Breathe || Max X Reader - Camp Camp

Ⅲ

Y/N's POV
Word Count: 1,727

     I swaddled a small blanket around me as I waited for everyone to start settling. "So, what are we going to do?", Neil prompted. I still hadn't learned much about this kid, but he seemed pretty nice.
     Nikki shrugged. Max rolled his eyes, as per usual. "Can we not do something dumb like 'truth or dare'?", Max sassed. Dang. That's literally the only game I can play. "It's too childish. Easy. We all know I'd win in a second."
     Without thinking, I huffed. "Doubt that," I challenged.
     Max raised an eyebrow, chances were he hadn't expected me to say something so snarky. "So, the little shit's back at it again I see.", Max proclaimed. "You really think someone like you could play truth or dare?"
     My eyes rolled so far back into my head that it was a wonder I couldn't see my own brain. "Yeah, actually, I think I could.", I retaliated. "But if you're too sissy to find out, then I guess we could always do something else."
     Neil intervened. "There's always 'spin the bottle'," he noted. "There's also 'seven minutes in heaven'." Nikki shook her head, pretend-gagging. Me too, honestly. "Or 'two truths and a lie'."
     "What's that?", Nikki asked.
     Max laughed. "It's retarded," he spouted.
     "C'mon, that's just rude, don't say that!", I corrected.
     Max stood up. "What're you gonna' do about it, little shit?", he threatened.
     I totally blanked. What am I going to do about it? It was best that I just changed the subject. "Why do you called me that? You little, um, that.", I prompted.
     Max fell to the ground. "You really are different!", he spat through a series of chuckles. His bouts of laughter finally stopped a few moments later. "I don't know, it's just funny." He tapped his toes. "Okay, are we gonna' get this show on the road or what?"
     It really was a mystery, why Max found me so funny. I sure didn't see it. "Yeah," Nikki added. "I think we should play 'two truths and a lie'."
     Neil shook his head. "I'd rather play 'truth or dare'. I'm wondering if Y/N is actually any good at it.", suggested Neil. Nikki thought for a brief moment, and then nodded. "Then that's what we'll do, I guess. Who's starting?"
     "I'll go!", Max and I hollered in unison.
     "Well, you both can't go first. Max, how about you give Y/N a truth or dare?", Neil suggested.
     Max shrugged. "Whatever," he started. "Truth or dare, little-"
     "Dare," I interjected.
     Nikki smirked, drowning in anticipation. Max sat for a minute or two, thinking. "Well, since you're just so kind, how about you have some fun for once? Hah, I've got a good one. Go kick Neil in the sack.", Max demanded.
     My eyes widened. "What? Why would I do that!", I fumed.
     "Yeah, Max," Neil added. "What the Hell?"
     Max chuckled. "Well, then the game is over. You loose, little shit.", Max decided. Nikki crossed her arms and let out a groan.
     Feeling lost for words, I just sat there for a minute. "Max, that's not very nice.", I told him. I knew it sounded really dumb, almost like something a mom might say, but I felt like it needed to be said. "Max, why are you so mean to me?"
     For a brief moment, less than a second, even, Max's expression changed. It went to an almost sad sort of look. Maybe it was pain, or confusion, I couldn't really tell. Far too quickly, Max's expression reverted to most usual resting expression, that of anger. "I don't know," he started. "I think it's...fun..."
Something's off. He said that last bit half-heartedly. What's going on is this boy's mind? "I'm sorry.", I blurted. Wait, why did that come out? Why am I sorry? I don't know what had come over me, but I just felt sorry.
     I didn't know what I was sorry for, I was just sorry. It was like when a friend had a bad day, and even though it wasn't your fault and you weren't even a part of it, you told them you were sorry as if somehow it was you that affected them.
Everyone sat in an eerie silence. Nobody had known what came over us, but we just sat there like that for a while. It was like we were all thinking to ourselves, inwardly, but still wanting to be around each other. It was weird.
Finally, someone spoke. "What now?", Neil asked. That's kind of what we're all thinking. "I don't think we should play any games to start any shit with each other." Without speaking, everyone gave a slow nod.
Max was fuming, to my dismay. "Well, you know what!", he shouted. "Fuck you!" This felt completely out of the blue, almost forced. "You don't know how to have any fun, you little bitches. I'll be in my own tent. Leave me alone." With that, he stormed out of the tent.
"What's his deal?", Nikki blurted.
