Change Can Be Good - Encanto Fanfic

Chapter 2

Dinner time was as hectic as ever. The Madrigals were talking over each other, there were so many people at the feast.

Camilo sat down beside his sister, Dolores. He himself was facing opposite Mirabel.

Mirabel seemed a bit annoyed though, as she scraped the salad from the wooden bowl, glaring at him it felt like. He smiled a wide uncomfortable gleam and she only slit her eyes, before being yelled at by Abuela for taking too long with the salad.

"Come, come, Mirabel," Their grandmother said, the bowl being handed now to the person beside her, Luisa. Mirabelsmiled nervously and returned her gaze back to Camilo, who now... was gone?!

She cocked an eyebrow up, surprised, and peered under the table, just in case that was where he was hiding.

When she scoured the area with her eyes, she saw not a thing... but a rat.

"Camilo!" She hissed, down below, just in case he had heard her, but to no avail. She clenched her lips and sat back up. Though the moment she was seated properly once more, was the moment she saw Camilo back on his seat as if nothing had happened. It made her slowly question, had she just imagined him vanishing for a few seconds?

"Mum, Dad," He said then, looking at his parents but the two were too heated in an argument with Bruno and Agustin, "Hey!"

"Not now, Camilo," His father said, shushing his son on the spot. Camilo scowled angrily before getting up and leaving the room. Antonio glanced his brother's way and slipped off his seat following him... no one noticing – except Mirabel.

She was about to get up and follow too... but she was pretty sure her cousin had had enough of her this day. Still, worry pervaded her and she slowly excused herself from the dinner table, creeping across the hall to the cold outside. She froze when she saw Camilo seating down against the wall, his legs strung across the ground in defeat. His little brother was beside him, but Antonio wasn't saying a word.

"I wish Mum and Dad would notice me..." Was all Camilo said. Antonio bit his bottom lip, looking at him worried.

"Why do you think that, Camilo?"

"It's just..." He uttered and picked up a rock. Camilo examined the cold stone texture of what he had picked up, before continuing, "They only seem to see me when I'm causing trouble."

Antonio slipped down beside Camilo, the two just staring at the sky. Mirabel knew she shouldn't be snooping... but she never realized her cousin felt this way. She didn't know her family as well as she thought.

Camilo examined the rock again before tossing it to the air and catching it again in his dark hand.

"Y'know what I managed to do today?" he asked his brother, a sly grin rising up his lips. His brother looked at him, expectant and eager to know – even though he'd never admit that.

"What...?" He asked quietly and Camilo chuckled. He tossed the rock away into the distance, it landed in a thick bush. Camilo then turned his gaze to his sibling and declared, "I shapeshifted today..." The young boy sat there, waiting for him to continue, "Into a mule!"

Antonio's mouth dropped open, "...what?"

"Yeah... and at dinner – A RAT!"

Mirabel blinked her eyes, startled to be hearing this claim. She lowered her eyebrows, still watching the scene.

Antonio sat there, astounded at his older brother, and asked nervously, "Can... you show me?"

"I would," Camilo replied with a wink and a grin, "But I can't..."

"And... why?"

Camilo chuckled weakly, placing his hand on Antonio's shoulder, saying quietly, "It feels unnatural to my body... I can't stay in animal form for too long. My body just can't take anymore today.

"So, how about tomorrow?" Antonio asked, almost wishing for it to take place right there and then. Camilo suddenly shapeshifted before the young boy's eyes, as Camilo took on Antonio's form.

Antonio laughed, and so did Camilo.

"Mirabel-?"

The girl jumped up straight and alert when she heard her name being called. She slowly rotated herself around and saw Dolores behind her, her cousin folding her arms and not looking impressed.

"Ah, Dolores!" She said, Mirabel's arms dropping to the side as if to show she had nothing to hide, "What... are you doing?"

"Eavesdropping, sis?"

Mirabel spun around again and looked to see Antonio and Camilo were behind her, looking annoyed at her noisiness.

"Hey, family!" Mirabel only peeped, waving her hands at them as if she was saying hi, "What is a-happening?"

"You heard-?" Camilo asked Dolores.

"Yes,"

"You going to tell mum and dad?"

"Yes," She said once more and Camilo's arms dropped before looking solemnly back at his sister, "But first... I want to see it with my own eyes."

"I have NO IDEA what you all are talking about!" Mirabel yelled in-between the siblings.

"Lying is not your forte, cous," Camilo remarked, not impressed with Mirabel's innocent acting.

"Okay, okay," She said back. Her hands wavered there in the air as if she was trying to get rid of bad vibes. When she looked back at her cousins, she had a giddy grin on her face as she said to Camilo, "I want to see TOO!"

Camilo rolled his eyes, looking back at his eager family, and announced, "Fine... tomorrow... I'll transform into an animal. A whale-!"

"No." Dolores interrupted.

"An elephant?"

"Something less destructive."

Camilo shut up for a second, annoyed he was being limited in his choices.

"A dog!" Antonio said just then, and the three older teenagers looked down at him in attention, "Man's best friend!"

"Sure," Camilo agreed, and shapeshifted into a small child, giving Antonio a high five before returning back to his own form.

The four of them all gave one affirmative nod and began to walk inside... except Mirabel. She could see the white full moon up high in the sky, watching it in awe.

She took a few small steps towards it but stiffened when she heard that familiar voice say.

"Y'know that rat you saw?"

She was about to turn to look at her cousin but he continued, "That was me."

"I know," She said quietly, he chuckled, "Would you really shapeshift into a whale?"

Camilo only laughed lightly at that idea, "No... because it's unnatural to my body... I don't even think I should become a dog."

"Why not?" Mirabel asked, nudging him playfully as she said, "Man's best friend?"

"Because, Cous." He said, slightly defensive now but came clean of his fear, "No. It's because I'm afraid."

She gazed at him confused. His smile faltered and he gulped as he admitted, "I'm afraid I could get stuck in that form"

"...?" She didn't ask in words, but the query was pasted all over her expression.

"An animal... forever."