Mirabel's Doppelganger

Chapter 13: Bonding

"Seven-foot frame," The gravelly growl to Camilo's voice as he sang caught me completely off guard.

Damn, he's a good singer.

I mean I hadn't really expected that his voice was terrible or anything but gods alive people would give many things just to hear a voice like his. It gave me shivers that made my whole body warm.

 The way he got up from his smooth slide across the room was completely in character with the creepy version of Bruno he had shifted into, sort of creeping forward with his fingers held out in front of him as if he was playing the piano.

"Rats along his back!" The rats that he breathed into existence sitting along his back as he sang were so lifelike I could have sworn they were real.

He was performing for everyone in the room, and the way he smiled gleefully as he changed between himself into the character he created showed just how much he was enjoying it. He was definitely a showoff but he had good reason to be in this case.

"When he calls youur name, it all fades to black!" The rasp to his voice as he said the first part made my jaw drop. Camilo smiled at my reaction, rewarding me with an innocent grin, as he shifted back into himself and I realized he had done that on purpose. 

As he finished the line he held out a hand as if asking me to dance and without thinking about it I took a step forward to take it. Throwing me a wink he took my hand and spun me around leaving me a bit dizzy as I got my bearings.

"Yeah he sees your dreams," I turned around as I heard his voice behind me and came face to face with him and he continued to dance, being so close to him made me blush as I took a step back right out the door of Mirabel's room. 

"Feasts on your screams." 

 Almost as if he sensed my discomfort he gave me space while simultaneously changing back into spooky Bruno, and before I knew what had happened I was in his arms as he dipped me just the two of us out in the hallway outside the door.

He didn't linger in the position long before pulling me back to my feet, which I appreciated. 

My cheeks were bright red when he let me up, and my eyes darted to the doorway of the nursery embarrassed at all the eyes that were probably on us. I relaxed when I realized his parents weren't even in view, Dolores and Mirabel were the only ones I could see.

Mirabel gave me an encouraging smile but glanced pointedly at her bag holding the glowing green shards before looking over at Dolores to make sure she hadn't seen.

"We don't talk about Bruno, no, no, no, no. We don't talk about Bruno!"

As Camilo sang the next line Mirabel grudgingly allowed Dolores to take her hand and they danced out of the room. The look on Dolores's face led me to conclude that she just wanted to keep an eye on us, or more specifically on me, but she hide it well by singing along with Camilo.

Their parents lent their voices as they emerged from the nursery, their voices harmonizing so perfectly that I knew they must have done it before or practiced somehow. 

Turning back to Camilo I was startled to see a woman with a red bow in her hair in his place, she wore a dress, her dark hair matching her skin tone. 

"He told me my fish would die," he puffed out his chest as he spoke in the woman's voice that was too realistic for him to have not heard this woman actually say this exact thing.

"The next day! DEAD!" 

Seriously? If someone actually blamed a dead fish on Bruno I'm beginning to wonder if he isn't actually as bad as people say he is. It's a fish! He probably saw that she wasn't feeding it and told her it would die if she kept doing so.