AUTHOR'S NOTE

It's been only what? A few days since I published my Encanto one-shot, and I almost have 900 views? That's amazing! Here's another fanfiction with multiple parts.

STORY INFO

Due to being the outcast of the family, Mirabel embraces being alone; she becomes an adolescent rebel while keeping her fun personality. After she accidentally misses Antonio's gift ceremony, a mysterious boy helps Mirabel find her way home and realize it's time to learn that she does have a place in the family.

WARNING

Rated T for language.

Two Oruguitas

PART 1

"Mirabel!" Julieta practically screamed at the other side of the nursery. She banged the door until the side of her fist turned red along with her face. Augustin walked beside her and rubbed her back affectionately. "Ay, Augustin, I am going to kill this girl if she doesn't wake up. It's past noon! Can't she help prepare her own little cousin's ceremony?"

"It's alright, mi amor. She's just . . . growing. Yeah, growing. She's at that age."

"Well, I don't care if she grows to the sky like a giant bean stock Isabella grew. I need her help in the kitchen now." She gestured to the door. "You wake her up. That's your daughter."

Augustin brought his hand up to the door, lightly knocking. "Mirabel, you awake?" he asked in a tone that was a bit over a whisper.

Julieta facepalmed. "You got to do better than that. That wouldn't even wake a fly up-"

To her parents' surprise, Mirabel swung open the door. "I'm up, Pa," she answered in a groggily voice. Still in her nightgown, mascara from the previous night smudged against her lower eyelid, strands of her front fringe stuck to her forehead.

"Are you serious, Mirabel? Now you want to wake up?" her mother groaned. "I don't have time for this. I need your help in the kitchen. Be ready in five minutes."

She rubbed her eye. "Five minutes? Mama, I haven't even been awake for five minutes!"

"If it reaches the sixth minute, so help me God." She closed her eyes and made a cross to her body with her hands. "Be there."

Once his wife walked far enough out of hearing distance, Augustin held his daughter by the shoulders. "You don't wanna know what happens after that sixth minute."

Mirabel looked away from her father's hard gaze and slouched. "I know."

"Please just cooperate with your mother for today, hm? She's been stressed since she has to cook for everyone."

"I understand, Pa."

Mirabel got ready with a few seconds to spare. She was used to getting ready under pressure; she was the queen of waking up late. She used to get up early. The girl would get up at every event to help. However, after many times of Abuela telling her to "step aside", Isabella reminding her about how she's "in the way", and getting thundered on by Pepa's quick temper, she gave up.

The family wasn't for her; she knew she didn't belong. If it wasn't just the people within and out of the family reminding her that, it was the feeling she got. She used to try so hard to realize she was as special as everyone else, but all she felt was neglect. No matter what, she wouldn't be good enough for Abuela. Now, she was okay with that.

"There you are, roll this dough for me," Julieta said the second the girl came in. She handed her a bowl of sticky dough for her new batch of bread.

With uncertainty, Mirabel placed it down and separated pieces to go onto the sheet. If only the pieces didn't stick so much to her hands and under her navy blue-painted fingernails. She reached for the sink to rinse some off, but it got on the handle. Mirabel sighed and grabbed a paper towel to wipe that off. It wouldn't detach from the roll. With enough force, it came off, with the cost of the roll falling into the running sink.

Mirabel groaned and took it out, big droplets of water rained to the floor. Now the whole roll was wet and ruined. She tossed the useless roll away, missing. The roll flipped onto the floor, leaving a wet trail of paper towels behind it. It stopped by Julieta's foot at the door.

"What happened?" She tried to keep her calm, inhaling deeply.

"I went to rinse of my hands and the-!" Mirabel tripped on water and found herself on the floor. She looked up to see the sink running over, creating a pool under her dress.

Abuela walked into the kitchen. She gasped, "What is going on here?" Her expression fell a bit once she saw it was Mirabel. Mirabel took notice to this. Of course Abuela wasn't surprised she was at fault.

"I was just trying to help," Mirabel mumbled. She flipped her hair nervously, not caring if she got water and dough in it.

"Why is she helping you cook?" Abuela asked her daughter.

"You know I never get help around here," Julieta put her hands on her hips above her apron, "Augustin is busy helping Felix. You think I wouldn't have asked him for help instead?"

"Don't get sarcastic with me, Julieta. You think I don't know Augustin was obviously the better option?" Abuela shut her mouth, but it was too late.

Mirabel stood. She turned off the sink. The silence was present, only the droplets of water from Mirabel's dress could be heard.

"That's not what Mama meant," Julieta explained.

"No, I get it. I'm a screw up." She rung out her dress like a rag. "I'll leave since that's the better option. Maybe Pa can help. Sucks that I had to wake up for nothing, though."

Mirabel dragged her feet across Casita. No one chased after her. No one said sorry. Same old same old. Ironically enough, her family was doing amazing things all around her, doing their part to help set up this party. Yet no one could find where Antonio was hiding.

Mirabel grunted, accidentally bumping into Isabella. "Watch where you're going," Isabella sassed.

Her younger sister rolled her eyes. "My bad, Miss Princess Perfecta. Now not the time."

Isabella hated that nickname. "Maybe if you didn't try so hard, you wouldn't be in the way."

"You're such a bitch, you know that?"

She gasped at that remark. By the time she responded with "I am not!" Mirabel was already gone.

The outskirts of the village were so always so beautiful. It was Mirabel's go-to place whenever she needed to be alone, which was often. No one really noticed her gone anyway. Once she was back in Casita she slipped right in as if she never left.

Mirabel sat on a large rock, looking over the village. If she was honest, sometimes she go off into a daydream about leaving her home. Not just the home: the village. The thought loved to dance in her head. It was sweet like honey. Images of life alone with no judgment warmed the back of her eyelids.

Maybe she could live this fuzzy fantasy for tonight.

She wouldn't be gone for long. She wouldn't dare miss Antonio's party. Why would she? He was one of the few in the family who appreciated her. But soon he'd get his gift and she feared he'd forget about her like the others seemed to.

Maybe just once, she could be free tonight.

She swung on vines like Isabella, listened to the pretty singing from the birds like Dolores, pretended to be anyone she wanted to be like Camilo. She was herself tonight, dancing with the swaying trees in the forest all alone.

Suddenly, reasoning broke into Mirabel's head like a mighty flood. What time was it? Where was she? How long has she been outside?

The sun was setting behind the tall, leafy trees above her. Left was right and right was left. Yup, Mirabel was completely lost. At first, she managed to stay calm. She walked a familiar route, attempting to retrace invisible steps. But every tree started to look the same. That went for every rock, flower, and bush too.

Understandably, she eventually began to panic. Her blood pressure raised at the very thought of being stuck there for good and no one finding her until she was no longer alive struck fear into her soul. Vision doubled, head feeling lighter than a feather, she fainted.

The colors behind her eyelids spiraled and compacted together into the shape of a little green caterpillar. Soon that shape doubled. They acted like the Sand Man, putting her out of consciousness.

...

"I think she's waking up!"