Something Great

24. Are we in High School Musical?

Maddi stops as she and the rest of the girls get to the Garden, and admires everything. The Villa has been transformed. Neon lights swirl in time with the music. There's a massive neon love heart over by the pool, and there's a dance floor in front of it, glowing neon pink.

"Now this is what I'm talking about!" Bobby cheers.

"Ooh," Priya says excitedly, "there's a cocktail bar set up! I'm going to make up some drinks." Priya skips off, leaving Maddi and Bobby alone.

Maddi whips her head around to see the bar and smiles.

"No, ma'am," Bobby teases as he pulls Maddi away from the bar, "No more tequila for you."

Maddi fake-whines, "But I need it!"

He laughs, "I'm worried if you have another bottle to yourself, you'll end up naked and dead somewhere in the Villa." He looks her up and down, "Not that you being naked would be a bad thing..." he gives her a flirtatious look. "But that outfit could make soufflés rise it's so hot. So it'd be a shame to lose it."

She blushes and pushes him on the shoulder, "Quit being a flirt."

He laughs, "It's who I am, lass."

"Well, then go flirt with your woman," she gestures to Priya, who's fiddling with some liquors.

Lucas, Noah, Henrik, Gary and Rocco make their way to Maddi and Bobby. Maddi suddenly feels anxious... Bobby, Noah, and Lucas together... she doesn't know where to look.

Rocco and Henrik get into a conversation about climbing that Maddi zones out of. She looks up at Lucas and sees him eyeing her. A smile sneaks onto her face. He looks good. He's wearing a cream coloured linen shirt that's flowing open, and khaki shorts that show off his tanned legs.

Gary saunters off, clearly not feeling the conversation. Bobby leaves too, heading off to find Priya. Rocco and Henrik continue their conversation by the pool, and Maddi starts to get in her head.

Soon she's going to have to make a decision: Noah or Lucas? She's fancied Noah since day one, but they've never really gotten the opportunity to pursue anything. Lucas has been in the Villa just one day, and has made Maddi feel all sorts of things, scrambling her head.

She gets pulled from her head when she's offered a drink.

"Drink up!" Priya cheers as she hands her a bright pink cocktail.

She sniffs it. It smells super sweet and fruity, "What is this?"

Priya shrugs, "The Priya? I don't know. I just threw some stuff into a shaker!"

Maddi takes a sip and her face twists, "Oh!" She says loudly. "It's so... sweet!"

"Yay!" Priya claps, "There's plenty more where that came from!" Then she skips back over to the bar.

Maddi turns around to see Noah and Lucas both eyeing her with grins on their faces.

"What?" She cocks her head to the side.

Noah laughs, "How bad is it?"

"Your face says it's unbearable," Lucas teases.

Maddi grins, "It's a little sweet for my taste... but it's alcohol nonetheless." She takes another sip, causing her face to twist up again. Setting the boys off on another laughing fit.

"Oh, love," Lucas says, "I can make you a great cocktail if you want."

Noah furrows his brows at "love," and looks from Lucas to Maddi, "Yeah, love, I can make you something spectacular. I know what you like."