·28·

"Where Could She Be"

"No!" Pepa gasped, surprised by the rumors of an affair going on in their own town.

"Yes," Dolores whispered to her mother, confirming the fact that there is something going on with one of the married couples in their neighborhood.

"I'm telling this to your Tia," Pepa said, so very intrigued by the gossip her daughter just told her, marching down to the kitchen where Julieta is normally found in.

Huff huff

Dolores's sense of hearing picked up the sound of labored breathing from far away, along with the rustling of leaves and breaking twigs in the wilderness.

You can do this, c'mon!

She heard a girl say to herself, panting as they kept on running around, also hearing faint clanging of what seemed to be different objects. The voice which Dolores recognized as her brother's ultimate girl crush, Estella.

Whatever she was carrying, Dolores was sure it was heavy. The woman simply shrugged it off, hearing different other things all at once. Whatever Estella was planning, Dolores had no business in it.

Her brother, Camilo, on the other hand, was already excited to get his daily dose of dopamine from his one and only. Especially since last night, his jealousy seems to fade away, and his connection with Enrique seemed to have gotten a little deeper.

It's safe to say that they've turned from "Awkward and Uncomfortable" to "Good Acquaintances".

Though, before heading off to go see what his Querida was up to, he went to see how Enrique was doing as he finishes packing up.

"Pst," Camilo said, leaning on his door, "You good, there?"

Enrique smiled, closing up his bag and fixing it up so it leans neatly on the wall, "You might wanna not use the sheets I borrowed. I have no control when I drool," He joked, making the boy laugh and shake his head.

"Not gonna lie, you kinda snore a bit too," Camilo joked back, the two of them laughing.

"Hey, uh," Camilo said, clearing his throat. Averting his eyes as he places a hand on his nape as a sign of his hesitancy. "Sorry for how I treated you," He apologized, owning up to the fact that he misjudged the boy and letting his feelings get in the way.

"Okay, well, this just got awkward," The other boy replied, standing up and letting out a heavy sigh. "I get that you were just jealous since Estella's the girl you like," He mentioned, smiling, "So you don't have to worry, we're cool."

"Did Mirabel tell you?" Camilo asked, noting the fact that Enrique, the boy who they found just three nights ago already knows about his feelings for the girl.

Enrique snickered, "What?" He said, mid-laugh, "No, man. It was just that obvious."

"Well, not that obvious. I guess I just have a knack for seeing young love blossom," Enrique explained, making Camilo arch a brow at him, unconvinced.

"Hey, you don't have to believe what I said," Enrique added, raising his arms. "But you are getting a little bit obvious about it." He teased, surprising Camilo with his swiftness as the boy finds his hair getting ruffled.

"Not the hair, not the hair," Was the last thing he said before the two started goofing off in his room, filling it with their laughter.

"Is it just me or do you look like you've been overworked?" Mirabel joked, trying to put a smile on her tired-looking friend.

"Please, this is how I naturally look," Estella joked back, making Mirabel scoff at her remark.

"Is he going to leave soon?" The girl asked her friend, referring to Enrique.

"Yeah, he's just talking to some of the people," Mirabel answered, pointing somewhere behind her. "Abuela included," She added.

"You gonna miss him?" Mirabel asked, sputtering, and waving her hand right afterward to dismiss her question, "Oh, who am I kidding, of course, you will." She said, sighing, "I know I will."

"Yeah, he was nice to talk to," Estella replied as her friend nods in agreement. But Mirabel couldn't help but notice how Estella started looking a little fidgety right after saying that, her eyes avoiding eye contact.

"You're hiding something, aren't you?" Mirabel playfully accused her friend, "What is it?" She asked in a whisper, moving in closer.

"I'm not hiding anything," Estella laughed, "What are you talking about?"

Mirabel hummed, scanning her friend. She knew her long enough to know whenever she was feeling anxious about something. Since they're not with anyone, she must be keeping something from her. Plus, Estella's kind of an open book. So, it's not that hard not to predict her possible feelings or actions. 

It wasn't long until the two were interrupted, getting called by Luisa, and letting them know that Enrique would be leaving now. Everyone else said their goodbyes to him and even gave him something to take for the road.

However, other than Luisa, who was going to lift up the mountains for a while so Enrique could go skedaddle out the Encanto easily, Estella also insisted to see him off.

