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It’s Just a Name

Summary: When Max’s home life finally comes to Camp Campbell, with the excuse that they showed up for Parents Day. But that was many weeks ago. So why are they really here?

WC: 1,213 Rating: T (Swearing, Very Mild Referenced Child Abuse/Neglect) Chapters: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Chapter Six: Lunch

Max walked into the mess hall and saw all of his fellow campers sitting at their respective tables. Even Nikki and Neil were at their usual spot. He headed upfront to get his tray and food and saw Layla-Rae talking to David, Gwen, and Cameron in the corner. The young boy grabbed a tray of food and headed over to Neil and Nikki. His two friends gave him concerned looks but didn’t ask what happened, he wouldn’t say anything anyway. Neil and Nikki filled Max in on the experiments that Neil ran on their green-haired friend. But he wasn’t paying that close attention to the conversation, just paying enough attention to add in ‘sure’, ‘uh-hu’ and ‘cool’ when appropriate. Gwen clapped her hands together to get everyone’s attention. “Today we did have other activities planned,” she started, “But due to our special guest- Nurf! Put Dolph down!” Gwen pointed a finger at Nurf who had Dolph in the air ready to throw. After the bully finally put his pray back down on the bench next to him, Gwen continued, “Since we have a special guest who has offered her horses for today. We have decided that we will have you guys go horseback riding!” There were a few ‘cools’ and excited murmurs but most of the campers didn’t care. Max just rolled his eyes and poked at his food on his tray. Gwen continued with her announcement, “The horseback riding will take place in an enclosed area so SOME people don’t get out of control or run off with the horse. We will start the activity this afternoon. So, in about 30 minutes. So, once you are done eating you will have a few minutes for free time but then we will all meet at the activity area.” Max had tuned out Gwen at this point, trying to think of a way to get out of the activity.

Nikki poked Max in the forehead, “Earth to Max,” she said. The boy shook his head, “What do you want Nikki?” “Neil and I are going back down to the activity field. Are you coming?” “What for?” “Neil said he needed to put away some of his experiments so that none of them ‘explode’ or ‘get tainted’ or ‘advance global warming’ whatever that means” Max shrugged, “Nah. I think I’ll just stay here for now. I’ll meet up with you guys soon.” Neil raised an eyebrow at Max, “Alright. If you need us for anything you know where we will be,” he said. The black-haired boy once again shrugged, “I’m fine. I’ll see you guys soon.” The two friends left the table, dumped their trays and headed out. All the other campers were also filling out.

Layla-Rae excused herself from the conversation between her and the councilors and walked over to Max. She sat down across from him but Max didn’t lookup. “Hiya Max!” she said in her overly cheery voice. Max glanced up and lifted an eyebrow at the woman, which caused Layla-Rae to smile brightly which then caused the corners of Max’s mouth to twitch. “How has camp been going? Anything new?” she asked folding her hand on top of her clipboard. Max sighed and rolled his eyes, “Nope. Nothing new. I’ve been a perfect little angel. Like I always am.” His very sarcastic sentence caused Layla-Rae to let out a small chuckle. “I heard that isn’t a hundred percent true,” she said, “But I’ll believe you this time.” This time Max’s mouth revealed a half-smile which he quickly hid again. He looked up to the woman, “Why is Devi here? To torture me throughout the summer? Or did she just fine more name’s that begin with ‘M’ so she could continue to try and guess my name.” Layla-Rae leaned back and stretched her hands behind her back, “She found the letter about ‘Parents Day’” the child rolled his eyes. Layla-Rae continued, “Specifically she dug through my entire living space because she was convinced that I was hiding something from her,” she leaned forward, “I was hiding that Parent’s Day information. I planned on coming. I even asked for that entire weekend off to make it seem like I had a lot of plans! Like a concert or something but once she found out what my plans where-“ Max frowned, “Let me guess,” he said, “She ‘all of a sudden’ had a million plans out of state that you needed to be there for.”

Layla-Rae nodded, “Like usual,” her eyes softened and she reached out and touched Max’s hand, “I’m sorry I didn’t show up. I tried.” Max shrugged and put on his best poker face, “It doesn’t matter. It was a stupid day anyway.” Her mouth curved into a smile, “I’m still sorry. Even if you don’t care.” There was a moment of silence between the two. Layla-Rae broke the short silence, “So,” she said smiling, “Find any cool rocks here?” Max’s head shot up and dropped his fork. He quickly stuck his hands in his pocket and pulled out the small rock he found. Then he leaned forward a little and lowered his voice so that no one could hear, “There’s a whole bunch of granite rocks under the lake. They’re just eroding there. I think I also saw some geodes down there.” Max looked at the rock in his hand, “This one looked the best though,” he held it for Layla-Rae to take and his voice went back to normal volume, “Here you go.” She smiled and took the rock. “I’m glad you found something fun to do. Even if you don’t have an activity,” said Layla-Rae as she placed the rock on top of her clipboard. He once again shrugged, “It doesn’t matter. I spend most of my time fucking with David. So, Camp could be worse. It’s better than being at home anyway.” Layla-Rae nodded, “Hey, language please, but I’ll trade. You can be Devi’s assistant and I’ll stay here.”

