Perfectly Wrong

12. We Didn't Know

 Her mother is sitting on one of the couches and Shawn takes a seat across from her, leaning forward and clasping his hands in front of him, his elbows on his knees.

 “ I’ll explain everything.” He says in a serious and responsible tone of voice.

 “ I know you will.” Sinu replies.

 “ Basically, I made a lot of assumptions. I thought she was older and then when she told me she was eighteen, I assumed she was in college. It’s only September, most students are not eighteen when they start their senior year.”

 “ Most of them.” Sinu says. “ She’s only been eighteen for two weeks.”

 “ Yes, I realize that now.” Shawn says, looking at Camila. “ She wasn’t attending school the first week you guys moved in, so I guess I just assumed. Somehow the topic never came up while we were together.”

 Her mother starts coughing again and they both wait, but it only intensifies as she stands up to take a few deep breaths. Camila would think she was having a panic attack if she already didn’t know her mother was coming down with something. Shawn walks to the kitchen and comes back with a glass of water, which seems to help Sinu, who’s now looking at Sofia and Aaliyah playing outside through the window.

 “ Sofia, Aaliyah!" She says as she walks to the door. “ Don’t lay in the street!’

 She coughs a few mores times before sitting down again on the couch.

 “ Tell me, when did the topic come up?” Sinu asks, looking at the both of them.

 Camila can’t force herself to answer. She feels really small in the presence of the two of them, like she’s the child of the situation.

 “ We didn’t know until she showed up in my class.” Shawn says.

 “ You’re in his class?” She asks Camila, her mouth open in shock. “ She’s in your class?” She repeats the same question, now looking at Shawn.

 Camila realizes how bad it sounds coming out of her mother’s mouth. Sinu stands up and paces back and forth in Shawn’s living room, trying to process the information.

 “ You’re telling me that both of you deny having any knowledge of this prior to the first day of school?” Her mother asks and they both nod in agreement. “ Well, what the hell happens now?”

 Shawn and Camila are both in silence, like they’re waiting for her mother to magically come up with the solution they've been trying to find all week.

 “ Well, Camila and I are doing our best to work through this day at a time.” Shawn says as Sinu glares at him.

 “ Both of you need to accept the severity of this situation. I know my daughter, and she likes you, Shawn. A lot. If you share even a fraction of those feelings, you will stay away from her. This can ruin your career and her reputation.” Sinus says before walking to the door and waiting for Camila to follow her, not giving them a chance to have a private conversation.

 Sofia and Aaliyah run past them into Aaliyah’s bedroom and they all look at the two girls as they disappear down the hallway.

 “ Sofia and Aaliyah don’t need to be affected by this.” Sinu says, looking at Shawn. “ I suggest we work something out now so that the contact between you and Camila can be minimized.”

 “ Absolutely.” He agrees.

 “ I sleep in the mornings, so if you want to take them to school, Camila and I will pick them up after school.” Her mother suggests.

 “ That sounds good.” Shawn says. “ Thank you.”

 Camila and Sinu are about to leave when Shawn stops them.

 “ Sinu?” He asks. “ Will you be talking to the school about this? I completely understand if that’s what you need to do. I would just like to be prepared beforehand.”

 “ There’s nothing currently going on that I would need to inform them about, is there?” She asks, holding both of their stares.

 “ Not at all. I swear.” Camila quickly replies.

 Camila wants him to look at her and see the apology in her eyes, but he doesn’t. Soon she’s outside with her mother as Shawn shuts the door behind them and she can’t hold it back anymore.

 “ Why would you do that?” Camila yells. “ You didn’t even give me the opportunity to explain!”

 She crosses the street without looking back, running to the house and locking herself in her bedroom until Sinu leaves for work.