So today was the day. Max could barely think straight as he makes his way, practically skipping, to Oscar's cabin. For the past few days, the bat had been dragging himself wherever he went. If it had something to do with Oscar, he almost didn't want to be involved. Almost.

His fears and insecurities weren't enough to keep him away from the elephant though, never for long. Max always found a way to kick himself into gear and march on in full motion. He may have needed to take a few moments each morning to drive away everything that had been eating away at him from the inside out, but the point was that he would manage to do so.

Today, however, was something different. There was a change, a clear distinction within himself he only scarcely recognizes. During the mornings, Max usually woke up drossy and out of touch with the moments around him. He'd take a few moments during the first two hours of dawn breaking to encourage himself to get through the day.

He'd do that every morning, consistently for as long as he could recall, even before getting shipped off to summer camp. Max would get dressed and put on a grinning veneer of positivity everyone would associate him with. He was never disgruntled by the premise, he just never enjoyed being, the optimistic one, day in and day out.

However recently, Max began to feel that mask falter, splinter, and crack. Once he stepped foot on the Island, when he laid eyes on Oscar for the first time, he knew something had changed inside of him.

Back then, Max guessed the reason why the sight of the boy made his heart flutter and jump around in his chest was just a fluke. A one-off he didn't have to worry about for most of the summer.

It didn't really take too long for that line of thinking to melt away in a pot of confusion and desire. The bat had experienced emotions toward others before in that way and maintained relationships with beings on either side of the gender scale, but none of them made Max feel like how Oscar did. Every time he took a glance, it was a whole new level of unease he could only barely wrap his head around.

It had just been a day and he was already catching feelings for the boy. The more he interacted, the more he looked when the other isn't and the more they talk, the more his mask starts to split and break apart. It all came to a head only a few days ago, oddly enough when his heartaches best friend admitted her feelings for him.

From then on, the mask completely slips away and for the first time in his life so far, Max feels absolutely vulnerable. All summer Oscar had been breaking him down, but Hedgehog was the one who delivers the big finishing blow. All of their efforts were unintentional, but it happens regardless, and it happens a little too quickly for him.

For the few days after the confession, he was a mess, he never wanted to admit it openly, though he's sure more than a few people would notice anyway. Max was always the cool, level-headed, lay-back kid with an affinity for all things athletic. Someone was bound to glimpse the sudden severe change in his personality.

From extroverted athlete to reclusive, 'oh woo is my heart' abrasive wiredo. He'd like to deny it all, dig a deep hole in the earth, and bury what everyone thought about him alive, but he couldn't. He wouldn't. All this time of running and hiding seemed like such a smart strategy in theory. Not so much in practice, however.

Max chuckles to himself and shakes his head from either side. How could he be so scared? How could one boy wreak so much suffering on his body and mind to the point that he'd barely been able to function like a normal kid? If life had been so surprising to him now, then it would no doubt be a long life.

He puts his ruminations on hold as he strolls up to Oscar's cabin. To Max's amazement, the other boy had already been standing outside, one hand on his hip and a smirk over his lips. He had been waiting and for how long, Max isn't sure.

"Hey, Max." The teasing salutation nearly sends Max's heart into cardiac arrest.

"Hey, Oscar." He responds with a light blush warming his cheeks and his eyes veering from side to side. Max couldn't believe he was still acting like such a nerve-racked loser. Oscar had this incredibly bizarre effect on Max that he couldn't comprehend for the life of him. He was wrapped around the other's finger and some part of him really likes it. "You're up early. Excited for today?"

"You already know it." His smile resonates warmly through Max. He didn't think it was possible for a simple expression to bring so much happiness, but there Oscar was proving him wrong like he always did. "Free gifts and good food is a hard thing to resist."

"Yeah." Max shrugged. "Even with all the needles that are gonna be involved right?"

Oscar's smile dips from his face and his hand nearly slips from his waist. "Right..." He murmurs, his eyes journeying away from Max and off into the deep ether of his anxious thoughts. Oscar often forgot that this event was a blood drive, and it looks like he was just reminded. "I mean, yeah... yeah."

"You okay Oscar?" Max walks over to him and touches a delicate hand on the worried boy's arm. "We don't have to go if you don't want to."

"What? No." Oscar stammers out a skittish laugh. "I'm all for feeling that heavy sting in my arm as my blood gets drawn into vials on vials of..." He trails off. His eyes go blank again as his head begins to tilt slowly to the side and it takes a quick and gentle shove from Max to prod the boy out of whatever trans he was in. "Uh- yeah, I'm fine."

Max's brows furrow at him. He thinks if Oscar doesn't want to go, he didn't have to force himself to. The boy didn't have to put up some brave facade to impress him. "Are you sure?" Max remarks once more to make sure.

