THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY follows olive green, a former member of one direction, as she navigates the pressures of fame and the suffocating expectations of management. through poignant flashbacks of her experiences in the band, including her intense rel...
THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY CHAPTER TWENTY NINE 4th of september 2016
OLIVE sat curled up in the corner of the couch, her phone glowing faintly in her hands. the notifications hadn't stopped pouring in since midnight—fans dissecting her lyrics, sharing stories of how the song made them feel. her heart should've been full, but instead, it felt like it was teetering on the edge of something—excitement, anxiety, or maybe both. she had been trying to distract herself by replying to a few messages when her phone buzzed with an incoming call.
joanna's name lit up the screen. olive hesitated before answering.
"jo," she said, her voice soft but steady. "hey."
"olive!" joanna's voice came through bright and buzzing. "so, big news—like, really big news. are you sitting down?"
olive gave a small laugh. "i am. what's going on?"
"jimmy kimmel live wants you on the show to perform i told you things and another song of your choice," joanna said in one breath, her words practically tumbling over each other. "they reached out after the song dropped last night. they love it, olive. they think it's raw and fresh and exactly what people need right now."
for a moment, olive said nothing. she blinked, trying to process the words. "jimmy kimmel?" she repeated faintly.
"yes! and before you say anything—yes, i know it's short notice. but considering how much traction the song is already getting, this is the perfect time to ride the wave. they're talking next week. we'd need to get everything lined up quickly, but i wanted to call you first."
olive tucked her knees to her chest, her mind spinning. "next week?" she asked, her voice almost a whisper.
"i know, i know," joanna said, her tone softening. "it's fast. but you're ready for this, olive. you've worked so hard, and this kind of opportunity doesn't just fall into people's laps."
"i..." olive trailed off, glancing toward the kitchen where dylan was rinsing dishes, his back to her. "i don't know, jo. that's so soon."
"soon, yes. impossible, no. look, i'll handle the logistics. all you need to do is say yes. i'll send over rehearsal schedules, wardrobe ideas—everything."
olive inhaled sharply, trying to ground herself. "it's a lot to think about."
"you don't need to think about it," joanna said firmly. "you just need to say yes. you're ready for this. this is your moment."
the words hit olive like a jolt. her moment. she thought about the years she'd spent writing in her bedroom, dreaming about days like this- and even her one directions moments, but now that it was here, it felt heavier than she imagined.
"okay," she said quietly, the weight of the decision settling in her chest. "i'll do it."
"yes!" joanna exclaimed, relief and joy pouring through the phone. "you're going to kill it. i'll send you all the details tonight."
they hung up, and olive stared at the blank screen, her heart racing. she felt like she should be excited—like she should be screaming or calling liliana to celebrate. but all she felt was... stillness. like the weight of everything was pressing down too hard to let her move.
"who was that?" dylan's voice pulled her back. she looked up to find him leaning against the counter, a glass of water in hand.
"joanna, my manager" she said, setting her phone down beside her. "she said jimmy kimmel wants me to perform my single next week."
dylan raised an eyebrow. "wow. that's big."
"it is," olive said, her voice soft. she waited, hoping he'd say more, maybe something about how proud he was or how much she deserved this.
"that'll be cool," he said after a moment, taking a sip of his water. "you've got this."
cool. you've got this. olive felt a pang in her chest, the words landing flat. she offered a small smile anyway, nodding. "thanks."
"is it in LA?" dylan asked, setting his glass on the counter.
"yeah."
"well, that makes it easy," he said with a shrug. "no crazy traveling."
olive nodded again, her throat tightening. this was supposed to be a big moment, but dylan's casualness made it feel... smaller. she hated how much she wanted his excitement, how much she wanted him to see her.
he leaned down and kissed her forehead before heading toward the bedroom. "don't stress about it," he said over his shoulder. "you'll do great."
the door clicked shut, and olive sat in the silence, her hands trembling slightly in her lap. her phone buzzed again, another notification lighting up the screen. she ignored it, staring at the empty room around her.
this was supposed to be her moment, she reminded herself. she didn't need anyone else to validate it. but as the quiet settled over her, the weight of the night felt heavier than ever.
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jimmykimmellive tell your moms and tell your dads @olivegreen is performing next week!!
user1 OMG YES
user2 WHAT
user3 IM SO EXCITED ONG
user4 I TOLD YOU THINGS IS SO GOOD AND SO SAD
user5 when i find zayn🤺🤺🤺
user6 she's so cute i love her
user7 we need her and dylan's relationship confirmed rn user8 apparently she's been staying with him for a while👀👀
