Who Am I Now?

Be True to Yourself

It was promising to be a hot day as the sun rose over the Encanto. Camilo slipped through the villagers, searching for his friends. When he spotted a group of teenage boys, he grinned and strode over. He'd been wanting to see them for over a week, but there hadn't been time.

"Hey, let's get out of here," Camilo said to his older cousin Andrés. "Find somewhere fun."

The tall, dark-skinned boy stared at him. He looked so much like his tío Darío. "Um, your house?" he said, gesturing at the project.

Camilo shrugged. "Come on. I'm tired of working. Aren't you?"

"What happened to the Madrigals helping out?" Óscar asked.

Camilo froze. Though he'd been asked that question a thousand times by Óscar and the other boys, there was an undertone to the question that was new. Because he could no longer respond in the same way. Usually, he'd morph into another person from the village and reply in their voice that he's not a Madrigal now and off they would go. But now...

Pain lanced through him, and he glared at Óscar, who looked surprised.

"What's up, hombre?"

"¡Cállate, guiso!" Camilo snapped.

The boys straightened and stared at him.

"Camilo!" Félix exclaimed from behind him.

"You, too!" Camilo exclaimed.

"I beg your pardon?"

"You don't have it," Camilo sneered.

Then he turned and walked into the jungle by himself, leaving his father and friends gazing after him in astonishment. Shoving through bushes and stepping over branches, he fought back tears and he thought of the last couple weeks and how wrong everything was now. He was tired and aching from working day after day without a break. Along with the villagers, he had busted his tail end for nearly two weeks, and their new house was almost done. He wanted time with his friends, to just goof off like usual, but something was different between him and everybody else. His friends looked at him differently now, and he found that he didn't know his place with them anymore.

When he was far enough away, he began to pace back and forth, trying to calm himself down. It wasn't working. He hated his so-called friends, he despised his stupid family, and he didn't know what to do about it. He thought about leaving like Mirabel had, except he wouldn't come back. That would show them! They'd soon realize they needed him, that they missed him. Then a face flashed into his mind. If they could forget him...

"Hey."

Camilo spun to see Bruno standing in the trees, hidden in shadow. He was hunched over, almost as if he didn't want to be there, but his intense gaze was unwavering. It irritated the teen.

"What do you want?"

"You seem angry," Bruno said.

"Yeah? So?"

"Why?"

"Why?" Camilo demanded. "What do you mean why? My house is destroyed, my powers are gone, and my friends don't care! They're laughing at me!"

"Are they?" Bruno walked forward and stopped a few feet closer.

"Of course they are!" Camilo paused and narrowed his eyes. "What do you care anyway? Go back to your hidey-hole!"

"Or else what?"

It was a challenge, and Camilo bristled. "Or I'll tell you what I really think of you."