Shunned (Bruno's Kid)

The Reasons Why

        "I hope you realize we have to tell the rest of the family." Abuela says breaking the hug, I look at her in horror. I can't tell the family, I've been counseling them for almost four years now. What will they think? That I'm weak, that I'm pathetic, that I can't handle my emotions. And papi, what about papi? "I-I- We don't have to do that." I say, Abuela gives me a look. "There is a family meeting tonight. I can start it off." I sigh, I know she's right, but if I'm going to say it I'm only gonna say it once. "Fine. But Alessandra has to come too." I pause and she nods, "I'm also gonna tell Cami that I'm telling them."

        "Cami?" I say walking into Alessandra's house, Camilo comes out into the main room and hums in response. "I'm telling the family." He looks at me, confused. "But you already told them about Alessandra?" I sigh and shake my head. "No, about what happened last year." I clarify, he looks at me. "Oh." He says, then I go on. "I'm also going to invite Alessandra." I say, his eyes widen a bit. "OH?" He says, realizing that this is gonna be an even bigger deal than he thought, his eyes darkening as he remembers that day.

Flashback 1 year, Camilo Pov, TW: Suicide

         I am going to sleep when I hear a noise coming from... the roof. I groggily climb out of bed, and climb out my window. The wind is strongly blowing, turning my hair into a tangled mess. I look up to see a figure above me, they are nearing the edge. I suddenly realize, it's Alex. They are inching closer and closer to the edge, I can hear faint sobs coming from them. "ALEX! STOP!" I yell, but the wind carries away my plea. They continue to get closer to the edge, I race over to them. As I get closer to Alex , they are only a few steps away from the edge. "I'm sorry." I hear them whisper into the wind as they take another step, then another. Almost there, but they step off.

        I grab them by their ruana, hearing it rip. I take Alex's wrist, looking into their tear filled eyes, they look tired. It's been almost a week and a half since I have last seen them and it looks like they've been awake the entire time. Their eyes are obviously struggling to stay open, their eye bags are dark, their face is flushed, and they're weak as ever. "Please let go, please." They plead, I shake my head at them. "No! No, hang on." I say holding onto their wrist, they are not holding on to me, they look back at me and a tear rolls down their face. "I'm so tired Camilo." They say, I struggle to keep my grip, thunder booms in the distance. "I know, Alex, I know." I say as I release tears, I shift into Luisa and pull Alex up onto the roof as rain starts to fall. I shift back and pull them into a tight hug. "W-what, why?" I try to ask them what they were thinking but the words won't get out.

        They look at me, with what I think is regret in their darkened eyes. "I'm sorry Cami. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." They keep repeating, I stroke their hair, their weak body is clinging to me for comfort. "Come on, I'll help you inside." I say helping them up, they lean on me for support. We go through my window

        Once we get inside they try to go to their room. "No, you're not going to be alone for a while." I say, I lead them to my bed. "Stay here and try to stay awake for a little longer." I say, I quickly run downstairs and grab some arepas and milk from the kitchen, I go to the bathroom and steal a towel, and I finally go to Alex's room and grab them some pj's. I get back to the room in ten minutes. I let them change and dry off before handing them the food and milk. They scarf it down, they clearly haven't eaten enough. After drinking the milk they I tell them to lay down. They do as I say and I pull them into an embrace and hum them a lullaby. It doesn't take them long to fall asleep. I stay awake, hoping that this is all some horrible dream.

Same incident, Alex Pov, TW: Suicide, Transphobia

        I never understood just how much my family didn't need me until a little over a week ago. I was in the hall and I heard Abuela. "Alexandria cannot help, her gift can't help us!" She yelled, I hid around the corner, there was thunder. "Mama! They are just as useful as anyone else! I'm sure they could help with the preparations for tonight's party." Tia Pepa argued, I smiled at the fact that she was standing up for me. "No, she might as well have no gift at all." Abuela snapped back, I ran back to my room crying.

        I have stayed in my room for the most part since then, Camilo leaves me food but I don't eat most of it. I haven't slept either, my mind won't shut off. I leave, I need to shower, but suddenly I hear footsteps. "Mama, have you seen Alex?" Julieta asks, I hold my breath. "No, but at least she's not scaring the townspeople." Abuela replies, tears sting my eyes. "Mama! You make them sound like some sort of monster!" Julieta argues, "All I'm saying is that Alexandria's gift makes the townspeople uncomfortable, things have been a lot less tense without her." Suddenly another voice chimes in. "And what have you done to ease the minds of the townspeople, not once did you argue in Alex's  favor. You just let the townspeople shun them, and it's not fair. It's not fair to the townspeople or to Alex. I mean imagine how they feel." It is tio Agustin, I love him.

        "Well, her gift makes people upset and she needs to figure out how to stay out of the way." Abuela says, I go to my room, distraught. My vision is blurred and my head is pounding "Am I really that useless?" I quietly question, then a thought comes to me. 'I would be more useful dead. I should just die. That would make her happy.' 

        I look to my window, it's dark out, I walk over to it without thinking. I climb higher and the thoughts get louder: 'This is for the best.' 'Everyone will be so much happier.' 'You will be so much happier.' ' I can't believe you never thought of this before.' 'All you have to do is jump.' Before I know it I'm at the edge, I take a deep breath in and step off. I begin to fall, but suddenly I stop.

        Someone has grabbed my ruana by the hood, it starts to rip. I look up to see Camilo, staring into my teary eyes. Upon hearing my ruana rip, he grabs my wrist. "Please let go, please." I plea, he shakes his head at me. "No! No, hang on." He says, still holding onto my wrist, I do not grab onto him, I look back at him and a tear rolls down my face. "I'm so tired Camilo." I say, he struggles to keep his grip, thunder booms in the distance. I still hope he slips, but some part of me wants him to pull me up and tell me it's going to be okay. "I know, Alex, I know." he says releasing tears of his own, he shifts into Luisa and pulls me up onto the roof, rain starts to fall. I pulled into a tight hug as he shifts back. "W-what, why?" He stammers, choking on sobs.

         I look at him, I feel so shameful for letting him of all people catch me. How could I let this happen? All I can do I repeat the only thing I can conjure in my mind "I'm sorry Cami. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." I cling to him, my body is weak from my neglect. "Come on, I'll help you inside." He whispers, I have to lean on him for support as we journey back to his window

        Once we get inside I start towards the door, I want to go back to my room and cry. "No, you're not going to be alone for a while." Camilo says leading me to his bed. "Stay here and try to stay awake for a little longer." He says, it's a hard task, I force my eyes to stay open. I'm so out of it that I don't even realize how long he's been gone. His hand on my shoulder snaps me back into reality. I change into some clothes that he brought for me, Camilo hands me a plate of arepas once I'm dressed. I take a bite, realizing just how hungry I actually am, I wolf down the food. I chase it with a glass of milk.

        I am even more tired now that I have food in my stomach. "Lay down." Camilo says, I comply. He lays next to me and pulls the covers over my body, he then begins to stroke my hair and hum a lullaby that my dad used to sing me. I fall asleep almost immediately.

A/N: Sorry it took so long, this was a much harder chapter for me to write.