·34·

"One Last Look Around"

"Yes! That's a great idea," Ines exclaimed, "I'll go get it!" She added in a sing-song voice, rushing towards the door.

"Please have mercy," Estella chuckled nervously, sitting on a bed as the two finished brainstorming their fashionable ideas together, one of them leaving the room.

"You could always say "no", you know," Isabela smiled, placing a hand on her hip as she looked at Estella with a smile.

"I know," She admitted, looking down, feeling embarrassed that her literal idol is staring and trying to pep talk her at the same time.

"You're a free girl, you literally just snuck out of the Encanto without ushering a word and worried a lot of people," Isabela tells her, walking close and placing a hand on Estella's shoulder, making her feel guilty.

"But," Isabela added, "I'm glad to see you doing what you want to do for once." The girl looked at Isabela, blushing a bit from the words she had just heard her say. "And if you can leave the mountains undetected, you don't need to be afraid of disagreeing and disappointing a few people."

Estella covered her face, a few laughs escaping her mouth. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" She said in muffled words, peeking through her fingers as she blushed and smiled, "Gosh, I know you're just trying to motivate me. I don't know why I laughing."

Isabela chuckled softly at the girl, tilting her head to the right as she watched her slowly have a mini-breakdown that consists of giggles, muffled words, and apologies.

Isabela used to be secretly a bit jealous of Estella when they were younger. Because unlike her, Estella was literally a free girl who can do what she wanted most of the time without having to meet the certain expectations of literally everyone in town.

It didn't take long until Isabela accepted the fact that she might not be able to actually be herself in that town, giving up on the thought of being accepted for who she really wanted to be. Hence, the strict and irritating reactions she tends to give her family (mostly just with Camilo and Mirabel) since she mostly has to stay calm, and composed most of the time.

But now, she can be who she finally wants to be, thanks to her sister, Mirabel.

The door bursts open, Ines coming in with Mirabel who now has a yellow, gold-like hairpin on her hair, with the matching green scarf of her dress tied to her neck.

"Ta-da!" Ines smiled, showcasing Mirabel who jokingly strikes a pose, the girls laughing as they hang out upstairs, leaving the two teens watching some more telenovela.

"...because I'm already dead!"

"What?" The two said in unison, getting surprised by the sudden plot twist.

"Well," Estella let out, looking at herself, "At least they're just pants," she exhaled, her hands dropping to the side, feeling relieved that she didn't get to wear anything too fabulous looking.

"Let's do your hair," Isabela said, urging for her to come close. Hesitantly, Estella waved her hands and said "It's okay, I think I can do my own hair."

"Nice try, come here," The Madrigal smirked, wagging her finger, gesturing for her to come and do as she said which Estella did do.

"There is no escape," Mirabel whispered dramatically as her friend sat down and let Isabela style her hair again, hoping it wouldn't be as tight as the last one.

"I'd like to keep my scalp please," Estella joked, making them laugh which made her smile.

Putting her hands together with shining eyes, Ines suggested that they take pictures. Something which everyone seemed to have agreed with.

"Sure, why not," Mirabel said.

"Yes!" Ines exclaimed triumphantly, "I'll go tell Enrique to change," She said happily, skipping out of the room.

"What about your husband?" Isabela asked, pointing at Ines with a comb who stopped in her tracks as soon as she heard the question.

"I'll deal with him, it'll be fineeee," She tells them, dismissing the subject and gesturing for them to continue as she calls out Enrique while she runs down the stairs.

"Nooo, not dress up!" They heard him wail dramatically before yelping and laughing as Ines starts hitting him playfully, chasing him around the living room.

"Ow!" Estella hissed, her amused smile dropping as she winced, feeling like her face is getting pulled along with her hair by how tightly Isabela tied it.

Mirabel involuntary winced, almost mirroring Estella's exact expression, making her remember what it felt like when Isabela tied her hair – and her's wasn't even half as long as her friend's.

Thank goodness that isn't me, Mirabel mentally told herself, relieved but also feeling a little bad for the momentary pain she feels every time Isabela pulls.

"Yoo," Enrique said, looking at Estella, "Looking good there, chica. I almost didn't even recognize you," he complimented with a bit of a teasing tone, laughing at her annoyed facial expression.

"Hey, at least I rock pants," She said, crossing her arms as she frowned at him, exiting the house to wait for them outside. Unaware that Camilo was also outside, she gets surprised, feeling someone touch her hand, helping her go down the few steps in front of the main door.

Smiling, Camilo plants a kiss on Estella's knuckles while he had the chance, making her blush due to the sudden gesture.