"For sure." Apprehensive laughter reverberates from Oscar again as he reassures Max with frantic nodding. His arm suddenly shifts in Max's grasp. He takes his other hand and moves Max's grasp from his arm, guiding the bat's hand into his own. "Let's go now."

"Now?" Max jumps in slight shock. "Right now? It's a little early don't you think?" Max takes Oscar's other hand. Even after all the consolations Max had been throwing his way about not having to go, Oscar refused to back down.

"Come on Max, I'm sure." Oscar whines, bouncing up and down, his fingers interlocked with Max's. "Don't you want to have fun with me Max?" Max laughed. Oscar starts egging him on and Max gives in soon after the boy starts mock whining. He smiles, and the way Oscar yelps his name was too intoxicating. He knew no amount of resistance would change Oscar's mind.

"Yeah, I do." Max relents without much of a fight and Oscar pulls him along by both hands, soon dropping one as he turns to face forward. Max goes along with the tugging, allowing Oscar to lead him astray. He does like it when Oscar takes charge. Even if the boy wasn't fully up to the task, he'd put on a performance to make out like he was.

They don't wander long, eventually coming up to the grounds where the event was being held. As Max suspected, they had been early. Not a lot of kids were around yet and some things were still being set up.

Those included vendors, the area where their blood would be drawn, bounce houses, benches, tables, and even a stage.

Max wasn't expecting there to be music at the blood drive. He wonders who'd be performing, though he could guess it was some of the inhabitants of the Island. The biggest he was expecting to see was the boy band, Boy Band.

"Huh. We actually are pretty early." Oscar hums, turning to Max. "Let's grab a seat," Oscar said, though he hardly gave Max a chance to agree before he drags the boy over to one of the many tables. There was going to be some time before things were ready. All there's left for the two to do is talk until then.

-/-/-/-/-/-/

Hedgehog sat on her bed, mindlessly fiddling with her wand. She twists and turns the stick in her hand, observing every little crease in the thin strip of wood. Even though she had been working with, and using, the thing for some time now, she still found it hard to believe that the small piece of bark was a catalyst for something as fantastical as magic.

It was cliche in her eyes. All those old movies and books talking about the subject. Magic shows flinging the word abracadabra willy-nilly had some kernel of truth to them after all. She smiles to herself.

"Amazing." She bobs her head, continuing to turn the wand in her fingers. "This isn't gonna work." She sighs and drops the wand to her side though still holding onto it. Her plan was to cast a spell that would get Max and Oscar to fall for one another, a simple and clean resolution. Though not so clean when Oscar comes to mind.

She didn't know if he liked Max in the way and she wouldn't force him into something like that against his will. Both Oscar and Max had already been making things much harder than they needed to be but Max more so than the other. Why couldn't he just come out and say what he wanted to say already? It would be less of a headache.

Now Hedgehog had to figure out a way to pry the information out of Oscar of whether he had feelings for Max or not. All without getting too weird about it. But how would she do that?

Before she could come up with a solution, a knock at her door unexpectedly jogs her out of her muddled thoughts. Her head jolts in the direction of the sound and she stares for a bit before the light onslaught of tapping comes a second time. Hedgehog springs up from her bed, nestling her wand in the waistband of her skirt, and walks toward the door.

When she opens up the door, the girl is welcomed with the bright smile of Oliver. He stood in place awkwardly with his hands wrapped behind his back. His sheepish grin was a consistency her life couldn't go without.

"Hey, Oliver." She greets him as she normally would, with a tease that gets his face to burn a deep shade of red.

"H-hey, Hedgehog." He quietly replied while barely looking her way. Was he still acting this way? Her effect on him must have been graining if he could hardly operate around her. Even after their lips touched one another for a prolonged period.

"Still doing the shy boy routine I see." Hedgehog rests one hand on her hip and leans on the frame of the door.

"I-uhh..." Oliver stammers. He's flustered and almost at a loss for a proper response. Not that he could get any words out through his embarrassed laughter. She already knows what he wants to say either way.

She leans out of the way, still standing in the doorway but waving her arm inside the cabin. "Come on in sugar lumps." She giggles and walks in before him.

"Suger lumps?" He follows. "What's that supposed to mean?" He asked, stepping into the cabin and shutting the door behind them.

"It means uh... you know..." She sits down on her bed, trying to interpret the words that had left her mouth as well. "Ah, you're right. It was a stupid joke." She mutters and stretches her chin then looks up at him. "Get over here."

"Yeah." He remarks, beginning to kick off his shoes. "If anything, you should be sugar lumps." He chuckles, taking a seat next to the girl and she unexpectedly begins laughing, covering her mouth and nose. "What...? What?" Oliver spoke confused.

"Your feet stink dude." She managed through her chuckling.

"What?" Oliver blurts, standing up and away from Hedgehog. "I'm sorry, I was walking all day and I didn't get around to washing up and-"

"Oliver, it's alright." She interrupts, motioning him back over to the bad. "It's not unbearable. You're not gonna kill me." She said, holding her arms out to him, urging him to come and he does without much reluctance.

