Max kicked the pebbles as he walked away from the clearing. God, he just had to open up and possibly fuck up a relationship didn't he. It wouldn't be the first anyways, there had to be some reason why they didn't care. Maybe he was just doing something wrong.

His common sense whispered, you didn't do anything wrong, you're just a kid!

He heard his brain respond, of course you did something wrong! They wouldn't hate you if you did!

Jesus, now he was going fucking crazy. His eyesight got blurry as a series of images of all the times he's fucked up sprang into mind. Maybe, maybe he was the problem. Mom and Dad were nice before right? He could barely even remember but he recalled bits and pieces where he could ride on his father's shoulders and hold his mother's hand as she read to him.

He was the problem. They would never stop caring right? They've told him countless times they loved him, his dad said he was just mad and it was the alcohol and that he pushed him to drink, his mom said she was just stressed. They, they always apologized. Maybe they still cared? They wouldn't keep him around if they didn't right? Besides, the police won't help, mom and dad always told him that it would just be worst in those foster homes if the police took his parents away. He was just the problem.

Max looked down at the lake as he leaned against a tree, smile bittersweet, relief and something else clouding his eyes.

Yeah, maybe it was just him.

Nikki and Neil stared at the place where Max had just sat, both unbelieving. But, it all made sense. The wary stares at Gwen and sometimes even David when one of them did something, the backing up when someone got in his face, god. And they hadn't noticed.

It explained everything.

"Should- should we tell someone?" Nikki's voice shook as the words left her lips. The two of them sat still and pale on the rocks.

"I think we should. But who would believe us? We're just kids. Who'd believe us." Neil looked down.

"We- we can still try! Yeah, we could tell Gwen and David! They could-"

"And what Nikki!" She shut her mouth abruptly, she'd never heard Neil this mad before. "I-" He bit his lip and sighed, "Sorry, just upset." Nikki nodded, "Yeah, I am too, but Neil, we have to tell someone. This-this is just like something out of a bad dream!"

Neil bit his lip so hard he drew blood, "But what if no one believes us? We have no evidence and from what we know and how old we are, I don't think the police or Child Services will believe us."

"Maybe, but we have to take a chance! It'll be worse if we don't! I-I don't w-want that happening to Max a-anymore."

Neil looked up as Nikki's hiccups broke her sentences. Immediately he ran to her side and rested his hand on her knee, "H-hey I'm sorry, don't cry. I'm sorry." Nikki smiled and wiped her tears and snot away, "I-I'm fine, I'm serious, I'm just overwhelmed. But Niel," Her smile faded and all that was left was a grimace, "We need to tell someone."

Neil nodded, gaze firm and a fire in his eyes. "Yeah, yeah of course we're going to tell someone, consequences be damned."

"DAVID! GWEN!"

The two in question turned to face the campers that came running up the hill, eyes red and frantic. Immediately the counselors rushed to them, they'd never seen the two so upset before.

"Nikki? Neil? What happened! Are you hurt! Where's Max!" David frantically checked them over ignoring their attempts to stop him.

"What happened." The three looked up to Gwen who was looking as frazzled as the Nikki and Neil felt.

Nikki and Neil looked at each other before nodding, eyes set aflame with a hatred and passion that the counselors were in awe at. "It's about Max, he took us to a clearing in the woods and told us some things. We were concerned-"

"Max told us his parents beat him at home!" Nikki shouted, frantic and desperate, unwilling to wait for Neil to soften the blow, he understood and made no move to reprimand her.

Gwen and David stood there, shocked and terrified at the idea or thought of one of their campers being abused at home. David forced a smile and leaned down, "H-hey, okay what e-exactly did Max say? It could have just sounded like that to you." His voice was shaky and his eyes were clouded in fear for the younger boy. He desperately wished for it to not be true.

Neil let out a growl and grabbed David by his shirt, "We're not making this up! Do you really think we'd tell you this if we didn't think it was so bad! This isn't some joke David, you have-" Neil's voice cracked as he was overwhelmed with emotion.

David stood shocked, the unrelenting truth crashing down on him. A crestfallen look crossed his face, "I-I'm sorry I didn't believe you there Neil, I just didn't want it to be true." His voice came out like a whisper.

Neil nodded and Nikki almost cried with relief, "Does that mean we can help Max?"

Gwen nodded, still in slight shock. "Y-yeah, yeah of course we're going to get help. You think you guys can go get Max for when Child Protective Services get here? They're going to want to ask some questions."

Nikki and Neil raced through the woods, feet beating against the ground and out of breath, searching everywhere for their friend. They burst out of the bushes and stumbled across across a breathtaking view, where they found Max. He was sitting underneath a tree, eyes half lidded and breathing shallow.

Hesitantly Neil and Nikki approached the ravenette. Nikki knelt in front of him and rested his hand on Max's shoulder and shook slightly. Immediately like he had been electrocuted, Max's eyes shot open and his breath caught. As soon as the sleep cleared from his eyes and he saw it was only Nikki and Neil he relaxed but tensed up again once he saw the concern and hesitance in their eyes.

Max glared, "What." He said curtly. Neil moved to sit to the right of Max as Nikki moved to sit at his left.

He opened his mouth but hesitated, "We-uh, we told Gwen and David." Max shot up and turned his head so fast that his two friends winced. "Y-you what."

Neil met Max's eyes and was met with that unamable emotion he saw earlier before, which he still couldn't pinpoint. They scooted a bit away as a blank mask settled over their friend, "Max? Are you okay?"

"Ye-yeah, I'm oka-y." Max's voice cracked as he pulled his knees up to his chest, a forlorn look crossing his face.

Nikki moved closer to Max and made him lean against her, voice so sad it was heartbreaking. "You're not okay Max. P-please, we want to help. We mean it. You're not okay." Neil swallowed thickly and moved closer as well, "Max, let us help. Your parents hurt you, they-"

"It was my fault."

Neil's sentence halted abruptly as the words left his friends lips. Nikki's eyes welled up with tears and in a frantic voice said, "Max, no, no, no, no. That's not true! It's not your fault!"

"How can you say that! Of course it's my fault, If I didn't provoke him! Just did what they said! They were nice before, I know that! I- it had to be my fault." Max's eyes screamed of agony that a child that young shouldn't experience, and his voice filled with such guilt and desperation that it silenced all and any arguments his friends were going to make. His gaze fell to the ground, "It has to be my fault."