"Maxwell! Bring me a cold beer!" Max heard his father yell from the living room, probably in his sitting chair.
"Why don't you get it yourself you lazy fucking bastard." Max quietly mumbled under his breath, as he begrudgingly got up from where he was sitting on his bed. As he walked out into the hallway to complete the task his father had given him he saw shattered pieces of glass. He slowly tiptoed down the hall trying his hardest to avoid the shards, as he continued, he heard a loud bellow of his name that made him jump.
"Maxwell! Hurry up, boy!" Max tried to proceed before he felt a harsh stabbing pain in his foot.
"Ow, shit." He hissed to himself faintly, as he looked towards his small foot he saw a large gash with a piece of glass in the middle of it. "Fuck!" He cursed. Max swiftly ripped the chunk of glass out of his foot. He quickly grabbed an elastic wrap bandage out of his pocket, he always kept one there for cases just like these, it had happened too often.
"Maxwell! What's the fucking hold up? How long does it take to get a beer and bring it to me?" Max trudged to the fridge obeying his father not wanting another one of his 'punishments'. He then walked towards his father and placed the beer bottle down on the side table next to him.
"About fucking time, it took you forever, the fuck were you-" Max walked off before his father could finish his lecture. "Hey! The fuck do you think you're going! Get your ass back here you ungrateful little shit!" His father yelled.
He knelt down to Max's level grabbing his shirt to pull him closer. "It's rude to walk off when someone's talking to you. We need to fix that." His voice was low and deep, causing goosebumps to encase the small boy's body. Max instantly regretted walking off, his father slowly rose from his position and started removing his belt. Gripping it tightly,
After about half an hour of torture, he was finally permitted to escape back to his room. His body, covered with freshly open wounds, which he was sure would eventually heal to become scars. He tried his best to clean himself up but he wasn;t too successful.
He heard the small hum of the car pulling into the driveway. He didn't dare look to see who it was. He heard the door of the car shut and within a few moments the front door creak open.
"Diya!" He heard his father shout. "What took you so long?" He asked
"My shift ran over." It was all she said in response.
"Right. Whatever." His Father shrugged his mother off.
"Is Max home yet?" He heard his mother ask. He could feel the love and kindness still in her voice. His heart swelled at the thought of her.
"Yep, I already had to teach the shit a lesson." He chuckled as he left his mother alone as he walked toward the living room.
Max heard shuffling from outside his door before a faint knock was heard from the other side of his own little gate, barrier. He knew it was most likely his Mother. His Father never knocked. He willed himself to speak. To call out for his Mother. To let her inside his own little fortress. But no matter how hard he willed himself, he couldn't.
Gently the door was pushed open and her head popped inside.
"Max?" He heard his Mother calling his name.
She stepped inside and closed the door leaving a small click to be heard. She took another step now past the small corridor that held the entrance. She looked towards the bed to see Max on the floor drops of blood from both covered and uncovered wounds and bandages around him.
She knelt down slowly next to her son and placed her hand on his cheek giving him a smile. Max returned it, trying his best to not tear up. She looked into her son's eyes before reaching down to pick up a bandage. His mother began gently tending to his injuries. Occasionally their eyes would meet but neither would say a word. After everything was finished she placed everything down and took a deep breath. A comfortable silence fell upon the two before Max broke it.
"Camp was fun." His mother smiled at his words.
"It was?" She asked. She hoped that he would continue.
"Yeah, I made two friends." He told her.
"Only two?"
"Only two of note. The rest kinda suck in comparison." She laughed at his words causing his own smile to spread across his face.
"What are their names?"
"Nikki and Neil." He started. "I think you would like them."
"Really? Why would you think that?" Max opened his mouth to begin telling his mum everything before being interrupted by his fathers loud, booming voice.
"What the fuck! We're out? Diya!" Max saw fear flash into his Mother's eyes.
"Mum?" Max looked at his mum. He watched as she tried to remove the fear from her eyes, but he was no fool. He knew he was scared.
