Page 48 of Barbi and the Villain

She makes a disgusted face that BonBon emulates and my confidence officially plummets.

Shaking my head at my predicament, I decide to find a river and bathe before I go anywhere near him again. Yes, that might help.

We continue following—stalking—him. PomPom and BonBon are surprisingly well-behaved. They don’t make a noise as they walk stealthily behind me. Every now and then I give them a smile and an airy kiss to incentivize them to keep up the good work.

But as we get to a river, he suddenly stops.

I do, too, putting my hand up for the dogs to stop as well. We hide behind a clump of trees, lying low behind the bushes.

I part a few branches to peek through.

He gets to his knees in front of the river, staring at his reflection for what seems like an eternity.

Of course he would. He’s probably making sure his god-tier looks are still intact.

Putting his hands together, he scoops some water and washes his face. He proceeds to do the same with his neck and armpits, removing some of the more visible soot.

After he’s done, he stands up.

He’s tall. So much taller than my five-three frame. He must be over six feet tall and that only makes me giddy as I release a dreamy sigh.

We’ll look perfect together. I’m already imagining all the pictures we will take together and how those so-called friends of mine will swallow their insults when they see my beau.

Take that, Clarice!

He turns to leave, and I get out of the bushes, telling my dogs to follow me.

The river is a little too alluring after my burst of panic over my scent.

“Just a little. Stay here, PomPom, and don’t let BonBon wander, okay?”

She nods as if she understands. Sometimes I’m sure she does.

I run to the river and wash my face and armpits too. If only I had some soap… But beggars can’t be choosers.

Alas, feeling a bit refreshed, I beckon my dogs to follow me as we resume our stalking activities. They are the perfect partners in crime, and I couldn’t be prouder of them for being so silent as they follow me.

We quickly catch up to my good-looking friend. Leaving a bit of distance between us, we continue to follow him around as he goes deeper into the forest.

It’s a couple of hours later that my feet start killing me and my stomach starts rumbling with hunger. I haven’t eaten in…over a day! That’s just criminal.

And to make matters worse, my brain decides to introduce images of all types of delicacies into my mind, making me drool at the thought of having a bite of juicy meat or at least some chocolate—I’m not picky.

PomPom and BonBon are good sport. They haven’t complained so far, but I know they must be hungry and tired too.

What is his itinerary? And why does he have to walk—though I’m not complaining since that allows me to follow him. But he has that dark cloud of his. Why isn’t he using it? If I had one of those, I wouldn’t walk even to get a glass of water. But then again, he’s been locked inside that prison for a long time. Maybe he needs to stretch his legs.

The forest scenery is all the same. We walk and walk and there are only tall trees, thick shrubs, bushes, and the sound of bothersome insects. I’m not a hater, I swear. But I have sensitive skin, and insect bites make me break out into hives. That’s the last thing I need right now when I’m already stinky enough. How will I get this man to notice me with red welts on my face and a fetid stench? Then again, maybe the stench will also keep the insects away…

He stops.

He makes camp in a small clearance under the canopy of trees.

I put my hand up to stop PomPom and BonBon as I study his next movements.

He’s humming a melody to himself as he gathers some tree branches and places them on the ground, forming a firepit before using his magic to light it up.

That’s when I realize that the sky has already darkened. He’s probably stopping here for the night.

---