Encanto: No Matter How Hard I Try

2: Caught

Mirabel's Pov:

I cut my wrists after each time Abuela called my name. I was so scared that I over did it. I ate my mamá's arepas but I saw that all the cuts I made only revealed scars. 'What am I going to do? It's roasting outside!' I gulped. I went to the dinner table where everyone was there waiting patiently for me.

"¡Buenos días! (Good Morning!) Mirabel!" everyone greeted me but Abuela. "¡Buenos días a todos! (Good morning everyone!)" I sat down next to Camilo. Mirabel! Abuela called my name. I jump in my chair and look at her. "Yes Abuela!" I looked at her with worried eyes. "You and Camilo will be cleaning the casita together! If you can eat everything then I'm sure you can clean everything!" and like that Abuela left the dinning table.

"Why does she have be like that?!" Camilo groaned. "That is my mami and your Abuela! Have some respect Camilo!" Tía Pepa tell Camilo. "Oh yeah?! Well in my eyes I see a hag!" Camilo relaxed back in his chair. "If you excuse me! I got my Abuela's chores to do!" Camilo grabbed my hand and dragged me out the dinning room. I took an arepa an placed it in my mouth, then took a second one in my hand.

Camilo's Pov:

"Why does she have to be like that?!" I groaned. "That is my mami and your Abuela! Have some respect Camilo!" mami told me off. "Oh yeah?! Well in my eyes I see a hag!" I wasn't ready to argue with my mother so I said, "If you excuse me! I got Abuela's chores to do!" I grabbed Mirabel by her wrist and walked out the dinning room.

"Now we have to clean the casita! Great!" I complain. "I'll get the bucket and water! You get the supplies!" I walked to closet and got the bucket. I entered the kitchen and rinsed the bucket then filled it with water. I went to my room to take off my ruana. I was going down stairs when I saw Mirabel's door open. "I'll be down in a minute!" I tell Mirabel.

I walk into her room and see her sewing machine. I search her room and saw nothing. I decided to sit on her bed. "Well I guess there's nothing for me to worry abou-!" I place my hand on Mirabel's pillow and something sharp poked my finger. Blood drewback from my finger. I lift her pillow and saw blood on a razor and not the blood from my finger but a lot of blood and it was even on her pillow. My eyes widened with horror. "No... Mirabel please don't tell this is..." tears started to fill my eyes.

I looked under her bed and saw arepas. 'That's why she took a lot?' I couldn't stop crying. There was no doubt about it. The question was... when did she start? "Camilo?! Are you done yet?!" Mirabel called for me. I placed her pillow back and wiped my tears. I took an arepa from under her bed and ate it.

"I'm coming!" I walked down stairs with the bucket filled with hot water. I was quiet throughout the whole time we spent together cleaning. I had the urge to ask her why she would do that to herself. We finish at 1pm and placed everything back. "Mirabel?" I look around for her but I couldn't see her anywhere. I went to her room and knew her door was locked. I looked for a hair pin in Dolores' room. I unlocked Mirabel's door and found her cutting herself.

"Camilo! It's not what it looks like! I swear!" Mirabel laughs but I can clearly see the blood all over her hands. I closed the door behind me. "Mirabel... why? Why are you doing this to yourself?" Mirabel stayed quiet and it pissed me off. "MIRABEL! ANSWER ME!" I yelled, angry tears streaming down my face. "WHEN DID YOU START THIS?!" I took the razor away from her hand. My own blood covered the whole razor as I held on tight to it. "Camilo your-!" I cut Mirabel's sentence off. "FORGET ABOUT ME! MIRABEL! YOU'RE MY FAVOURITE COUSIN MIRABEL! WHY DO YOU WANT TO DO THIS TO YOURSELF?!" I cried. "Camilo..." I hugged Mirabel, squeezing her.

"Mirabel..." I cried. "I'm sorry Camilo... I just... I was... you guys have perfect lives and then there's just me!" Mirabel cried in my shoulder. "I watch all of you help the civiles (civilians) and then I can't do anything because I'm not good enough for Abuela! Then I have the niños (children) gossiping about how sad I am not to have a gift! How else do you think I can release all the sadness?! The pressure! The pain! All those negative emotions I can't express because Abuela won't let me!" I was so shocked.

'That's why she was so distant from the family sometimes!' I felt sorry for her. "Mirabel... I'm sorry you have to go through all this," I wiped her tears away, hugging on tight to her. "I never realised how painful it must be to watch your hermanos, primos, padres y tía (siblings, cousins, parents and auntie) do amazing things with their gift and sit there and do nothing, I was lost for words.

I'm sorry that wasn't there for you when you probably needed me the most but Mirabel... if you have a problem expressing you emotions then please talk to me about the way you feel if you don't feel comfortable telling someone else," I realise the hug. "Now let's heal those wounds of yours!" I smiled. I cleaned her arm and gave her an arepa. Mirabel cleaned my hand and gave me an arepa.

"Thank you Camilo!" Mirabel hugged me. "Anything for my favourite cousin!" I smiled. "Can we stay like this for a bit?" Mirabel asked me. "Of course!" I wrapped my arms around her, embracing the hug. After 2 minutes Abuela called everyone down stairs.