Camilo x OC x Mirabel

One.

Word count: 4,313

One.

I woke up to what sounded like my house falling apart around me. I began planning to prepare myself for doomsday when I heard, "Oye, Maria! We're going to be late!"
Shit. I thought to myself. I threw the covers off of me and slammed the door open to reveal a flustered and anxious Mariano. I ran to the bathroom to grab my toothbrush and stuck it in my mouth as I flew back to my room and got dressed into a flowy orange skirt.
Once dressed, I ran back to the bathroom to spit out the residual toothpaste and style my hair. It was naturally loosely curly and fell to my chin. I picked my bangs apart from the rest of my hair and upon separating it, I ran out of the bathroom. My mama was waiting impatiently at the door. "What impression is this going to give to the Madrigals? Isabella won't want to marry your hermano if he's always late because of you!"
"¡Lo siento, mami!" I shouted as I pecked her on the cheek as I hurried out the door, mi familia following suit.
After about ten minutes of frantic speed walking, we made it just in time. It was the youngest Madrigal's gift ceremony, and my family had to make a good impression on them so Senora Alma would continue to let my brother Mariano see her granddaughter Isabella. He had plans on proposing to her soon.
I'd never really met the Madrigals formally. I'd been to both Mirabel and Camilo Madrigal's gift ceremonies, but it didn't really count, since I don't remember it. I also had vague memories of the older Madrigal's like Luisa and Delores keeping me and the other town children company and ensuring that we stayed safe.
Apparently Camilo, Mirabel and I used to be pretty close playmates when we were toddlers, which is what my mama kept reminding me of, hoping I'd bond with them again to give her another in to the Madrigal family. Again, I don't remember any of it, because I was literally five and younger. We were all in the same age range, Camilo being born first, me being born a month and a half after, and Mirabel the same amount younger than me. They pretty much dropped me after Mirabel's gift ceremony, which is basically the only part I do remember. We were all super excited for her to get her gift and then she just... didn't. It was really upsetting to all of us and after that, she didn't really want to hang out with me. By then, she only cared for her biological family. I guess she preferred surrounding herself with people who were special, and I just wasn't. Anyways, Camilo and I were still friends for maybe a few months or a year after that, who knows, before he made other friends.
I didn't necessarily blame them, we were five years old, I wasn't going to hold a grudge over something that happened twelve years ago. It's not like I hadn't made other friends too. I made a few good ones, and grew out of them, like old friends do. I made some, lost some, made new ones. None really lasted for more than a few years, but I still enjoyed them while they lasted. Anyway, I still saw Camilo and Mirabel around town, and we always greeted each other, but they also greeted everyone else in town, so it wasn't really anything special.
I was still kind of excited though. It would be the first gift ceremony in over a decade and everyone's anxiety was through the roof, wondering if the magic was fading or if Antonio would get a gift or not. I was kind of excited to be in close proximity to Mirabel and Camilo, though. I wondered if they remembered how close we were. Again, I wouldn't blame them if they didn't, because I barely remember anything my mama hadn't already told me.
I hadn't really seen either of them in a few months, because my family's increasing popularity among the town had made people go out of their way to greet me, and I didn't really like all the extra attention. I avoided leaving my home, and at that, I avoided entering the town, and made sure it wasn't a busy day when I did. I typically went out when Pepa Madrigal was upset, it seemed, since nearly nobody wanted to go out in one of her rainstorms.
I was nervous to say the least. The last of the townspeople were spilling through the doors and I hung back and waited for Mariano and my mama to go in to avoid the attention. As I made my way to the entrance I saw-
"Maria!" Camilo's voice said as he jogged over to greet me. He shapeshifted into me and welcomed me with a hug. Word of the town was Camilo gave famously good hugs, which was due to him shapeshifting into the person, because I guess it was just better to hug someone of the same body type and height as you. They were right, I guess, cause I found it hard to pull back from him. "Long time, no see, eh?"
"Been a while, huh?" I chuckled and took in Camilo's appearance. "You look good." I commented, truthfully. He really did. He'd grown into his impish features and had allowed his hair to grow out during my hermit era. It was a little above his chin, a few inches shorter than mine.
"Ah, thanks," Camilo grinned. "You too, your skirt is beautiful."
