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^^ Jamal
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"--or we could all sleep outside," Avon muttered sarcastically. "Then no one has to recreate the one-bed trope."
"Speaking of the one-bed trope," Amelie added brightly. "Cami, where did you go last night?"She gave him a slightly suggestive look.
Camilo usually liked his nickname, but coming out of Amelie's mouth made him want to throw up into the bushes.
Jamal looked confusedly between the two. Were they together? Or were Avon and Camilo together?
"I told you, I was helping Bruno polish his rats," Camilo lied, rolling his eyes. "And then he was showing me his new telenovela....and then—"
"You don't need to lie to me," Amelie said with a fluttery smile. "I know you what you were really doing," She grinned. "Or should I say—who you were doing."
"I know who you won't be doing," Avon muttered darkly.
"Why does anyone have to do anyone?" Mirabel interjected, crossing her arms.
The conversation was going way too fast for Jamal to keep up with. He couldn't keep track of who was doing who and who wasn't doing who and who was together and who wasn't. Even thinking about it made his head spin.
Shortly after the five were done their random discussion, Alma came out, hands on her hips.
"I think it's time to divide and conquer, don't you think?" She began instructing them. "Amelie and Camilo, you go help Dolores with picking the menu."
For fucks sake, why was Alma so intent on having Amelie and Camilo be together, Avon thought to herself.
"—Avon and Jamal, you two go see Isabella about the flowers." She glanced at Mirabel, who found herself last on the list as always. "Mirabel, come with me, I need your help with Casita's decorations."
When Alma turned her back, Mirabel rolled her eyes extravagantly.
"Well, I guess this is goodbye, Avon the Welsh River," Camilo said with a dramatic stare at Avon, giving her deja vu from when he said that to her after she went back to Temprest. Avon was surprised to find how long ago all that seemed.
"So." Jamal turned to Avon with a smile. "Who's Isabella?"
Camilo looked slightly suspicious, without reason of course, as he stared at Jamal for a couple of seconds. Upon deciding that he wasn't a threat, he turned with a sigh to the excited blonde girl beside him.
"Let's go, Camilo!" She giggled to herself. "Hey, that rhymes."
It was going to be a very long day.
_
"I guess you know Amelie pretty well, then," Avon remarked, feeling a bit sorry for Jamal.
He gave a short laugh. "Yeah. I started working for her family when I was fifteen, a year before my father passed."
"Oh," Avon said quickly. "Sorry, about your father." She hated saying those words, but she couldn't think of anything else to say.
"It's fine," Jamal said. "It was a long time ago." Jamal gave Avon a sideways look. "I know what you probably think about Amelie, but she's not as bad as she seems. She's just had a really bad time with her family."
Avon nodded slowly. "I know a thing or two about unconventional families."
"Oh yeah?" Jamal raised his eyebrows. "Care to elaborate?"
Avon wasn't sure why she was about to tell this random stranger her whole life story. "Um. Well, my Mom and Dad were famous conquerors of Temprest; they tried to take over Encanto—my dad killed Pedro Madrigal—I accidentally killed my Mom after Camilo's Abuela subdued my powers...and now we're here." Avon wanted to laugh about how stupid her whole story sounded, but she refrained.
"Damn," Jamal whistled. "And Alma let's you in the house?"
He meant it as a joke, realizing it might sound offensive, but Avon laughed.
