Chapter 12:
(Pepa POV)
I don't know how long I sat there but I was able to bring the storm down to a miserable drizzle over my head. The only problem was it wouldn't go away. I let my head fall into my knees as the world around me disappeared. I felt a hand on my shoulder and looked up and saw Julieta standing next to me. I could tell from the look on her face that she was going to find out what was going on so I just choked out, "Hernando." She sighed and looked back. That was when I saw Augustin. I wasn't really paying attention to what they were saying but soon he was walking away and Julieta sat down next to me, "No. I'm not going to ruin your first date." I started but she shook her head, "You aren't ruining it. Besides Augustin is going to get us all something to drink. Now tell me what happened." I started to cry again into her shoulder as she wrapped around me and I began to tell her everything that happened.
(Felix POV)
I hadn't seen Pepa in a while now. Augustin and Julieta were busy on the dance floor and I needed the other half of the matchmaking task force because I knew Pepa was excited to do that tonight. I placed myself near the refreshment table, one of them would have to come over soon. Sure enough I saw Augustin making his way over. I smirked as I went over to him, "Where is your date?" He had a slight frown on his face and he let out a long breath. Was something wrong? "Pepa is upset," he spoke and I felt my heart sink as my smile fell, "I think Hernando did something." Of course it was Hernando. I knew he was a bad guy, "Either way Julieta is over with her, she needs her more than I do right now." I looked him in the eye, "Is Pepa ok?" I began glancing around at the weather and there were no noticeable changes. He shrugged, "She had a solid drizzle going on over her head." No. It was never good when it was only over Pepa that meant she was trying to bottle it up.
Why did Hernando have to do this to her? "Have I ever mentioned how much I hate Hernando?" I asked. I knew that I had and it was probably more than the once or twice that Augustin said it was. He then looked at the drinks he had in his hand, "Do you want to help me bring these over to them? Maybe stop you from trying to kill Hernando." The thought was crossing my mind yes. I grabbed one of the glasses and he guided me to where the girls were. Pepa was completely wrapped in Julieta's arms as the rain drizzled down on both of them, "Pepa," I mouthed.
Julieta moved which caused Pepa to look up at us. She immediately tried to cover it up wiping her face and trying to send the clouds away. I went around to the other-side of her and sat down, "Don't worry about that. Are you alright?" She had a fake plastered smile on her face and in the corner of my eye I could see the reflection of a rainbow. A new cloud came over her head and she tried to shove it away before leaning back into the wall. I put myself in the same position as her, "Have I ever told you that I have never been the biggest fan of Hernando?" She let out an amused breath which I hopefully thought was a weak laugh, "Since the day we started dating." I smirked, "Good I'm consistent." She laughed a little.
(Pepa POV)
Felix could always make me laugh... always. I looked at him and watched his head roll to the side so he could look at me, "Want to tell me what happened?" I could feel my body stiffen as another cloud formed over my head and began to rain down on both of us. My eyes came over with tears but I tried to hold them back, "Felix, I'll be fine. Why don't you go... enjoy the festival and all of that." He shook his head, "Pepa." I gave him a really forced smile, "I promise I will be ok. Now get out of the rain." He stayed still for a moment before getting up and going. I let my head crash back into my legs. I didn't want everyone else to be miserable on my account especially when they all hated Hernando and I together.
I looked up at the raincloud forming over my head. Why did this always happen to me? I hated my gift. I hated what it did to everyone I cared about. I just hated everything that was going on? "Pepa," I looked up and saw him with an umbrella, "Felix why are you here?" He smiled at me, "I never really minded the rain." He said sitting down next to me. I started crying and he wrapped me in a hug, "Hey, I'm here for you Pepa, whatever you need." Was he really? I looked up at Felix and suddenly I wondered what I was doing.
(Felix POV)
I wasn't going to leave Pepa alone, but I knew that if it was going to continue to rain that she wouldn't want me to be around. I looked around quickly before I found an umbrella. I gave the man $5 for the old thing and made my way back to her. I opened it up and covered both of us as she wrapped me in a hug, "Hey, I'm here for you Pepa, whatever you need." She leaned back and looked at me. "Why do you hate Hernando so much?" Interesting question I thought, "Well I mean look what he did to you." She sniffled slightly, "Yeah but you haven't like him for a lot longer than that." I nodded my head, "You're right. I haven't." "Why? I know neither of you can seem to get along but this seems like a lot more than just not liking someone."
