The next day I felt high.
Not that kind of high, I felt emotionally high.
I still couldn't believe I actually met Camila Cabello last night. I have a horrible feeling in my gut that's telling me that I might have been dreaming. I know people who would kill or literally die to be in my position.
I had just finished my shower and got comfortable in my sweat pants when there was a knock on the door.
"Hi Clumsy." Shawn heavily greeted with Laura following behind him. Were they running?
"It's Cam." I said growing tired of me always having to correct him.
"Yeah whatever. Um, I don't know if anyone mentioned this to you but, Ms Salem's kids are coming over today."
"Yeah so?"
"Everyone on this floor is leaving, you coming with?" Laura offered.
"And waste a perfectly good day, hell no."
"Cam, those kids are kinda naughty. You're going to regret this." Laura persisted.
Seriously?" I sighed.
"Yes seriously, this is not a joke. The twins are on their way here." Shawn said.
"I don't know what your deal is, they are just kids."
"Just kids, those kids were birthed in the pit of hell." Shawn said.
"That's a mean thing to say. They are just kids, kids get up to mischief sometimes."
"Their mischief will be the least of your worries, trust me." Shawn said.
"Even if it is, I'm staying at home all day, what could possibly go wrong?"
"Oh you'll see." Laura said walking--running away. "Don't say I didn't warn ya." Her voice faded down into the staircase.
She's so melodramatic.
Shawn ran his hands through his hair, clearly frustrated.
"Why do you care so much?" I asked.
"Yeah. Why do I?" He relplied under his breath. "Enjoy your stay."
He walked away, hands in his pocket.
×××
I was next.
I could hear Ms Salem aggressively knocking on each door on the floor and by the sound of the knocking not only gettin louder, but closer, I predicted that I was next.
My plan was to stay silent till she passed by my door. I don't know why I was acting this way, Laura and Shawn had definitely gotten into my head.
She knocked on my door and my plan of total silence went into action.
I held my breath the moment I saw her shadow forming slowly under my door.
Knock, knock, knock.
The knocking made my heart thudd in fear. I clasped my hand over my mouth to keep in my rapid breathing.
I took a few steps back to make sure I wasn't to close to the door. On my back, I bumped into a table. It caused the lamp to rock about, like a sinking ship on a rocky shore.
I hoped that the noise it made would go unnoticed. I cringed inwardly and quickly froze into ice until I was certain that Ms Salem didn't hear the noise.
After a few seconds, I assume I was safe now and began walking slowly back.
I wasn't so sure on my destination, but I desperately needed to move away from the door.
But stupidly tripped on the lamp cord and fell.
Landing on my stupid-ass. Now I really earned to be called Clumsy.
The sound I had just made wouldn't be ignored.
And it wasn't.
"Is anyone in there?" Ms Salem asked through the door.
In this situation, it was just easier to admit defeat.
"Yep, I'll be out in a second."
Ms Salem's fall fell as she saw me. "Oh, it's you." She said, full of disapproval and disappointment.
"Anyway, you're babysitting my kids today."
"No way, what if I have plans?"
"Cancel them because you're busy today."
"But-"
"No buts Ms Chesterfield. Victor, Victoria. Come over here."
Surprisingly, they looked super cute despite the fact that they resembled their mother with vivid accuracy.
They looked about five years of age and made me reconsider if they are capable of mischief. Especially since they wore matching black and white outfits and they looked somewhat identical although they were opposite genders.
"This is Ms Chesterfield, be nice. I'll be back at six, okay?"
"Yes mommy." They said and gave me a toothy grin.
This couldn't be that bad considering how they looked like mini angels. Maybe Malificent won't be that bad to me after I've taken care of her kids.
Oh, I'm gonna take care of them hard.
×××
Victor and Victoria were complete angels...
For like, five seconds.
They are actually a pair of demons. Now I see the evil in these kids Shawn and Laura were talking about.
"Victoria, get down from there! Victor! That's a sink not a toilet! I'm telling on you guys!"
