Max woke up, he looked around his bed room. He turned his head to the side slightly, his heart dropped as he saw the torn trans flag he drew for himself on the wall. His phone was smashed on the floor, and the blankets were lazily covering him. He wiped a tear off his cheek and stood up shakily.
"Dad...?" He whispered, his eyes darting around the room urgently. His dad slammed the door open, with a belt in his hand. That's when his vision went blank. The dream morphed slowly into real life, instead of his messy room, Max saw the calm lake. Yet, he wasn't. He cursed under his breath as he put his hand on his chest, his heart was rapidly beating so hard it could explode. Before he could do anything else, he felt a hand on his shoulder and flinched. "What's your deal?" He turned around to see Neil, "What the fuck? Nothing. Shit." Max turned back around to face the water. I can't go back there. "David told me I should speak to you. I don't get anything." Neil crossed his arms, his demeanor was hesitant.
Max kept his eyes on the lake, "Look asshole, just because you didn't get in your stupid nerd camp doesn't mean you need to make it everyone else's problem." Max sighed. Neil gasped, as they looked offended. "Whatever. Not like I wanted to speak to you anyways.. jackass." Storming off, Max didn't look back. He took a glance to the dock beneath him, and a tear rolled down his cheek. "At least im not there." Max rubbed his eyes. "Even talking Arson on discord out of suicide for the hundredth time would be better than that."
"Max, are you alright over there?" David called out, but Max couldn't speak, the words stayed stuck in his throat. "Max!" David stumbled out the bushes and over to the boy. "Are you okay? Do you need anything?" David crouched down to his level, unaware of the tears that have dried on Max's face. "Whatever, I'm leaving." Max got up. "Well, good. We were gonna begin our hike up the mountain in just a couple minutes!" David beamed as usual, walked alongside the boy. Max tried to come up with a snarky and rude response, but he shut his eyes and pushed it aside, following Davids steps.
-
"Gwen? Gwennnnn!" David burst into the counselors cabin, "Ah! What?" Gwen shut her diary quickly, mother mother and shiftok stickers and lyrics laid over the front of its dark cover. "Whaaaat." She spun her chair around to look at David. "Gwen, Im seriously concerned about Max again." David said, his voice getting lower. "What happened now?" She perked up slightly, mascara running down her eyes. "I found him sitting all alone at the lake. Do you think that's bad?" David asked. "That's... pretty normal. Maybe he just needs time away from the others?" Gwen suggested, "Oh, you're right Gwen! Maybe he's just worried about making new friends with Neil and Nikki!" David smiled brightly again, ran off, and shut the door.
Gwen kicked her feet up against the desk and sighed of relief, she opened up her book and began writing away at her Doctor Who shift script. "That's the stuff." She chuckled to herself, burying her head into her book.
-
On the hike, Max was walking behind the group with his shoulders slumped and eyes darting around the woods. He flinched as he felt the therian grab onto his leg. "Arf!!" Nikki jumped onto him. "Agh! The fuck?.. what's your issue??!" Max screamed, drawing attention. He noticed Preston especially looking back at him. Neil walked up behind them. "I don't really feel safe here..." he whined, keeping his hands close to himself as he played with the kandi bracelets on his arm. "I see you really realllyyy like those bracelets I made you, Neil!" She jumped off of Max.
"That didn't answer the damn question!" Max snapped, he rolled his eyes and walked away. Neil and Nikki gave each other a strange look, "Quit thinking you're sooo pog just because you're into danganronpa. I swear, It's ALWAYS the danganronpa fans." Neil ranted, Nikki walked next to him like a normal person (surprisingly) and nodded. "And don't act all swag cuz you're a therian either!" Neil crosses his arms. Nikki gasped in shock. "Whatever." Max kept walking, "You know what? What about we go run off from the group and explore these woods by ourselves? Better than being with the others anyways!" Nikki suggested the idea.
As soon as he heard, Max perked up and looked back at her, stopping in his tracks. "Really?" He took in the breath of the fresh outdoors, "You're right. Whatever. Not like there's anything else better to do." Max shrugged and walked along with Nikki, who got down on all fours again. Her fake paws were dirty in dry mud and dirt. "Comin', nerd kid?' Max asked, "Are.. are you sure this is.." Nikki grabbed Neil by the arm, and not looking where she was going paw accidentally tripped over a branch. Neil grabbed into Max's sleeve mid-air, causing the newly formed trio to tumbled down a small hill.
"Ouch! SERIOUSLY, what the fuck was that for?" Max dusted himself off. "Arf! I smell gold!" Nikki got back on all fours, as Neil got dragged along. "I'm not so sure about this!" They squeaked. Max took a look at his surrounding, immediately getting claustrophobic. There were branches and bushes everywhere, there's was no escape from this touch. Every-time he felt the leaves brush against his skin softly, he flinched. Max hated that. He kept looking up at the almost non-existent trail they fell from moments prior.
Nikki growled, "Aha! It should be over here!" And blissfully jumped into a bush. "Nikki, I don't think that's necessarily safe-" Neil got pulled inside as well. As much turned back, he didn't see anyone there. He felt his heart sink to his stomach, as he began to panic once again. "Guys?.." his eyes widened. "Seriously. Quit shitting me!" He yelled out louder and louder. He suddenly heard gasps come from behind the bush, Max paused for a moment and breathed in slightly, he reaches out his hand and quickly swept the leaves away. That's when he saw a tiny waterfall. So small, yes beautiful. He watched as every drop of water surrounding the vibrant rocks and grass, alongside the icy blue skies would trickle into a pond.
