When James starts rubbing my shoulders again, I fall back under his touch. It doesn't even phase me when Anne and Fleur come back empty-handed, because James is just too ...
Ok, maybe he is pretty hot.
*****
Emma P.O.V
"Dinner is served!"
Anne and Fleur kicked out the dinner tonight, mainly because Fleur wanted to give it a go and Anne is the most likely person to know how to cook Wallaby.
I take the metal tray from Fleur with my dinner in. We have three meals worth of wallaby - it looks a lot like steak - with a side of papaya and dragon fruit.
I stab my fork into the meat and take a small bite. It's a little flavourless, but still miles better than the rice and beans we've been living on.
"This is amazing," James gulps between mouthfuls. "Really great. Thanks, Fleur and Anne."
James and I sit cross-legged on his camping mat. I'm cocooned up in my sleeping bag, trying to keep as warm as possible. James has done the same, however, it seems that he's really pulled off the look. His hair is messy and swept back, his face red from the heat, and he looks like a sexy calendar model.
I finish my dinner and take mine and Anne's tray's down to the creek, where I spend ten minutes washing and drying them. Once thats finished, I grab Fleur so we can empty the dunny; the best chore to have right before you go to bed.
"Unscrew the lid," I direct Fleur. She's bravely stepped up to the job (I begged her to do it), whilst I just watch from afar.
She takes the lid off of the full tank and pulls it from below the toilet. "Crikey! That stinks!" I gag, running a few steps away.
Fleur erupts into laughter and quickly replaces the tank. "Don't be a baby, Em!"
Once the dunny duties are all sorted, we clean our teeth, wash our faces and head back to the main camp. By the time we're back, Anne is sound asleep and James is filling up his water bottle from one of the water bags.
"She's asleep," James whispers. "Come on. Let's all head to bed."
I tiptoe to James' camping mat and grab my sleeping bag, and throw it back onto my own mat. I then wriggle inside, and try my darndest to get a tad bit comfy.
Suddenly, the fatigue shuts me down, and I shut my eyes, almost falling asleep.
"She's asleep already," A male voice whispers from beside my head. I know it's James' voice, but I'm too exhausted and lazy to tell him I'm not.
All I hear from James is one final sentence before I fall into a deep slumber.
"Goodnight gorgeous."
The next morning ...
"Good morning, campers!" Holly beams in an irritatingly good mood. "Dec and I are here to reveal who the public have voted for today's trial: 'Monstrous Monoliths'."
Dec continues, "So in no particular order,"
"Emma. The public has decided ... it might be you."
"James ... It's not you."
"Fleur ... It's not you."
"Which means Anne, it might be you."
"The public has been voting, and they've decided that the celebrity they want to see face 'Monstruous Monoliths' is ..."
I grab hold of James' arm and bite hard on my lip.
"Anne! Anne, we will see you down at the trial clearing in a bit."
As Dec and Holly stroll back to wherever freedom seems to be, I ask the question I think everyone is thinking. "Anne, what the frick is a Monolith?"
"It's a rock." She nods. "But I'm absolutely petrified."
I jump up from my seat and skip over, taking her into a bear hug. "You'll be fine. Just channel the Governess."
"I will. Thank you, Emma." She replies nonchalantly. "Let's have some breakfast before I go."
~~~~~
The amount of times we've had rice and beans now is unmeasurable - it's even starting to develop a flavour.
"I'm actually really nervous." Anne treks back from the dunny.
"I promise you it'll be ok, Anne" I reassure her. "Nothing can hurt you. Even if you don't do it, we won't care! Plus, you'll obviously go back to the luxury camp if you win."
"And Emily is there too," Fleur adds into our conversation. "You guys get along so well."
I finish off my mouthful of breakfast and turn to James. "Do you want me to take your tray, James? I'm just about to go and wash my own in the creek."
"I'll come with you and give you a hand," James yawns, stretching out his muscly arms. "Emma and I will wash up. Fleur? Can you walk Anne to the bridge?"
"Course I can!" She beams, jumping up from her seat.
Once James and I have hugged Anne goodbye, he gathers up all of the dirty kitchen utensils, and I grab all the dirty clothes that are scattered around. We're only allowed three pairs of underwear in here, so the clothes get pretty vile pretty quickly.
"Isn't it mank we have to wash the clothes and all the disgusting food in the same water?" James chuckles to himself when he follows me to the creek.
Once we're there, I take Fleur's bra and wash it thoroughly. "It's absolutely minging." I giggle. "So... what do you think our folks at home are doing now?"
"Folks?" He mimics me.
I look up from where I'm washing James' boxer briefs to look directly at him. I could drown in those baby-blue eyes that are so bright, despite we've all gotten minimal sleep.
"No. I reckon all of your family are thinking about how amazingly well you're doing."
I blush a little but turn away quickly so he doesn't notice.
After we've finished washing and drying all of the clothes and cutlery, we head back to the main camp, where I hang the clothes over an overhanging branch, and James puts all of the utensils away.
"Oh, there's Anne!" Fleur gasps. "Oh no."
When I turn around, Anne is treking back into Snake Rock with a defeated expression. "I'm so sorry, guys. I really am."
