Disclaimer: I don't own anything except the original storyline, even though I wish I did.
Author's Notes I: This is AU (as per usual,I won't give away too much at this point, I think it unfolds itself pretty easily) and from Pacey's POV. This may change over the course of the storyline but not necessarily. I hope you guys like it! THough, I have to warn you, there will be a lack of updates until the late of august, because I'm on a camping trip for some time and I won't have access to anything internet-like for this time. I wanted to wait with posting this until I get back, but… I couldn't help but share this piece. Just to know if you guys like it and want this to continue. I have not a word more of this written by now, but as you know by now: Reviews might create surprise-updates :-)
Author's Notes II: Okay, so I know some of you would like me to write an epilogue for On Different Ways and well... I guess you've outnumbered me :-) I promise there will be either a second chapter to this story OR an epilogue for beloved ODW before I go on vacation. So, forgive me for posting this, knowing there will be a lack of update-time on my side.
I hope you enjoy and this is your pair of shoes!
Yana
The Lead
- Chapter one -
Pacey couldn't help but grin the most shit-eating-grin he ever had. This was just so incredible, unbelievable, indescribable, fantastic, brilliant… Wow! He got into Harvard!
'Wow man, we did it! We really, really, really did it. Man!' He jumped in the air as he patted Dawson's shoulder. 'I mean... Wow! How cool is this?' He wagged his head in disbelieve as he stepped into the dorm room he would share with his best friend in the world for the foreseeable future. 'Man! Look at this!' Pacey gestured around and looked at Dawson over his shoulder. Eyes shining and this fat grin on his face.
'It's a dorm room, Pace...' Dawson said, chuckling at his friends enthusiastic.
'Yeah, but this...' Pacey walked through the room and opened a window. He took a deep breath and looked around the campus. '...this is Harvard, D!' And then he began to laugh out loud and shouted 'Yeeeehaaaa! We did it!' A few of the students which passed the window just looked up, grinning and gave him a thumbs up.
He turned to find Dawson still standing in the doorframe, watching his friend with his typical I-think-you're-crazy-but-I-like-you-nonetheless-smile. Dawson nodded a small nod and then chuckled again. 'Yeah, Pace, we did.' Dawson let his bag drop to the floor and Pacey expected some 'you'd-known-this-for-some-time-now-so-would-you-please-calm-down' or 'don't-make-a-fool-of-yourself' kind of speech but instead Dawson stepped beside him and with a big, face wide grin he lifted his fists and shouted: 'We did it. Yieha!' And pulled Pacey in the warmest embrace ever, patting him on the back.
'Man, had anyone told me the two of us would end up in the same dorm room at Harvard, I would have sent him straight to the next madhouse.' Pacey shook his head and felt as he would burst with pride and joy.
'I did!' Dawson grinned at his friend, while shrugging casually and Pacey just grinned back.
'Yeah you did. But... this is just so…. I have no word for it…. brilcredious.' Pacey said with shining eyes.
'Brilcredious?' Dawson raised a brow at Pacey and burst into laughter.
'Yes, absolutely!' Pacey nodded.
'What's this even for a word?'
'Short for brilliant, incredible, fabulous.' Pacey said with the most serious expression on his face. 'Brilcredious. I think I like the sound of this word.'
'Yeah, Pace. Me too.' Dawson said, still laughing and trying to catch his breath. 'Come on man, let's get settled. There'll be a freshmen-welcome-party tonight and knowing you like I do, you like to attend it.' Dawson smirked. 'I'm pretty sure there'll be more than a few hot girls down there tonight.'
'Damn right I want to attend it.' Pacey smiled. 'So let's get settled then.'
While the two of them unpacked their bags, Pacey thought about all the events that had led to him settling in to a Harvard dorm room in the first place.
First of all, Andie cheated on him. Sweet, innocent Andie slept with some random guy she met while she was in mental rehab. That was back in sophomore year. And the thought of it alone made his heart ache even after all this time. He had loved her like he never loved someone before. He wanted to give her his all and everything. She was supposed to be his first time. Oh, he hand loved her so much he could still feel it, when he looked at a photograph and there were a few songs he just couldn't listen to without aching.
Man, she broke his heart and he did what he could best and ran away for the summer. He went sailing with Dawson on the ship Pacey had restored over the course of summer to lessen his anxiety over the forced separation from his girlfriend. For the whole summer it was just the two of them and it made the friendship they shared all their lives even more strong and unshakable.
