The nice and windy autumn afternoon served as their backdrop as Pacey walked Kelly home. It was a very hectic week for their "relationship". It took a lot of convincing but finally their friends believed them. Kelly was fitting in very well with the group. And Pacey was glad. He really missed having her around. He still had a lot of questions about her life in New York, her Dad, and why she stopped visiting five years ago. Even though her previous visits were short, he enjoyed them a lot.
"So," Kelly started as she caught a flying leaf with her gloved hands and closed her eyes.
"What are you doing?" She always does stuff that amaze him. It's like she lives in a parallel universe wherein her weird habits are considered normal. Like now. Every afternoon, while they walk to her house, she would catch a leaf and close her eyes, mumbling something under her breath, then smile and blow the leaf away. He thought it was a one-time thing but she's done it for the hundredth time now.
She opened her eyes and blew the leaf away. Smiling contentedly, she asked, "What?"
"That."
She shrugged and shoved her hands into her pants' pockets. "I made a wish. Someone once told me that if I catch a falling leaf, I should make a wish. It would come true."
"Really?"
"Yeah." They walked in silence for few minutes. "As I was saying before that leaf interrupted me, is something going on between you and Andie?"
"We used to go out."
"Oh. No wonder."
"No wonder what?"
"I just feel that, I don't know, chemistry between you two. Why didn't it work out?"
Pacey just shrugged his shoulders. He didn't want to go into that whole Andie thing again.
"Okay." Kelly dropped the subject entirely.
"What are doing at your house?"
"Our homework?"
Pacey laughed. They haven't been doing their homework since day one. All they did was play video games and eat and watch TV—they got cable—and just hang out. They were having a blast!
"What's so funny? We are definitely going to do our homework now. I promised my Mom I would." Her tone was very serious and Pacey calmed down. Kelly guffawed and screamed, "NOT!"
The two of them were in good spirits when they reached her front door. Joyce was on the phone.
"Hi Mom!"
Joyce glanced at her and mumbled something to the phone. Then she handed it to Kelly. "It's your Dad."
Kelly stared at the phone for a while. Then, she dropped her backpack on the couch and took the phone. "Thanks."
Joyce sat on the nearest chair and massaged her temples. Pacey was standing by the doorway awkwardly. He didn't know what to do and where to go.
Kelly signaled for him to come in and take a seat.
"Hello Dad!" She walked to the direction of the kitchen and Joyce's eyes followed her every move. "Yeah I'm fine… Mom's taking good care of me… uh-huh… yeah… school's great… met my old friends… remember Pacey and Dawson? Yeah… don't worry… yes I am… uh-huh… Dad… yes… I'm taking care of myself… I miss you, too… tell Nicole I feel the same way… yeah… okay… you wanna talk to mom? Okay… bye, Dad. Love you…"
Joyce stood up and walked towards her daughter. Kelly looked at her. "He just wanted to check up on me."
Joyce shook her head. "He just wanted to check up on me. He doesn't trust me enough to take care of you."
Kelly hugged her Mom. "You're doing a great job Mom. Believe me."
She hugged her back. "I just want him to at least know I'm capable. I mean I made a lot of mistakes but damn it. I love you Kelly and knowing that I'm going to lose—"
Kelly shushed her. "It's okay, Mom. Really. I've made my peace with it. You should, too."
Joyce wiped the tears that were beginning to form in her eyes and stepped back. "Do you kids want some cookies? I made a batch just a while ago."
"That would be great, Mom." Kelly kissed her cheek. "Pacey and I will be in my room studying."
Pacey followed her up the stairs. "And doing our homework, Mrs. Bishop."
The moment he closed the door behind him, Pacey opened her mouth to say something about what happened downstairs.
"Not a word."
He shut up.