CAMILO

After the Casita and the magic of Encanto were restored, the family Madrigal was closer than ever.

Everyone took the effort to learn and understand each family member's problems and help solve them. There was also less pressure as Abuela Alma used to rule the family with an iron fist. Now, Abuela was less rigid and more relaxed. Luisa didn't have to carry so much, Isabela didn't need to be perfect, their Tío Bruno came back, and most of all, they start to appreciate Mirabel more.

Camilo's relationship with his prima, Mirabel was a complicated one. The Madrigal Twins. That's what the people in Encanto called Camilo and Mirabel. Firstly, because they were the same age, with Camilo being a few months older; secondly, because they have the same curly and length of hair, and thirdly, because when they were kids (or at least, before Camilo got his gift) they were always together—either playing, eating, etc.

Their relationship as cousins started to drift apart when Camilo got his gift. He moved into his new room—which was nothing like the nursery, by the way— and got busy. Abuela assigned them chores to help the people in town and most of them barely had any free time to do leisure activities.

When Mirabel didn't get a gift, everyone was confused, afraid, and questioned why. His cousin had tried her hardest to be noticed and not be seen as the giftless Madrigal. Until she saved the Miracle.

But that was three years ago.

Ever since the restoration of the Casa Madrigal or as they called it, their Casita, his relationship with his family changed. Even Isabela and Mirabel who used to bicker all the time, are closer now.

Now eighteen, Camilo developed a sense of overprotectiveness toward his siblings and cousins. Partly, because he was the oldest male grandchild in the family, and mostly because the boys' eyes in town started to stare and linger a bit longer than usual at his cousins and sister. And whenever he caught any of those guys, Camilo would make his presence known by either clearing his throat and glaring at them or snapping his fingers near their ears and shaking his head disapprovingly.

But since most of them had their gifts and were capable of defending themselves, Camilo really didn't need to worry about them. Well, except Mirabel.

His sister Dolores has Mariano now. They were now engaged after three years of dating. It was a weird proposal though (not as weird as Mariano's proposal to Isabela—nothing can top that). His Mamí Pepa caused a cloud inside the dining room when she cried happy tears, making them all soaking wet, while his Papí Félix was busy distributing umbrellas to everyone.

As for Camilo's cousins, Isabela and Luisa, they have their gifts, and can definitely take care of themselves in case someone messes with them. The one Camilo really needed to look after was Mirabel. Her and his younger brother, Antonio. Then again, with Antonio's gift, he will be able to fend off for himself with the help of his animal friends. So, it's mostly just Mirabel.

It was late afternoon and Camilo was playing with a few children near the fountain in the town square when he heard a familiar voice call out to him.

"Mimi!" Mirabel called, waving her hand.

Only Mirabel ever called him Mimi. It was their nickname for each other because the letters M and I are both present and beside each other in the spelling of their names. They started calling each other that when they were still sharing a room in the nursery before their respective gift ceremonies. The rest of his family, however, called him Cami for short.

Mirabel was holding a basket full of fruits and vegetables in one hand, while she used her free hand to wave at him.

Camilo gave each kid high fives and said his goodbyes before walking to his prima.

"I need help carrying these back to the Casita," Mirabel said. "I couldn't find Luisa anywhere."

"Well," Camilo said as dramatically as he could. "Today is your lucky day, for I, a gentleman coincidentally mingling in town, have spotted a damsel in distress."

Mirabel chuckled. "I am not in distress," She corrected. "I just can't carry two baskets to the Casita in one trip." She gestured to the other basket by her feet. "Plus, I need to help Mamá in the kitchen in time for dinner."

Camilo grabbed the other basket. "You shouldn't buy a handful if you can't carry it all, Mimi." He pointed out, as they both walked home.

"Hey, I only bought what Mamá listed," Mirabel explained. "And I don't like taking second trips. Too exhausting."

"You should've borrowed Tío Bruno's horse then," He suggested.

"I would've," Mirabel said. "But apparently, the horse is part of the second act of the Rato del Encanto telenovela."

Rato del Encanto was a telenovela written, directed, and produced by their Tío Bruno. It was one of his well, hobbies to pass time when he was still living within Casita's walls. He had made a makeshift small stage for his rats and had himself voice out the scripts for the rats.

At first, Camilo thought it was so ridiculous. Even his Mamí was convinced that his Tío had been in the walls for too long that he developed weird hobbies and habits. But over time, it started to grow on the family, and suddenly everyone started pitching in story ideas.

Tío Bruno's main audience was just their family, mostly to just humor them, but it turned out to be a hit and people started showing up to watch it. It then became a weekly staple of entertainment in Casa Madrigal.

The nephews and nieces did as much as they could to help their Tío. Camilo helped with script-writing, Antonio instructed the rats on their positions, Isabela made backgrounds, and Mirabel sews the rats' tiny costumes.

