*Saturday Night*
Pacey and Joey are hanging out on the balcony of a beach house as people around them are having much more fun.
" Alright then, this the best party or what?" Pacey offered, sarcastically, to break Joey out of her sour mood.
" Oh, yeah. Time of my life. Why'd I let you drag me here?"
" You couldn't resist my boyish good looks? '
"You look like the before picture of a after-geek remover."
He sighed, realizing he was getting nowhere. "I'm getting a drink, Potter."
Pacey leaves and emerging from the crowd comes Dawson.
"Hey."
" Great party huh?"
" Oh yeah, like I was just telling Pacey, time of my life."
" I've had such a rockin' time since I joined the JV football team."
" Oh yeah, and cheerleading has opened up so many doors."
The smile at each other's obvious sarcasm.
"What drug did Pacey slip you to convince you to come?"
"Got me out of working a double shift, thought I owed him."
"He convinced Bessie? That's a first."
"Tell me about it."
He looked around, "How about we leave him to make a fool of himself and go hit the video store?"
She hesitated, "Sure, he won't miss me anyhow."
"I'll go hunt down Pacey and tell him." Dawson offers, and then takes off into the crowd.
He runs into Jen.
" Hey, you're here."
" Yeah, I'm here. I'm alone and I'm sorry about everything Dawson. About the way I treated you. I mean, I was foolish. Come on, let's go talk."
Pacey had seen Joey with Dawson and chosen to let them be alone, as much as he did not like it. He did not know why, but suddenly seeing Joey with Dawson made him feel different. A feeling he could not really define.
Meanwhile, Joey is looking for Dawson but a tall blond guy comes and sits next to her.
He offers, " Drink?"
She looks over his sketchy character, "No thanks."
" No really, I got an extra soda."
" Ah, no, actually my friend's getting me one. I'm fine, thanks." She lies, hoping he will back off.
He doesn't take a hint, " Really? Who's your friend?"
" Dawson Leery. You probably don't know him."
" Sure, Dawson, the sophomore currently hitting the beach with that cute blond chick?
Joey looks over her shoulder and sees Dawson and Jen walking together, holding hands. The funny thing is she is not all that jealous watching them walk away. Perhaps her mild crush on Dawson was fading. She hoped so, she could not stomach much more of him and Jen together. Suddenly she feels lonely and longs for Pacey's company. At least with him she was always mildly entertained. She glanced around and could not see him amongst the crowd.
" Drink?" The guy beside her offers again.
" Sure. Thanks."
Joey takes the cup and drinks from it, ignoring the funny taste.
~*~*~*~
" You know what, Dawson. I'm sorry. I know I could have handled things better but I, it's like Billy showed up and my judgment flew right out of the window. I mean, I cut class. . ."
"Don't worry about it." He said with a smile.
He leaned down and kissed her and soon all was forgiven and forgotten.
~*~*~*~
Pacey saw Dawson hitting the beach with Jen a little while later and suddenly wondered what had happened to Joey. He glanced at the balcony and saw her talking to Brett Tate, pervert extraordinaire.
She sure knows how to pick 'em , he thought and walked back into the beach house. He saw the blond Brett Tate retreating and he hoped that Joey had come to her senses and brushed him off. But when his eyes fell on Joey he realized something was wrong. Because when she saw him, and their eyes met, she smiled.
She smiled as if she was happy to see him, which was never the case.
" Not that I care, but you may want to pace yourself with this stuff." Pacey says, taking the drink from her hand and smelling it. It reeked of alcohol, just as he had expected.
She was dizzy and almost fell. Pacey caught her and she leaned against him, " Pacey, I know I don't say it enough but you're a really terrific guy."
Pacey attempts to help her stay steady, " Ah, ok, thanks, yeah."
Her companion from earlier returns with another drink in hand.
" Is this guy bothering you, Chloe?"
" Okay, just a couple of things. First, her name is not Chloe, it's Joey and second, no, I'm not hitting on her. I'm just her friend. God knows. . ."
The guy takes hold of Joey hand, " Well, thanks for the info. We'll catch you later. Come on, Chloe, let's take a little walk."
" Alright."
She turns to Pacey, "Bye, sweetie!"
He watches her walk off and decides to keep and eye on her.
~*~*~*~
Dawson and Jen spot Pacey in the crowd as they head back from the beach into the house. Dawson suddenly remembers ditching Joey.
"Dawson," Jen starts, getting his attention, "Is that Joey . . . with Brett Tate?"
He turns and looks across the beach and sees very clearly Joey and a tall guy with blond hair. He did not know who Brett Tate was personally, but he had heard the name before.
What he did not understand was why Joey was with him. What had gotten into her recently? Lately she had been doing stuff so out of character that he barely recognized his best friend.
