QOTD: any swifties out there? what is ur fave song/album i'm very in my swiftie feels today
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THE NIGHT OF THE BALL
─── · 。ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
Josh's POV
"It's a really interesting crossover, Flynn Rider turning up to the ball with...Mulan" I kid as I'm adjusting my waistcoat in one of the spare event rooms, where all the performers were doing their last minute touch ups.
"Well it's not like you could pull off the hunk that is Li Shang" Olivia replied. I looked over to her and winced at her devious grin before we both giggled.
Olivia looked absolutely amazing, I had always said she should be her own Disney Princess, but her Mulan-inspired mint-green dress, with blue accents and red flowers was a great contender. We had travelled together to the ball and I had my Flynn-inspired suit ready to go, and Aunt Gwen complimented it immediately before handing me another stick of gum. I just had no idea when Rapunzel was coming. All I knew was that Gwen forced Addie to go home and get ready instead of staying back to help set up, and Olivia mentioned that she hadn't seen her all day either.
A couple of people had asked me and Olivia for photos before we all were able to walk out into the ball room and finally have the event start. I was able to see glimpses of the team's vision for the ballroom when I was working alongside them, but when we saw the finished product, it just screamed of Adeline's hard work. There were long blue translucent curtains surrounding the whole space, with lights behind them giving the illusion we were in an iced cave. There were white fairy lights hanging from the ceiling, with blue and white peonies decorating every table on the other end. Our favourite Disney hits were playing in the background and I looked over to Liv who was already squealing and filming the venue for her story.
"I'm actually gonna cry Josh what the shit is this, I can't believe Addie and everyone pulled this off!" she said before jumping a bit and pressing Your Story on Instagram.
I knew that tears would come out if I let then, but if I started now, everything that I was feeling was going to come out and I would end up in a puddle right before my performance. Hence, I merely smiled with awe and nodded in response.
Just then, my phone buzzed and I brought it out to see a notification I didn't think I'd see in a long time.
outtalinephillips just tweeted: 'hey twits it's been a while' ...
I could've broke records for how fast I swiped on that notification.
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Addie Phillips @outtalinephillips
hey twits it's been a while :)) and I don't think I'm ever gonna have the mental capacity to address what ppl have said about me, but I just wanted to wish everyone at our ball the best 2nite – more so thank them for coming n supporting us xx good luck y'all
🗨 1043 ↻ 4k ♡ 15k
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She hadn't posted on social media since all of the speculation began, and of course I couldn't blame her. I was really only posting when my management requested me to, and I would delete the apps right after. It was such a shame because Twitter used to be her space to say whatever the fuck she wanted, and her followers loved her humour – whether she was talking about her ranking on types of peanut butter or her hilarious takes on HSMTMTS.
God I missed all of it. I missed her so much that it was simply becoming my new hobby.
She used to call me all sorts of names: Shuie, Allstar, Jo...whatever she wanted. Now, we don't call each other at all.
Adeline's family was already here, I caught the smile of Mrs. Phillips as she looked over to me across the hall, before her eyes went wide at my outfit and she held her hand to her heart. I laughed and thanked her before I dramatically mouthed 'Angelo?', she skimmed the crowd before pointing to the DJ's corner set-up.
Angelo Phillips and his Nintendo Switch; I couldn't name a more iconic duo in the moment.
"Hey Geli" I chimed as I sat beside him.
"Sup Curly." he replied without looking up from his screen.
"Uh, did we consent to that nickname – "
"What, Deli can make any name up for you and I can't use Curly?" he snapped jokingly, I chuckled in response and there were a few moments of silence.
"What are you doing in the corner dude the event's basically started" I asked as I continued gazing at the ice palace décor.
"Says you" he retorted, still looking at his screen. I pouted my lips, but he then gave me a cheeky side eye and I nudged him lightly. Okay forget it, I couldn't help myself -
"Speaking of...Addie is she...do you know when she's coming?"
"Dunno, but I know she's mad at you." he blandly replied.
"Mad at me?" I repeated with a tone of distress, "did she say something to you?"