Oliver falls into her arms and retakes his place next to her. "Right." He spoke. "It is pretty bad though, right?"

"Oh yeah." Hedgehog snickers. "But nothing I can't handle. Oscar has gone plenty of days with worse smells on him." Oliver's face turns up in brief disgust. She could elaborate but the boy looks like he was halfway to spewing his lunch all over the floor. She didn't want to deal with a mess like that in her cabin.

"Rough." He murmurs mostly to himself. "How's things going with you and Oscar anyway?" He turned to her. The question wavers in the air for a bit. It had seemingly come out of nowhere.

Hedgehog's smirk broadens at him. "I didn't realize anything was wrong." She gives him a swift answer that was more her evading the question completely. Oliver only looks at her with tired eyes and a fed-up expression. "W-what? Everything's fine. I swear it is Oliver."

He proceeds to look at her unconvinced. "You say that. But I don't know."

"Look, it's fine, we're fine now. That's the honest truth." Oliver peers away with a nod and a puzzled sneer. "I don't know how things are with him and Max, however." Oliver turns back to her with narrowed eyes.

"What?"

"But I think I have an idea for that. It's a bit odd and I'm gonna need your help with it, but I just know I can get it done. So, Max can get that burning question off his chest."

"Hold up. Slow it down and rewind." Oliver stops her mid-ramble "What's happening now?" He rubs his neck.

"Oh, well..." Hedgehog starts. "So, you know how Max has that thing for Oscar." Oliver nods. "Right. So, we know he likes Oscar, but I don't know how Oscar feels or would feel finding out. He's never even had his first kiss, let alone a boyfriend."

"Oh..." Oliver says. "Didn't Max already tell him though?"

Hedgehog sighs when she is reminded of the bat's recent cop-out. "Turns out not really. He told me that he expressed himself, but he didn't go over what those feelings might have meant with Oscar." She runs a hand through her hair. Hedgehog was beside herself. "He knew Oscar might not get it and yet he still didn't say a thing. Oscar probably just thinks he was feeling sad or something."

"Hmm..." Oliver brings his thumb to his mouth and runs it along his teeth as he begins to think. "Confessions are pretty hard. Especially if it's someone you really like." He smirks. "Or love." He says, but she doesn't like the implication. A worried look crosses her face, and her mind goes into denial. She couldn't accept that they should cut Max some slack for being scared. Oscar didn't deserve to be led on. "Or we could do it your way." Oliver sighs.

"Hmm?" She questions.

"I think you're right. Max should make himself clearer. If he doesn't confront his feelings now, then he'll just keep running away from them." He leans over to her, putting his head on her shoulder. "What's the plan?"

"Simple." She let out a confident huff. "Let's get to the blood drive. We could use the time to our advantage." She stands up, though stopping before reaching the door, and turns back to Oliver. "What size tux do you wear?"

-/-/-/-/-/-/

Hours pass and the blood drive was now up and running officially. The event wasn't in full swing quite yet, but it was getting close as kids begin to flood in little by little.

The surrounding area was flushed with low-lit lights, strung together and hanging off of trees, similar to how they were during the mid-summer waltz. Caterers had been up, running and already handing out food to the children present.

The stage from earlier was now lit up. At some point, the aliens had stopped by to start setting everything up. From equipment to strobe lighting and even the pyrotechnics. They were certainly gearing up for a big show.

Max sat patiently with Oscar by his side as they both watch other kids trickle into the event slowly from either side of camp. They watch the glow of the stage madly beam through the area. They watch the orange sky as it slowly begins to fade into black, stary ink plotted canvas. They watch the elves scatter about, preparing machines in shooing kids away from important looking objects.

Max thinks it was nice setting quietly with Oscar. Almost romantic if the other boy had bothered to pay any attention to him instead of looking around, in search of something unbeknownst to Max.

"Something wrong Oscar?" He decided he'd ask. Maybe there was a way for Max to quell the boy's silent worrying. Or at least try to.

"Hmm?" Oscar jumps and quickly turns to him. "Yeah..." His tone falls on a deathly silence. "I thought Hedgehog would be here sooner..." Oscar hums and turns back to Max's pitying glare. "Where could she be you think?"

Max diverts his attention form Oscar. "Is that why you look so... out of it right now?" When Max refers to his agitated condition, his expression nearly switches to something more optimistic on a dime.

"What? No." He threw up a hand defensively. "That's not why. I'm not super worried about her... I'm a little worried I guess." He whispers. "Where do you think she could be?" He veers away from Max again, wondering out loud instead of actually asking for the bat's input.