I run up to her, bear-hugging her. "It's ok," I reconcile. "Come on. Sit down and tell us everything."
She goes to explain the trial, painting out a picture of some large cages disguised as rocks. On the walls were codes that she had to use to open some padlocks on the boxes containing stars.
"It was cockroaches and guts and slime. I'm sorry. I just couldn't-,"
James wraps an arm around her shoulder, comforting her when a tear rolls down her cheek. "It's ok. We're so glad you're back."
It's true. I don't know how I could stay in the epitome of Snake Rock without Anne's witty jokes and amazing company to keep the spirit alive.
"I think I might take a nap," she composed herself whilst standing up from an upturned tree stump. She tucks herself up into her sleeping bag and rests her eyes after what sounds like an exasperating trial.
I feel disgusting. I wouldn't be surprised if things have started festering in my underwear, I feel that gross. "I'm going for a wash," I announce, grabbing my bathing suit and heading to the dunny to change.
All the dunny is is a hole in the floor. It's definitely rock bottom, and I'm hoping the conditions are a little nicer in Crock Creek. That's if we ever get there.
My bathing suit is a deep red all-in-one piece, with a low neckline and a cut out back, with small gold patterning on the side. It may be a little sexy for the show, but who doesn't want to be the next Myleene Klass.
Once I'm changed, I step into the Creek and try my best to wash my skin with the freezing cold water, to no avail.
James P.O.V
When I'm bored out of my mind, I usually just take a stroll around camp. Anne is still flat out, Fleur is in the dunny, and Emma went for a wash, so I guess this seems like the perfect time.
But since Emma is having a wash, maybe a wash will do me good too.
I throw off my t-shirt and chuck it onto a little log beside the fire. Grabbing my water bottle, I stroll down to the shower in search for her.
I take a right and a left down the spindly path parallel to the stream. It's only by chance that I look down to see Emma, washing in the creek.
Her bathing suit hugs her gorgeous curves on her tall frame. Her brunette hair is trailing down her back, sodden from the water, with tiny droplets dripping down the back of her tanned legs.
I trail down the path, making sure to not slip on a loose vine or rock. As I near the creek, Emma begins to wash her hair, bravely facing the water. When I get really close, I realise she's singing peacefully to herself.
She's singing one of The Vamps songs - Somebody To You.
"Everybody's trying to be a billionaire, but every time I look at you I just don't - shit!" She gasps, spinning around to see I'm stood watching her sing. "Oh, um... hi."
Her cheeks mist up a pinky colour. "How long have you been stood there?"
"Long enough. You're a good little singer, Em."
I hop into the water beside her, wincing at how cold the water is. "It's a bit nippy, isn't it?"
"It sure is." She chuckles at my reaction, continuing to wash the conditioner through her hair. I can't help but take glances at her gorgeous body every now and then, but I'm pretty sure I catch her staring at my abs once or twice.
"Will you sing for me?" I ask her as we jump out the creek.
"Like a private concert?" She teases playfully. "They're expensive, you know?"
"So how can I pay you for it?" She comes back, flashing her eyebrows.
We both exchange a smirk and a smile. My stomach flips momentarily.
I think she really is something special.
That night ...
Emma P.O.V
"Celebrities. Please get ready to leave camp," Fleur reads from a laminate that she collected from the telegraph.
We've already eaten our rations and wound down for bed, and now we're being thrown into a nighttime challenge. Great. Just great.
I slip my boots back onto my blistered feet and pick up my lantern to guide me down the pathway. The jungle at night is way scarier than in the day, as you have no idea what's lurking down the path.
"James, you have to protect the young girls." Anne chuckles to herself as we're halfway there.
"Oh don't you worry Anne," James replies wittily. "I've got it all sorted."
Anne is walking hand in hand with my best friend Fleur who I've become so close to. She's an inspiring and ferocious warrior.
James stops for a second and lets me catch up to him. "Um ... Anne told me to do this."
James takes my hand and slips it into his.
He leads us to the end of the path, where there is a caved out rock-face with a small path leading to the inside. Next to the rock is a small table, with it lies a suspicious looking briefcase. Finally, a laminate is taped to a nearby tree, giving us instructions.
"Celebrities," James reads. "In this challenge, you will get the chance to win your own luxury items. Three celebrities will go inside the cave where you will find four illuminated gems that are locked up in perspex boxes. One celebrity will stay outside of the cave with the briefcase. On the clackson, you will open the briefcase to find some keys. You must then untie the knots to release the keys, and then feed the keys down a rope into the cave, where you must use certain coloured keys to open the coloured perspex boxes and get the gems. For every gem you win earns you one luxury item. Good luck."
"So ... Anne, you're staying with the briefcase?" Fleur asks, to which Anne nods. "Brilliant."
As we're about to step into the ink-black cave, I slip my goggles on and grab James' arm.
"I'm so nervous." I shake.
He spins on his feet and hugs me into his chest immediately.
"It's ok Em. I'll look after you."
*****
I'm so sorry that this chapter was so long, but I want to try and catch up to where the episodes are now, and I've still got quite a bit to do! Do you guys want shorter chapters or long ones like this?
Thank you to the adorable JasmineMorgan528 for the lovely comments!
Xoxo