Pacey lowered his head as he walked towards them desperately racking his brains for what to say.
"What happened to your hair?!" Jen blurted out when he reached them, it was the only thing in her head at that moment.
"You know if people keep reacting that way I'm gonna develop a complex". A little light humour to ease the tension he thought as he spoke.
All three laughed uncomfortably.
"Jack", he said and nodded.
"Pacey", Jack nodded back.
An awkward silence set in which Jen felt the need to break.
"So how've you been Pace? Good trip?"
"Yeah um, Good, I've been good the trip was, good".
"Good", she smiled lightly.
Think Pacey, think,
"So how about you two?"
"Oh erm, yeah, things are going pretty well actually. I'm still with Henry, although as of a week ago he now attends boarding school four hours away from here but we're coping". Jen gushed nervously.
"Oh", was all Pacey could manage in response.
"I'm fine too", Jack spoke up, getting on a lot better with my dad, and Andie's doing really well too".
"That's great", Pacey smiled in spite of himself. "And everyone else?" He paused, how's everyone else doing?"
Jen smiled sincerely knowing exactly whom 'everyone else' referred to.
"They're fine Pacey, doing well, everybody's good".
In the corner of his eye Pacey saw Gretchen walking further along the beach and decided he better catch up before he lost her.
"Well err", he paused again, "I'm glad I bumped into you".
"Yeah, you too", Jen replied. She became curious, "So, you here alone?"
"Actually, I'm here with my sister, don't ask". Pacey answered looking in her direction.
"Sister?" Jack asked.
"Yeah, she's taking some time out from college".
"Oh right".
"I'll introduce you some time but right now I gotta go", he said preparing to leave.
"Oh sure well I guess . . ."
He interrupted Jen mid-sentence,
"You'll see me around?"
"I'll call you", Jen said sounding a little put out, "it'd be good to catch up".
"Sounds god, okay, see ya later".
"Yeah see ya", Jen touched his arm gently as a sign of friendship.
"Later Pace", Jack added.
With that Pacey walked away. Jen and Jack turned back to the table.
"Well that wasn't all bad", Jack said watching Jen as she delved in her bag and pulled out the vodka. Immediately she opened it and began pouring into the plastic cups already half filled with cola. She clasped one in her hand and took a huge swig while Jack placed the bottle back into her bag. He took a sip of his drink and signalled for her to collect the remaining cups from the table as he did the same. They began walking.
"You do realise that if they see him this will turn into the evening from hell very quickly", Jen stated as she caught sight of Dawson and Joey just ahead.
"We better go warn them."
Andie and Damon had found a spot far enough away from the loud speakers and rowdy crowds to sit and talk in peace. There were a couple of further escapees from the madding crowd paddling in the water and a man and his dog passing by but apart from that they were alone. They sat side by side on grassy mound by the shoreline looking out to sea.
"So you're taking a year out before college?" Andie asked. He nodded, "but why on earth would you chose to spend it here?"
He smiled at her while he thought,
"I'm really not sure, I guess I wanted a change of pace. Living in the big city your whole life you begin to feel cramped and starved of oxygen. I was tired of the constant activity and longed for a little peace."
"So you wound up migrating to our little ghost town".
"Exactly".
"Well after living here for two years like I have, this place begins to lose its appeal but, some thing always comes along to keep things interesting".
Andie smiled at him suggestively.
"Well, right now I'm certainly glad I came along", he smiled back and took her hand in his.
"Me too", Andie looked downed blushing furiously.
"It's a beautiful little place", he said leaning into her, "with one or two stunning attractions".
Andie raised her head their faces were only inches apart.
"Such as?" She asked almost in a whisper.
"I'm looking at one right now", he whispered back. And with that they kissed.
"Hmm, hmm", Jack cleared his throat loudly.
Dawson and Joey tore their mouths apart and smiled sheepishly.
"Oh at last", Joey said sarcastically as Jen clambered into the boat.
"Yeah like you missed us", Jen said with an equally sarcastic tone.
"Here you go", Jack handed them their drinks.
"Thanks I'm parched", Dawson replied. He put the cup to his lips almost immediately and swallowed a huge mouthful. "What the?" He exclaimed knowing he'd just in taken something other than plain old coke.
"What?" Joey was curious and so took a sip of hers, "euw, what is this?"
"Vodka, we thought you might need it, you see", Jen paused, "where's Andie?"
"Long story, now explanation please!" Joey said shaking her cup in front of Jen's face.