Pacey meets up with them and points towards Joey, "You see that? That is what happens when Joey Potter is intoxicated. She wanders off with assholes like Brett Tate and ignores the pleas from a friend such as myself to get away from an asshole like that. As smart as that girl is, she apparently forgot her common sense."
"Joey is drunk?" Dawson asks, startled.
He nods, his attention still on Joey. He watches Brett attempt to kiss her and he immediately gets the urge to pound the guys face in.
"I can't watch this." Pacey offers, and then starts across the beach towards Joey and Brett.
Joey and Brett are obviously intoxicated and appear to be dancing.
" Are you trying?"
" Shh, come on. "
" Are we dancing?"
" We are doing whatever you want to do, sweetheart."
Pacey attempts to get Brett's hands off Joey. It is an easy task because the guy is very intoxicated. The guy stumbles and almost falls. Joey is about to fall herself when Pacey catches her and attempts to hold her up as they start to walk away.
" Alright, Jo. Say good-bye to the nice serial rapist man."
The guy follows, " You again a-hole! She doesn't want to leave."
" Come on, please leave, Pacey." Joey argues, pulling free from his arms.
Pacey offers, "I'm not leaving you here, especially with THAT guy."
"Hey," Brett yells, "She's mine!"
The guy tries to hit Pacey but he ducks out of the way. Then he punches the guy in the face and he falls to the ground.
Pacey smiles triumphantly while rubbing is sore knuckles.
Dawson and Jen rush over.
"You alright?" Jen asks, seeing how large the guy on the ground is.
Pacey offers, "Yeah, but I'm not too sure about Joey."
Joey had drunkenly stumbled during the fight and fallen to the ground. Everything around her was dizzy so she did not attempt to get up.
Dawson wandered over, " Jo?"
" Dawson? Pacey hit . . ."
Pacey comes strolling up with Jen behind him, "Pace, my hero."
Then she passes out. Dawson shakes her a little bit, "Jo?"
Pacey sighs, "You two kids head home, I'll take care of the misses."
"Are you sure?" Dawson asks.
Jen turns to Dawson, "It's okay if you want to help get her home. I'll just catch up with you later on your dock."
"You sure?" He asks, quizzically.
Meanwhile, Pacey has picked up Joey off the ground.
"You know, she heavier then she looks." Offers Pacey.
Dawson runs over to help Pacey and replies to Jen, "See ya later."
Pacey and Joey are hanging out on the balcony of a beach house as people around them are having much more fun.
" Alright then, this the best party or what?" Pacey offered, sarcastically, to break Joey out of her sour mood.
" Oh, yeah. Time of my life. Why'd I let you drag me here?"
" You couldn't resist my boyish good looks? '
"You look like the before picture of a after-geek remover."
He sighed, realizing he was getting nowhere. "I'm getting a drink, Potter."
Pacey leaves and emerging from the crowd comes Dawson.
"Hey."
" Great party huh?"
" Oh yeah, like I was just telling Pacey, time of my life."
" I've had such a rockin' time since I joined the JV football team."
" Oh yeah, and cheerleading has opened up so many doors."
The smile at each other's obvious sarcasm.
"What drug did Pacey slip you to convince you to come?"
"Got me out of working a double shift, thought I owed him."
"He convinced Bessie? That's a first."
"Tell me about it."
He looked around, "How about we leave him to make a fool of himself and go hit the video store?"
She hesitated, "Sure, he won't miss me anyhow."
"I'll go hunt down Pacey and tell him." Dawson offers, and then takes off into the crowd.
He runs into Jen.
" Hey, you're here."
" Yeah, I'm here. I'm alone and I'm sorry about everything Dawson. About the way I treated you. I mean, I was foolish. Come on, let's go talk."
Pacey had seen Joey with Dawson and chosen to let them be alone, as much as he did not like it. He did not know why, but suddenly seeing Joey with Dawson made him feel different. A feeling he could not really define.
Meanwhile, Joey is looking for Dawson but a tall blond guy comes and sits next to her.
He offers, " Drink?"
She looks over his sketchy character, "No thanks."
" No really, I got an extra soda."
" Ah, no, actually my friend's getting me one. I'm fine, thanks." She lies, hoping he will back off.
He doesn't take a hint, " Really? Who's your friend?"
" Dawson Leery. You probably don't know him."
" Sure, Dawson, the sophomore currently hitting the beach with that cute blond chick?
Joey looks over her shoulder and sees Dawson and Jen walking together, holding hands. The funny thing is she is not all that jealous watching them walk away. Perhaps her mild crush on Dawson was fading. She hoped so, she could not stomach much more of him and Jen together. Suddenly she feels lonely and longs for Pacey's company. At least with him she was always mildly entertained. She glanced around and could not see him amongst the crowd.
