Chapter 10:
(Felix POV)
- 2 years later -
The Firefly Festival was coming around the corner and I knew it was going to be another year of me going alone. I hated watching Pepa and Hernando together each year but I wasn't going to do anything that would make Pepa unhappy and she was happy with Hernando. I was working trying to clear my mind when Augustin was looking all over and then caught sight of me. What was going on? Was he ok? I could tell from one look he wasn't. I stood up dusting my hands off as he made my way over and sighed, "What's wrong?" He looked so upset and hurt, "Luca is taking Julieta to the Festival this weekend." I shook my head, "What are you doing Julieta?" I muttered before looking back at him, "Sorry Augustin. I can't believe Julieta would say yes to him." He wasn't looking at me, "She didn't really say yes to him." Was he serious, "So they aren't going together?" He shook his head, "No they are." I needed to clear this up, "But she didn't say yes?" He nodded his head again.
Alright the subtle approach that Pepa and I have been taking for years needed to end now. I shook my head, "Then why are you talking to me right now instead of asking her to go with you." He looked up at me wide-eyed, "Because she is going with Luca." I was done, "Clearly not willingly if she never said yes. Augustin you have always talked about how much you love her and how you know that you are going to end up with her one day. Do something to make that happen."
He kept looking down at his feet, "But she could have whoever she wanted. Why would she want to be stuck with the runt of the Sanchez family?" This. This right here is why I have been asking him to move in with me since we were 15. That family has destroyed any ounce of self-esteem he used to have and if he needed someone to tell him the truth I would. "No. You do not go there," I knew that this part was true and I was going to have to lay it on really thick for him, "She could be friends with whoever she wanted to and who is her best friend in town?" "Me," his voice was weak but I knew my point was starting to sink in, "Yes you. I know for a fact that guys have tried asking her out before or getting her attention. Has she gone out with any of them?" He shook his head, "No." "Do you wonder why?" He shrugged looking at me, "I tried to never think about it." I scoffed, "Well humor me for a minute and think about it."
I watched as a series of emotions and thoughts played across his face before he looked at me, "Does Julieta like me?" I let out a breath, "I can't say. There is only one person that you are going to be able to get answer from and we both know where she is right now." Suddenly I saw lightning cross the sky as thunder boomed. Pepa. Augustin was ready he knew what he had to do, Pepa needed me now, "I have to go, but find me later alright?" He nodded his head and I went to run off.
Señor Enrique grabbed my arm, "Where are you going? You know we wait for the storm to pass." I looked up at the sky. Whatever was causing this storm was really bad. I looked him in the eye and shrugged, "Dock my pay." I shook his arm off and ran looking for Pepa. She was supposed to be out in the fields today but I didn't see her nearby. It started raining down as lightning was striking in different directions. I followed the bolts and began running in that direction. I then saw Pepa by the old bridge over the river crying into her arms. "Pepa?" She looked up at me tears were streaming down her face. I went down to my knees and wrapped my arms around her. "I-I can't control it F-Felix you need to go." I held onto her, "I never minded the rain."
She took that as permission and held onto me as she cried a little bit harder. I shielded her body from the rain as it hit the back of my shirt letting her go through whatever she needed. She slowly started to breathe again and relax in my arms. She looked up at me and I looked around. The clouds were still there but the thunder and lightning was dying down and the rain was lighting up. "Why did you help me?" She asked. I smirked, "I'll always be here for you Pepa. You know that." She nodded her head letting out a shaky breath, "M-Mama was up-upset. I-I m-messed up the weather and it m-messed up the cr-crop schedule." I smiled at her, "Hey. It's ok. We can have a few days where things don't go according to plan. Trust me I have worked in those fields for years Enrique can afford it." She laughed a little bit, "Thank you."
(Pepa POV)
I couldn't breathe. Why couldn't I do anything right? Why was I such a mess? "PEPA," Mama started to yell. I looked up at her, "YOU NEED TO CONTROL YOURSELF CALM DOWN ALREADY." I looked up at her, "I-I'm trying." She shook her head, "This is the second time this month you have lost control. What are we going to do when it comes to our crops? All of Encanto relies on those fields and they rely on you to make sure that everything grows at the right time and the right quantity. What are you going to tell all those hungry families in Encanto?" I wanted to calm down. I wanted the rain to stop. I wanted Mama to stop. I went to the door and began to run. I needed to get away from everyone. I rain alongside the river until I reached the old bridge. I went over to it and slid down leaning my back against the old stone of the bridge. I needed to calm down.