"Drink up guys we've got something to tell you".
"What happened to your hair?!" Jen blurted out when he reached them, it was the only thing in her head at that moment.
"You know if people keep reacting that way I'm gonna develop a complex". A little light humour to ease the tension he thought as he spoke.
All three laughed uncomfortably.
"Jack", he said and nodded.
"Pacey", Jack nodded back.
An awkward silence set in which Jen felt the need to break.
"So how've you been Pace? Good trip?"
"Yeah um, Good, I've been good the trip was, good".
"Good", she smiled lightly.
Think Pacey, think,
"So how about you two?"
"Oh erm, yeah, things are going pretty well actually. I'm still with Henry, although as of a week ago he now attends boarding school four hours away from here but we're coping". Jen gushed nervously.
"Oh", was all Pacey could manage in response.
"I'm fine too", Jack spoke up, getting on a lot better with my dad, and Andie's doing really well too".
"That's great", Pacey smiled in spite of himself. "And everyone else?" He paused, how's everyone else doing?"
Jen smiled sincerely knowing exactly whom 'everyone else' referred to.
"They're fine Pacey, doing well, everybody's good".
In the corner of his eye Pacey saw Gretchen walking further along the beach and decided he better catch up before he lost her.
"Well err", he paused again, "I'm glad I bumped into you".
"Yeah, you too", Jen replied. She became curious, "So, you here alone?"
"Actually, I'm here with my sister, don't ask". Pacey answered looking in her direction.
"Sister?" Jack asked.
"Yeah, she's taking some time out from college".
"Oh right".
"I'll introduce you some time but right now I gotta go", he said preparing to leave.
"Oh sure well I guess . . ."
He interrupted Jen mid-sentence,
"You'll see me around?"
"I'll call you", Jen said sounding a little put out, "it'd be good to catch up".
"Sounds god, okay, see ya later".
"Yeah see ya", Jen touched his arm gently as a sign of friendship.
"Later Pace", Jack added.
With that Pacey walked away. Jen and Jack turned back to the table.
"Well that wasn't all bad", Jack said watching Jen as she delved in her bag and pulled out the vodka. Immediately she opened it and began pouring into the plastic cups already half filled with cola. She clasped one in her hand and took a huge swig while Jack placed the bottle back into her bag. He took a sip of his drink and signalled for her to collect the remaining cups from the table as he did the same. They began walking.
"You do realise that if they see him this will turn into the evening from hell very quickly", Jen stated as she caught sight of Dawson and Joey just ahead.
"We better go warn them."
Andie and Damon had found a spot far enough away from the loud speakers and rowdy crowds to sit and talk in peace. There were a couple of further escapees from the madding crowd paddling in the water and a man and his dog passing by but apart from that they were alone. They sat side by side on grassy mound by the shoreline looking out to sea.
"So you're taking a year out before college?" Andie asked. He nodded, "but why on earth would you chose to spend it here?"
He smiled at her while he thought,
"I'm really not sure, I guess I wanted a change of pace. Living in the big city your whole life you begin to feel cramped and starved of oxygen. I was tired of the constant activity and longed for a little peace."
"So you wound up migrating to our little ghost town".
"Exactly".
"Well after living here for two years like I have, this place begins to lose its appeal but, some thing always comes along to keep things interesting".
Andie smiled at him suggestively.
"Well, right now I'm certainly glad I came along", he smiled back and took her hand in his.
"Me too", Andie looked downed blushing furiously.
"It's a beautiful little place", he said leaning into her, "with one or two stunning attractions".
Andie raised her head their faces were only inches apart.
"Such as?" She asked almost in a whisper.
"I'm looking at one right now", he whispered back. And with that they kissed.
"Hmm, hmm", Jack cleared his throat loudly.
Dawson and Joey tore their mouths apart and smiled sheepishly.
"Oh at last", Joey said sarcastically as Jen clambered into the boat.
"Yeah like you missed us", Jen said with an equally sarcastic tone.
"Here you go", Jack handed them their drinks.
"Thanks I'm parched", Dawson replied. He put the cup to his lips almost immediately and swallowed a huge mouthful. "What the?" He exclaimed knowing he'd just in taken something other than plain old coke.
"What?" Joey was curious and so took a sip of hers, "euw, what is this?"
"Vodka, we thought you might need it, you see", Jen paused, "where's Andie?"
"Long story, now explanation please!" Joey said shaking her cup in front of Jen's face.
"Drink up guys we've got something to tell you".