Halfway near the foot of the mountain, Estella thought it was time for her to bid him farewell.

"Safe travels, amigo," She smiled, opening her arms and giving him a hug, feeling him gently pat her back.

"I'll see you soon," She smiled, waving, before walking back.

"Y'know, that was kinda sweet," Luisa grinned, glancing at the two as the boy chuckled at the girl's words and reaction before they started walking again.

What the girl said was a normal saying which is used by a lot of people whenever they say goodbye to someone, but the way she said it to him made Enrique feel like she also meant something else.

"Well, here we are," Luisa said, placing her hands on her hips as she looked at the boy. "We're gonna miss you, man," She said, putting out a hand to shake him goodbye since she doesn't really think they were close enough to hug and because of the fact that she might crush his ribs if she hugs him too tight.

"Adios," Enrique said, the ground shaking a little as Luisa starts lifting off a big old mountain to give him a clear straight path to walk on.

★ ★ ★

A lot of the townspeople saw and felt the mountain getting lifted by the strongest Madrigal, Luisa.

It didn't take that long until it was out back, and for the people to go back to their normal, daily routines.

But just before the mountain was brought back down, and even before it was lifted up, Dolores heard panting again.

She had gotten confused, wondering what Estella was doing to be breathing so heavily since a little while this early afternoon. Though it was only when the loud thudding of the mountain, the ratting of trees' leaves, and the falling rocks, that Dolores started getting suspicious. Since immediately right after that very moment, Estella became quiet.

"Hey, Mirabel," Dolores called out, pulling on her cousin's elbow to ask something. "You saw Estella come back, right?" She questioned, getting a little worried about how she could her one less voice.

"Oh, well, I think she's still with Luisa, why?" Mirabel asked, getting curious herself.

"Mmm, never mind," Dolores squeaked, fiddling with her fingers anxiously as she quickly goes back up to her room.

Being the curious one herself, Mirabel had the urge to investigate. Sensing that her prima asked about Estella's whereabouts for a reason.

"Yo, Camilo," Mirabel yelled, calling out for her cousin, jogging towards him. "Have you seen Estella yet?" Mirabel asked, tilting her head.

"I was just going to see if she was at home now," Camilo said, making his cousin grin at him.

"Of course you wereee," She smiled playfully, poking Camilo's sides playfully as she wiggles her eyebrows at him.

"Anyway, I don't think she's at home yet though," Mirabel tells him, cutting the playfulness. "Dolores just asked me if I saw her."

"Wouldn't she be the first person who'd know exactly where she is," Camilo laughed, "Maybe she's still with Luisa?" He said.

"Yeah, maybe," She agreed, "Maybe we should wait for them," Mirabel suggested, her cousin nodding in agreement as they patiently sat on a bench, waiting for Luisa and Estella to come back – playing a few short games in doing so too.

"Ha! I win again," Mirabel cheered, wiping off her shoulders pridefully as she gloats about her 5th win streak while Camilo sulks about his five straight losses until he spots Luisa already heading towards the first place to go on her chores list.

"Oh, hey, there she is," Camilo tells Mirabel pointing at the girl in the distance.  The two of them sprang up from their seats and raced toward Luisa.

"Hey, Luisa," Mirabel said, "Uh, did Estella come back with you?" She asked, making Luisa seem a bit confused.

"No? She said goodbye to Enrique halfway and went back," Luisa said, the three of them entering a state of confusion.

Meanwhile, at La Casas Cortez, Tacita tries looking for her daughter in her room, in case they just didn't see her come from earlier.

It had been a while since Enrique left, about a few hours already and Tacita was wondering if Estella would like something to eat.

Knocking, Tacita called for her daughter at the other side of the door, checking t see if she was there, but when no one answered, she twisted the doorknob and made her way inside.

Sighing, the woman shook her head, "She must be wandering in the woods again, that girl."

Just as the woman was about to leave, she noticed a folded piece of paper on the floor, looking like it must have fallen from somewhere. Tacita picks it up and opens it to see if it was anything important, getting surprised by the context written on the piece of paper, her jaw-dropping down to the floor.

Benito!

Dolores could hear Estella's mother yell with alarm, calling for her husband. Finally making her understand why she couldn't hear a peep from Estella ever since Enrique left.

"Oh, no."