It doesn't necessarily feel good for Max either. Why would Oscar be worrying about her now? After not caring, and putting up his farce before, why does he care that Hedgehog wasn't with him, or somewhere close by now? Could have been due to the blood drive itself. It was a special event after all. Max could understand if he wanted to spend it with his closest friend. He didn't know for sure.

"Oscar?" He reaches out, his hand grazing over Oscar's shoulder. He wants to comfort him. He knows he can. But before he has time to think of a good way to cheer the elephant up, he's interrupted by the source of the boy's stress.

"Hey, Oscar." She says, stepping up to the table with Oliver by her side.

"Hedgehog!" He jumps up from the table and the two stumble into a tight hug. The embrace was intense almost like they were just seeing each other for the first time in years. "Where have you been? And..." He pauses when the hug slips. "Are you wearing a suit?" Max looks over when he hears. She was. She and Oliver both by the looks of it.

She looks down. "Sorta. It's a tux." She rubs at both of Oscar's arms. "You just have fun with Max for now. I got some stuff to take care of. " She looks over to Max, her eyes going from playful to serious. Hedgehog brings two fingers up to her eyes and then points to him.

"Sure Hedgehog," Oscar said, stepping back over to Max. He looks more at ease, his mind now in tune with his surroundings and all was right in the world. All it took was a bit of Hedgehog to help guide him back. Max couldn't believe it. And the way she looked at him wasn't with her typical hatred, despite the quick glare she gave. He'll take it as a sign that they really were alright with each other now.

"All good now." He asked when Oscar plants himself in the site next to him.

"For now." He jokingly remarks. "Hey, Max." Oscar springs up in his seat. "Looks like there getting ready." He pointed over to something. A large open white tent surrounded by elves. There were three metal chairs set up with more odd medical machinery next to each one. Max thinks that's how the blood was being drawn. "You wanna go now?"

"Yeah." He answers quickly. "If you're sure I mean. I know you don't really-"

"Max." Oscar grabs the boy by either cheek and turns his head to face him. "Shut up and come." He doesn't speak further, only shaking his head and following Oscar as he rises from his seat.

Lucky for them the line wasn't too long. The other kids were off either eating, playing around, or preoccupied with some other attention-grabbing activity.

He'd be lying if he said that stage wasn't grabbing his attention though. He would try to focus on standing in line to get his blood drawn, but his mind and his eyes kept wandering over to the stage. He was curious to see who'd be performing.

His curiosity is not put to ease when the light show starts and smoke bellows from and slowly trickles off of the stage. He looks over and narrows his eyes in a vain attempt to see past the thick fog emitting from the large stage.

After a few minutes of waiting for something to happen, A figure appears from behind the dense fog wall. A silhouette he couldn't decipher until they step out, along with the rest. It was only Boy Band. Not a bad performance but he'd already guessed they be here.

"Alright babies, listen up!" Max's eyes are drawn back to the stage when the voice rings out through heavy speakers. It sounded familiar, and that familiarity becomes even clearer when Susie jumps on stage alongside the boy band. Not just Susie actually. It was black Susie. "Tonight's gonna be a very special performance, brought to you by yours truly."

The witch, or rapper now, held the mic up to her mouth as close as she could get it. Max could hardly think then. All he could really hear clearly was the music as it begins to start up and his own pounding heart.

He would have gone to check it out if hadn't been for him and Oscar's position in line. They were next. "Come on Max." Oscar pulls at him, tearing the bat's desperate gaze away from the stage.

"Right." He shakes some sense back into himself when they come up to the metal seat and the elf operating at it.

"Who's first?" The elf speaks up, sort of startling Max when she does.

"Ooo, oooo, me first." Oscar lets go of Max and willingly volunteers, which surprised him. By the look of sudden regret on Oscar's face, he was as equally surprised. "Uhh... Max." He held one of his hands out and that was all Max needed to know.

He walks beside Oscar and offers out his hand to the boy. Oscar grabs a hold of it, looking between Max and the elf applying alcohol to the fold of his arm.

"Hey, don't worry Oscar," Max spoke up quickly. "Don't even look at it. Just focus on me." Oscar does so and his face lights up at the sight of the bat. When the boy lets a soft smile overtake him, Max knew he had done some good.

Almost suddenly, however, Oscar would double over, nearly squeezing the life out of Max when a harsh grip tightens around his hand. The elf had pushed the needle in when he wasn't looking. Max knew it was wrong to laugh but he lets one out anyway, despite the pain he was in as well.

"Alright, kid. That'll do... for now." The elf removes the needle from his arm and covers the previously pinched spot with a Band-Aid.

"Hmmm... thank you." Oscar slowly sits back upright, eyes glazed over dramatically and voice staggering from the execution of getting stuck with a sharp metal object. "What can I get?" The boy questions, coming to his senses immediately to inquire about his reward.

The elf rises a hand and points over to multiple open treasure chests that held a diverse range of compensation in exchange for giving their blood away. From cool toys to rear candy, to anything in between that might whet the appetite of impressionable children.

