Part 5: Subtle Destruction
Less than five minutes before the bell that signaled the start of class the next morning, Pacey ran down the hall. He didn't remember going home last night, and he certainly didn't remember his alarm going off this morning. Making it to his locker he struggled with the combination and catching his breath all at once.
Finally, he succeeded in getting his locker open. Now, which class did he have first today? English – no, that was third… his locker was a mess. He pushed aside some old assignments, searching for his book report that he knew he'd printed out the other day. Not on that shelf… he knocked a stack of papers and books to the floor.
Swearing, he bent over and tried to continue searching the lower shelf of his locker while retrieving his scattered papers. He didn't want his grades lying around for the world to see.
"Interesting insight and well researched. A fine improvement."
It was too late. Jen had appeared behind him, and grabbed one of his reports that had been slightly out of his reach. "B Minus, not bad. That paper was a killer."
She dropped to her knees beside him, and began gathering up the rest of his papers. "Whatcha looking for?"
"Book report," he answered tersely. He swore and slammed a fist against the side of his locker. "That's just great."
He snatched the papers and books from Jen, threw them inside, slammed the door then reopened it. "Still can't remember what stupid class we've got first this morning…"
"History," Jen supplied.
"That's the homework I forgot to do!" This was just not his day.
"Are you okay?" Jen asked it tentatively, watching him shoving books and binders aside once again.
"Spectacular," he replied.
"Hey, you're not looking for this?" The bell rang as Andie joined the two, holding out something to Pacey. He turned, having given up on finding his History book, and looked at what his girlfriend was holding. "You left it at my house."
"Thank you!" The paper and her books spilled to the ground as he grabbed her, lifting her from the floor and kissing her quickly. She smiled, but her eyes showed concern.
"You don't look so good," she observed as he released her.
"I'm fine, now." He kissed her on the forehead, picked up his paper, and turned to go.
"Your locker," Jen reminded him.
He sighed, turned back, and closed the door.
Or tried to.
"How do you fit anything in there?" Andie asked lightly.
"I dunno," he said absently, grabbing a book at random and closing the door.
"You left your History book at my house, too," Andie told him.
"What would I do without you?" His tone was light but his words were sincere.
Andie handed him his History book and kissed him on the cheek. "I'll see you next period," she said, hurrying off.
---
Lunch looked less appealing than usual. Pacey pushed the food around on his tray, disgusted by the mere thought of eating it.
He'd thought the morning would never end. His head had started hurting somewhere during his first class, and he was developing a terrible cough. He knew he shouldn't have stood out in the rain so long last night...
"Do you think cafeterias anywhere serve edible food? Maybe in Japan or something." Dawson and Jack joined Pacey at the table. He attempted a smile at Dawson's comment, but remained silent.
"Are you feeling all right?" Jack inquired, taking in his friend's complexion.
"Living," he mumbled.
"Hey guys!" He wondered how on earth his girlfriend could always seem so perky.
"Hi, McPhee." He sounded terrible even to himself.
"Are you feeling all right?" She unknowingly echoed her brother's statement as she sat down beside him.
He didn't bother answering; she could tell if he was lying anyway. Her cool hand pressed against his forehead and he sighed aloud.
"You feel a little warm," she murmured.
"I'll be fine." She gave him a look but must've sensed he was near the breaking point because she didn't press it. He caught her looking over at him a lot though for the rest of lunch. Normally he would've made some remark about it but he just didn't have the energy.
---
He was going to pass out from exhaustion. It was... sometime during the afternoon. Everything and everywhere and anyone were a blur. He vaguely knew that he was in school, either that or some kind of never ending torture. His head pounded and his eyelids drooped. The teacher's constant drone didn't help any.
An elbow to the ribs made him jump sometime later. His head snapped up from where it'd been about to hit the desk.
"As much as I love watching you suffer, something told me hitting that desk wouldn't be very pleasant." He gave Joey a look that he'd meant to be a scowl but somehow Pacey doubted it came out right.
"Thanks," he muttered.
His head was precariously close to smacking the desk once again when the bell rang. He jumped and nearly fell out of his chair. Joey smirked at him, but was happy that Pacey didn't appear awake enough to catch the concern in her eyes.
