#uncarved-turnip

[myloveforhergoeson]

for the ask game, i think question 12 (a song they hate/dislike) might be an interesting one to answer!

YES OH MY GOD my friend this is such a good one thank you for sending it in

send me a number 1-15!!

Roxy

hey there delilah by the plain white t's if anyone remembers all the way back to chapter 2, when kendall raids her box of tapes he pops one into her tape player called 'for my songwriter' and that was the first song on there. it's one of mag's favorite songs, and one he placed on a tape he made for his other band members (rox/dani). while it was a song she used to like quite a good deal, and one she would often break out on the ol' guitar, she hasn't been able to listen to it since she left brand new day

2. Carlos

c'est la vie by b*witched his sisters played this non-stop after it first came out... he could not escape this song EVER it just drives him up the wall because he's heard it soooo much

3. Kendall

teenage dirtbag by wheatus DO NOT TELL ROXY IT'S BECAUSE SHE PLAYED IT ON HER RADIO SHOW TOO MUCH!! it makes him think of standing at the checkout line at the grocery store and dealing with bitchy customers with a million coupons while the most generic (again, don't tell her) 90s music played over the store loudspeaker

4. Logan

hot n cold by katy perry NOT becuase he thinks it's a bad song... it just got suck in his head during finals week of his freshman year and it got in the way of his ability to retain the proper information for his tests! talk about being wrong while it's right... he was too busy trying to get that earworm out of his head while he was doing his exams and now hearing it reminds him of the first b he ever earned in school

5. James

piano man by billy joel one of his dad's favorite songs... he used to make james play it on the piano a lot when his parents still lived together and he'd sing along to make his mom laugh. before his parents got divorced he caught them fighting once and ran to the piano to play what he considered 'their' song and they just yelled at him to go to his room : ( the piano did NOT sound like a carnival

[myloveforhergoeson]

Edge of Seventeen ~ 2.6k

hi - this is the beginning of chapter 24 and will be a part of the official post later this week. if you don't want spoilers, don't read on! if you want to read a little scene before roxy's birthday so we can kind of celebrate it on the 30th, it is here for you :)

thanks to @uncarved-turnip for helping headcannon the boy's favorite hockey teams! <333

Thursday night. 

Or as the boys had fondly renamed it “Crib Hockey Night,” though, if you asked Roxanne, almost every single night was hockey night once the NHL pro season had begun earlier in the month. Though the boys really only turned the games on if their favorite teams were playing - they were far too busy to watch every single match - tonight was an especially important night. 

James’ favorite team, the L.A. Kings were in a fierce battle against Logan’s favorite team, the Vancouver Canucks. Both boys were dressed completely up in all of their merchandise, which were mainly fleece pullovers, wool beanies, and knitted scarves, so they had set the air conditioner to near freezing, and were fighting with each other for the entire first part of the match. By the first intermission, the teams were both tied with one goal each and the tension in the room could not be more palpable. 

Despite having their own separate favorite teams, both Kendall and Carlos had seemingly taken sides as well, but it felt more like Kendall taking Logan’s side and Caros taking James’ side than picking a team to win the current match. The other two, decked out in their own favorite team’s gear despite neither of them having played for a few days, were even placing bets as to whether James and Logan would get physical after the end of the game despite whoever actually won. 

Roxy had baked chocolate chip cookies in lieu of choosing a side, seeing as she knew the end result of the match would cause a messy fight between her friends regardless. However, since she was dating the biggest L.A. Kings fan in the world, she found herself cheering a little harder whenever she thought they made a good play. 

Tucked into James’ side on the orange sectional of 2-J, the girl munched down one of her treats as she watched, while trying to take in as much of the space heater-like warmth rolling off his body as she could. Crib Hockey Night was no joke; For a moment she swore she could see her breath condensating as she shivered into her boyfriend to steal a bit more of his heat. 

 The chill was one of the only two downsides to their game-watching habits, but the boys swore it was necessary because it made them feel like they were actually there at the rink. And, of course, it gave them an excuse to dress up in all their expensive sweater-jerseys and excess merch they could never wear out in sunny Los Angeles. The second downside was the self-censoring the boys had to participate in, considering Kendall’s 12-year-old little sister was hiding away in her room. There was always something about sports games that riled fans up to the point where they yelled at their TV as if the people on the other side of the screen could hear them. This game was no exception, especially due to the nature of James and Logan’s team rivalry. 

Paying more attention to her baked good than the next play proved to be a fatal mistake for the writer, who looked down just at the wrong time. In those few seconds, James had jumped into the air, practically screaming, “What the fu-dge was that, Drewiske?!” as one of his favorite players earned himself a penalty. 

With her space-heater still standing, watching the screen so intently Roxy thought for a second he might be brainwashed, the girl shivered a little extra as she waited for him to sit back down and warm her up again. 

From the longer section of the couch beside her, Kendall broke his focus on the TV for a moment to grab another cookie before noticing his friend’s discomfort. 

“Jesus, Rox, you look like you’re freezing!” He exclaimed, rapidly taking his Minnesota Wild patterned scarf from around his neck and holding it out for her to take. 

Before her fingers could make contact with the knitted fabric, James gasped, finally ripping his attention from the game before stepping in front of the exchange to stop it. 

“No! Don’t touch that, it’s unlucky! He’s trying to trick you, Roxy, I swear!”

In response, Kendall just snickered. Each of them had their own superstitions and lucky items when it came to their games. In James’ mind, touching the merchandise of another hockey team on purpose was as good as a death sentence for the Kings.

Roxy was a bit grateful he was extending the belief onto her, despite how ridiculous it truly was. She raised both her hands in the air innocently, “Sorry, I just didn’t bring any winter gear from home. My L.A. wardrobe is almost exclusively cropped, thin, or short clothing.”

“I see no problem with that.”

She swatted James' arm playfully as he sat back down, trying to bite back her grin, but she doubted he could feel it through all his layers.

On the other side of the couch, Carlos let out a chuckle as he pulled his helmet off only to pull off a Toronto Maple Leaf beanie beneath to hand off to her. “Come on, man, her lips are practically blue.”

“Ooh,” Her boyfriend smiled, smacking his friend's hand out of her way. “That’s an easy fix.”

In an instant, his freezing hands cupped the side of her face before he leaned into her and stole a few slow kisses; The buzzer on the TV blared in their ears, signaling the start of the second intermission. 

That sure warmed Roxy right up. 

Ignoring the chorus of, “Ugh!” from the other three, she nearly whined when he pulled away, hating the sensation of his lips leaving hers before she buried her head into his chest in pure embarrassment. At least that was warm too. 

It wasn’t long after James pulled off his own scarf, gently wrapping it around her neck and tying it in a pretty knot before extending an arm around her waist to pull her in closer as they tried to ignore the commercials playing over the loudspeakers. 

