·Valentine's Day Special·
"Under The Stars"
• 10 years ago
Everything was perfect; a bright and sunny day, different songs were being sung, and the people were as lively as ever. You'd think that everything was going to go smoothly, and it did. Sort of.
Ok, maybe not really.
"Mirabel!" Estella exclaimed, leaping towards Mirabel and trapping her in a tight squeeze making the little girl giggle at her.
"Hola, Estella." Mirabel smiled, hiding her nervousness behind the excitement she was feeling for tonight's gift ceremony – her gift ceremony.
"Oh, right," Estella says, letting go of Mirabel and fixing her glasses for her since it was a little crooked, remembering what she made especially for her friend. She takes out a piece of nicely decorated paper shaped into a butterfly.
"Happy Birthday!" She greeted, fiddling with her skirt along with the tip of her shoe drawing circles on the ground due to her anxiousness. "Do you like it?" She asked curiously as Mirabel took the gift and eyed it without saying a word, causing Estella to nibble on her lips as she nervously waits for her reaction.
"I love it! It's the prettiest thing I've ever seen." Mirabel replied enthusiastically as the two of them jump around giggling with each other, earning glances from the people and infecting them with their smiles.
"I was going to make you a crown made of your favorite flower, but I still don't know how to make one properly," Estella explained, disappointment and shame present on her frowning face. "It's okay, Estella. It's the thought that counts." Mirabel assured her as she looks back from Estella to her gift, looking at it like it was the most beautiful thing ever.
"Mirabel!" The two of them heard a familiar voice call along with the sound of their sandals as it slaps themselves on the ground with every footstep. "Ayyy, no," Estella whined, locking her arms with Mirabel, knowing who was running towards them.
"Aha! I knew you'd be here, Mirabel." Camilo proudly stated, pointing at his prima, someone he claims he knows inside out like the back of his hand. Mirabel smiled and waved at her cousin, greeting him by happily saying: "Hola, primo!"
Camilo smiled back at Mirabel, but as soon as his eyes landed on the girl whose arms were wrapped around his prima's tightly, his eyes started narrowing at her. "Estella." He muttered, not breaking eye contact with the girl as she glares at him with her chocolate eyes.
"Mirabel needs to come back home now!" Camilo reasoned, trying to peel Estella off Mirabel's arms as the girl started complaining. "But I wanted to spend more time with her!" She cries out before yelping in surprise when she found herself getting lifted off by Camilo who suddenly shape-shifted into one of the adults.
Estella sighs in defeat as she was forcefully divided away from her precious friend, Mirabel. "This is cheating." She mumbled while she was being put down, continuously glaring at Camilo after turning back into his usual self and sticking his tongue out at her.
"Hey, you already spend time with my twin more than I do," Camilo remarked, grabbing onto Mirabel before she can, making his prima smile sheepishly at the twin thing since they are mostly found together.
"Hmph, fine! I'll just wait until later then." Estella huffed, crossing her arms and turning her head to the side, attempting to look grumpy but failed miserably when her hair slapped her face and made its way into her mouth. Again.
"See you later, Estella!" Mirabel waved with her free hand while holding Estella's paper butterfly close to her chest with the other.
"See you, Mira..." Estella replied disappointedly, giving Mirabel a sad wave as she departs with Camilo who was making faces at her behind Mirabel's as a way of teasing, causing her to make faces back.
Estella and Camilo equally adored Mirabel. She was like an angel sent from heaven with patience that was longer than the longest thing on earth. Mirabel even suggested the fact that the three of them could hang out together, unfortunately though, the two refused to share her. But although they fight for Mirabel's company numerous times, they get along with each other just fine.
· · ·
Estella managed to slip away from her parents' grasp, trying to find Mirabel to see how she was after what had just happened.
She tried coming to the nursery to look for her but was instead faced by Camilo who was also displaying the same expression on Estella's face; worry.
"Mirabel isn't here," Camilo mentioned, his voice gentle and soft but pouring with concern. Estella opened her mouth to say something but was interrupted when the tiles started going up and down.
"What is it, Casita?" Both of them asked in unison, giving each other a surprising glance when the floors started moving somewhere with one of Casita's railings detaching in the process.
"I think she wants us to climb up," Estella mentioned, looking at Camilo who was staring confusedly at the detached railing as it leaned to the walls, making a ladder to reach the roof. Camilo blushed in embarrassment and turned his head away, "Pfft, I knew that." He scoffed, waving his hand at her while he hides his face away.
Estella scoffs at him and starts climbing up first, eager to be at Mirabel's side. "Don't fall." She heard Camilo tell her as she manages to successfully climb up to the roof.
After helping Camilo up, they immediately noticed the little girl with the white bow tied on her hair. Drowning silently in her own tears, aggressively wiping her eyes each second as she sniffled continuously.
The two looked at each other with a pained expressions and carefully rushed over to Mirabel's side.
"It's okay, Mira. M-Maybe it's just running late." Camilo suggested, gently patting his prima's back to comfort her.
"But what if I don't get one even if I waited long?" She looked into her primo's eyes and asked, desperate for an answer. The boy didn't know what else to say, seeing his cheerful cousin cry in front of him breaks his heart.
