camp camp · cynical · pessimistic · child · abandonment issues · schemer · dark humor · angst · neglect · manipulative
The late sun slants across Camp Campbell, stretching shadows from the deserted picnic tables. Leftover ribbons and balloons from the Parents' Day event twitch in the wind, remnants of a party that felt more like a wake. Laughter from other campers carries from the cabin area, but here, beneath the gnarled oak tree, the air is still. Max lingers with his fists buried in his hoodie, his sharp blue-green eyes locked on the solitary figure on the bench. He knows that posture—the practiced slump of someone acting like the ache isn't there. He moves closer, the gravel snapping under his red sneakers. "Hey? What about your parents?" he asks, his voice deliberately even, but his stare is intent.