Chapter 36
40 years before Encanto
Bruno leaned forward, hood shadowing his eyes as he put on a dramatic voice. "The monster is too strong! I can't hold him back much longer!"
Bruno made choking sounds, collapsing and thrashing against the table. He reached an arm across to them. "Run for your lives, before it's too late!!" Bruno's arm dropped lifelessly.
Alma chuckled. "Brunito, I think your real gift is acting."
"Acting." Pepa made quotation marks with her fingers. Julieta giggled.
"Laugh all you want." Bruno sprung back to life, taking a picture he'd drawn of a monster and propping it up for them to see. "It won't save you from this!" He turned to them. "What will you do?"
Pepa, Julieta and Alma all turned to eachother.
"We're low on health." Julieta reminded them. "And our healer used up all the spell slots." She shot Alma a look.
"Well. I did not know they were limited." Alma held up hands in surrender. "No one told me."
"Mama, we tell you every time!" Julieta couldn't help but laugh.
"I say we fight." Pepa decided.
"And if we die?" Julieta countered.
"Then we die trying." Pepa grinned. "We are heroes, no? We don't give up." She eyed Mama. "If we fall down, we get back up."
Alma smiled proudly, pinching her daughter's cheek. Pepa swatted away her hand. She loved when Mama was happy with her, but hated that pinching feeling.
Julieta exhaled, turning back to Bruno who watched with a smile.
"What's your decision, Valiant?" Bruno asked.
Julieta's character was leader of their group. She was a warrior woman who conquered her way through every adventure, sometimes carrying the other two along the way. While real life Julieta was small for her age, Valiant was a tank.
Julieta picked up the dice, her expression determined.
"We fight."
Bruno grinned. "Everyone roll."
Julieta tossed her dice. "2."
"5." Pepa added.
They both turned to Mama, who was squinting down at her dice. "What does that one say, Pepa?"
Pepa leaned in, then groaned. "6."
"And the monster rolled a 3." Bruno announced. "So Mama, you're up first. What do you do?"
"Well, I'm going to cast a spell." Alma decided.
Pepa covered her laugh.
Ay, every time.
"Do you have any spell slots left, Mama?" Bruno smiled, knowing she didn't.
"Oh." Alma muttered. She then began shuffling papers of character and inventory sheets, leaning into Julieta. "Which one has my weapon, mija?"
"Over here, Mama." Julieta pointed to Alma's papers.
"And which one can I use again?"
Pepa rested her head in her hands, eyes rolling back as Julieta reexplained the rules to Mama for the hundredth time. Bruno caught her eye and they both grinned.
This had started off as a game just the two of them would play in Bruno's tower. It originated when the town had been upset with them. They hadn't been allowed outside for a long time, so they started making up stories together, where they weren't the villains. They'd become so immersed in their stories and adventures that it'd feel like real life didn't matter anymore. They'd start writing and become the heroes they always wanted to be.
"I use my butterfly crossbow." Alma announced.
"Roll for damage." Bruno instructed.
The dice clattered and Alma squinted down. "4."
"Miracle steps forward, knowing she has no more magic to heal her friends," Bruno told them. "But, she can't just stand by and do nothing. She takes out her crossbow, butterflies flying out and swarming the monster. It steps back, hitting into the wall behind it and dropping a rock down in its head!" Bruno slammed his hands onto the table. "Monster takes 4 points of damage!"
Pepa grinned, shaking her hand in excitement.
"Your turn, Sunshine." Bruno turned to Pepa.
Alma couldn't help but shift uncomfortably at the name. It was the name Pepa had chosen for her character, but only Alma knew that it'd also been the name Pedro used to call Pepa as a baby.
"Look how bright she glows." Pedro used to say, kissing their baby's forehead. "Look at her hair. I've never seen anything like it. Have you?" He looked up at Alma in wonder. "Our little Sunshine. She's gonna be so special, Mariposa. I can already tell."