"Okay I dunno, mad-sad whatever, but she seems sadder these days...we don't hang out as much as we used to or like – do shit like swear and then we gotta owe each other a dollar and stuff." He recalled as he continued playing.
There was such innocence to his words, and it reminded me of when I would see my older sisters in pain. And with me knowing nothing about their problems – I would just watch them day-in-day-out and wonder why they wouldn't play with me. Just reminiscing on that feeling, and seeing that reflected before me, made my eyes immediately sting.
"I'm sorry about that buddy." was all I could reply.
"You guys better stop fighting, I want to annoy Deli again," he finally looked up from his game and looked at me with that same innocence in his eyes, but also that classic little brother sassiness.
"Wh- fighting we're not figh – "
"I'm twelve I'm not dumb, Curly."
I was about to retort until I started hearing some buzz come from the front of the hall; the colour purple was in my peripheral.
I glanced over and before I knew it, I was a cliché boy in a rom-com, doing a double take on the princess of the hour.
Adeline.
Granted, the buzz was only from her fellow interns, Blaire and Olivia and her Mom, but I wished the whole crowd noticed her walk in like I did.
She was Rapunzel; she looked ethereal. Her long hair was let out and in slight waves, cascading over a purple A-line dress, covered in gold accents, and off-the-shoulder tulle sleeves. Okay I knew the whole description since she showed me the dress when we were planning to come as a Disney couple.
But moments later, I saw who she actually came with. A tall, dark-haired guy in a velvet emerald suit. However, Adeline wanting nothing to do with him is what I would usually expect; I would've expected her to at least walk far ahead of him and ignore him. However, I watched in pain as she walked back, took Jordan's arm and encouraged him to move forward with her. Yet, Jordan was shyer than I'd ever saw him, calmer.
Eventually as they moved through the space, and Adeline got to finally witness what she had ben working so hard since the summer, I was in her sights and she momentarily stopped her movement. She whispered over to Jordan and unexpectedly, she started walking towards me, holding her dress above her dainty heels.
Okay. Okay. It's fine. It was only a matter of time before we'd actually speak again...so why am I literally blank in the fucking brain right now –
"Hey there," she spoke, there was so much tension in her voice – yet a kind of excitement that I was intrigued by.
I smiled way wider than I should've. But I couldn't help but appreciate those simple words; those were the first words I ever said to her before our whole journey started. That innocent grocery store conversation.
"Hi..." I chuckled nervously before I could think of anything to say, "you made one hell of a party for us." I chirped and we both looked around once again.
"I mean it was a joint effort, Aunty G green-lighted most of it, Cleo, Kate and Nikita and stuff –"
"Come on take credit for how much you were freaking out over this event and doing all the menial tasks" I kidded.
She looked at me sheepishly before letting out a little laugh and agreeing with me. When her laugh and smile dulled, we stood alone and silent – a dramatic cover of I Won't Say I'm In Love being performed on stage.
"Josh I uh – I need to tell you something" she slowly revealed. I could tell that she was trying to not expose herself, but that previous excitement from before was stopping her from helping it.
"Oh?" my cheeks heated up and I anxiously made fists inside my pant pockets. What could she say right now? When I had so much I was planning to say in just a few minutes.
"I uh...I know."
"You – you know? Y-what?" Busted. How could she know – wait did she know what I think she knew because how could she know -
"Hey we gotta get up there soon" Olivia interrupted. She tapped my arm and then noticed the confused atmosphere between us.
"What's going on?" she asked the both of us. I simply scoffed and then looked back to see Adeline giving Olivia some telling wide eyes.
"Wait a minute...did she tell you?!" I stressed. Olivia looked just as confused before she started piecing Addie's horrible poker face and my deflated expression. She must've known I was going to perform my new song, that was for her.
"I – okay Gwen is asking us to come so –" she insisted before grabbing my arm and splitting me and Adeline up. I rolled my eyes as I caught the girls looking guilty yet giddy.
"Oh Liv you do be dumb." I said through gritted teeth as we headed backstage.
"Okay just forget about my inability to keep a secret because you guys were literally falling apart and I couldn't take it anymore because you still love each other...okay" she ended after finally taking a breath.