Max wrinkled his nose and went back to poking at his mashed potatoes with his fork, “Hell no.” The assistant let out a fake pout, “Fine.” The two sat in silence again. He dropped his fork suddenly and looked up at Layla-Rae, “Are you coming down to watch the fuc-, I mean, stupid horse rides?” Layla-Rae shook her head, “No I’ll be staying here with David.” Max nodded and leaned forward so that he could speak quietly, “Mr. Honeynuts has a rip. Can you sew him up please?” he asked making sure that no one was sneaking around to hear them. The woman nodded, “Of course I can! Just give him to me before you leave for those stupid horse rides and I’ll have him ready and back in your tent before you get back.”  Max jumped down off the table and ran to the doors. “Are you done eating?” yelled Layla-Rae as Max ran to the doors. “Yeah,” he yelled as he ran out of mess hall to his tent. The black-haired girl got up and took his tray to the back to empty it. David walked up to her, “What was that all about?” he asked. She shrugged, “Nothing noteworthy. On a possibly unrelated note do you have a needle and thread?”

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It’s Just a Name

Summary: When Max’s home life finally comes to Camp Campbell, with the excuse that they showed up for Parents Day. But that was many weeks ago. So why are they really here?

WC: 1,747 Rating: T (Swearing, Very Mild Referenced Child Abuse/Neglect) Chapters: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Chapter Seven: A Reveal

The ten-year-old ran as fast as his short legs could take him to his tent. He got to his tent, grabbed Mr. Honeynuts off of his cot, then stuck his head out of the tent. No one was around but just in case Max shoved his precious bear under his sweatshirt and proceeded to run back to the mess hall. Once he got there, he saw some of his fellow campers already gathering for the horseback riding activity. Luckily, Layla-Rae was outside by the mess hall. He snuck over to her and bumped her knee with his elbow. She kneeled down and brought her clipboard up to block Max as he handed her the bear. The black-haired assistant kept the bear hidden between her and her clipboard.

After a few minutes, all of the campers were gathered in front of the mess hall. Max spotted Nikki and Neal. He started to walk toward his friends but Layla-Rae grabbed his shoulder and whispered, “Don’t cause too much trouble,” she said with a wink. Max smirked but didn’t say anything. He joined up with Nikki and Neil as Devi came out of her bus again. Gwen stepped in front of the small group, “Okay,” she said as she clapped getting everyone’s attention, “So, it looks like a storm is headed toward us. It will be here in a couple of hours. In the meantime, we will be going down near the activity stations where Campbell, David and I set up a fenced-in area where you will be riding the horses. You will all be going five or six at a time until it starts to rain or until dinner. Whatever comes first. David will be staying here at the mess hall watching the storm. He will warn us when it is close. Let's head down there now.” Campbell and Gwen led the way, followed by Devi then all the campers. Max, Nikki, and Neil were in the back slowly walking. “So,” asked Neil quietly, “You’re not going to try anything, are you, Max? I know horses can be startled easily and-“ Max rolled his eyes, “Why in the world would I cause any trouble to ruin mother’s visit?” he said very sarcastically. Before Neil could say anything else, they arrived at the small, blocked off area. Devi started to explain how to get on a horse, how to steer, how to speed up and slow down. Max, once again rolled his eyes, then walked to a nearby tree and sat underneath it, he pulled out David’s pink cell phone and started to scroll through all of the apps on the phone.

Back at the mess hall, Layla-Rae was sitting at a table inside slowly stitching up Max’s poor worn-out bear with dark green thread. David stumbled through the mess hall doors carrying an old radio. Layla-Rae looked up and wrinkled her nose at the radio, “Why do you have that?” she asked turning back to the stitch she was on. The camp counselor dropped the radio on the table next to Layla-Rae, “I need to keep an eye on the weather, that way I can let Gwen know when the storm will hit,” he said as he started to switch through channels on the radio. “Don’t you have a phone to watch the weather on?” she asked. David nodded “Yeah but I have no idea where it is at. Max probably has it!” Layla-Rae smiled brightly and laughed, “That doesn’t surprise me.” Layla-Rae continued to stitch the bear. They sat in silence for a few minutes before David got rid of the smile on his face and spoke, “You said you were going to tell me about Max’s home life? If you're still up to talk about it, anyway.”

