up on the roof with a school girl crush
Josie stands backstage waiting for her cue. She is buzzing with excitement and can’t stop rocking on her heels. She knows how nervous or anxious that makes her look, but as long as she’s hidden from the general public she doesn’t mind.
She’s wearing a fairly simple summer dress, nothing too extravagant and therefore the exact opposite of what her sister would probably wear to a talk show.
The yellow color accents her tan skin and builds a nice contrast to her dark brown hair.
“I’m very excited about today’s guest, I’ve been trying to get her on the show for some time now, but she’s just so busy! Today she finally took pity on us and is joining us here for the first time. Please welcome Josie Saltzman!”
Josie gets a thumbs up from a crew member and walks over a threshold onto the stage, she’s immediately greeted by bright lights, loud applause and hundreds of eyes on her.
It makes her nervous instantly, knowing that her every move is now being observed and people will judge whatever she does or says next.
Her mouth runs dry and taking step after step towards an expectant Kate McKinnon is harder than anticipated, suddenly she regrets wearing high heels.
She reaches the armchair that’s meant for her and places her hand in the host's extended one for a quick handshake. It’s still so funny to her that talk show hosts always pretend to see their guests for the first time once they walk out on stage. Kate had actually knocked on her dressing room for some small talk before the show started and it took a good chunk of anxiety off of Josie’s shoulders.
She smiles politely and takes her seat, crossing her legs to prevent any dress malfunctions.
“Hi Josie, how are you feeling?” Kate McKinnon is in full host mode now, but her kind facial expression eases Josie’s nerves.
“I’m feeling great! I’m so happy that I finally get to be here!” Josie looks around the studio for emphasis.
“Me too. I’ve been dying to have you on here.” Kate seems genuinely excited. “I am currently obsessed with Ring of Life . I need answers.”
Josie chuckles at the mention of the HBO show she’s currently in.
“I hear that a lot these days.”
“Like seriously.” Kate McKinnon turns to one of the cameras directed towards her. “If you haven’t been watching the show, I feel genuinely sorry for you. No. Scratch that. I don’t feel sorry, it’s your loss.”
The audience laughs at her dedication and so does Josie.
“I guess some people have been living under a rock, so would you mind filling the audience in on the project?” Kate asks.
“I can do that.” Josie sits up straight and thinks about the best way to describe the show. “So the show is about a ring — surprise — and this ring gives the person wearing it the ability to heal from all kinds of wounds and I guess immortality. So without giving too much away, I’ll say the show is about a very brave girl, called Leán who gets the ring from her father somewhere in medieval Britain and learns of its powers, uses them to her advantage and lives through centuries of war, heartbreak and adventure.”
“That’s a nice way of putting it.” Kate says simply. “And your character is the sidekick in a way, right?”
“Yes, exactly. So the story is built in a way where we get to see multiple storylines of past and present intertwine and a common factor of all the present or more recent stories is Caitlin who is Léan’s best friend and biggest supporter.”
Josie is so fond of her amazing character that she has to be careful to not just spill the entire story arc for seasons 1 and 2.
“So season 2 ended with a cliffhanger and we’re dying to know what’s gonna happen next. I hear you are almost finished with shooting season 3. Are you allowed to give any hints or tiny crumbs about Caitlin’s future?”
Josie smiles nervously. She had signed confidentiality agreements and her producers take spoilers very seriously.
“I really like my job, so…” She takes a sip of water from her designated cup while the audience laughs. “I will say though that I’m personally very happy with how things progress and the things Caitlin is up to this season.”
“That sounds promising.” The host leaves it at that. “You have an amazing journey in the television business so far. From Disney Channel to Netflix to HBO and all of that in less than 10 years. You basically grew up on our tv screens right in front of our eyes. What was that like? I can’t imagine it was easy.”
Josie has grown used to questions like this one, but she still doesn’t really like to talk about her adolescence spent in the spotlight, she still remembers the days she had sat locked away in a studio somewhere longing for a normal high school experience. She still wishes she’d had more exposure to a normal mundane lifestyle.
“To be quite honest, it was tough and really challenging sometimes. I was lucky enough to have my sister by my side every step of the way. She is really good at easing my nerves and taking some of the pressure away.” Josie clutches the bracelet around her wrist.
Kate takes that as an opportunity to steer the conversation towards Josie’s twin.
“We haven’t seen Lizzie on tv in a while, what has she been up to recently?”
Josie doesn’t mind answering questions about Lizzie, because it puts herself out of the spotlight a little. “She is in Europe killing it in the fashion industry.”
“That sounds just like her character from Gemini Twins back on Disney Channel.”
“Yeah, they really took our interests and passions to heart and we basically just portrayed ourselves.” Josie shifts in her seat a little. “It was an amazing experience and I’ll forever be grateful to the fans who made it even possible.”