Alma smiled sadly at the memory, stroking her daughter's hair as she watched her play the game. Alma wished Pedro could have seen how they turned out.
"I'm going to use my sunblast." Pepa decided.
Pepa's character had weather based abilities similar to her own, but Sunshine had perfect control of her powers. Pepa also made sure everyone knew that Sunshine was beautiful, with dark skin, brown eyes and long black hair.
"Your sun powers are still depleted from the goblin battle." Bruno reminded her.
"Not if I recharge from the light."
"Ay but we're underground." Bruno grinned. "The only shaft of light is at the entrance, and that's across the room."
Pepa didn't back down.
"So, I take the blessed mirror we found in the ancient tomb. I throw it across the room so the light bounces off it's reflection and absorbs into me."
Bruno chuckled, amused by her creativity.
"Alright, Pepi." He decided. "I'll allow it... But you gotta roll a 6."
Pepa held her dice in both hands and blew on it for luck. She rubbed it along her nose, her eyes closed as she whispered softly and quickly.
"You can do it." Julieta encouraged.
Pepa exhaled slowly, throwing the dice.
5.
Her eyes darted to Bruno hopefully, but there was no such luck.
"Sunshine takes out her blessed mirror, tossing it to the one ray of light in the room. She reaches a hand out as the light makes contact, her body glowing, but it's not enough to make a hit."
Pepa's cloud thundered as she banged fists down on the table.
"That's not fair!" She shouted, her eyes furious. "5 should be enough!"
"Pepa!" Alma reminded her. "It's just a game."
Her cloud thundered again. It wasn't just a game for Pepa. Sunshine was real.
Bruno continued to play, unphased.
"The monster cries out!" Bruno roared, but Pepa wasn't impressed. "It's swipes its claws at Sunshine."
He swiped a hand at Pepa and her cloud began to storm.
"Why me?" Pepa shouted, throwing out a hand. "Mama was there first! This isn't fair, Brunito!"
"Pepa." Alma scolded. "Calm down."
"It's claws cut her, knocking Sunshine to the ground!" Bruno continued, rolling his dice. "Blood pours from her body as she takes 5 points of damage!"
Pepa screamed, clouds crashing and illuminating.
She remembered the scrape as she was shoved to the ground. The blood running down her leg. Boys crowding over her, laughing as she cried. The rain pouring down.
Gross. Freak. What's wrong with your face?
Pepa sobbed, scratching fingernails along her skin.
Alma took her hands, holding them tight.
"Pepa." She spoke gently. "No more. It's only a game."
Pepa pulled against Mama's grip, eyes closed and chest heaving as she cried.
Sunshine wasn't supposed to get hurt. In the game everything was supposed to be okay. This was how Pepa escaped.
"That's enough." Alma insisted, gesturing at the swirling clouds. "Look around. You are spoiling the game."
Rain was pouring all over the table as Julieta and Bruno gathered the papers.
Pepa sobbed, hiding her face against Mama. The boys were right, Pepa was just a baby. Baby gringa. Pepa ruined everything.
"Look at me." Alma insisted, stroking Pepa's face as she sobbed. "Look at me, mija. Deep breaths."
Pepa shuddered, closing her eyes.
"You cannot get this angry over a game, Pepa." Alma insisted. "It is not normal. Clear skies. Come on, say it with me."
"I can't!"
Bruno hid papers from the water and continued, knowing if they just took the attention off Pepa and kept playing the game she'd feel less pressured, and probably come back to play.
"So Valiant?" He asked Julieta, water dripping from his hair as he spoke over thunder and his sister's crying. "What'll it be?"
Julieta considered. She knew her character could probably take out the monster in one go and win, but knew that wouldn't help Pepa.
"I go back to the entrance." Julieta decided. Everyone turned to her in surprise. "I pick up Sunshine's mirror, and I reflect the light over to her, so her sunbeam activates."