Layla-Rae tied a knot at the end of the stitch she just finished then looked over the bear just to make sure it was all sealed up. “Yeah, it is," she paused, "let me begin by saying that Max is not physically abused,” a look of relief washed over David’s face, “he is purposely neglected by Devi.” David had a look of confusion and concern on his face. Layla-Rae sighed, “Devi keeps him emotionally and socially neglected. Friends are not allowed. Outside contact is limited and monitored. He is strictly homeschooled. Max’s room is design specifically for the press. He’s not allowed to touch anything in there. He’s only allowed outside of the house with Devi. Then she will lie about everything. According to the press, Max is just a troubled child. She says he’s been kicked out of school, many of her staff have quit because of Max, and just stuff like that. She says that he brings so much stress to her.” Layla-Rae waved Mr. Honeynuts in the air, “This is the only constant, personal thing he has. I gave him this bear the year he turned three when I got my first paycheck from my first job and had extra money after paying bills. It’s really the only thing that Max has that he likes.” Layla-Rae looked over the bear again, “Devi has tried to throw this bear out so many times because she didn’t approve of it.” The woman sighed, “I try my best to get him away from Devi. That's why we go camping in the backyard." Layla-Rae's jaw set, "I’m the one responsible for him. I make sure he eats right, has clothes he likes to wear, I homeschool him and I play games with him. But the minute Devi catches him showing me any affection-" she sighed and shook her head, "I’m the only consistent thing in his life. I may have missed a year and a half of his life, and I will be the first to admit that I’ve made plenty of stupid and life-changing mistakes but I will make sure that he doesn’t get that fucked up,” David had stopped changing the stations on the radio and was just listening to Layla-Rae.

“So,” David started, “Why does she do all that?” Layla-Rae shrugged, “I’m pretty sure that it’s all my fault. Every time that Max showed any affection toward me, whether it be a hug or even a ‘thank you’ Devi separates us for weeks, sometimes months. And every time I get to see him again, after being separated, he always seems exhausted and distant. I should’ve just taken him away from Devi years ago. It has gotten worse in the last year when Devi went through a bad divorce. Her ex-husband was a good buffer between her and Max.” Layla-Rae was getting exhausted just talking about it. David placed his hand on Layla-Rae’s hand. “It’s not your fault,” said David giving a soft smile to the woman across from him. Layla-Rae looked up at him, “What do you mean?” she asked, “I could be doing much more. I should’ve taken him away from all of Devi’s drama. I should've taken him away years ago.” David shrugged, “Devi’s the issue, and you’re still there. You are a constant thing in his life. Even if you don't feel like it,” he said, “You’re doing everything in your power to make sure Max has a semi-normal childhood. I know it’s not easy. But I think you’re doing a great job with Max.” Layla-Rae and David smiled at each other, “Thank you. That means a whole lot to me,” said Layla-Rae. A few moments went by before they noticed that they were still holding hands. They both blushed. The woman coughed, “I’m going to run Mr. Honeynuts back to Max’s tent. I’ll be right back.”

It only took a few minutes for Layla-Rae to run there and back. She went through the mess hall doors and saw David still messing with the radio and still getting static, “I think the storm is causing that static. It also might get here a bit sooner than expected.” David looked up, “How can you tell?” Layla-Rae smiled, “I have a degree in environmental sciences! I specialized in Meteorology.” The counselor's eyes sparkled, “That’s amazing! So, I'm guessing that's why you take Max backyard camping?” “Yep!" she said nodding, "I take him out and teach him all sorts of nature stuff. Weirdly, Max's favorite stuff to learn about is geology,” The black-haired girl’s voice was very cheery, "He always ignores my comments about weather patterns. He always asks me about rocks though." David’s eyes still sparkled, “I didn't know that! So, does he like anything else about nature?” She shook her head, “Nope. Just rocks. He has a collection of them at home in the backyard. He gives his favorite ones to me though so I can keep them somewhere safe.” David has now left the radio and was sitting across from Layla-Rae. The assistant's face brightened, “Here,” she said pulling out her phone and bringing up the radar for their area, “Now you don’t need to worry about that radio!” David sighed in relief, “Thank you, Layla!” They where both quiet for a few seconds, “So what else do you like to do in your spare time?” Layla-Rae smiled, "I haven't been asked that type of question in years. I guess it was the last time I went on a date!" “I guess we are on a date now! I mean if it isn't creepy- I guess- I'm sorry, I'm making this weird probably. I'll just go." He stood up to leave but Layla-Rae grabbed his hand. “You aren't making this weird, David. So sit down. I take it you don't go out on many dates?" David sat down again and nodded, "Yeah. I just started actively dating pretty recently. And my last relationship didn't end that well." "Please, a guy like you? I don't see how a relationship with you would've ended so bad! It probably ended better than my last relationship!" "Well, I do consider myself a hopeless romantic," The redhead tugged at the yellow shirt around his neck, "But, uh, It ended- Well- I kind of, hit my ex's new significant other with a chair... at a bar..." Layla-Rae stared at him for a little bit before bursting out laughing, "No way! I would never think someone like you would do that!" She paused and smiled at him and saw how nervous he was talking about that, "Now if you think that's bad. My last relationship- now keep in mind my last relationship ended about 7 years ago now- but anyway...."

