Maddie and Claudia headed to the room to change. It was dinner time and the squad got a seat at the Captain's table. She needed some time to get her look on fleek. No way was she going to be out shined. She had brought a silver mini backless that was perfect. She just had to be careful not to overeat as it fit a little too perfectly.

As usual, Claudia looked like Cleopatra. She was taking this Egyptian style a bit too serious in Maddie's opinion.  It was one thing to be trendy, but another to be obsessed with a dead girl and her looks!  But being the super cool friend she was, and happy Claudia wouldn't be taking any limelight away from Captain Hot, who was totally hers, she complimented her. What are bff's for if not to lend a hand?

"You look beaut bae!  You totally pull that look off. You're like gonna snag an archeologist some day if you keep smoking that Cleopatra look."

Claudia face framed herself and took a selfie for confirmation. Then smiled and nodded.

"Maddie, what if there's three forks like in Pretty Woman and, like, we don't even know which one to grab?"

Maddie felt a shiver of fear thinking of Captain Hot Pants seeing her stumble over frikking forks. That wouldn't do. Although the problem was easily solvable. Considering her dress and its minimum space potential she planned not to eat much anyway.

"Just let someone else eat first. Seriously. its genius. We let Captain Chad take the first bite. He doesn't seem Neanderthal, and if he is, we don't have to worry."

"Maddie, I swear your brilliant!  Someday your gonna be, like, president. Or married to Channing Tatum."

"I won't be president Claud. Pant suits? As if!"

They walked arm in arm to the large dining room. The Captain's table was up at the front and center of the giant dining room. It was placed higher than every other table, raised on a large platform. One look, and Maddie knew that was where she belonged. Front and center. Maddie made her way to the platform steps and because of her current spandex disability, decided to take them up with a side step hop. She took the seat to the left of Captain Chad who was currently trying to stifle a laugh behind his napkin. She wondered at first, just for an instant, if it was her entrance on the stairs and decided it looked more like a crush giggle.

"Ah, Glitz Girls. Welcome to my table. I'm looking forward to seeing you perform on Friday night. And hearing all about how you won the trip."

Maddie eyed all her cheer team members with a death glare. This was going to be her territory and she wanted it known. Each girl looked down at their laps like perfect submissive puppies. It was good to be the queen.

After a boring round of introductions the first course was served. All the girls looked to Maddie whose eyes were glued to the captain. She patiently waited for the Captain to start. He was watching her and the girls, waiting for them to start.

For a few minutes it was the ultimate stare down. No one spoke and everyone's eyes went from the silver wear to the food, and back to the captain. Maddie began to get that nervous itch behind her eyelids. She felt like she was watching a tennis match with Stephen Hawking being the leading scorer. Finally she had to speak.

"We never eat before the person in charge, it's like a cheer oath. Right now, that's you. So you have to take the first bite so we can eat."

All the other girls started to bobble their heads in a sea of agreement and approval. Captain Hot Pants shrugged his shoulders and grabbed his outer spoon and started eating. Maddie and the girls immediately grabbed their outer spoons and dug in. Slurp fest had begun. And from the look on his face, Captain Hot Cheeks enjoyed running the show.

By the main course Maddie's dress was cutting off her circulation and she felt like Kiera Knightly in 'Pirates of the Caribbean'.  She tried talking less and pretending to chew. There was no way more food was going to fit.

".....and then I graduated from college and decided to become a Captain.  And I've never looked back." 

Maddie sighed. Her visions of love at first sight and feeding each other cheesecake were dampened by his boring talking about only himself. Error 404: OTP-- not found. If she wanted a hot guy who talked about himself all the time she would have kept dating Donny the dork. Football and 'oh yeah baby' were his only conversation points. Captain Boresville's eyes weren't dreamy enough to drown out his ego and never ending babbling. Maddie felt a sadness as she envisioned scattering the ashes of her 'Love Boat' dreams of hot captain love.  If she could lift her spandex disabled arms to her ears she was sure they would be bleeding from his constant auditory assault.

When dinner finally ended the girls lined up and headed for their hallway. Somehow it was seemed to be the only one unlit, and the girls giggled and scared each other until they were running and screeching. Maddie couldn't run, but was able to scissor walk at an impressive pace while screeching at visions of dark hallway spirits lurking in corners.

Everyone met in Maddie and Claudia's room per declaration by Queen Maddie at nine. It was time for a gossip fest and a fashionista pajama parade. The only one not present was Jessie.  They all began to question her not showing up.

"Maybe she fell asleep in the hall."

Emily wasn't the brightest bulb on the team but she was the only one with any sort of explanation to offer.

Kayla, who was Jessie's roommate, was questioned. She hadn't seen her since they got to the dark hall. She swore Jessie wasn't in the room when Kayla got her pajamas on. Maddie was irritated. It was a cheer team activity. No excuses.

"Didn't you wonder where your roommate was Kayla. I mean, it's not like it was crowded in your room. There's only two of you!"

Kayla cowered and stuck out her bottom lip.

"I'm sorry Maddie. I wasn't sure if I should wear the 'Pink¡' pajamas or the ones from Hollister with the Sharks. I wanted to look my best. Then I didn't want to be late, so I just came over."

"Ok Kayla, well at least you made the right pajama choice. 'Pink¡' is so last year. As cheer Captain I say we get our phone flashlights and go looking for her. She's probably stuck in a doorway."

The girls gathered their phones, hooked arms, and started down the dark hallway again. All that was found were a pair of lavender pumps, size eight (Jessie had feet on the large side).

The girls began to speculate that Jessie had snuck back in the dark to swoon over Captain Chad. Maddie's first impulse was to be pissed, but then she remembered her crush funeral and realized this boat was filled with hot guys and Chad wasn't the one. Jessie could have him. She ordered the girls back to the room announcing the search over. Jessie could be dealt with tomorrow and Maddie wasn't about to waist the first free night.

The pillow fights and gossip fest began. By the time they had finished everyone was exhausted. Day one had been a blast. Day two could be even better. Considering they all got enough beauty rest.

Everyone scattered with phone lights in hand to find their rooms. Kayla decided to bunk with Jen and Deniese just in case Jessie came back with a partner. As they walked to their rooms they stepped over the discarded lavender pumps.

********************
A/N. I can't lie. I wouldn't mind being s part of the squad. I was way too self conscious to try out but always admired girls brave enough to wear those short skirts through the winter.

Is Jessie really missing or lost?

Would she seriously loose her pumps on purpose (maybe they were knock offs- GASP)!

Will Maddie ever get back in her tight dress?

Push that star or leave a comment. Let me know what you think of Claudia's Cleopatra look. Too last year?