" Drink?" The guy beside her offers again.
" Sure. Thanks."
Joey takes the cup and drinks from it, ignoring the funny taste.
~*~*~*~
" You know what, Dawson. I'm sorry. I know I could have handled things better but I, it's like Billy showed up and my judgment flew right out of the window. I mean, I cut class. . ."
"Don't worry about it." He said with a smile.
He leaned down and kissed her and soon all was forgiven and forgotten.
~*~*~*~
Pacey saw Dawson hitting the beach with Jen a little while later and suddenly wondered what had happened to Joey. He glanced at the balcony and saw her talking to Brett Tate, pervert extraordinaire.
She sure knows how to pick 'em , he thought and walked back into the beach house. He saw the blond Brett Tate retreating and he hoped that Joey had come to her senses and brushed him off. But when his eyes fell on Joey he realized something was wrong. Because when she saw him, and their eyes met, she smiled.
She smiled as if she was happy to see him, which was never the case.
" Not that I care, but you may want to pace yourself with this stuff." Pacey says, taking the drink from her hand and smelling it. It reeked of alcohol, just as he had expected.
She was dizzy and almost fell. Pacey caught her and she leaned against him, " Pacey, I know I don't say it enough but you're a really terrific guy."
Pacey attempts to help her stay steady, " Ah, ok, thanks, yeah."
Her companion from earlier returns with another drink in hand.
" Is this guy bothering you, Chloe?"
" Okay, just a couple of things. First, her name is not Chloe, it's Joey and second, no, I'm not hitting on her. I'm just her friend. God knows. . ."
The guy takes hold of Joey hand, " Well, thanks for the info. We'll catch you later. Come on, Chloe, let's take a little walk."
" Alright."
She turns to Pacey, "Bye, sweetie!"
He watches her walk off and decides to keep and eye on her.
~*~*~*~
Dawson and Jen spot Pacey in the crowd as they head back from the beach into the house. Dawson suddenly remembers ditching Joey.
"Dawson," Jen starts, getting his attention, "Is that Joey . . . with Brett Tate?"
He turns and looks across the beach and sees very clearly Joey and a tall guy with blond hair. He did not know who Brett Tate was personally, but he had heard the name before.
What he did not understand was why Joey was with him. What had gotten into her recently? Lately she had been doing stuff so out of character that he barely recognized his best friend.
Pacey meets up with them and points towards Joey, "You see that? That is what happens when Joey Potter is intoxicated. She wanders off with assholes like Brett Tate and ignores the pleas from a friend such as myself to get away from an asshole like that. As smart as that girl is, she apparently forgot her common sense."
"Joey is drunk?" Dawson asks, startled.
He nods, his attention still on Joey. He watches Brett attempt to kiss her and he immediately gets the urge to pound the guys face in.
"I can't watch this." Pacey offers, and then starts across the beach towards Joey and Brett.
Joey and Brett are obviously intoxicated and appear to be dancing.
" Are you trying?"
" Shh, come on. "
" Are we dancing?"
" We are doing whatever you want to do, sweetheart."
Pacey attempts to get Brett's hands off Joey. It is an easy task because the guy is very intoxicated. The guy stumbles and almost falls. Joey is about to fall herself when Pacey catches her and attempts to hold her up as they start to walk away.
" Alright, Jo. Say good-bye to the nice serial rapist man."
The guy follows, " You again a-hole! She doesn't want to leave."
" Come on, please leave, Pacey." Joey argues, pulling free from his arms.
Pacey offers, "I'm not leaving you here, especially with THAT guy."
"Hey," Brett yells, "She's mine!"
The guy tries to hit Pacey but he ducks out of the way. Then he punches the guy in the face and he falls to the ground.
Pacey smiles triumphantly while rubbing is sore knuckles.
Dawson and Jen rush over.
"You alright?" Jen asks, seeing how large the guy on the ground is.
Pacey offers, "Yeah, but I'm not too sure about Joey."
Joey had drunkenly stumbled during the fight and fallen to the ground. Everything around her was dizzy so she did not attempt to get up.
Dawson wandered over, " Jo?"
" Dawson? Pacey hit . . ."
Pacey comes strolling up with Jen behind him, "Pace, my hero."
Then she passes out. Dawson shakes her a little bit, "Jo?"
Pacey sighs, "You two kids head home, I'll take care of the misses."
"Are you sure?" Dawson asks.
Jen turns to Dawson, "It's okay if you want to help get her home. I'll just catch up with you later on your dock."
"You sure?" He asks, quizzically.
Meanwhile, Pacey has picked up Joey off the ground.
"You know, she heavier then she looks." Offers Pacey.
Dawson runs over to help Pacey and replies to Jen, "See ya later."