The rest of the family was mostly in the front row during the plays. How their family took it is, well, actually mixed. If you ask Abuela, she usually says that she's there for family time, but in reality, she is hooked to the story. His sister Dolores and his Tía Julieta would try to guess what happens next, and Dolores would try to be sneaky and listen while Tío Bruno voices out lines in rehearsal. His Papí Félix and his Tío Agustin would usually be arguing about why a character did something so ridiculous. Luisa was the one who easily cries during emotional scenes, so Antonio made sure to bring tissues all the time. And when an episode ends with a cliffhanger, his Mamí Pepa would cause a storm and demand to know what happens next.

Good times, Camilo thought.

"Wait," Camilo frowned at Mirabel. "How does the horse have a part in a rat telenovela?" He asked.

Mirabel shrugged. "I don't know, you tell me."

Halfway to the Casita, they passed a band of three musicians. The Dela Cuesta brothers. They're not originally from Encanto, but a nearby town southwest of Encanto.

Before the miracle got destroyed, Encanto was isolated from the rest of the world by its surrounding mountains. Part of the mountains only gave way and split when the miracle died and Casa Madrigal was destroyed. When it was restored, the mountains remained as it is, making the narrow road the only passageway in and out of Encanto. Since then, people from the outside have been visiting in and their fellow townsfolk had been exploring out of the town as well.

One of the town's frequent visitors were the Dela Cuesta brothers, namely: Javier, the eldest, who's in his late twenties, played the guitar; Pablo, the middle brother is in his early twenties and played the bongos; and then Santiago, the youngest, who's about the same age as Camilo himself, played the accordion.

They practically looked the same, with their caramel-colored skin, dark hair, brown eyes, and lean build. The only things you can tell them apart are their height and hair type. Javier was the tallest among them, with chin-length wavy hair and the only one with a beard. Pablo was the shortest of the brothers with his hair slicked back. And Santiago was second-tallest with his hair in a long quiff.

The townsfolk adored them. Mostly, because they consider their music fresh and modern.

Santiago noticed Camilo and Mirabel when they passed by. He stopped playing and waved at them. "Hola, Mirabel, Camilo!" He greeted. "Heading home already?"

Santiago, or as most people like to call him, Santi, has an obvious crush on Mirabel. His prima, however, was oblivious to it.

"Hola, Santi," Mirabel smiled at him. "We're on an errand."

Camilo tilted his head. "Nah, actually, she's the one on an errand," He said, pointing at Mirabel. "I'm just helping."

Santiago scratched his head. "I, um, can I speak to Mirabel alone?" He asked.

Camilo's amused expression turned to annoyance. He knew exactly where this was going. "No." He firmly said.

Mirabel rolled his eyes at her primo before turning back to Santi. "Ignore him." She said.

"Whatever he has to say," Camilo pointed out. "He can say it in my presence."

"Uh, okay," Santiago gulped, nervously combing his hair. "Well, this weekend my brothers and I are invited to play at your cousin's engagement—"

"My sister's engagement to Mariano, yes," Camilo interrupted. "Go on."

"Well, I hope you will not be busy during the party," Santiago continued. "Because—"

Suddenly, the church bell rang signifying that it was almost time for supper.

"Oh, there's the campana," Camilo said. "You two might have to talk some other time. Come on, prima, your Mamá is probably waiting for these."

Santiago looked disappointed. "Uh, okay." He said, scratching the back of his head awkwardly. "I'll just see you guys then."

Mirabel nodded. "Of course, Santi." She managed to say before being dragged by Camillo back on the road to Casa Madrigal.

His prima suddenly bumped his shoulder, making him nearly drop the basket of fruits and vegetables he was holding.

"What was that?" She demanded. "You were completely rude to Santiago."

Camilo only shrugged. "It's how we chicos are," He explained. "It's how we normally talk when we know they are in the presence of the girl they like."

Mirabel stared at him blankly. "Wait, so you mean—?"

"Ay, Mimi," Camilo chuckled. "You are so clueless sometimes. Santiago obviously likes you."

Mirabel pursed her lips like she didn't believe it. "Really?"

Camilo made a face at his prima. "I just told you that he does," He said. "Do you want us to go back and ask him directly?" He chided.

"No!" She remarked, pouting.

Slowly, her pout turned into a smile. And she failed to see that Camilo noticed.

"Oh, I see what this is," He teased. "You like him too, don't you?"

"What?" Mirabel exclaimed, her face turning red. "No, I don't!"

"She said defensively." He mocked.

Mirabel elbowed him, making him yelp and prompting him to turn into his Tío Agustin for a split second before changing back to himself.

The sun was already setting behind the mountains of Encanto when they arrived at the Casita. Camilo and Mirabel went directly to the kitchen to put away the food Mirabel had bought in town.

Their sisters, Isabela and Dolores were there. Isabela was chopping potatoes on the kitchen island counter, and Dolores was stirring what looks like Ajiaco in a large pot on the hearth of one of the brick fireplaces with a cucharon.

