Ｎ Ｏ Ｔ Ｉ Ｏ Ｎ | ᴄᴀᴍɪʟᴏ ᴍᴀᴅʀɪɢᴀʟ |

chapter seven - just realizations and fillers

after a while, the weather finally cleared up they still couldn't find mirabel, camilo and camila decided to visit the markets for a bit. they grabbed fruits and sweets, getting free items for being gifted.

"this tiramisu is delicious." camilo said with his mouth half full, so it sounded like he was trying to throw gang signs with his mouth. "you're so lucky that I can understand you or people would think you're crazy... which they still think. gimme that fork." camila stated, letting camilo slap the fork into her palm, letting her try a bite. "oh, this is bomb. I love having a gift." camila laughed. camilo admired her smile for a few moments, until he snapped out of it, seriously wondering what was wrong with him.

"you excited for the summer festival next week?" camila asked, now taking over the tiramisu. summer had just started for the madrigal boy and gracia girl, as they just graduated 2 weeks prior. "oh, it's gonna be off the chain." camila looked to her best friend weird. "literally nobody says that anymore, old man." camila chuckled, shaking her head. "I'm not even old. I'm just a year older than you." camilo justified. "a year and 2 days, old man." camila teased.

"whatever, weirdo."

<3

later, camila retired to the gracia home and camilo went back to the madrigales, lying in his room, on his back.

his mind was running at a thousand miles per hour, trying to figure out what was wrong with him. though it was sudden, he was wondering why he has been so weird around camila lately. admiring her, staring at her, smiling because she's smiling. it was all very odd.

bringing head to look to the side, he saw the wall with tons of photos of him and camila. one that caught his eye was of him and her making silly faces with each other at his and camila's 9th birthday party. since their birthday's were only two days apart, they always decided to have a party together.

another was of camila holding her youngest siblings in her arms at once, xavier and lisa. camilo was behind her chair in the photograph, a giddy smile on his face as he smiled at the camera.

the more he looked at the photos and thought about each memory behind it, it took him a minute to realize...

he liked camila adella gracia.

<3

immediately after the realization, camilo ran out of his room, down the stairs, and into his parents room. in there, felix sat there, sipping on tea while pepa cuddled into him.

"PAPA! I need to talk to you. macho-to-macho." camilo panted, bursting into the room. felix's eyes instantly lit up with excitement. his first father-son talk. "mi vida, out please." he politely kicked his wife out of the room, before inviting his son to sit beside him in the bed. "I can't sit down. not right now." camilo paced

"alright, mijo, que paso (what's wrong)?" felix asked, concerned.

"...I'm in love with camila, aren't I? I mean, I think I kinda knew before but I didn't know know until, like, now. I've been, like, acting really weird around her lately and I was all like 'wHy Am I aCtInG wEiRd ArOuNd HeR?' and know I'm like," he slapped his forehead, "the more you know, you know? and now I'm all like 'should I tell her?' but then I'm also like 'but what if I ruin our friendship?' ya know? of course you don't know. you and mamá are the most perfect couple and met on a sunny day. mamá dropped her books and you went to help her pick them up, and then you made eye contact, and BOOM. married and 3 kids. but- I don't even know." camilo rambled, pacing the room faster and faster in front of his parents bed, his father watching him patiently, until he finally fell back on the bed with his dad beside him.

after a moment of silence, felix slowly laid down beside his oldest son. "you know, mijo, me and your mother didn't actually meet in a... how you say? a 'cute meet'?" his father said. "you mean a 'meet-cute' papa?" camilo chuckled, lying to his side. "ah, yes. it actually wasn't like that." "it wasn't?" camilo questioned, now invested in the story. "me and your mamí met at the markets. I was with my papi one day to help him sell the vegetables and he wanted me there to 'start learning the family business'. I was a teenager, around your age, and as a teenager, I didn't want to be there. so I stood in the back and cut and packaged the vegetables, that was, until I saw your mamí walking down the street. my jaw dropped. she was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. and I had thought 'I need to talk to her'. so, I did what any guy would've done."

"you florted with her and asked her on a date?" camilo commented.

"no, I tried to chase after her and I face planted into the ground after tripping on one of the cobblestones." felix told his son, getting a snort. "seriously?" camilo asked, a hand over his mouth. "yeah. it was not pretty." "so what did you do?" "well, instead of never showing my face around the market again, I went again the next day. and the day after that. went there everyday for 2 years." "did you ever get the chance to talk to her?" camilo questioned.

"oh, no. i saw her everyday, walk by our stand or talk to my father instead. but on my last day there, as I was packing up, I saw your tío bruno come up to the stand."
"what did he say?"
"he came up to me and said he saw a vision. he saw that both me and pepa would get together and get happily married on a rainy day. then he also said that pepa had a little crush on me since I first came to the market. so, that night, I bought some flowers and came to the casita to ask your madre out. so, yes, married and three kids, but not before a broken nose and a lifetime insurance of humiliation."

at the story, camilo realized how lucky he was and how he met camila. "wow, thank god I didn't fall on my face when I met camila." camilo sighed, falling back onto the bed. "you are lucky, mijo. and lucky that you know camila better than anybody. so, how do you want to break this down?" felix asked his son. "well, I was thinking just to go over there and tell her, but what if she doesn't feel the same? game OVER." "hey, I may not be 'besties' with camila or whatever, but I know she would support you through everything and never leave your side."

"...I guess you're right."

•••
a / n
YOURE WELCOME!

drink water
eat food
ily.

-mela :)