I felt a smile creep onto my face as I laughed nervously. "Thanksss," I said awkwardly, brushing a stray strand of hair out of my eyes.
"So, it really took a gift ceremony to get you out here?" Camilo asked me.
I chewed on the inside of my cheek. "Well, you know... With Isabella and Mariano's love affair... I never really enjoyed all the commotion he brings with him."
He laughed. "I remember now! You always used to hide behind me or Mirabel every time a stranger talked to us."
I felt warmth overtake my features. "I did? I don't remember that... That's so embarrassing..."
"Nah, I remember thinking it was kinda cute, how shy you were, I mean."
I was shocked and my mouth opened to say something, but before I could, I felt incredibly imbalanced and looked down to see Casita carrying Camilo and I inside and shutting the door behind us. I guess our interaction had taken a while.
I looked around for Mariano and saw him staring lovestruck at Isabella. I sighed and me and Camilo split up as I went to stand by him and our mama. Luisa walked by with what looked like a tray of edible flowers. I grabbed one and thanked her, she nodded in turn. I stuffed it in my mouth and tasted it. It was like nectar and... leaves... And pollen. I spit it out into my hand and looked at it in disgust. My mama flashed me a dirty look and shooed me off to go throw it away. I stumbled off, lost and searched for the kitchen. I hadn't been here since Camilo stopped hanging out with me, which was about ten years prior to now. I found myself somewhere I shouldn't have been. I was now behind the flower curtain and Antonio's family was staring at me. I was about to leave without a word but then I noticed Mirabel. I hadn't seen her in months. My mouth hung open in surprise and I tried to move but my feet were planted firmly on the floor. I don't know why I had the reaction I did. She looked extremely pretty. I felt my face flush as she noticed me and looked.
"Uh... Mirabel..." I paused for a moment and forced myself to say something else. "Hi, uh, it's me, Maria."
"Oh, uh, hi, Maria," Mirabel smiled at me and waved, but looked confused. "What are you doing back here...?"
"Oh!" I'd forgotten why I'd come back here in the first place. I was so embarrassed. Camilo quirked an eyebrow in my direction. "I got lost. I'm sorry. Goodbye."
I immediately turned around and sped out of there, my face as pink as the flowers that made up the curtains. I felt a hand on my arm and was surprised to see Camilo. I looked at him, confused.
"What were you looking for?" He asked. "Who better to lead you than someone who's lived here their whole life?"
His hand fell off of me as I swiped a curl out of my line of vision. "Uh, I dunno. A trash can?"
Camilo looked offended. "Seriously?" He gave me an annoyed look.
"No, no, no!" I sped out, fumbling over my words. "I meant I was looking for a trash can! I-I didn't mean, uh-"
"Ohhh! Sure, yeah," he said, allowing me to breathe a sigh of relief as he led me to the kitchen, where Julieta was finishing cleaning up the mess she'd made while cooking. "Right there."
I had to walk over to where Julieta was as I subtly discarded the flower that had been crumpled in my hand for far too long.
"Oye! Maria!" Julieta said, wiping her hands off on her apron and opening her arms for a hug, to which I obliged. "I haven't seen you in the Casita since you were little! You've gotten so tall! Camilo, look at how tall she is now!"
Camilo walked across the kitchen and stood next to me, raising his hand to my height to enunciate the visible height difference without words. I was about as tall as Julieta, maybe taller, yet I only came up to Camilo's chin. I rubbed my face with my hand awkwardly.
"Oh," Julieta waved her hand at him dismissively and turned back to me. "I missed having you around the house! You always kept Mirabel and Camilo company. You were so close! I hope you come around more often. They talk about you all the time, you know!"
I turned to face Camilo, and without looking at Julieta, responded, "They do?"
"No, we don't," Camilo said, giving Julieta a frustrated expression. He grabbed me by the shoulders and nudged me towards the door. "Okay, Tia, the ceremony is starting, we should get going!"
After I exited the kitchen, I didn't have any time to ask about or even process what had just happened, because Camilo went to go stand near his sister and Julieta went past me and stood next to him. They held hands in anticipation, as did Isabella and Delores, calming each other's worries.