He could hear his fathers stomps as he made his way toward his room. Max couldn't help but tense and swallow down the ever-growing dread that was building up.
"Diya!" His father yelled out again, anger even more prevalent in his voice now.
"Max." His head turned to his mother as she spoke his name. "Wait here okay." She gave him a quick kiss on his forehead before standing up and exiting his room. Max sighed as his mother left. He found himself waiting for her to return to call out and tell him that she was okay.
He listened closely, wishing he could hear what she was saying to his father. But all he could manage was shuffled movement and a hushed tone.
"No." His father as always, making the first audible noise. "I'm supposed to be having a party tonight, and I'm out of dope?"
"You're seriously having a party while Max is here? Didn't you have one last night?" He heard his mother ask. He also heard something inaudible. Max was sure that she had said something else.
"I let you out of the house to work so I can relax. I had to take care of that little bitch on my own. Do you have any idea how hard it is for me? You have two jobs, to make sure this place is clean and to look after your son. You're lucky that I even let you out and this is the thanks I get? And now, on top of that, I can't even find what I need to relax? To have some fun with my friends?" He yelled. "Do you have any idea how hard it is to have to deal with you and that thing? I do so much around here while you go off and do whatever you want for hours."
Max could hear his mother's protests toward his father's words before a loud slap and crash against the wall was heard. He ran out of his room to see his mother held up against the wall as his father in a dangerously low voice threatened her.
"This is my house. Nobody speaks to me like that." Max could feel his chest tighten and his breaths short. His vision narrowed and locked onto his father.
"Stop." Max said as loudly as his voice could manage. The boy wasn't confident in how loud he was in that moment but he knew that it was loud enough for his father to hear, why else would his head have whipped towards him so fast,.
"Go back to your room Maxwell."
"Let mum go." He said, surprising himself with his own authority in his voice.
"The fuck did you just say to me you little prick?" He watched as his mother lowered toward the floor and breathed a small sigh of relief. Before taking another gulp as his father strode toward him.
"Max, it's time for you to go back to your room." His mother's soft voice was now full of fear.
"Do you have any idea how hard I work so that we can live here? This is the thanks I get?" Max took a small step back cowering away from him.
"Ryland, stop." He heard his mother speak again.
"This is my house! Nobody speaks to me like that." Max could feel himself stumble across the room as his face began to heat up.
"Ryland!" His mother yelled out in shock. But before she could say anything in protest she was grabbed by the forearm and dragged toward the front door. Max looked up, catching a quick glimpse of his mother before the door was slammed shut. He stood up racing toward the door, listening as the hinges screamed as it opened. His eyes were forced to squint as the car headlights flashed his eyes and the hum of the engine began before the car drove off leaving the ten year old alone.
He sighed as he walked into the house and closed the door. He walked back into his room flopping on the bed as he thought about his mother. What was his father going to do to her? Was she going to be okay? How long would they be gone? If something happened was it his fault?
He was only trying to help.
Max could feel the pool of tears building up. It was too much. He had been away from home for so long over the summer that he had forgotten how horrible this place was. He turned over onto his stomach, seeing his phone he picked it up before pressing the power button, causing it to light up. No notifications. Of course.
Fuck it.
Max opened up the group chat that was made ages ago with Nikki and Neil and began messaging.
MAX - Sup losers how r u
Max stared at the screen waiting for a reply. He didn't have to wait for long. Within seconds he got a reply.
NIKKI - Heya Max! im fine
NIKKI - missing camp tho :(
NEIL - Hey guys, I'm pretty good. I'm staying with my mum as of right now, can't wait for school.
Of course they're good! Max thought to himself.
NEIL - How about you, Max? Are you okay after everything that happened on the bus?
NIKKI - Yeah, Max u miss us yet?
Fuck! What am I supposed to tell them? He thought to himself again
MAX - Meh, I'm alive. :/
MAX - Weird without u guys here and
MAX - And david's constant happiness
NIKKI - IKR!
There was a pause before anyone answered.