The sound of jingling keys caused the five of them to turn their heads toward the kitchen, where Mrs. Knight was piling up her reusable grocery bags and heading toward the door. 

“Anyone need anything from the store?” She cheerily asked, picking up her purse from a hook beside the entryway. 

While most of them shook their heads, Kendall perked up, “Would you mind grabbing some extra snacks and pop? I was thinking of having a party on the first.”

A party?

“Of course, honey! Just be sure to keep the guest list small. What kind of cake do you want?” 

“Vanilla, please, with that buttercream frosting you make.”

A birthday party.

Pausing to write down her son’s request on a small notepad she had in her bag, Mrs. Knight nodded, red waves bouncing over her shoulders. “If you think of anything else, just text me, okay?”

Giving her a thumbs up, Kendall turned his attention back to the game with the rest of the band. 

Meanwhile, Roxy did some mental calculations as his mom made her way out the door. After the fiasco with James and Carlos’ birthdays on tour and how distraught he had been about celebrations, she thought he could have at least given her a heads up about his if he wanted to throw a party - especially one the day after Halloween.

Playing with the tassels on the scarf James had let her borrow, the girl cleared her throat over the sound of the announcers rattling on and on about some unimportant team stats. “Your birthday is on Sunday?” 

The boy reached out to take another cookie off the plate she had brought, eyes still trained on the game as he let out a weak, “Mhm.”

“Huh,” She thought aloud absentmindedly, watching as the Kings made a particularly good play. Against her side, she could feel James flutter with excitement and it distracted her just enough to mumble out. “I didn’t know I was older than you.”

Logan was the first to register her statement, jaw dropping slightly as he turned to face her with a confused squint in his eye, though she was too busy watching the Kings dump the puck. 

Next was James, glancing toward his girlfriend as she took another bite of her cookie and flinched at the loud crack one of the Canuck’s sticks made upon contact with the disc to shoot it out of their zone.

It was finally Carlos who voiced his puzzlement with a, “What?”

“Yeah,” Kendall tacked on, finally following. “What he said.”

Uncomfortably shifting further into James’ side now that all eyes were on her, she simply kept her focus on the game. Roxy was pretty sure the Kings were about to lose. 

“When’s your birthday then?” James finally asked her, seeing as she didn’t think the information important enough to offer up without prompting. 

“The thirtieth.”

“The thirtieth? October thirtieth?” Her boyfriend repeated, glancing to his upper left before asking. “As in, tomorrow, Roxy?”

Nodding, she sensed a bit of urgency in his tone she didn’t quite understand.

Arm slipping out from around her waist, James’ eyes were wide as he turned to face her, “Why didn’t you say something sooner?”

He probably hadn’t meant to puff out his chest, but he did, making himself look all the more taller than she was, even sitting down on the plush couch cushions.

“I made cookies!” She protested, finger gently pointing over to the plate on the coffee table in front of them. “It would’ve been Oreo fluff salad but I ran out of my last pudding packet earlier.”

“Oh, that’s what those were for…” Logan trailed off, rubbing one hand on his arm to warm up a bit. “I figured you just felt bad the Canucks were going to unleash a can of-” he lowered his voice to a whisper, “whoop ass-” before bringing it back to a normal level, “on the Kings and you made them so James would feel better.”

Just as James shot back, “The Canucks are not-” a buzzer sounded off over their speakers, signaling the end of the game. The five had been so engrossed in their own conversation that they had missed the tiebreaker shoot-out that ended the match entirely. 

Canucks 2, Kings 1.

This only soured James' dampening mood and everyone could tell his temperament was only growing worse by the moment - especially Roxy, who was beginning to feel as though she had done something wrong.

At the very least, Logan was kind enough not to gloat about his team’s victory for the time being, though most of them knew he would the minute he felt it appropriate. 

“Look I don’t-” Roxy felt her heartbeat quicken, but not in the fun, fluttery way she was used to around James. As her chest began to constrict under the scrutiny of his gaze, it was getting harder to formulate her thoughts. “I don’t understand why you’re getting upset. It’s not like it’s a secret or anything! None of you ever asked.”

If she had the choice, the writer would have this conversation with him literally anywhere than right in front of their friends who were just sitting around them, awkwardly pretending like they were invested in the commercials airing on TV. 

“Roxy…” Taking a deep breath, the boy closed his eyes for a moment before slowly opening them again. It wasn’t long after he reached out to grab one of her hands, squeezing it tightly in his own. “I’m not upset, it’s just… This is your first birthday as my girlfriend - As a friend of ours.” 

He vaguely gestured toward Logan, Kendall, and Carlos as he continued, “We can’t make that special for you if you don’t let us know. How else are we supposed to coordinate gifts and throw you killer parties?”

Ah.

Looking down at her hand in his, Roxy gently rubbed the back of his knuckles with her thumb, feeling her heart beat steady now that he was able to explain himself better. “Birthday parties are important for the four of you - I know that! And don’t get me wrong, I love to party, but a whole party dedicated just to me is not my style. Back home, all my dad and I would do on my birthday is eat sweets and watch TV, just like we are now, so I’m perfectly content… Besides, no one ever comes to parties the day before Halloween.”

None of the boys liked the certainty with which she said her last sentence.

“So, let’s have one on Halloween then. A joint costume party for me and you!” Kendall piped up, already shooting off what she presumed were a few text messages to his mother to grab some more supplies from the store. 

“I’m sensing I don’t have much say in this matter.” 

Jumping up from the couch with excitement, Carlos grinned, “Nope! We just have to make some decoration adjustments...”

He and Logan began bouncing ideas off of each other while the frontman was still engrossed with his messaging. Another game was beginning on the TV, but none of them were all that interested considering their new planning developments.  

It was always shocking to their assistant, the way the band could just up and decide something, then it would magically happen, just like they had hoped it would. So, if they wanted to throw a costume party in less than 48 hours, she knew it would probably be one of the best the Palm Woods had ever seen. 

Now I have to get a costume… The girl thought, settling into her scarf a bit more before James poked her in the side to catch her attention. 

“You know what comes next now, don’t you?” He practically whispered to her, as if he were about to share a secret. While she shook her head in response, she watched as his eyes darted between the other boys. “I need to know what you want for your birthday. Tell me before the others figure it out!”

The urgency in his tone was back again, but this time it made his girlfriend laugh, “Gifts are supposed to be a surprise! Besides, you already whisked me away to Los Angeles twice this year to live my dream… I couldn’t possibly ask you for anything else.”

Though he grumbled a bit at her answer, she pressed a gentle kiss to the edge of his jawline before reaching over to the coffee table and picking up the TV remote.

  “There’s gotta be something you want to do at the very least!” James was very persistent as she flipped through the channels in search of something new to put on. 

“Are you forgetting we have both school and work tomorrow?”

Coughing into his elbow, though he was very obviously faking, he followed with, “I don’t know about you but I think I’m coming down with something...” 

