i never outgrew you - joshua bassett x olivia rodrigo

chapter one

josh pov:

Today is the day. After many months of anticipation and excitement, we were all moving back to Salt Lake City to start filming season two of HSMTMTS and I genuinely couldn't be more excited.

I wait in the airport nervously and wait for some of the cast to arrive as we'd booked the tickets together. Kate Reinders, who plays Miss Jenn was already in Salt Lake with her husband and children, so I was travelling with the rest of the cast, besides Mark, who plays Mr Mazzara as he had last-minute filming for another project until next week. Thankfully, we are recording music and rehearsing this week for dance numbers, so it's okay that he couldn't join us. 

The first familiar face I spot is the amazing Julia Lester. I stand up from my seat and she sees me and flashes me a grin.

"Joshy!" She squeals, "I'm so excited right now!"

She hugs me and I hug her girlfriend, McKenna, as well. They are so cute, I'm so glad that they are both coming. Julia is so happy around McKenna and that makes me so happy. She deserves to be happy.

"So, are you excited to spend another 8 months with me?" I say jokingly, taking a sip of my water I bought for the flight,

"Of course!" She cheers, "and maybe in that time you can discover how perfect Liv is for you"

I almost choke on my water.

"Julia!" I say, "It's not like that and you know it, we are just friends, best friends"

Which is true, I don't look at Olivia like that at all, I wish I could, everyone wants us to be together. I just think it would be awkward and besides she's 16 and I'm 19, it wouldn't work. We are supposed to be professional.

"Yeah, whatever, talk to me when you want me to be your bridesmaid at your wedding" She replies quickly and McKenna snaps her fings sassily and then laughs. I laugh.

"There's no way, Olivia and I aren't like that," I say, probably louder than I should.

"Aren't like what?" I hear someone say behind me. I turn quickly.

"Shit, Olivia, I missed you so much!" I give her the biggest bear hug.

"Josh, you saw me yesterday?" She laughs into our embrace. I freeze and realise she was right. We had been surprising fans in Disney Stores during their sing-a-longs only yesterday. I guess I did miss her.

"Can I not miss my best friend? 15 hours is a long time" I say honestly, I hear Julia and McKenna chuckle behind me, making me blush from the embarrassment.

"Sure" She smiles at her, and I pull her for another hug. 

We are greeted by more and more of the cast. Larry and then Sofia, Matt after that and then Joe and Frankie came together and then we were all ready to go.

The flight assistant eventually comes over to us and tells us that we can board first, as we had priority tickets. She also tells us that Tim, our producer had upgraded our tickets, and we were now in first class. Olivia squealed from excitement with Julia and Sofia and Larry and I cheered and started chatting with the other boys.

"Josh" I hear from behind me, I turn to face Olivia, who was bare-faced and in a cute comfy outfit, "Did you want to sit by me? We could watch Avengers movies?" She smiles. I look up and i noticed Julia looking at me with Sofia and whispering between them, I panic.

"Look, Liv, I was gonna sit with Larry..." I start.

"No, you weren't? I'm sitting with Matt" I hear next to me, to realise Larry had turned when I did to speak to Olivia.

"I meant Joe," I say quickly. I see a flash of hurt go across Olivia's face. I instantly feel bad. When I say my character, Ricky and I are alike, I really meant it.

"Wouldn't he sit with Frankie?" She says, "I mean they are best friends". She turns around and walks back over to Sofia and Julia. Their faces say it all. Confusion and shock. 

We board the plane after putting our bags through security and start to take our seats. I was at the back of the queue so I would just have to sit with the seat left as all of our crew were taking up all of the first-class section of the plane. I got onto the plane and said good morning to the flight attendants stood at the door.

I walk down the aisle to find that the only place left was one across from the window and towards the middle of the aisle. 

Next to Olivia.

"Hey," I say quietly. She looks at me and smiles weakly before turning to face Sofia on the other side of her. 

The plane was set up with seats that could turn into beds, with panes of glass between them which could be put up or down. The one between was down which meant I would be able to speak to her more easily.

"Liv," I say, so she turns around again.

"Yeah?" She says sweetly, I could see the hurt in her eyes when she spoke to me. I totally blew her off for no reason. She's probably so confused. I feel so bad.

"I'm really sorry, I was talking to Julia and she was making me paranoid about her thinking that we should be together and stuff and I'm sorry I got nervous and panicked, I went full-on Ricky on you and I am so sorry, forgive me, please?" I say, flustered and upset that she upset with me. I have never upset Olivia like this before and it hurts, I don't ever want to be the reason she's upset, she means so much to me.

"It's okay Joshy, come here" she opens her arms out and leans over between the two seats and I join her in a hug.

"I'm sorry" I mumble into her hair, which smells likes strawberries. 

"I know, it's okay" She smiles and kisses me on the cheek. I get flustered from the kiss, she's never done that before. It feels like my cheek is burning and my whole face is burning up. I smile at her awkwardly and sit back down.

"Have you read any of the scripts yet?" She smiles at me. I nod and start analysing details on her face. The occasional freckle sprinkled across her nose and those beautiful chocolate brown eyes, with her naturally long eyelashes framing them, her perfectly shaped lips which are naturally slightly rosy pink.

"Josh?" She says again, noticing I was staring at her lips I shake myself out of it, "Are you okay?" She whispers, closer to me.

"Yeah, um sorry, I've read up to episode 5 I think, that's as many as I was allowed according to Tim" I chuckle, but still a bit hot from the fact she caught me admiring her. What is going on with me?

"I know, me too, Ricky and Nini are honestly so sweet, I can't wait to find a love like theirs" She giggles, pulling her book that she writes lyrics in when an idea comes to mind when she's away from her piano or ukulele.

"Yeah, I know right, a love like theirs doesn't come around often I'm sure," I say, remembering past girlfriends and how they treated me. I sigh from the bad memories but smile again when I see Nini writing away in her notebook. She closes it after another few moments of me memorising tiny details on that pretty face of hers.

"Well, it takes 4 minutes to fall in love, apparently, I saw it in a Buzzfeed article the other day," She says, laughing.

You don't say. 

I mean, what?

"Cool," I say smiling at her, nervously, locking eyes with her. We stare at each other for a few seconds. 

I cough slightly.

"Cool," I say again, getting my headphones out of my bag and put Harry Styles on shuffle.

Maybe the next few months maybe a bit more different than I had planned.