chapter one

Carla awoke that day with a bright smile on her face.

She thought, before excitedly jumping off her queen-sized bed -which immediately disappeared the moment she jumped off of it-and crossing her empty, white room and stopping at a spot where two large doors suddenly poofed out of nowhere.

Carla suddenly started fretting just as she opened the doors to her walk-in closet.

The day where she to be inside a house that was going to be filled with people than her family.

Sure, she was absolutely ecstatic about her hermanito getting his gift today, but to say she was nervous was an understatement. Not only for Antonio but also for herself.

For one, the last gift ceremony didn't actually go as Poor Mirabel didn't get a gift, but honestly, she kind of envied her a bit.

To be fair, it was her fault that she was always invisible to people outside her family.

She was always hiding behind her mami's skirt or even Camilo who was always slightly taller than her.

But even if she was quite small, she was sure that she could still be seen, so she didn't understand why when she used to go out into town with her family, they never her... or maybe they not to see her.

Was it because she wasn't as friendly and outgoing as Camilo? Was her presence not strong enough for her to be seen?

Carla shook her head to get rid of those unnecessary thoughts out of her mind. She didn't have time to worry about the past, it was her hermanito's gift ceremony, she has bigger things to worry about.

Like how she could hide away from people but not too well that Antonio wouldn't be able to see her. After all, her hermanito needed all the support he can get.

After choosing one of her many white button-ups that had sleeves up to just above her elbows and her signature yellow long skirt that had chameleons patterned at the bottom of it - just like the ones her twin has on his ruana - she combed her long curly hair that matched her mother's and tied the upper half of it with a yellow ribbon, leaving the rest of her hair to flow down her back, and her curly bangs- that looked uncannily like her mother's as well-to cover her forehead.

"That must be Mira." Carla perked up at the sound of her prima's singing.

"Well, that's my cue." She shrugged before heading out of her room to see the rest of her siblings and cousins dancing to the rhythm of the song. She immediately joined in when Abuela came out of her room as well.

With that, they all went downstairs to the kitchen to get a quick breakfast before they busy themselves with preparations.

"Good morning, sis!" The familiar voice of her twin rang close to her ears as he bumped hips with her as a greeting.

"Good morning, Cami." She said back with a grin as she bumped her hips with his back in retaliation.

"Excited?" He asked as they both stuffed their faces with arepas that were already laid out on the dining table.

They didn't like coffee very much. Or was it just the ones Casita made?

"More nervous than anything, you know me." Carla shrugged as she replied with her mouth full, pieces of chewed food going everywhere.

"OW!" She yelped when Pepa suddenly smacked her behind the head. "Mami!"

"Don't talk with your mouth full, hija." Pepa said as she drank her coffee.

This caused Camilo to laugh at his twin who was still groaning and rubbing the part where their Mami hit her, causing some of chewed pieces of food to fly out as well.

"AY!"

"You too, Camilo."

With that, the twins walked out of the house, grumbling as Mirabel continued dancing and singing.

"Oh my gosh, it's them!"

Carla gasped before frantically disappearing from beside Camilo as soon as she saw the kids that were gawking and pointing at them.

"Carla?" Camilo frowned once he saw that his twin was no longer beside him. "And she's gone." He sighed.

He always tried to get his twin to open up and show her face around town. Her insecurities weren't healthy and she shouldn't be hiding herself from other people. She, his twin of all people, shouldn't be hiding. She was like, the funniest person in the world.

Next to him, that is.

But alas, no matter how hard he tried, she would always end up disappearing right in front of him and fleeing away.

Carla's chores were always done without her actually showing herself in public. She'd patrol the town and help those that needed it, and it was already a normal occurrence to the point where it was normal for the townspeople when their bags of groceries suddenly float themselves into their homes, or when the things thieves steal from your shop somehow just reappears after a few minutes. She was also tasked to patrol the surrounding forest and mountains, just in case any intruders would want to hurt the village-which she would lead them away by spooking them-or if there were visitors or travelers that needed a place to stay-to which she leads the way to the village by parting leaves and making paths for them (still invisible, that is).

In other words, nobody would be able to Carla until her chores were done-which was usually just before dinnertime.

Nobody outside of her family has actually caught a glimpse of her ever since her and Camilo's gift ceremony. If anyone wanted to see her, they had to catch her off guard inside the Casita, itself - the only place where she doesn't use her gift.

Just as she finished buying the last of the supplies that Abuela asked for, she was about to go back but was startled when Mirabel suddenly appeared beside her dancing and singing with the kids following and gawking at Carla-well, technically they could only see a floating box of party supplies and decorations.

Carla couldn't help but start sweating in anxiety when the kids all stared at in wonder. Yeah, they technically couldn't see her, but she definitely can see and their intense gazes.

Oh, Carla just wished she didn't have social anxiety. She even often wonders if Camilo took all the people skills when they were still in their mami's womb and didn't leave any for her.

So just like that, she left in a hurry slipping past people as a floating box, leaving Mirabel to sing about their family.