"Oooh." Oscar runs over, looking over the chest and its many rewards for a bit before making a decision. "Max is this thing cool or what?" He turns around to show Max the item he had picked out. A large purple thing that looks like a teddy bear with four arms and antennas sticking out of its head. It sort of looks like some kind of alien-themed teddy bear to Max.

"Nice man." Max could feel a soft smile generate over his own expression when he looks at Oscar. The boy was happy to have that bear in that moment and that makes Max happy beyond belief.

"Next." The elf spoke, snapping Max back into existence. "Are you next?" He looks at the elf for some time and she looks back. He hadn't noticed before but now that he's paying close attention, he sees there's something a bit off about her. Her eyes were glazed over slightly, the lids opening and closing slowly, one after the other. She appeared to be in a trance though somehow still fully aware. "Are you?"

Max snapped out of his hypnotized state. "Uh, yeah." He steps over and takes a seat on the chair Oscar had been in not too long ago. "How much should I give exactly?" He doesn't know why but the question only came to mind once he's already seated.

"As much as you're comfortable with. Though we do encourage the kids to come back multiple times for more rewards."

Max nods. The rules were pretty simple. He probably wouldn't be giving much blood but the option they keep getting gifts was there. "Okay, let's do it." The elf nods her head, took the same rubbing alcohol from before, and applies it to his arm.

There was no issue. Usually, these things tended to be more on the rough side back home Max thinks. But this elf was something else. He barely felt the needle go in and felt the sting that came with getting flesh pierced even less. Oscar must have been squeamish because Max has had way worse experiences with getting blood work done.

"There you go." The elf said, pulling the needle out of his arm.

"That's it?"

"That's it." She points over to the chest filled to the brim with goodies. It all felt a little too easy, getting a shot that didn't cause the slightest bit of pain and now he had access to some of the best toys, gadgets, and candy he'd ever laid eyes on.

Max doesn't even know what to go for. The selection was so extensive, almost limitless in his eyes. He could take a stuffed animal like Oscar had, or a bag filled with bubble gum. He weighs his options considerably until his eyes are drawn to something that he could find useful.

A new pair of headphones could go a long way for him. He smiled and made his choice, observing the pair in his hands. They were the latest in their brand and ones he's been wanting to get for a little while now. He wraps the headphones around his neck after taking the time to stare at it then he turns to Oscar.

"Oscar?" Or he would have, had the boy still been present. "Where...?" Max spoke quietly, making his way out of the open tent and back out onto the festival grounds. He peers around looking past groups of kids and the like. None of which were Oscar.

Worry starts to creep into his mind and pressure builds up in his throat. Where could Oscar have run off to? Wandering off by himself wasn't like him. Then again, when Max thinks back, Oscar had been doing plenty of things that weren't like him.

Worrying turns into irritation when Max begins to feel himself becoming fed up. His thoughts were a mush of questions, confusion, and vexation. Why did he have to stay with Oscar for his shot while the boy just ran out on him without a word?

Everything seems to come to a halt when his eyes fall on the object of his apprehension. Oscar was standing near the stage, amongst a crowd of other kids, and enjoying the performance with his new stuffed animal around his neck.

Max could feel overwhelming relief washes over him as he lets out a solemn sigh. He kicks his feet to the ground and starts making his way over to the stage.

"Hey, Max." Before he can get any further though, he's stopped by Jason. "H-how's it been, man?" He stutters, stepping out in front of Max.

"Oh." He recoiled in shook, if only by a little. "I'm fine man. I've been worse. How about you though? Michael hasn't been too... rough, has he?"

"No, uh... no not at all." He sputters and fumbles his words. His face was ridden with stress and dread as he rubs one hand over the other. "I just..." He wavers a bit. "I need you to come take a look at something really quick."

Max's head tilts to the side, bewildered. "What is it?"

"Just, you know... really quick." Jason nervously sputters again, and he begins to walk in the opposite direction. Max stood doubtful, uncertain if he should follow or not, but he saw no reason to distrust Jason. The purple-haired boy was the only one out of his group of old friends who weren't deplorable and didn't hold any malice to every other kid on the Island. So, Max followed.

"Jason, wait up." Max catches up to him quickly. "What's the deal?" Max questions, something he thinks should have been done beforehand. Jason was so in a rush; however, he didn't think there was time for a basic rundown.

They weren't too far from the blood drive. If anything, the boys were still there, only walking for a minute or three to a few tables near the mess hall.

"I just need your help with something... over there." He points to a table beneath a tall tree. Max would have found it all a little suspicious but there had been other kids around. Mostly loitering but some were picking up snacks from the very same table Jason apparently needed help with or nearby.

"Okey." Unsteady confidence resides in Max's voice. He wasn't so sure, but he wouldn't say no to Jason. If he needed help, Max would help.

