:-:Camilo's POV:-:
Camilo watched in horror as the floor fell apart, swallowing (Yn) up with it. He quickly stood up and ran over to the girl, calling her name, hoping for any sort of response. He kneeled by her side. "(Yn)?"
The (hc) headed girl didn't reply and lay motionless on the ground.
Casa Madrigal's stone floor began rippling like the waves of the sea, tossing everyone outside of its walls. Camilo held onto (Yn) tightly, until they were thrown into the lush green grass. Suddenly, the house fell to the ground as though it was only made out of cards. In mere minutes, the home that had belonged to the Madrigal's for half a century was reduced to nothing. Everyone stared at the sad heap of wood and stone as a cloud of dust flew up.
Camilo couldn't have cared less. He brought (Yn's) unconscious body to the protective shade of a tree, and kneeled next to her, holding her hand in his own. He noticed cuts and scratches along her body from where she fell through the wooden floor. Camilo's brown eyes began to fill with tears. "I'm so so so sorry, (yn)." He quietly wept. "I shouldn't have left you..." Tears flooded down the boy's face. Even though there wasn't anything he could've done, he still felt guilt for (Yn) getting injured.
"Camilo? What's going on over here?"
Camilo looked up to see his mother and father approaching him. "The floors began to collapse...a-and... (Yn) fell through." Camilo explained while wiping his tears away.
Pepa knelt on the ground next to her son and turned to her husband. "Go check if Julieta has anything that could help (yn), please."
Camilo leans his head against his mother as tears continue to fall down his cheeks. "This is all my fault, Mami." He sobs.
Pepa runs her fingers through Camilo's curly brown hair. "Honey, how could this possibly be your fault? (Yn) was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. You weren't the one who made Casita fall apart, were you?"
"Well no... but (Yn)'s parents already didn't want her leaving their house, but...I-I helped sneak her out..."
"You did what?"
"I know I know..."
Julieta comes running over, carrying an arepa in her hand. "Where is she-Oh my goodness..." Julieta mutters, kneeling on the other side of (yn). "We have to wait until she's up so can eat this. It should still have its healing abilities since I made it before Casita collapsed. I can't do anything for her until then. Camilo, don't leave her until she's awake." Julieta hands Camilo the arepa and gives him a sympathetic look before standing up and dusting off her dress. "I'll go see if there's anything else I can salvage from the house...or what's left of it."
"I'll try to help." Pepa says. "Try to be optimistic, Honey. (Yn)'s tough, she'll be alright." Pepa kisses the top of Camilo's head before joining her sister.
Camilo stays by (Yn)'s side. "Please wake up..." he whispers gently nudging her shoulder. "I-I don't know what I'll do if you don't wake up soon. You're the only person who sees me, the real me. You helped me find out who I am... and... I realize now just how much you mean to me. I won't try to hide my feelings anymore, okay? ...Why didn't I just tell you? I should've told you..."
...
Suddenly, (Yn)'s eyes begin to flutter open. Camilo's face lights up with joy.
"...Camilo?"
:-:(Yn)'s POV:-:
My eyes open. I slowly glance around, and notice Camilo kneeling at my side. His freckled cheeks were stained with tears, and his eyes were red from what I'm assuming was crying. "Camilo?"
Camilo's face breaks into a smile, and he quickly wraps his arms around me. "(Yn)! I was so worri-"
The memories of earlier come flooding back to me, and the pain from my fall kicks in. As much as I love Camilo hugs, they didn't exactly feel the best right now. "Owowowowww..."
Camilo quickly removes his hands from my sides. "Sorry." He says, giving me an apologetic smile. He holds out the arepa to me. "Mirabel's mom wants you to have this. It should help you feel better."
I quickly take the snack and take a bite from it. "This tastes amazing!" I happily say, quickly munching down the rest of the arepa. I suddenly feel much better, and I realize the magic arepa did the trick. I feel good as new!
Camilo tackles me into a hug once he sees that I feel better. I fall back down against the grass and return the hug. "Don't ever worry me like that again..." Camilo whispers as he burrows his face into the crook of my neck.
I smile and rub my hand in circles on his back. "Aww, you worried about me?"
Camilo pulls away from the hug and looks at me. His cheeks are bright red. "(Yn)...I've actually-"
"MIRABEL'S GONE!!"
