𝐀 𝐒𝐌𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐋𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐃𝐀𝐑𝐊𝐍𝐄𝐒𝐒

🌹~Chapter 4

-Into The Waters-

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"I'm sorry... what?"

The two Madrigals glare at me with an astonishing look as I shuffled my feet to the ground. I smiled sheepishly while clutching the journal of my Abuelo--where I'd found it a few days ago. Camilo gazed at the journal with his mouth gaping while Mirabel pulled up her green glasses, "So, you're saying that you'd found your Abuelo's old notebook about the world outside of Encanto?"

"Yeah," I nodded and held out my hand for the book to be taken. She sighed as she accepted the journal in her hands. "My Abuelo had this before he came here... I don't know why he kept it all these years but when I find his diary, it can tell you what life was like outside there."

She looked down at the journal and began flipping through the pages, "He never mentioned anything like this..." she murmured, "This is amazing, we have so much to learn!" She flipped through several more chapters until she finally stopped on a page. Camilo finally asked; "Y/N, what is it you're trying to do?"

"Well..." I hesitated for a moment because I didn't want to get their hopes up. They deserved better than this. But they did help me after all. They deserve the truth. So I decided to just rip off the band-aid. "You see... I've always wanted to see new places and try out different things... you know." 

They both stared at me with wide eyes. "Y/N, this is crazy! How are you supposed to go around the whole world alone?! You'd die in less than a year!" Mirabel exclaimed concernedly.

"And besides Y/N, we're twelve. How will kids like us be able to go out there without knowing how to survive?" Camilo argued. I shook my head before smiling, "Don't worry about it, guys!" I said brightly and reached for the journal. "Besides," I opened the book to a random page, "Here's where my grandpa put down all his notes."

I flipped over the next page and showed them his handwriting and withdraw a map. The two were quiet for a while, looking at the map. Their expression slowly morphed into excitement as they read the notes and drawings. When they finished they were still staring at the page and turned back to me, "We'll come with you!"

They said simultaneously. I couldn't hold back my smile but soon it dropped, "But what about your family? Of course, you have to stay with them since they are your family anyway, they mean everything to you." 

Mirabel waved me off, "Nothing is keeping us from going to the outside world together if you mean that much to us, Y/N! And besides, we may not even make it there. You might not even be alive by then!" the two stared at each other, nodding before glancing back at me. "We'd follow you to the ends of the Earth."

I grinned as tears formed in the corners of my eyes, "Thank you so much, really..." they both smiled happily at me before hugging me tightly. A soft giggle escaped my lips as they released me. Camilo gave off a concerned look afterward and asked: "What about Carlos?" 

I glanced over at him and bit my lip, "He's coming with us, I'm just going to convince him to come." I had to convince Carlos to join us. The boy was stubborn and hesitant at first, especially when I brought up the possibility of Carlos being the only one left. Camilo chuckled as he crossed both of his arms together, "Good luck with that, he'll say no before you could say anything." 

"That won't happen, Carlos will come willingly, trust me," I assured before turning to the door leading out of the house. 

***

"No."

I felt like I was thrown off. "Wha-- what do you mean no? You have to come! You're the only friend who disagrees with us. What kind of friends would we be if we just let this pass?!" I exclaimed. He frowned while glancing away and I groaned quietly. It wasn't fair, he didn't know what we were about to face. But I knew deep inside that he would want to come along.