"I don't care!" Victor screeched at the top of his lungs. "We'll tell mommy that you don't say nice things to us." He said, now jumping on the couch.
Before I had a childish comeback, there was a knock on the door. I hope it's Maleficent coming back for her devil children.
It was Shawn.
God, are you even up there?
"What are you doing here. Are you here to mock me? To tell me that I was wrong?"
"No, I– I..."
"Victoria!" I ignored Shawn, running towards her, grabbing the marker out of her hand before she could vandalise the pretty, peach walls.
She wasn't fazed, in fact she grabbed another one out. I had to grabbed every last of the twenty-four markers from her until she was left with none.
That's when she broke down in tears.
"Mendes, are you gonna say something or are you just going to stand over there like a fool?"
"Actually, I came here to see if you need some help."
"Of course I need help, what do you think I'm doing? Taking a great nap!"
I didn't mean to bark at him like that but could you see what I am dealing with right now?
Shawn headed to the kitchen, grabbing Victor out of the sinking, which he had attempted to poop in for the third time now.
Victoria was running on top of the kitchen counter, still crying. The tears had ran out long ago, but she still decided to make that atrocious never-ending crying noise.
"What do you guys want? Cartoons? Food? Money?" I begged.
"You're ugly!" Victoria shouted instead.
"Gee, thanks for reminding me."
Shawn and I agreed on handling one devil each. I watched Victoria, Shawn watched Victor.
If I'm being honest, Shawn had it worse. He had to tackle him every tenth second.
"Shawn, what's the time?" I asked.
"2:35."
"What? Only thirty minutes passed?"
"Yep, it's going to be a long day." He sighed.
×××
Two hours later, after chasing them around the hours and burning buckets of calories, they finally fell asleep. Both at the same time.
It was a miracle.
Shawn and I layed on the couch, exhausted. My muscles ached, my bones ached. Heck, even my hair ached.
"Shawn?" I asked with the little strength I had left.
"Mmm?"
"Why did you come back to help me?" I've been meaning to ask him that since he arrived.
He sat up and looked straight at me, not very eager to answer my question.
"I, I don't know." He nervously played with a little pendant around his neck. "I guess I felt guilty. You're new and didn't know what you were about to go through."
I smiled at him and he returned the smile.
"Maybe if you weren't so stubborn and did as I told you, we would have been out and having fun here in L.A."
"What? I'm not stubborn. I'm the most passive person I know."
"Well, you weren't passive when you grabbed that knife out of Victoria hands as if you were raised in the hood. I didn't know you had it in you."
I laughed, before closing my eyes in rest.
"You know, for a photographer, you stay indoors for quite a while. Aren't photographers supposed to be adventurous?"
"I am adventurous... when it comes to television." I answered, my eyes still closed.
"Wow. So, do you stay at home all day taking photo's of the tv"
"That doesn't sound like too bad of an idea." I said in thought. "Just kidding. I do explore, but I do it solo."
"Don't you get lonely sometimes? I mean bored?"
"No, only boring people get bored."
"But I can't imagine exploring the world by myself, there's just so much of it."
"You know, being alone gives you the gift of independence. That's when you get to actually find out who you are."
"That's where you are wrong. There's a fine line between being alone and shutting yourself away from the world. Sometimes you gotta live a little." He looked straight up at the ceiling.
"You can't spend your whole life finding yourself Clumsy, you aren't lost."
I was shocked at his statement.
I'm I really shutting myself away from the rest of the world?
Afraid to answer my question, I forced myself to plummet into a deep lucid dream.
×××
I woke up to a heavy tug at my leg.
"I want to pee." Victor He almost looked innocent with his heavy eyes and his youthful plump features.
Almost.
"Come here." I said offering him my hand.
We went and came back without any inconveniences. I guess he was still exhausted from all the mischief he had been causing all day.
I sat back on the couch and observed Victor critically. It was shocking seeing this side of him. Quiet and sitting crossed legged on the floor.
