Pam and Jim. Pam and Jim.

Those two were always together. They've known each other since they were in diapers pretty much. The two went everywhere together. They celebrated their birthdays together. They were always their bus seat buddy on field trips. They were the dynamic duo.

Pam always admired her friendship with Jim. He was always there for her whenever she needed him, and the same went both ways. Pam had been there for Jim through all the teasing his brothers put him through, plus whenever kids teased him for being taller than most kids their age.

They were the perfect duo. They were unstoppable.

That was until freshmen year.

Jim and Pam had defeated two years of junior high, and they were ready to set foot into high school. They weren't expecting to be the coolest kids, but they were excited for the new adventure coming their way. Neither Pam nor Jim could care less about popularity so they didn't expect to be selected by the jocks and preps to join their tables. It was unnatural. Instead, the two knew where they'd be.

They'd be sitting at their table coming up with new ways to tease fellow classmate Dwight. Dwight has always tried to undermine Jim and Pam for a while. Dwight was successful one year and convinced the teacher to separate the usual duo for a science project. The aftermath for Dwight was awful. No, the two don't bully him. Instead they may have convinced him once that the FBI was wanting to recruit him as their youngest agent.

That aside, the two were really excited for high school. But something else was weighing on Jim's mind.

-OFFICE-

It was a nice August day. A few days before the first day of their high school journey, Jim and Pam were laying in the grass in Jim's backyard. They had spent the entire summer getting into trouble. And by trouble it was just going to the swimming at the pool, going to their favorite diner and getting so much food, riding their bikes, and so on.

Pam glanced at Jim. He looked so teased, possibly nervous.

Pam rolls on her side and looks at him, "Nervous about school?" She asks.

Jim looks at her. He only gave her a face. To which just didn't give Pam the answer she wanted, so she nudged him.

"Come on, Halpert." Pam says, "High school won't be that bad."

Jim was being nudged more and more by Pam, to which it left him starting to laugh a little at Pam's behavior. Jim rolled over on his side to look at Pam.

"I'm not worried about high school, Pam." Jim assures her.

Pam rolls her eyes, "You're worried about something. I can tell." She tells him.

Jim gives Pam a small smile, "How do you know something is wrong?" He teased.

Pam sits up, "Jim, I've known you for my entire life-,"

"I mean sort of," Jim adds.

"Jim, you're my longest friend. We've practically known each other all our lives and we're only fifteen." Pam says, "We've seen each other at our best and worst. So I know, right now, there is something wrong."

Jim sits up now. Him and Pam was just sitting in the cool grass while the sunny spot they were once laying at is covered in shade. Jim glanced from Pam to the grass.

"Okay," Jim says, "Yeah you're right, Pam. There is something bothering me."

Pam grins, "Ah ha! I knew it!" She exclaims.

Jim glanced at her, "But- But it's not big deal." He says, "It's not important."

Pam frowns, "Not important? Jim, what is it?"

Jim shakes his head, "No- No. I don't want to talk about it, Pam. Because if I say what I feel, it'll ruin everything." He says.

The frown remains on Pam's face. She moved over to sit closer to Jim, he was tensed. Pam placed a hand on her best friend's shoulder and looked at him with worry.

"Jim, whatever it is, won't change a damn thing." Pam assures him, "We're best friends."

Jim then locks eyes with her.

"That's the problem," Jim says with a sad smile.

Pam looks at him confused, "What's the problem? We're friends is the problem?"

Jim ran his hand through his hair. He seemed annoyed by Pam not understand, but in her defense she wasn't sure what Jim was referring to.

"Jim, just explain it to me." Pam says.

Jim glanced back at her, "I like you, Pam."

Pam smiles, "And the problem is what exactly? I like you too." She says.

Jim frowns, "Pam," He says seriously, "I like you."

The way and the tone in Jim's voice was enough. Enough for Pam to understand Jim's anxieties on telling her right now what was on his mind.

Pam then chuckled, "You're kidding right?" She asks, "You don't like me like me, right?"

When Jim didn't answer her or look at her, Pam got her answer. Pam froze. She never pictured in a million years she'd be having this conversation with Jim. Sure, they were close friends. Close friends like Joey and Dawson from the show Dawson's Creak but they weren't going to turn into a couple, weren't they?

"Jim," Pam says.

Jim looks at her, "I- I guess I've liked you for a long time, Pam. I just assumed that is what being a friend was, caring about someone in the way I cared for you, but- but I don't feel the same way to my other friends that I feel about you." He says.

Pam stands up, "Alright." She says, "This is a lot."

Jim stands up too, "I'm sorry."