Josie tends to keep answers about her Disney Channel past short and simple. A lot went down back then and she doesn’t like to pretend it was all good things. She’s thankful for the opportunities she has gotten as a direct result, but she would do a lot differently now.
They exchange a few more stories and memories of their careers to keep the audience entertained and the interview informative. Just when Josie thinks her time is over, Kate McKinnon steers the conversation into a completely different direction.
“So, Josie, you’ve been very open about your sexuality ever since you were 16 and I have to admit I really admire you for standing up for yourself and living your truth at such a young age with all the pressure of working in the industry crushing down on you as well.”
A comfortable warmth spreads through Josie whenever she gets to talk about being a part of the LGBTQIA+ community, people who always have her back online and in person.
“Thank you. I love being a part of something bigger and for me hiding this side of me felt so wrong and constricting. I remember being afraid of what people would think at Disney and then obviously what the fans of the show would do about it, but the general response I received was so overwhelmingly supportive and great. I’ve never regretted it.”
“So are you seeing somebody right now?”
Josie tucks a strand of hair behind her ear nervously and cringes a little.
“Nope. I’m still nursing a wounded soul.”
That’s not necessarily the truth, considering she’s pretty sure she has finally gotten over Penelope, but it will satisfy the crowd for now, because their breakup had been quite public and everyone knows who she’s talking about.
“Well that’s too bad. I wish you all the best for the future.”
Josie is glad when she finally makes it off the stage and gets to go home at a decent hour for a good night’s sleep.
Josie is lounging on her couch, reading through a new script when her best friend barges in through the front door, eyes glued to her phone.
“Woah. Did you hear about Hope Mikaelson?”
Stefanie Salvatore sure knows how to make an entrance. Her dark curls are a tangled mess, her striking gray eyes seem tired and clouded over and her long legs are on full display, because she’s only wearing pj shorts and a wide graphic tee.
She looks like she just rolled out of bed and that’s probably the case, because Stefanie likes to visit her best friend first thing in the morning. The open floor plan of Josie’s apartment allows Stefanie to casually stroll from the door to the kitchen area.
“Don’t you have your own apartment?” Josie asks without looking up from her work.
Stefanie is rummaging through drawers and cabinets, obviously on a mission.
“I do.” She finds what she’s been looking for and starts pushing buttons on the coffee machine. “But I specifically moved into the apartment next to yours, so that I could annoy you day in and day out.”
Josie puts down her script and shoots her a death glare. Stefanie blows her a kiss in return and whispers “You love me.”
Josie gets up from her spot and joins her friend in the kitchen.
She watches as Stefanie impatiently eyes the coffee machine and her still empty coffee mug. “Besides, your coffee is to die for.”
“I know.” Josie opens the fridge and takes out all the ingredients for avocado toast. Their standard breakfast.
She gets comfortable on a barstool at the kitchen island and starts prepping. Seconds later a cappuccino is placed in front of her and fills her nose with the intoxicating smell of coffee beans.
While she takes her first sip, Stefanie looks at her mischievously.
“So now that I have your undivided attention, let’s get back to my question from earlier.”
“Question?” Josie has no idea what her friend is talking about.
“Oh I was just wondering if you’ve heard the news about Hope Mikaelson.” Stefanie smirks at her now.
Josie isn’t sure why her friend seems so gleeful at the mention of a colleague’s name. Josie had never met Hope Mikaelson let alone interacted with her, except for when she meticulously liked every post the movie star had posted to her instagram.
Hope Mikaelson works in an entirely different environment, she makes movies, models, appears in commercials for Chanel, speaks out for the LGBTQIA+ community, posts her regular work out and fight choreography videos…..
Oh. Josie knows what this is about. Stefanie has been teasing her for years. The brunette is convinced that Josie has a crush on Hope Mikaelson. Which is ridiculous. She doesn’t.
“Why would I be interested in any Hope Mikaelson news?”Josie tries to play it cool.
Stefanie snorts and almost spills her now freshly brewed coffee.
“I hate to break it to you, but you’ve got a big fat crush on that woman.” Josie opens her mouth to protest, but her friend isn’t going to let her speak on the matter. “You have watched Tribrid Tales I and II like a thousand times.”
“That’s not true.” Josie says firmly.
Stefanie sends her a challenging look.
“Oh okay, then explain to me why you have instagram notifications on for her posts.”
Josie can feel the blush spread across her cheeks. She takes a sip of coffee to think of a good explanation while Stefanie just shakes her head and laughs.
“So what about her?” Josie doesn’t want to embarrass herself further and decides to just talk about Hope as a person and not as an alleged crush.
Stefanie lets her, probably too excited about the gossip she undoubtedly has.
“Get ready, you really can’t make that shit up.” She types away on her phone to find the article. “So there are photos of her coming home to her apartment late at night.”
