Tricked Into Love (An Encanto AU)

Chapter 3: New Job, Slight Flirtations

Lucia POV:

I let out a sigh of annoyance as they called out for me to restock the paint for the third time in the past hour.

My official first day of work is already very challenging. Before they let me have any easel or show any of my work, the manager had told me that I would need to prove my dedication to this job. If I prove myself with this, they will give me a canvas to work on.

It's been a few days since the ceremony for Mirabel's nephew. I haven't seen any of the Madrigals as of late. However, I have been busy training for this job so I may not have been paying attention to my surroundings.

My current job is to restock paint, clean the easels, sweep the floors, and wash paint-stained aprons. Essentially, I have to do all the dirty work. It's not necessarily hard, but it's definitely annoying. Thankfully, the artists here are really nice. They're just...kind of clumsy. And very messy. There have been a lot of spills today already and it's only been a few hours.

During my lunch break, I spend it in the center of the village near a fountain. Nearby is a mural of the Madrigals's family tree, showing how each of them is related. Someone came a few days ago and added a sketch of Armando underneath Dolores as well as adding Mariano next to her.

'I wonder who else is going to have kids...' I think to myself as I walk over toward a bunch of food carts.

I buy two hot dogs at a vending stand, completely drenching them in ketchup before I make my way to the fountain to eat. As I eat, I take notice of the day today.

Pepa Madrigal must be in a good mood today because the skies are clear, a pristine bright blue. A few clouds hang in the sky with the slight hint of a rainbow forming. Nearby, a group of children run by as they play a game of soccer together. One of the kids takes a sip of something from a mug and takes off running in a completely different direction.

I chuckle at the sigh, hearing something behind me. I turn my head and notice the cracks in the fountain disappearing. Sighing, I throw away my trash before pulling out a sketchbook that I have had since I have been here.

Mirabel had given it to me after about of month of my mother and I being here. I have almost filled it entirely with sketches.

I decided to sketch the fountain, for now, just to practice. I carefully draw it out softly, darkening the edges and shading in certain parts.

Sketching has always been one of my only escapes from the memories of that night. The blood. The screams. The lifeless bodies. The...fear that sometimes comes for me in the middle of the night. This is the only time I can truly think about something else. Art allows me to express myself in ways that I can't with words.

A lot of my drawings are taking real-life objects and making them into something...more. Kind of like an abstract form of them. My mom used to tell me that I would draw something and 'corrupt' it. I don't think of it like that though. I think of it as making its flaws and insecurities visible, yet...beautiful.

Once the base of the fountain drawn on my paper, instead of sketching the water flowing down into the base of the fountain, I draw thick vines with large thorns. I shade them as much as possible, trying to make them look black. They extend out of the structure like snakes with the thorns reminding me of teeth.

I'm so absorbed into sketching that when a shadow falls over me, it makes me jump. I look up quickly and my eyebrows raise when I see Cammillo Madrigal standing in front of me.

His curly brown hair is let down, slightly messy. He's wearing a white shirt with a soft yellow sweater over it. Black trimmings on the collar and bottom of the sweater add a pop of color to it. Black pants and shoes compelte his outfit. Camillo's hands are in his pocket and his face seems to be a bit surprised. His eyebrows are raised curiously at me.