Both girls turned to them when they arrived.

Isabela rushed to help them, while Dolores, however, looked annoyed.

"¡Camilo, eres tonto!" Dolores scolded.

Camilo placed the basket he was holding on the floor. "Uh, I'm sorry," He looked confused. "What exactly did I do?"

His sister rolled her eyes at him. "You ruined Mirabel's moment with Santiago!" Dolores said, pointing the cucharon at him. "¡Qué te pasa contigo?!"

Isabela frowned. "Wait, who is Santiago?" She asked, then turned suspiciously at her sister. "Mira?"

Mirabel didn't meet her sister's eyes. "No one," She replied.

"A boy Mirabel likes." Camilo blurted out.

Mirabel then smacked him on his arm, making him yelp.

"What?" Camilo said, rubbing his arm. "You do like him. You just won't admit it because everyone will probably tease you a—"

"Aww!" Isabela squealed, then proceeded to give Mirabel a hug. "Mi hermanita is growing up."

Camilo didn't expect that reaction from Isabela at all. He thought she was gonna be like, Really? What did this guy see in you? in a disgusted tone. But instead, she was all giddy and teasing her sister.

"Isa, stop it," Mirabel pushed her sister away. "We have dinner to prepare. And by the way, where is Mamá?" She asked.

"Oh, she's with Mamí," Dolores explained. "They're helping Tío Bruno with something."

"Yes," Isabela agreed. "That's why Dolores and I are here in the cocina."

Suddenly, Luisa came in carrying chopped wood. "Here you go." She said as she placed it beside the brick fireplace.

"Luisa!" Isabela squealed excitedly. "Our baby sister likes a boy now."

Luisa's eyes widened. "Ooh," She smiled then sat on the kitchen counter. "Who is it?" She asked. "Do we know him?"

"Oh, of course," Camilo confirmed. "He's in a band."

"Uh," Mirabel interjected. "We're here to prepare for dinner, not share some juicy chisme."

"Oh, really?" Camilo snorted, then gave Mirabel a mischievous look. He then turned himself into Santiago dela Cuesta, put an arm around Mirabel's shoulders, and did his best to imitate Santi's voice. "Hola, Mirabel," He said, wiggling his eyebrows. "Heading home so soon?"

Mirabel looked at him deadpan in his eyes before grabbing his arm and twisting it.

"OW!" Camilo screamed in pain, prompting him to turn back into himself and then pulled his arm from her grip. "I was only teasing. Sheesh."

"So, it's Santiago dela Cuesta?" Luisa guessed. "The accordion player? Hmm, he's cute and really nice."

Mirabel shrugged. "He's okay."

"Ay, just admit it, Mimi," Camilo said. "You like him too."

"No, I don't!" She insisted.

"Yes, you do." He argued.

"No, I don't!"

"Yes, you do!"

"No, I don't!"

"No, you don't!"

"Yes, I do!" Mirabel squeaked, then her eyes widened as soon as she said it.

"HA!" Camilo squealed. "I knew it! And I got you to admit it! And I have witnesses!"

It earned giggles from Isabela, Dolores, and Luisa.

"Nicely done, Cami," Isabela said, then gave him a high-five.

Camilo then grabbed an arepa for himself as an award.

"Ay, miércoles!" Mirabel cussed.

His Tía Julieta walked into the kitchen a moment later with a handful of herbs. "Ah, you all look like you've shared some important town chisme."

"There's a boy in town that Mirabel likes!" Dolores blurted out as she continued stirring the Ajiaco.

Camilo stifled a laugh. His hermana wasn't always good at keeping secrets. But he didn't understand his Tía Julieta's expression though. It was almost like she was happy one of her tres marías was finally liking someone, but worried that they might decide to marry too soon. It almost happened with his eldest prima, Isabela three years ago. That was all Abuela's doing, but still, that could've been a mess.

. . .

During dinner, Abuela Alma sat at the head of the table, as usual. To her right, sat his Tía Julieta, next to her was Tío Agustín, then his three primas, Isabela, Mirabel, and Luisa, respectively. To Abuela's left and across his Tía was his Mamí, Pepa. Next to her was his Papí, Félix, then his hermana, Dolores, Camilo himself, and then his hermanito, Antonio. On the other end of the table sat their Tío Bruno.

They had Ajiaco and Arroz Blanco or white rice and water to wash it all down. Abuela strictly limited alcohol on special occasions, much to his Mamí Pepa's dismay.

In the middle of their meal, Abuela cleared her throat. "Familia, this Sabado is the official announcement of Mariano and Dolores's soon-to-be wedding to the people of Encanto." She said.

With that, his hermana Dolores smiled as his Papí gently squeezed his sister's arm.

Abuela continued. "And I expect everyone to do their assigned tasks for this upcoming celebration."

"Of course, Mamá," Pepa assured. "I want mi única hija's wedding to be spectacular! Unlike mine."

