Ok, so here's a new old story lol. It's a bit different and you with loathe Joey at times. Again, as always, trust me! Please review so I know if you guys like it or not!

It's T rating for now though the topics a bit mature so if it upsets you don't read. I may change the rating. This is nearly all written though I have a few more chapters to write:-) motivate me:-)

Need to know: they all met in college rather than at school. The rest should be self explanatory.

Chapter 1

He would be with her now. His lips pressed against hers. What was it about blonds that seemed to attract him? Not for the first time in her life she cursed her dark hair and features. But then again she didn't want to be like all those other girls. Not really.

She imagined them at dinner. The stupid girl would be all wide eyed as he discussed his latest project. Blah,blah, blah she'd heard it all before, he couldn't impress her that way. Not that she'd want to be impressed in such a manner.

'I know what you're thinking about,' Jen grinned broadly enjoying her roommates glare. 'And it's not my fault I'm blond.'

'You're different,' Joey rolled her eyes.

'How am I different?' Jen arched an inquisitive brow.

'I take it back you're not different, he was besotted by you too!' Joey huffed and then rumpled her friends hair affectionately.

'Maybe this one will end up being a good friend like me,' Jen suggested. Joey harrumphed,

'Firstly, best friend, not good friend and secondly you're unique so I seriously doubt it.'

'I don't know what you see in Dawson anyway,' Jen complained as she personally found the the guy to be something of a boring moaner.

'Oh you wouldn't understand,' Joey dug her spoon into the tub of ice cream.

'You're right I wouldn't,' Jen sighed. 'I don't know why you can't see that Dawson has changed since college. He's a little self-involved and kind of mean,' Jen cringed waiting for the backlash.

'Oh I know he's self-involved, don't you see that that's just it?' Joey stared at her friend as if she were mad,

'What's just it?' Jen dug her own spoon into the tub and ate a large mouthful of the chocolate ice cream.

'He used to be all about me - I was his everything!' Joey waved her spoon around as she elaborated, 'I was his soul mate, and so I wanna know what I did? What did I do that was so bad? Why'd he suddenly drop me?' Joey pouted petulantly and a touch theatrically while Jen almost spat out her ice cream with laugher. 'What?'

'You don't like him you just don't want him to stop liking you,' Jen giggled.

'Of course I like him - he's my soul mate,' Joey moaned, somewhat unconvincingly.

'You can move out if you keep saying things like that,' Jen swatted her friend with a cushion, both of them laughing.

'Hey guys,' Jack burst into the apartment and their tequila induced ramblings. 'Not again, please tell me not again,' he shook his head sorrowfully.

'What?' Jen and Joey turned on him defensively.

'You and Dawson,' Jack rolled his eyes and Jen giggled, 'And you and Drue,' he turned to Jen with a withered shake of his head, helping himself to tequila.

'We're allowed to wallow,' Joey told him drunkenly.

'I beg to differ - you guys love to wallow. Any excuse for ice cream and tequila.'

'We're alone and single not happily doing Pacey's brother,' Joey growled downing the rest of her drink and gesturing to Jen for more. Jack merely gave a smug smile as he thought about Doug.

'And where is Pacey?' Jen arched a delicate brow.

'Where do you think?'

'Off with a blond,' Joey pointed out as she wondered why the world was spinning.

'Off with a blond,' Jack confirmed.

'Figures,' Joey muttered. 'They're always blond.'

'Indeed they are,' Jen concurred sagely.

'Says you,' Jack teased refilling shot glasses with more tequila.

'Hey beautiful people,' with a swagger in his step Pacey entered the apartment. Surveying the scene he quickly decided that disaster had struck, either that or a very localised tornado. In the eye of the storm lay his three roommates, entangled with each other as they debated the colour of the ceiling.

'Pace,' all three seemed to sing in unison.

'I see I missed a high brow evening of philosophizing?' he flopped down next to Joey having missed her - he always missed her a little bit.

'Well settle the debate then oh wise one,' Jen poked him in the ribs.

'It's puce,' Pacey acknowledged.

'Thank you,' Joey drunkenly hugged him. Taking advantage of her drunkenness he held her a little longer than necessary ignoring the knowing look Jen shot in his direction.

'I maintain it's lily white,' Jack announced having well and truly made amends for Joey and Jens tequila head start.

'How was your blond Pacey?' Joey asked resting her head on his chest and her feet on Jack.

'Lovely,' Pacey acknowledged. Helen had been lovely. Lovely, but not Joey. 'I saw a certain someone while I was out,' he prodded Joey gently.

'What? Dawson? Where? Who was he with?' even as drunk as she was the questions tumbled out clearly.

'You know who he was with Jo,' Jack snorted tickling Jens feet.

'Aaaggh I hate that girl,' Joey groaned.

'It's only their second date and Audrey's not so bad,' Pacey didn't get it, the whole into Dawson thing. The guy wasn't much, especially not for a girl like Joey.

'But second leads to third, god they're practically married,' Joey sniffed in self-pity.

'Poor little you,' Pacey teased unsympathetically.

'Oh you wouldn't understand,' she pouted, squeezing his hip.

'I know I know, poor little Joey. Dawson chased you like a dog on heat and when you finally slept with him he buggered off - it's a terrible sob story. I mean the relationship was so deep...'

'He said he loved me,' Joey complained, unperturbed by Pacey's irritation and belittling of the situation.

'And did you love him?' Pacey asked wryly.

'Well I could have,' Joey answered delicately.

'If you ask me you had a lucky escape - the guy is an idiot,' Jack put in.

'He pursued me the entire way through college, I mean he was insistent...'

'We remember,' the other three chorused.

'Oh never mind, give me more tequila,' Joey grabbed the bottle forgoing lemon and salt.

'Seriously Jo, when are you going to let the whole Dawson thing go?' it was Jack that asked the question though the others were thinking it.

'It's not as simple as that,' Joey tried to explain.

'Yeah it is Jo,' Pacey took the bottle from her and took a large shot.

'That's my tequila,' Joey grumped and they wrestled for the bottle.

'Actually it's my tequila,' Jen informed them, plucking the bottle from their grappling hands.

Pacey walked into the open plan living area with a spring in his step. Placed on various pieces of furniture were his roommates, Jen lying prostate on the ottoman, Jack on the couch and Joey with her feet in the air lying on the seat of the comfy chair.

'And how's everyone this morning?' he asked in a cheerful and pointedly loud voice.

'All the worse for seeing you,' Joey grumbled.

'What did I do?' he feigned innocence.

'We all got drunk last night, how come you're so chipper?' Jack asked for Joey.

'I think you guys had a three hour head start on me,' Pacey grinned, 'thus I have the energy to make it to work on time.'

'Oh god work,' Jen groaned into the floor where her head was dangling.

'I don't start till lunch,' Jack muttered somewhat smugly as the door slammed behind Pacey.

'Does he always have to do that?' Joey grumbled.

'When he knows were hungover, yeah,' Jen replied.

'This is all your fault,' Joey informed her archly.

'How's that? I thought I was your best friend, unique and all that?'

'You bought the tequila and I'm supposed to be on shift in half an hour else the boss will kill me.'

'Just buy a large coffee on your way in,' Jen supplied helpfully.

'Thanks,' Joey was full of sarcasm as she manovered herself out of the chair and dragged herself along to her room to throw on a pair of jeans and shirt.

'Hope you break the case,' Jack and Jen called a few minutes later as she slammed the door unsympathetically on them.