It’s 5:30 p.m. at a West Hollywood hotel and Ramona Young is in the middle of a glam hurricane. The red carpet event for the Never Have I Ever Season 4 premiere begins in just two hours. Young’s hair stylist, Leo Valentino, is diligently sewing tracks of extensions into her usually cropped cut — “She said, ‘Can you make me look like Beyoncé?’ ” he explains — and makeup artist Sarah Nelson is checking to see if the actor’s highlighter is popping. (It is.) As Young’s lilac-colored nails dry, her identically hued strappy heels sit beneath a dresser.  

All attention turns to the hotel suite’s door as Young’s Never Have I Ever co-star, on- and off-screen BFF Lee Rodriguez struts into the room in a hot pink, checkered two-piece skirt suit with silver embroidery. Rhinestones hang from her braids and catch the light, and her lashes reach toward the ceiling — Rodriguez loves lashes. As her hairstylist Cindy Romero said an hour earlier, the miniskirt look is giving “Clueless, but make it POC.” 

The moment Rodriguez lays eyes on Young and her Renaissance Tour-ready waves, she exclaims: “Oh, she’s got some length!” Now, it’s time for Young to serve her own compliment. “You look…,” Young begins, only for Rodriguez attempt to finish her sentence, asking, “Hot?” Young smiles and agrees: “Yeah, hot!”  

Minutes later, Rodriguez will echo that praise: “Take pictures of Ramona — she’s looking sexy.” 

This stylish, warm scene is exactly the kind of moment the actors’ Never Have I Ever characters –– aspiring actor Eleanor (Young) and computer whiz Fabiola (Rodriguez) –– dream of experiencing, especially as milestones like senior prom loom in the YA comedy’s final season. For Young and Rodriguez, it’s another day in their thriving friendship — albeit with more hairspray and hullabaloo than usual. 

Young and Rodriguez started bringing the best out of each other even prior to meeting. As the Never Have I Ever cast went into Season 1 production, Rodriguez recalls hearing the writers talk about Young. “They were like, ‘Oh my God, wait until Ramona comes. She’s so good. She was so funny in Blockers,’ ” she says. “So I was like, ‘Oh my God, I’ve got to bring my A game.’ ” 

Once they actually laid eyes on each other, it was “love at first sight,” Young says. It’s hard for her to choose just one favorite moment with her best friend — particularly since they lived together for six months during the pandemic. “The vibe is us hanging out, talking and doing karaoke on YouTube,” Young explains. Rodriguez is a “Tennessee Whiskey” by Chris Stapleton kind of girl, while Young prefers the Mark Ronson and Amy Winehouse classic “Valerie” or old-school Britney Spears.  

Music is clearly a touchstone in the pair’s relationship, whether they’re getting ready for a night out at a Los Angeles karaoke bar, roadtripping to the redwood forest near Eureka, CA, or celebrating Rodriguez’s latest single, “Afterthought,” which debuted the same night as the Never Have I Ever premiere. Rodriguez says she usually selects Megan Thee Stallion, Ice Spice or Beyoncé as the soundtrack for her outings with Young. “Just bad bitch music to just really get you going,” she explains. 

While no tunes are playing as the pair giggle and pose for a hotel photo shoot between getting ready and hitting the red carpet, they still bring the kind of energy that would make their idols proud. Young and Rodriguez agree they “look like Bratz dolls” and attempt to throw fries in each other’s mouths. Sometimes their efforts work, sometimes Young quips, “I’ll try to feed you with these long-ass Target nails.” 

Finally, in a moment of pure actorly ad-libbing, they come together to fake-berate imaginary bad boyfriends over an unplugged vintage telephone. 

“You’re such an ass!” Rodriguez tells her fictional beau. “You broke my heart!” Ramona adds.  

The “boyfriend” drama might be fake, but Rodriguez and Young’s love for each other is real — and will last long after Fab and Eleanor graduate from Sherman Oaks High. But first: It’s off to the premiere.

You can watch Rodriguez, Young and all their friends in Never Have I Ever Season 4. 

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