The storm faded as Pepa's expression softened. She turned to Julieta with grateful eyes, while Mama stroked back Pepa's fringe, feeling relieved.
"Roll for it." Bruno grinned at Pepa.
Pepa wiped her face, then closed her eyes. She whispered, dice in her fist as she shook her hand anxiously.
She let go.
4.
Pepa's nose twitched. She took a shaky breath as the rain returned.
"Ah well." Bruno smiled gently, pushing along. "Mama's turn."
Pepa watched Bruno, feeling betrayed. Thunder crashed as Pepa stroked her braid, concentrating hard on her breathing. Clear skies, clear skies.
Alma was whispering to Julieta as her daughter helped with the inventory papers.
"Well, I have a mirror too." Alma announced. "So I stand beside Julieta-"
"Valiant."
"Who?"
"That's my name, Mama."
"Oh. Well, I stand next to Valeran and I shine the light on Pepa too."
"Sunshine." Julieta corrected again.
Bruno smiled.
"Alright Pepi." He said. "Last chance, then it's the monster's turn."
Pepa smiled at Mama. She closed her eyes, taking deep breaths. She held the dice with both hands and pressed it against her furrowed brow. She moaned in stress.
Sunshine could do this. It wasn't going to be bad like real life. This was Pepa's safe place. Here, the monsters didn't win.
Pepa threw the dice and they all held their breath as it tumbled.
They leaned in, Pepa stroking her hair anxiously.
6.
Pepa's face lit up.
"Ay! You did it, Pepi!" Julieta pulled Pepa in for a hug, and Alma kissed her cheek. Pepa grinned, a rainbow appearing over their heads as they cheered.
Bruno made a grand bowing gesture in defeat. He watched with a smile as his Mama and sisters laughed, jumping around in excitement.
The next day
"Bruno." The teacher called out. "Pepa."
Julieta nudged her brother. Pepa was on Bruno's other side, heads together as their minds zoned out. Bruno was doodled pictures and Pepa whispering to him. They both stopped, looking up at the teacher.
"Do I need to separate you?"
Pepa held her brother's arm, shaking her head. A grey cloud appeared over them.
"Last chance."
Pepa exhaled slowly as she tried to focus on the board. It was hard to sit still for so long. Pepa's body felt like a wound up spring. Beside her, Bruno kept drawing as if nothing had even happened.
"As I was saying," The teacher continued. "If our town had 4 donkeys and we needed to carry 100 coffee beans from the harvest-"
"That's too low." Pepa spoke up.
The teacher sighed, accustomed to Pepa's impulsive interruptions. Kids turned to look.
"If you have a question-"
"Coffee trees make about 4000 beans a year." Pepa explained. "We have 50 trees in the Encanto. So, the harvest-"
"Those numbers are way too high, Pepa." The teacher interrupted. "Let's keep it simple. Hm?" He smiled as he turned back to the board. "100 beans-"
"But it's true!" Pepa insisted, and the kids nearby chuckled. She shot them a look, then turned back ti the teacher. "100 is too low."
"Maybe Señor's talking about this season's harvest." One kid spoke up, the rest of them laughing in agreement.
Pepa turned with fierce eyes, her cloud thundering. Pepa's cheeks burned up in embarrassment as she watched them laugh.
The teacher exhaled slowly. This year's coffee famine had hit everyone hard.
Seeing that the teacher wasn't stepping in, Julieta stood up with a scrape of her chair and the laughter immediately stopped.
She turned, looking the kid in the eyes.
"Don't disrespect my family."
The class fell silent.
"Apologise." Her voice was quiet but strong. She gestured to Pepa. "Apologise to my sister."
The kid gulped, then turned to Pepa.
"Sorry." His voice was soft.
Julieta nodded, then sat back down. Pepa smiled over at her.
"Nice one, Valiant." Bruno whispered. Julieta smiled, looking back up at the board.
"Yes. Our community is forever grateful to the Madrigals." The teacher agreed. "We must never forget it is their magic that keeps our Encanto safe."
