Snapshots...

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Dawson's Creek.

Coupling: Andie/Other/PJ

Rating: Pg-13

Shout Outs: To my friend Jo for proofing and to ellasblues for her encouragement.

Summary: This is a series of scenes from the beginning of the Junior year at Capeside High and tracks the bumpy path to love for Andie along with all the gang.

Snapshot: At the Pep Rally

He'd never gone to a pep rally before. These weren't a feature of his old school. Where Issac came from, pep rallies were as foreign as Halloween. When he arrived at Capeside High Maree Grant had been assigned by the Principal's Office as his "orientation buddy". Principal Green had 'volunteered' her for the job after the junior assembly where Issac walked in and made quite an impression a few days earlier...

Issac had found the hall just as Pacey was given detention and was walking down the isle looking particularly lost. Everyone was looking at him.

"Can I help you?" Principal Green asked him while smiling like a predator seeing an easy kill on the African plain.

"Well, you can. I presume this is the sixth form assembly?

Principal Green gave him a confused look. Issac realised he'd said the wrong thing.

"Ah no" Issac gestured, "um you people call it juniors right?" and he gave the thumbs up sign. Issac's strong accent jogged Principals Green's memory.

'You're the new student...from...?"

"Issac Evetts, Headmaster. Sixth form, Takapuna Grammar.

Principal Green was trying to process this and why this student was calling him headmaster.

Issac willingly filled in some more information. "That's my old school in Auckland, New Zealand, headmaster." There were giggles coming from the other students.

Mr Evetts, I'm Principal Green, not the headmaster."

"Really? Hello Head...er... Principal Green. Shall I take a seat?" Issac smiled and nodded. He turned to find a seat and noticed everyone in the hall was looking at him. He paused, and turned back to face Principal Green.

"Sir? If I may, I think you were being a bit hard on that chap before." Issac had a strong sense of justice and felt that Pacey had being hard done by. All the other students just stared in disbelief. Here was a brand new student and he was challenging the new Principal.

"Really Mr Evetts? And what do you think I should have done?" Principal Green smiled but his eyes weren't. Issac missed noticing this.

"Well Sir," Issac looked up and stroked his chin as if in deep thought, "I think that as we're only just starting out, perhaps a brief period of grace could be extended to the student body if you like so that we may settle back into a routine." Issac smiled and then moved to sit down.

Surprised by this student's audacity Principal Green pondered his response for a few moments then replied. "Point taken Mr Evetts. However, I think Mr Witter could use a companion so you'll be joining him on Saturday. Oh and by the way Issac, I expect to see you in my office after this assembly."

A murmur ran through the whole assembly as this new Principal punished the new kid with the funny accent. Issac, realising he was not going to win sat down and hurriedly thought how he could explain to his parents how he had gotten detention on his first day within five minutes of meeting the Principal. Then Issac raised his hand.

"Yes Mr Evetts? Something else you want to comment on?

"Excuse me sir, but where exactly is your office?"

At this the whole hall burst into laughter and even Principal Green had to smile...

She turned to him and asked "And you don't have these kinda things in New Zealand?"

"No. No cheerleaders, no marching band and definitely no pep rallies." He laughed. "Maybe we'd get the first fifteen introduced at an assembly."

"What's a first fifteen?" Maree asked.

"Our rugby team, fifteen players make up the team?" He offered.

"So you never went out for sports?"

"Well, I'm useless at rugby, basketball, soccer and I couldn't stand cricket. I'm not a ball sports guy. But I did represent my school at triathlon and time-trialling."

"Really?" Maree as well as the rest of the junior class had noted Issac was very fit and wore tight shirts showing off his shoulders and abs. They had also seen that his legs were smooth and hairless. A debate had strung up over the reason why. Maree now understood.

"That explains it." She laughed.

"Explains what?" He gave her a questioning look.

"Your legs. You shave them?" She pointed to his legs.

"Oh I see. Yeah, but I actually get them waxed. Damn hard shaving. But that's not all that's waxed." He waggled his eyebrows at her.

She looked at him in amazement. This guy was more interesting every time she talked to him. The thing was she thought there was no romantic spark.

"Well, I get my upper body waxed as well for swimming."

"So explain to me again how you got here?"

"Well, Dad and Mum sold their business to an American firm for a tonne of money and decided to move here so they could invest and build a new business. It didn't matter where they lived but one of the guys Dad met told him about Capeside so they moved here. "

"So, do you like it?"

"I guess so. I'm still trying to get used to the weather and time difference."

"What do you mean?"

"In Takapuna it's still cold," he looked at his watch, "and it's three o'clock tomorrow afternoon there."

"What?"

"Yeah, we're twenty hours ahead of here. Don't you know New Zealand will be the first place to see in the new millennium?"

"So all the computers will crash there first?"

"Don't ask me. I don't think anyone truly knows what will happen."

More people were coming into the hall as the Pep rally was about to begin.

Maree asked Issac another question. "You told me you'd started school back in January right? So you've already started you junior year?"

