Dos Oruguitas (Camilo Madrigal)

Prologue

Watching a 6-year-old cry is always a hurtful sight. But for little Camilo Madrigal, it would tear his heart to a million pieces. He didn't know who this little girl that was crying was, but he still feels bad for her, he can't stand it.

Right there, in the corner of the playground, while everybody else was playing with their friends, that little girl was down, hugging her knees, crying.

Camilo walked toward the 6-year-old girl, not taking his eyes off of her. They were the same age, so it wasn't fair for him to have fun in the playground while someone else was crying. No, he had to help her.

The little girl had her head tucked in her legs as she was hugging her knees, she didn't see Camilo walking toward her. She was silent. Her sobs were the only sound that could be heard around this girl. That, and the little boy's footsteps, coming towards her.

"Why are you crying?" the innocent 6-year-old Camilo asked.

The girl lifted her head from her knees, only to look at a little boy her age, with green eyes and curly black hair, his face full of freckles, asking her what was wrong. Not daring to speak but letting no other but her sobs escape her, she pointed to her knee, which was showing from her pink dress.

Camilo looked at the little girl's knee. It was scratched and slightly bleeding. He felt as if he was sweating, how could this have happened? He felt very sorry for her and didn't know why.

"Who did this to you?" he asked her, kindly, as he sat beside her.

Once again, not saying a single word, the girl pointed to a group of kids a little older than them, who looked much bigger than the poor little girl crying on the ground.

"Why? Did you hurt them too?" Camilo asked again.

The girl shook her head, saying 'no'. Wiping her eyes a little but unable to stop the tears from falling, she looked at him.

"They... told me I was fat, and... pushed me and laughed at... m-me..." she spoke, her voice cracking in between her sobs.

Camilo looked at the girl. Sure, she wasn't the thinnest, but why would they call her 'fat'? She wasn't!

"You're not fat, I think you're beautiful!" he smiled at her, an innocent, childish sparkle in his eyes, trying to make her feel better.

The girl didn't reply. She looked down once again, her tears falling like the river.

"Come here," Camilo said, as he gently wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her into a hug. It usually worked when any of his family was upset, it had to work on this girl too. "It's okay, you don't need to cry! Those kids don't know what they're talking about!"

The girl didn't react, she just let him hug her. It was true she felt a little better. She didn't know that boy, but she was glad he was with her.

"Okay, look," Camilo said as he let go of her and stood up.

The girl looked at him, as he took a quick glance at one of those kids she had pointed to before- the biggest one, specifically. Then, just like that, before her eyes, he shifted to this kid. It was like he wasn't that boy anymore, he had transformed into the bully who had pushed her. How did he do that? Could he be one of the Madrigals?

She was looking at him with shocked eyes. But, really, he didn't look exactly like the bully. His belly was way bigger, and he looked as if he could weigh 220 pounds! And Camilo had done that intentionally.

"Ooh! Look at me, I'm a big fat kid!" the bully, who was, in reality, Camilo having transformed into the bully, said with a mocking voice.

The girl couldn't help but laugh. It was true, he was pretty funny, and he made her feel a lot better. She wasn't sad anymore, this boy had cheered her up.

"Now I'm going to bully some kids!" Camilo said, still in the morph of the bully as he started walking funnily. He was looking at her instead of looking forward, causing him to bump into a tree and fall down, in the silliest way possible.

The girl laughed once again. Her pain was all gone now, and her sobs were replaced with happy laughs. She was smiling, and she wasn't in pain anymore. She didn't care if those kids called her 'fat', because that boy thought she was beautiful.

Camilo laughed a bit as well as he stood up and shifted back to his original look. He was smiling as well because he had achieved his goal to make her feel better. Hearing her laugh made him happy, complete. He was satisfied with himself and his work.

"What's your name?" he asked her.

"I'm Veronica Montoya. You're one of the Madrigals with the gifts, right?" the girl replied, cheerfully.

"That's right! Camilo Madrigal!" he said, puffing his little chest in pride.

Out of nowhere, little Veronica attacked him with a big hug. Camilo didn't see it coming, and he didn't know why she hugged him, but he didn't mind. He felt happy when she hugged him.

"Thank you!" the girl spoke, tightening her hold.

Camilo smiled. "It's nothing. I won't let them hurt you ever again."

Veronica pulled away slightly and looked at his eyes, innocent gazes meeting. "Really?"

"Of course! We're friends now!" he said, keeping his smile.

The girl kept looking at him with a bright grin. He was now her friend, her only friend. The only one who wanted to be around her even though she was a little chubby. He was her saviour, and she would always be with him for the rest of her life, no matter what. She promised it to herself, she promised loyalty to her first-ever friend, Camilo Madrigal.

How strong could a promise of a 6-year-old be? Stronger than she ever thought it would be. Because under the innocence of two 6-year-olds, the vows were strong and memorable for the rest of their lives.