Note: Just to make the writing easier for me in particular, I'm going to be switching between second and third person point of views a lot in this chapter. Sorry if that gets annoying '^^
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- Third-person POV -
"Camilo!"
Antonio heaved a sigh. His father, Felíx, was calling for Antonio's older brother again. Camilo, who was sitting right beside him, gave him a comforting but slightly uncertain glance, then left his bed to see what Felíx wanted, leaving Antonio in the room alone.
Just a moment after Camilo took a turn down the balcony-like hall to the right of the doorway, Mirabel came in from the left.
"Antonio?" she murmured.
The young boy looked up at his older cousin as she called his name. At the sad look on his face, concern laced Mirabel's features and she leaned forward questioningly, brows furrowed a bit as she tried to read his expression.
"What's wrong, primo?" Mirabel pressed gently.
Antonio paused, staring at the ground as he wondered how to answer that. ". . .Camilo's been seeming really sad lately," he mumbled. "I'm not sure why or what to do. I asked to come here with him hoping we could talk about it, but then Papá called him, and now. . ." He sighed, turning his head away and closing his eyes, face hardening a bit with pain. ". . .Now I'm not sure I'll ever know."
Mirabel's eyes trailed to the floor, her face softened with understanding. With a small pause, she perked up. "Why not go find Penita?" she suggested.
"Penita?" Antonio echoed. He'd only met Penita Sanchez once; it was last year at his Gifting ceremony.
"Yeah!" Mirabel sounded much more excited now. "I've talked to Peni a few times. She's a really bubbly person, and it didn't take long to become her friend. It's hard not to want to open up to her, and she tends to be kind and gentle. Just watch out for her temper," Mirabel added quickly as she followed Antonio out of Camilo's room. "Her rage can get as bad as Tía Samantha's on a Monday morning."
Antonio made a face. Samantha was their aunt, and their Tío Bruno's wife. They'd married a little under a year ago, not long after Casita's rebuilding, and Samantha was currently pregnant with their first child. If a small fire started each time her anger rose to what they'd call a "dangerous level", the whole of planet Earth would be a pile of crumbled ash and nothing more. If Penita's rage were anything like that, he wasn't sure he wanted to go see her, but he trusted Mirabel's judgement enough to go anyway without voicing his thoughts.
Meanwhile, as Mirabel led Antonio into town to find Penita, Camilo made his way back to his bedroom.
"Hey, Antonio," he called. "Sorry about that, I'm free to talk now though-"
He broke off as he realized Antonio was gone.
Dolores passed his room and he quickly went to his sister's side, closing his door behind him.
"Hey, Dolores," Camilo mumbled. She paused when she saw him and gave him a questioning look. "Any idea where Toni went?"
"Oh, he went with Mirabel to find Peni," Dolores replied, then gave a tiny squeak and walked off, not waiting for a response.
Camilo, face shifting into a confused expression, quickly followed her. "Who?"
Dolores glanced at him. "Peni," she repeated, then stopped, fully turning to him. "You do remember Penita Sanchez, don't you?"
He didn't.
When he did no more than start at her, Dolores added, "She was the only one who'd been okay with Bruno's visions and she'd been happy with Mirabel despite her having no Gift. It was also her that chose to convince the town to come and help rebuild Casita when it crumbled last year."
". . .Huh. Funny I don't remember her." Camilo scratched his head.
Dolores shrugged and fled for the stairs, heading to the door.
Camilo left toward his mother Pepa, who was in the kitchen with his aunt Julieta.
"Mamá?" he called, interrupting their conversation.
The two turned to him. "Yes, Milo?" Pepa prompted.
"Antonio and Mirabel left to find someone named Penita," Camilo explained. "Can I go after them?"
"Ay, that Peni," Julieta sighed. "She's the perfect mix between an angel and a trouble-maker."
Pepa nodded at her sister with an, "Mhm. . .!" To Camilo, she added, "You can go, but be careful. That girl could be as gentle as a spring shower but as harsh as a hurricane."
Camilo only nodded, though inwardly, he groaned, a bit annoyed that everyone but him seemed to know Penita. Even so, it only made him all the more curious and eager to meet her in person.
He fled after Dolores, who was in the crowd of bustling townspeople, and mentally made a note saying she was going in the direction of the Guzmans' house. It couldn't be too surprising, he reflected, considering that she'd been dating Mariano Guzman since the year before.
After a few steps outside, Camilo realized he had no real idea of where he was going exactly. He turned to Casita with an uncertain smile, his brows creased and hands fidgeting.
"Casita?" he began haltingly.
The door to his bedroom window swung back and fourth questioningly in response.
"Do you have any idea of where to find Penita Sanchez?"
The tiles on the floor raised and lowered a couple times, as if shrugging.
"Hm." Camilo looked around, hands on his hips, brows furrowed in thought. "Well, Dolores said she supported Tío Bruno, didn't mind Mirabel having no Gift, and was the one who got everyone to come fix you. She sounds really kind to me."
He turned back to face the rest of the village. "If I were a kind girl, where would I be?"
After a moment of thought, he brightened up with a new idea and raced into town. "I've got it!" he exclaimed. "Thanks, Casita!"
Casita slammed the window door and front door shut.
Antonio hesitantly followed Mirabel into the trading market. He rarely ever came here. The others there seemed to ignore the two, walking past or around them without even a glance.