"Wait Max." The bat stops and spins around to Jason. "Don't go over there." He ruses to Max, grabbing him by the hand as he guides him further and further away from the snack table. "Let's just go check out the concert. It'd be more fun anyway." Max was even more perplexed, but he wouldn't dispute Jason. He needed to be there anyway.

"Are you kidding me?" A voice calls out from behind. When Max hears it his bewilderment up until that point turns into realization and then to anger as he turns around.

"Michael." Max acknowledges the koala that had been a throne at his side for most of the summer and even long before then.

The boy's face twisted up into a hazardous scowl. "What are ya seriously doin' Jason?" He says, still standing near the table.

"Yeah, that's set tripping on a whole nother level dude." Aubrey joins in the scolding, stepping out from behind a tree and holding on to what looks like a rope that had stretched upward. "Talk about no loyalty."

"What?" Max looks at Jason. "What were you gonna do to me?"

"Uhh..." Jason's words come out in streamlined perplexity. "I'm sorry Max." His remorse was sincere, but Jason was always the better one out of the bunch. Even before coming to camp. He always had good intentions, just choose the wrong crowd to hang out with "So you can drop it Micael cause it's not gonna happen." He truns back to the koala.

"Oh-ho." Michael laughs, practically in their faces. "Of course. Of course, you'd say that, after all this time. No matter how much I have to beat into ya to stop talking back to me, ya just keep going. It's like ya can't help ya'self." He contended to laugh. When Max looks back over to Jason, he could see a subtle change on his face. The purple-haired boy wasn't looking so nervous anymore. Now, if anything, he looked angry. "But what do ya expect from two faggots like Jason and Max." Michael turns his head back to Aubrey. He was so enthralled with his own insults and jokes that he doesn't see Jason quickly approaching. "He- what?" Jason turns him around and throws a fist out that connects to his eye, sending the koala back and into the snack table. "Ow! Hey!"

Michael tries to get up, but before he could reach his feet a bucket full of something Max couldn't quite make outfalls on the boy, completely covering him in a thick red substance. "Whoops." Aubrey grits his teeth, recognizing his blunder.

"Ugh." Max moans in disgust before breaking out into full-on laughter. Then reverts back to confused disgust. "What is that?" He asked.

"I'll tell you later." Jason pushed Max to get the both of them away from the mess hall as quick as possible.

"Oh! Yeah, that's right. Runoff homos!" Michael leans back on the broken table covered in snacks and the red sticky liquid. "Ya so useless Aubrey." He leers back at the wolf.

"Yeah, yeah." The wolf grins sheepishly. "But I got somewhere to be so..." He tilts his shoulders as he wriggles his way out of the situation, leaving Michael on his own.

"Great." He groans.

"Oh, Michael." The red-covered boy looks up and his blood nearly runs cold. Standing above him, glaring demonically down, was Alice. "I don't know how you managed it, but you should know that taking things that don't belong to you is a big no-no." She wag's a finger at him.

"Oh... man."

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Hedgehog steps back, forming her hands into a picture frame. She wanted to make sure her makeshift setup brought on by her magic, weak as it may have been, was perfect. By all accounts, it looks good. Good enough for her at least, but would it be good enough for Oscar?

"It looks great Hedgehog," Oliver said, stepping beside her.

"Do you think it'll be enough?" She looks at him.

"Hedgehog." He takes both her hands and turns the girl away from her solution to a problem she never wanted to solve, and to him. "Not many people are willing to go all out for friends like you do. This is gonna work out."

A giggle escapes past her lips. His affirmation was the only confirmation she needed. Hedgehog touches her head gently to his. All of her insecurities leading up to now melt away and morph into visions of a bright future. For her and her friends.

She brings her head back to look Oliver in the eyes. "Let's get this show on the road why not?" She gestures with a nod, and they make their way back to the blood drive through the forest and across the camp. The search for the two boys doesn't last long. They had been chatting and dancing at the concert along with Jason by their side.

"I can't even believe it." Oliver snickers when they come up to the crowd of bouncing kids. "She's actually doing it." Susie had been performing one of her most popular songs. Her appearance had drastically shifted from a stereotypical teenage witch to an actual rapper with one full-sleeve tattoo. Her light blue jeans were baggie, her baseball jersey oversized, and she hops up and down on stage to the beat of the song she'd been performing.

"Yeah," Hedgehog said, making her way over to the group. They were laughing about something; it must have been really good if Max was having such a good time. "Hey, Oscar!" She raises her voice over the thumping beat of Susie's magnum opus.

"Hedgehog!" Oscar shouts back and hugs her. "You won't even believe what happened to Michael!"

"What happened!?"