I nodded my head and sighed, "Alright I'll make a deal with you. I'll tell you my Hernando story if you tell me yours." I held out my hand and she shook it, "Deal." I sighed, "Alright well you know that I lived with the Santiagos for a while, right?" She nodded her head, "Yeah they are also the family that found you in Encanto." I nodded my head, "Yeah they are. Well when I moved in with them it was the first time I was living with someone my age. I knew the Santiago's were respected in town, everyone knew. So when they took in the poor orphan Felix., it spread through town really quickly. The put me in new, nice clothes. Señora Santiago was really nice to me and took good care of me. That lasted about a month. Once Señor Santiago realized how much it cost to have an additional 11 year old in his household things changed really quickly. He started calling me the leech and made me get a job to help him pay to have me there. Hernando and I were never really close in the first place but once his Papa turned on me Hernando took that a license to make my life even more miserable. He would through freezing cold water on me and demand I get out of bed. Any chores he had immediately became my problem unless I wanted him to go to his Papa. I'm like 90% sure he was doing stuff to my food because it never tasted the same as that first month. And he did a lot of other stuff that I don't want to talk about. Whenever I asked him why or tried to get him to stop he would remind me how he is a member of one of the most important families in Encanto and that it was thanks to his family that I was here at all and that I needed to learn to be more grateful."
I let out a long breath. This part was always the hardest to talk about and only Augustin knew about it, "I used to work nights in the Santiago fields and a part of my paycheck was taken out so that Señor Santiago could afford to raise me. I always saved the other part. I was trying to save up so that I could one day get a house in Encanto. You know stop being passed around from person to person in town. Hernando found all that money I had been saving up and told his family that I stole it from him."
Pepa's eyes widened as her mouth fell open, "It was over a year's worth of money in there, around $720, and they made me give it all to Hernando and his Papa tried to punish me by giving me even more work. I honestly think that is why he asked to have another year with me. I was the cheapest labor in town. I was supposed to stay with them for another 7 months but I couldn't do it. Señora Santiago brought me to town claiming not to want a thief in her house. I really think she was just trying to help me. The town found the Gomez's and they were willing to take me in for the rest of the year. I got a job with Enrique where he paid me next to nothing but all of it went to me. The Gomez's had the old shack I live in now on the edge of town. I began to fix it up for them and they would actually give me money for it. When the year was coming to an end I was spending more time there than in their home. So when town convened to figure out where to put me I asked if I could live on my own. I'd rent the shack from the Gomez's and I would work full time for Enrique."
I heard the rain start to hit the umbrella harder. I couldn't be the reason she was getting more upset. I wrapped an arm around her, "Hey I'm happy now really." She sighed, "I guess it's my turn." I smiled at her taking her hand, "Well a deal is a deal, but I never said when you had to tell me you Hernando story."
(Pepa POV)
I knew what Felix was trying to do. He was always trying to make my life easier. After everything he has been through he continually is one of the nicest people I know. Which is why I knew that if I didn't tell him what happened now, I probably never would and I wanted him to know. I liked that Felix knew all of this stuff about me. I took a breath and told Felix everything from him kissing Martina to what he said about me and how I though it might actually be true. "I will kill him." I let out a quick breath and he looked at me, "I'm being serious just say the word and I will." I shook my head, "Respected family in Encanto." He pointed to himself, "Town orphan. So what?" I laughed a little and sighed, "I mean he isn't wrong my gift really just ruins everyone else days. I mean look at you. You are sitting here with me, under an umbrella, rather than enjoying the festival."
He rolled his eyes, "I grabbed the umbrella for your sake. I have said it before and I will say it again. I don't mind the rain." I looked at him and he looked up at the umbrella and back at me before throwing it to the side. He stood up and held out a hand for me, "Come on." "But, I don't want to ruin..." I started but he stopped me, "You aren't going to ruin anything, just trust me." I took his hand and he brought me to my feet. We walked closer to the festival but remained in the alleyway. The music was a lot clearer now.
Felix bowed down, "Can I have this dance?" I looked up at the cloud, "You're going to get wet." He shrugged, "That wasn't a no." Suddenly he had an arm wrapped around my waist while his other one grabbed my hand and he began to lead me in a dance in the alleyway. I was laughing and smiling as we jumped through the steps. He suddenly lifted me up and was spinning me around as I smiled down at him. When he set me down I leaned forward. He took a step back and I realized I was disappointed. Did I want Felix to kiss me? I did?
Felix pointed over my head, "Your cloud is gone. Do you think Encnato is ready to see us dancing together?" I smiled nodding my head, "Yeah. I think they are." I think that I was too. I had spent so much time thinking and dreaming about being with Hernando to realize what a terrible person he was but now that he was gone maybe there was someone else in my life that I could see that way.