NIKKI - Hey I gotta go I'm getting home now ttyl byeeeeee ;P
NEIL - I should also hop off, my Mum is calling me. I'll talk to you later, bye.
MAX - K bye
Max pressed the power button again causing the screen to go black. He let out a large sigh and turned over onto his back. He laid there staring at the ceiling not saying anything. By this point, his face was throbbing. Max knew that this wasn't okay. Worst of all, he knew that not even his mother could help him here. He wasn't safe here.
He needed help.
He knew he needed help. But who would help him?
Nikki?
Neil?
Nope and nope.
Besides, what could they do anyway? They were just kids. There's no point dragging them into this. Then, a thought popped into his head.
David?
Maybe.
It was a better idea than Nikki and Neil. But how would he ask David for that help? Would he even want to help? It's not like he's forced to care about Max anymore. He wasn't at Camp Campbell.
"Fuck it." What did Max have to lose? He began scrolling through his contact list looking for David's contact until one thought caused him to immediately stop.
What would happen to his Mum?
What would she think? His father would kill him if he found out Max called anyone. What would he do to his mum? She was the one to give him this phone. Would he hurt her? Max sighed as he looked around his room. His mum would want him to be safe.
Right?
Besides. He could always call his Mum later to let her know he was okay. Max grabbed his backpack and placed everything from his duffle bag into his backpack. Before he zipped it shut, he looked around his room trying to make sure he had everything important. He looked towards his bedside table before his eyes landed on the picture frame.
He walked over to it, smiling as he looked at the picture. It was a photo of him and his mum from his last birthday. The two of them had large smiles on their faces. Steam coming off of the pizza in front of them.
They both looked so happy.
He gently placed it into his bag before zipping it shut. He stood up, slinging the backpack over his shoulders before making his way towards the front door for the final time today.
Max walked towards the park and sat down on the swing, listening to it creak under his weight. He reached into his hoodie pocket and pulled out his phone. He looked at the time on the lock screen.
7:33 PM
For the second time tonight, he scrolled through his contacts searching for David's name. He hesitated. Why was he hesitating?
Was he making the right choice? Did he have any other options now?
He pressed call.
One ring.
What am I doing?
Two rings.
This is a bad idea.
Three rings.
He's not going to answer.
"Hello."
Max heard David's voice on the other line. And he let out a sigh he didn't even know he was holding in.
"Hello? Is anyone there?" His confusion was evident in his voice. Max didn't know what to say. He wasn't ready for this.
"David." His voice came out pained. He had realised that tears had begun to pool up in his eyes. He sounded pitiful. Much more pitiful than he should.
"Max?" David asked.
"David?" Whatever strength that Max had left fled from his voice. He practically sounded like he was begging.
"Max? what's wrong?"
"I think…" Max paused. "I think I need help." He finished, sniffing and wiping his eyes.
"Where are you? Are you okay? What's going on? Where are you're parents?" The questions came pouring out of David's mouth. "I'm coming to get you! Where are you?" Max could hear David's car keys jingling in the background.
"The park on the eastern side of town." He took a deep breath before finishing his sentence. "I didn't know who else to call."
"Max! Why are you on that side of town? Don't you know how dangerous it is over that side!" David said worriedly
"I live on this side of town." He answered coldly.
"Oh…" Max quietly chuckled at David's awkwardness. "Ah shit." Max muttered to himself as he looked up.
"What? What's wrong?" David asked fear growing in David's voice.
"It's starting to fucking rain."
"I'll be there in 30 minutes tops, okay Max?" David said.
"Okay. Sure." Max went to hang up before David's voice spoke up again.
"Oh, and Max." Max pressed the phone to his ear. "Don't worry, everything's gonna be alright." David told him before hanging up.
A crack of thunder struck, causing Max to flinch. The light rain that was beginning to form now turned to larger droplets pelting against his skin. Max pulled his hoodie over his head. He let himself gently swing back and forth contemplating whether he had done the right thing. He kept hearing David's final statement in his head on repeat. And it made him wonder.
Will everything be alright?