One Hundred Broken Mirrors| Camilo Angst | Encanto

Useful is a stretch

{This chapter took a LONG time so my hands burn}

"Camilo?"

"Camilooooooo,"

"Camilo can you hear me?!"

Camilo snapped back to reality and turned to see Mirabel waving her hand in front of his face.

"Mirabel what are you-"

"Good! You're paying attention!" His cousin interrupted. "Abuela's calling us,"

"Okay then," He sighed, remembering Dolores had said the exact same thing to him before. He and Mirabel walked out of the kitchen towards the staircase.

Once again, Camilo zoned out, too worried about the gift ceremony.

What if it doesn't work? Like last time? What will happen then-

He wasn't looking here he was going and knocked his shoulder into someone else's.

"What the hell is your problem today?!"

He saw Isabela rubbing her shoulder where he bumped into.

"Please it couldn't have hurt that much, you're overreacting," He rolled his eyes.

"Why are you always like this?" Isabela hissed.

Wanting to annoy his cousin, he used his gift to transform into an exact clone of Isabela.

"Why are you always like this?" He mocked, changing back into Camilo, making her even more annoyed. In retaliation, she thrust a handful of thorn covered vines into his face, causing a few cuts to appear on the side of his face.

"Ow!"

"Please it couldn't have hurt that much, you're overreacting," Isabela repeated.

"Shut up," Camilo argued.

"I told you, you're worse than Mirabel," She mumbled.

"I'm sorry could you say that louder? I didn't hear you!"

"Well what do you wanna hear? The truth?"

"Camilo, we really should get going-" Mirabel said, trying to stop the fighting.

"What, you can turn into other people? How's that making you useful?"

"What, you can make flowers appear? Why does that make you the "golden child"!?"

"Guys!" Mirabel yelled, gathering both of their undivided attention. "Abuela?"

"....Fine..." Camilo groaned.

He started to walk with Mirabel, but she noticed that Isabela was walking in the opposite direction towards a group of people talking.

"Isa! Abuela's this way!"

"I'm just going to actually put a few smiles on these faces, since Camilo can't do it himself!"

Camilo quickened his pace.

"Wait for me Cam!"

He cringed at the nickname. He had always hated the way his cousin called him that way, it just didn't suit him, but he didn't have the heart to tell his gift-less cousin. They were extremely close after all. However, his pace didn't stop and only grew faster, Mirabel desperately trying to keep up with him.

They both reached the top of the staircase, in front of a glowing door, covered in small sparkles, and unlike every other door in the Casa Madrigal, this door was completely blank, while every other door depicted themselves and their power in a beautiful formation.

Eventually, Dolores and Isabela arrived along with a tall, muscular women that wore a white shirt, with a red ribbon and a blue skirt. Her hair was also pulled into a short bun at the back.

"Hey Luisa," Mirabel said.

"Hey, have any of you seen Antonio?" Luisa asked, looking around.

"I don't think so-" Camilo started, but was cut off by a voice approaching behind Dolores, Luisa and Isabela.

"Familia, I'm sure you're wondering why I've called you all today,"

Camilo turned to see Abuela walking towards them.

"Tonight is another very special night for another Madrigal, so we have to make sure it goes perfectly. To achieve this, I've assigned each of you with tasks to ensure that tonight is a perfect night, so first of all-" She stopped, her eyes turned to Camilo.

"Camilo, what is that on the side of your face?" She asked.

By then, Camilo had forgotten that the side of his face stung with scratch marks from Isabelas thorns.

"Well Isabela literally threw thorns at my-"

"I accidentally grew a few thorns on the roses stems, and Camilo carelessly ran into them and scratched his face," Isabela interrupted.

"What the hell? That's not what happened at all! Abuela she's lying-"

Abuela raised a hand to stop him. "That's enough, be more careful next time,"

This is absolutely ridiculous.

Isabela had a smug grin planted on her face.

Bitch.

"Now, as I was saying, each of you will have assigned tasks that I expect to be completed until the ceremony starts,"

"Dolores, you can help Julieta in the kitchen, Luisa you can help the community, Isabela you can decorate the house with pink and purple roses only. Mirabel, you can help decorate the outside and Camilo you can-"

Abuela stopped short upon Camilos name.

"You can......"

Abuela pondered on what to tell him, but couldn't find anything to say, as if his gift was the only thing that mattered when it came to helping out.

Although Camilos face remained the same, his body tensed up.

"You know what, just do whatever, as long as it helps," She finally finished.

As Abuela dismissed everyone to do their assigned tasks, Camilo stood still.
Isabela lingered behind, and thrust a handful of flowers in his face, snapping him out of his trance.

"Who's the useless one now?"