YOU'RE DEAD TO ME → C. MADRIGAL || OC insert

THREE

Casa Madrigal
6 pm

"Abuela please there's got to be an explanation!" Mirabel pleaded.

Before I could hear anything else Camilo pulled me aside.

"Cami I have to stay with Mirabel—"

"Cece," Camilo spoke in a serious tone, "I need you to stay away."

"What?" I asked, taken aback.

"No! No, no princesa not like that I promise," he rushed. He probably saw the panic in my expression. He gently cupped my face with his hands, "Look mi amor. Right now my family is a ticking time bomb, it wont be long until someone blows up and everything turns into a shit show. I just don't want you getting in the middle of it."

I sighed and rested my hands on his. "Cami, if you ever need anything..." I trailed off.

He interrupted me by kissing my cheek, "I know where to find you, princesa. Now go home and rest well."

I smiled and nodded as I pulled away from him, only to be snatched by Mirabel. "Yeah okay, this is fine," I mumbled as I was being dragged into a secret hole in the wall.

The house thundered and a cloaked man appeared and disappeared. Mirabel ran after him.

"Bruno, wait!" She called.

"That's Bruno?" I asked

—-

"Okay so, you're telling me that he's not a seven foot tall scary man?" I questioned.

"No... but Camilo got the rats part right!" he exclaimed, "he kinda stole them from the walls... and taught them how to dance. I don't know how but I'm kind of impressed."

"What does this vision mean?" Mirabel asked.

"I don't know, but I do know that it's all up to you kid," Bruno reassured, "I'm sorry. I wish I could've seen more."

"Yeah," Mirabel sighed as we got out the door.

We both looked at each other with realization. "Yeah," we repeated before kicking open the door.

"So see more!" I insisted.

"Have another vision!" Mirabel said, rolling off of me.

"No no no... I don't do visions anymore..." Bruno nervously mumbled.

"Okay! But you can't just tell us that the fate of the world is on her shoulders and not help," I remarked.

"And I say have another vision," Mirabel said.

Bruno looked at the two of us while trying to hide, "Even if I wanted to, you wrecked my vision cave. Which is really important because I need a big space!"

Suddenly I felt a small hand grab mine. "Use my room!" Antonio smiled as I carried him, "the rats told me everything— don't eat those."

I looked to where he was looking and saw his jaguar about to snack on some rats. Well, time to save the miracle?

—

"ISABELA?" Mirabel screamed.

"Oh, your sister!" Bruno happily cheered. Mirabel on the other hand was fuming. Bruno sighed, "Every time."

Antonio and I looked at each other and laughed at our shocked expressions. "Not funny Cecelia!" Mirabel whined.

"Oooh she used my full name, now she's mad," I teased.

After saying bye to Bruno, Mirabel went to Isabela's room. Bruno looked at me in awe.

"What are you thinking?" I asked.

He gave his signature awkward smile, "You know, I remember holding you as a baby— I almost dropped you but that's besides the point."

"You what," I said flatly.

"It's emotional seeing you two so grown up," Bruno sighed, "well, I gotta go. Come visit sometime, k kiddo?"

"Will do," I smiled as he rolled back into the walls. It wasn't long before Isabela grabbed me with one of her vines and we all started playing around— it was quite therapeutic to see the two getting along. We all dropped to the floor cushioned by leaves.

"You two are bad influences," Isabela giggled.

"What is happening here?" Abuela interrupted, making all three of us jump. Camilo took my hand and dragged me to another room.

"Why are you here?" He angrily grabbed my shoulders.

"Camilo you're hurting me—"

"I told you to stay away," Camilo interrupted.

"Camilo, I love your family— you really expect me to leave you alone like this? In a time like this?"

"YOU'RE A FUCKING CURSE CECELIA. JUST BECAUSE THE VILLAGE THINKS YOU'RE PERFECT DOESN'T MEAN YOU ARE."

I was shocked by what was happening. Camilo's usually so sweet to me and never yells, did this mean that much to him?

"CAMI ALL I WANTED WAS TO PROTECT YOU AND THE SAME IN RETURN."

"THE HOUSE IS TEARING APART AND IT'S ALL MIRABEL'S FAULT— YOU'RE DEFENDING HER?" He got closer. Slap.

Silence filled the room as tears filled my eyes. It took a few seconds to let everything sink in.

"Fuck— Cece I'm so sorry I didn't mean to—"

"Fuck you Camilo. You're dead to me."

With that I ran past the rest of the family not caring where my feet took me.

"Cecelia, wait!" I heard Camilo call out.

I kept running up a hill and down until I reached a lake, I couldn't take it anymore and started crying.

Fuck you Camilo. You're dead to me.