As they came back to Capeside after a whole, blissfully carefree summer, Pacey took the hardest fall. He was about to drop out of high school because of his grades. After being told so he escaped to the one place that served him as a save place over the summer. And he thought about running again. That was where Dawson found him late at this very night. He began digging at this special Dawson-way of his and Pacey finally opened up to him at length, because really, what choice did he have. His friend listened careful and then shrugged casually. 'Okay man. Let's show them all! You won't drop out of school, I promise.' Dawson said while sipping on his beer on the deck of the True Love in the warm summer nights breeze. 'You and me - we'll go to college together.' Pacey had only chuckled and nodded. 'Yeah man, whatever you say.'
But what Pacey hadn't expected, was Dawson's sincerity. And so they had studied like hell this year. Pacey had evening classes and afterwards they had met at Dawson's and they studied through most of the nights. Pacey slept over at Dawsons regularly, so Gail wouldn't even ask if he would be there for breakfast, but wonder if he wasn't. They had barely seen any of their friends. It was only as they got their grades the next summer that Pacey realised he was second of the whole year. He remembered looking at principal Green and accusing him of making a fool of him, but Mister Green only smiled and shook his head. 'No, Pacey, I am a hundred percent serious here.'
'Wow, well… Thank you principal Green.' Pacey had said, totally stunned but the principal only chuckled.
'Don't thank me, thank yourself, Pacey. And let me tell you this. If you keep going like you did this year, there will be nothing that will hold you back from whatever dream it is that kept you going this year.' He remembered exiting the bureau and hugging the strange guy waiting in line. He just wanted to explode with joy. Pacey ran through the floors, picked some random girl up on his way, swirled her around and kissed her cheek, which made her blush an awesome shade of red. 'Dawson!' He yelled and continued his run until he found Dawson, Christy and Drue in the cafeteria. He literally jumped into their little group, interrupting whatever conversation they had and hugged them, kissed Christy on the mouth (What earned him the hottest night ever), jumped in the air, let out a shout of pure joy. 'I did it, man! I am second! Second, D!' He raised his fists and beamed at his friend. 'Well, congratulations, Pacey!' Dawson chuckled and his friends just rejoiced with him. He remembered Dawson's eyes shining with pride and joy as he patted his shoulder. 'See, I told you. You can achieve everything!'
Even his parents acknowledged him since then. Dawson and Pacey now often studied at Pacey's house too and so came, that Dawson dated Gretchen. And even if Pacey found the sister-best friend-constellation weird to say the least, he was just glad that his life was smooth and straight for the first time in his life.
They graduated senior year Dawson first and Pacey second of the year and now they were here. Pacey had been granted scholarship. The both of them were about to study medicine.
Drue went to college in New York, Christy and Henry studied journalism in Boston and Andie went to Paris for some time off, after it turned out she couldn't tie on her performance at school after her break down in sophomore year. Pacey went sailing a few weeks this summer all by his own. He needed some alone time to let it all sink in. And he had to admit, beautiful girls were to be found in every city. But the main reason he went alone, was because Dawson and Gretchen were off for a romantic road trip of their own. The group of friends agreed to meet up again for Thanksgiving in Capeside, if nothing would come in the way.
As Pacey was done unpacking he slumped down on his bed and let his eyes wonder around the room. 'Man, Dawson, I still can't believe we're really here.'
'Believe it Pace.' Dawson sat beside him. 'You did it! And I'm so, so proud of you. I mean, look at you!' And he did. Pacey stood and stepped in front of the mirror. His skin sun tained, his chest muscular from spending the last few weeks on the open sea and from doings lots of sports to get his head clear after studying. A little beard on his chin made him look even more masculine, his short hair suited him well too. He looked nothing like the guy he once was. He had grown up in the best possible way. He had managed to end up here, with his best friend by his side and it felt just so damn good. It felt right and … Brilcredious!
'Damn right, Pacey!' Dawson stepped beside him and squeezed his friends shoulder. 'Believe it, because this is reality. This is your life now and you won't screw it.'
'Thanks man!' Pacey turned and looked at Dawson. 'I wouldn't be here, if it wasn't for you, really. Thank you for having faith in me.'
'Nothing to thank me for, Pace. I did nothing, you wouldn't have done for me for the matter of fact.'
'Damn right you are.' Pacey smiled. 'And now, let's go have a shower and get dressed, there are girls to be charmed.' He put of his shirt and disappeared into the bathroom.
Dawson laughed. 'I think, some things might never change...'
