Camilo's Journey

Chapter 1:

"Are you sure about this Camilo? You've never been out in the world, you'll have to keep your gift a secret.." Peppa is spiralling, a cloud is growing over her head by the second.

"We don't talk about.. Camilo's gift." Camilo sings with a laugh threatening to break free from his mouth. but when she isn't impressed by his impression of her he snaps back into himself and tells her she has a cloud.

She groans. Flinging her arms around dramatically in the process.
"Of course I do, one of my baby's is leaving," she says drenching Camilo as she tries to grab at his cheeks. He darts back narrowly avoiding being coddled. Peppa isn't impressed.
"And I don't think he understands how different things are going to be." She stresses.

"I'm sixteen now, I think I can handle it." He says with a cocky grin and edge to his voice. Of course he can, he's Camilo Madrigal! Fierce, confident and unstoppable!

Before Peppa can come up with a retort Antonio bursts in, his big brown eyes wide as they catch on Camilo. Camilo also notes that there's a Tucan on his shoulder and keeps a comfortable distance.
"There you are! I thought you'd left without saying goodbye." Antonio exclaims with relief.
Camilo waves the Tucan off and then scoops his brother into his arms in a hug that turns into tickling and laughing.
Peppa huffs but smiles as she lets the boys be.

"You promise you'll write?" Antonio presses quietly. His voice soft and hopeful.
"Have a ever lied to you?" Camilo asks him.
"You once.." Antonio starts but Camilo covers his mouth. Yeah dumb question Camilo! You are basically a trickster by trade.
"About anything important?" He adds and Antonio shakes his head. Camilo let's him down and he runs off chattering to the Tucan and yelling back at Camilo that he'll miss him.

Camilo is touched but as usual he covers it with a hearty laugh.
"I'll miss you too buddy!" He calls.

When he turns around both Delores and his Tio Bruno are watching him.
"Hey." He says. They both watch him like both of their gifts are giving them a lot they want to tell him. A stunned silence of huge Madrigal brown eyes.
"Out with it!" Camilo says sliding a piece of Pan de Yuca into his mouth. So good!!

"I don't do that anymore." Bruno says so quickly that Camilo almost misses it. His eyes are more concerned than fearful which Camilo takes as a good sign. So he raises an eyebrow at his Tio. Which so easily puts his Tio on edge that Camilo laughs.

"All I will say is that you have a lot of growing up to do." Bruno holds his hands up defensively and runs away, like he still fears being seen by anyone.

Delores watches after Bruno for a second and then pulls Camilo by the ear.
"Ouch!" He complains. She ignores him as she does that far off look she does when she's listening to something far away.

"Keep your gift a secret, all of our gifts. I hear unkind voices who speak badly of our kind." She says getting lost somewhere in the distance.

Camilo, not wanting to process that any more than he has to, shrugs her off with a smug look and a laugh.
"I'm Camilo Madrigal, fierce, confident and unstoppable!" He exclaims. Delores rolls her eyes at him.

"Whatever, just don't get killed." She mumbles.
Danger!!
"Killed?" Camilo startles. Delores pulls him back towards her again by his ear and he swats at her hand.
"I could be over playing it, but watch your back." She says, sharp and short and then she's gone.
Camilo shudders.

"She's just trying to scare you Camilo, I'm sure you'll be fine." His Papa's voice comes from nowhere.
"I.. I know that." He says with a quick turn to face him. Making sure to plaster on a confident grin for his father.
"Sure you did." Felix laughs and then adds.
"Hope you had a good birthday." And then he too is gone.
Camilo is left feeling nervous but he shakes it off. He was born ready for new and exciting things!

***

The next few hours before Camilo leaves are nothing short of Madrigal chaos and he loves it, he bathes in all their love.

He isn't ready to admit he's worried about hiding his gift or being alone out in a world he doesn't know, so he puts on his brave face. After all it is the truth that he is excited to be dancing, singing and acting basically every minute of his life! That's what he loves to do!
The family don't have to know he's scared too. He doesn't want them to worry, they have enough on all of their plates, trying to keep face that they won't lose their magic again.

Mirabel suddenly tackles him from behind and he mirrors her over excited greeting back to her. She laughs at his impression.
"I'm going to miss all the chaos and fun that is Camilo." She says shifting her glasses back up on her nose. Camilo worries Mirabel will get all emotional so he distracts her, shifting into dramatic impressions of their relative that as Camilo expects works like a charm.

"Look, I'll be back for the holidays at the end of the year, so no emotional stuff." He says. She rolls her huge eyes at him and ruffles his hair.

"Sometimes it's okay to feel things, Camilo. It lets us see who we are underneath." She says and Camilo shifts into his Abuela, but before he can get the words out she's gone. He shrugs.

It's all going to be fine. "Camilo doesn't worry about new and exciting things, he embraces them." He says to himself but if he was ever honest he'd say that he only half believed that and the pit in his stomach was fear of the unknown.