The Princess and The Bandit

SEVENTEEN

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For some reason she was worried that Camila hasn't returned to their camp just yet. Everybody else came back a couple hours ago but the grumpy panda-fish still hasn't returned with them. And the sun was about to rise in a few minutes, so Lauren was really feeling a little bit antsy.

The princess knows she needs to catch up on some sleep as well, just like what everybody else is doing, but she couldn't. For some compelling reason, her mind wanders off to Camila, thinking what kind of trouble she could possibly be stirring up the entire night that she was not with them.

Simona offered to take watch just so she can get some rest but she declined, admitting that since sleep has completely evaded her, she might as well be the watch for them all. And that entire time she was awake, there was no sign of Camila returning.

The first rays of the sun is already peeking and she's really feeling worried.

It has been a quiet night. There wasn't any disturbance apart from the crickets and frogs and gentle rustle of leaves as the soft breeze of the evening wind blew. And even if she wasn't consciously taking Camila's advice back from when they were still in the island, she was still mindful of her surroundings.

Lauren was as alert as she can be.

Minutes passed by some more, and just as Lauren was about to express her concern to anyone, she smelled something toasty in the air. It was odd because you're supposed to smell the scent of grass saturated in dew at that particular time of the day. She looked around from where she was perched on a large tree branch, scanning the area for something as equally odd as that smell.

And oddly enough indeed, she caught sight of Camila stealthily making her way towards their camp. At least the panda-fish has returned alive and in one piece so Lauren felt herself breathe a little bit of relief at that.

The girl was carrying some kind of contraption made of a stick and a bundled piece of cloth. Lauren wondered what's in it. She wouldn't be so surprised if it was some piece of jewelry the panda-fish might've stolen from some unsuspecting traveler.

The princess didn't have to wonder for long.

"I brought breakfast," Camila announced, looking at her straight in the eyes.

It was baffling how the girl can find her gaze so easily and match it's intensity.

Lauren tried her hardest not to be affected but her body seems to have already reacted, feeling all that weird things whenever Camila looks at her.

One by one, everyone emerged from their makeshift sleeping quarters and gathered around whatever Camila brought for their first meal of the day. Lauren jumped off the thick branch several feet above the ground, landing steadily on her feet. She then made her way towards the group.

"This looks . . . appetizing," Ally commented as she lifted up a golden brown and squiggly looking thing from the bundled piece of cloth.

"Is this what I suspect it is?" Normani studied the squiggly looking thing that she also picked up.

Dinah simply yawned and looked at Camila.

Lauren furrowed her eyebrows, very curious as to what Camila might've brought for them to eat. So without much caution, she also picked up one golden brown squiggly thing from the bundled cloth. And upon close examination, she finally realized what it was that Camila brought for them for breakfast.

"It's a snake! A roasted snake!! Where the hell did you get this?! Is this even clean?? Or healthy?? Or cooked properly at least??!"

"Hmm, it's actually tasty," Simona commented as she chewed on her own roasted snake.