Chapter 5

There she stood on her mother's garden, her hand methodically moved across the canvas as she paints, her eyes selfishly drinking every detail of her subject.

She walked backwards, looking at the picture she painted. Her head tilting from left to right, double checking her art. If only she has a way to somehow flip the drawing. The butt of the paintbrush now tapping on her chin as she thinks to herself, with a sigh, she resumed drawing her piece.

"(Y/N)?"

She stared at the finished drawing, seemingly deep in thought. Eyeing the intricacies of each stroke she had made, she can't help but feel like something is missing.

"(Y/N)."

"(Y/N), "

The first person that came into mind was Camilo, her eyes narrowed at the thought of him, the audacity of that boy to plauge her mind! She bets he revels at knowing that she's having difficulties at drawing everything but him. Her collection of drawings, paintings, and doodles of him is growing exponentially and is now stocked in a small pile on the corner of her room. She huffed, gripping her brush tightly,

"(Y/N)!"

The sudden shout of her name dragged her out of her trance, she looked behind her to see the owner of the voice, her own mother- who is holding a basket full of her empanadas looking at her expectantly.

"Finally! , I thought I lost my daughter for a moment there!"

Her mother handed her the basket she was previously holding and pushed her out to the front door. The teen was too confused on what to do or even react at the moment, she was just suddenly pushed out the house by her mother without any context.

"I want you to give this to Julietta as an apology gift for stealing her arepas that one time, it's your super special empanadas!~"

"What-"

"Okay off you go now, chop chop!"

Before she was even able to get any word out, the door was slammed shut at her face. Welp, to the Casita she goes then. Her eyes shifted to the Madrigal household, the distance is so far from her house that she feels exhausted just by looking at it. Begrudgingly, she complied to her mother's wishes and gathered the will to walk towards there.

Words are meaningless without tangible evidence that proves what the person says. Actions, compared to words, are concrete and have an everlasting impression— the words that Camilo's father told him once. He stared at the piece of drawing (Y/N) gave to him, eying every detail she noticed from that chance encounter that day. It was an honorable attempt to make him see himself as... Well, .

But Camilo Madrigal, was and is but a Chameleon. And that was all he was before he met her, the entirety of his life he thought that just simply being himself wouldn't be enough for everyone. That isn't enough for anyone.

He recalled her words that day, but what good is he? What good is all of him, if all he's good at pretending someone he not. Someone he could never be. For all he is, is just .

He couldn't fathom why she finds him interesting, intriguing, out of the ordinary. Without his gift, he's just Camilo- an ordinary teen, with no interesting qualities. He is just an insecurity-ridden boy, even when he tries his best, they could never be enough to shine as brightly as their family.

The lamp of one's body, one intellectual once said. She stared at the window where Camilo is at- seemingly to be deep in thought about something, she'd dare say that he looks quite distressed. She often wonders what is going on inside that pretty head of his, but with a family such as his, she would like to bet that it's filled with longing for a sense of purpose.

Before she was even able to knock on the door, it abruptly flew open right before her eyes. Startled, she just stood there for a good two minutes- hand still raised in the air as if she was about to knock. Not knowing what to do she just stood there, finding it rude to just waltz inside the Madrigal household without them knowing, it wasn't until Pepa- who was just coming down the stairs was she able to enter.

"Holá ! What brings you here to ?" Pepa greeted cheerfully- perhaps too cheerfully, the rainbows that appeared above her head shined so bright that it strained her eyes. She thought to herself.

"Oh, I'm here to see Julietta to give her this." She gestured to the basket she was holding, readjusting her grip as she spoke.

"Oh, I see. She's at the kitchen right over there you wouldn't miss it!"

The teen didn't miss the slight disappointed look on the woman's face as she spoke, actually, it was hard not to miss as the vibrant rainbow that was once on top of her head disappeared as quickly as it came.

"Oh and please do tell Camilo I said hi, . Have a nice day."

As she turned away from Pepa, one thought came to the teen's mind, Camilo's mom is really pretty. Her clothes truly match her sunny personality, she thinks that her and Señora Pepa would get along pretty well.

"Camilo, hey. (Y/N) is here." Dolores whispered to her younger brother, she would hate to see Camilo ending up like her before. Hiding her feelings to the one she loves, who had already had eyes for someone else. She wants her brother to make the first move, to get her before someone else does.

Not even a single second did he waste as he bolted out to look for her. Casita helping him slide down the stairs with ease, he basically speedran to the kitchen- passing by his mother in a flash.

"I would like to apologize on behalf of my mother and brother for their unruliness and audacity to steal your arepas, Julietta."

"Oh, it's quite alright (Y/N), No need to apologize!" Julietta raised a hand to wave off the teen's apology but she isn't having it.

"No I insist, You work so early in the morning to create all those arepas for the town on your own. For us to simply steal some it, is unfair for both to you and the people who desperately needed it."

To say that Julietta was moved would be an understatement, she was very moved. For once, she felt as if for the first time in her life that all her hard work and patience was finally noticed and appreciated by someone outside their family. Most of the people only appreciate her gift, not the tiresome work that came with it. Not the years upon years of practice she went through just to perfect making edible food for everyone to enjoy.

"For a golden hand such as yours, I would like to give you my father's special empanadas. It may not be as good as what you make, but it's the thought that counts."

"Special, oh my- what is it made out of?"

"Made with love and— Camilo?"

Julietta turned around to see her nephew panting and wheezing as he leaned the door frame, who looked like he ran a marathon. The girl walked closer to him to check if he's okay,

"Are you alright there?"

He looked up at her and smiled fondly with eyes that shined brighter than his mother's sunshine, his hand catching her wrist as he spoke.

"I'm better now that you're here."