Chapter 4-
By Dannette Lawrence
Summary: Things start to get even more stickier when Jen gets involved with the Dawson and Joey situation.
Pacey blinked but he didn't dare to tear his gaze away from Joey
and Dawson, he didn't want to miss one thing… one facial expression… one
giggle… one smile. God she was really laughing; when he had seen her last
she was crying, begging for him to come back, not to leave her and now
one day later she was laughing and smiling, a version of the old Joey Potter…
the one that was always rolling her eyes and laughing at something Dawson
Leery was saying; Pacey hadn't seen that Joey Potter for a long time, he
had thought that the old Joey Potter was gone forever but today he saw
the old Joey Potter and she was beautiful… yes she was beautiful and Dawson
was the cause of her beauty. Pacey had always knew that a huge part of
Joey would always love Dawson but until what he was witnessing now… a smiling
Joey who was rolling her eyes about something… he didn't know how right
he was, it wasn't just a little part of Joey that belonged to Dawson, it
was a huge part that belonged to him, she had always belonged to him and
he knew that, he had always hoped things would of changed over time but
he knew he could never make her smile the way he did. Dawson always
knew how to make Joey smile the biggest smile, he always knew how to make
her laugh so hard until her brown eyes would tear up, he knew how to make
her roll her eyes and then laugh it off, he knew how to make her jump out
of her skin over the stupidest things… Dawson knew how to make Joey… well
he knew how to make her be herself… Dawson knew how to make her happy…
not him. He wasn't the one that made Joey happy and that hurt beyond words,
for the past few months he had tried everything to get Joey to be happy,
to laugh the way she was laughing right now and he had failed miserably,
he hated the power Dawson had over her, why did Dawson have to be the one
that made her happy? Why couldn't he be that special guy for her? Why couldn't
he be the one that could know what she was thinking by just staring into
her brown eyes? Why couldn't he be the one that knew the mood of her smiles?
Why couldn't he be what Dawson was and still is to her?
"I've suddenly lost my appetite"
Pacey's voice seemed so little and alone, he turned to Jack and
Jen who had advanced their gazes at Pacey. Pacey pushed himself up and
grabbed his tray and threw it in the garbage can on his way out of the
cafeteria.
Jack and Jen watched after Pacey sadly; Jen shook her head. This
was so like Dawson and Joey; they realize that they're still in love with
each other while everyone else got the short end of the stick and their
hearts broken. Jen knew all too well how it was to have her heart broken
by Joey and Dawson; she knew it too well. She had loved Dawson, she had
loved him more then she had let on and for a while she had Dawson's attention
but she knew it was more then friends with Joey and god she was 100% right.
She was the one who showed Dawson who he was really in love with and damn
it she hated that she had to be that person for him… just the friend. Jen
had done everything to get Dawson Leery back but even when Joey wasn't
his girlfriend he loved her, Dawson loved Joey with all the strength in
his heart… all his dazed lovesick puppy dog looks were for her, his goofy
grins were for her, his creative romance plans were for her… everything
Dawson Leery had was for Joey Potter.
"If we think things are complicated right now wait until they declare
their love for each other… now that will be a hoot"
Jack stared at Jen as she threw a dirty look towards Joey and Dawson;
Jack shook his head and looked down at his tray of school cafeteria food.
Jack was Jen's friend but what Jen didn't understand at times was that
he was also Joey's friend. Actually he was Joey's friend first, when he
had thought everyone had given up on him and was ashamed of him Joey Potter
proved him wrong. She could have yelled at him when he told her he was
gay, she could of screamed and told him to walk out of her life and never
come back, she could of hit him and said she was ashamed to look at him
and that he disgusted her but she didn't… she smiled at him, she said thank
you and she loved him no matter what he did.
"You can't control love… love controls you"
Jack's voice was a whisper but it had reached Jen's ears.
"Dawson Leery you are not funny!!"
Joey threw a rolled up napkin at Dawson as she continued to laugh;
the laughter had finally calmed down and Joey was wiping away tears of
laughter that had spilled out of her eyes as she and Dawson were having
their laughter fit. Dawson smiled and finished the last bite of his sandwich
and looked up from his brown paper bag, which his eaten lunch was in and
stared at Joey. After all the events of last 2 days she was still beautiful
as ever… her hair was gently lying against her slender shoulders, her face
was glowing and when she smiled… things didn't seem so complicated anymore.
Dawson looked away from Joey and looked at the oval cream-colored clock
that hung on the school cafeteria's wall and groaned.
"Great… Science class awaits… ugh"
Joey smirked as her and Dawson walked over to the big blue garbage
can and threw their remaining garbage in the garbage can and proceeded
to walk out of the cafeteria.
"The only reason you hate science class so much is because that's
the only class you aren't passing with flying colors"
Dawson pushed Joey.
"Well excuse me… I'm not the perfect student like you Jo"
Joey rolled her eyes.
"Well no one can be perfect"
"Except you right?"
Joey looked at Dawson.
"Yeah I'm the exception"
"Uh huh sure Josephine"
Joey glared at Dawson.
"Take it back, no one calls me that"
"Not taking it back, sorry"
"I warned you"
Dawson saw the look on Joey's face and took off running to science
class with her shortly behind him.
Joey laughed as she walked past science class; she threw Dawson a
look and smirked when he returned the look. Joey smiled but then remembered
that she was already late for history class.
"Great"
Joey took off running, she slid around a corner and stopped running
and walked in history class calmly.
"I'm so sorry Mr. Turner… girl problems"
Mr. Turner, the history teacher, arched his eyebrows but nodded
and motioned for Joey to just take a seat as he went back to the chalkboard,
writing something down with the squeaky white chalk.
"Hey Jo, saved you a seat"
Joey looked over at Jack and smiled at him and sat down next to
him and threw her backpack to the floor, she let out a very tired and aggravated
sigh and turned to Jack.
"Hey how was the survival thing?"
Jack shrugged and then sufficed out a laugh.
"Very horrible. I had to have my dad come and get me"
Joey laughed.
"How are you? I heard you and Pacey are no longer going out"
Joey blanched for a second; before Jack would be the first one to
know about her and Pacey's breakup, she would of called him and gave him
all the details but it was no surprise that they had grown apart ever since
he became friends with Jen.
"Better then I was last night. Dawson---"
Joey stopped talking when she saw Jack arch his eyebrows.
"What?"
Jack arched his eyebrows up higher.
"Dawson huh? What are you and our blonde friend calling yourselves
lately? Just friends? Platonic?"
Joey swatted at Jack.
"What about you and Toby?"
Jack made a face.
"He invited me to go to bowling tonight, but I had to say no, I
have no partner and I am definitely not brining Jen"
Joey smirked.
"Well take me then"
"You don't know how to bowl"
"I'll learn"
Jack hesitated for a second and then smiled big.
"Okay partner"
Joey and Jack stared at each other for the longest time before laughing
and turning their attention to their teacher.
"You are so telling me all the details tonight"
Joey rolled her eyes and then nodded.
"Okay but pay attention to the teacher, we'll get attention"
"All the details"
Joey nodded.
"I promise"
Dawson fidgeted in his seat; he really didn't want to be here, he
wanted to be out of class and in his room… with Joey. Dawson smirked; where
did that thought come from?
"Are you and Joey back together?"
Dawson looked up from his hands and stared at Jen who was sitting
next to him.
"What?"
Jen rolled her eyes.
"Are you and Joey back together?"
"None of your business"
Dawson turned away from a hurt Jen… why was he so offensive? It's
just a question Dawson told himself… just a question… yeah just a question
that changes everything.