"So, Jason came to get Max because Michael wanted to pull some stupid prank involving some stolen blood or something, but Jason didn't go through with it, then he punched Michael in the face and blood fall all over him instead!" Oscar managed to get out all in one singular breath along with a short snort. "Now he's getting completely hounded by Alice!"

Hedgehog laughs along with him. Hearing their summer tormentor had gotten his comeuppance was a pretty good way to kick off the night.

"That's amazing!" She looks at him, still thinking of a way to properly bring her plan to light. "Could you follow me, Oscar!? You and Max!?"

"What for!?" He asked, his brow furrowing.

"It's important! Please!?"

He shrugs at her and leans over to Max. The bat dawns the same expression as Oscar had before it slowly softens up. "Lead the way!" Oscar shouts back at her once he and Max were done conversing over the unnecessarily loud music.

"Can I come with!?" Jason yells and Hedgehog looks back.

"Sure!" She didn't have anything against inviting Jason. Plus, he did clock Micael in the eye. The boy was more than good in her book.

Hedgehog led the group back to the cabins and into the forest just behind them. The night was calm and got even more so the further away from the blood drive they got. She looked back to check on Oscar. Although the sun had long since set and the forest lie in complete darkness, Oscar had been holding up reasonably well.

Some of the tension might have been relieved due to his proximity to Max, particularly leaning up against the other boy with all of his body weight. Hedgehog thinks maybe she could have found a spot closer to camp though it wouldn't have been as good in her mind.

"Through there." She ushers Max and Oscar forward while holding back to take Jason aside. "You guys keep going." She turns back to the purple-haired boy. "Stand still for a sec." Hedgehog pulls out her wand and twirls it over his head.

"What-" She taps the magical stick against his forehead and in a flash of magical fairy dust, his attire changes from what he was wearing into a tuxedo not too dissimilar to hers. "What's going on here?" He looks at his new suit with a smile.

"I need your help waiting on Max and Oscar," Hedgehog admits. Her lips curl into an uncertain frown and her cheeks lit up into a light pink blush.

Jason gazes at her and then over her shoulder. "Sure." He agreed with no issue. "Wait. Waiting on them?"

Oscar and Max walk through the thick foliage of forest trees. For a time, it seems like they're not getting anywhere until they come to an opening.

They step out of the forest and into an open area. There was a single table in the center with a long white tablecloth stretched over it. A candle was lit in the center and even more had been surrounding the table, all lined up in a neat circle to enclose it.

If Max wasn't so sure, he'd say the whole scene looked like a dream. Almost romantic even. "What is all this?" He mutters.

"This is for you," Oliver said guiding the two boys over to the table, carefully stepping over the candles to avoid knocking any over. "Your waiter will be with you in a moment." He held out a seat for Oscar and then makes his way out of the candle-lit center and over to a harp that had been inconspicuously set up.

"Waiter?" Max asks and receives no answer at all. Oliver had already begun to strum out a peaceful tune on the golden herp he most definitely borrowed from somewhere. "This is kinda weird."

"I think it's nice," Oscar said, looking over a menu with not much in it. Their choice of meal was spaghetti and variants of the same pasta dish. "It was nice of Hedgehog to do this, I think." Oscar thinks the gesture was nice. Max felt it was excessive.

"Ay, speaking of nice things, what can I get you two?" Hedgehog springs out before them with an orderly smile and pen pressed to a notepad. "Oscar?"

"Hmm." He hums looking over his diminutive number of options. "I want to... but maybe..." The boy gives it some consideration. "How's about the spaghetti."

"An excellent choice." She jots down the order on her notepad. "And you sir?" She turns to Max, a smirk on her face and her pen pressed down as she's ready to write.

He rolls his eyes at her whole act. "Well, there's only like one item on here."

"So, I take it you'll have what he's having." Hedgehog snickers at him. He doesn't do much or say anything in retaliation while she takes his menu. "I'll be right back." She walks away.

"What?" Max sneers in her direction. Why were they here? All of this, Oliver with the herb the table and candles, her bringing them food. He couldn't be the only one who thought the whole setup was weird.

"Something wrong Max?" Oscar questions Max while looking over to Oliver strumming out some old romantic tone for the two.

"No," Max responds, instantly reconsidering. "Uhh...yeah actually." He leans forward on the table toward the other. "Doesn't all this seem a little strange?"

"Ummumm..." Oscar shrugged, his eyes still lying with Oliver.

"Hey guys" Jason came up, almost stumbling over the candle enclosure with two drinks of water in each hand. "Here you go."

"Ugh, she's got you in on this too Man?" Jason shrugs his shoulders, placing the two glasses on the table, then makes his way back past the candles. "Oscar, am I right or what?"

"Max." Oscar takes his eyes off Oliver and brings them around to the boy sitting across from him. "I think you're just blowing things out of proportion. It's Hedgehog she does these things all the time. That's just how she is."

