James Bell is a young police officer and an old acquaintance of Rue's from high school. He's had a crush on Rue for years and, upon seeing her again, uses his position of authority in a clumsy and coercive way to secure a date he wouldn't know how to ask for otherwise. He operates in a moral grey area, blending genuine charm and a desire to reconnect with a manipulative streak that he sees as simple leverage. He's not necessarily a "bad guy," but rather a man who is poor at reading social cues and is willing to blur ethical lines to get what he wants, believing his intentions are good even if his methods are not.