I quickly stand up and begin heading for the house as Camilo facepalms. "Why does she have such bad timing?!" he mutters.
I turn around to look back at him. "What did you say?"
"Nothing!" Camilo says with a smile.
I run to Casa Madrigal...or at least where Casa Madrigal was... Did all this happen while I was out? I notice several townspeople inspecting the wreckage of the house and talking with the adults. Then I saw them. My parents. They looked completely beside themselves as they talked with Camilo's parents, sounding very angry. Camilo runs up next to me.
"Your son helped our daughter escape?" My mother cries in anger.
Felíx tries to calm my parents down. "I can assure you that we had no idea-"
"I can't believe you're raising your son to make a rebel out of my daughter!" My dad booms.
Camilo and I both look at each other and then at our fighting parents. "Oh no..." We say in sync.
"(Yn)'s never disobeyed us before..." My mom worriedly says. "This is all your son's fault! He's a troublemaker!"
Pepa's face boils with anger. If she still had her powers, I'm sure she would be causing a full-blown hurricane on my parents. "HOW DARE YOU! YOU HAVE NO RIGHT-"
I quickly intervene before things get any worse. "Mom! Dad! This isn't their fault."
"(Yn)!" My parents run over and pull me into a hug. "Why would you leave? You're grounded!" Dad firmly says, anger rising in his voice.
"I had to try and help the Madrigals." I calmly say. "I know what I did was wrong, and I shouldn't have disobeyed you guys." I take a deep breath and try to remember what Camilo told me earlier 'Yelling back will only make it worse.'' I continue. "But I'm also not a little girl anymore. I know that you guys just want to keep me safe by looking out for me, but you need to trust that I can make decisions for myself, too."
My dad looks like he's about to object, but my mom stops him. "She makes a good point, hun."
Dad reluctantly nods his head. "As long as you agree to hear us out too, okay?"
"Deal"
:-:-:-:-:-:
I lay down sideways on my bed, and Camilo throws himself onto the mattress next to me, causing me to bounce up into the air a little. I giggle. "You act like such a kid sometimes."
Camilo spreads his arms out. "Your bed is so soft; I can't help myself!"
"It isn't that soft."
Even with the entire town searching for Mirabel all evening, we eventually had to call it quits for the night because the jungle isn't a safe place to be after dark. We were able to find a few families who had spare rooms or space that the Madrigal's could stay in until Casa Madrigal was rebuilt.
In the end, Camilo's parents were staying in a spare bedroom at our neighbor's house, Mirabel's parents were at Guzmáns' home, Alma, Luisa, and Isabela were staying in an extra bedroom in the church, and Dolores, Camilo, and Antonio get to stay at our house. Antonio and Camilo were sleeping in the living room on a makeshift bed of pillows and blankets, and Dolores was sleeping on a spare mattress in my room.
Dolores went out to grab some extra pillows, and since Antonio was already sleeping downstairs, Camilo and I decided to hang out in my room.
Camilo shrugs. "It is compared to mine. Last time I checked, I don't have a bed." He lets out a dramatic sigh and I playfully roll my eyes. Here we go... "Because I and my family are forced to wander the streets, hoping, praying, that some kind soul will take pity on us-" Camilo's dramatic monologue is interrupted by a knock on our door.
The door slowly creeks open, and Antonio peeks his head in the room, clutching the jaguar plushie Mirabel made for him.
I slowly walk over to him and kneel down. "Hey Antonio, what's up? You should be asleep by now."
"When's Camilo coming to bed? I'm fine but Jaguar thinks it's scary down there." Antonio says, bobbing his jaguar's head up and down to symbolize nodding.
Camilo smiles and shakes his head. "C'mon bud. I'll come down with you so that Jaguar knows there's nothing to be afraid of." Camilo says in a comforting voice.
As I watched the interaction between the two, I realized that I had never noticed how good Camilo was with kids. He-I mean it- is adorable!
Camilo scoops up Antonio in his arms. "Say goodnight to (Yn)"
Antonio gives me a wave. "Goodnight, (Yn)." He says with a yawn.
I grin and wave at the brothers. "Goodnight boys."
Camilo wishes me 'goodnight' before smiling at me and closing the door to my room.