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It’s Just A Name

Summary: When Max's home life finally comes to Camp Campbell, with the excuse that they showed up for Parents Day. But that was many weeks ago. So why are they really here?

WC: 614 Rating: T (Swearing, Very Mild Referenced Child Abuse/Neglect) Chapters: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Chapter One: The Start of the Longest Day

"Good morning campers!” exclaimed David as he burst through the mess hall doors. “Who is ready for today-” “David!” yelled Gwen who was holding Space Kid high in the air while Nurf was at her feet trying to grab him. Cameron Campbell was in the corner trying to hold Nurf back with a stick, “A little help David!” David ran over to Gwen to help with whatever was going on.

The other campers were spread throughout the mess hall, ignoring the scene happening in the far back corner of the mess hall. On the other side of the mess hall, Neil, Nikki, and Max sat together like usual. Nikki was attempting to get at Neil’s food since she had finished hers a few minutes earlier. Neil, for once, wasn’t going to give her the food. “Stop it, Nikki! You can’t have my food today!” yelled Neil “But I need more!” Nikki yelled back “Go get more!” “Quartermaster won’t give me anymore!” “Well, I’m eating mine.” “Says you!” The nearly feral girl continued to reach for the breakfast potatoes, eggs and meat while Neil held her back with one hand. “Max!” he yelled, “A little help!” He looked over to his other friend. Max was frozen in one place; his hand was frozen a few inches away from his face with a spoon full of eggs slowly dropping off of his spoon back onto his tray. His eyes were staring straight ahead, slightly glazed over, and twitching slightly. “Uh, Max?” Neil said as he let go of Nikki causing her to face plant into Neil’s food. She immediately started to shovel food into her face. Nikki looked up, her mouth full of potatoes and eggs, her hands were covered in food, “Max? Are you alright?” she asked food spilling out of her mouth. The nerdy one of the group poked Max’s shoulder. He didn’t react. Neil and Nikki looked at each other and they both gave Max a few more pokes in the arm. Still, no reaction. “David? Gwen?” said Neil. Nikki chimed in “Something’s wrong with Max”

David was on the ground now with Nurf sitting on top of him, Cameron was now being held in a headlock by Nurf and Gwen still held Space Kid in the air. The two counselors looked over and saw a frozen in place Max. Gwen dropped Space Kid which got Nurf off of David and caused him to let go of Cameron. The two original counselors walked over to the small group of three. Cameron laid on the ground rubbing his neck. David waved his hand in front of Max’s face, “Uh, Max? Are you alright?” he asked very concerned about one of his favorite campers. When Max didn’t react, Gwen stepped up and snapped in Max’s face a few times, “Hey. Twerp.” All of a sudden Max hopped up onto the table and grabbed her shirt “She’s here! How?! Why?! You need to hide me!” he yelled. David ripped Max off of Gwen, “Max! What’s wrong? Who’s here?” he asked. The sound of a couple of vehicles finally reached everyone else in the mess hall. All of the campers started to murmur about what was going on. Then they all dashed outside when the sounds got super close. Cameron also got up and followed the kids, “Don’t worry Davey! I can be responsible enough to watch the kids by myself! Or my name isn’t Cameron Camp- Ooof” Nurf ran by and punch him in the stomach. Cameron slowly walked hunched over, outside. Max once again froze when the sound of vehicles squealed to a stop right outside of the eating area. “Mother is here,” he said.

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It’s Just A Name

Summary: When Max’s home life finally comes to Camp Campbell, with the excuse that they showed up for Parents Day. But that was many weeks ago. So why are they really here?