"Peni tends to hang out around here," Mirabel began, then broke off at the sound of someone singing gently nearby:
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I'd follow you, I won't let go
Darlin', baby, you should know
I don't have another way to show
How much that I love you so
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"Hey," Mirabel breathed, turning back to Antonio. "That sounds like her!"
She grabbed his hand and led him after the voice as it continued singing softly, clear and strong but quiet:
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I think of you every night,
Kisses in the candle light
Baby, you make me go blind
Don't you know how bright you shine?
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What more can I say or do
So scared of what it'll turn into
I'm stuck to you just like glue
And it's all because I love you
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They stopped in front of a girl with a sky blue poncho and her hood up. She was sitting on a jewelry trading stand. Sitting beside her was a girl in a simple white, frilly-ish dress with wavy-straight brown hair.
The brunette looked up as Mirabel and Antonio approached. She elbowed her friend in turquoise who suddenly opened her eyes with a jolt. The girl looked at her questioningly.
"Peni," the brunette whispered, then jerked her thumb at them and her gaze darted in their direction and back.
- Second-person POV -
Your head perked up as you spotted them. "Mira!" you cried, opening your arms and hopping over to them.
"Peni!" Mirabel found herself copying you as you threw your arms around each other. You pulled away a moment later, then turned to squat in front of Antonio.
"And is this Antonio?" you breathed, grinning. "It couldn't possibly be him! Ahh, he's gotten too big!" As you spoke, you began tickling his neck and stomach, chasing away his weariness with laughter.
You raised an eyebrow at him. "How old are you now?" you pressed, still smiling.
"I'm six," he answered promptly.
"What?" You flinched back, hand on your chest, honey brown eyes wide open, mouth agape. "No way!" After another giggle from Antonio, you added, "I hope you, Dolores, and Camilo are all taking good care of each other."
"Actually, Peni," Mirabel began, stepping between the two of you, "that's why we're here. It's about Camilo. . ."
At the way her tone dropped and both Madrigal kids' faces became solemn, your smile faltered, and you exchanged a glance with the girl in the stand behind you.
- Third-person POV -
Camilo hurried to the trading market, bumping into people in his rush and briskly apologizing each time. Once he got there, he collided with one more person and hopped backwards on one staggering foot to continue facing them as he called out a slightly sheepish, "Sorry!"
He then turned back and took no more than one step before he crashed into someone. Time seemed to slow and the girl he crashed into stared at him with eyes as wide as his own. Camilo grabbed her wrist and pulled her towards him. Knowing that his momentum wouldn't allow him to stay on his feet, he slid one foot across her ankles, making her lean to the right until she began to fall in that direction.
Before she reached the ground, Camilo tightened his grip on her wrist and twisted around. Still in his firm grasp, the girl was forced to swing around with him and they fell together, her landing with her chest against his.
Camilo breathed out the quietest sigh of relief. Mission accomplished. He'd managed to break her fall.
People rushed up to them. "Are you okay?"
Camilo recognized Antonio's voice.
"Camilo!" That voice was Mirabel's.
"Peni!"
He didn't know that last voice, but the name made his green eyes snap open. Peni?
The girl above him was wearing a blue poncho. She had curly brown hair that shone in the sunlight and matching her honey brown eyes. Besides her curly hair and light skin tone, she could've easily been mistaken for Camilo's cousin Isabella, the Madrigal known to be the most beautiful, perfect girl in all of Encanto.
- Second-person POV -
You stared at him, apparently still startled. After a moment, you stammered, "Ah-yeah, I-I'm fine," which Camilo assumed was directed at Antonio's question, though your gaze never left Camilo's. Quickly and carefully, you climbed off, then held your hand out to him to help him up.
"You alright?" you breathed, staring deeply into his eyes.
"I-I'm okay, heh." He offered you a small smile. "Don't worry about me, Señorita."
Flushing, you dipped your head.
"Okay." Mirabel bounded up to you with Antonio and the girl Camilo still didn't recognize. "Peni, this is Camilo. Camilo, this is Penita."
Your eyes grew even wider. "You're Camilo?" you breathed. He was even more attractive than you'd imagined after seeing his picture on his bedroom door the day before.
Camilo bowed, naturally slipping into his usual charming behavior. "Sí, Señora," he answered respectfully. "Camilo Madrigal, humble and charming shapeshifter, at your service."
With a giggle, you imitated his modest tone, grabbing the bottom of your poncho and giving a small curtsey. "Pleasure to meet you, Señor Madrigal," you chortled with a bright grin.
"Pleasure's all mine." Camilo placed a kiss on the back of your hand and straightened himself.
Again, you gave a small laugh, making Camilo beam.
Mirabel and Antonio smiled excitedly at each other, then Mirabel cleared her throat. "We should get going," she murmured. "Abuela will be wondering where we are."
"I should head out, too," added the brunette girl that Camilo had almost forgotten about (being too focused on you to pay anyone else any attention).
"Okay!" You waved at the girl. "Bye, Paloma!"
Paloma waved back, staring at you all over her shoulder. "See ya," she mumbled with a sad grin.
Turning back to the Madrigal kids, you dipped your head again sheepishly. "Mind if I go with you guys?"
Before anyone else could respond, Camilo quickly said, "Of course!" Taking your hand eagerly, he added smugly, "I'm sure yours truly can convince Abuela to let you."
When you two were out of earshot, Antonio turned to Mirabel. "He seems happier already!"
She stared after you and Camilo with a knowing grin on her face. "Yup. He does."
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A/N: if the appearance I gave you sounds nothing like how you look irl, that's sorta intentional, but I promise I'll explain why in future chapters!
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