“Alright,” She reluctantly gave in, flipping on an old Gilmore Girls rerun. “I guess I did already track my parts for ‘Big Night’ so I shouldn’t be needed... but if Gustavo gets mad, I’m pinning it all on you.”

As he kissed her cheek in excitement, Roxy could feel the smile plastering itself across his lips. 

It was the first time in quite a while she would be looking forward to growing a bit older.

[myloveforhergoeson]

That's All She Wrote - Chapter 24

Chapter Index

Find me on wattpad and ao3!

Chapter 24: Edge of Seventeen

(Thank you once again @uncarved-turnip for helping headcannon the boy's fav hockey teams! <3)

Thursday night. 

Or as the boys had fondly renamed it “Crib Hockey Night,” though, if you asked Roxanne, almost every single night was hockey night once the NHL pro season had begun earlier in the month. Though the boys really only turned the games on if their favorite teams were playing - they were far too busy to watch every single match - tonight was an especially important night. 

James’ favorite team, the L.A. Kings were in a fierce battle against Logan’s favorite team, the Vancouver Canucks. Both boys were dressed completely up in all of their merchandise, which were mainly fleece pullovers, wool beanies, and knitted scarves, so they had set the air conditioner to near freezing, and were fighting with each other for the entire first part of the match. By the first intermission, the teams were both tied with one goal each and the tension in the room could not be more palpable. 

Despite having their own separate favorite teams, both Kendall and Carlos had seemingly taken sides as well, but it felt more like Kendall taking Logan’s side and Caros taking James’ side than picking a team to win the current match. The other two, decked out in their own favorite team’s gear despite neither of them having played for a few days, were even placing bets as to whether James and Logan would get physical after the end of the game despite whoever actually won. 

Roxy had baked chocolate chip cookies in lieu of choosing a side, seeing as she knew the end result of the match would cause a messy fight between her friends regardless. However, since she was dating the biggest L.A. Kings fan in the world, she found herself cheering a little harder whenever she thought they made a good play. 

Tucked into James’ side on the orange sectional of 2-J, the girl munched down one of her treats as she watched, while trying to take in as much of the space heater-like warmth rolling off his body as she could. Crib Hockey Night was no joke; For a moment she swore she could see her breath condensating as she shivered into her boyfriend to steal a bit more of his heat. 

 The chill was one of the only two downsides to their game-watching habits, but the boys swore it was necessary because it made them feel like they were actually there at the rink. And, of course, it gave them an excuse to dress up in all their expensive sweater-jerseys and excess merch they could never wear out in sunny Los Angeles. The second downside was the self-censoring the boys had to participate in, considering Kendall’s 12-year-old little sister was hiding away in her room. There was always something about sports games that riled fans up to the point where they yelled at their TV as if the people on the other side of the screen could hear them. This game was no exception, especially due to the nature of James and Logan’s team rivalry. 

Paying more attention to her baked good than the next play proved to be a fatal mistake for the writer, who looked down just at the wrong time. In those few seconds, James had jumped into the air, practically screaming, “What the fu-dge was that, Drewiske?!” as one of his favorite players earned himself a penalty. 

With her space-heater still standing, watching the screen so intently Roxy thought for a second he might be brainwashed, the girl shivered a little extra as she waited for him to sit back down and warm her up again. 

From the longer section of the couch beside her, Kendall broke his focus on the TV for a moment to grab another cookie before noticing his friend’s discomfort. 

“Jesus, Rox, you look like you’re freezing!” He exclaimed, rapidly taking his Minnesota Wild patterned scarf from around his neck and holding it out for her to take. 

Before her fingers could make contact with the knitted fabric, James gasped, finally ripping his attention from the game before stepping in front of the exchange to stop it. 

“No! Don’t touch that, it’s unlucky! He’s trying to trick you, Roxy, I swear!”

In response, Kendall just snickered. Each of them had their own superstitions and lucky items when it came to their games. In James’ mind, touching the merchandise of another hockey team on purpose was as good as a death sentence for the Kings.

Roxy was a bit grateful he was extending the belief onto her, despite how ridiculous it truly was. She raised both her hands in the air innocently, “Sorry, I just didn’t bring any winter gear from home. My L.A. wardrobe is almost exclusively cropped, thin, or short clothing.”

“I see no problem with that.”

She swatted James' arm playfully as he sat back down, trying to bite back her grin, but she doubted he could feel it through all his layers.

On the other side of the couch, Carlos let out a chuckle as he pulled his helmet off only to pull off a Toronto Maple Leaf beanie beneath to hand off to her. “Come on, man, her lips are practically blue.”

“Ooh,” Her boyfriend smiled, smacking his friend's hand out of her way. “That’s an easy fix.”

In an instant, his freezing hands cupped the side of her face before he leaned into her and stole a few slow kisses; The buzzer on the TV blared in their ears, signaling the start of the second intermission. 

That sure warmed Roxy right up. 

Ignoring the chorus of, “Ugh!” from the other three, she nearly whined when he pulled away, hating the sensation of his lips leaving hers before she buried her head into his chest in pure embarrassment. At least that was warm too. 

It wasn’t long after James pulled off his own scarf, gently wrapping it around her neck and tying it in a pretty knot before extending an arm around her waist to pull her in closer as they tried to ignore the commercials playing over the loudspeakers. 

The sound of jingling keys caused the five of them to turn their heads toward the kitchen, where Mrs. Knight was piling up her reusable grocery bags and heading toward the door. 

“Anyone need anything from the store?” She cheerily asked, picking up her purse from a hook beside the entryway. 

While most of them shook their heads, Kendall perked up, “Would you mind grabbing some extra snacks and pop? I was thinking of having a party on the first.”

A party?

“Of course, honey! Just be sure to keep the guest list small. What kind of cake do you want?” 

“Vanilla, please, with that buttercream frosting you make.”

A birthday party.

Pausing to write down her son’s request on a small notepad she had in her bag, Mrs. Knight nodded, red waves bouncing over her shoulders. “If you think of anything else, just text me, okay?”

Giving her a thumbs up, Kendall turned his attention back to the game with the rest of the band. 

Meanwhile, Roxy did some mental calculations as his mom made her way out the door. After the fiasco with James and Carlos’ birthdays on tour and how distraught he had been about celebrations, she thought he could have at least given her a heads up about his if he wanted to throw a party - especially one the day after Halloween.

Playing with the tassels on the scarf James had let her borrow, the girl cleared her throat over the sound of the announcers rattling on and on about some unimportant team stats. “Your birthday is on Sunday?” 

The boy reached out to take another cookie off the plate she had brought, eyes still trained on the game as he let out a weak, “Mhm.”

“Huh,” She thought aloud absentmindedly, watching as the Kings made a particularly good play. Against her side, she could feel James flutter with excitement and it distracted her just enough to mumble out. “I didn’t know I was older than you.”