Neil and I shrugged. "I don't know," Neil said. "But I have a feeling I know what it might have to do with."
"Which is?", I promoted.
Nikki gave Neil a smug sort of look, itching for him to blab. Nikki and I were clearly hoping for some tea to be spilled. "Well, I don't really know, but my psycho analysis says that Max might be embarrassed.", Neil explained.
"Psycho analysis?", I repeated. "And how old are we again? Fourteen?" Neil rolled his eyes.
Nikki nodded, backing Neil up. "You don't even know.", Nikki insisted. "Trust me, Neil really knows what he's talking about."
I shrugged. "Fine.", I replied. "But I don't know why he'd be embarrassed." I was feeling stumped. Max hadn't done anything embarrassing, and he wasn't the type to feel embarrassment either.
Suddenly, Nikki jumped up into the air. "Woah, Neil!", Nikki screamed. Nikki screamed a lot. She ran up to Neil's ear and started whispering. Why on Earth am I being left out of this? Well, it's obviously got to be about me then. Or, of course, it could just be because I'm not "officially" in their group or whatever.
Nikki ran back to the original place she sat. She had a goofy smile plastered across her face. Nikki was holding back giggles. "Yeah, maybe you're right, Nikki.", Neil revealed aloud. "But I don't think it's too likely. We'll have to wait and see, but the more I think about it, the more I think you might be on to something."
"Okay, and what is she on to?", I contributed.
Neil and Nikki exchanged glances. They both nodded. "We may as well tell you, I guess.", Neil started. Nikki was making a mud pie, but still tuning in. "This is really jumping the gun, but maybe Max is hitting on you. Nikki thinks he's embarrassed because he sucks at being, well, even slightly attractive."
"I doubt that's what Preston thinks.", Nikki commented, giggling.
"Who's he?", I asked.
"The bowl-cut guy who thinks he's on broadway. We have an ongoing joke that him and Max are gay lovers.", Neil explained. I laughed. In all honesty, I doubted that Max was actually gay. "Anyways, we think maybe Max is upset because he has trouble processing how he feels and all of that sort of shit, and it puts a lot of pressure on him. And when he's stressed, he makes sure everyone knows it. We think you stress him out."
"Is Max acting weird?", Nikki asked, directing it to me. "Not the 'I'm so mad it's weird' kind of weird, but the 'I'm actually having a wig out' type of weird."
I wasn't really sure what she meant, but I did have an answer for her. "Well, earlier today, Max tried to push me into the lake, but then he stopped.", I confessed. Nikki raised a curious eyebrow. Neil kept a blank expression. "And earlier, when I asked him why he was so mean to me, for like, less than half a second, he had this weird new expression." Neil tapped his fingers against the ground, keeping his eyes on me, focusing. "It was weird. It felt sad, or confused, maybe angsty. I didn't have enough time to figure it out."
Nikki, nearly done creating her mud pie, topped it off by shoving a proud stick for a flag on the top of her creation. "I think he likes you. He's never this weird around other people.", Nikki insisted. "But I don't know, I only ever pay attention to him during lunch time and when I go critter catching."
"You know who I think would know the truth about what's going on with Max?", Neil asked. Nikki and I shrugged. "The Flower Scouts."
Nikki balled her fists pouted. I had already known about the Flower Scouts since it was in the summer camps brochure Mom and I used to find Camp Campbell, but I never knew much about them. I almost picked the Flower Scouts, but a friend told me not to. "There's no way I'm going to that stupid prissy camp!", Nikki burst. "I hate them. I hate them so much!"
Neil nodded. "Yeah, I know, but they're all over boys, they'd know if Max really likes Y/N.", he persisted. "I'm just saying, if it gets out of control, we could go see them."
"No."
"Nikki, I won't make you come with us then."
"Fine. But I want to eat all of your lunch the day that you go.", Nikki bargained.
Neil nodded. "I never eat my lunch anyway. That shit is disgusting."
I still didn't know what to do about the situation, though. "Neil, what do I do?", I asked.
     "Depends," Neil advised. "Do you like Max?"
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A/N - Hello there! I thought, since I'm just ~so~ nice, I'd leave you all on a cliffhanger. I'll be real though, it's partly because I'm running low on ideas (which can be cured, just not quickly). I'm hoping that you enjoyed this chapter as much as I did. I know truth or dare is cliché, but I tried to work with it and do something original, rather than making Max be dared to kiss the reader or some other predictable stuff. Did you think the chapter would've ended like this? ☁️