Their Tío Bruno groaned. "Seriously, hermana," He said as he helped Antonio scoop rice onto his plate. "You've got to let that go."

A cloud started to form over his Mamí's head but disappeared almost immediately when his Papí Félix took her hand.

His Mamí Pepa took a deep breath before speaking again. "Anyway, Félix and I have already talked to Señora Guzmán. And they promised to help us in the preparations."

"Wonderful," Abuela cried happily. "Also, Bruno and I have discussed what to do about the grapes Isabela successfully grew in our backyard."

Tío Bruno beamed. "It means we can finally make our own wine." He informed. "With our own hands and feet!"

Camilo frowned. "Feet?"

"Ay, sobrino," Bruno said. "The grapes are going to be placed in this large container and we're going the crush the grapes with our feet to squeeze out their juices." He explained. "Afterwards, it will go through fermentation, which means we have to leave it for a few weeks to set before actually drinking it."

"Crush the grapes with our feet, huh?" Luisa repeated. "That sounds fun."

"We can help with that, Tío," Isabela volunteered.

"Of course," Bruno nodded. "The more feet we have, the more grapes we juice, that's more homemade wine for us."

"Can I help too?" Antonio asked. "I'm good at stomping."

"Ay, yes," Camilo chuckled. "Antonio is good at stomping on puddles. We can finally put that to good use."

Bruno snorted. "I think you'd be a great help, Toñito," He agreed.

"Bruno, he's eight," Pepa reminded him.

"I know that," Their Tío replied. "Technically, he won't be drinking it, he'll just help in making it."

"But I am, right?" Camilo pointed out.

It earned him disapproving looks from both his parents.

"What?" He asked. "I'm eighteen. So technically, I am of drinking age now." He gestured to his prima across the table. "And so is Mirabel."

Mirabel rolled her eyes at him. "Leave me out of this, Mimi."

"Truth be told," Camilo continued. "Everyone at this table can drink except Antonio." He concluded.

. . .

The next following days, as the Madrigals were in town for their chores, the dela Cuesta brothers were there. Santiago would always approach Mirabel. Or at least, try to, because Camilo made sure to always be close by in case of inappropriate advances.

Thursday morning, two days before the wedding announcement, while his Tía Julieta was giving out the last of her healing food for the day to the townspeople in the central plaza, Santiago got close enough to hold Mirabel's hand.

Camilo then changed his appearance and turned into one of Santiago's older brothers, Javier. He sneaked up behind Santiago, placed a hand on his shoulder and squeezed hard.

"Santi," Camilo said, imitating Javier's voice with a playful tone. "You're getting too close, hermanito."

Santiago turned to him with wide eyes, then relaxed when he saw his brother. "Oh, it's just you." He said. "I thought you were Camilo."

Camilo as Javier snorted. "Pablo needs your help," He said, motioning his head to one corner of the street. "Now."

Santiago looked disappointed, then smiled as he turned back to Mirabel. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Mirabel simply smiled and waved at him as he disappeared into the crowd. And when he did, Camilo shifted back to himself.

His cousin turned to him, not surprised. "You're never gonna leave me alone, are you?" She asked with an obvious annoyed tone in her voice.

"You're my cousin," He reminded her. "And as the eldest Madrigal grandson, it is my responsibility to look after my primas."

Mirabel sighed. "Yeah, I don't know how I should feel about this." She said. "At this rate, I don't think any of us are gonna get married."

He snorted. "Please, I think you'll all get married before I ever will."

"It took you a while to warm up to Mariano," She pointed out.

"Who wouldn't be suspicious of him?" He said. "One day he had heart eyes for Isabela, then Dolores on the next."

"You're overreacting," She huffed. "And Santi's actually really nice. Also, I think he's scared of you now."

"Really?" Camilo chuckled. "Good."

"How is that good?"

"If he really likes you, he will try to impress your family to get us to like him in return, you know."

Mirabel shook her head. "You watch way too much of Tío Bruno's telenovelas."

"Mirabel, I'm serious, okay?" He insisted. "If he really likes you, he'll go through hell just to prove to everyone his intentions are real."

Mirabel was silent for a moment. "Whoa." She managed to say. "That was…deep."

Camilo casually laughed to ease the tension. "Come on, let's go home."

During lunch, their Tío Bruno announced that they will be starting the process of making homemade wine.

"Pepa and I have already picked the grapes," Bruno said. "All we need to do now is crush it to squeeze out the juices. Félix and Agustín had built this large flat barrel in the backyard where we placed the grapes all ready for squeezing."

"We just have to be careful though," Pepa warned. "The juice will stain our clothes."

"Oh, also," Isabela interjected. "Tía Pepa said we had to remove grapes from the stems, which was…a lot of work."

Camilo frowned at his eldest prima. "What work?" He asked. "All you probably did was grow the grapes."