Pacey gathered his books and walked groggily out into the hallway. What class did he have next? What time was it? Where was he, anyway?
He looked around the corridor, wishing the chattering students would shut up, even for a second.
He turned a corner and tried to concentrate on walking to his locker. His head throbbed. He wanted to curl up right here on the floor and sleep forever. Could one night with little sleep really do this much damage to you?
"Pacey!" He turned in surprise and nearly dropped his books.
"Hey." Andie came to walk beside him. He was glad; maybe she could remind him where his locker was.
"Hey, you want a ride home?" Regardless of what he said she was giving him one. He was looking disoriented and quite pale up close.
"Sure, if you don't mind." If she was talking about rides home, that must mean the day was finally over. He would have jumped for joy if he had the strength.
She patted his arm. "No problem – Pacey?"
"Yeah?"
"Your locker's that way."
"Oh. Right."
---
"We're here," Andie announced as she pulled to a stop in front of Pacey's house.
She got no response.
"Pacey?" She looked over at him finally, only to discover that he'd fallen asleep. He was slumped against the window, and he didn't appear to have heard her.
Andie watched him for a moment and made a decision. She didn't have the heart to wake him and watch Pacey walk into a house to find a family that seemed incapable of feeling emotion.
She pulled back out of his driveway, and headed for her house instead. It was pretty empty itself, but at least he'd be with her. She'd make sure he was loved.
Author's Notes:
If I still have any readers... I am so sorry for the extremely long wait. I'm going to update this more regularly, I swear. I know I say this every part, but I'm going to try and stick to it this time. I know this was kind of a filler part, but the action is coming. And maybe some angst for P/A, since I cannot write Andie to save my life.
If anyone's interested in betaing, say so in a review. Speaking of betaing, Thanks goes to Laura for emergency betaing of this part. Let's say if I can go for the rest of this without saying the word beta, shall we?
If anyone has any suggestions/requests/death threats, feel free to leave them along with any other comments you might have. Flames are welcome, my ego will be sad though.
I promise to update this soon, and thanks so much for sticking with it.
Less than five minutes before the bell that signaled the start of class the next morning, Pacey ran down the hall. He didn't remember going home last night, and he certainly didn't remember his alarm going off this morning. Making it to his locker he struggled with the combination and catching his breath all at once.
Finally, he succeeded in getting his locker open. Now, which class did he have first today? English – no, that was third… his locker was a mess. He pushed aside some old assignments, searching for his book report that he knew he'd printed out the other day. Not on that shelf… he knocked a stack of papers and books to the floor.
Swearing, he bent over and tried to continue searching the lower shelf of his locker while retrieving his scattered papers. He didn't want his grades lying around for the world to see.
"Interesting insight and well researched. A fine improvement."
It was too late. Jen had appeared behind him, and grabbed one of his reports that had been slightly out of his reach. "B Minus, not bad. That paper was a killer."
She dropped to her knees beside him, and began gathering up the rest of his papers. "Whatcha looking for?"
"Book report," he answered tersely. He swore and slammed a fist against the side of his locker. "That's just great."
He snatched the papers and books from Jen, threw them inside, slammed the door then reopened it. "Still can't remember what stupid class we've got first this morning…"
"History," Jen supplied.
"That's the homework I forgot to do!" This was just not his day.
"Are you okay?" Jen asked it tentatively, watching him shoving books and binders aside once again.
"Spectacular," he replied.
"Hey, you're not looking for this?" The bell rang as Andie joined the two, holding out something to Pacey. He turned, having given up on finding his History book, and looked at what his girlfriend was holding. "You left it at my house."
"Thank you!" The paper and her books spilled to the ground as he grabbed her, lifting her from the floor and kissing her quickly. She smiled, but her eyes showed concern.
"You don't look so good," she observed as he released her.
"I'm fine, now." He kissed her on the forehead, picked up his paper, and turned to go.
"Your locker," Jen reminded him.
He sighed, turned back, and closed the door.
Or tried to.
"How do you fit anything in there?" Andie asked lightly.
"I dunno," he said absently, grabbing a book at random and closing the door.