The more I tried to regain control the more stressed I was. Suddenly I heard someone say my name, "Pepa?" I looked up and saw Felix. What was he doing here? It was dangerous. Thunder and lightning was spreading all around me, "I-I can't control it F-Felix you need to go." I kept trying to get him to leave but, he wouldn't. Why wouldn't he? He wrapped his arms around me and whispered, "I never minded the rain."
I held onto him tightly as I cried into his shirt. My head was banging but as I slowed down my breathing I began to relax into Felix's embrace. Why was he such a good friend to me? He deserved a better friend. I was such a mess. Still everything seemed to be lightening up. I needed to ask him, "Why did you help me?" He sighed, "I'll always be here for you Pepa. You know that." I nodded my head. Yeah I did know that. He deserved to know the truth of what was going on, "M-Mama was up-upset. I-I m-messed up the weather and it m-messed up the cr-crop schedule." He just smiled at me and started to reassure me, "Hey. It's ok. We can have a few days where things don't go according to plan. Trust me I have worked in those fields for years Enrique can afford it." I laughed. He could always make me laugh, "Thank you."
We sat together and I couldn't help but look up at him. He was the only one who went after me. He was one of the only people who would ever come after me. He moved over and sat with his back to the bridge also. Why was I so comfortable around him?
(Felix POV)
I leaned against the bridge looking over at her, "You know Luca asked Julieta to the Firefly Festival." Her eyes widened, "What?" I nodded my head, "Yeah Augustin told me." She looked up at me, "Well what did she say?" I looked at her, "She didn't say yes but last I heard she was going with him." "NO," Pepa said and I started to laugh, "I gave Augustin a pep talk I think that we are on the right track." She sighed, "What would they do without us." I looked up at her, "Remain clueless?" She laughed nodding her head. That smile. That smile was worth everything.
(Pepa POV)
I looked at Felix and I realized something, "Felix did you have today off?" He had a guilty look on his face, "Felix, please tell me that you didn't..." He just shook his head, "Pepa I will be fine. You know that I am always saving up and stuff. I can survive one day." I brought my head into my hands, "I mess everything up." I whispered to myself. He shook his head, "Hey look at me." I sighed, "I will be fine." I wrapped him in another hug.
We sat together for a while longer talking about nothing and everything. "Pepa Madrigal? Felix?" I looked up and saw Hernando. "Oh Hi," I said as I saw him standing on the bridge. I stood up and I looked over at Felix and helped him stand up. We walked over to the bridge and I met up with him, "What is he doing here?" He asked pointing to Felix. I looked over at Felix, "He came over to check on me... you know because of the storm?" Hernando nodded his head, "Ok. I was just coming to see if everything was ok. You know the storm caused a lot of destruction." I nodded my head shrinking into myself.
Felix rubbed the back of my shoulder and I let out a breath. Hernando took my arm and pulled me over to the side, "Pepa you are coming with me to the Firefly Festival right?" I nodded my head, "Yeah we go to every town festival together." He wasn't even looking at me he was starring at Felix. I was getting the feeling this wasn't about me, "I'm going to head home and see what my family needs." I turned to face Felix, "Thank you for sitting with me." I turned to Hernando, "I will see you at the Firefly Festival." He nodded his head and I walked away.
(Felix POV)
I watched as Pepa walked away and Hernando was looking back at me, "So what were you doing with Pepa?" I looked at him, "Exactly what she said. I just came to check on her." He looked me up and down, "You like her." I rolled my eyes, "She is my best friend." "No, not like that you like her. You have feeling for my girlfriend," he said. I went to say something but he started laughing. "You honestly think that you have a shot with a woman like her? She is a Madrigal and you are nothing." I looked him in the eye, "She deserves better than you." He scoffed, "She deserves better than a respected member of the Santiago family. Someone who can make her family proud and who can help her family do better. You work in fields my family owns, you live in a shack no one else in town wanted. What do you offer her?" I looked at him, "I'm not her boyfriend." He nodded his head, "Exactly remember that."
Author's Note:
I decided to jump ahead over Felix reading Pepa's letter primarily because I think we all know how Felix would have reacted. They both trusted each other with the letters and based on his past reactions to things I didn't feel like it added anything to write about it.