Isabela shrugged. "Yes, and we are grateful for the townspeople who volunteered to help, but still, it took the whole morning."

Their Tío Bruno cleared his throat. "Nevertheless," He said. "The wine should be fermented just in time for Dolores and Mariano's wedding."

That afternoon, while the adults were still relaxing in the living room, the three eldest grandchildren, Isabela, Dolores, and Luisa were on dish washing duty, and Antonio was off feeding the horde of animals who follow him around, Camilo and Mirabel were the first ones on the grape foot-stomping task.

Camilo gladly pulled his youngest prima with him in the backyard, simply because he was bored waiting for the others.

"Shouldn't we wait for everyone else?" Mirabel asked as she was dragged through Casita's backdoor.

"I'm bored," He replied. "Let's crush grapes with our feet already."

Before them was a large knee-deep sandbox-like structure. But instead of sand, it was filled with grapes.

"Whoa," Mirabel gasped. "That's a lot of grapes."

Camilo nodded. "Which means there's a lot of wine to drink, eh?"

Mirabel gave him an annoyed look. "Really?" She sighed. "Do you always have to bring up drinking? We are barely legal." She pointed out. "Also, this is why the adults at home always keep their eyes on both of us. Well, mostly, they're worried about you killing someone with a practical joke, but since you drag me into your escapades, they have eyes on me too."

"I know, we're a package deal," He concluded, then rubbed his hands together. "Now, crush us some grapes!"

"Wait!" Mirabel gripped his ruana. "Don't you think we need to wash our feet first?" She asked.

"Ay, Mimi," Camilo made a tsk sound. "Sometimes, I wonder if you really see with those things," He said, pointing at her eyeglasses. "What do you think those buckets of water are for?" He dramatically waved his hand to the buckets near a water pump, right beside the boxed grapes.

"Hmm, that makes sense," Mirabel said. "Let's do this."

Camilo had to roll up his pants to his knees, while Mirabel had to pull up her skirt, and tied it to a knot on one side, making the length just up to her knees. They then both had to remove their chanclas and espadrilles one by one before washing each foot.

"Alright, here we go," Camilo was the first to step into the grapes. "Ooh, it feels weird." He said as he began stomping.

The deepness of the number of grapes reached his mid calves. And the juices were already starting to stain his rolled-up pants.

Mirabel jumped in after him. "You're stepping on fruit," She snorted. "What did you expect?"

They both circled the box, crushing the grapes with their feet.

"So, Mimi," Camilo started to say. "So I forgot to ask you this earlier, what did Santiago want this time?"

He could see Mirabel turn slightly red at his question.

Mirabel simply shrugged. "He just wanted to talk."

"What did he wanna talk about?"

"I wouldn't know," She replied. "Because you keep showing up and we ended up not talking. Also, I really think he's scared of you now."

Camilo frowned at his cousin. "He's scared of me?" He chuckled, then gestured to his face. "He's scared of this face?"

"I meant, he's scared because you're a Madrigal and you can shapeshift into another person."

Camilo snorted. "Well, he's doomed. And he hasn't even officially met your sisters yet."

"Hey!" A scream came from inside the Casita. It was Isabela's voice and she sounded angry. "Dolores told me what she heard, Camilo!"

"Hmm," Camilo raised an eyebrow at Mirabel. "Case in point, prima." He said. "I'm thinking maybe introduce Luisa to him first, then Isabela, because, well…"

"What is that supposed to mean?!" Isabela yelled back from the Casita. "When we are done here, I am coming for you, primo!"

"Mierda!" Camilo cussed. "Dolores, really? You're supposed to be on my side. I'm your brother."

Mirabel laughed. "Well, you're dead."

Camilo smirked then transformed himself into Mirabel. "She'll have to figure out who the real Mirabel is." He said, imitating his youngest cousin's voice.

Mirabel crossed her arms. "I do not sound like that!" She said in protest.

"I do not sound like that!" Camilo continued imitating her.

That infuriated his prima and she pushed him. Camilo fell ruana first onto the pile of juiced grapes.

"Hey!" Camilo complained as he turned back into himself, then tried to wipe the stain off his ruana.

Mirabel gasped in disbelief as she realized what she had done. "Ay, Dios Mio, Camilo! I'm sorry," She apologized as she attempted to help him up. "I didn't mean to-"

"Not sorry!" Camilo blurted out as he gripped her arm and pulled her down to the grapes.

Mirabel landed beside him. "Ay, mierda!" She cussed as she examined her white blouse which was already stained.

"There," He giggled. "Now, we're even."

"That's easy for you to say," Mirabel grumbled. "Wine stains are a lot harder to remove on white cloth."

Camilo only shrugged. "Hey, you pushed me first." He reminded her as he stood up. "You should've seen it coming."

Mirabel smirked. "Mm-hmm," She suspiciously had one hand digging into the grapes. "Maybe, but you probably never see this coming."