"Well now it's not a surprise!" I insisted and she gave me a frown before it turned into her thinking face.
"I mean actually, she just thinks that you're performing our song, some Disney songs and your single – she doesn't think you'd actually perform the new song for her in front of everyone. She only knows some of the lyrics you wrote!" she tried to argue.
"Liv that – that doesn't mean – okay I dunno whatever" I pouted with exaggeration. Olivia sighed and rubbed my shoulder.
"I'm sorry Joshy but trust me, I was Cupid for good reason – okay now are you ready?" she asked as she adjusted her mic. She was going to sing Just For a Moment with me before I was meant to go solo.
"I – I think so but...I mean if she knows, she still came with Jordan didn't she?" I asked in a flattened tone.
"Blaire was telling me he's going through some stuff right now...and he's leaving San Diego," she teased. I looked at her with buzzed eyes and she victoriously giggled to herself.
"Now, any other reason to feel sad now because I'll crush it." Liv said with utmost confidence. I pretended to think it through.
"So...you and Blaire huh – "
"Okay you guys are going on in 10" one of the interns interrupted.
"Thank God." Olivia said under her breath. I looked ahead to the stage but I had my smirk on.
"And now everyone, we have our most anticipated performance of the night, one of San Diego's very own who became big through Disney's High School Musical: The Musical...The Series...god I'm never saying that again," Gwen then commented and the crowd let out a chorus of laughs.
"We have Joshua Bassett here tonight!" she then cheered and the array of talent and crew in magical outfits applauded below.
"But to start us off we have him here with someone just as amazing, his co-star and leading angel herself – Olivia Rodrigo!" she added and there was the same if not more applause for her.
"You still just as nervous to perform this as we were in the beginning?" the little brunette asked beside me.
"If not more than before" I whispered. Because this performance meant so much to me, I was clenching my left fist in tune with my quickened breathing. Just don't forget the words Josh.
"So please help me welcome Joshua and Olivia!"
"Well get over it chump-ass" Olivia teased. I laughed unexpectedly and the next thing I knew we were walking out. She knew exactly what would work on me to ease my tension.
The cheers accelerated once our faces were seen, we waved out to the small crowd and we both searched for our people. Blaire and Adeline were in the middle to the left, we waved to each other and I even saw Jordan give me a subtle, yet encouraging smile. It threw me off, but it was kind of for the better.
"Hey guys, I just wanted to start off tonight with a song that some of you may know, it's from our show – which I'm not gonna say since we don't have all night," I began and I watched Gwen laugh the most with the crowd. I couldn't lie, the fact that I made a woman as fiercely stern as Aunt Gwen laugh had already made me confident to perform.
"I am with the lovely Disney Princess herself, Olivia Rodrigo" I said before turning over to her and she innocently rolled her eyes as the applause rose.
"Hi you guys! I'm so happy to be here and I am just blown away by how amazing everyone looks tonight repping their favourite characters! But yeah, we wrote this song a while ago and we are still proud of it as ever...this is Just For A Moment." She announced and it seemed that almost everyone knew what we were talking about, as the group erupted with excitement.
I looked for Adeline once again and she was clapping along with everyone; she had her eyes on me the whole time.
"I fell in love, with the only girl who knows what I'm about"
"I fell in love, with a boy and I can't tell if I fell out"
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"For a moment...just for a moment" we concluded in harmony.
There was nothing that could match the euphoria once I finished performing a song, and everyone watching you cheered because they supported you, like they knew you had it in you all along.
But there was only one person I wanted to look me in the eyes and show me that she still, and always will support me.
And she was walking hand-in-hand with the date she brought out of the crowd. And I saw my grand gesture fade along with it.
─── · 。ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
--- notes ---
um - my bad for taking like 5 weeks to write one chapter...
but you guys, the next chapter of this story is THE LAST CHAPTER OF MY CELEBRITY BOYFRIEND. this era of mine is over soon :'((
BUT I'M UPLOADING THE NEXT ONE ASAP AS ONE BIG FINALE
however if you know me u know this...once one story idea is over another one immediately starts cooking in my head OOP-