𝙀𝙉𝘾𝘼𝙉𝙏𝙊: 𝙒𝘼𝙏𝘾𝙃𝙄𝙉𝙂 𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝙈𝙊𝙑𝙄𝙀

8: WE DON'T TALK ABOUT BRUNO (Part 1)

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing but some of the plot and my ocs.

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The scene randomly cut to Isabela and Abuela walking arm in arm, chatting, while Mirabel and Layla hid behind potted plants.

ABUELA: Such a perfect match.

ISABELA: So perfect.

ABUELA: So good for the Encanto.

"What're you guys talking about?" Antonio asked, tear-stained cheeks on display as a reminder of what happened with Layla's song.

"Her engagement, Antonio," Abuela said, mustering up a sliver of pride at one thing going right in this broken family.

If only she knew, Isabela thought bitterly, sharing a quick, painful glance at Marco. He was doing the thing where he could form whole sentences with his eyes and Isabela always felt like it was a message for her.

Please, his deep brown eyes begged, talk them out of this engagement, for your own sake!

Isabela looked away quickly, wishing she had the courage to say something about how everyone was dictating her life. Only Leo and Layla noticed, their perceptive eyes picking up exactly what had been going on between Isabela and Marco for, it seemed, quite some time.

MIRABEL: Ugh.

Isabela pulled a face for a split second. Mirabel assumed it was annoyance directed towards her, but really, it was more like, You have no idea.

LAYLA: (WHISPERS) Come on!

They watched as the two girls emerged from the flower pots and approached Bruno's door hesitantly. They pushed and leaned with all their weight to get it to open. Finally, Layla stopped.

LAYLA: Mirabel. Back up.

MIRABEL: What are you—GAH!

The entire theater room jumped in shock as Layla took a leaping run and kicked the door down, landing on her feet inside Bruno's room.

The silence was broken, courtesy of the queen herself. "I guess you did lock his room."

LAYLA: Huh. That was easier than I thought it would be. Watch out for the sand, Mirabel.

MIRABEL: Wow! Um . . . hmm. Casita, can you turn off the sand?

Bruno shook his head. "Nope. Tried that."

"So you just put up with it?" Mirabel asked, disbelief coating her voice.

"Pretty much," Bruno shrugged.

MIRABEL: You can't help in here?

LAYLA: We'll be fine.

MIRABEL: I need to do this. For Casita, for Abuela, and maybe a little bit for me. Find the vision, save the mirac—

LAYLA: Woah! Oh, hello.

MIRABEL: Woah. Lots of stairs. But at least I have you, Layla. And you, too, bird—nope, he flew away immediately.

LAYLA: You still got me, Mirabel.

MIRABEL: Right, right. Okay! Let's go!

After walking in silence for a bit—

LAYLA: (SIGHS) You wanna sing, don't you?

MIRABEL: It would be a nice moral booster, don't you think?