12. Chapter 12

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Camilo flopped down onto his bed with a sigh of relief and stared up at the roof "Same thing everyday." he muttered "Camilo watch my baby, Camilo go as me to this one thing because I don't wanna, Camilo entertain the children." he was sick of it. No one ever wanted just Camilo they always expected him to be someone else, when would someone want him for him? Is just plain old Camilo not good enough? He didn't want to admit it but what Mirabel told him had stuck with him

The only way you are of use is if you pretend to be someone else.

Mirabel's voice rang clear in his head replaying the same things over and over like a broken record.

No one ever wanting you for you.

Camilo tossed and turned trying to chase the voice away but it was no good.

You spend so much time being someone else you don't even know who you are.

That was the one that hurt the most, and Camilo knew it was truth. Just who was he? The town's personal on demand babysitter? Is that his whole identity? He remembered the day after his fifth Birthday. The day after he got his gift. He had breakfast with his family and started heading off to play with Mirabel as usual when Alma stopped him and instead sending him out into town to put his gift to use and just like that his carefree days with no burdens were over. He remembered Mirabel's crestfallen face as she was getting left behind only to brighten again when their Abuela swopped her into her arms.

Mirabel was once Alma's favourite, for five years it was a familiar site to see Alma walking around Casita singing lullabies to Mirabel gazing down at her youngest grandchild as if she was the most precious thing Alma had ever seen. Far cry from how things were now, saying the two of them hated each other would be an understatement.

Camilo refused to admit even all these years later he was jealous of the attention Mirabel got but Mirabel with her ever loving heart made she he was never left out, she was his best friend. Even after he left the nursery he would sneak in there of a night just to cuddle up with his beloved prima. Closing his eyes he remembered the night of his ceremony.

Ten years earlier..

Camilo sat on the edge of his bed in the nursery rocking back and forth with nerves. What if he messed it up? He been looking forward to tonight for weeks but now the night was actually here he wasn't sure if he was ready.

"Milo?"

Camilo stopped his rocking as Mirabel climbed on the bed next to him "Mira?"

Mirabel wrapped her tiny arms around her primo "You're nervous." she pointed out eyes wide behind the glasses that were too big for her face.

"I'm not nervous." Camilo lied.

"Yes you are, but it's okay. I know everything is going to be fine."

"How do you know?"

"Because you are Camilo and Camilo can do anything!"

"You think so?"

Mirabel nodded as tears formed in her eyes she released her hug trying to stop the sobs forming in her throat

"What's wrong, Mira?" Camilo asked in concerned "Are you hurt?"

Mirabel shook her head "No..it's just...I...I...I'll miss you. Once you get your gift you won't need me anymore."

"Of course I'll need you, I'll always need you siempre serás mi mejor amiga."

"Really?" Mirabel leaned her head against Camilo's shoulder.

Camilo nodded pulling Mirabel into a hug "Si, I'll always be your best friend Mirabel. No matter what. No one and nothing can stop that."

Mirabel leaned into the hug and that was how Alma would find them held in each others embrace.

Camilo opened his eyes as the flashback ended and rolled onto his side as Mirabel's voice once again rang in his head.

You promised you would always be my best friend but you left me.

Camilo wouldn't deny it, as the years went on he out more and more distance on Mirabel despite her attempts. When she would ask him to play he would snap at her saying he's busy. He would watch Alma it openly being cruel to Mirabel. Did he ever stand up to her? No. Some friend he was. The night of Antonio's birth..oh he still remembers that night. The scream of pain that came from Mirabel's that still sent shivers down his spine when he thought of it followed by silence from her made Camilo fear her dead in some tragic accident the scream from Julieta shouting "SHE'S DEAD!" far from helped.

But no Mirabel had survived and he had to watch in horror as she was taken away powerless to stop it. He would sometimes think even now if it would of been better if she had died, more merciful that way but guilt for thinking such a thing quickly followed.

Ever since Mirabel was banished Alma had doubled down on everything and pushed everyone even harder and Camilo would be forced move on with life without Mirabel with just the quick glance as she stared him down from a street corner her face making it clear just what she thought of him now 'traitor'.

