To Love The Russian Bella

*13* Bears Smell Fear

A retreat. This isn't what Chloe has decided will help the Bellas find our found again and I hope we do. So with a packed suitcase I climbed onto our mini bus, trip others were still a bit salty from last night.

We arrived at a pleasant looking place, I smiled and slipped on my sunglasses as we stumbled out the bus. "How'd you hear about this place?" Beca asked Chloe. "From yours truly" A female voice said from behind us, I span around and squealed happily when who spoke, it was Aubrey.

I let go of my bag and ran over to her, hugging her tightly. I've missed her a lot, she was one of the first people I made friends with when I came over from Russia.  The other Bellas rushed over to Aubrey and hugged her as well.

"Welcome to The Lodge at Fallen Leaves,where Fortune 500 companies send their employees to

build teamwork skills." She said smiling happily at us, "I realized I had a knack for barking orders and bending people's will. So I made a career out of it." Then her face suddenly changed to an extremely serious one, "Which reminds me, fall in line, Bellas!" She barked at us and we quickly shuffled into line, mumbling about her not changing since she left.

"It is with great sorrow and regret that I had to watch our once proud organisation become a national disgrace!" Aubrey shouted loudly as she paced in front of the line. "Can I have the keys to the minibus?" Amy asked quietly as Aubrey stopped in front of her. I let out a small unladylike snort of laughter as Aubrey glared slightly and told Amy to zip it.

"The Worlds signifies a shot at redemption. You don't have a chance at winning until you find your sound again. You have totally lost your harmony! So, for the next two days, you will be doing everything together until you regain it." Aubrey spoke as she kept pacing. Emily quietly whispered a small wow from next to me, making me look down at her.

"Ladies, get ready to be transformed. You are surrounded with the strength of your fellow Bellas and the support of a proud female tradition." Aubrey continued making me look back at her, I already know this isn't going to be easy for the others. "And a few dozen bear traps. So don't stray too far from the marked paths." She added quickly and turned, beginning to walk away.

"Bear traps? There are bears here?" Emily said surprised, shocked and slightly scared as she looked up at me. "You better stay calm, bears smell fear" I joke and walk away, leaving Emily frozen on the spot. She snapped out of her freeze and rushed after me, picking up her bag on the way. "You're kidding right, aren't you? Bears they can't smell fear, they're not like that. Are they?" She said panicking making me laugh loudly. "You'll probably be the first one they eat, you're the one making all the smell" I tease and keep walking with her trailing behind me, "I'm sleeping next to you tonight" She mumbled making me laugh again. "Relax, they can smell fear" I say softly feeling a little bad.

Emily and I hadn't been listening to anything Aubrey had been saying so we had no idea where we were staying.

———A few hours later ————

"I don't understand camping." Flo spoke up as she pulled the top of her sleeping bag up to her neck. We were stuck sleeping in a tent, side by side, face to face, until we discovered our sound again. "We're voluntarily living like dogs." She said unimpressed. "The air we're breathing right now is at least 90% fart." Beca said, missing her laptop a lot, we'd had all electronics taken away from us.

"That reminds me, I need to see a man about a horse."I heard Amy from next to me, then I felt her struggle out her sleeping bag then through the tent door, "Did anyone happen to pack a spare roll of toilet paper? Or a moist towelette? Anyone have a T-shirt, size extra-small?" She asked making me giggle quietly. "For some reason I don't think anyone will let you wipe with their T-shirt" I say smiling, "Okay," She sighed, "Side of the tent it is then."