Stuck With You ⇁ Carlos Madrigal

01

Did you hit your head?

Did you get into some freaky accident?

Did you die in your sleep?

All questions you had absolutely no answer to - one thing you knew for sure is that this wasn't your world, certainly not the one you grew up in.

"Oi."

Your body tensed, dread and anxiousness washed over you once more - something that was becoming more and more familiar the longer you stayed here - whatever here was exactly.

You hear your name being called, but you don't move - keeping your eyes trained on what was ahead. Please. You thought to yourself before shutting your eyes closed. Just leave me alone.

Footsteps.

You peel your eyes open and there he was - looming over you. A month ago that face would have brought you nothing but joy, but now every time you see it - was like a slap in the face; the universe telling you 'this is your life now'.

That damn smirk doesn't leave his face, he leaned down slightly, and your name leaves his mouth.

Your eyes narrowed, staring up at him. "Carlos." You bite back, lips twisted into a tight frown. What a stupid name. Every time you say his name, scratch that, just thinking about his name leaves a sour taste in your mouth.

Camilo was a far better name.

But Carlos - he was nothing like the shapeshifter you had grown up with - he wore his face, nothing else.

"Oh." Carlos muttered, clearly amused. "So you're not going to call me 'Camilo' anymore, huh?" He asked with a laugh.

You glared at him but said nothing, you stood up from your spot, and dusted off your clothes.

"You can call me that again if you want." He piped up - your muscles tensed, eyes drifting back towards him. He took a step closer towards you. "I don't know where that name came from but if that's what it takes for you to look at me again with so much. . . fondness."

He stood inches away from you now, looking down at you with that annoying grin plastered across his face - "Then by all means call me that again."

You stared at him, trying your best to look unaffected. Because that's what he wants - a reaction. "No." He wasn't Camilo, he was nowhere near his level, he doesn't deserve to be called that - you weren't gonna make that mistake again.

You take a step back, he follows - taking a step forward. "What do you want, Carlos?"

His lips twist into a frown as he places his hand on his chest, and swoons rather dramatically. "How can you be so cruel?" He asked, biting back a laugh. "Can't a guy hang out with his best friend?"

"Best friend." You repeated dryly, resisting the urge to roll your eyes. "You sure do have the strangest way of showing your friendship, Carlos."

"Only to you." He smiled, innocently.

You doubted that, with the way you've seen him treat Mirabel - it would be safe to say - that he probably treated everyone like shit.

You sighed, breaking away from his gaze. There would be no winning with him - he didn't even seem to know the sole concept of 'enough's enough'.

"Well then, best friend." You began, sarcastically. "I'm tired so if you'll excuse me - I'll be off." You didn't wait for his reaction before you turned to your heel and began walking away and like some lost puppy - he followed after you.

When you glance to your side to see him - he was no longer himself, instead he had shapeshifted into Mirabel. He or rather she called out your name, with a smile that didn't fit Mirabel's soft features.

"Come on, let's have fun!" The imitation said. He wasn't even trying to get her voice right, it sounded forced - he was mocking her. "Let's do boring stuff and sew! Oh - That's all I can do because I'm a giftless nobody!"

You stopped, the dirt crunching beneath your feet.

She suddenly reached out and grabbed your hand, almost instinctively your face twisted in disgust, vile rising up to your throat. The copy grinned, hand gripping yours tightly, she stared up at you and mockingly fluttered her eyelashes. "I'm your favorite, right? Even though I'm really useless."

You ripped your hand away from her, and you raised it up to the sky - but it stayed there, unable to move. You couldn't do it, of course you couldn't - it was Mirabel, even if it was just a copy.

You lowered your hand, fingernails digging into your palm in anger. Camilo. . . Camilo - would never do this, he would never say such a thing to you or to Mirabel.

But this wasn't him.

"I hate you." The words slipped out of you. You managed to catch a glimpse of her face as it fell into a look of surprise - shifting back into a more familiar form, before you ran and this time he didn't follow you.

Tears began to blur your vision but you kept running and running, not wanting to look back.

I just wanna go home.

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