When Max said he didn't plan on coming back to camp this year around, David didn't want to believe him. It was nearly halfway through June, though, and the kid really hadn't showed up. David almost couldn't believe Max wasn't willing to come back, and he couldn't help but think how he must've talked his parents out of sending him back. It upset him, honestly. Did Max hate camp that much?

David tried not to dwell on it too much, though. Hey, it was still early into summer, so maybe there was still a chance he'd show up. But days went on and David seemed to accept that Max wasn't coming back.

One night, he woke to his phone ringing. It took him a while, exhausted, but eventually he managed to get up and answer it.

"Hello?" He muttered, voice rough with sleep, not as cheerful as usual. There was silence from the other line.

Then; "Hey, David."

David blinked, rubbing his eyes to clear the blurriness away, already pretty much awake now. "Max?"

"Yeah…" Max sounded distant. Not only that, he sounded faintly guilty, too. David couldn't help but frown. No, that wasn't right.

"Everything alright, Max?" David sighed, sitting down on the bed and lifting his gaze to the ceiling, eyebrows furrowing.

"Yep." Max certainly didn't sound like everything was alright. "Sorry for the late-night call. Just… Wanted to tell you something."

David's frown deepened. Why was Max apologizing? Max didn't apologize. "Yeah?"

Silence again.

"Max," David let out a soft sigh. "What is it?"

"Well, I wanted to let you know I'm gonna be a little late to camp… Couldn't call to tell you ea-" The sentence broke off with a yawn, but Max picked it back up when he finished; "-rlier. Got into some trouble.."

"Trouble?" David's eyebrows knitted together, instantly concerned. "What kind of trouble?"

Max sighed, but he was quicker to respond this time. "Jail trouble?"

"You went to jail." David took a deep breath, eyes going wide. "Wh.. Why, Max?"

"Well, throwing rocks at random ass police cars out of boredom was a bad idea." Max replied, and despite how unusually quiet and strained he sounded, his voice held a faint tinge of pride. "I didn't take into consideration there might've been cops in the fuckin' car, so."

"Language." David muttered, rubbing his forehead. "Wow, Max."

"I know, I know," Max sounded awfully resigned. "Well, I also started fighting when the cops tried to take me back home. Which ended up with one of them with a bloody nose, and then me in handcuffs, and then I was behind bars."

David went silent for a moment. "You okay?"

"I'm fine, David." There we go; A faint trace of annoyance in the eleven-year-olds voice. "Anyway, like I said… I'll be at camp soon."

"Okay." David murmured. He was glad the kid was planning on coming back after all but at the same time he was worried. Why was Max calling him about this? Max never called him about anything. Max hated him.

Or so, David had thought.

They were both silent for a while. Then Max spoke up, his voice suddenly quieter. "My parents are gone, man."

"...What?" David managed, sitting up again, alarmed at once. "What do you mean gone, Max?"

"Well, they said they were gonna come back." Max muttered. "But that was like, two months ago."

"Two months.." David took a deep breath. "Why didn't you call me before now?"

"Uh, hey, idiot - Jail, remember?"

"You were in jail for two months?" David sounded stressed, which was definitely very unlike him. Then again it was unlike Max to call him, unlike Max to be so quiet and resigned. Sure, the kid was usually distant but not like this.

"Hey, time flies behind bars, it wasn't all bad."

Silence. Again.

"Do you need me to come pick you up?"

"No," Max answered rather quickly. "No, I got a ride. I'll be there by tomorrow."

"Okay." David sighed. "God, okay… Are you okay?"

"If you ask me that again, the next time I see you I will punch you in your fucking face, David."

David couldn't help but snort slightly. Well, Max wasn't completely different, at least.

"Don't laugh." But Max's voice seemed suddenly lighter. "I'm serious."

"I know." David admitted, looking around his cabin with a small smile tugging at his lips now. "Hey, Max?"

"Yeah, bitch?"

"Language." David said patiently, then spoke again. "I'm not complaining. I'm glad you called, but… Why did you call?"

There was a long pause.

"I don't know." Max's voice was back to sounding wary. "I mean… I didn't even realize I did call you until I heard your voice." Another pause, this one shorter. "I don't know."

"Mm." David's lips twitched faintly upwards. "Well, I'm glad you called."

"Fuck off." Max replied, as expected, and David let out a low chuckle. "Anyway… Just…." Max sighed, trailing off. "I'll be there soon to punch you in the face."

David rolled his eyes but smiled again. "I'm looking forward to it, Max."

"Ah, shut up." Max grumbled out, and they both went silent. But the silence was content this time.

Finally Max spoke again.

"I'll let you sleep."

"Okay." David murmured. "...Don't hesitate to call me if you need anything else."

"Yeah, whatever." But Max's voice had softened at the offer. A small hint of realization lining his tone.

Good. David thought. He needs to know he has someone he can rely on.

"See you tomorrow."

"See you." Max said vaguely. Then, at the last second, right when David was pulling the phone away to hang up, "David?"

David paused and pulled the phone back to his ear. "Yeah, Max?"

The silence stretched longer this time and David was beginning to think Max had hung up or something. But finally, there was a soft sigh, then a soft intake of breath from the other line. And then a small, quiet, barely audible;

"Happy fathers day… Asshole."

There was a click and the line went dead.

David pulled the phone down and stared down at it, eyebrows furrowed, looking confused.

And then, a small smile appeared on his face, widening until he was grinning like a fool. But he didn't care. Max's words continued to replay in his head, even the "asshole" part, and it just made him smile a little more.

The phone call had been so unexpected. The whole conversation had been so unexpected. And those last words from Max… Well, he'd always viewed the kid as a son-figure. But he never would've thought, not in a million years, that Max saw him as a father-figure. But apparently the kid did.

He decided against bringing it up when they did see each other again (mostly because he felt like if he did he was gonna get his ass kicked by an eleven-year-old. Probably killed). They would just fall back into their normal routine, and it'd be like that phone call had never happened.

But at the same time they'd both know it had happened. They'd both remember it, but neither of them would bring it up. It would be one of those things that happened, and then you shut up about it, but it's always still there. Both of them would be okay with it, Max more so than David, but still. It would be okay.

Sighing, the counselor put his phone away, turned the lamp off, and laid back down, stretching out on his back with his arms crossed under his head, staring up into the darkness. Then, sighing, he shut his eyes.

He fell asleep with those words still repeating in his head.