Pacey plonked his head out of the bathroom door. 'Me charming girls?' Pacey winked at his friend. 'Yeah, this will never change I guess, nor would I like it to.' With this he pulled the door close and stepped under the warm water jet. Oh, but he liked it here already. Yeah, it would be a whole lot of work and studying, but there would be time for girls as well and for fun. Ahh, and the girls he'd seen as they arrived earlier promised some great adventures.
'Pacey.. Pacey are you done in there?' Dawson knocked on the door a few minutes later and Pacey got out of the shower, tied a towel around his waist and opened the door soaking wet and dripping water all over the bathroom floor. 'Shower is set and ready for you man.'
Dawson just chuckled at his friend. 'Man, Pacey. You are just the clown you've always been.'
'Maybe.' Pacey grinned impishly. 'But a high achieving one, for the matter of fact. And you like me nonetheless.' He winked and began to dry himself while Dawson stepped into the shower.
Pacey dressed in a black shirt with a wide neck opening and a pair of jeans, he matched his outfit with a pair of sneakers and looked at his picture in the mirror thoroughly satisfied. He couldn't see anything standing between him and his next adventure tonight.
A good half hour later they entered a great hall. It was hugely crowded. Music filled the room and most people were dancing. Pacey looked around the room and his eyes zoomed in on a brown haired girl, dressed in a fir green neckholder shirt, a very tight black jeans matched with brown high heels. Her shoulder long hair flowed in soft waves around her beautiful face and as she laughed at some joke the guy next to her made it took Pacey's breath away. He found himself totally stunned at her sight, he just wasn't able to get his eyes off of her. Man, she was beautiful. And he could feel his stomach made this funny whooping thing it last did by the time he met Andie. And Pacey decided, that guy beside her was far too old for her, he was handsome without question, with his pale blue shirt and bluejeans, but his short dark hair had strands of gray in it and his chinbeard too.
'Pacey?' He blinked in surprise as Dawson punched him playfully in the side while he chuckled at him. 'Are you at least listening?'
'What?' Pacey forced his eyes off that girl and back to his friend. 'Woah, there… Honestly?' Pacey grinned sheepish. 'No, I was not listening, sorry D man. But look at that girl!' And he accentuated the word 'girl'. 'God, she's breathtaking!'
Dawson let his eyes wander through the room, catching none specific girl but he nodded nonetheless, knowing that a discussion would be senseless either way. 'Well, Pace, I'm sure she is. But what about some drink?'
Pacey looked back but couldn't find her anymore and so he nodded his agreement, trying to hide his disappointment over losing her in the crowd. 'Well good than, lets go get something to drink!'
They ordered each a beer and watched the people dance and flirt. Pacey leaned against the counter casually, his back against the bar, one elbow there as well. He held his beer in one hand and bantered with Dawson as per usual. His eyes wandered through the room and every now and then he would get a glimpse of her, but she was followed around by this elderly man. Oh, but beside of that, he could get accustomed with life at dorms. There were quite a few very stunning girls and life just felt so carefree and featherlight. Just as he saw her again, suddenly a blond girl stumbled into Pacey.
'Hey there, sweetheart.' He grinned as he catched her gentleman-like and giving her his warmest smile, causing Dawson to chuckle. 'Everything okay there lady?'
'Yeah, yeah, everything's just peachy boys.' She laughed with sparkling blue eyes. She giggled, clearly with a little too much alcohol in her blood. 'I just wanted to order one more drink.' She cleared her throat only to burst into laughter again and Pacey raised a suspicious brow.
'Yeah, I'm sure you wanted to.' He turned to Eddie the bartender, a handsome brown haired guy. 'Hey, Ed. One glass of water for...' He turned to the girl. 'What's the name?'
'Jen, but...' She held a hand up in protest but Pacey turned his attention back to Eddie.
'For sweet innocent, clearly drunk, Jen here.'
Eddie nodded and handed him the water instantly. 'Here you go man.'
'Let's get you seated here.' Pacey stepped aside and sat her onto a bar stool.
'But I didn't want a water, I wanted...' She looked at Pacey with a clearly drunken gaze and the most enchanting pout Pacey had ever seen. But he just grinned at her.
'Yeah, I'm pretty sure you wanted something with more alcohol, than this blissful water provides, but let me assure you, Jen, this is the best choice for you right now.' He looked her deep in the eyes and found her pouting even more defiant. 'And what do you know about good and bad choices Mr. Blue Eyes?'
Her stubbornness made him laugh, he already liked her, she was some kind of kindred spirit. He patted her shoulder friendly. 'I know enough about attending class with a hangover to know you don't want this on your first day in Harvard in the morning.' He charmed and Dawson laughed at his friend's ability to sell water for wine.
