Outside the Encanto

The Complete and Irrelevant Idiocity of Teenage Boys

Everyone sat in dead silence. A fly buzzed around the room, able to be heard clearly now. What once was a matter of gameplay now turned to a matter of "what is Camilo getting himself into?"

You certainly don't know how to react, wishing this was a private moment, such as the dead of night when you come visit Camilo. Now, with eyes transfixed on you, something has to be said. But you have no words.

"Who's next?" Camilo laughs, trying to pass off the moment as casual. As if.

"I think we're done here." Alma snaps, making him flinch back. He recovers soon enough.

"Why?" He argues, looking angry.

"Y/n, I'm afraid the time has passed so quickly, you must be going. I can only imagine what your father would do if he thought we were corresponding like this." Alma shoots at you, obviously dismissing you. What's she going to do to Camilo? With everyone watching, she can't really hurt him, and Felix is there to parent him, but what if she yells at him? What if he becomes angry, or even scared?

You stand, trying your hardest not to smile, but showing it anyways, and leave. Camilo gives you a quick wink, resulting in an even bigger smile from you.

You shut the door before he can do any more damage.

The prison is happier now, lots of people are still completing their daily tasks, which you immediately go to help with. On the way, you pass Mariano and Señora Guzman in a cell of their own. Unfortunately, it's in the main rooms of the prison, which will make it difficult to evacuate.

You head upstairs, looking around for your family, but no one's there. You have a strange gut feeling, and immediately race to town square. Nobody's at the whipping post, or the guillotine, or hanging by rope.

"Y/n!" A voice shouts to you.

You whip around, and see your family with Solomon and Dominic, happy children littered across the yard. Once, Maria would have been one of these children.

Your father seems to have been the one calling you. You stride over to him, forcing a smile. It's become natural now.

"Hey kid! What have you been up to?" He gives you a tight squeeze.

"Just some chores. Checking up on everything, that stuff." You reply, before a little boy with honey eyes tugs on your dress.

"Will you please give us some ice?" He blinks up at you. This kid can't even be four years old yet.

"Ice? Like cubes?" You speculate.

"No, like on the ground. We wanna skate!" He laughs, pointing to a large space of nothingness.

"Uhm.." You look over to his parents, who nod in approval. "Sure, kid." You drain some water from the ground and move it over, before freezing it all. For perks, you make a little snowball explode overtop of the rink.

"Yay!"

A flurry of children flock over to the ice, sliding and slipping and helping each other up, just to fall again. You notice Arithra in the crowd, and realize Cisco must be close by. You scan the crowd and find Marco, along with the four boys you're planning to commit treason with. You head over to them, ready to use a coded message. It looks as if Dominic and Lochland were in a debate.

"I could pull any of the girls in the Encanto, much easier than you."

"Oh please, you're a fluffball. I, however, am a bad boy with no family, a pure mystery. Chicks dig that." Lochland scoffs, his gold earrings gleaming in the sunlight.

"Please, I'm a guy with lots of sisters, inclusive family, not to mention I'm 6'2. Who doesn't love a tall guy?"

"You think you're so impressive? I could kick your ass."

Dominic punches him square in the nose, to which Lochland looks surprised.

"Oh, it's on."

The two begin fighting, pulling each other into the dirt, until Lochland finally gets Dominic below the belt. In retaliation, Dominic kicks him in the stomach, and tackles him.

Meanwhile, you, Solomon, Cisco, and Marco are screaming "Fight! Fight, Fight!"

"Man, I dunno what they're fighting about. Neither of them could pull any of the hot chicks." Solomon laughs. "You know the cute Madrigal girl?"

"Luisa?" Marco guesses.

"No, I said the cute one. Isabella." Solomon corrects.

"No no, Luisa. You know, the strong, independent one who does the real work in this town?" Marco spits out, looking fiery.

"Nah man, Isabella's the real one. Luisa's cool and all, but Isabella's just so perfect." Solomon argues, the debate intensifying.

"You think Luisa's not perfect?" Marco retorts, squaring up defensively.

"No. I don't. Isabe-"

Solomon gets cut off by a right hook to the jaw. The two begin fighting, mimicking the others, and destroy one another.

You stand there awkwardly, shuffling your feet and halfway swaying.

"Come on, let's get out of here." Cisco nudges you, taking your hand and leading you throughout back ways of the Encanto, until you finally stop near a food stand, and pay for a spicy red soup with beef and vegetables swirling around in it.

"I'll be needing those bowls back. The woman says, looking at the two of you with a sharp, yet playful glare. You assure her you'll be back, and trek up a grassy hill, one of which you'd been to many times before.

"So... is the plan in motion?" Cisco asks, now that the two of you are out of the public eye.

"Yep. Dolores has the key, the Madrigals are preparing, but I've still got several bags to pack. Food and such." You nod.

"How much are you taking?"

"One bag for each of them, plus an extra I'll be carrying. I've been working hard to make everything perfect."

"And one I'll be carrying?" Cisco raises his eyebrow.

"Nope. You're gonna stay inside the Encanto. It's a less risky procedure, and nobody except me will know the Madrigals hiding place." You explain, seeing his face contort, trying to figure it out.

"No no no, I have to come with you. What if something happens out there?" Cisco complains, raising his voice.

"Shh! It'll be okay, trust me on this! I know what I'm doing, there's no need to worry." You fret, sternly reminding him to keep his voice down.

"We only have until tomorrow. I'll get the boys to drop the bags off by the border, you know the old maple tree that Isabella's graffitied with flowers? They're gonna be there." Cisco sighs, not at all happy with the arrangement.

"Good. We're gonna be alright, I promise. Pinky promise." You hold out your pinky, knowing this is the most sacred promise in the world. Nobody can break a pinky promise.

"Pinky promise." Cisco laughs, locking his pinky around yours. "Now go home, get some sleep. You'll need rest for tommorow. Let's see, 13 bags, right?"

"Yessir, one for each of us. Obviously I'm not staying, but extras aren't gonna hurt." You stand, giving him a quick hug.

"I'll return the dishes. You go home, quickly!" He shoos you away, and you gratefully head home. The sun is setting, casting a golden glow over the Encanto. Crisp, cool breezes fly by you, a nice contrast to the heat.

You feel confident as you close your eyes for the night, as if you haven't been planning treason against your family.

You imagine Mama smiling down upon you.