Before Camilo could ask, Mirabel had already scooped up a handful of grapes and threw it at him. It hit him on his cheek and neck.

"Ah!" He shrieked. "What the hell, Mimi?!"

"Hey, you wanna play, right?" Mirabel gave him a smug look. "Now, I'm playing."

Camilo then gave out his best evil laugh. "Oh, it's on." He said, then started scooping grapes and threw them at her.

They ended up running around the mid-calf-deep grape pile throwing grapes at each other, while also dodging and laughing at the same time.

They had to stop when Mirabel dropped her eyeglasses into the grapes and they couldn't find it.

"Oh, no," Mirabel said as she crouched, patting her hands on the grapes. "My glasses! Camilo, my glasses! It fell into the grapes and I can't find it." He could already hear the panic in Mirabel's voice. "I can't see without it!" She shrieked. "Help me, find it, por favor."

Camilo frantically started digging into the grapes. "I'm looking," He assured.

Then Mirabel began to panic. And when she panics, she monologues.

"No, they will kill me if I lost it again," Mirabel said anxiously, her breath becoming shallow as she desperately dug into the grapes. "It'll definitely take a while for another pair to be made and I'll be blind most of the time. Abuela will probably-"

"Hey!" Camilo grabbed her shoulders and forced her to face him. "Hey, just calm down, okay?" He reassured. "It's just here somewhere. I'll find it, don't worry."

Mirabel took a deep breath and simply nodded in response.

Camilo kept looking and it took him a few minutes until he finally felt the round lens of the glasses a few feet from where Mirabel was standing.

"Found it!" He announced as he stood.

"¡Ay, gracias a Dios!" Mirabel sighed in relief. "Thank you."

Camilo wiped Mirabel's glasses clean with his ruana before walking toward her. "You really need to be careful, Mimi."

Mirabel squinted at him, knowing full well everything is probably blurry. But despite her squinting, her big brown eyes sparkled. Her thick eyebrows were furrowed, her cheeks had stains from the juices of the grapes, and she was laughing nervously at their current predicament.

He put her glasses on her, then Mirabel smiled genuinely when her eyes were able to adjust.

Camilo didn't think of it as a big deal, but something about that moment made his heart beat so fast against his chest.

Up close, Camilo began to notice almost every detail of her. How her big hazel eyes shone through the rims of her glasses, her chin-length curly black hair draped along each side of her face, the splash of freckles on her nose and cheeks, her thick expressive eyebrows, and her warm smile.

Whoa, she's sobeautiful, he thought.

He stared at his prima in awe for a few seconds before being snapped back to reality by Mirabel herself.

"Mimi, what's wrong?" Mirabel asked self-consciously. "Is there something on my face?"

Camilo shook from his daze. "Uh, yeah," He replied. "Don't worry, I got it." He grabbed on tip of his already stained ruana and gently wiped it on Mirabel's cheek.

They then locked eyes for a moment. But it was ruined when Mirabel raised an eyebrow at him.

Camilo rolled his eyes in annoyance. "What now?"

"You have something tangled in your hair," Mirabel replied, then plucked out a single grape that was tangled in his curls and showed it to him.

They then both burst out laughing hysterically.

"We are in so much trouble," Camilo guessed.

Mirabel squeezed the juice from her skirt. "Oh, when they see us like this, we'll definitely be in trouble."

"Mirabel!" A voice called.

They both turned and saw Antonio smiling and waving at them, at the same time he was also dragging their Tío Bruno with him.

"Well, now we're in trouble," Mirabel said, then put on a big smile before gesturing for Antonio to come closer. "Toñito!" She cried. "Ready to stomp on some grapes?"

"Yes!" Antonio replied excitedly.

Their Tío Bruno frowned when he got a closer look at both of them. "Ay, Dios Mio," He mumbled. "What-? How? You know what, never mind. I don't want to know."

They both simultaneously replied in sync.

"She started it!" Camilo said.

"He started it!" Mirabel protested.

"What?" They both said again.

Camilo frowned at his prima. "Hey, you pushed me into the grapes."

"You annoyed me into doing that!" Mirabel countered.

"Okay, enough!" Bruno interrupted, raising his hand. " I said I don't want to hear it." He sighed. "Just go get yourselves cleaned up."

On their way back into the Casita, A thorned vine blocked their way and Isabela came before them.

"Well, well, well-agh!" Isabela said. She was probably ready to give Camilo a hard time until she saw them covered in grape juice stains. "Dios Mio, what were you two doing out there? Sheesh." She said, giving them both disgusted looks. "Mamá and Tía Pepa will probably not like this."

Of course, Isabela was right. Right as they both walked towards the stairs heading to the second floor, their parents saw them. Their fathers, Félix and Agustín mostly just laughed as if this was a normal occurrence-well, it was when Camilo and Mirabel were still staying in the nursery together. Now, their habits back then were returning, to say the least.