WC: 1,450 Rating: T (Swearing, Very Mild Referenced Child Abuse/Neglect) Chapters: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Chapter Three: The Tour

David and Layla-Rae walked through the small campsite, “This is our tent area! Where campers sleep! They all have a tent buddy! The councilor cabin is over there!” Layla-Rae looked over the tents, “This is awesome! I used to help Max set up tents in the backyard all the time!” David squealed and balled his hands up together, “Really?! Max never said anything about that!” Layla-Rae smiled, “Yeah. I imagine he doesn’t talk about home a lot.” David looked at the assistant, “He doesn’t. He mostly talks about how much he hates it here.” Layla-Rae rolled her eyes. “Of course. Max has always been private about home. But don’t get discouraged with him. He likes it here. Even though he won’t admit it.” David and Layla-Rae continued to the next section of the camp. “If you don’t mind me asking,” started David, “If Max doesn’t mind being here, why does he say he hates it so much? He acts like he hates everyone and everything and seems to take it out on Gwen and I the most.” Layla shrugged, “He wasn’t always like that. Just the past few years have been a little hard on him. It turned him into a little ball of hatred.” David still had a concerned look on his face. It took a couple of seconds but Layla-Rae finally realized why he was concerned, “Don’t worry! There’s no abuse or anything going on. Well- I guess- Never mind.” David’s concerned look continued, “Layla-Rae, if something bad is happening you can let me know,” he offered. Layla-Rae looked at the ground and didn’t answer. They continued to walk in silence.

David finally broke the silence, “What is Max like at home?” Layla-Rae raised an eyebrow and a corner of her mouth turned up. The camp counselor held up his hands, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to pry. I was just making small talk” Layla-Rae laughed, her full bright, smile returned, “He acts just like he does here,” she paused and thought for a moment, “Angry, pessimistic, troublemaker. But he’s also thoughtful when no one is looking anyway.” She sighed her bright smile go away again, “I’ve tried to make him less pessimistic by trying to see the bright side of everything. But he usually shoots it down.”  Layla-Rae laughed and David joined in, “Well,” said David, “I do the same thing! Everything has a bright side!” The black-haired girl smiled, “That’s probably why he takes stuff out on you a lot!”

 The couple stop next to the activity field. David gestured his hand across the somewhat large area where most of the campers were currently hanging out, “This is the activity field. Where the activities for all the different campers are!” He then pointed over to Cameron Campbell who was, kind of, watching over the children. “That is Mr. Campbell. He is the founder of this camp before he put me in charge. Then sold the camp. Then got the camp back. Now he’s here for his several hours of community service!” Layla-Rae gave David a very concerned look. “Oh! Don’t worry,” said David recognizing the look he was getting, “He turned himself in for his crimes hoping to better himself!” Layla-Rae still looked skeptical, “Alright, I guess you are here constantly. I trust you,” she said waving to Cameron who was waving back.

“Alright on to the next!” said David as he continued to walk to the next section of the camp. “So,” started Layla-Rae, “Does Max have any friends here?” David nodded vigorously, “Yes! Nikki and Neil are probably his best friends. In fact, he gets along with everyone here!” Layla-Rae smiled brightly, “That gives me so much relief.” David raised an eyebrow, “Why? Does he not have friends back home?” he asked. Layla-Rae shook her head, “Not really. He is homeschooled. So, he doesn’t really get out of the house a lot.” Layla-Rae sighed, “So not only am I Devi’s assistant, but I’m also Max’s nanny, tutor, and the only person he can really talk to back home.” They walked in silence for a few minutes, “I know this sounds a little mean but why did Devi come here?” asked David. Layla-Rae shrugged, “Devi wanted to be here for parent’s day.”

The two walked by the lake where Neil, Nikki, and Max were. “Really?” asked David, “That was weeks ago.” Layla-Rae nodded, “I know. I told her that when she said we were coming here. She just brushed it off and said we were coming here anyway.” Layla-Rae paused for a moment, “I think she’s here for something or she’s here to make a point. I know that sounds a bit crazy. But back home she’s a…lets say, an unemotional person.” Layla-Rae paused, “She doesn’t call Max by his name. Anytime someone tries to bring up the fact that his name isn’t whatever she said, she just brushes it off and says ‘It’s just a name’.” Layla-Rae cleared her throat and her face flushed, “I’m sorry for rambling. I didn’t mean to vent.” David shook his head, “It’s fine Layla-Rae! I’m a great listener! I can tell you’re frustrated.” The group of friends by the lake didn’t notice them so David and Layla-Rae carried on. “Oh!” exclaimed David, “Before I forget. Max’s registration paper is incomplete. We need to get that filled out once we get back.” Layla-Rae nodded, “Yeah, I know. I will get that filled out and back to you as soon as I can. I feel like it’s my fault anyway.”