The curtains pulled back to reveal an anxious looking Antonio. He faced someone behind the curtains and whispered to them. He extended his arm and waited. Mirabel nervously peeked around the corner and grabbed Antonio's hand, urging him forward. My eyes widened as she walked past me, but didn't see me, and continued walking him up the steps to the door.
The tension was cut when as soon as Antonio reached for the doorknob, the door lit up, filling the room with an iridescent yellow glow. A toucan flew down to him and landed on his extended arm, and imagine everyone's surprise when they realized he could understand it. A flock of more birds and several wild animals made their way into the Casita, up the stairs, and through his door.
Everyone made their way inside, including myself, as the room finished creating itself. I stood in awe at the sight. The room was huge, part of it was just a regular room, which quickly cut off to reveal a whole rainforest inside. Antonio did a few cool stunts as he got acquainted with his new room, and I heard Camilo cheering him on. Senora Alma kneeled down beside him and cupped his face in her hands. "I knew you could do it," she beamed. "A gift just as special as you."
A memory flooded the front of my brain. Mirabel told me with pride that her grandmother had said those exact words to her right before her ceremony. I turned to look at her, and she was visibly upset. I wanted to say something, to reach out, but I didn't know how.
"Everyone, we need a picture!" Alma yelled enthusiastically.
The family grouped together, though I noticed Mirabel stayed behind. I couldn't believe they were taking a family portrait without a member of the family. "La Familia Madrigal!" The group shouted in sync as Mirabel stormed out of the room.
I followed suit. "Mirabel!" I shouted, surprisingly not turning a single head from the partygoers down below.
She looked at me, a pained expression clear on her face. "Maria?"
"I..." I trailed off. She looked so hurt. "Are you okay?"
Mirabel blinked back her tears. "I'm fine. Why?"
"I saw what happened back there," I said softly. "That wasn't okay. If you ever need to talk-"
"I'm fine," Mirabel said more firmly, pushing her glasses farther up the bridge of her nose. "They're my family. It's fine. Please go back to the party."
She turned to leave me behind, but I continued after her. "Mirabel-?"
"I want to be alone," Mirabel said, her back turned to me with her fists clenched at her sides.
"I... I'm sorry Mirabel..." I said quietly, touching her softly on the shoulder for a second. Her posture relaxed and I removed my hand. "See you."
"See you," she said, still refusing to face me.
I turned around and walked back to the room, but before I went in, I saw Mirabel sulk off. I sighed and stepped back inside.
I stood next to my mama for a while, before getting bored of her staring wistfully at Mariano and Isabella. Everybody was now in here. Everyone but Mirabel, that is, and thus they'd brought up all of the food that was made for the party. I turned to look at wherever it was and rolled my eyes to see Camilo standing right near it, making small talk with a few people. I knew Camilo had an undying love for most food, which was one of the things that stuck with me throughout the years, since any time I saw him around town, he almost always had a snack on him. Heck, I probably could've blamed his stuffed face for why we didn't talk anymore.
I approached the table, mainly to grab a bite, since all I'd technically eaten since I woke up was a flower which I spat out anyway. Maybe I'd join in on the conversation if it seemed appropriate. A woman named Ozma (who I've only ever heard talk about her deceased goldfish and how it was Bruno Madrigal's fault) was chatting with Camilo and Julieta. Camilo always seemed in close proximity to Julieta, which I reduced to her love of cooking and his love of food, which likely brought them closer together. "Hola, again, Maria," Julieta greeted warmly. "Arepas?"
I smiled gratefully and accepted a couple of arepas from her. Camilo noticed and gave me a flat smile. "You're imposing my direct access to unlimited arepas," he noticed. "Don't test me."
He reached for another to put on his already loaded plate, but Julieta swatted his hand away. "Leave some for everyone else, Camilo!"
"See what I mean?" He glared at me playfully.
I rolled my eyes and offered him one of the two arepas I'd grabbed, he shooed my hand away. "That's yours, I don't want it," he said. "Yet."
"Okay, okay," I smiled. "But I'm not holding onto it until your plate's empty."
"Good," Camilo stated. "'Cause by then I might be hungry enough to steal it."
"Yeah, okay, good luck with that," I said to him.
