Disclaimer: I don't own them, and trust me…no money is being made.
True Love Renewed
Chapter 9: Friends Reunited
Pacey walked into the café at precisely 7:00. Drue took note of the time and turned to Joey. "I see what you mean Jo, Pacey is always late." Joey responded to Drue's comment with a scathing look.
"Hey guys, how is everyone doing? How's school?" questioned Pacey.
Everyone but Joey and Drue started talking at once. Jen and Jack started filling him in on life at Boston Bay University and life with Grams in a new city. "She absolutely loves it here. I live in the dorm since it was really hard to find a two bedroom apartment close to campus, but still, it's just nice knowing that she is only a short walk away. We all have dinner with her on Friday nights. You should come this week," Jen told him.
"Maybe I will, if it's okay with her and everyone else."
"I don't see why it would be a problem," said Jack and everyone else nodded in agreement.
Since Joey was being extremely quiet Tobey had to fill Pacey in on life at Worthington. Not that Pacey needed filling in, between his job with the Dean and watching Joey.
Jen eventually turned the topic of conversation to Pacey's summer in paradise. "What was it like? Where did you go? What did you do when you got back, before coming to Boston?"
"Well, I…"Pacey started to answer, but was quickly interrupted by Joey.
"You know, I've got a test tomorrow that I need to study for so I better get going. Drue, will you please walk me back to my room? I guess I'll see you on Friday Pacey. Bye everyone."
Joey and Drue got up to leave and Pacey felt the sharp pain in his heart that he knew he was going to have to get used to now that everyone knew he was in Boston. He felt that pain again when he noticed that Joey and Drue were walking away holding hands. Pacey felt like going back to his apartment and wallowing in his grief but he knew that would be rude. Instead he sat in the café until almost midnight, drinking coffee and sharing stories with Jen, Jack and Tobey.
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November 9, 2001
"Hey Potter, wait up. I thought that now that everyone knows that I'm here and I've been included in all the group activities, we were actually going to talk to each other when we ran into each other on campus."
"I'm sorry Pacey, I didn't see you."
"You haven't seen me at all in the past eight days? I find that hard to believe Jo."
"I'm sorry, I guess I just have other things on my mind. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go meet Drue for lunch. I'll see you tonight at Grams'"
"Yeah, see you there."
Pacey watched Joey rush to meet Drue. Last night, when they all met to go see a movie, the two had announced that they were now a couple. Pacey had congratulated them along with everybody else, but his heart was aching the entire time. This was what he wanted wasn't it? For Joey to move on with her life? So why was it so damn hard to see her moving on with Drue? He knew that it wasn't just the fact that it was Drue. After spending almost every day hanging out with the gang, he realized that Drue really had changed for the better, probably because of Joey's influence, and he really did care for Joey deeply. Still, why did Joey act so friendly toward Pacey when the group was around, but ignore him completely when she was alone. Pacey knew that she had seen him today. Just as he knew that she had seen him every day since that fateful day in the elevator. Pacey took his breaks from work at exactly the right times to be hanging outside of Joey's classes when they were over. He knew that what he was doing was bordering on stalking, but he just wanted to talk to her. He needed to make her understand what he had done. Pacey finally headed back to work, feeling like he had lost Joey forever.
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Drue would have preferred not hanging out with the group when Pacey was around, but he knew that Joey enjoyed the time they spent with the others. He also knew that Joey was going out of her way to keep a distance between herself and Pacey. Drue couldn't help but wonder how long that would last. He knew that he was getting jealous, but he couldn't help it. Joey was so beautiful and he stand the thought of losing her now that he finally had her. He knew that other guys stared at her everywhere she went, but somehow this was different. He knew that she wasn't interested in any of those guys, but Pacey, he was the love of her life. How long would she go on being just friends with him? Drue knew how hard it was for Joey to get over Pacey's leaving, in fact he didn't believe Joey was truly over it, even now that Pacey was back in her life. Drue couldn't stand not knowing how long his relationship with Joey was going to last. He needed to know that he didn't have to worry about losing her to Pacey, but he knew that he was going to have to keep worrying, because if Dawson could lose Joey to Pacey, then Drue didn't have a chance in hell of keeping her.