'Well… good point!' Jen nodded while sipping clearly annoyed on her water. 'So what brings such a painfully chilly, funny and charming guy like yourself to a stoic place like this?'
'My best friend here, for the matter of fact.' He smiled a warm smile at Dawson, who blushed. 'The name's Pacey by the way.'
'And what kind of a name is Pacey?' She asked, causing Dawson to laugh even harder.
'Well, I like you already. Name's Dawson.' He said, grinning at the girl.
'Okay, now I get the feeling you guys are joking with me. Dawson and Pacey? Are you serious?' She looked from one of them to the other and back, Pacey was laughing out loud at the somewhat hurt expression on his friends face. 'And why the hell did I give you two my actual name?'
'Because we did too?' Dawson offered and Jen shrugged.
'Well than. Maybe I will just call you...' She pointed at Dawson: 'Colby and you….' She took a moment to think it over. 'Petey.' She stated pleased, causing Pacey to laugh and Dawson to frown. 'What are the two of you about to study here?'
'Medicine.' They said in one go, causing both of them to grin.
'Wow, don't do this, guy's. It messes with my head.' Jen frowned and held one hand on her forehead, while making a face like she got the worst kind of headache.
'But studying medicine at Harvard is nothing this extraordinary...' Dawson defended and Jen burst into laughter, clearly less drunk than she had appeared to be.
'Not studying med, but saying things at the same time. It's just….' She gave a dismissive wave. '...kind of weird.'
Pacey grinned. 'We'll try, but it's kind of hard, given that we grew up together.' He gave Dawson a friendly punch in the side only to return his whole attention back at this funny blond girl. 'So, what about you? What are you about to study?'
'Medicine.' She said, grinning. 'like my father and his father and so forth. Given there is no unfortunate son I get the honour.' She shrugged and grinned. 'But after meeting Colby and Petey, it seems not as bad a choice as it had as I arrived here this morning...'
Pacey was about to call her on it, as his eyes catched a glimpse of brown hair passing him by, alone this time.
'Excuse me guys, I'll be back in a minute...' With this he left.
He followed her just to find she disappeared in the ladies room. 'Crap!' He cursed, but decided just to wait for her outside. He put his hands in his pockets and waited a moment.
As she reappeared he stepped in her way.
'Hi...' He smiled at her and she raised a suspicious brow.
'Can I help you with something?' She asked with the most tuneful voice and the sweetest frown Pacey had ever seen. And he found himself staring at her until he realized that she waited for him to answer.
'Well… As a matter of fact...' He cleared his throat. 'I wanted to help you?'
'You?' She grinned lopsided while raising a brow at him and it made his heart skip a beat. '...wanted to help me? And with what? Easing my libido?' She asked bluntly, making him flush and he couldn't deny she was exactly the kind of girl he'd searched for.
'Quenching your desire I would most gratefully do, but...' His voice was croaky and he rushed the words.
'But now you've just realized, that the floor wouldn't be as comfortable as you thought it would be and the wall isn't what you thought of either?' She teased him, clearly making fun of him and he found himself speechless for the first time in his life. What was it about her bluntness?
'Actually, I was referring to the eldery man that followed you around all night...' Pacey managed to say as he felt his arousal rising. Man he would love to lay this girl. And the wall didn't sound like the worst idea, if she was to ask him.
'The eldery man…?' She asked with a smirk in her voice.
'Yeah, he is clearly to old for you, and...'
She nodded. 'If you say so.' She smiled impishly and walked past him. 'You clearly know best.' He followed her outside, wanted to respond something, made her stay with the charme that usually came so naturally to him, but she was gone.
'Fuck!' He cursed feeling defeated. Never before had a woman made him lose this badly, but frankly, it made her even more appealing.
A moment later he saw her passing Dawson and Jen. She stopped and said something before disappearing into the crowd.
Pacey blushed and straightened his shirt, before joining Dawson and Jen at the bar once more, grabbing his beer and drank a few deep gulps. Than he felt Dawson's eyes on him and 'I wouldn't have given you credit for this...' Jen gave a respectful whistle.
Pacey looked at Dawson who raised a brow. 'Pacey man, that was a quick one...'
Pacey didn't know what to respond, as he saw the girl once more through the people. It was as if his eyes naturally zoomed in on her. She stood again with this man, but as if she felt his eyes on her, she turned her head so she could look over her shoulder to meet his eyes. Her hair framed her beautiful face just perfect as she smiled and winked at him before she turned back to the conversation she had. Pacey chuckled deeply and looked back at Dawson.
'Well, a man has to do what a man has to do...'
