A Lot On My Plate (Camilo x Reader)

Chapter III: The Sickness

You cringed hearing the familiar voice, slowly turning your head to see an incredibly smug friend.

"Hi... Mirabel.." you say slowly.

"Hey? Camilo...your mom is looking everywhere for you, and she wants you home...like right now." She laughs.

"I got..." he looks at you and rubs the back of his neck. "Distracted?..".

"Mmhm." She hummed, lifting her eyebrows at you, making you look away in embarrassment. "Anyway, Y/N your grandmother told me that she wanted you home.".

You knew what that meant. A lecture. Not from your grandmother, but from your mother. Imagining that was hellish, not to mention her current state she was in meant she was even more of a prickly mood. You sighed out of stress, and stood up. Your frown turned to a small smile as you looked at Camilo.

"Are you happy now that your debt is paid?" You asked jokingly.

"Nah, I'm not satisfied, maybe we could talk a bit more? If you'd like to of course, if this is like a one time thing I get that, I wouldn't want you to agree because you'd think you need to—" You place a finger on his lips to shut him up.

"I'm starting to think you like the sound of your voice." You place a hand over your own mouth to stop the laughter. "I'd like to, like I said, I need friends." You said.

You walked over to Mirabel and pulled her in for a hug. "I'll talk to you soon, okay?" She rubbed your back.

"Alright." She gives you a reassuring pat on the back. "I'll be front row at your funeral after your mom brutally kills you for 'hanging' out with a Madrigal." Mirabel snorted as you hit her arm, gently.

"Hey! You better throw the bouquet at me, and I swear I will come back to life and catch it!"

You missed having these moments with her. When you two we're very young you had a lot of fun, and you supported her when she didn't get her gift. But after her whole house and family falling apart, and because of your mother, you lost touch. It was good to see she still had that bit of sassy quirkiness to her personality. But you remembered you had to go and get murdered, so you started to jog off.

"Bye Mirabel! Bye, Camilo!" You yelled.

"Bye! Don't get killed, alright?!" She raised her hand up in the sky, and waved frantically.

"See ya, chica!" Camilo waved too, just not as enthusiastically, but with a smile planted on his face.

You disappeared out of view leaving Mirabel and Camilo. Camilo could feel his cousin's breath down his neck as she stared at him with the same smile she came with. Camilo tried to look away from her gaze but it was impossible.

"So...you and Y/N, huh?" She said, nudging his shoulder.

"Not. A. Word. Let's get going so mom can kill me faster.".

***

You enter your home quietly, keeping your steps light, not to make a sound in the creaky floorboards. Your eyes shut tightly as you carefully walked past your mother's room, and let out a sigh of relief as you made it to the kitchen.

"She's very upset, you know that." The sound of a knife on the wooden cutting board, rhythmically chopping the vegetables.

"Abuela...I was just...talking with a friend." You said, almost ashamed of yourself.

Your grandmother chuckled. "I know honey, but your mother is a difficult woman...you know that."

You looked down at the floor, your eyebrows knitted together. She was right, your mother was a difficult woman, however, she was unreasonable and wouldn't agree with anyone but herself.

"Go." She said, her eyes full of pity. "She wants to talk to you."

"...okay." You whispered.

You turn and proceed to walk slowly to her door, anxiety filling your body from head to toe. The door handle looked at you menacingly, you thought about just running off to your room and hiding away from this confrontation. But, you wanted this conversation to be done with. So, you twisted the handle, and opened the door.

"Mamí? You wanted to see me?" you peeked through the door crack.

"Come here." Her voice was raspy and low, it was intimidating.

You gulped coming inside. There was barely any light in the room, your mother was very irritated with the sunshine, and always wanted the curtains to be closed. Besides the dark and gloomy atmosphere, it was very tidy and organized, everything was in a certain way, order, and place. If it wasn't, let's just say she wasn't all butterflies and rainbows.

"Mamí, please let me explain—".

"Why were you with that Madrigal boy, you know I do not tolerate that." She asked, her words cold, like balls of hail hitting you.

"We were just talking, I was hoping he could be my friend and..." You stopped seeing her disappointed yet amused face.

"Friends?" She snickered. "I thought that Mirabel was enough for you, I set my personal feelings aside just so you could have a friend. What more do you want from me?..."

Your eyes glistened, you never wanted anything big, you just wanted a friend.

"I...I never thought you would be so upset with me talking to them.." Your voice cracked, and it became a challenge to breathe without it resulting in it breaking.

"It's different, Y/N. They're not good people, and I don't want you around them." She said rashly.

"But what did they do to you?! To me?! It isn't fair!" You shouted, tears finally dripping down your cheeks.

"Don't you dare raise your voice at me! You don't get to say what's fair or what's not! You know what's not fair? Being stuck in this bed all day, never being able to go outside because I'm too weak!"

"I understand that, I do! But you've never told me why, never gave me a reason to not be with them, you're...you're shutting me out!" Your voice boomed against the walls of the room, and you felt like you could hear your heart pound with your fast breath.

"I'm protecting you! And it's final, I don't want you near that boy—" Her words were cut off by a sharp and loud cough.

Her coughing didn't stop, it was ongoing.

Your tears stopped and you stared at your mother.

"Mamí?" You rush over to her side.

You looked over to her bedside table, and grabbed her medication.

"Abuela! Mamí needs some water!".

The sound of quick footsteps in the kitchen, and her hastily entering the room. She carefully handed you the glass of water, and looked worried for her daughter.

"Open your mouth for me." You asked.

She opened it and you put the pill into her mouth. Placing the edge of the glass to her lips.

"Drink." You poured the water into her mouth, and she gulped it up.

Her coughs slowed down and began to calm themselves. Her eye lids fluttered close, and her body became relaxed. You sat of the edge of her bed, you placed the blanket over her body and kissed her forehead. Abuela sat next to you, and covered her hand over yours.

"I'm sorry, that your caught up in...in this..." She looked for the correct words.

"In this sickness..." You stood up and walked to your room.

You wanted to cry, to scream, but all you felt was emotionally drained. So stuck in your mothers past, you couldn't live your own life.

Even something as simple as having a friend.

(1270 words)