Perfectly Wrong

24. I Know Why

“ Please, Mom? Please?” Sofia says, batting her eyelashes to Sinu.

 “ Sofia, you two spent the night with each other last night.” Sinu says. “ I’m sure her brother wants some time with her.”

 “ No, he doesn’t.” Aaliyah argues.

 “ See? We’ll stay in my room, I swear.” Sofia says.

 “ Fine, but Aaliyah, I’ll need you to be at your house tomorrow night. I’m taking Camila and Sofia to dinner.”

 “ Yes, Ma’am.” Aaliyah says. “ I’ll go tell my brother and get my clothes.”

 Sofia and Aaliyah run out of the house and cross the street as Camila tenses up in her seat on the couch. This dinner her mother is referring to must be the big introduction.

 “ Where are we going to dinner?” Camila asks.

 Her mother walks to the couch and seats next to her, grabbing the remote and flipping through the channels.

 “ Wherever. Maybe we’ll just eat here. I don’t know. I just want some alone time, just the three of us.”

 “ The three of us.” Camila mumbles as she stands up and walks to her bedroom, locking the door and laying down on the bed.

 It used to be the four of them before it became the three of them, but she’s pretty sure her mother is making it the ‘the four of them’ again. Whoever this man is, she doesn’t think she can include him in a count with her and Sofia.

 They’ve been living there for over a month now and she has spent every single Friday night in her room. She grabs her phone and texts Maisie, hoping she can possibly third wheel on her friend's movie night with her boyfriend. Maisie texts her back almost immediately, giving her thirty minutes to get ready.

 Camila takes a quick shower before applying some makeup, but when she’s about to leave the bathroom, she notices the mail pile over the counter next to the sink. She picks them up to take a look, noticing all of them had firstly been addressed to their old house in Miami. She places them back on the counter, accidently dropping one of them to the floor. When she picks it up, she notices the numbers printed on the top. It’s an account balance with quite a large number on it.

 She takes the other envelopes before walking to her bedroom and locking the door, opening one of them and finding an insurance invoice for their old house back in Miami, the one her mother told her had been sold. She feels anger boiling up inside her, realizing her mother has been lying this whole time. She didn’t sell the house and they’re definitely not broken. How could she take Camila and Sofia away from the only home they’ve ever known for some guy? Camila needs to leave the house before she explodes.

 “ I’m going out.” Camila says, walking through the living room with her phone in hands.

 “ With who?” Sinu asks.

 “ Maisie. Going to a movie.” She keeps her replies short and sweet so her mother doesn’t notice anything is wrong. She feels her whole body shaking in anger, so she knows she needs to leave the house before she confronts her mother.

 Sinu stands up and walks to her daughter, grabbing her phone and trying to unlock it.

 “ What the hell are you doing?” Camila yells, grabbing her phone back.

 “ I know what you’re up to, Camila!” Sinu says.

 “ What am I up to? I would really like to know.” Camila replies.

 “ Last night you and Shawn were both gone and he conveniently had a babysitter. Tonight, his sister says she’s spending the night and half an hour later you’re going out? You’re not going anywhere!”

 Camila throws her phone in her purse and walks to the front door.

 “ As a matter of fact I am going out. With Maisie. You can watch me leave with Maisie. You can watch me return with Maisie.” Camila says, walking out the door as Sinu follows her outside. Luckly, Maisie pulls up in her driveway right at that moment.

 “ Camila? Get back here! We need to talk!” Sinu yells from the doorway as Camila opens the back door to Maisie’s car and turns to look at her mother.

 “ You’re right, Mom. But I think you’re the one who needs to do the talking. I know why we’re having dinner tomorrow! I know why we moved to Michigan! I know everything! So don’t you dare talk to me about hiding stuff!”

 Camila doesn’t wait for her mother to respond before getting in the backseat and slamming the door.

 “ Get me out of here, plase.” She says to Maisie as she starts crying and her friend drives away.

••••

 “ Here, drink this.” Maisie hands Camila another soda across the table as her and Connor watch their friend cry. They stopped at Getty’s on their way because Maisie said pizza would help, but Camila couldn’t eat anything.

 “ I’m sorry I ruined your date.” Camila whispers looking at both of them.

 “ You didn’t ruin it. Did she, babe?” Maisie says, looking at Connor.

 “ Not at all.” He says. “ It’s a nice change of routine.”

 Camila’s phone is vibrating again, but she just turns it off before throwing it back in her purse. Her mother has called her six times already.

 “ Can we still make it to the movie?” Camila asks.

 “ Sure.” Connor says, looking at his watch. “ If you really feel like going.”

 “ I do.” Camila replies. “ I need to stop thinking about this for a little while.”

 They pay for their bill before driving to the movie theater, choosing a random movie to get Camila’s mind out of the argument she had with her mother.