"She does these things for you all time Oscar. I can see how you just look past it." Max leans back in his chair. His mouth had fired off a little more than he meant for it too. Oscar stares at him, a tired expression coldly spills over his face. "Just saying."

They sat quietly. Oscar held a hand to his cheek as he glared at Max. The tension was apparent between the two. The bat desperately wanted to say something, anything that would clear the air between them then. Maybe sorry or something along those lines.

"Alright boys." He wasn't able to conceive a single phrase before Hedgehog would return with two piping hot plates of spaghetti in her hands. Wherever she got them from, he didn't know. "Here you go. Two plates of pasta. I couldn't think of a better couple's dish if I tried." Max scowled at her wording. Why would she say it like that he wonders?

"Yeah, I guess." Oscar's reply was worn, nonexistent, and emotionless. He didn't even notice what his best friend had said. "This is really nice of you Hedgehog." His cold expression warms up as he picks up a fork.

"Ah, well." She smirks. "I'm sure it's not the only thing you appreciate here tonight." She nudges at his shoulder. "Like... say a certain boy just across from you."

Oscar's slurping of the noddle's stops suddenly, and he looks at her. "Oliver?" The music stops with a sharp misfire from Oliver's harp.

"What? No, Max." Hedgehog clarifies. "Isn't he nice?"

"Oh..." Oscar brings his eyes to the bat. "Right, yeah... I guess." Max felt a little hurt by Oscar's quick comment about him. An 'I guess he's alright' from the elephant put a heavy strain on his heart. It wasn't something he could just shrug off.

"You guess?" Hedgehog scoffed. "You have to like something about him, I'm sure. Maybe it's the way he dresses, his athleticism, or how good he looks under certain lighting." Max rises a brow. She couldn't be doing what he thinks she was.

"Uhmm." Oscar narrows his eyes at the bat. "Yeah... I never noticed." He flashes his pearly whites at Max.

"Right. You could almost call it boyfriend material...? Maybe?" Oscar's brows ascend once again as he silently repeats the words to himself confused.

"Oh, I see what you're doing," Max spoke in a fierce whisper.

"And what I'm I trying to do?" She whispers back with an overbearing, irritated glare. "Just hang back Max I got this."

"You got this? You are gonna ruin this, just stop." He begs her to put an end to her match-making act, but she wouldn't listen. The music Oliver was playing, something that was meant to set the mood and ease the mind, was becoming more and more intense among their quiet arguing.

"Max, please. She held a handout to him. "You don't understand Oscar like I do."

"I don't? And your such an expert?" He spat, shooting an angry glare right back at the girl. "It sounds more like you think you own him." Max spat. All the while Oscar looks in between the two, confused. "He's not the same. This subtle questioning thing isn't going to work."

"Well, it beats trying to manipulate him into loving you Max." She covers her mouth as sounds as the words come out. In the heat of the moment, she had raised her voice to the bat. Afterward, everything goes silent, no music plays, no one speaks, and even nature itself seemed to be speechless. "I mean-..."

"What?" Oscar said. The words hardly pass his lips and his eyes dirt all around without a clue.

"Uhh, well-"

"Hold up, hold up, hold up, hold up." Oscar stands up from his seat. His puzzled expression morphs into one of realization as the memories of the past week come flooding back to him. Then he gets angry. "Max." He steps over to the bat; everything around them remaining silent as he moves. "Have you been manipulating me?"

"Uhh-"

"No, don't do that. Don't even think about making an excuse. What did I say before?" Max remembers. He did promise he wouldn't lie to Oscar anymore.

"No... not really... maybe at first. But that was before-"

"And you were gonna help him with that Hedgehog?" He twists around to face the girl next.

"No, no." She threw her hands up. "Oscar this is just one big misunderstanding. No one trying to-"

"Wow!" He groans loudly, at them but to himself most of all. "How could I be so stupid." He chuckles belligerently. His wits were at their end and the more he thinks about how the two had been acting around him, the more he starts to lose it. "Okay... I see..." He steps away from the table and walks toward the candles, kicking them over as he passes, disrupting some sort of pink energy that sparks and fades soon after. "And what was that?" He looks back to Hedgehog.

"A... passion field." She spoke slowly, with a wide contrite grin on her face. "It was supposed to increase your feelings for one another..." Oscar turns and continues to walk.

"Wait! Oscar, wait!" Hedgehog calls after him but he doesn't stop, doesn't turn around. He just kept walking until he disappears into the trees of the dark woods beyond. "Uhhh-oh."

"Woah." Jason walks over the Hedgehog. "I never seen Oscar get like that before." Hedgehog nodes.

"Yeah." She lets a sigh flow out of her dejected lungs. "Me neither Jason."

Jason looks over to Max, who hadn't said a single word thus far. "You okay Max?" He stays silent. He doesn't move, his eyes were stuck in a far-off gaze. He makes it look like his who's life had just ended right then and there.