That's All She Wrote || James Diamond

Jump Then Fall (1.18 - Part 2)

"So... There might have been a few things I lied to you and your dad about."

Those were certainly the words Roxy wanted James to say to her as they stood outside the door to apartment 2-J.

After a particularly harrowing plane ride, something about it being a red-eye flight had made it far worse for Roxy's airsickness, the only thing she wanted to do at the moment was get all her stuff into her apartment and take a nice, long nap in her wonderful, fluffy bed. It had been quite some time since she last slept and since James had been kind enough to stay up on the flight to make sure she was okay, she assumed he wasn't feeling all that great either.

In lieu of a response, the girl only coked her head.

"First of all, it doesn't seem like Hawk has the same kind of funding Gustavo has... So when we visit the record company tomorrow, I'm not sure how much he'll be willing to pay you for your, um, assistant job."

She wasn't fond of how easily he had cut "songwriter" out of her job title, but Hollywood was Hollywood. It's not like she was a songwriter-assistant when she first started at Rocque Records, simply an assistant who also wrote songs. There, Roxy had earned her title and she would gladly do it all over again if it got her closer to the music James would be making.

"Next, here's your room key."

Holding up the small brass key, James flashed a sweet smile before dropping it into her palm. Upon closer examination, she noticed 2-J etched into the bow when she nervously twirled it around between her fingers.

It made her laugh a bit, before she held it back out to him, pointing at the other key he was holding. "You mixed them up, silly, this is the one for your apartment. Give me the one you're holding."

Silly? Since when am I the kind of person to say '"silly?"

"Remember what I just said about funding? One newly renovated room at the Palm Woods is cheaper than two." The boy deadpanned, taking the key in his hand and sliding it into the lock. "Welcome to Casa Diamond-Somerset."

At the notion of sharing a hyphenated last name, Roxy had to steady herself on the handle of her suitcase.

"Ah..." The writer gently said, following him into the refurbished apartment as she did her best to look anywhere besides where James was standing.

Instead of the traditional Crib she had been so used to spending her days in - bright, flashing arcade games, guitars lining the wall, giant, yellow swirly slide - she was met with a modern sleek-style layout. Dark oak floors with ocean blue and stainless cool grey steel accents were littered around the apartment, complete with a large portrait of the wannabe on the back wall of the apartment... James had 2-J transformed into the bachelor pad of his dreams without even consulting his brand-new roommate.

All she was able to manage to get out as she gazed up at his gigantic picture was, "Good thing you didn't mention that bit to my dad."

"It's probably a good idea to keep it that way since my mom isn't coming, either."

At this point, Roxy had done a pretty good job at concealing the slight tremor popping up as she spoke, and her shaking hands gripping the box of tapes she had carried up to the moving van to kept any unsettled movement from showing, but with that new piece of information, all her progress was lost in a matter of moments.

"W-what?"

The box practically slipped through her fingers, landing on the floor with a loud thud. Most of the tapes overflowing the top of the box clattered out onto the wood, scattering this way and that under the new modern appliances and furniture Hawk had installed.