Stefanie points the phone display towards Josie. She has zoomed in on a crappy paparazzi shot that shows Hope Mikaelson in the backseat of a black SUV. Josie catches the headline of the article and is immediately invested. Hope Mikaelson cheated on by boyfriend Roman Sienna ?
“And then a super low quality photo a fan took surfaces minutes later.” She swipes to the next photo so Josie can see. “She’s obviously leaving her own place in a hurry while crying.”
The photo is grainy and blurry, but it’s still apparent that Hope is driving with tear streaks on her face, the street lights reflecting in her tears.
“Oh.” Josie doesn’t really know what to say.
“So people were wondering what that was all about and then photos the paps took earlier during the day were published, showing that piece of shit of a boyfriend with another girl on the way to Hope’s apartment.”
For emphasis she swipes to the next photo and Josie is looking at Roman Sienna holding hands with a blonde woman. She doesn’t know him or the girl he’s with personally, but she is familiar with his name, because he has appeared on some minor tv productions.
“So just to get things straight. He took his side piece to his girlfriend’s place while she was working her ass off on set. Then he got caught in the act and she had to leave her own apartment out of disgust and heartbreak. In conclusion men are trash.” Stefanie is furious.
Josie watches as she types away on her phone and lets the information sink in. She’s really hoping that Hope is okay and found a place to stay for the night. She can’t even imagine what the actress is going through right now.
“I just tweeted men are trash and linked the article. I bet my publicist will kill me, but at least it’s worth it.”
Josie reaches for her own phone and opens Hope’s instagram. She has no story or new posts up. As embarrassing as it sounds, Josie can tell that some post had been removed, because the feed looks different than it did the last time she checked it. It’s not like she checks it a lot, just occasionally, so she can tell.
“Looks like she deleted some posts.” Josie comments on her observation.
“Of course you would notice that. Stalker.”
Josie puts her phone down and keeps working on their breakfast. “I feel so bad for her.”
“Duh. Cheating is bad on its own, but now this untalented prick gets news coverage and people will twist it around and call her a slut in the end.”
Stefanie places her phone on the counter and gets back to her coffee.
“I’ve always wondered what she saw in him. He’s not good at acting and only landed roles, because he’s associated with her. He used her for clout and that’s a fact.”
Josie’s phone starts ringing and Stefanie answers it before the brunette gets a chance to do so.
“Hey bitch!” Josie flinches, because her friend can not just answer her phone like that.
“Eaugh. It’s you.” Josie is relieved and happy when she identifies her sister’s voice on the other end.
“In the flesh.” Stefanie holds the phone away from her to present her whole body and Josie realizes it’s a facetime call. “How’s Europe?”
“Jesus, Stefanie, you walk through the hallway of an apartment building looking like that?”
“You’ve got a problem with that?”
“You do you, girl. I’m just glad I’m thousands of miles away from you and nobody will trace this horrible shirt back to me.”
“Good talk.”
Stefanie hands the phone to Josie and motions for her to move over so she can finish their breakfast while Josie gets some quality time in with her sister.
“Hey.” Josie is excited to see Lizzie’s face. They haven’t seen each other in real life for two months now.
“There she is. I can’t believe you still haven’t changed the passcode to your door. I wouldn’t want a Stefanie Salvatore in my apartment at all times.”
Stefanie leans into frame and points a middle finger at Lizzie. “I love you too.”
They catch up while Stefanie and Josie finally eat their breakfast and Lizzie waits for her room service to bring dinner.
“So I gotta ask. Did you hear about Hope Mikaelson?” Lizzie sits on her hotel bed and watches the other two for their reactions.
Josie rolls her eyes and Stefanie cheers up immediately.
“You mean did we hear about a shitty boyfriend cheating on his gorgeous and brilliant girlfriend?” Stefanie grins at Lizzie. “Yes, I think we heard that.”
Lizzie sends a smirk through the screen and looks in Josie’s general direction.
“Great. So what’s the plan? How do we get Josie's crush to notice her?”
Josie sighs in defeat.
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This is what pops up when you search Josie Saltzman on IMDb:
Josie Saltzman is a former disney channel star, who has now taken on far more complex roles on television. She has worked on Disney, Netflix and HBO productions as well as movie productions like Warner Bros. and 20th Century Fox.
Together with her twin sister Lizzie Saltzman Josie starred in the Disney Channel show Gemini Twins for 5 years where they portrayed the main characters, two young witches juggling their powers, school and growing up in the modern world.
The show was eventually cancelled once the actresses reached adulthood and wished to pursue other acting opportunities. They reprised their roles one last time for the Disney Channel original movie Curse of the Gemini to finish up the characters’ storylines.
After playing the lead in Warner Bros. quiet things Josie joined the main cast of Netflix’s limited series mirrorball.
HBO then announced her casting as Caitlin in the highly anticipated fantasy/sci-fi show ring of life.
Her last movie appearance was in crush on you as the lead singer of a high school band.