Breathe || Max X Reader - Camp Camp

XXIX

Y/N's POV
Word Count: 895

     "I wanna' stay.", I sobbed. I tightened my grip around David. My arm was still burning where the cut was, but it tried to play it off as if it were nothing. But it was something. I couldn't ignore the fact that I had done that to myself. "Please just let me stay and forget about this."
I couldn't forget. I knew that. However, I also knew that if I stayed it'd give me time to think about what I could do for Max. But by the looks of things, the answer was nonexistent.
The scrawny man struggled to keep his composure, but eventually gave me a small shove. I let go of him as he kneeled to meet my eye level. One of his eyes were twitching. I noticed that the man was frowning. The first day I met him, I was mad because he wouldn't stop smiling. And here I am, eating my words. David struggled to rest a hand on my shoulder. I wiped my arm across my eyes. The cut was starting to become less painful.
"Y/N.", David started. His voice had a tinge of shakiness towards the end. He seemed broken. He wasn't the David I knew before all of this. So am I the same Y/N? "I'm going to let you stay, and I'm not going to punish you. But you have to p-promise me, no, swear that you'll keep yourself u-under control." An invisible force kept tugging at the corners of my mouth. Crying had always made me twitch like that.
"Okay," I choked out. I couldn't focus. My eyes kept darting around the room to anywhere but David. I was so ashamed to face that man after everything that had happened. I couldn't focus on anything except for the fact that I wanted all of this to just end. I wanted to restart and change everything. "I won't do anything stupid. Please, just let me go back to my tent."
The man twisted the ends of his hair as he pursed his lips. For a few seconds, it was an awkward silence. "Alright.", was all that he said. He nodded to himself a few times and pointed towards the way out.
He's so upset that he doesn't even want to talk to me. I messed up. I lowered my head and turned around. I left.

As I made my shameful walk to Nikki and I's tent, the entire camp was overwhelmed by a somber air. Nobody talked to each other like they usually would. And worse yet, there was no Max screwing around by the log he usually sat on.
I did notice Space Kid walking somewhere in the corner of my eye, but he kept his head down. So I continued on my merry way.

Upon entering the tent, I noticed that there was no Nikki to occupy it. However, a note written in poor penmanship was. The paper was yellowish. The small note was taped to my pillow.
I slowly picked it up and unfolded it. Nikki had done this a few times before, so I knew it was either something about critter hunting or scavenging. Sometimes she surprised me, though, and it was something else.
They gave me like two minutes before I left. Took the time to write this. Idk what to say but quit your whining lil asswipe. I already know youre probly cryin. Get yourself together n make david pay. I have to get to this fuckin camp or else so do something idc what.
I pinched the bridge of my nose.
Max had written that note, and I knew it because only Max would've misspelled 'probably', and because of the sarcastic undertones. I guess the cursing played a factor, too.
What the heck am I supposed to do? How on Earth would I make David 'pay'? What does that even mean! I let out a nasty groan. Max wasn't here to tell me what to do, so I knew that I had to take matters into my own hands, but I didn't know what to do.
But it was a big deal, to have a note from Max. It was something to remember him by, a memento. I took the note and folded it back up. I shoved it into my pillowcase.
I wanted to just curl up and cry so badly, but I just couldn't do it. I felt dehydrated. I had a headache and it was if there were no tears left.
There was nothing left to do. I could think, but I couldn't act.
So, I planted myself into my bed, and I laid there. I didn't want to be a thing anymore. I felt so empty, like there was nothing left for me. And there was nothing I could do. So I just gave up. For the first time in my life, I just gave up.
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A/N - Yes, I know this is a short chapter. But the reason why is because I didn't really have much time to write, and I'm just so broken about the whole fiasco with the story getting deleted that I just sort of didn't have it in me to keep writing. I promise that I'll do my best to start writing more often, it's just been sort of wild lately. ☁️