Reaching over to his bedside drawer he pulled an old photo. The image showed the pair of them both three years old, Camilo's arm around Mirabel both grinning widely. If only they knew what the future held for them, if only they knew how much things would change.

A knocking at his door startled him he quickly put the photo back and jumped off the bed wondering who would be knocking this time of night, everyone should be asleep. He opened the door to be greeted by his sister "Dolores?" he whispered quietly "What are you doing?"

Without a word Dolores pushed Camilo back into the room and followed quietly closing the door behind her "I need to speak with you."

"Now?"

"Yes now."

Camilo was confused "What's so important you can't wait until morning?"

"Because no one else can hear this."

"I'm confused.." Camilo sat on his bed and Dolores joined him "What do you want to talk about that you don't want anyone else to know?"

Dolores turned her body so she was looking Camilo right in the eyes "Mirabel."

Can she read my mind now? How did she know I was thinking about... Camilo stared at Dolores for a moment "What about Mirabel?"

"I think you should go talk to her."

"And why would I want to do that?"

Dolores bit her lip "You two used to be best friends, Mirabel still cares about you. Do you have any idea how many nights I sat in the courtyard listening to her cry herself to sleep at night? Calling out for Tía, calling out for Luisa, calling out for you."

Camilo looked down briefly before looking Dolores in the eyes "You're still seeing her aren't you? Why?"

"Because she is my prima, she was abandoned once I will not let her go through it again. I'll stay by her side even if no one else does."

"But Abuela says.."

"You know what? I don't care about what Abuela says anymore. Mirabel was right about everything, I was just too blind to see it until she pointed it out."

Camilo's eyes widen in shock "What are you talking about? What's Mirabel putting in your head?"

"She made me realise Abuela will never see me, just my gift. That's all I am to her, that's all we all are."

"That's ridiculous."

Dolores got off the bed and began walking towards the door "Go see Mirabel, then you'll see it from our point of view.".

It wasn't until Dolores was back in her own room she realised what she said-our point of view. Dolores knew about the vision and the prophecy over Mirabel's head, it wasn't her fault she overheard she never asked to have super hearing. As she laid down on her bed the thought startled her, she knew Mirabel was going to destroy the miracle. And she was helping her. And yet she found she was okay with that, she hated her gift she spent many nights wishing on stars for someone to come and take it away and now that someone has come.

After a lifetime of living in the shadows, a lifetime of always being second best, only being noticed when someone needed her gift for their own gain, the only way to get peace is to isolate up in her room. She was done, if Mirabel was destined to break cycle then well...

Dolores was going to help her succeed.

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The next morning Mirabel was awoken by loud knocking on the barn door, she sat up with a groan "What on earth..." she could see from the sky she had slept in. Dolores? No Dolores didn't knock like that. Her mother? No that wasn't it. Señor Pérez? No that wasn't it either. Alma? Oh who was she kidding why would she come to see her?

"Mirabel I know you're in there."

"Camilo?" asked herself in confusion slowly standing up and making her way over the door the knocks getting louder.

"Mirabel please open the door-" Camilo just about fell forward when the door suddenly opened and Mirabel was standing there hair full of straw.

"Hola, Camilo-" Mirabel didn't get a chance to finish her sentence before Camilo was pushing his way into the barn closing the door behind them.

Camilo grabbed Mirabel's shoulders and locked his eyes with hers "Mirabel we need to talk about this dangerous game you are playing."

"I have no idea what you mean."

Camilo sat down on a hay bale pulling Mirabel down with him "You know all the things you have put into Dolores's head. About how Abuela only cares about our gifts."

"Well it's the truth you know it's the truth, Abuela loves that candle more than any one of us, she doesn't see any of you as people." Mirabel held up her hand as Camilo opened his mouth to interrupt "Mamá slaves around in the kitchen everyday because this town needs healing from a sore toe, Tía Pepa is a walking talking watering can for the farmers, Dolores is used so someone can find out who is in love with who, Luisa is treated as nothing more than a carthorse.." she paused to take a breath "Tío Bruno gets begged to do these visions only to get the blame if it's not exactly what they wanted, Isabela is nothing more than Abuela's trophy she can parade around, Abuela hasn't found a use for an Antonio yet thankfully for him and you...well you're just a glorified baby-sitter. A child's entertainer. Wasting your life so others can live theirs."