"We don't call them juniors Maree. My high school went from 3rd form to 7th form. We spend five years at high school."

"Five years?"

"Yeah. Our system is so different to yours. We have primary schools which are sorta like the elementary schools, intermediates which you go to for two years then high school for five years. We start around the end of January and finish in November or December."

"That's eleven months! What do you do all that time?"

"No silly. We have school holidays throughout the year in April, July, September and December-January. I was at school up until I left. If I was back at home, I'd be on holiday now. As it's turned out, by the time I finish at Capeside next year, I would have spent fifteen months as a sixth former, oops...sorry, junior."

"That's rough Zac. Are you ok with it?" Maree was genuinely concerned.

"There's not a lot I can do. I have to start again over here so I can get used to your system. I have no idea where I sit in terms of academic progress. So I figure I have got nine months to catch up." He smiled at her appreciating her concern. Issac felt that she would become a good friend. There was, he thought, no romantic spark there which made things so much easier. For some reason, he had always found it easier to get on with girls than guys.

The noise increased as the band started up and people began to cheer.

Issac looked around and commented to Maree. "This should be inter..." His voice trailed off. And boom there she was. As he looked over to the other side of the hall his eyes had come upon a slim blonde who was with Pacey and a brunette girl he'd been introduced to but couldn't remember her name. Seeing this blonde was like a shock to his system. He had one of those moments like in American Beauty when Kevin Spacey was watching the cheerleader and everyone else in the gym disappeared leaving only him and the girl. She was beautiful and he felt his heart leap out of his chest. Maree looked at Issac and then towards Pacey, Joey and Andie. She saw Issac's look of wonderment.

"Zac? Are you ok?"

Issac didn't respond. He was struck dumb.

Maree poked him. "Zac? What's wrong are you feeling ok?" This bought Zac out of his trance. And he turned away from the vision of loveliness and looked at Maree with a dazed look.

"Huh? Who is she?" He asked quietly. Maree had to lean in to hear him.

"Who?" She said and then Issac pointed towards the trio and Maree followed his finger until she worked out who he was referring to. "Oh, do you mean that blonde girl with Pacey?" Issac nodded.

"Her name is Andie McPhee. She's his girlfriend I believe."

"Wow!" he sighed. "She's beautiful." Maree considered his reaction. He's gone from looking normal to this dazed look she thought and over her?

"You like her? "

"Well..." he replied. And so it started.

Snapshot: After party for 'Barefoot In The Park'...Issac's POV

He stood with the crowd as she came in. She looked as beautiful as ever. The only reason he had signed up for the show was to be as close as possible to her. Since he had arrived at Capeside and seen her at the pep rally, he had tried to get noticed by her. It had taken a few weeks for Andie to even talk to him and after they had, things moved on so that by now they were friends. He was falling in love with her although he fought against it but it was a hopeless task as he had finally come to accept. He had tried to spend as much time with her without arousing suspicion over his motives. There were times they studied together and she would make comments about how she wasn't interested in a relationship because of the hurt she had gone through over Pacey. He held back his feelings and acted like the supportive friend she needed at that moment and agreed with her. But he knew that was no long term solution. Just to be with her was like a drug, every moment he spent with her only left him wanting more and more and left him falling in more in love every day. He had prepared himself for tonight. This was going to be the moment that he told her how he felt and how she made him feel the times they were together and how much he was falling in love with her.

He spent most of the night trying to build up the courage to say what he needed to say. When he was ready, he looked around the restaurant and didn't see her. Panicking, he searched everywhere and just as he was about to give up, he saw her standing outside with Pacey. As he went to open the door, he saw them hug and walk off. He stood there dumbstruck as they disappeared around the corner laughing and looking at ease with each other. Was this reconciliation? Had he been too late? What would he do now?

Snapshot: True Love slip, the night of the "Longest Day"

Pacey was onboard True Love sulking and trying to piece together how he had wound up without Joey when he heard footsteps. Without looking he called out in a resigned tone "Dawson, she broke up with me ok? You win"

"It's not Dawson, Pace. When did Joey break up with you?"

Pacey jerked his head up and saw Issac standing on the dock. "Zac if you've come to tell me "I-told-you-so" then forget it man. I'm not interested."

"Pace, I bought pizza. I figured you could use someone to talk to. Jen told me what happened tonight. I'm sorry about Joey man; I know how much you loved her. Permission to come aboard?"

"For pizza? Permission granted man".

"Thanks Pace. Hey, I'm sorry that things ended up like this...but you knew this might happen if you didn't let Dawson in on it." Issac raised his hands. "Look, this isn't a told-you-so ok? But I can see how this sucks."

"Sucks? It more than sucks. Dawson hates me, Joey's broken up with me and...huh, you know what? Andie was right. How much worse can it get? And what does it say about me that my ex-girlfriend can see things more clearly than me?"

Issac almost choked on his pizza slice. "What? What did Andie have to do with this?"

"This is the best part hombre. Joey, Dawson and I are out the front of the house and we found out he knew. He's known all day because Jen told him-"

"Yeah, because she thought Joey or you'd told him. But what did Andie do?" Isaac's eagerness was obvious.