"I don't think you need one to be special." The two heard Estella mention, sitting on the other side of Mirabel with her knees close to her chest as she looks down at her wiggling feet. "A gift doesn't make you, you, anyway." She muttered, making Mirabel's crying come to a halt as she and her cousin stared at the girl.
Estella realized that the two were staring at her, making her face redden, and feeling uncomfortable with the suddenly silent atmosphere. "But maybe Camilo's right, too." She exclaimed and stood up out of the blue, catching the Madrigal cousins in surprise.
"Y'know..." She trailed off, bashfully hushing her voice as she looks at the two of her friends who were stuck there waiting for what she was about to say. "Uhhh, well... Like a f-flower in spring." She stuttered, feeling awkward and embarrassed from how she randomly stood up and spewed all sorts of words trying to sound like a wise adult.
"Huh?" Camilo let out, tilting his head to the side confusedly, making the girl feel more embarrassed and unintentionally stomp her foot and raise her voice. "I was saying that she was like a flower that hasn't bloomed yet!"
"But when she does she'll be the prettiest one and then all the other flowers would be jealous and start to wilt in shame." Estella blurted out, aggressively doing hand movements while trying to explain when she was suddenly trapped in Mirabel's tight embrace.
"Thanks, Estella." Mirabel sniffed, "Just maybe not make others wilt in shame, though." She added, letting out a short laugh before another pair of arms wrapped around them.
"Hey, don't leave me out," Camilo said, pretending to whine as a complaint making the two let out a small laugh.
Mirabel smiled at herself as she reminisces about those moments from years ago, sitting on the same spot under the same starry sky while hugging her knees as they were pressed near her chest, the cold night breeze making her body shiver.
"Probably wasn't the best idea to come up wearing this." She mumbled, rubbing her arms to warm herself up and let her goosebumps disappear.
As the girl stood up and fixed her glasses, she noticed a small light in the distance. She gave a sideway smile and let out a sigh as she realized that the light was coming from a lit-up candle on the roof of la casa Cortez itself.
Mirabel sat back down, only this time, she was facing the direction of the small light in the distance. She liked having Estella around her, unfortunately, time didn't exactly keep them together. Both of them eventually grew apart as they grew older, but that didn't mean they liked the idea of growing apart.
Not exactly strangers, just somewhere in between "I've-known-you-since-we-were-young" and "I'm-still-you're-friend-even-if-we-don't-talk-like-we-used-to," y'know?
At least they still belong in each other's lives, looking at the same night sky, under the stars that they used to look at together.
"I could use your company," Mirabel whispered, and although she knew no one would be able to hear her except for Dolores, she still hoped Estella did.
ᴀᴜᴛʜᴏʀ's ɴᴏᴛᴇ:
➪ ʰᵉˡˡᵒ, ᵉᵛᵉʳʸᵒⁿᵉ! ᵃ ˡᵒᵗ ᵒᶠ ʸᵒᵘ ᵏⁿᵒʷ ᵗᵒᵈᵃʸ ⁱˢ ᵛᵃˡᵉⁿᵗⁱⁿᵉ'ˢ ᵈᵃʸ ᵃⁿᵈ ⁱ ʲᵘˢᵗ ʷᵃⁿᵗᵉᵈ ᵗᵒ ᵈᵒ ˢᵒᵐᵉᵗʰⁱⁿᵍ ˢᵖᵉᶜⁱᵃˡ.
ˡᵒᵛᵉ ᶜᵒᵐᵉˢ ⁱⁿ ᵐᵃⁿʸ ᵈⁱᶠᶠᵉʳᵉⁿᵗ ᶠᵒʳᵐˢ, ᵒⁿᵉ ˢⁱᵈᵉᵈ, ᵐᵘˡᵗⁱ ˢⁱᵈᵉᵈ ᵒʳ ʰᵒʷ ᵐᵃⁿʸ ᵒᵗʰᵉʳ ˢⁱᵈᵉˢ ᵗʰᵉʳᵉ ᵃʳᵉ ˡᵒˡ, ᵗʰᵉʳᵉ ⁱˢ ᵗʰᵉ ᶠᵃᵐⁱˡⁱᵃˡ ᵗʸᵖᵉ ᵒᶠ ˡᵒᵛᵉ, ᵗʰᵉ ʳᵒᵐᵃⁿᵗⁱᶜ ᵏⁱⁿᵈ, ᵉᵗᶜ., ᵃⁿᵈ ᵒᶠ ᶜᵒᵘʳˢᵉ, ʷᵉ ᶜᵃⁿ'ᵗ ᶠᵒʳᵍᵉᵗ ᵃᵇᵒᵘᵗ ᶠʳⁱᵉⁿᵈˢʰⁱᵖ.
