~
Joey was packing her bags for the weekend. Normally it was an easy task; throw some jeans and a toothbrush in a bag and take off. But this time she had to pick out clothes for Mitch's funeral and nothing seemed right.
Her eyes were cloudy with tears, she was angry with her self. Mostly because she and Pacey were talking again, as a direct result of Mitch's death. Guilt. It's one of the stages of grief isn't it?
She'd been totally floored when Pacey offered to drive her home and it brought back the hope all over again. Of course she had said yes, with out thinking about it. Now after reconsideration, it might not be such a good idea. How could she bare to spend time around him, feeling miserable, if he wasn't going to be there for her like he would have if the situation between them was different?
She closed the suitcase and collapsed on the bed with a sigh. She wouldn't be in this mess if she had been honest with everyone in the first place.
~
The summer they spent apart Pacey took off on some yacht working for a professor he'd managed to charm. Joey went to Capeside and worked at the B and B.
Dawson was home for the summer as well. It was the first time she'd seen him in person since before either of them had left for college. They hadn't kept in touch but they started hanging out again for lack of anything better to do.
But Joey foolishly neglected to mention one important detail. Pacey.
The fact that she and Pacey were at the same school, friends again or that they were in a serious relationship.
Dawson being Dawson got all reattached and she barely even noticed it. She was just having fun in a summer trip down memory lane, not a care in the world, just trying to keep her mind off how much she missed Pacey.
The summer ended. Dawson went back to California secretly pining for Joey in his confused little head that just could not comprehend the particulars of a platonic relationship.
She went back to school and Pacey. They picked up right where they left off.
In some poorly thought out plan that Dawson had probably seen in a movie he showed up at Joey's room one day in January with a bouquet of flowers. Funny thing was the scene didn't play out quite the way he planned, because Pacey had spent the night and answered the door wearing only a bed sheet.
To his credit, Dawson didn't freak out too much. He stuttered though a joke about whether he was at the right room and hopped a bus back to Capeside with his tail between his legs.
Thus leaving Joey with a lot of explaining to do.
Pacey was hurt that she hadn't told Dawson of all people about their relationship. He had trouble believing that she didn't notice Dawson beginning to like her again, so much so that he would hop on a plane and show up at her door out of the blue expecting a warm and PG-13 welcome.
He was also upset that she hadn't said anything to him about seeing Dawson that summer and maybe part of him felt like she was still holding something back.
So Pacey called for a time out. He was incredibly hurt by all of Joey's lies by omission that he would barely speak to her at all.
Hundreds of apologies went on deaf ears.
Joey was sad and alone and she still had to listen to Dawson bitching and moaning through long distance telephone calls about what an ass he'd made of him self and how it was all her fault.
~
Pacey threw his bag in the trunk of his car and walked towards the building Joey was staying in that year.
When she answered her door he took in the puffy eyes and the tissues around the trash can beside her desk. "Rough night?" he asked reaching for the bag on the floor. Her room was messier than usual, clothes and books were fighting for space on the floor.
"Yea well I'm not exactly big on funerals remember?" Joey locked the door and followed Pacey outside. All the while suppressing the urge to run back inside and hide in bed, pretending that none of this was really happening.
~
The drive was only tense at a few moments. They reminisced about Mitch, which seemed to make them feel better for a little while and kept their minds off other things. It was strange to be spending time together again.
Pacey caught himself reaching for her hand twice. He was constantly adjusting the rear view mirror so that he could see her or not.
"Pacey, you missed the turn," Joey said as they passed the big sign that said welcome to Capeside. She almost hadn't noticed the mistake either. Too busy worrying how she would get through the rest of the weekend in one piece.
Pacey swore under his breath before making an illegal u turn and pulling on to the right road. "I'm dropping you off at the B and B right?"
"Um yea. Where are you going to stay?" He had only been in town recently
to visit Joey's family with her.
Pacey shrugged his shoulders, "Doug's I think. I haven't bummed a couch
there in a while."
Joey nodded, she was paying attention to the road up ahead. There were skid marks on the asphalt and flowers around the base of the tree Mitch had hit. It was scarred and crooked now and looked as if it might fall over. "Oh my God," she said quietly to her self.
"Are you going to be okay?" Pacey asked when he pulled up to Joey's childhood home.
"I don't know," she replied, saying the first thing that came to mind.
Pacey frowned, the worry line in his forehead was apparent, "I'll give you a call if I don't end up staying at Doug's."
"Okay," Joey got out of the car and pulled her bag from the backseat.
"Alright then," he always said that when he didn't know what else to say. "See ya."
"Pacey," Joey looked towards the house praying that Bessie would stay inside and keep the awkward moments for the weekend to a minimum. "You know you can always stay here if you need to."
"Yea I know," he put the car in to drive. "I'll call you."
He drove off and Joey walked inside, her suitcase feeling heavier than it actually was.
"Joey? Is that you?" Bessie called from the kitchen. "I though you were going to call us from the station? How did you get here?"
"I got a ride with Pacey," she answered.
Bessie wiped her hands on a dishtowel before giving her sister a hug, "With Pacey? What's that about?"
"I don't know. Look I'm really tired. I just want to lay down for a bit."
"You don't want something to eat first?" Bessie asked sounding concerned
Joey shook her head, "I'll have something later." She walked down the hall to her room and flopped on her bed. It's going to be a long weekend.
~
It was almost ten thirty when she woke up and crept in to the kitchen. In the fridge there was a plate of chicken and rice, she heated it up and sat down at the table.
"Nice nap?" Bessie asked coming in to the kitchen.
"Were you waiting up for me?" Joey teased. "I am an adult now you know?"
"Try as hard as you like Joey. But you can't dodge my questions forever." Bessie sat down at the tble across from her. "What's the latest with you and Pacey?"
"We're talking again I guess. But it's weird. We're not together, that's what you really want to know. It's a start I guess.
Bessie nodded knowing that Joey probably wouldn't share much else on the subject. "Have you talked to Dawson?"
"He made it pretty clear that he didn't want anything to do with me. I'm not even sure if he knows that Gayle called me."
"If she hadn't told you I would have." Bessie helped her self to a bite of Joey's food, "I'm sure he expects to see you."
"Ya I guess."
Bessie got up then, "I'm going to get some sleep. I'll see you in the morning."
They said goodnight, Joey stayed at the table eating. The phone rang while she was rinsing off her plate, it made her jump. She whirled around and grabbed the phone off the wall before it could ring again. "Hello?"
"Hey it's me. Is it too late?" Pacey asked on the other line.
It's never too late. "It's fine."
"I'm staying at Doug's," he explained. "I just wanted to let you know where I was."
"Okay thanks."
"No problem."
This is cruel and unusual punishment. Do they give the death penalty to liars? "Thanks for the ride today. I forgot to say so when you dropped me off."
"You're welcome. I'll see you tomorrow I guess."
She sighed, "Okay."
"Jo?" She hadn't heard him call her that in a while. "Will you sit with me tomorrow?"
"Of course. Pacey I've got to go, one of the guests needs the phone," she managed to say with out sounding like she was crying. "Goodnight" She hung up quickly and wiped her face before going back to bed.
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