"I wanna watch cartoons." He mumbled.
"Sure. What do you wanna watch? Mickey mouse? Tom and Jerry? Teen titans go?"
He shook his head.
"No. I want Southpark."
"S-southpark, I don't think you're old enough to watch that."
"I'm am! Mommy let's us to."
"Okay. If you say so." I hesitated putting it on.
18 SNLV P
It warned. I wasn't allowed to watch an R rated movie till I was eighteen. I only started watching R rated movies that had more than two alphabets following after it this year.
I rested on the couch. Shawn still hasn't woken up from his slumber. He looked as worn out as an overused rag. Although a rag wasn't really a appropriate thing to compare him to.

This was the first time I have the chance to get a good look at him.
His eye lashes were dark and lightly touched his upper cheek, which emphasised a small scar on it. His dark chocolate brown hair perfectly framing his face. His It made me wonder colour his eyes are.
Green?
Hazel?
Grey?
Mmm. I made a mental note in my head to check him out later.
No. Not check him out, I mean check his-- look at his eyes. Just to see what colour they are.
"Mommy! Mommy! Mommy!" A cry came out from my room, signalling that Victoria was awake.
Shawn woke up immediately, his eyes still filled with sleep.
"Give me food!" Victoria ordered while crying.
I brought them to the fridge and asked them what they'd like. They agreed on hot dogs. But instead of ketchup, they preferred it to be spread with chocolate syrup. Victor found some Skittles and thought it would be a great idea to add it to the hot dog.
"Eww." I muttered as they shoved the abomination of a hotdog down their throats.
"What?" Shawn said. "I think I'd prefer hot dogs this way than to ruin them with kechup."
"Ruin? Ketchup is life man. The only thing getting ruined is your stomach after eating this chocolate covered crap."
"Is my stomach! I'll eat what I want."
I didn't even realise that Victoria was listening to our conversation.
×××
Mr Salem arrived almost at seven.
"Mommy!" The twins hugged their mother generously.
"Hey guys. Did you have a good time?"
"Yes mom!" Victoria said at the top of her lungs.
"Did they behave?" She asked me.
"Well, they do have your personality, so who could complain.
"Mommy? Can we came back tomorrow? Please, please, pl-"
"No!" Shawn and I said autonomously.
"I mean that we can't do that because, because..." I looked at Shawn to help me gather a believable lie to avoid seeing them again.
"...because–"
"Because I, we... are going somewhere." Shawn finished.
"Really?" She squinted her face. "Where?"
"Where? Somewhere. Somewhere really important that we just can't miss. Shawn tell them were we're going."
He gave me a why-me glare. " Where we're going to? We. Clumsy and I. We are going to the beach."
"The one just outside? Good, I'll bring out their swimsuits tomorrow."
"No, not the beach. He meant the swimming pool."
"Why go to a swimming pool when you've got an ocean just outside?"
Oh yeah...why?
"To a gym pool? To lose weight." He saved. "Did you know that you can lose more pounds in water? Plus, I've gotta look great for the ladies."
"Okay, I'll just ask someone else then."
"No!" The twins exclaimed. "Mommy! We want to come here tomorrow. Mommy!"
"Oh, and here's your schedule." She handed me a paper informing me on the days I'd take photo's of Shawn. "Don't be late."
They latched themselves on Shawn and my legs, Ms Salem having to detach them before grabbing them out of the room.
Their screams faded away and only silence remained.
Shawn and I looked at each other before laughing. Which later led us to jump aimlessly on the couch.
"We don't have to see them tomorrow!" He jumped.
"We don't have to see them tomorrow!" I jumped.
We then sat down on the couch, breathing heavily.
"Shawn, I just wanna say thank you. You know, for helping out."
"Anytime." He whispered before total silence followed. We sat there, arm to arm, scanning the messy parlor.
"Shawn?"
"Yes."
"I want to sleep, get out of my apartment."