Chapter Five – Coming Clean

Joey wandered around the clothes shop occasionally stopping to look at a pair of trousers. Audrey was way ahead of her, Joey couldn't help but smile as she picked up various low-cut, brightly coloured vest tops and squealed with delight at the mere thought of wearing them. Joey finally managed to catch up with her at the counter as the shop assistant bagged the clothes and waited for Audrey's credit card to be accepted.

"Can we go buy the food now?" asked Joey, glancing at her watch impatiently. Audrey smiled at the assistant as she handed her credit card back, she grabbed her bags and started to talk to Joey over her shoulder as she left the shop.

"I thought we had plenty of time. I just thought a new top would be nice for this evening," sighed Audrey. "Maybe you should buy something,"

"I am. I'm buying food so can we get on with this, I want to get home," said Joey as they walked up the main street.

"I meant some new clothes, maybe some maternity trousers," suggested Audrey innocently. Joey stopped and looked around, praying nobody had overheard their conversation. She was not in the mood for explanations at the moment; they would come later that evening. David had called everyone and told Joey that it was time she opened up to her friends. It had only been a month since Audrey and David had found out but she still wasn't ready for the looks of disappointment on her friends' faces. Especially Dawson.

"Shut up, Audrey. I haven't even started putting weight on yet, I'm sure I'll last out in my old jeans for now,"

"Fair enough, bunny. I just thought that some nice clothes might shake off this mood you're in this morning. Are you really that worried about what everyone's going to think? We all love you, it's not like you're going to be outcast or anything,"

Joey shook her head, ignored Audrey's question and carried on walking. She didn't want to think about dinner, she was focused on buying the food and going home to cook it. The scary stuff would come later; at least David and Audrey would be there in case anything happened. She didn't really know what could happen but that had never stopped it before. Audrey followed Joey into the supermarket and hoped that there was going to be dessert this time round.

Joey was pleased that Audrey had decided to spend the day with her. It was a relief to know that she didn't have to sort everything out, Audrey had set the table and made sure the wine was chilling and tidied up the kitchen and made sure that everyone knew what time to arrive. Her presence had lifted a huge weight off Joey's mind and she realised that this was what it was going to be like in six months time. She wouldn't be alone and she wouldn't just have David, she would still have everyone who cared about her in her life.

It wasn't going to be that long until the house was full of people, laughing and talking and drinking. David had gone into work for the afternoon but had assured her he would be home way before anyone arrived. Audrey was still fiddling with her cutlery arrangement while Joey checked on all the food in the oven. Having decided that everything was fine, Joey collapsed into a chair and sighed loudly. Audrey walked over and sat next to her, handing her the bottle of water she had been drinking all afternoon. Joey gratefully accepted it.

"Do you really think this is going to be okay?" she asked, swallowing a mouthful of water.

"Joey, I'm not going to lie to you. It's going to be a huge shock to everyone but not one of them is going to walk out on you. They love you so much, it's just not something they could do," smiled Audrey, Joey smiled with relief and brushed her loose hairs behind her ears.

A sharp knock at the door announced Dawson's arrival at the house and soon after everyone had arrived. They sat around the dining table eating and drinking and chatting the way they always did. Joey sat and watched as everyone talked amongst themselves; David and Jen were chatting idly about Jen's English essay while Pacey and Jack argued over a hockey game that had played the night before. Audrey had already stood and begun to remove the main course plates from the table, Joey stood up to help but Audrey mouthed at her to sit down and tell everyone. A silence had spread across the table and all eyes seemed to be fixed on Joey. She and Audrey had decided that before dessert was the best time to announce it, that way they couldn't leave before dinner was over and they had something to talk about over dessert.

"Okay, I guess I have something to tell you all," smiled Joey. Everyone was definitely looking at her now, David had placed his hand on her knee underneath the table and Joey was glad that he was there to support her. "Right, well, David and I are going to have a baby. I'm pregnant,"

The silence continued and Joey's heart fell, she leaned slightly against David to stop herself swaying. Nobody seemed willing to be the first to say anything; even Audrey was shocked by the lack of response and continued handing out bowls of tiramisu in silence.

"Congratulations to the both of you," said Jen a little too loudly. She grabbed her glass of wine and held it up, Joey smiled and sighed with relief as everyone followed suit and murmurs of congratulations and the sound of clinking glass filled the kitchen. It was then that the questions came, Joey had been dreading them but she knew that everyone would want to know what was going to happen next.

"So, when are we all going to be godparents?" asked Jack.

"Sometime in July, we haven't really worked it out properly yet. I'm staying until the end of school though, there's no need for me to drop out with so little time left," said Joey, Dawson nodded in agreement with her sentiment.

"I'm really happy for you, Jo. I mean, for both of you," smiled Pacey, spooning tiramisu into his mouth. Joey smiled in response and took a long drink from her water glass.

"Thanks, Pacey," smiled David, finishing off his glass of wine and making appreciative noises over Joey's dessert skills.

"I think things are going to be fine," said Audrey. "You've got five great babysitters and a fabulous boyfriend; you fell on your feet with this one, Jo,"

Joey looked up at David and laughed a little, Audrey always knew what to say to make her feel better about awkward situations. She leaned back in her chair and pushed her bowl aside without a bite; she felt bloated and couldn't touch a thing.

"Just make sure none of you laugh at me when I get all fat,"

"Never," grinned Jack and once more, the table became alive with chatter and idle gossip about work, sport, love, life and everything. Joey was so pleased, she couldn't have asked for a better acceptance of her news. All that was left now was to inform Bessie of her predicament and hope her sister didn't explode over the telephone. She frowned as she realised she was really tired, her limbs were aching and she was desperate to get to bed.

"I'm sorry guys; I'm going to have to leave you. I'm falling asleep over here," she grinned, standing up and walking to the kitchen door. "I'm sure David can keep you all entertained while I'm gone,"

David blew her a kiss and Joey turned and walked out of the kitchen. He turned back to the table of people and continued his conversation with Jen and Audrey on the relevance of literature in society. Jack and Pacey continued their analysis of the sport of the previous evening while Dawson sat in silence, his eyes fixed on the door that Joey had just left through. He was happy for her and David but shocked at how different she was to the Joey of Capeside, the Joey who would have died before having a baby so young. He always assumed that she wanted a career and a life before settling down but things had changed so much since they all moved to Boston that he wondered if he even knew her at all anymore.