His Tía Julieta's expression was the same when his Tío Agustín would hurt himself and she'd heal him with her food. His Mamí, well, a cloud already formed above her, so obviously, she was not happy.

"Ay, yay, yay, Camilo!" Pepa grumbled. "Why are you covered in grape juice?!" She demanded. "Did you drag your prima into your schemes again?"

"What? No! Mamí, we-" Camilo started to say.

"Hup-upupup!" His Mamí interrupted. "I don't need to hear your explanation."

At that point, his Papí, Félix had to step in. "Okay, Pepi, mi amor," He said, calmingly massaging his Mamí's shoulders. "Let's just all relax and-"

Pepa glared at Félix. "How can I relax, Félix?" She gestured to both Camilo and Mirabel. "Look at them! Do you have any idea how hard it is to remove wine stains?"

"Well, technically, Mamí, it's not wine yet," Camilo answered. "It's just grape juice."

"Okay, hermana," His Tía Julieta finally stepped in. "Let's just go and help Bruno and Antonio." She turned to both of them. "On the other hand, both of you need to get yourselves cleaned up."

. . .

When the day of Dolores and Mariano's engagement came, the entire town came to the Casita to celebrate. Of course, it took days of planning and an entire day to decorate, but not that Camilo was much help. All he ever did was put up decorations where people can't reach. That and helping with the errands for all the food.

Camilo didn't mind. Because it meant spending time with Mirabel, and also Luisa and Isabela, but mostly Mirabel. He'd help her pick up the fruits, vegetables, and spices.

Ever since that day stomping grapes in their backyard, it struck something in him. And he can't stop thinking about that moment. Plus, his heartbeat would now just go nuts whenever she was around and he couldn't even explain why.

The celebration started when Abuela welcomed the townspeople into the Casita, then announced to the people that his sister Dolores was to be wed to Mariano Guzmán. There were long, boring speeches that followed after until they were finally allowed to dance in the courtyard.

Camilo was on the dancefloor, as he always was when there's a fiesta at the Casita. His parents were at the center of the courtyard and according to his Tía Julieta, they were mostly the life of the party with their sweet dance moves. There's also no surprise that all three of their children inherited their abilities.

Dolores was dancing with Mariano, Antonio was dancing with children his own age and was surrounded by wild animals, and Camilo, well, he's all over the place. At first, he danced with his primas before the girls in town were practically throwing themselves to actually dance with him. They were great and all, but really, there was only one person Camilo wanted to dance with-his youngest prima, Mirabel.

But of course, someone had to ruin his night. And it came in a form of Santiago dela Cuesta, the accordion player.

Whenever Camilo accompanied Mirabel in town, they'd always run into the dela Cuesta brothers. Santiago would always strike up a conversation with her. Whenever Camilo would see him, he'd made sure to make up some excuse to pull Mirabel out of the conversation or stir clear of him entirely. But even if he did all those things, Mirabel would still be expecting to see Santiago once in a while. And he also knew that even though Mirabel would never admit it out loud (except for the time Camilo tricked her into saying it), she secretly liked Santiago back.

The thought of it made him feel like he was punched in the chest. But it happened as Santiago had promised, he asked Mirabel to dance with him, to which she gladly agreed.

Now, when that happened, Camilo was by the buffet table after taking a break from dancing all night. He grabbed as much food he could fit onto his plate that he didn't notice until it was too late.

Santiago had already taken Mirabel by her hand and was guiding her to the dancefloor. The whole time they danced, Camilo had this weird feeling in his gut. It bothered him to think that Santiago was making a move on Mirabel. He didn't understand why he felt so enraged, like he just wanted the punch the guy in the face and tell him to stay away from his prima.

Seeing them together made Camilo lose his appetite, making him leave his plateful of food and walked up the stairs to the second floor. So yeah, instead of picking another partner, he just stood in the upstairs rail, just outside his bedroom, and observed the crowd below.

Camilo thought about the things Mirabel see in Santiago, like what does she see in him that made her like him? Is the fact that he's not from Encanto one of the things? Is it because he's in a band with his brothers? Is it because he could play the accordion like she could? He was so lost in thought that he didn't notice his Tío Bruno calling him until he felt an arm on his shoulder.

"Ah!" He yelped, making him jump.

"Sorry," Bruno apologized. "Sorry, sorry. What are you doing up here?" He asked.

Camilo glanced at the plate of food he had in one hand. "I should ask you the same question, Tío."

"Oh, parties are not my thing," Bruno explained. "I'm present for the sake of the family, and the food. Julieta's food is always to die for."

He snorted. "Agreed."

"So tell me, Sobrino," Bruno wondered. "Why are you up here alone, and not down there dancing with someone and or eating by the buffet?"

Camilo simply shrugged. "I don't know, I'm just…not in the mood, I guess." He said. "Plus, I already danced and ate, and…" He watched as Santiago spun Mirabel around, which made him grit his teeth. "I'm tired."