"You left your History book at my house, too," Andie told him.
"What would I do without you?" His tone was light but his words were sincere.
Andie handed him his History book and kissed him on the cheek. "I'll see you next period," she said, hurrying off.
---
Lunch looked less appealing than usual. Pacey pushed the food around on his tray, disgusted by the mere thought of eating it.
He'd thought the morning would never end. His head had started hurting somewhere during his first class, and he was developing a terrible cough. He knew he shouldn't have stood out in the rain so long last night...
"Do you think cafeterias anywhere serve edible food? Maybe in Japan or something." Dawson and Jack joined Pacey at the table. He attempted a smile at Dawson's comment, but remained silent.
"Are you feeling all right?" Jack inquired, taking in his friend's complexion.
"Living," he mumbled.
"Hey guys!" He wondered how on earth his girlfriend could always seem so perky.
"Hi, McPhee." He sounded terrible even to himself.
"Are you feeling all right?" She unknowingly echoed her brother's statement as she sat down beside him.
He didn't bother answering; she could tell if he was lying anyway. Her cool hand pressed against his forehead and he sighed aloud.
"You feel a little warm," she murmured.
"I'll be fine." She gave him a look but must've sensed he was near the breaking point because she didn't press it. He caught her looking over at him a lot though for the rest of lunch. Normally he would've made some remark about it but he just didn't have the energy.
---
He was going to pass out from exhaustion. It was... sometime during the afternoon. Everything and everywhere and anyone were a blur. He vaguely knew that he was in school, either that or some kind of never ending torture. His head pounded and his eyelids drooped. The teacher's constant drone didn't help any.
An elbow to the ribs made him jump sometime later. His head snapped up from where it'd been about to hit the desk.
"As much as I love watching you suffer, something told me hitting that desk wouldn't be very pleasant." He gave Joey a look that he'd meant to be a scowl but somehow Pacey doubted it came out right.
"Thanks," he muttered.
His head was precariously close to smacking the desk once again when the bell rang. He jumped and nearly fell out of his chair. Joey smirked at him, but was happy that Pacey didn't appear awake enough to catch the concern in her eyes.
Pacey gathered his books and walked groggily out into the hallway. What class did he have next? What time was it? Where was he, anyway?
He looked around the corridor, wishing the chattering students would shut up, even for a second.
He turned a corner and tried to concentrate on walking to his locker. His head throbbed. He wanted to curl up right here on the floor and sleep forever. Could one night with little sleep really do this much damage to you?
"Pacey!" He turned in surprise and nearly dropped his books.
"Hey." Andie came to walk beside him. He was glad; maybe she could remind him where his locker was.
"Hey, you want a ride home?" Regardless of what he said she was giving him one. He was looking disoriented and quite pale up close.
"Sure, if you don't mind." If she was talking about rides home, that must mean the day was finally over. He would have jumped for joy if he had the strength.
She patted his arm. "No problem – Pacey?"
"Yeah?"
"Your locker's that way."
"Oh. Right."
---
"We're here," Andie announced as she pulled to a stop in front of Pacey's house.
She got no response.
"Pacey?" She looked over at him finally, only to discover that he'd fallen asleep. He was slumped against the window, and he didn't appear to have heard her.
Andie watched him for a moment and made a decision. She didn't have the heart to wake him and watch Pacey walk into a house to find a family that seemed incapable of feeling emotion.
She pulled back out of his driveway, and headed for her house instead. It was pretty empty itself, but at least he'd be with her. She'd make sure he was loved.
Author's Notes:
If I still have any readers... I am so sorry for the extremely long wait. I'm going to update this more regularly, I swear. I know I say this every part, but I'm going to try and stick to it this time. I know this was kind of a filler part, but the action is coming. And maybe some angst for P/A, since I cannot write Andie to save my life.
If anyone's interested in betaing, say so in a review. Speaking of betaing, Thanks goes to Laura for emergency betaing of this part. Let's say if I can go for the rest of this without saying the word beta, shall we?
If anyone has any suggestions/requests/death threats, feel free to leave them along with any other comments you might have. Flames are welcome, my ego will be sad though.
I promise to update this soon, and thanks so much for sticking with it.