A/N: I LOVE Dawson's Creek and what do I love even more? Dawson and Gretchen!

Disclaimer: Not Mine....poo :(

Fourteen year old Gretchen Witter was walking through Capeside, her walkman blasting Elvis Costello at an ear splitting decibal. She kicked a stone on the road, she saw Dawson Leery's house a few yards away. She stood for a minute, she considered Dawson to be a friend, even if he was supposed to be her little brother's best friend. Gretchen thought for a moment, maybe I could drop by, I mean Pacey loves this place, he always comes home in a better mood, maybe it'd work for me too. She walked down the Leery's driveway and saw a ladder leading up to the roof, all of Capeside knew that ladder belonged to Joey Potter, well it didn't belong to her, but it was pretty exclusively for her use only. Gretchen rested her hands on her hips and looked up at the window leading to Dawson's room. She pulled her scrunchie off her wrist and pulled her hair up, her bangs were finally long enough she could pull it all back.

She sighed and started climbing up the rungs of the ladder. Gretchen stepped lightly onto the roof, she felt like she was invading a special club. Gretchen paused outside the room when she heard Dawson talking to Joey, she was about to turn around and go when she heard her name.

"You LOVE Gretchen Witter?!" Eleven year old Josephine Potter exclaimed.

"Sssh!" She heard Dawson exclaim, Gretchen slid to a sitting position on the roof, trying to catch her breath, Dawson Leery, DAWSON LEERY loved her?!

"What it's not like Mitch and Gail are listenin'!" Joey said and Gretchen could almost hear the eye roll, "Now answer my question."

"Yes. I'm in love with Gretchen Witter." Dawson sighed.

"IN love with?!" Joey expressed verbally the exact sentiment that Gretchen had been thinking. Sure Gretchen knew that Dawson had a crush on her, but she had been sure he just liked her cause that would annoy the crap out of Pacey.

"JOEY!" Dawson exclaimed out of embarassment.

"Sorry... in love with!?" Joey whispered harshly.

"Yes."

"Dawson you're eleven."

"Almost twelve." Dawson said offensively.

"So? She's almost fifteen!" Joey replied.

"And your point is?" Dawson asked her, Gretchen was trying to control her breathing at that moment, no one had ever said they loved her besides her family and here Dawson Leery was proclaiming to the girl down the creek that he was IN love with her. Gretchen felt faint.

"So... it's weird." Joey said in a tone that could only be described as jealous.

"No it's not. Bogey was twenty five years older then Bacall." Dawson said.

"You're comparing this to Bogey and Bacall?" Joey asked.

"I love her Joey. PLEASE don't tell Pacey. He has such a big mouth and I would be so embarrassed if Gretch knew. God knows she doesn't love me back." Dawson said.

"Alright." Joey relented and Gretchen got up, her legs felt like jello as she made her way down the ladder.

Gretchen was walking back up the driveway trying to process it all, when someone grabbed her shoulder and spun her around, "Gretchen? What are you doing here?" Dawson asked, a look of terror on his face.

"Oh, I was looking for Pacey, but uh Grams said he had just left or something." Gretchen told him.

"Oh. Okay. You want something to hang out with me and Joey?" Dawson offered.

"Uhm no thanks Dawson, I'll see you around though." Gretchen said and gave him a mega-watt smile.

"Alright." Dawson forced himself not to be disappointed, "Hey Gretch?"

"Yeah?" Gretchen looked him in the eye.

"High school is gonna be a great. You're gonna do fine. Don't let Pacey or Doug or Carrie tell you it's gonna be horrible. They're idiots."

Gretchen let out a breathy chuckle, "Thanks Dawson. I needed that."

Dawson shrugged, "Catchya later Witter." He said and sprinted off down the yard to the dock to meet Joey at the boat.

When Gretchen fell asleep that night, her thoughts were filled with a fair haired overly optomistic boy.