Camilo practically wolfed down his plate during our conversation and when Julieta and Ozma were fully immersed in their conversation, he shapeshifted into me and grabbed a few more arepas from her. "Hungry?" Julieta laughed as she let him impersonate me to steal food.
When she turned back, Camilo, satisfied, returned to his original form and sauntered back proudly.
"Wow," I pretended to scratch my nose to hide the smile I felt growing on me whenever Camilo was present. "Cool party trick."
"It is, huh?" He asked coyly, shapeshifting into a much smaller version of me. "Ohh, look at me, I'm Maria, look how short I am."
His impression was miles off, he'd never practiced my impression before, I guess. "I'm clearly not that short," I crossed my arms.
Camilo returned to his normal form. "Uh-huh," he towered over me and I was really shocked for a second.
"Hey!" I shouted, punching him in the arm.
"Aye!" Camilo yelped as his height decreased until I was back at his chin-level again.
"I knew it," I said smugly.
He frowned and rubbed his arm. "Hey, that hurt, you know! That's abuse!"
I had an open-mouth grin on my face and was about to counter when I heard a commotion.
"The house is in danger!" The voice repeated.
"Mirabel?" Camilo and I muttered in sync and went towards her voice.
"The tiles were falling and there were cracks everywhere," She caught her breath, clearly exhausted from running here. 'and the candle almost went out."
Everyone wore the same concerned expression. "Show me," Abuela said sternly. She lead her out, and everyone else, including me, reluctantly followed.
I looked around for what she'd described, but saw nothing. Mirabel looked as confused as I did as she pushed up her glasses. "What? No..." she muttered. "The cracks were there. They were everywhere. The house was in trouble, the candle was-" she trailed off, noticing the looks of disbelief that surrounded her. "Abuela, I promise-"
"That's enough," Abuela cut her off before turning back to face us. "There is nothing wrong with La Casa Madrigal. The magic is strong. And so are the drinks." She chalked it up to a few drinks, as if that would cause Mirabel to cause a scene over nothing.
A few chuckles floated around, but my face remained horrified. She cued for music, to which Agustin provided with Luisa's help, and the party started up again as if nothing had happened.
Everyone returned back to Antonio's room but me and Julieta. I felt like I was intruding, but I felt like I truly couldn't leave without feeling guilty about it for the rest of my life. I walked slowly down the stairs, a few steps behind Julieta and watched her give a comforting hug to her daughter.
"Mirabel, I-"
"Don't," she raised her hand to stop me.
"I believe you," I continued. I didn't know if that were true or not. I knew that I believed Mirabel believed that was what had happened, and I feel like she could've used the support.
She blinked a few times at me. "Thank you," she whispered finally.
I noticed the hand she hadn't raised, and reached for it carefully. "Mirabel, what happened? Are you okay?"
Her hand turned over and she opened her palm, with me still holding it. I traced next to the shape with my two fingers. "It was from the cracks," she explained.
"Aye, mija!" Julieta shouted, taking notice as she gestured for me and Mirabel to follow her into the kitchen.
Julieta started making more arepas by hand as Mirabel and I leaned against the counter and watched her. "Mija, it's just the stress," she said as she mixed the ingredients by hand. "I don't blame you. It's not your fault, dear. Sometimes our mind plays tricks on us when we're upset."
"If it was all in my head, how did I cut my hand?" Mirabel said, exasperated. "I would never ruin Antonio's night! Is that really what you think?"
I chewed my lips as I stood quietly next to her, considering my next move. I decided on it, and slid my hand into Mirabel's as an action of silent support.
"What I think," Julieta continued. "Is that today was very hard for you."
"That's-" Mirabel groaned and squeezed my hand. "I was looking out for the family!"
Julieta looked at her with loving eyes as I stood there uncomfortably. Neither of them acknowledged I was there, besides Mirabel, who held on carefully to my hand. "I might not be super strong like Luisa or effortlessly perfect like Senorita Perfecta Isabella who's never even had a bad hair day, but-" she stopped flailing around her free hand and sighed as she leaned further back against the counter. "Whatever."
Her mama moved closer to her and Mirabel watched as I comfortingly rubbed the back of her hand with my thumb. Casita's tiles chittered as it brought the arepas directly to Julieta. Mirabel held out her other hand, annoyed. "I wish you could see yourself the way I do," Julieta said, scooping up the food and placing it in her hand, continuing after she'd taken a bite. "You are perfect. Just like this. You're just as special as anyone else in this family."