His eyes widened again, this time it wasn't because of fear, they were sparkling. "Woah..." Max covered his mouth, his sleeve came up revealing his chipped black nail polish. "It's.. lovely." Neil stared in awe. Once they stared at it long enough, they could slowly see a light rainbow forming amongst pairs of clouds in the bright and sunny skies. Occasionally, a fish or two would jump out of the water. "Maybe nature really is beautiful.." Neil murmured under his breath. "Of course, silly! It's nature!!" Nikki exploded in emotions, she began digging holes in the dirt to burn off the extra energy.
"Gah! Nikki, again.. who knows what you'll find it there? It can be dangerous, or- or poisonous!?" Neil jumped back and tried to pull it out. Max continued to look at the waterfall, how every drop of water fell into the pond perfectly and blended into the stream. A question floated around in his head: where did the stream lead to? Max stepped towards the water, only to be pulled back by his hoodie. He snapped his head back. "What the fuck?" Neil sighed of relief. "Be more careful where you're going! I already have to 'babysit' Nikki.. I could have been reading my science novel right now!.." he paused, "Or searching for a way to open the portal to the anime world..." Neil cleared his throat quickly as Max looked at him strange.
"What I mean is... I already need to make sure Nikki doesn't kill herself!" Max raised an eyebrow at Neil. "It wouldn't be so swag if she ended up poisoned now, would it?" Nikki immediately perked up. "YES!" She began digging deeper into the ground, "This isn't Camp Greenlake, idiot. Quit digging." Max shouted at the therian. "Hold on.." she popped her head out the hole, "You're right! And this doesn't have to be Camp Campbell either..." they crawled out beside Neil and Max. "We should sneak away from the others for a while and just have fun! Imagine all the crazy adventures we'll go on!"
Neil immediately exclaimed, "Hey, that DOES sound pretty fun.. we could listen to some Lemon Demon!" "Or Cavetown.. or Mindless self indulgence... or Mccafferty." Max chimed in, a mischievous look growing on his face. "Hey, Neil... I like that funky music you listen to!" Nikki jumped, "Really?? You mean it?" Neil smiled, his eyebrows furrowed together nervously as usual. "Duh! I'll listen to anything fun and rambunctious! Motivates me for all that quadrobics!" Nikki dragged Neil and Max along by their sleeves, as she began to sniff the ground.
"Agh! Quit touching me!" Max groaned, Nikki let go quickly and shrugged it off. "Max, seriously, what Is your deal??" Neil held his own arms together in comfort, "Ever since we've came, you've been all pessimistic.. like you hate us or something!" Max looked up at him, rolling his eyes. "Whatever. Not like it matters, and don't assume I'm like this only now." He kept walking with Nikki, leaving Neil to have to catch up. The trio began to enter the deeper part of the woods, passing by the stream. Max couldn't help but look back somberly, he continued to strut and pretend he didn't give a care.
Nikki didn't watch where she was going, as she sniffed the ground beneath her she crashed head-first into a slim tree. "Ah!" Neil walked over to her, fear in his eyes. "Uh, Nikki..?" He crouched down hesitantly. "I'm okay!" She blinked, looking up at the branches. "Let's climb this and we can search for little birds nests!" Just as she said that, Nikki positioned one foot onto a branch and hauled herself up the tree, letting her instincts do the rest of the climbing naturally. "What? Is it like a trigger or something?" Nikki asked Max as she noticed him looking reluctant. Max frowned in response.
Max looked up at the tree, it didn't seem to big. He turned his attention towards Neil, "You go first." Max pushed him, "Hey, why me??" Neil glanced at the tree and climbed up, taking Nikki's hand and muttering curses to himself. Max smirked before realizing Nikki and Neil were waiting on him. He reluctantly got up, and latched onto the tree as quick as he could. He noticed Nikki's hand from above him, and grabbed it hard. She pulled him up, and he was safe. "See? Was it so hard?" Neil crossed his arms and murmured. "Whatever, NEIL." Max reached in his pocket and took out a couple cans of monster energy drinks, popping one open and taking a sip.
"Hey, did you know monster has been scientifically proven to-" Nikki shut Neils mouth, "GIMME ONE!" She grabbed a can, Max didn't react. He took a pink phone out, with colorful and bright indie stickers all over them. "I didn't know you were an indie kind of guy?..." Neil and Nikki looked at eachother in shock, "Yeah! You have the whole emo vibe going for ya!" She giggled. Max stayed focus on the device. "This isn't even mine, It's David's." He clicked on a video, as he began to blast mother mothers 'Hayloft' aloud. "Destroy boys next!" Nikki shouted, making Neil turn their head "What?"
"The band!" Nikki sat against the tree and relaxed herself as much as she could, drinking up the monster. "I think we made a mistake.. she's more toned down now but who knows how she'll behave when all the energy really kicks in..." Neil shuddered, as if he's seen things his mind couldn't handle already. "Who cares? Just let David and Gwen deal with it." Max lay down, shutting his eyes. "MAX! NEIL! I think I finally found the gold I was looking for.. and a rabbit?" Nikki screamed from below, to which Max slightly opened his eyes but stayed in his comfort.
-
"I can't put into words how worried Gwen and I were for the three of you! That was absolutely un-aceptable behavior, even from you, Max." David rambled, Gwen at his side with their hands on their hips. "You could have gotten killed out there. Do you know how much paperwork we have to sign for a dead camper?.. let alone THREE?" She added, her voice gradually getting louder and more desperate. "All we ask is just one day where you're not constantly trying to bring us down, Max! Please. That's all we ask."
Max took Neil and Nikki by the arms, "No, all I ask of you is to remember that before today.. you only had one little bastard to deal with." He smirked, "Now? You have three." Max stormed off, "Come on, guys. I'll show you our tent."