Logan was the first to register her statement, jaw dropping slightly as he turned to face her with a confused squint in his eye, though she was too busy watching the Kings dump the puck. 

Next was James, glancing toward his girlfriend as she took another bite of her cookie and flinched at the loud crack one of the Canuck’s sticks made upon contact with the disc to shoot it out of their zone.

It was finally Carlos who voiced his puzzlement with a, “What?”

“Yeah,” Kendall tacked on, finally following. “What he said.”

Uncomfortably shifting further into James’ side now that all eyes were on her, she simply kept her focus on the game. Roxy was pretty sure the Kings were about to lose. 

“When’s your birthday then?” James finally asked her, seeing as she didn’t think the information important enough to offer up without prompting. 

“The thirtieth.”

“The thirtieth? October thirtieth?” Her boyfriend repeated, glancing to his upper left before asking. “As in, tomorrow, Roxy?”

Nodding, she sensed a bit of urgency in his tone she didn’t quite understand.

Arm slipping out from around her waist, James’ eyes were wide as he turned to face her, “Why didn’t you say something sooner?”

He probably hadn’t meant to puff out his chest, but he did, making himself look all the more taller than she was, even sitting down on the plush couch cushions.

“I made cookies!” She protested, finger gently pointing over to the plate on the coffee table in front of them. “It would’ve been Oreo fluff salad but I ran out of my last pudding packet earlier.”

“Oh, that’s what those were for…” Logan trailed off, rubbing one hand on his arm to warm up a bit. “I figured you just felt bad the Canucks were going to unleash a can of-” he lowered his voice to a whisper, “whoop ass-” before bringing it back to a normal level, “on the Kings and you made them so James would feel better.”

Just as James shot back, “The Canucks are not-” a buzzer sounded off over their speakers, signaling the end of the game. The five had been so engrossed in their own conversation that they had missed the tiebreaker shoot-out that ended the match entirely. 

Canucks 2, Kings 1.

This only soured James' dampening mood and everyone could tell his temperament was only growing worse by the moment - especially Roxy, who was beginning to feel as though she had done something wrong.

At the very least, Logan was kind enough not to gloat about his team’s victory for the time being, though most of them knew he would the minute he felt it appropriate. 

“Look I don’t-” Roxy felt her heartbeat quicken, but not in the fun, fluttery way she was used to around James. As her chest began to constrict under the scrutiny of his gaze, it was getting harder to formulate her thoughts. “I don’t understand why you’re getting upset. It’s not like it’s a secret or anything! None of you ever asked.”

If she had the choice, the writer would have this conversation with him literally anywhere than right in front of their friends who were just sitting around them, awkwardly pretending like they were invested in the commercials airing on TV. 

“Roxy…” Taking a deep breath, the boy closed his eyes for a moment before slowly opening them again. It wasn’t long after he reached out to grab one of her hands, squeezing it tightly in his own. “I’m not upset, it’s just… This is your first birthday as my girlfriend - As a friend of ours.” 

He vaguely gestured toward Logan, Kendall, and Carlos as he continued, “We can’t make that special for you if you don’t let us know. How else are we supposed to coordinate gifts and throw you killer parties?”

Ah.

Looking down at her hand in his, Roxy gently rubbed the back of his knuckles with her thumb, feeling her heart beat steady now that he was able to explain himself better. “Birthday parties are important for the four of you - I know that! And don’t get me wrong, I love to party, but a whole party dedicated just to me is not my style. Back home, all my dad and I would do on my birthday is eat sweets and watch TV, just like we are now, so I’m perfectly content… Besides, no one ever comes to parties the day before Halloween.”

None of the boys liked the certainty with which she said her last sentence.

“So, let’s have one on Halloween then. A joint costume party for me and you!” Kendall piped up, already shooting off what she presumed were a few text messages to his mother to grab some more supplies from the store. 

“I’m sensing I don’t have much say in this matter.” 

Jumping up from the couch with excitement, Carlos grinned, “Nope! We just have to make some decoration adjustments...”

He and Logan began bouncing ideas off of each other while the frontman was still engrossed with his messaging. Another game was beginning on the TV, but none of them were all that interested considering their new planning developments.  

It was always shocking to their assistant, the way the band could just up and decide something, then it would magically happen, just like they had hoped it would. So, if they wanted to throw a costume party in less than 48 hours, she knew it would probably be one of the best the Palm Woods had ever seen. 

Now I have to get a costume… The girl thought, settling into her scarf a bit more before James poked her in the side to catch her attention. 

“You know what comes next now, don’t you?” He practically whispered to her, as if he were about to share a secret. While she shook her head in response, she watched as his eyes darted between the other boys. “I need to know what you want for your birthday. Tell me before the others figure it out!”

The urgency in his tone was back again, but this time it made his girlfriend laugh, “Gifts are supposed to be a surprise! Besides, you already whisked me away to Los Angeles twice this year to live my dream… I couldn’t possibly ask you for anything else.”

Though he grumbled a bit at her answer, she pressed a gentle kiss to the edge of his jawline before reaching over to the coffee table and picking up the TV remote.

  “There’s gotta be something you want to do at the very least!” James was very persistent as she flipped through the channels in search of something new to put on. 

“Are you forgetting we have both school and work tomorrow?”

Coughing into his elbow, though he was very obviously faking, he followed with, “I don’t know about you but I think I’m coming down with something...” 

“Alright,” She reluctantly gave in, flipping on an old Gilmore Girls rerun. “I guess I did already track my parts for ‘Big Night’ so I shouldn’t be needed... but if Gustavo gets mad, I’m pinning it all on you.”

As he kissed her cheek in excitement, Roxy could feel the smile plastering itself across his lips. 

It was the first time in quite a while she would be looking forward to growing a bit older. 

***

Getting ready for the day wasn’t normally this hard. 

After settling on a spring green sundress she had tucked in the back of her closet, Roxy was having some trouble settling on her hairstyle and makeup. 

Ugh, I shouldn’t be faced with such tough decisions today. 

Staring down at the eyeshadow palette she had in hand, she wished Camille and Jo were there to guide her in the right direction like usual. Not only was getting ready for her second-first date alone a nightmare, but now, her birthday?

Jo had stopped by on her way to an early morning audition to wish her best friend a happy birthday, dropping off a beautiful jar full of fresh sunflowers for Roxy’s coffee table and asking about the party tomorrow night, but Camille’s radio silence unsurprisingly continued. 

With a sigh at the thought of Camille, Roxy finally decided to leave her hair natural, though managed to frame her eyes with a light coating of an earthy brown shadow before flopping down onto her couch to wait for James to come and collect her for their outing. 

Her fingers trailed to her chest, where they caught the new, thin gold necklace her father had sent her. The two of them had seen the pendant - a treble clef and bass clef mixed together to make a small, golden heart shape - at the Duluth mall ages ago and Roxy had gushed about it all the way home. She had meant to sign up for some extra shifts at the radio station to save up for it, but she moved away before she had the chance. 