'Clearly.' Jen laughed and the three of them got back to bicker and banter the night away.
The next day they sat in class. It was burning hot outside and way into evening. Pacey had the feeling his head was about to burst with all the information they had got so far, but there was this last class before he could finally call it a day. Not that he would, because he had to go to the library and fetch some books and study, because he was pretty sure, would he not begin to study today, he would fall behind faster than he could say it.
The whole thing was a lot more fun with Dawson and Jen and the three of them made a rather good team. They connected hugely the night before, but even more so over the day they'd spent sharing classes. And Jen keeping up her nicknames for the guy's made it feel like they knew each other since high school.
Now they waited for the professor. In the plan he was referred to as the "luminary in the field of oncology R&D", had a doctor title, published at least three revolutionary and highly important medicine textbooks in his field of work and was senior physician at the Massachusetts General Hospital, where he teached the Harvard students as well.
And then the door opened and Pacey starred for a moment, before sinking deeper into his chair as if to disappear behind his desk.
Entering the room was she, the girl he hit on yesterday night. She wore a formal black dress, high heels and glasses (Which made her even more appealing), her hair was held in a straight updo. God, but she would be the death of him.
'Isn't that the girl...' Jen hissed but Pacey shushed her with a single gaze and Dawson chuckled.
'He had something with our english teacher in junior year.' Dawson hissed in Jen's ear. 'He's got a thing for elderly woman, or so it seems...' Dawson grinned, Pacey blushed and Jen began to giggle as she looked between their professor, Pacey and Dawson back and forth.
'Ladies and gentlemen.' Her voice cut the mutters out. 'If you're finished whispering, I like to introduce myself. The name is Professor Josephine Potter. And before anyone asks, I'm born in 1974, so everybody do a quick math.' She turned to write her name on the whiteboard. Pacey did and raised a brow. '29… man, she's an overachiever!' He whispered, causing Jen to giggle and Dawson to shush her down as the professor turned back to class.
'I am, as you've surely read, head phyiscian in our university teaching hospital. So each of you who choose to study in this class, will have to deal with me there sooner or later. I did lots of research in the fields of pain thearpy, but my main field of work is onkology. As you might have heard, or not for the matter of fact, I am one of the most demanding professors here. I won't tolerate anything besides your full attention. I'm aware, that it's six-thirty in the evening, but honestly, if you want to be good in this job, this won't be the latest you'll have to work.' She looked around, her eyes caught Pacey's and he could have sworn he saw a shine go thruogh them but it was gone as fast as it came, if it had been there at all. 'And a surgery has to be done with the same attention and accuracy wether it's at eight in the morning, at five in the evening or in the middle of the night. And it dosen't matter if you're up for two or twentyfour hours, if you slept well or if it had been late the night before. There will be lifes in your hands, ladies and gentlemen, and I recomment you listen carefully and study with the most devoted seriousness right from the start.' She smiled lopsided and took a deep breath. 'Now, that is settled, let's get started.' She paused. 'And we'll attatch the lost time at the end, naturally.' She switched on her laptop and began full ninety minutes of the most compact lessons they had the whole day. As she was finished she looked over her exausted students. 'I'm sure, those of you I see next time will stick with me for the rest of the semester, those of you who want to drop this class, please make an appointment with the office.' She waited a moment. 'Oh, and before I forget. If you like to collect extra points, I have an intresting article here, I'd like your professional point of view on it until next week. With refrences and your own well-grounded opinion.' She placed a bundle of papers on her desk. 'See you all next week or on thursday, if anyone of you is interested in my work. There'll be lecture of my latest research.'
With this she left the room and the papers on the desk.
Dawson looked at Pacey who watched the woman leave, absolutely stunned by her.
'Well, Pacey, you got yourself some big fish there, now haven't you?'
Pacey couldn't answer. He stared at the slowly closing door. Cursing silently under his breath, while he walked downstairs, grabbing three papers and handed each of his friends one of them..
'Let's go guy's, fetch us some books.' He winked and was out of the room in a heart beat.
Jen shot Dawson an unbelieving look. 'Has he always been like this?'
Dawson laid his arm around her shoulder, leading her out of the classroom. 'No Jen, he was the underdog himself, used to spent more time skipping classes than actually attending them.'
'And what made him change into this…. this….'
Dawson tousled her hair in a friendly manner. 'A broken heart.' He shrugged. 'And me, I guess…' He winked. 'Didn't want to go to college without him, wouldn't be half as much fun.'
She beamed at him and leaned her head against his shoulder. 'Damn right you are, Colby.'
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