It's A Small World After All

Pacey turned around at his desk to see who was knocking on his door, "Oh hey Joey. Come on in."

Joey tiptoed around all the clothing on the floor and sat down on Pacey's unmade bed, "I saw the door open on my way by. What are you up to tonight besides cleaning your room?"

"You sound like my mom." He paused, "I was planning on doing some laundry after dinner. Want to join me? I've got some questions to ask you about the reading from Klappison's class anyway. We can study in the laundry room."

"Sounds good. I'm going to eat dinner with Emily and then I'll come by. Okay?"

"Deal," Pacey replied. Joey got up and left the room so Pacey turned back to his work.

**

"Do you know what this kind of reminds me of?" Joey asked as she sat on top of an empty washing machine.

"I have no clue," Pacey told her as he dropped some change in to a vending machine and pressed the button for a Sprite.

"Well the situations aren't very similar. Actually they're really different, completely unrelated. But this reminds me of the night we all studied at Chris Wolfe's house, for Mr. Peterson's midterm."

"Whatever happened to Chris?" Pacey asked as he sat back down beside his books.

Joey looked up to the ceiling as she tried to remember, "He graduated. I think he's at UMASS at Worcester actually. Surprising isn't it?"

"Certainly not what I'd expect from him. But then again here I am attending university as well. Not where most of my teachers would picture me."

**

Joey and Pacey sat on her porch swing, staring out at the creek. "So, my mom wants to leave in a few days. We're going to go and live with my aunt in Maine until she can find a job and a house."

"Pacey that's so soon!" Joey said quietly.

"I know. But my dad's gonna be out of the picture finally. I never thought mom would want to move away though." Pacey replied.

"I don't want you to leave," Joey muttered.

"Pardon?" Pacey asked.

She stared at the floor, "You can't leave Pacey. Not now."

"I don't want to go Joey but I really don't have a say in the matter."

"I guess not."

"I'll still come down to visit whenever I can."

But he had never been back to Capeside.

**

"What happened to you in Maine Pacey?" Joey hadn't meant for her tone to be so serious. "No offense."

"None taken." He waited a moment, "Well Joey. It's simple really. With my dad out of the picture and off my back, teachers that had no impression of my ability as a student and a chance to start over; I did just that. I got my act together. You do like the new me don't you?"

"There's not that much different about you, Pace. Granted you look a little bit different. You don't wear ugly shirts anymore and you've changed your whole outlook on school. But other than that you're still thesame. Your sense of humor, your mannerisms, your habits, everything that I remember about you is still there."

"That magic that is me, huh?" Pacey asked, a twinkle in his eye.

Joey rolled her eyes, "See, still the same Pacey."

"I might be the same, but you've certainly changed," Pacey stated as he got up to see if his clothes were dry.

She hopped off of the washer; "I have not."

"Yes you have," Pacey replied. "For starters, we've been here for five days and you haven't said 'bite me' at all. Second you're not bitter anymore and last but not least, the Joey that I left in Capeside never wore leopard print bras… Don't look so shocked I saw it on top of your laundry basket."

"Really Pacey. If you miss it that much I can start telling you off again. The underwear was a gag gift from Jen, who else would be shameless enough to buy that stuff and give it as a present."

Pacey began pulling clothing out of the dryer, "Still, two years ago you would have left it in the box and never touched it. But now you're using it."

"Pacey you're reading too much in to things."

"If you say so," Pacey began laughing.

"What?" Joey cried in frustration.

**

"A blanket? You want me to change into that?" Joey asked loudly.

"Yeah," Pacey sighed. "Take off your wet clothes and wrap yourself in this blanket just like I'm going to do."

"Wait a minute you want me to get naked?" she scowled at him.

"Please this is not for my enjoyment it's so you don't get sick. But if you have your heart set on pneumonia, feel free."

"Fine."

"No peeking."

"Oh yeah," Joey growled. "The idea of seeing you in your birthday suit is really my idea of a thrill."

**

"I was just thinking about the snail project and you changing beside the truck."

"You little shit," she yelled as she threw a pair of socks at his head.

"Don't ever change Jo," Pacey said seriously as he looked at her. He wondered if she was thinking about what else happened that night, at her house when he had kissed her.

"What are you talking about?"

"I mean it, pinky swear that you won't ever change. Stay the way you are right now," Pacey spoke as he stuck out his right pinky finger.

"I think you're crazy," Joey said as she hesitantly wrapped her pinky around his and wiggled it.

**

"Emily don't you think your outfit is a little much?" Joey asked as she closed the door to her and Emily's room.