ᵛᵃˡᵉⁿᵗⁱⁿᵉ'ˢ ᵈᵃʸ ⁱˢ ᵃ ᵈᵃʸ ʷʰᵉʳᵉ ʷᵉ ᶜᵃⁿ ˢʰᵒʷ ʰᵒʷ ᵐᵘᶜʰ ʷᵉ ᶜʰᵉʳⁱˢʰ ᵃⁿᵈ ˡᵒᵛᵉ ᵗʰᵉ ᵃᵐᵃᶻⁱⁿᵍ ᵖᵉᵒᵖˡᵉ ⁱⁿ ᵒᵘʳ ˡⁱᵛᵉˢ ᵃⁿᵈ ᵇᵉ ᵃˢ ᵃᶠᶠᵉᶜᵗⁱᵒⁿᵃᵗᵉ ᵃˢ ᵐᵘᶜʰ ᵃˢ ʷᵉ ᶠˡⁱᵖᵖⁱⁿᵍ ʷᵃⁿᵗ. ᵃⁿᵈ ⁱ ʷᵃⁿᵗᵉᵈ ᵗᵒ ʷʳⁱᵗᵉ ᵃᵇᵒᵘᵗ ᶠʳⁱᵉⁿᵈˢʰⁱᵖ ᶠᵒʳ ᵗʰⁱˢ ᵈᵃʸ ᶜᵘᶻ ⁿᵒᵗ ᵃ ˡᵒᵗ ᵒᶠ ᶠʳⁱᵉⁿᵈˢ ˢᵗᵃʸ ᶠʳⁱᵉⁿᵈˢ ʸ'ᵏⁿᵒʷ? ⁱ'ᵐ ʲᵘˢᵗ ᵗʰᵃⁿᵏᶠᵘˡ ᶠᵒʳ ᵗʰᵉ ᵒⁿᵉˢ ⁱ ᵍᵒᵗ ᶜᵘᶻ ᵗʰᵉʸ'ʳᵉ ᵗʰᵉ ᵃᵇˢᵒˡᵘᵗᵉ ᶠᵘᶜᵏⁱⁿᵍ ᵇᵉˢᵗ ᵃⁿᵈ ⁱ ʰᵒᵖᵉ ʷᵉ ˢᵗᵃʸ ⁱⁿ ᵉᵃᶜʰ ᵒᵗʰᵉʳ'ˢ ˡⁱᵛᵉˢ ᵘⁿᵗⁱˡ ʷᵉ ᵗᵘʳⁿ ᵒˡᵈ ᵃⁿᵈ ʷʳⁱⁿᵏˡʸ ᵇᵘᵗ ᵗʰᵉⁿ ᵗʰᵉʳᵉ ᵃʳᵉ ᵃˡˢᵒ ᵗʰᵉ ˢᵃᵈ ᵗʸᵖᵉˢ ᵒᶠ ᶠʳⁱᵉⁿᵈˢʰⁱᵖˢ ʷʰᵉʳᵉ ᵗʰᵉ ᵗʷᵒ ᵖᵉᵒᵖˡᵉ ᶜᵃⁿ ᵍᵉᵗ ᵈᵉᵛⁱᵈᵉᵈ ᶠʳᵒᵐ ᵉᵃᶜʰ ᵒᵗʰᵉʳ ᵇᵘᵗ ᵗʰᵉʸ ˢᵗⁱˡˡ ʷᵃⁿⁿᵃ ᵇᵉ ᵗᵒᵍᵉᵗʰᵉʳ... ᵃⁿᵈ ᵗʰᵃᵗ'ˢ ᵏⁱⁿᵈ ᵒᶠ ᵉˢᵗᵉˡˡᵃ ᵃⁿᵈ ᵐⁱʳᵃᵇᵉˡ'ˢ ᶠʳⁱᵉⁿᵈˢʰⁱᵖ.
ᵈᵃᵐⁿ, ʷʰᵉʳᵉ ʷᵃˢ ⁱ ᵍᵒⁱⁿᵍ ʷⁱᵗʰ ᵗʰⁱˢ? ⁱ ˡⁱᵗᵉʳᵃˡˡʸ ʰᵃᵈ ᵃ ᵖᵒⁱⁿᵗ ʲᵘˢᵗ ᶠⁱᵛᵉ ᶠˡⁱᵖᵖⁱⁿᵍ ᵐⁱⁿᵘᵗᵉˢ ᵃᵍᵒ. ˡᵒˡ ᵃⁿʸʷᵃʸ, ⁱ ʲᵘˢᵗ ʷᵃⁿᵗᵉᵈ ᵗᵒ ʷʳⁱᵗᵉ ᵃᵇᵒᵘᵗ ᵐʸ ᵒᶜ ᵃⁿᵈ ᵐⁱʳᵃᵇᵉˡ'ˢ ᶠʳⁱᵉⁿᵈˢʰⁱᵖ ᶜᵘᶻ ⁱ ʷʰʸ ⁿᵒᵗ.
!ᵗʰᵃⁿᵏ ʸᵒᵘ ᶠᵒʳ ʳᵉᵃᵈⁱⁿᵍ ᵗʰⁱˢ ⁿᵒᵗᵉ ᵃⁿᵈ ᵗʰⁱˢ ˢᵗᵒʳʸ ⁱ ʳᵉᵃˡˡʸ ᵃᵖᵖʳᵉᶜⁱᵃᵗᵉ ⁱᵗ!