(Note: This chapter contains MEGA amounts of feels! Get your Mr. Honeynutz, everyone!)

Everything was great. Max and I were together, and I had made SO many new friends.
   Until one July day.
   Max and I were laughing about how Neil had gotten a face full of mashed potatoes thrown his way by Nurf, the bully, when David came into the Mess Hall, looking sad.
   "That's a new one," I mumbled.
   Max chuckled.
   David took a deep breath and said, "Max? Can I see you for a bit, please?"
   Max looked nervous at David's sad tone, but got up nonetheless.
   "Uh, this is new. I'm scared," said Nikki, putting down her spoon after eating Neil's unfinished food.
   "Yeah," I said, looking over to see David taking Max outside. Probably to the counselor's building, "it's pretty odd of David to do that."
   "Do you think Max is okay?" Neil squeaked, trying to get the potatoes out of his hair.
   I squinted at Neil. "No. He's DYING!"
   Nikki snorted.
   Neil rolled his eyes and started poking his broccoli, the only food that Nikki hadn't crushed to death with her teeth. "I'm still worried though."
   "He's probably fine," I said, trying to stay optimistic. "Let's enjoy the rest of our lunch."

   Max's POV

   David closed the counselor's building's door behind him. As he turned to face me, a sad, sympathetic smile crossed his lips.
   I raised an eyebrow and said, "Why did you pull me aside? Is there something wrong?"
   David sighed. "I'm afraid there is, Max."
   Silence.
   "Well, don't keep me waiting!" I snapped. "What is it?"
   David sighed again. "Max...you're parents...I'm afraid they...chose to not come and get you at the end of camp."
   I felt my mouth drop open and tears well up in my eyes.
   "Well...t-that's okay..." I said, brushing it off. "I'll just take the b-bus!"
   David shook his head.
   "About that, Max. They decided to stop bringing kids home this year..."
   Then the tears came. I saw them drop on my sweater, and brushed my head up against my sleeves. "Whatever..."
I sighed, pulling up my hood and walking out of there.
"Max! Wait!" I heard David call. But I just kept walking.

Your POV

I saw Max walk out of the counselor's building when I was done with lunch. He had his hood up, so I couldn't see his face.
I grabbed Nikki by the shoulder and pulled her close to me. "Look at Max," I whispered.
She looked, and her face drooped. "I wonder what happened."
"Come on!" I smiled. "Let's go talk to him!"
Nikki nodded and we went over to him, who was briskly walking towards his tent.
"Hey, Max!" I said, masking my worry.
He just turned his head away.
"Max?" I asked.
"Shut up," he grumbled, walking into his tent.
I looked at Nikki and nodded. We both walked into his tent saying in unison, "Come on, Max!"
"BE FLIPPIN' QUIET!" he said, jumping up to his feet.
Me and Nikki were very startled by this, so we stumbled backward.
He sighed. "Just leave."
   Nikki did, but I stayed. He sat back down on his bed, and I joined him.
"Come on, Max. What's wrong?"
   He sighed. "I TOLD you. Leave me alone." He grabbed a teddy bear that had one eye missing and brushed his face up against it, sighing again.
   When I didn't leave, he sighed once more, and put his teddy bears down. "You REALLY wanna know what happened, (Your Name)?!" he snapped.
   He didn't give me a chance to respond. "Well, I'll TELL you what happened: I'm a flippin' DISGRACE, (Your Name)!" He sat down, pulling down his hood. He hugged the bear once more.
   "So...why do you think that?" I pressed on.
   He began to cry. I had never seen him so sad before. "Sorry, (Your Name). I'm...well...my parents decided not to get me this year..."
   I felt my face drop, and I began to shake. "So, where are you gonna go? You can't take the bus..."
   "I don't know," he sighed. "That's the problem."
   I grabbed his shoulders and smiled. "No matter WHAT happens, I will always be here for you."
    I embraced him in a hug, and I felt him hug back, burying his face in my hoodie. He cried harder.
   "Max..." I said, my voice giving out. "I-I love you. And you're not a disgrace."
   He pulled away and smiled, one arm still around my shaking body. "I love you too."
   So we hugged again, for a while. Then David came into his tent. "There you guys are! It's time for the-"
   We didn't even look up. We just kept hugging. David smiled and left the tent.
   I hope Max'll find a place to stay.