So, when she got a wake-up call from her father to congratulate her on her special day, she was surprised when he told her to open her front door, only to find a black, velvet box containing the piece of jewelry inside. 

While Roxy knew that there had to be at least some level of coordination with Mrs. Knight to get the present to her door, she couldn’t help but worry about the additional time he must have spent at work to afford such a beautiful gift. Receiving gifts was always nice, but the girl often found herself more concerned about the effort others went through in order to obtain them. 

For now, she ran the pendant up and down the chain anxiously, waiting for any sounds to come from the hallway to take her mind off her worries.

Normally, she and the boys would be on their way to school right now, but she had sent an email to Mrs. Collins feigning a migraine. It worried her just a little, considering what had happened the last time she had missed school, but one day shouldn’t be too much of a hassle to get caught up on, especially with their modified half-day program. 

Knock knock

Immediately Roxy shot off the couch and ran to her front door, taking a moment to collect herself with a deep breath before undoing the lock. James didn’t need to know she had been anxiously awaiting his arrival.

When she opened the door to his smiling face, the apprehension she had felt about missing school and work completely dissipated as he stepped into her apartment. 

Leaning down, he planted a quick kiss on the top of her head, “Hey, Birthday Girl.”

To say that her brain went haywire when she noticed he was wearing a red short-sleeved button-up would be an understatement, but she hid it quite well as she managed to squeak out a greeting before grabbing her mini backpack and motioning toward the door. 

Dressing in my favorite color? Maybe that was a coincidence.

“Woah, slow down there!” James joked, stopping her from reaching her destination as he reached out to place his hands on her shoulders. “You never told me what you wanted to do today.”

Shit.

She had been so concerned with how to dress, she hadn’t managed to think about what the two of them should even do while they played hookey. The only thing she had in mind was going to visit the planetarium again, but the facility wasn’t open until later in the day; Beyond that, she didn’t really mind what they were doing, as long as they did it together. 

However, Roxy knew this answer would not satisfy her eager boyfriend, who was excitedly bouncing on his heels as he awaited her answer. So, she gripped the straps of her bag a bit tighter as she glanced up at him, batting her eyes a few times and calling in a hail Mary. 

“You didn’t plan anything special?” 

The bouncing stopped. 

Maybe my tone was a bit too disappointed sounding-

“O-of course I did!” He quickly assured her, though she was quite certain her question nearly made his heart flatline. Hands flying off her shoulders, James waved them wildly as he continued, “I just wanted to see if you had something else in mind! The itinerary I've thought up is unbeatable, obviously, but we can add to it… Or something…”

Thankfully, her smile seemed to reassure him as she reached out to loop her hands around his arm and pull him toward to hallway. With a playful giggle, she was sure to take note of how solid his biceps were under her fingertips. “Then let’s go! This Birthday Girl can’t wait to experience the day her boyfriend planned just for her.”

 Propping herself up on her tiptoes, she pulled him down for a small kiss on his rapidly warming cheek before finally getting him out of 2-H. 

It was easy for the pair to make their way down to the lobby, but they figured it might be tough to sneak past Bitters considering he was always at the front desk this early in the morning. Fall was quite the busy season for the Palm Woods, even as it slowly began to grow closer to winter in Los Angeles. 

Much to the couple’s luck, however, he was caught up checking a new family in, so there was no need to sneak around Mission Impossible style to get to the front doors without being caught and sent to class. Roxy and James were swift to take advantage of this, waiting until the hotel manager turned around to grab the newcomers their apartment keys before taking off through the open space.

Hand-in-hand, they careened through the front doors undetected, laughing all the way to the red Pontiac GTO in the back of the large Palm Woods parking lot. 

Reluctantly letting James’ hand go to dig around in her bag for the keys, Roxy let out an exaggerated sigh as she watched him effortlessly hop over the door and seat himself behind the wheel of the car. 

With a dry, very fake laugh, the girl pulled the ring from her bag and twirled it around her finger a few times as she waited for him to scoot over. When he didn’t and cleared his throat before reaching his open palm out to her, the volume of her laughter increased. “If you think I’m letting you drive my car without a license, you must be out of your mind, James!”

Sweeping a hand through his hair, her boyfriend stuck his bottom lip out before widening his big, hazel eyes at her. 

So that’s where Katie learned that from…

“No!” She affirmed, popping the driver’s side door open and nudging the boy with her knee to scoot over, dropping her bag into the backseat. 

The pout only wavered for a second as he asked, “If you drive, how can I keep our destinations a secret?” 

Without hesitation, she kneed him again, “There’s a map in the glove box. Use it!”

“I’m too pretty to know how to use a map,” James grumbled, but he still stood his ground. 

Of course, Roxy was inclined to agree and found it hard to bite her tongue to hold her thoughts back, but this was a challenge she wasn’t planning on losing.

Not moving a muscle, he held out his palm one more time and said, “I suppose I could call Gustavo and tell him we aren’t really sick… Or you let me drive!” 

Again, she didn’t budge, crossing her arms and waiting for her boyfriend to scoot over. Though he loved being a pop star, that was one bluff she’d always call. If he had the chance not to work, he’d take it. 

“Look, I learned to drive back in Minnesota from one of my hockey buds, my mom just wouldn’t let me get my license. I’d never offer if I thought it’d be dangerous, babe, I swear.”

And with those two simple sentences, James won the argument but not for the reasons he thought, as Roxy felt her heart leap into her throat.

Flicking her wrist, she tossed the keys to him before huffing and making her way to the passenger’s side door. Thank God her hair was down; It served as the perfect cover for the red shade her ears were definitely turning at his words. 

That’s the first time he’s ever called me babe.

Sliding beside him on the white leather bench seating, Roxy kept her head slightly down to hide her embarrassment. “Fine, but I control the radio.”

“I wouldn’t expect anything different,” He replied as the engine roared to life and he reached a hand up to adjust the rearview mirror. 

For a moment, she dared to look over at him, watching as he concentrated on backing out of the tight spot she had managed to wedge the car into the other night. The sunlight was hitting their open-top car at just the right angle, filtering beautifully through his long brown hair as he put the car in reverse. 

Roxy didn’t even have time to put her lap belt on before she abruptly twisted around to grab her bag from the back, causing her driver to jump a bit in his seat. They had spent enough time around each other for James to know she was going for her songbook, so he managed not to ask if she was okay before he rolled the car to a stop at the first traffic light despite the slight heart palpitation he had given her. 

In a matter of seconds, her book and pen were in hand as she drew out a music staff to chart the melody she was hearing in her head before scribbling down some semblance of a small verse. 

Nothing but an open road

No destination, just you and me alone

Hearts go wild into the night

Give me the green light, green light 

***

“I get sick just thinking about planes - you think I want to think about boats right now?”