David gave her a surprised look, “Really?” he asked, “Max was pretty sure it was his parents not caring. And you seem like the most caring person in the world!” Layla-Rae smiled, “First of all, you are the most caring person in the world. Anyone who has the patience to spend their summers with children and not gives up on Max has my respect and deserves my eternal gratitude. I also owe you dinner or something. It sounds like Max puts you through a lot,” David smiled and blushed, “Second, I’m the one who fills out Ms. Devi’s paperwork. I don’t think she’s actually written anything in years. Max told me that Devi was making him go to another summer camp and that she actually did the paperwork. I guess there was a recruiting booth outside of a stupidly overly priced clothing store Devi dragged him to.” Layla-Rae sighed, “When Max told me, he said that she didn’t even fill out the entire paper. He was so upset that he saw how little Devi cared. Before I dropped him off at the bus stop, he kept saying he was being forced here so that no one has to deal with him,” Layla-Rae sighed, “but, even though he won’t admit it, he’d much rather be at a camp than at the house.” Layla-Rae rubbed her forehead, “I should’ve been there. I could’ve at least gotten the paperwork fully filled out. Maybe that would’ve made him a little happier.”

David took a turn and started to lead Layla-Rae back to the mess hall, Layla-Rae stopped and looked around, “I’ll tell you about what's going on at home. Max needs more people to know what's going on. I can only do so much." David stopped and looked at the woman, "But we should wait until Ms. Devi does whatever activity she plans on doing. You know?” David nodded, “I understand. I do really want to help... and maybe hear stories about happy little Max.” They both laughed a little, “If we have time, I’ll tell you stories about happy Max,” said Layla-Rae, “But I feel like he might hate me if I tell anything too embarrassing.” Layla-Rae and David laughed again. The two continued to walk

After a few minutes, they were now outside of the mess hall. Layla-Rae plastered a smile on her face again, “Thank you so much for the tour! It’s nice to hang out and not talk about horses for once.” David laughed, “No problem! I will happily take you out again!” Layla-Rae raised up her eyebrow and crossed her arms. David stuttered a little bit, “I just mean I will happily take you to show around camp again.” Layla-Rae nodded, “I know. I just wanted to give you a little bit of a hard time.” David laughed, “You definitely hang around Max too much or maybe he hangs around you too much!” Layla-Rae cleared her throat, “Hey David?” she started, “Can you not mention what we talked about to Ms. Devi? Or Max for right now? I’ll explain later.” David nodded, “Of course Layla-Rae.” She smiled, “You can just call me Layla.” David smiled back, “Of course Layla.”

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It’s Just A Name

Summary: When Max’s home life finally comes to Camp Campbell, with the excuse that they showed up for Parents Day. But that was many weeks ago. So why are they really here?

WC: 1,219 Rating: T (Swearing, Very Mild Referenced Child Abuse/Neglect) Chapters: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Chapter Two: Introductions

Outside of the mess hall, the sound of confused and excited campers grew louder. “I need to hide now!” yelled Max. David kept his grip on the kid as Max attempted to wriggle out, “Now Max. We should go greet your mother! She’s clearly here to see you! Why else would she be here? She probably misses her little man!” The only people left in the mess hall where David, Gwen, Quartermaster, Nikki, Neil, and Max. “Let go David!” yelled Max, “She’s probably here for something. Probably to make me or everyone else miserable.” Nikki and Neil left the building followed by Gwen and Quartermaster. David followed them with Max still in his arms but Max wasn’t making it easy for David.

There were three vehicles outside. The closest one to the mess hall was a small, beaten up, two-door, tan, car. It looked like it barely ran. The next vehicle was a large bus, it was a half-repainted school bus. It was still mostly the original yellow but toward the end were paintings of horses. In the middle of the bus was multiple horseshoe shapes all in different colors. There was an abstract race track wrapping around the bus. In the back of the small caravan was a large black SUV with black tinted windows. Max continued to struggle, trying to get out of David’s hands. “Max?” said Neil, “Does your mom have a thing for horses?”

Cameron rubbed his hands together, “It looks like little Mattie has a little money to his name.” Nobody responded to Cameron. Gwen’s eyes were wide and sparkling, “Do you not know who this bus belongs?!” Gwen gasped and didn’t wait for anyone to respond, “It belongs to the world renown horse breeder and racer! Her purebred horses can make millions of dollars by just people looking at them. She’s also in multiple reality tv shows! She was the Bachelorette about nine years ago, she was the winner of Big Brother a few years ago, she had a wardrobe malfunction on that one talent show when she was a judge on it last year, and she’s currently the biggest star on the Real Housewives of-”  Max finally got free from David, “Yeah and she started her trashy career twenty-ish years ago on Maury. It’s all she cares about! So, if I just hide, she will leave sooner,” said Max as he turns to leave. Gwen grabs him and holds him in place, “No you don’t you little shit. Put on a good face and maybe I can get a pic with her-“ David and Max both raised their eyebrows at the other camp counselor. Gwen stuttered, “I mean money for the camp?” David sighed and shook his head, “Come on Max! That can’t be true! I mean she is here to visit you right?”