He went to move on, but Julieta spoke again.
"I think Pepa knew the answer, Señor."
Everyone turned to her. As town healer Julieta had huge respect from the village. She was quiet, but when she spoke everybody listened, teachers included.
The teacher cleared his throat, turning back to Pepa.
"Okay, then." The teacher agreed. "Pepa. Tell us about the coffee."
Pepa's face lit up. She took a deep breath, fingers twisting her braid.
"Well. You know, 50 trees make 4000 beans in our fields." Pepa said. "So that's... Hm. That's 200,000 beans. It's a lot of coffee." She laughed. "But sometimes it is not enough."
The teacher blinked in surprise. He hadn't thought Pepa would know the answer. She was always disruptive or distracted in class, so he'd assumed she wasn't very bright.
"And divided between 4 donkeys?"
Pepa laughed.
"We don't use the donkeys, Señor." Pepa explained. "That is for the big crops. The coffee goes into a bag and the farmers carry it."
"Between four bags?" The teacher tried again.
Pepa stroked her braid, whispering under her breath as her mind ticked over. Julieta watched hopefully. Come on, Pepi.
"I think it is..." Pepa took a breath. "Is it 50,000?"
The teacher grinned and nodded.
"I expect big things from you now, Pepa." He smiled, then turned back to the board.
"But you know, we separate the beans in a different way." Pepa continued. "Arabica or Robusta. You know the difference-"
"Okay, clever girl." He chuckled. "Listening now, hm? I will ask you later."
Pepa's face glowed with pride as she sat straight in her seat, a rainbow appearing. School had never been this fun before. Julieta watched her, feeling happy. All her sister needed was for someone to give her a chance.
There was a knock at the door.
"Señor, my apologies." A villager entered, holding his hat in his hands. "There's been an accident in town."
The teacher turned to Julieta, who immediately headed over.
"Take me to them." Julieta said softly, heading out the door with the man.
Pepa watched her sister leave. This happened often. Pepa didn't know how Julieta ever managed to keep up with her schoolwork.
"As I was saying..." The teacher continued.
Pepa glanced at Bruno's drawing, but her mind didn't zone out this time. It felt like the teacher liked her and wanted her here, and that motivated Pepa to listen to him.
She then felt a tap on the back of her chair.
Turning around, Pepa saw her friends smiling and waving to her. Pepa grinned. For some reason her friends only spoke to her when Julieta wasn't around.
One of them put a finger to their lips, then passed a note forward. Pepa's face lit up in excitement as she reached and grabbed it.
"Pepa."
She froze, turning with wide eyes to see the teacher watching.
"Are you passing notes?"
Pepa swallowed. She glanced back at her friend, who looked sad and frightened.
She then turned back to the teacher and nodded.
Bruno frowned in confusion.
"Let me see." The teacher held out a hand. Pepa took a deep breath and handed it over, wind blowing anxiously as she held onto her braid.
"Hopefully this is to do with the lesson-" The teacher's expression darkened. He took a shaky breath, then looked hump at her.
"Is this true, Pepa?"
She nodded, not knowing what it said, but determined to help her friends.
He scrunched it up, his eyes furious.
"Get out."
Pepa's expression softened. What? He'd only just started to like her.
"Please go." The teacher insisted, pointing to the door, then holding up the crinkled paper. "I will be speaking with Señora Madrigal about this tonight."
Pepa's heart sunk. No, not Mama.
"Leave."
Pepa flinched as her cloud began to rain over her head. She got up, her breath shaky as she went out the door.
Bruno heard laughter and turned with a frown, seeing the girls Pepa kept calling her friends. The one who'd passed the note raised eyebrows at Bruno, looking smug. Another screwed up a ball of paper and threw it at him.
Later
Bruno carried both his sisters' books under his arm as he left school, feeling miserable. The girls hadn't left him alone all day.
"Brunito." Pepa was waiting out the front, hands gripping her braid and a cloud over her head.