"Mhm," Mirabel looked annoyed throughout the whole conversation and set her arepa down so she could watch as her wound closed itself. "You just healed my hand with an arepa con queso."
"I healed your hand," Julieta said, grabbing Mirabel's hand and pressing it to her face. "With my love for my daughter." Mirabel sighed as Julieta went on. "With her wonderful brain!"
Mirabel rolled her eyes as I smiled.
"Big heart-"
"Stop!" Mirabel said, a smiled creeping onto her face as well.
"Cool glasses," Julieta said, pushing them farther up Mirabel's nose.
"Mama!"
Julieta kissed Mirabel dramatically on the cheek. "Aye, te amo cosalinda!"
Mirabel pulled herself away from her mother, bringing me with her. She placed a hand on her hip. "I know what I saw."
Julieta sighed and her look was replaced with concern again. "Mira, my brother Bruno lost his way in this family. I don't want the same for you. Get some sleep. You'll feel better tomorrow."
Julieta walked out of the kitchen, leaving me and Mirabel all alone. She stared at the absence that her mother left behind and I released her hand, causing her to look at me. I reached for a hug and she fell into my arms. "Why does nobody believe me?" She whispered into my ears, sending chills down my spine.
"I don't know, Mira..." I sighed.
I heard Mirabel sniffle into my shoulder. I think she was crying. I held her tighter and rubbed her back. When she pulled back, her features were pink from crying, but there were no residual tears. "Will you stay with me tonight?" she asked softly. "What I saw really freaked me out, plus it's my first night alone since Antonio was born..."
"Yeah," I smiled at her. "For old time's sake?"
She smiled back. "Yeah."
I found Mariano in the hall. "Oye, Mariano, tell mama Mirabel asked me to sleep over."
"She did?" Mariano smiled at me. "Good for you, sis!"
After Mariano left, Mirabel eventually led me to her room, which was still just the nursery. She grabbed some spare blankets out of the closet and laid them out for me on Antonio's old bed. She reached in a drawer for a spare nightgown and handed it to me. I went down the hall to find a bathroom to get changed into. The light was on, but the door was cracked so I tapped the door lightly.
I heard a muffled, "Come in."
I pushed open the door to find Camilo in his pajamas with a toothbrush in hand and toothpaste oozing down his chin. "What are you still doing here?"
"Uhh," I muttered. "Mirabel asked if I could stay over. She seemed upset and I wanted to keep her company."
"Thanks," Camilo nodded. "There's a spare toothbrush, if you want. Nobody uses it."
"Thanks," I parroted as I watched him reach into a drawer and pull out a sealed toothbrush package. I opened it and he handed me the toothpaste he'd used. I took it from him and he turned back to face the mirror, staring back and forth at me and him through the reflection. I brushed my teeth next to him, laughing at how much toothpaste he'd dripped down his chin when I saw Mirabel standing on the far side of the hall. Camilo glanced at her and waved her over, to which she came.
"Hey guys," she muttered shyly, still embarrassed about today's events.
"Mirabel, wanna join us?" Camilo offered as he wiped some foam off of his chin and flicked it into the sink.
Mirabel chuckled and stepped inside. "Sure."
We all huddled together in the bathroom, brushing our teeth until we finished, taking turns spitting out the toothpaste in the sink.
Camilo gave us both a pat on the back. "Goodnight," he said, leaving us all alone again.
"Goodnight," Mirabel and I returned.
Mirabel rinsed off her toothbrush and gave me a tight smile before leaving me in the bathroom to get changed. As I dressed, I thought about how nice it was to be in both of the Madrigal's company, even in a moment of solidarity. None of us needed to say anything to make the others more comfortable. I smiled at the thought as I returned back to Mirabel's room, shutting the door behind me to find Mirabel already lying in bed.
I noticed she'd also fully made my bed. I blew out the last candle as I crawled into it. "Goodnight."
"Goodnight," Mirabel whispered softly.
I rolled over and almost immediately fell asleep, but was awoken later on due to repeated creaking from the bed next to me.