Fractured Wings - An Encanto Fan Story

thirteen

     "Good grief, can I not rest after everything? Sheesh." Giselle sat herself on the vibrantly-green grass. 

     Giselle had been waiting for the opportunity to reconnect with her father all her life and she wanted to feel happy that he'd finally decided to see her, but for some reason, Giselle was not as willing to anymore. Thoughts and questions orbited around her troubled mind. 

     Was it because she was afraid of what he'd think of her and whether or not he'd accept her? Maybe. Was Giselle afraid that he'd come to take her away, perhaps? The thought of being taken away from the people she'd grown to love and care for terrified her. 

     Then, with that last thought, Camilo's face popped into her mind. Giselle couldn't imagine being separated from him even if she really tried to. Not only because she realized that she'd grown some special feelings toward the brunette boy, but also because he had managed to get a hold of her hand and bring her out of her own darkness. 

     In Giselle's eyes, Camilo had saved her from her own inner demons. And now it was time for her to face them herself, for once and for all. 

     "What'cha doin' up here?" A voice said from behind Giselle. "Looking at the sunset without me?"Giselle looked over her shoulder, already knowing who it was. Upon seeing him, she sent him a small smile. 

     "Mind if I join you?" Camilo asked, to which Giselle responded with a nod. 

     Neither of the two teens spoke for a while, they merely gazed over the horizon past the mountains that protected the Encanto. 

     Giselle wanted to tell her brunette friend of her past and finally open up to him to get through it. She knew he'd listen but there was something holding her back. But she didn't want to burden him with such heavy words so she remained silent. 

     "Alright, you gonna keep frowning or are ya gonna tell me what's wrong?" He laid on his back, closing his eyes. "I saw you dash off from tía Julieta's kitchen earlier as if you saw a ghost." He added. 

     Straight to the point, as always. 

     "Well..." Giselle played with her hair. "I got a letter... from my father." 

     Camilo's eyes opened in surprise as he sat up. Giselle slightly jumped at the sudden action. "That does remind me: you never talk about your parents." He furrowed his eyebrows in seriousness. 

     "Yeah, I guess I don't." Giselle looked away from his eyes. 

     After a moment of hesitation, "so is he a good guy or a bad guy in this situation?" 

    Giselle let out a small gasp. "No, no! He's good, he's wonderful! But um..." 

     "But?" Camilo crossed his arms. 

     "I don't know how to tell you this..." Giselle said in a voice barely above a whisper. 

     Camilo frowned with a tilt of his head. He looked unsure of how he could comfort the girl beside him. "Can't you produce images with your gift? Like illusions?" He scrunched up his nose in thought. 

     "Well, I had unconsciously done it that night where Mirabel had found the cracks after we split up." Giselle wasn't getting the hint. "But I didn't know that was my doing at the time—but what does this have to do with my gift?" 

     "Ay, ay, mariposa." Camilo flicked Giselle's forehead. "If you can't tell me what's wrong, then you can show me using your gift." Giselle rubbed her forehead. 

     "I don't know if I can willingly do that." She rested her chin on her two palms, looking away from him.

     "Why?" Camilo tilted his head to eye her from the side.