"Well, she walks up with Will and reams me out for getting in the middle of Joey and Dawson. Where does she get off doing that?"

"With Will? Who's he?"

"Friend of mine"

"Oh." Issac's tone caused Pacey to look at him. So, Issac did have feelings for Andie. His tone sounded the same as when Joey spoke about Dawson and Jen, that jealous tone she used.

"Why did Andie get angry at you for?"

"Beats me."

They ate in silence for a while. Issac spoke up first.

"Pace, you have to stop trying to protect Dawson's feelings. The boy has to grow up sometime.

"What do you mean?"

"You and Joey and Jen all worry about him, how things effect him but it always leaves you all bent out of shape. So what if he's hurt? Why should his reaction cause you and Joey to break up? When did his approval become mandatory?"

"But he's my best friend or was...anyway he told me to go to her. What did he expect?"

"Pacey, could you have handled this better? Probably. Did you fall in love with Joey to spite Dawson? No. Just because he's throwing a hissyfit doesn't mean you shouldn't be with her. "

They returned to silence again. Pacey was running through the day's events in his mind trying to find if he could have done anything different so that he didn't end back here on True Love alone and heartbroken. Issac was processing the fact that Andie had been so upset with Pacey. It was so obvious she was still in love with him and it hurt him more than he imagined. He signed heavily.

Issac broke the silence. "You know what Pace? I'm pathetic, simply pathetic. You know what the difference is between me and Dawson? He sees the answers to life's problems in the movies and I see the answers in a three-minute pop song.

Pacey smiled despite himself. "Zac what are you talking about? "

"Ah, I see I can elicit a grin from the boy after all. Who do you think I'm talking about? Andie!" Issac laughed bitterly. "Pace, you know why she got all upset? Because she's still got bloody feelings for you! You...not this bastard Will, whoever he is!"

Noting Pacey's quizzical expression he continued. "It's you man, it's always been you and I can't get past it. I'm totally in love with her and I'm too scared to tell her. And look what happens;" his voice was breaking with emotion and he was about to cry as the frustration poured out, "she goes out with Will. Cause I'm in the friend pile. Yeah, the good friend. The one she talks to is nice to but man she doesn't notice me. I swear to you Pacey I love her, absolutely, one-hundred percent love Andie McPhee. I can't stop and I don't want to. I...I..." Issac began to cry, "I'm sorry man I was supposed to cheer you up and now we're both moping over women. Remind me again how we got here?" He brushed his tears away.

Zac had managed to surprise Pacey. In all the time he had known Issac he had never heard him curse. He'd suspected that Issac had feelings for some girl but had never thought it was Andie and never realised how deeply he felt for her. "Zac, if it helps I don't have any romantic feelings for Andie. It was over a long time ago, I mean we're friends but that's all."

He was curious now how long had Issac felt this way about Andie? "If you don't mind me asking, how long have you being in love with her?"

Issac sighed. "I'm not really sure Pace. I remember noticing her that night at the pep rally. It was like boom! And the whole world stopped and all I could see was her. And you of course."

"Horrible night. I found out she'd slept with Marc. That was the night we broke up", said Pacey in a sad voice.

"Really? She's never told me the reason. I always figured that it was too painful to drag up again. You know, when I was working on that play with her I was going to ask her out. I screwed up my courage and went to ask her at that party after opening night, and I saw you and her go off together...again I missed the bus."

"Nothing happened. We just talked and got back some of our friendship"

"Ok, well, I guess in some way Pace I've been falling in love with her since the first time I saw her. Do you know how hard it is to keep these feelings inside? To hold yourself back-

"Hey man, come on...Joey Potter remember her? How many times do you think I wanted to do something, to say something? Everything was balanced in our little group until the day I kissed her. I had to do it didn't I? Damn Doug and his butterflies." Pacey remembered that night in the cells and the advice Doug had given him. "And just as I told him, there has a monumental shift in Capeside. A traumatic, tectonic shift in the alignment of the planets as I fell for Dawson's supposed soulmate."

"Butterflies?" Issac queried, "Yeah I feel butterflies every time she's near me. I just want to throw myself at her feet and declare my undying love. But then I remember...huh...but I don't want to end up hurt and alone. It's bad enough that I am pining for her but I think I'd prefer that to being rejected."

Issac rose, patted Pacey on the shoulder and stepped off the boat. He paused and turned and looked at Pacey. "I'm sorry Pace. This was meant to cheer you up and all we've talked about is my angst over Andie"

"It's ok man, I'll see you later. And thanks for the pizza."

Issac went to leave but as he did a thought struck him that he felt he needed to share with Pacey. "Pace? Look...ah...if it helps, I think you know Joey is the one for you and she's worthy all this heartache. Pace, if you'll permit me to push a nautical metaphor, you began this voyage in fair weather but only to find Joey jumping ship as soon as it hit rough water. Is she worth it Pace? You really need to think about that." Issac walked off leaving Pacey to ponder over his question...