Life of a Madrigal!

!Feliz cumpleanos Mirabel!

March 195X

(Carter Residence living room)

Zano, Camilo, and Ernie are sitting on a couch as Nell leads the review session for Operation Sweet 16.

"Gentleman as you all know not only has Mirabel been attending our school for months, but her sixteenth birthday is coming up," Nell said. "Not only is this a major teen milestone but a make-up for a 'half-assed quinceañera' Angie's words, not mine." She faces the boys, "So Camilo..."

"Hey, I was the one that brought life to that party and made her smile," he said defensively.

"I was going to ask how you and the Madrigal clan are doing on your parts?" Nell told him blankly.

"Oh, hehe," he smiled nervously, "Right."

"But you brought up a good point," Nell started writing on the board, "Make sure Camilo does not become the center of attention."

Camilo pouted at the girl's note and slumped back onto the couch with his arms crossed.

"Anyway, what about you two?" the African American girl asked the other two boys.

"I got the tunes," Zano said, holding up a record disk with music.

"I got the memory presentation film," Ernie said, holding the film in his hands. "Embarrassment free I might add."

"Great. Now Camilo, before that trip down guilt road how much progress did you and your family make?"

Camilo: "My family and I have the decorations set up for the party and Edna is almost done fitting and updating Mirabel's quince dress." he told her. "Our outfits are all ready, and the court list and seating charts are in order..."

As Camilo listed off his family's progress Zano's mind kept drifting off until Nell's voice pulled him out of it. "Zano? Zano... HEY ZANO!"

"What?!"

"Did you hear what I just said?" his female friend asked slyly.

"Something about the party?" he guessed, off handly.

"No! I asked if you did your tasks as chambelán de honor?" She replied, giving him a 'you better not have forgotten' look.

"Ease up Nell, I didn't forget. Abuela wouldn't let me," he said, "She made it her personal mission to see that I would be a good escort for Mirabel even had Camilo morph into her."

"I can't believe Sensei agreed to incorporate her dance lessons into our training," recalled Camilo in mild disbelief. "It took inviting the oracle twins to convince him to give us a day off."

"Well, when you're being asked by Doña Rivera and the four of the fiercest heroines in history for a favor you have only one option to stay in one piece," Nell said as she checked everything off the list.

"Cower and bend to their command." guessed Ernie.

"Compromise." She corrected.

"Some compromise after this party, Sensei is going to double our training to make up for wasted time," Zano explained. "Despite all the results we produced in our patrols since then."

"Speaking of Magic we all know what to do in case of a UMP?" Nell asked.

Ernie and Zano nodded yes but Camilo scratched his head, "UMP what?"

"U.M.P. Unintentional Magic Problem," Nell said reminding the Columbian shapeshifter.

"Oh, right because we don't know when a Magical mission will turn up and if one happened before, during, or after the party..."