Finally, two bodyguards emerge from the black SUV that was behind the bus. They stood in front of the bus doors. Then two people step out of the beat-up car upfront. One was a woman, possibly in her mid-twenties, her skin was somewhat tan. She carried a clipboard that had way too many papers on it. She was wearing a pastel green button up blouse, a white skirt and brown mary jane heels. Her black hair was pulled back into a messy bun on top of her head and had a pen holding it up.  The other person that stepped out of the same car was an older man, about a head shorter than the girl, he wore a dark blue jumpsuit with a pair of bright yellow boots with a matching baseball cap. The two stood in front of the bodyguards.

“Hello everyone!” said the girl way to cheery, “My name is Layla-Rae. I am an assistant to Max’s mother. And this,” she points to the man next to her, “Is Mr. Walter. He takes care of the general needs of Max’s mother’s horses.” Mr. Walter grunted but didn’t add anything to the speech. Layla-Rae sighed and her smile faltered a bit but she went back to her overly cheery speech with an overly cheerful smile plastered on her face, “Which she brought 11 of her horses here today to show you all! Any questions from anyone before I introduce her?” Almost everyone, except for Max, raised their hand, “Great! Now introducing the legendary horse breeder, trainer, and racer Ms. Devi. Or Max’s mom.”

Layla-Rae and Mr. Walter step to the side as a very tall woman comes out of the bus, followed by one large horse. The woman shared the same sunshade colored skin as Max, as well as the black hair. Her hair was down to her waist and straight. The horse next to her was pure white, just as tall as Devi and very muscular. Ten other horses stick their heads out of the bus windows. Devi wore a hot pink t-shirt with black skinny jeans and a pair of tall hot pink platform shoes, making her another two or three inches taller. “Hello everyone! I am little Maximiliano’s mother or you may also know me as Devi! The star of multiple reality shows!” she said raising her hands up in the air, showing off her black bangles and her hot pink bejeweled phone in her hand. None of the campers say anything. Layla-Rae pulls out a sheet of paper from her pile of papers and showed it to everyone. It said APPLAUD PLEASE in large bold black letters. The campers clap slowly. Devi starts to bow. Layla-Rae steps forward “The campers can continue on with their day. Devi would like to meet with a counselor to plan her visit. That is if it isn’t inconvenient at all.”  Gwen steps forward and starts to wave her hand wildly, “I can help!” Devi looks at her and snaps her fingers, “You’re spunky. I like that! Let’s go!” Gwen leads Devi into the mess hall and the bodyguards split up. One stayed by the bus the other went to the mess hall doors and stood in front of them.

Mr. Walter heads into the bus and starts to lead the horses out. The campers all start to disperse except for Max, Nikki, and Neil. David walks over to Layla-Rae, “While they plan out the day could I interest you in a tour of the campgrounds?” he asked. She smiled “I would love to!” David smiled, “I’m David by the way. A camp counselor! And a previous Camp Campbell camper myself!” Layla-Rae laughs, “It seems like you really enjoy being at Camp Campbell! I like someone who does what they love!” Max’s eye starts to twitch. “We can start the tour over at the tents,” said David as he started to walk, “Mr. Campbell could you watch the kids at the activity stations?” Cameron rolled his eyes, mumbled something and walked slowly toward the large group of kids. Layla-Rae looks over to Max, “C’mon Max. You can update me on what’s been going on at camp and you can introduce me to your friends!” She starts to follow David. Max crossed his arms, “No thanks. I’m going to hang out somewhere else. Come on guys,” says Max as he walks toward the lake. Nikki and Neil follow closely behind.

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It’s Just a Name

Summary: When Max’s home life finally comes to Camp Campbell, with the excuse that they showed up for Parents Day. But that was many weeks ago. So why are they really here? 