After managing to get to Santa Monica Pier in one piece, James and Roxy began their day by taking a long walk on the bustling beach before heading up to the boardwalk to see if there was anything of interest on the famed tourist attraction. Since arriving in Los Angeles, neither Roxy nor the boys had much time to explore the surrounding area; It seemed as though James had heard one of her conversations with Camille and Jo about experiencing all California had to offer to pick their first destination of the day.

The salty sea air stung at Roxy’s eyes and nose, and the rapid gusts of wind inland certainly didn’t help, but as long as she kept her fingers intertwined with James’, she figured that was a small price to pay in exchange. 

“Roxy, that wasn’t even close to what I asked you.”

“Well how else am I supposed to interpret ‘How many boats do you think are at the bottom of the ocean?’”

“Like a normal person!” James smiled, squeezing her hand a bit tighter at his joke. While he was still engrossed in their conversation, his eyes wandered around the pier as though he were searching for something.

As he did that, Roxy was too busy gazing out at the ocean to notice, watching as the horizon slowly began to bleed into the endless blue of the water and trying to focus on the beating of the waves against the pier support beams instead of the obnoxious music from the games. “I dunno… Ships sank into Lake Superior all the time, so it’s probably way worse on the ocean, you know? But as far as I’m concerned only one ship matters - The Titanic! That movie is just too good.”

“Hmm,” was James’ hummed response, which caught her attention as she finally tore her mind away from the sea. “I’ll take your word for it.”

Though she recognized he was a bit distracted, she feigned shock anyway as she tried to figure out what he may be looking for. “You’ve never seen Titanic?!”

At last, James spied a bright neon sign advertising a ring toss and guided his date in that direction, finding it incredibly difficult to weave through the massive crowd of tourists in the area. 

“This may shock you, but I pay attention in history class sometimes - I know how that ended and I can’t imagine the movie makes it any more interesting.”

Easily following after him, content to go with the flow, Roxy smacked his arm with her free hand, “Titanic is a cinematic masterpiece! Besides, I had you figured as a DiCaprio fan…”

By the way his face scrunched up at her words, she quickly learned she was very wrong in that assumption. 

Before she had the chance to guess who he might actually be a fan of again, James had stopped in front of the ring toss booth, green and red flashing lights from the sign overhead nearly blinding her despite the brightness of the sun in the sky. Pulling out a few bucks from his wallet, James wordlessly slapped them down onto the table in front of the booth worker and earned himself three rings. 

Why he had felt so compelled to stop at this booth, she didn’t know, but the game was simple enough. Three tries to get a small ring to land on the rim of one of a giant array of glass milk bottles in exchange for a stuffed animal prize of the winner’s choosing. 

On his first try, the singer picked one of the green, plastic hoops and waggled his eyebrows toward his assistant before turning his attention to the hundreds of glass bottles lined up behind the booth’s counter. 

Like she had seen him do before taking a shot in hockey, James firmly planted his feet on the ground, squaring his hips up toward the multitudes of targets he had to choose from before zeroing in on one in particular. With a slight squint of his eyes to lock onto the target, Roxy saw him mutter something to himself, but she wasn’t able to hear over the blaring pop music coming from the boardwalk speakers. 

With a slight exhale, he twisted his torso to the side before snapping back forward and tossing the ring in the desired direction. The two of them watched as it spun and spun in the air, landing on one of the glass bottle rims with a satisfying clink before rounding the surface once and falling onto the table below. 

“Dammnit!” 

Though the man running the booth let out a little chuckle at James’ frustration, he didn’t say anything else, simply watching as the boy lined up another shot. 

“You’ve got this!” His girlfriend reassured him, cheering from the side of the booth so as to not get in his way. 

As he lined up his next shot, she wondered what it was about this particular booth that had compelled him enough to stop and play, letting him out of her sight for just a moment as she scanned the gigantic wall of stuffed animal prizes on the back of the booth. 

Clink!

“Gah!”

When James missed his second shot, Roxy noticed a small stuffed lion wearing an L.A. Kings jersey hanging from the metal grating of the booth’s back prize wall. 

Ah, that must be what he’s going for… Even if the monkey playing the guitar next to it is cuter.

Just as he lined himself up to toss again, he heard a cough from the sidelines, “Mind if I give it a go?”

Roxy moved forward cautiously, not wanting to step on his toes if he had a gameplan, though, she did desperately want to help him win the prize he was aiming for. 

For a moment, James stared at her like a deer stuck in the headlights of an oncoming car before extending his hand and passing off his remaining ring to her. 

Plastic cold in her hands, despite just being tucked in James’ palm, the contact surprised the girl a bit as she stepped up to the booth’s barrier. One of his arms tucked itself around her waist as she looked out over the hundreds of bottles in front of her, looking for just the right one to lock onto. 

“Take your time! It’s a hard game, so don’t get discouraged if you don’t-”

Dink!

The green and red lights from the neon sign hanging above their heads turned brilliant blue as the man running the booth tossed the rings he was holding into the air in celebration, “Winner, winner!”

With a squeal of excitement, Roxy jumped up and down a few times, beaming, before turning into her boyfriend and throwing her arms around his torso, “I did it! I can’t believe I’ve still got it…”

Swift to return her hug, James’ other arm made it around her waist as he let out a strained, “You did, yeah.”

“Oh, but don’t worry,” She whispered to him, sensing something was off in his tone, as she let him go she turned to the carnie and pointed to the lion hanging from the wall. 

Happily, the man obliged and pulled it down, passing it off to her without a second glance. Fuzzy in her hands, Roxy stroked the lion’s mane a few times before holding it out to her boyfriend. “This is what you wanted, right?” 

James blinked a few times, looking between her and the stuffy before gently reaching up to cup her hands. 

When he didn’t take it from her, she cocked her head to the side and tried to push it into his chest, “This is Bailey, isn’t it? The King’s mascot?” 

“It is!” He assured her, though his hands were still over hers. “But didn’t you see the prize beside it?”

Mind completely blanking, Roxy glanced back to the wall, taking note of how quickly another lion had been placed in the previously empty spot. The brown monkey holding a red guitar she had noticed earlier was hanging beside the new lion, looking like he was just a bit battered by the unrelenting California sun. 

When she turned to face him again, she pulled Bailey back toward her. “Do you like that one better? I’m sure we can ask to swap-”

Cutting her off with an unexpected kiss, right there in the middle of the boardwalk in front of God and everybody, James tugged Bailey right back.

“No, no, this is perfect! Thank you,” He managed after he had finally pulled away, tossing the stuffed animal back and forth between his palms as he peered at his girlfriend. “So thoughtful… Giving me a gift on your own birthday?”

It was then she began to piece a few things together. 

His confidence, asking me if I liked the other prize better, not wanting to take Bailey… “You were trying to win me the monkey weren’t you?” 