Bruno smiled, comforted by the sight of her.
"Let's go home, sis." Bruno sighed, but Pepa didn't follow. She waited at the door.
"I want to see my friends." She explained. "I need to find out what was on the note before Mama does."
Bruno sighed again. Dios. He'd been dreading this conversation.
He tried to find a tactful way to say it, but as always, Bruno's words came out blunt.
"They're not your friends."
Pepa's cloud darkened as she turned to him.
"What?"
"Those girls." He repeated. "They're not your friends."
"They are." Pepa insisted, her voice defensive.
Bruno shook his head. "They don't like you, Pepi."
Pepa's eyes softened. Why was Brunito being so mean? Was it because she ruined their game?
Of course they liked her. Pepa remembered how they'd helped her on the bridge.
"Remember the mimic monsters?" Bruno tried again, knowing from her scowl Pepa wasn't believing him. "It's like that, sis. They set you up. The note was a trap. I saw them laughing after you left."
Rain started to fall at his words. Kids glanced at them as they passed. Pepa moaned, hands fidgeting as she felt ashamed. Why was Bruno making her rain in front of everybody? She glared at him, thunder adhd lightning flashing against her fierce eyes.
"I saw it." Bruno insisted, not backing down.
"You know what I see?" Pepa accused, her breath fast and heavy as she wiped her tears. "I see you being jealous."
"Jealous?" Bruno laughed in disbelief.
"You are!" She insisted, her cloud thundering. "You're jealous that I have friends and you don't!"
Bruno scoffed.
"I have friends." He opened his bag to reveal the rats Mama said he wasn't allowed to take to school. He gently closed it again. "And I have you, and Juli."
"But those are animals and family." Pepa shot back. "I'm talking about real friends."
Bruno's face fell.
"Why are you being so mean?"
"You're being mean to me, Brunito!" Pepa gasped as it became hard to breathe. "And you hurt Sunshine-"
"You wanted me to let you win?" Bruno scoffed. "Come on, Pepa! We both know you would've hated that!"
"But you didn't have to cut her." Pepa gasped for breath. "And make her bleed." She whimpered, fingers twisting her braid as she remembered the bridge.
"Are you okay?" Bruno's brow furrowed in concern. He put a hand to his sister's back as she panicked. "Has something happened?"
Pepa's cloud thundered. Kids from the older class started coming out too, and suddenly Pepa felt terrified.
"Look who it is."
Pepa whimpered, hiding against Bruno. The boys from the bridge walked out, Pepa's friends walking along beside them.
Bruno recognised those boys too, knowing firsthand they were trouble. He gulped, slowly running Pepa's back.
"Pepa!"
Her friends called out to her, smiling.
"Are you okay?"
"Thanks for helping us, Pepa."
"You're the best."
Pepa blinked in surprise, the rain stopping. She glanced at warily at the boys, but they were smiling too. She turned back to her friends, not knowing what to do.
"Come with us." One of the girls held out a hand. It was the girl who'd walked her home yesterday.
Pepa's face lit up into a smile and she took her friend's hand. Bruno's face fell as his sister joined the group.
"Come on, Brunito!" She turned back to her brother, her voice excited as she reached out for him.
Pepa flinched at the familiar roar of laughter. She closed her eyes, her heartbeat fast as the sound triggered painful memories.
"Ew." Her friends laughed. "Not him."
"Not the rat boy." They laughed.
"Just you, Pepa."
Pepa's eyes softened. It was like she was seeing her experience on the bridge, but this time from the other perspective. She held tight to her friend's hand, not knowing what to do. She reached again for her brother.
Bruno wiped his eyes, turning away.
"Brunito!" Pepa called after him.
Bruno turned back, his expression fierce. Tears ran down his cheeks.
The group laughed at the sight of him crying.
"Don't laugh at him!" Pepa gasped.
Bruno took one last look at Pepa, then pulled his hood up and walked away.