Camilo sat in silence as he let everything sink in, he noticed Mirabel's shoulders had started shaking and she was trying to muffle sobs "Mirabel?"

Mirabel looked up at him tears rolling down her cheeks "And as for me. I have no use. Not to her. Now look at me. This all because of that candle and the curse it's bestowed onto this family. For years I longed for a gift of my own, but now I see the truth. I was the lucky one all along because at least I'm free. It's funny how it's the blinded one that sees the most isn't it?"

Camilo grasped her hand in his own "'Mirabel I'm-"

"Abuela took everything from me. She ruined me." she pulled her hand away "She made me what am I."

Camilo glanced around the barn, up to the roof anywhere but looking at Mirabel's face. He jumped when he felt Mirabel grab his arm turning back towards her a small sad smile on her face.

"I won't hurt you, Camilo. I want to help, let me help you. Abuela doesn't deserve you, she doesn't deserve any of you. She won't see how valuable what she has is until she loses it. You know how quick she was to discard me when I didn't get my gift. That alone showed what matters to her." she let go of his arm "Just think about it."

"She loved you once. You were her favourite."

Mirabel scoffed "And it was all a lie, once I no longer fit into her image of perfect family none of that mattered."

"Now she hates you."

"Believe me, the feeling is mutual. Even if she came and apologised tomorrow I wouldn't forgive her, nothing will make up for what I been through because of her." Mirabel got off the hay bale and walked back to her 'bed' and sat down back facing Camilo "I still care about you, you know even after you hurt me. I would like to get to know the real you again. But not even you know the real you do you?"

Camilo sat in silence for a few minutes waiting to see if Mirabel would say anything else but she had pulled out her embroidery and began humming a tune to herself without even looking back over his way. Assuming this meant he was dismissed "Ok...bye Mirabel.." all he got in response is a small wave. Leaving the barn he saw the food basket still sitting out there. Picking it up he placed it inside the barn door "You forgot your basket...bye..."

Walking back towards home head full of thoughts he was surprised to see Dolores waiting for him at the door.

"You spoke with Mirabel."

"Were you listening in?"

"No, I didn't listen to the conversation. I heard you knocking on the door I stoped listening when she opened."

Camilo glanced around to make sure they were alone "Do you really believe what she says? Abuela only sees us for our gifts?"

Dolores nodded "Si, we are not Isabela we are just tools to make Abuela look good. Abuela stopped loving Mirabel the night she didn't get a gift. Abuela doesn't have a gift either, so why don't we put her in an old donkey barn too? Papá and Tío Agustín don't have gifts, are they going into the barn as well?"

"Papá and Tío Agustín married into the family they are not supposed to have gifts, we are born Madrigal's."

"The point is Abuela calls Mirabel 'tainted' for not having a gift. But Abuela doesn't have a gift, everyone outside this family doesn't have a gift and that's fine. But Mirabel not having one makes her el diablo. I'm sick of the hypocrisy around here."

"Is there anything I can do?"

"It's up to you, personally I can't live like this anymore. I no longer care to please Abuela or do the towns bidding. I'm going to live my life for me." with that said she disappeared up the stairs into her room.

Camilo stood still as a statue as he processed his sisters words, he lifted his head to look at the candle. Were they really nothing more than tools? Mirabel's words flashed into his mind as he went into his own room.

For years I longed for a gift of my own, but now I see the truth. I was the lucky one all along because at least I'm free.

Camilo knew that as long as things carried on the way they are, he would never be free.

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Yes Dolores knew about the prophecy this whole time, I imagine she would hate her gift and would be glad to be rid of it considering how in the movie she was a lot happier during 'All Of You' when they lost the magic she knows what Mirabel is up to and this is her chance. Mirabel gets her revenge and Dolores gets her peace and quiet.

Just 2 review responses this time to answer some questions:

World'snumber1scaredycat: Mirabel does care for Dolores as she was the first one besides Julieta to treat her like a part of the family again.

Charlotte: Mirabel knows Bruno was forced into sharing the vision. If she ever forgives him you'll have to wait and see right now she holds a bit of a grudge since it was sharing the vision sealed her fate. If he kept it to himself none of this would of happened.