"Don't you mean not enough?" Emily giggled as she strutted down the hall in a short black silk nighty, a matching robe and high heels.

Joey laughed, "Actually now that you mention it." Joey had chosen to wear just a pair of flannel pajama pants with blue and yellow stars on them, with a little white t-shirt and fuzzy yellow slippers.

"Aren't you boys ready yet?" Emily asked in a sugary voice as she knocked on the door of room 301. The dorm was holding a pajama party in honour of the first week of school being over.

The door opened to reveal Bryan in red thermal underwear, "Whoa, hello Emily! I see you got all dressed up."

Pacey stepped out in to the hall, "Ready to go?" He was wearing hospital scrub pants and a while t-shirt.

They stepped on to the elevator and rode down to the main floor together. The elevators doors moved apart and the four new friends stepped out in to the party. Joey recognized a few people from around school. Out of habit she headed for the refreshment table while Emily waved shortly and began dancing. Pacey and Bryan headed over to a group of girls. Joey sighed at the thought of being alone for the duration of the party. She surveyed her options; she could either find a comfortable spot on a couch to sit and observe everything or get her ass out on the dance floor and begin enjoying the college life.

Taking the road less traveled, Joey stood timidly at the edge of the dance floor and surveyed the mass of bodies. She spotted Emily dancing closely with a boy she hadn't seen before. Pacey was on the other side trying to impress a number of girls and Bryan was in the middle of it all making a fool of himself.

Joey took a deep breath and walked through everyone until she was beside Bryan. "Welcome to the floor Joey. I don't think I've seen you strut your stuff," Bryan teased her.

Joey frowned, "Well I don't do this very often. I can always leave."

"No, don't go just yet. Come on if you are bad, I'll let you know."

"Trust me I can't be worse than you," she smiled as Bryan twirled her around once. Joey giggled and allowed herself to finally let loose. She danced along side Bryan for a few songs when Emily found her way to them.

"Joey I am so proud of you!" Emily cried as she grabbed Joey's hands and started to dance with her friend. "Come on there are some boys that I'd like you to meet."

"Really Emily I don't need any introductions. Just let me do this for a while, I'm having a good time," Joey tried to reassure her.

"Next time then, you promise?" Emily asked. Joey nodded. "Okay I'll see you later." She turned away and found herself in the arms of a new boy.

Joey smiled inwardly and began dancing again. But suddenly she felt hands on her waist and she gasped. "Oh Pacey!" she said as she whirled around and punched him in the arm. "You scared the crap out of me."

"Oh just relax and keep dancing Jo." Pacey smirked at her, "Do you know how to grind?"

"How to what?"

He laughed, "Grind. Never mind. Ask Emily about it then. I need a drink, want to come with?"

"Sure, whatever." Joey followed him over to the drinks and then to an empty couch.

"Are you enjoying yourself?" Pacey asked after they had been quiet for awhile.

"Of course I am. Aren't you?"

"It's okay I guess. Not like the parties we used to have on the beach in Capeside. Speaking of Capeside, heard from Jen or Dawson?"

"No, it's a little weird. But I'm sure they're both busy right now.

Jen's in Paris as we speak drinking wine with some French guy I'll bet."

"Dawson's probably been mugged four times already," Pacey said laughing even harder than when Joey had told him Dawson was in New York City. Pacey brushed off his knees, "Come on let's get back out there."

**

Joey's head shot up as the shrill beeping of her alarm clock went off, alerting her that it was time to get out of bed. She pushed the button on the clock, grateful for the silence. She didn't want to wake up Emily since she didn't need to be up for another hour. Joey sighed heavily as she grabbed a towel and her toiletry kit off the floor and left the room.

She wandered down to the end of the hallway, wincing at the lights in the hallway and entered the ladies' washroom. She was barely awake as she entered a shower stall and started washing up. Finally, Joey turned off the spray of water and stepped out of the shower.

As she stood in front of one of the mirrors, brushing her teeth she thought carefully. She'd been through three weeks of University now and felt like a whole new person. She'd managed just fine on her own, even though technically she had plenty of people around her. She was a little upset that she hadn't heard from either Jen or Dawson yet but she figured they must be really busy settling in.

"Oh well," Joey said to herself as she stepped out in to the hall wearing only a towel. Her clothes and things were in her arms.

"Joey?" Pacey smiled at her. "Is Emily rubbing off on you or something?"

"Morning to you too Pacey. It's only a towel, relax," she sidestepped around him and continued down the hallway to her room.

Once she was gone, Pacey let out a low whistle, "Oh Joey I've certainly missed you."