

After a few moments of thought, he asked David "What's going on? What's happening to Max?"

David sighed before he answered. "You remember what led to Max living with me, right?" He asked.

"Yeah." Neil answered. "His parents didn't accept him being gay & were terrible to him, so he got emancipated & moved in with you, right?" He asked.

"Yes, but there's more to the story than that." David began. "Max... hasn't exactly had it easy. His parents were always really neglectful, but when he came out, it wasn't exactly on his terms. His parents never really respected his privacy. When they checked the search history on his laptop without him knowing, they found the lgbt+ support forums he talked in because he didn't have anywhere else to talk. When they confronted him about it, Max tried to deny it, but they knew better. They couldn't accept he was gay, so they sent him to a conversion 'therapy' camp. The 'pray the gay away' kind that aren't exactly humane. Max went through a lot there & he finally had it. He escaped the camp & found me. He told me what happened & I offered him shelter. When his parents learned where he went they tried to press kidnapping charges against me, but Max & I were in the process of filing for his emancipation, so it was a tricky area to navigate. We counter-sued for neglect of a minor & won out. His parents had to pay a huge fine, Max got emancipated & it all worked out, but there's no amount of litigation that can undo what happened to him at that terrible place. I've tried multiple times to get him into therapy, but he always says 'he's fine' & 'he doesn't need it.'"

"Poor Max." Neil said. "I never knew. He told me that his parents sucked, but he never told me how terrible it was." Neil said as he looked to the floor, his voice laced with trepidation.

"He doesn't want anyone to know. He feels like he has to go it alone. No matter how hard I try, he refuses counseling. That's why I'm so glad he has you & Nikki. He won't have to truly be alone as long as he has you two." David explained with a calming smile & his soft, green eyes

"Thank you, David." Neil responded. I love Max with everything I have." He said genuinely

"I know you do, Neil." David told him. "Please don't tell him I told you about this, though. I don't think he would like it."

"Okay." Neil responded.

As Neil finished speaking, he heard a door creak open & saw Max coming out. "Sorry, Neil." Max started. "I just needed a minute." He walked over to the couch & sat down next to Neil. He rested his head on his shoulder, & he closed his eyes, & told Neil "Thank you for being mine. I love you."

Neil just put a hand on Max's head, running his fingers through Max's curly, raven hair as he simply told him. "The pleasure's mine, Max. I love you too.