WC: 1,000 Rating: T (Swearing, Very Mild Referenced Child Abuse/Neglect) Chapters: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Chapter Four: A Meeting

Gwen and Devi walked into the mess hall followed by the white muscular horse. “Can I get you anything, Ms. Devi? Water? Soda? Juice? Something to eat?” asked Gwen quickly. Devi raised her hand, shook her head and smiled sweetly, “No thanks, Gwen. And you’re one of my fans just call me Devi.” Gwen squealed, “Alright Devi!” Gwen cleared her throat and tried to calm her excitement down, “Alright you wanted to talk about your visit?” Devi and Gwen sat down at a table near the doors to the mess hall. Devi nodded, “Yes. I would like to let your campers ride my horses!” Gwen thought for a minute, “None of the campers have experiences with horses,” she paused, “well… no, I’m pretty sure that none of them have even been around horses. I still think Nikki might have been raised by wild horses, maybe wild dogs, but I don’t think-” Devi waved her hand, “Yeah, yeah, they will be on the best-trained horses in the world and be around me. And you’ll be riding along too! Maddox would love to get out and spend some time running around,” she pointed to the white muscular horse, “I know he loves the boy and misses him so much!”

“Alright. I do think Campbell has some fences that we can put up so the kids aren’t riding the horses in the open. Especially Nurf, Nikki, Max,” Gwen snapped her fingers, “Before I forget. I need to talk to you about Max’s paperwork. Hold on one second. I need to go grab it from the cabin.” Devi smiled, “Take your time,” she said. Gwen nodded frantically and ran to the counselor cabin. She quickly searched through the messy drawer where they keep the camper’s registration papers. It took a few minutes but she eventually found the sheet of paper with Max’s name and age on it. Gwen ran back to the mess hall and burst through the door. She was out of breath as she sat back down across Devi. “Max’s registration only has his name and age. We need his registration paper fully filled out. It’s missing some info. Mainly the activity section needs to be filled out.” Gwen handed the sheet of paper to Devi, who took it and skimmed over the sheet of paper. Devi cleared her throat, “Yes, well, I’ll have my assistant finish this. So,” she started, “You’ve known him for a while now, what would you suggest for his camp? Besides military camp?” Devi laughed. Gwen giggled a little then said sarcastically, “Attitude awareness might be top of the list.” Devi and Gwen both laughed at that.

“Oh, I’m glad he doesn’t just act out at home,” Said Devi. Gwen had a confused look on her face, “Max acts out at home too?” Devi sighed sadly, “Unfortunately yes. There have been many schools, daycares, and camps that he has been kicked out of. And many nanny’s and butler’s that have quit because of his behavior. Always acting out. He’s caused me so much stress. Luckily my assistant doubles as a nanny and she’s staying around for now.” Devi looked down at the table. Gwen thought for a second, “What does he do at home if you don’t mind me asking.” Devi let out a laugh, “Everything. He’s always out of control. You know,” she waved her hand as if dismissing the subject. “He hasn’t been kicked out of here yet. So, I imagine what he does here is very mild compared to what he does at home.” Devi wiped a tear from her eye. Gwen thought for a moment, “I didn’t think he was that bad. I know he can be a little shit sometimes but he is really a thoughtful boy when he wants to be. He’s made a lot of friends.” Devi laughed, “Are you sure you’re talking about the same child?”

Gwen had a slightly confused look on her face when David pushed through the mess hall doors followed by Layla-Rae, “I hope you got everything sorted! I’m about to call everyone for lunch,” said David. Gwen stood up, “I can do it, David. If you wanted to help Quartermaster setup.” David gave Gwen a confused look but then smiled, “Alrighty Gwen!” he said overly cheery as he walked over to the kitchen where Quartermaster was. Layla-Rae looked over at Devi, “Ms. Devi would you like to talk about today’s activities?” she asked. Devi was tapping away on her phone, “Talk about it with the counselors. I will be going outside to the bus. Let me know when the darling little angels are ready.” Layla-Rae cleared her throat, “But, ma’am, don’t you want to eat lunch with Max?” she said as her jaw set.

Devi laughed slightly and stood up, “I’ve got some things to deal with over the phone and on the bus. If he needs me for something,” Devi got close to her assistant shoving Max’s camp registration paper at her, “you can tell him where I am.” Layla-Rae was grinding her teeth. She took the sheet of paper and added it to the pile of papers on her clipboard, “Yes ma’am. I will let him know,” she said through her teeth. Devi smiled and walked to the mess hall doors. “And remember. You’re just my assistant. That boy belongs to me. Not you.” With that, she walked through the doors leaving Layla-Rae alone. David peaked through the kitchen door, “I hope you’re hungry Layla! Quartermaster made extra!” She turned around to look at David with an overly cheerful smile on her face, “That sounds amazing David! Is there anything I can do to help?” David nodded quickly, “Of course! I’m always open for some help! Especially if that person is helping is you!” Quartermaster came up behind David while string a big pot of mashed potatoes, “Your flirting makes me sick,” said the old man. He then turned around and went back to the stove. David face reddened as Layla-Rae giggled.

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