Sunflower | C.M

VII

Both teenagers had a staring contest with each other, unsure of how to react when they both apologized to each other at the same time.

Camilo was the first one broke the eye contact. He chuckled. The shapshifter was on the verge of laughing, but he held his mouth to prevent it. Francesca was too bewildered from his actions and raised her eyebrows.

"Is there something funny , Camilo Madrigal?"

"No, it's just....", he stopped. He coughed and looked at the brown skin teenager infront of him. "I'm surprised. What you did is not really a 'Francesca' thing." Camilo emphasized and finger  quote her name. Sometimes, situation similar to this made Camilo lighten the mood up and the person would laughed at his jokes. But, instead of laughing, this made Francesca gave him a not satisfied look.

" 'Francesca thing'? You don't even know me and we're not even friends. I regret going here and apologize to you. Adios." She turned around and was about to walk out when a hand grabbed her left wrist. Francesca turned backwards and looked at Camilo, who was staring at her with an apologizing look.

"Lo siento. I was joking." He dropped her hand and rubbed his nape. "What I was saying is, I never thought you apologize first." Camilo confessed and let a nervous laughed.

"Meaning?"

"How about we go to the backyard? We can talk there."

_________

The walk was awkward.

Francesca fasten her pace, with her hands on her back and her direction on the front. Meanwhile, Camilo tried to keep up with her pace. Everytime he's beside her and opened his mouth, she fasten her pace more.

"Geez, will you slow down?"

"Don't tell me what to do.", Francesca replied coldly, which made him wonder if she truly changed.

I mean sure, there are people who didn't change even after apologizing, but still, I hope that's not the case.

Obviously, the gal reached the backyard first. Camilo swore her eyes went as big as arepas as she noticed the rectangular container garden, where she planted flowers with young Madrigals.

"Antonio mostly took care of these.", he approached behind her, hands on his hips. "He's been asking everyday what flowers we planted. Didn't you tell them though?"

"It's a surprise, actually." Francesca's eyes sparkled as she traced the container, where she, Isabela, Luisa, and Mirabel planted.

Camilo stared at her while she was busy looking at the container, before coughing, which made her looked at him sideways. "So um.... about earlier." He started. Before he continued, Francesca fully faced him and crossed her arms. "Oh, about the 'I apologized first'? We literally apologized at the same ti-"

"I know that." He cut her sentence. "Remember when I told Tio Bruno that I was going somewhere? I was going to your house to apologize you!" Camilo exclaimed, making Francesca shocked. "Then I noticed you at the door and my first thought was 'is she going to apologize me first?'"

"No way. After what I've said? About the 'don't talk to me'?" Francesca always thought Camilo was a jerk, but after that event and her eyes opened, even it's mostly Francesca's fault, Camilo would still apologize. He nodded as a reply.

"Why would you..... apologize? I was the one who's mostly at fault." The gal hugged herself and looked away from the boy, tears forming in her eyes. Guilt entered her body and she felt ashamed.

"Well, I called you egoistic and stubborn. Yes, I admit I was mad, but I shouldn't called you those. I'm sorry, Francesca." After the event few days ago, the said gal was kind of shocked to hear her name from Camilo's mouth once again. This time, it's full of sorriness, not full of anger that he was once before.

She wiped her tears in her eyes before looking at him fully. He was staring at her with his sad smile. "That's true, Camilo. You don't need to apologize." For the first time, she send him a smile, but a sad one.

"I was really mad when you stepped om my flowers. But I'll be the one who should truly apologize. I didn't listen to you and sided with my ego that you purposely stepped on it. I'm really sorry." Francesca hesitated to go near him, but she took a step and looked at Camilo's brown orbs. She could clearly saw his freckles in his face.

"Even you tell me not to apologize, I'm still sorry for what I did." Camilo said, which made her shook her head.  "No stop! You didn't do anything wrong! Well, it kinda irks me when you said me being egoistic and stubborn, but still!"

Camilo burst into laughter. Few seconds after, Francesca joined him. She even surpassed his laugh, which made the lad stopped. He stared at her in awe, her hand on her stomach and the other on her forehead while laughing. It's his first time seeing Francesca smiling and laughing.

"Is something wrong?", Camilo's thoughts were snapped when she shook his left shoulder. "N-nothing. Anyways, does this mean..... I'm forgiven?"

Francesca smiled at him while nodding, which made Camilo reciprocated. "Oh and also, am I forgiven? I promise I won't do it again." She raised her right hand and made a swore, which made Camilo chuckled.

"Actually, it might take a while to answer you honestly."

Ouch. My words really stabbed him, huh?

"I see." Francesca bit her lip and fiddled her hands. The feeling of burden wore off when she apologized, but another came when Camilo answered her differently.

Silence fell between the two when Francesca's stomach growled. Camilo snorted, but not before long, his stomach did the same thing. "Well, I guess we're hungry, huh?" They both laughed.

"I'll be going now, Camilo." She sent him a smile and was about to walked off when a familair voice perked her ears up.

"Come join us for lunch!" It was Dolores, who was standing beside Camilo. She elbowed her brother's side and gave him a mischievous smirk. The lad gave her a confusing look.

"What do you say, Francesca?"