Pam looks at him, "Why did you tell me this?" She asks.

Jim frowns, "You needed to know."

Pam shakes her head, "No I didn't, Jim." She says, "We aren't going to be a couple because that's not us. We're not in some sappy Rom-Com. We're just best friends."

Jim kicks the grass, "Maybe to you, but not to me." He says.

Pam shakes her head again, "I- I can't, Jim. No. I can't."

Jim looks at her, "Why?" He asks, "Just explain why?"

Pam looks at him.

"I at least deserve a reason," Jim says.

Pam frowns, "Because you're Jim Halpert. You're not my knight in shining armor. You're my best friend. I've told you secrets I've never told my mom. I bitched to you about my ex boyfriend all last year," She says.

Jim frowns and looks down.

"I'm sorry," Pam says, "Maybe we can still be friends?"

Jim looks at her, "Uh- um yeah," He looks away frowning.

Pam and Jim both felt awkward in different ways. Pam felt awkward about the situation and Jim was just wishing he never decided to tell Pam. He stuffed his hands into his pockets and looked up at her.

"So," Pam says, "Um-,"

Jim looks away, "I think you should get going," He says, "My mom left a list of chores for me to do and I haven't started them yet."

Pam wasn't sure if that was the truth or not, but instead decided to let it slide. Jim was probably very embarrassed, which is what Pam assumed so it was no wonder he wanted to be alone right now.

Pam nods, "Alright." She says, "Wanna hang out tomorrow?"

Jim shrugs, "Maybe," He says.

Pam nods again forcing a smile, "Okay. Um- bye, Jim."

Jim looks at her, "Bye, Pam."

Pam walked out of Jim's backyard and got to his front yard where her bike had been parked. She climbed onto the bike and rode off down the street in the direction of home. All she wanted to do was pretend that never happened, but she knew Jim. It was going to be awkward between them now.

-OFFICE-

Pam did exactly what Jim had asked. He wanted some space. He needed to sort through being rejected. She knew how he felt when he is rejected, she saw him be rejected by a girl in their class last year and it didn't end well. Jim locked himself in his room, paced back and forth to music and tried to figure out what was wrong with him.

But despite Pam giving him space, Jim hadn't reached out.

Pam wasn't sure if she should, but then thought it might make things worst so instead decided to just lay low for a while. She had ended her summer, much like Jim's, as uneventful.

Well, sort of uneventful.

"Pam Beesly?" A voice called out.

Pam was hanging out at the arcade, by herself, sort of hoping Jim would show up. It was one of their usual spots to hang out.

Pam glanced from the Pac-Man machine she was at, "Roy Anderson?"

Roy had a smile on his face, "Yeah, um hey."

Roy had been in the same class as Pam for as long as she could remember. They worked together for their seventh grade science project when Dwight managed to convince their teacher to pull Jim and Pam apart.

Roy stepped over, "I didn't expect to find you here alone." He says, "Where's Halpert?"

Pam shakes her head, "I don't know." She says frowning, "We haven't talked much lately."

To Pam, Roy looked concerned.

"What happened?" Roy asks.

Pam frowns, "Things are just a bit awkward," She says.

Roy leaned against the arcade machine and tilt his head at her, "You know, Pam, you can always tell me if you wanted? I am a great listener."

Pam had a small smile escape her lips, "Thanks, Roy, but I don't want to get into it."

Roy nods and says, "I understand, but how about we play a few games since we're here together?" He suggest, "No mentioning of Halpert one bit."

Pam looks at Roy and gives him a bigger smile, "Okay."

-OFFICE-

And it just changed after that. After that one interaction with Roy Anderson. Turns out right when school started, Jim was ready to talk to Pam again. He was ready to just pretend he never confessed to her, but when he went to meet her at her house before school, her mom told Jim she left with another boy.

That entire day felt like Jim was sent to another dimension. Sure, Dwight was still Dwight, but Pam wasn't Pam. At least she wasn't the Pam Beesly he knew. She walked the halls with future football star, Roy Anderson. She even held his hand.

Something about that angered Jim beyond belief. The girl he had confessed to denied him what he wanted from her, only to then start dating a guy she never really talked to.

That entire school year changed Jim and Pam.

The two drifted into their own social groups. Pam becoming popular because of Roy's status and Jim being easily forgotten, not that Jim hated being ignored. Pam was surrounded by so many new friends, because of Roy. While, Jim was left to make friends with the other social outcast. Jim wasn't desperate enough to try and befriend Dwight, instead he settled on two students he shared a few classes with, Andy and Karen.

After the first day of their freshmen year, neither Pam or Jim talked to each other.

Until their senior year.