Something Great

15. This is bullshit

A pineapple and coconut mist hangs over the dressing room as the girls scramble to look their best.

Maddi fiddles with the clothes in her wardrobe before deciding on a strapless red mini dress with a sweetheart neckline gold strappy heels. The bottom of the dress flares out, taking it from classy to sassy. It's one of Maddi's favorites. It used to be her mom's.

"You look stunning!" Hannah cheers.

Maddi blushes, "Thanks, Hannah."

Hope interrupts the moment with her clapping. "We feeling good, ladies?"

Hannah's face falls, "Far from it."

"I'm sure it's going to be fine, hun," Hope says.

Maddi ignores Hope and begins to apply mascara to her long dark lashes. She sees Priya watching her.

"You okay?" Maddi asks.

Priya looks caught, "Yeah! Just a little nervous. I know you talked with Ibrahim already, but anything could happen."

"I'm sure it's going to be fine, babes. After tonight we'll both be happily in our couples!" she says with a smile as she applies the finishing touches to her light eye makeup.

Priya smiles back, but doesn't say anything. The rest of the girls finish up and start to make their way downstairs. Maddi holds onto Priya and Lottie for support. More emotional than anything else.

The girls arrive at the firepit and see the guys lined up nicely on the bench. They're all dressed up, looking handsome and nervous. Maddi wonders if they've told each other who they're picking.

Maddi stands anxiously between Priya and Lottie. She looks up at Bobby and he looks even more anxious. That's a little unnerving. She glances to Noah, who's sitting to the right of Bobby. He's staring straight into the fire, his face unreadable. Ibrahim is sitting on the other side of Noah looking comfortable, but nervous. Gary sits on the other side of Bobby looking like a right wreck. Rocco sits on the end next to Gary with a sly smile on his lips.

Maddi doesn't know what to think. Why does Bobby look so anxious? Shouldn't he be sitting comfortably, knowing the girl he wants to pick is happily waiting for him to choose her? Why does Noah look so devastated? Isn't he cracking on with Hope? She's been the happiest she's been in here since he's moved on with her...

The endless thoughts spinning in Maddi's head make her feel dizzy. She takes a few deep breathes to settle her heart down.

Priya squeezes her hand, "You all right?"

Maddi nods, but her gaze remains fixed on the firepit, "Mm."

The girls stand in a row in front of the firepit, awaiting their fate. Silence falls over the group as the boys' conversations die out. The sound of cicadas fills Maddi's ears, drowning out her thoughts. Lottie squeezes Maddi's hand comfortingly, which she returns with a small smile.

Beep beep

"That's me," Noah says, his voice cool and collected. He sighs and stands to his feet.

Maddi can't look at him. There's so much pain. Know how much he wants to pick her, and how much she wants him to pick her, but that they can't... it hurts. But she knows the right thing to do is to stay true to Bobby. She likes Bobby, she fancies him, she feels comfortable and happy with him... but there's such incredibly intense potential for Maddi and Noah. It's just painfully hard. She wishes she could just trust him, and let herself love and be loved.

Noah's gaze remains fixed on the fire, "I..." he trails off. Maddi looks up at him and sees that he has looked up at her as well. They hold eye contact for what seems like forever until he starts again.