"Uh, huh," Bruno nodded. "Well, if you need me, I'll be in my tower. I'll be writing the next episode of Rato del Encanto." He said, patting his shoulder before walking up to his bedroom door. "Buenas Noches, Cami."

As Camilo continued to watch from the balcony upstairs, his younger brother walked up to him with his Toucan perched on his shoulder and his jaguar walking beside him.

"Cami?" Antonio frowned. "What are you doing up here?"

He sighed. "Why does everybody care if I'm up here or down there?"

"When there are parties, you are always on the dance floor," Antonio said. "With Mamí and Papí."

"Hmm, why are you up here too? Camilo asked.

"Parce is tired." His hermanito replied. "I'm taking him back to my room to rest."

Suddenly, Antonio's toucan squawked, making his younger brother laugh.

"Really? Do you think so?" Antonio asked, then smiled at Camilo.

"What?" Camilo asked anxiously. "What did the toucan say?"

"Pico says you're jealous of Mirabel." Antonio explained.

Camilo rolled his eyes. "What? Me? Jealous?" He laughed nervously. "Why would I be jealous of her? And what does the toucan know?"

Antonio shrugged. "He says you keep watching Mirabel in the courtyard," He said. "She's dancing with Santiago and enjoying the party. And you're up here, alone." He pointed out.

"I just needed a break from everyone," Camilo explained. "And I was just…heading to my room."

Antonio raised an eyebrow at him. "Okay," He said as he opened his bedroom door, letting the jaguar and the toucan inside.

Great! Camilo thought. Antonio's freaking Toucan is onto him. He just hoped Antonio will forget about this and not tell the rest of their family.

Camilo took one last glance at the courtyard and saw Santiago kissing Mirabel's hand and he went back to play the accordion. Mirabel was obviously blushing as she was approached by her sisters and they started teasing her.

Oh, how he wished it was him dancing with her down there, standing close to each other, holding her hand, spinning her around, making her smile, but nope, he lost the chance to Santiago dela Cuesta.

Camilo went to bed early that night, but it took him a while to actually sleep. His thoughts went back to Mirabel. Why was he feeling like this? Why does his heart go nuts whenever she was around? And most importantly, why her? He had so many questions, but he didn't have a single answer to each of them. Well, Camilo had so much to figure out.

The following morning, his brother Antonio blurted out the thing Camilo dreaded that'll come out.

"Camilo is jealous of Mirabel!" Antonio exclaimed.

The rest of their family turned to him, mostly giving him amused looks.

Camilo forced out a laugh. "Ignore him," He insisted. "He doesn't know what he's talking about."

"You know, primo," Isabela smirked. "Now that you've said that, makes me curious. Like what does Antonio know that we don't?" She asked.

"He's eight," Camilo argued before biting into his buñuelo. "What does he know?"

Antonio grinned. "Because Mirabel was dancing with someone last night!" He said. "And he was upstairs."

"So?" Camilo countered. "I danced with several people before going upstairs. I don't understand why this is a big deal."

Antonio shrugged. "Hmm, but not with someone you like."

Everyone at the table snickered, including Mirabel.

Camilo glared at his brother. "What has that toucan of yours been telling you?" He demanded.

"Okay," His Papí Félix spoke up. "Let's all just calm down." He turned to him. "Camilo, give your brother a break. I'm sure he's only telling us what he sees."

"On the other hand, mijo," His Mamí Pepa added. "It's perfectly okay to like someone. That's normal. As long as you don't rush into things." She said, pinching his cheek. "I wouldn't want to see my betito grow up too fast."

Camilo sighed. "Mamí," He complained.

Pepa raised her hand. "Also, this person should be able to get along with every single person in this familia."

"Oh, don't worry, Tía Pepa," Mirabel said. "I'll make sure of that."

Camilo pounded his fist on the table and glared at his prima. "You are not setting me up with anyone."

"You know, Cami," Dolores interjected. "Maybe Antonio has a point. Maybe you should find someone you like too. That way, you won't be jealous of Mirabel."

"Why are we still talking about this?" Camilo said in exasperation. "I am not jealous of Mirabel. For all you know, I was just noticing how sloppy Santiago was at dancing."

"Well, you're not wrong," Mirabel agreed. "He is. But he's learning, so stop making fun of him."

Once the topic was dropped, everyone went back to their food. Technically, not all of what he said was a lie. Camilo was jealous, but not of Mirabel. He was jealous of Santiago. Because he was able to dance with Mirabel and have his moment with her. Thankfully, his family saw all of that the wrong way.

Camilo glanced across the table, to his youngest prima, Mirabel. She was quietly eating buñuelos his Tía Julieta made. She had a little bit of powdered sugar on the side of her lips and her chin. And she probably had no idea.

That made him smile. But at the same time, it made his heart ache.

The truth was-and no one else knew it except Camilo himself-he already had his eyes on this particular girl.

There was just one problem: She was his cousin.