“That I was,” James confirmed, slinging an arm around her shoulder as he guided her away from the booth and out to a viewing area where they could see the ocean a bit clearer. “But now that I know you’re a secret ring toss champion I think we might be able to go back and clear that guy out.”

“Am not!” She fought back, leaning her back against the wooden railing caked in salt as she tugged on James’ button-up to get him to stand in front of her. Though she knew she had one of the most breathtaking views over her shoulder, she much preferred to take in the sight of the beautiful boy as she rambled, “I just… may or may not… have run a ring toss booth with Mag and Dani at the St. Louis County Fair in exchange for some stage time at the end of each night. Nothing like unlocking the secrets to carnival games by practicing every second of downtime we had. Oh! And I wrote this awful, terrible song… What was it called?... ‘Warm Heart, Cold Glass’ I think… Ugh, that will never see the inside of a recording booth.” 

Not even thinking about the words before they left her lips, Roxy felt James stiffen under her touch at the mention of her old friends. The wind whipping around them riffled his hair as he stared out at the ocean in front of him; Roxy desperately wished he was looking at her instead. 

Hesitantly, she reached up to trace the outline of his face and pull his attention back where it should have been. “Let’s go find a different game to play! There’s like a million here-”

 “Um, excuse me?” A voice from behind the two of them called, interrupting what Roxy had been saying before someone’s finger reached out and tapped James on the shoulder. His hands left the railing around her as he turned around to face two younger girls with the widest eyes and rosiest cheeks Roxy had ever seen. “Are you James Diamond from Big Time Rush?”

Instantly, snapped into work mode, “The one and only! What can I do for you two lovely ladies today?” 

***

R: Has Kendall ever been recognized while you were out on a date?

J: Only once or twice

J: But to be fair, I get recognized too…

R: Yet another reason I’m happy to not be famous

J: Did something happen?

R: Ya, James and I got a little interrupted in Santa Monica by a few BTR fans

R: It was fine at first, James was super cool about it and took a picture with them but when we went to leave they followed us around the area for a bit

J: :( 

R: I don’t think they were trying to be weird or anything but it freaked me out a bit

R: James seemed to love the attention, but then he heard the lens shutter of one of their cameras behind us and pulled me off the pier and to the car so fast!

R: He even threw his button-up over my head so they couldn’t see my face if they tried to take any more pics

J: Ugh, Kendall did the same thing to me once! 

J: I, like, blew up at him about it after and he said that when we started dating Gustavo had given him a talk

R: GROSS

J: Not like that! One about being famous and dating blah blah. He mentioned James, Carlos, and Logan have also had this convo

J: It’s for our safety or something - imagine how you’d feel if you learned Robert Pattinson was suddenly dating someone from leaked phone footage from some fan blog 

R: I’d respect his boundaries and private life! 

J: Didn’t you cry when you learned Nick Jonas might be seeing someone a few months ago?

R: That was before I started dating a somewhat-celebrity 

R: Anyway, besides that, the day he planned has been so much fun! We had lunch downtown at this cute little burger place when we were done at the pier and then I convinced him to take me to the planetarium

J: Romantic!

“She’s damn right it’s romantic…” James mumbled into Roxy’s shoulder unexpectedly, causing the writer to jump a bit in her seat and send her journal tumbling to the ground. 

“James!”

Following a hearty meal, a window-shopping spree down Hollywood Boulevard, and a few lovely hours spent wandering around the exhibits at Griffith Observatory - Roxy able to enjoy herself there this time around - the pair had spent the last half hour tucked away in Roxy’s favorite spot: The Jupiter room. 

Attempting to pour herself over her songbook, the writer was convinced that the presence of her planetary inspiration plus one of the Super Hollywood Party Kings of Hollywood would aid her in completing the lyrics she had started writing the last time she was here. Unfortunately, within minutes of sitting down in the room, watching the large planet spin among the brilliant hanging stars and hearing the slow, dreamy tune coming from the surround sound speakers, James had fallen asleep on his girlfriend’s shoulder. An action, which, at any other time she would be happy to gently card her fingers through his hair, or play a sweet guitar melody to be the background track of his dreamscape, but at the present, she was so overwhelmingly focused on him she had been unable to come up with any lines for her song. 

The space song, that is. 

As he snoozed away on her shoulder, a few of the words he had said to her the night they got together flowed through her mind as she took in the mesmerizing sight of the large celestial body before her. 

I know, you know, we know, we’ve got something. 

That had been the one and only lyric to come from their time in the Jupiter room and for now, she was content with that. Besides, for the last 15 minutes, it had just been the two of them in the exhibit room and she was languishing in every second they spent together, even if he wasn’t conscious of it.

The perks of going places on weekdays…

Doing his best to stifle a yawn as he straightened himself out, rubbing his eyes a few times to attempt to wipe the sleep from them, James finally let out a chuckle as he bent down to pick up what Roxy had dropped. “Sorry, sorry… I couldn’t help myself. It’s so cozy in here… Like Logan’s room with the instrumentals and the stars and the constant rattling off of facts I didn’t ask for.”

 “Some songwriting inspiration you are!” The writer joked, graciously accepting her book and pen before stuffing them back in her bag. Now that he was awake, that was her cue to grab his arm and drape it around her shoulder, leaning her back into his chest as she snuggled closer to him on the bench they shared. “It’s pretty hard to write a party song while the life of the party is snoozing away on my shoulder.”

“I can give you plenty of inspiration, babe, but you’re the one who brought me into a dark room and wanted to write a song instead of make out!”

Immediately, she whipped around in her seat, the cold metal of the bench cutting into the legs she was now sitting on as her cheeks flushed, jabbing her finger straight into his chest. “You’re the one with the public make out aversion!”

Taking in her words as though they were a challenge, a small smirk formed on his lips, gaze darting between the accusatory finger she pointed at him and her face mere inches away from his own. The only source of light in the room was the large, dusty brown planet spinning behind her and the stars twinkling above them, making the small glint in his eyes nearly undetectable. 

Roxy noticed, however, because of course she did, and it sent her stomach into a fit of summersaults.

“And where’d you get that idea from?” 

Am I crazy or did his voice just drop an octave?

The answer, she figured, was obvious, though she pulled her hand from his chest and nervously ran it through her hair. “The pool. Remember? The day we got back from tour? ‘This isn’t right’ this and ‘There’s too many people here’ that.”

“Ah…” He trailed off and though he held her gaze, she felt one of his hands slowly trail up to her waist. “You’ve been holding onto that for a while, huh, Rox? We weren’t together yet - I didn’t want anyone spreading rumors if they saw us.” 

For a moment, all she could manage was a nod as she tried to work about the millions of thoughts running through her brain at both his words and his touch while his thumb slid back and forth over the fabric of her dress. “Since when do you care what other people think?” 

Somehow the soft fabric of his white undershirt was hitting her palms - When did my hands move? - supporting her as she felt herself lean just a bit closer.  