"You should wear pants more often, Querida," He said just as he felt her hands slip away from his as she retracts them, hiding them behind her back to nervously fiddle with her fingers.

"Well, you don't look too bad yourself," She compliments back, leaning forward a bit as she smiled at him.

Someone from the front door clears their throat, catching their attention. "Seriously, you two, just date already," Isabela tells them, flipping her hair as she rolls her eyes at their hopelessness. Something of which Camilo copied, pretending to flip his hair and roll his eyes, trying to mock his cousin without the need for shape-shifting.

Even though he's been told not to use his powers, out here, no one knows about it. Meaning, that no one needs him to change into someone else he's not.

For the first time in a long time, he actually feels like there's nothing he needs to prove.

"C'mon, c'mon, let's go quickly," Ines giggled excitedly, urging everyone to move along.

"Is Bubo going to make it?" Enrique asked, walking by Ines's side. The woman nods joyfully, "Yup! That's why I'm even more excited," She says, adding, "If only Papa was here, then we could have a whole family portrait taken today too," referring to Bubo's father.

"Maybe next time," Enrique tells her, "I'll wear a tie and everything too," He smiled, pointing at himself making Ines laugh.

After getting their pictures taken, Ines asked if they could frame the ones she liked best, making them have to stay just a little longer to wait.

Estella lets out a heavy sigh, looking around the town from where she stood.

I've only been here for two days but I feel like I'll miss it a lot, she tells herself, turning her head as she heard footsteps getting close.

"Wanna take a little stroll with me, amor?" Camilo asked, offering his hand while the girl scoffs at the new addition to the list of pet names he's called her so far.

""Amor", really?" She questioned, still giving her hand though. He simply winked at the girl, making her roll her eyes at him.

Estella's been handling his flirtatiousness better than how she used to not too long ago. Just a touch and she'll feel like she could jump off a building and fly to the moon.

"I guess it wouldn't hurt to walk around for a bit," She says aloud, thinking about it. "Then what are we waiting for?" Camilo asked, lightly tugging her hand – the one he was holding, urging her to move.

"We tell the other where we're going first," Estella mentioned, but before she could even remove her hand away from his again or even just move at all, Camilo starts running, dragging her along with him as he laughed at her.

"Camilo!" She exclaimed, her feet just starting to move on their own when all of a sudden he stops turning to catch her, already knowing she'd fall over because of this.

Estella grunted, her body hitting Camilo's chest. "Okay," She blurted out, taking a step back, "What was that all about?" She asked with a puzzled laugh.

Camilo shrugged at her. "Nothing, I guess you could say I just wanted you alone for myself," He says, grinning a bit sheepishly.

"Pft," Estella sputtered, laughing at him as they started walking, their hands still intertwined with each other.

A lot of people looked at the two as they took a little stroll around, talking and laughing. They may still haven't confessed their deep, passionate, undying, affection for one another, but they sure as hell are starting to show it a lot more as time passes.

The two were sitting on a small bench underneath a big tree somewhere in what seemed to be like the center of the town, playing games with each other.

Camilo snickered, pridefully boasting about his multiple victories, he says, "Remind me to let you win sometime."

Estella scoffed, "Oh yeah, how do you know I'm not letting you win on purpose?" She asked, making him hum and pretend to think. "Because you like winning," He said confidently, wearing a smug face.

The girl huffed, dusting her clothes as she stood up from her seat, saying "Whatever, it's just a game anyway," even though she would've liked it if she at least won more than just once.

"You think they're done framing? It doesn't take that long to frame and print pictures, right?" She asked, looking at him with her head tilting slightly to the right.

"Maybe. We should probably head back now, especially if we want to get home before nightfall too," He answered, about to offer his hand again for her to hold when all of a sudden Estella starts walking, not noticing his arm's slight gesture.

He retracts his arm, a bit disappointed as he takes into mind that they're still just friends.

"Hey, uh, 'Stel," He called out, walking right by her side, feeling nervous to even continue.

"Yeah?" She says, noticing how hesitant he looks.

"No, never mind. It was nothing," He laughed, shrugging off what he really wanted to say, slowly taking one of his hands out of his pockets.

"Mind if I ask you to carry this?" He smiled goofily, asking if she'd like to hold hands in other words.

Estella blushed, taking his hand as he requested, bashfully avoiding his eyes. While he, on the other hand, smiles with pure satisfaction, getting dragged around by the girl with her warm fingers entwined with his.

Camilo smiled brightly, short laughs coming out of his mouth while he noticed how red the girl's ears were as she tried quickly marching to casa Marquez. "Estella, amor, slow down I might trip!"