Breathe || Max X Reader - Camp Camp

XLVIII

Y/N's POV
Word Count: 1,934

     "Campers, do you know what tomorrow is?", David announced. The mess hall paid no mind to his words.
     "Hey, you little twats!", Gwen fumed, stomping her foot. She gritted her teeth and balled her fists. "Can you listen up for one fucking second?"
     Max stifled a chuckle. "Somebody must've pissed all over her Cheerios this morning," Max jested, elbowing my arm. I smirked.
     The mess hall quieted. "Thanks, Gwen," David started, "Kids, I need to start off today with a few reminders. First off, today is your last day at camp." Usually, the next step was for one of the campers to whoop or holler. This time, however, the mess hall remained silent. David awkwardly cleared his throat. "Uh, so, you're going to need to have your letters turned in by the end of the day today. Just stop by my office at any time and put your letter on my desk. I'll distribute them tomorrow morning before your departure."
     The campers nodded. I sipped from my carton of nasty apple juice. The campers continued on with their conversations once David had left. Preston began talking to Max while I munched on some cereal. I noticed in my peripheral a lonely Harrison, sitting at the back of the mess hall. Despite being surrounded by Preston, Max, Neil, and Nikki, I still felt a loneliness in the room. I supposed it had been Harrison. His loneliness had rubbed off on me, I guessed.

     I decided to check in with him after breakfast. I noticed Harrison walking behind the mess hall, so I followed. He took a seat on a wooden crate situated at the back of the mess hall, where none of the campers went. "Harrison?", I asked, careful not to startle him.
     Harrison faced me. "Oh," he mouthed. He shoved his hands under his thighs, keeping his eyes low. "What brings you here?"
I bit my lower lip, softening my gaze. "I just thought I should say I'm sorry. You know, for everything that's happened between us," I tried.
"Thanks, Y/N," Harrison responded. He crossed his legs and looked towards me. "I'm glad you checked in with me. I appreciate it." He rubbed the back of his neck. "I just...I think it's a little soon to be talking to you again. I-I'm sorry, it's just that after all-"
"I get it," I reassured him. I swallowed hard. "It's alright. Maybe some other time?"
"Sure." I walked away.

Instead of an afternoon activity, David allowed us time to pack up our things for the next morning. Slowly, I moved my bedding from my mattress over to a big trash bag. I picked up a few pairs of shorts from off the ground and threw them into my suitcase.
The more I packed, the barer the tent grew. Nikki and I's chatter wasn't loud enough to clear away the sense of foreboding in the tent. We both knew what was coming. This was it, our last day at camp.
"I'm gonna' get myself some fresh air," Nikki said. She walked out of the tent. I unplugged Mom's Keurig and stuffed it into my suitcase. I turned around to throw some empty K-Cup packages into the trash bin. It was then that I noticed how plain Nikki and I's tent appeared to be. None of Nikki's sketches littered the walls. My shorts weren't scattered all over the ground. Our dirty mattresses had been stripped of their nasty bedsheets. Tomorrow I was leaving.
"Hey? Hello? Earth to Y/N?", Max asked, waving his hand in front of my eyes.
I shook my head. "Sorry!", I muttered. I glanced at the beds behind me.
"Are you alright?", Max wondered. My mind was elsewhere. "Hey, Y/N? Seriously, this is getting weird."
"I'm not ready, Max." I turned to face him. "I don't wanna' leave camp," I whispered. Max nodded.
     He took me by the hand. "What's so bad about leaving?", he asked. I bit my lower lip and averted my gaze. I admired a drawing Nikki had made a few weeks ago in the dirt. Nikki stood on my shoulders holding a flag. I recalled her saying that the flag symbolized our everlasting friendship. "Well?"
     "After I leave, are we still going to remember each other?", I prompted him. Max lifted my chin, forcing me to look into his eyes. I sensed a newfound softness in them. "I'm scared of what comes next."
     Max smiled. He took a step back and admired what few features were left of Nikki and I's tent. "Whatever we want, that's what comes next," responded Max. He bent over and picked up a stray K-Cup from under my bed. "White chocolate mocha, huh?"
     "Max, please take this seriously," I begged. I felt my eyes whelming with tears. My face heated. How is he not concerned about this?
     Max raised an eyebrow. "Y/N, you're taking this too close to heart. Hey, you've always got the camp hotline. I'll be staying here, so you can call it at literally any time. Just because we can't hang out physically anymore doesn't mean that we can't hang out," Max explained. I let that idea sink in. I sat on my bed and cupped my chin. "Did you forget that we'd still be able to talk?"
     I sighed, joining the symphony of crickets that littered the camp. "I didn't, I just worry that we won't be the same," I admitted.
     My hands found their way into my pockets. "Y/N, just because it won't be the same doesn't mean it has to be over," Max reasoned. He moved next to me. "Y/N," Max grabbed my hand and removed it from my pocket, "it'll be alright. We'll keep going, and it'll work out. There's no reason to stress." He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me closer as I turned to face him.
For a moment, we just stared. I nodded to him. He cupped my chin and brought my lips over to his. After a soft peck, he stood. "Thanks, Max," I murmured.
"You're welcome, you little shit," Max giggled. He ruffled my hair. "Stop your worrying, it's all okay."