“I certainly don’t,” James assured her. “But I know you do. Besides, I didn’t want to pressure you or make you uncomfortable if you weren’t ready to-”

“I’m not!” She felt herself hurriedly saying, accidentally cutting off his incredibly sweet sentiment. “Pressured that is… Or uncomfortable. At all.”

Practically feeling his breath against her lips, the support her arms were providing her nearly failed as he snickered again, “Good! Then I can finally tell you I’d be delighted to be your tonsil hockey coach-”

“I know you love listening to the sound of your own voice, but would you just shut up and kiss me already?” 

“Are you sure the songwriting can wait?”

***

With the winter months slowly creeping around the corner, night was beginning to fall over Los Angeles much earlier than normal. 

A cool breeze whipped through the small grove Roxy and James had accidentally found while driving through the Hollywood hills, and it reminded them of Minnesota so much they decided to park and take a small walk around the area to watch the sunset before returning to the Pontiac. 

Though the sky was losing its orange and yellow hues, neither of them were interested in heading home quite yet. So, for now, they had settled for laying on the hood of their car and looking out at the city below, talking about anything and everything they could with one another. Despite it being somewhere in the low 60s, Roxy was freezing in the button-up James had been kind enough to drape over her sundress and she burrowed into his chest to steal any of his body heat she could.

She was missing the fleece of his King’s jersey and the warmth of the knitted scarf from Crib Hockey Night but he gently rubbed his hands up and down her exposed arm, trying to eliminate any uncomfortable feelings as they cuddled. 

An old rock song was lazily drifting off the radio behind them, though Roxy was far more focused on the rhythmic beating of her boyfriend’s heart in her ear as she traced her finger along the creases of his undershirt.

“Counting stars is a lot easier with the light pollution from the city,” James joked after a while, probably noticing the heavy eyelids his assistant was trying to keep open. “I think I see three… maybe four up there? Oh… No, that’s just an airplane…”

“I can think of something that would help - A telescope! If only someone hadn’t gotten us kicked out of the observatory.”

Poking her ribs, the boy managed a snort. “Don’t act like you were an innocent bystander!”

“Well, I was just trying to write my song… It’s not my fault you’re so distracting.” She grinned, shifting a bit closer to him at his relentless prodding. “Try and count the city lights, I’m, like, a thousand percent sure there’re more lightbulbs down there than stars in the sky.”

“Don’t tell anyone, but I think the Minnesota sky is far superior to the California sky. Cooler clouds and way better star viewing.”

There was a small hint of longing in his voice.

Best she could, Roxy nodded as she continued to trace out her nonsensical shapes. “Yeah… Maybe we should go back and visit soon. I can’t imagine winter without seeing the snow. I want to go ice skating with you on a real frozen pond, too, instead of an indoor ice rink.”

And I miss my dad, was of course her next thought, but bringing parents up on dates was always a mood killer. 

“Oh! Speaking of,” Under her, James slightly shifted, pulling his hand away from her arm and into the breast pocket of the button-up she was borrowing. From there, he produced a tiny box wrapped in red paper, extending it out to his girlfriend. “Happy birthday, Roxy.”

That move led her to half-sit up, taking on more of the small breeze that had made her chilly in the first place, as she gazed down at the boy below. “The party isn’t until tomorrow.”

“This couldn’t wait, trust me.”

Smoothly, she dipped back down to kiss him before taking the gift and positioning herself to lay on the windshield, instead of her boyfriend so he could watch her open it.

With one last glance back toward the sun slipping behind the city, she exhaled, pulling on the waxy paper to tear it clean off the box with a satisfying rip. In no time at all, scraps were scattered across the car’s hood, leaving her with a silver box topped by a glassy lid in her hands and a clear view of what was inside.  

Three golden charms: One fashioned to look like the number 1, another a small ring encasing what looked like a minuscule diamond set in the center, and another in the shape of the letter J. 

“Oh, James…” Roxy breathed, unable to tear her eyes away from how they practically glittered next to one another. “These bracelet charms are beautiful…”

It was his turn to sit up now, reaching up to swipe his thumb across her cheek a few times, before sharing, “It’s kind of a tradition of sorts - One the older guys on MAHS team started a while back, so their partners could always subtly represent them. They’re technically charms for ice skate laces since they mostly went out with figure skaters, but I know we don’t hit the rink all that often… So if you’d like them to be bracelet charms, I can get you a little chain.”

“No! I still have the skates you and the band got me, I can put them on there! I’d be happy to.”

“Normally I wouldn’t object but,” His line of sight dropped to her chest. “You’ve been wearing this pretty necklace all day and if you’re open to suggestions I think they might look best on there.” 

James didn’t need to tell her twice. With fluttering fingers she pulled her hair over her shoulder, unclasping the chain from around her neck and handing it off to him.

Gently picking the box off her lap, he pulled the lid open and took the charms out one at a time, threading them through the small bail. It was so dark now, Roxy could hardly see the way the wind rustled his hair and clothing as he moved; She could only imagine how hard it was to slip the charms on.

“ 1… My jersey number. J… First initial, obviously. And the diamond, well, that’s not typically included, but I thought it fit. It makes the gift my own.”

Music from the car radio filled the writer’s ears; That was what she focused on to keep herself from displaying the emotions she felt bubbling up in her chest, ready to burst forth at any moment. First, an entire day spent entirely dedicated to her, then, one of the most thoughtful presents she had ever received… It was nearly too much, and that was evidenced by the drops welling in her eyes and the slow sniffs she took to try and hide her rapidly running nose. 

With her back to the city as she faced him, James could hardly see her face at all as he reached forward to clasp the chain back around her neck. All he could hear were her sniffles and the clattering of the charms as they fell alongside the cleff heart pendant. “Are you still cold, Roxy?”

She didn’t bother to respond to his question, simply wrapping her arms around his neck and falling into him until his back hit the Pontiac’s windshield. 

“You’re- Babe, you’re shaking.”

“Thank you,” She said, voice near whisper in hopes it would hide the tremors she felt attempting to boil over. “This has been the best birthday ever. I am so, so lucky to have you in my life, James. Just… Thank you.”

After a moment she felt his arms snake around her torso, squeezing her back just as tightly. “If you loved this year on just eight hours of planning, you’ll love next year even more.”

Next year, She told herself, pulling back slightly and brushing some of his hair out of his eyes to admire how they sparkled, reflecting the shining city lights behind her. He wants to be with me next year.

--

:) I know y'all were expecting the halloween chapter - that'll be out later this month. I needed a bit of a change of pace as a writer, so please accept my fun, fluffy offering for now. 

The song Roxy writes at the Palm Woods is from an unreleased BTR demo called "Redlight, Greenlight" if anyone was wondering. 

Thanks for all the likes and comments, they mean the world <3 Be sure to let me know what you think!