Disclaimer: I don't own Dawson's Creek or any of its characters.
Author's Note: Thanks to the following for reading and reviewing my story: Gypsy, Giuliana, justagirl, alysa, Aubrey, Abagail Snow, Cesare and roundin3rd. I appreciate the comments and constructive criticism. You guys rock!!! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"And so, in our study of micro economics, we're going to be playing a little game I like to call Alternative Lifestyles. I'll be giving you each identities, and you have to come up with a comprehensive annual family budget. Let's begin the selection process," said Mr. Maddock, holding out the hat full of names.
Pacey snapped to attention. It was getting harder and harder to stay awake in this class. Mr. Maddock was the type of teacher who liked to give long speeches. It had been a busy few weeks. He and Joey had been doing a lot of studying. But, that was about the only time he got to see her. She and Dawson had been working on rebuilding their friendship. They were always hanging out together now, and Pacey was feeling like the third wheel again. He would be in this role with Jen, but she had become fast friends with Abby Morgan. It felt like he was all alone again. Lost in his thoughts, he didn't notice Mr. Maddock repeating his name.
"Mr.Witter!" he exclaimed.
"Um, sorry," he apologized before reaching into the hat. He pulled out a piece of paper. He read the familiar name: Joey Potter. "Joey Potter," he said out loud.
"Okay, Pacey and Joey, you two are a lower-middle class family with three kids. Pacey, you're a bus driver, and Joey, you're a sales clerk," Mr. Maddock said. Pacey took a glance at Joey, who was writing all this down. Dawson looked a little upset about her not being his partner, but was eager to select a name from the hat.
"Jen Lindley," he said. Jen looked up from her seat. She had done the inevitable: she had fallen once again for Dawson Leery. He had been there when her gramps had died, but after his little kiss with Joey, it felt like he was hanging around her just to avoid Joey. Now, Joey and Dawson were trying to repair their friendship. At least she had Abby. Without her, Jen knew she would be a loner. The bell woke Jen up from her daydream.
"The projects are due on Friday! No lates accepted!" shouted Mr. Maddock as the students filed out the door.
Joey went to look for Pacey. Knowing him, he probably wouldn't want to start the project until the last minute, so she figured it would be a good idea to try to get a good start on it that night.
"Potter!" exclaimed a male voice behind her. She turned around to find Pacey standing there with a grin on his face. "Hey, Pace, I was just looking for you. Look, I have to work later on in the week, so maybe it would help to get a good start on the assignment," she rambled.
"Sure. Do you want to work on it after school today?" he asked.
"Yeah, that'd be great. Can you come over right after school?" she asked.
"Okay, I'll walk you home," he answered.
"Don't you want to stop at home first?" she asked.
"Uh, I'd rather not. I'm in a lot of hot water at home right now, and my dad's going to be home after school, so I wasn't planning on heading home until supper anyways," he responded nervously.
"Okay. Um, just meet me at my locker later. Bye Pacey," she said, walking away.
"Bye," he said. He turned around, and instantly fell to the ground.
"Oh, geez, I'm sorry about that man," said a guy that Pacey didn't know. Pacey got up.
"I'm okay. Hey, are you new here?" he asked.
"Yeah, actually I just moved here from Rhode Island. My name's Jack. Jack McPhee," he said, reaching out to shake Pacey's hand.
"McPhee? You wouldn't happen to know Andie McPhee would you?" Pacey asked.
"Yeah, she's my sister. Oh, have you met her?" he asked.
"Well, we sort of collided the other day. It was nice to meet you Jack, hope to see you around soon," Pacey said, running off to his next class.
~~~~~~ Later on. ~~~~~~ Joey was heading toward her locker. She had had a rough afternoon, and now she had to go work on a project that was worth 1/3 of her econ grade. She saw Dawson up ahead. He was talking to Jen. As she watched them talk, she started feeling jealous. 'Joey, stop it,' she told herself. But she couldn't help it. She watched as Dawson and Jen flirting. She was touching his shoulder, he was giving her one of his heart-melting smiles. Joey felt all of her old feelings coming back. Finally, she remembered that she was keeping Pacey waiting. She hurried off to her locker, only to find a waiting Pacey.
"What took you so long, Potter? I've been waiting here for quite a while now," Pacey said impatiently.
"Pacey, can we just leave please?" she asked with an annoyed tone in her voice. She grabbed Pacey by the arm and dragged him outside. She let him go as soon as they got outside.
"What the hell is wrong with you Joey?" he shouted.
"Nothing's wrong Pacey, it's just hormones, or something," Joey said, coming up with a quick excuse.
"Well, I hear that Midol might take away your bitchiness, but wait, does that ever go away?" he said, extremely irritated.
"Well, I hear that Viagra may make your dick look bigger than my pinky!" she yelled back. He stared at her, as if he had something to say, but he didn't say anything. She stormed off. Pacey continued to stare. He was determined to find out what was wrong.
"Joey, what's going on? You were fine earlier on today, what happened?" he asked after catching up to her.
"Nothing Pacey, can we just not talk right now?" she said on the verge of tears. He didn't listen. He grabbed her by the arms. He looked into her eyes, and strangely enough, he somehow knew what was wrong. He let go of her arms, and they started walking again.
"What did Dawson do this time?" he asked softly.
Joey looked up into Pacey's concerned eyes. "I saw him talking to Jen. And, I guess it brought back all of my feelings again," she explained.
"You're not over him, are you?" he asked.
Joey sighed. "I guess not," she started. "I thought I was, but I guess I was just telling myself that."
"Well, are you going to talk to him about how you're feeling?" he asked.
"Pacey, do you remember what happened last time I put my heart out like that?" she asked bitterly.
"I'm just saying, you never know, he may have changed since the kiss," Pacey answered.
"He hasn't," she replied. "He said that we could never progress past best friends. He told me that a few days ago."
"Oh. I'm sorry, Joey," he apologized.
"It's fine. I've done this before, I can handle it," she said.
"I just don't want to see you get hurt again," he said quietly. It was Joey's turn to stop Pacey.
"Since when do you care so much about me?" she asked.
"Damn it, Potter, can't a guy just try to care about the best friend he's got right now?" he replied, hurt.
"Have you completely forgotten about Dawson, Pacey? Since when has he stopped being your best friend?" she demanded.
"Since I've spoken to him maybe twice in the last few weeks! Between you and Jen, there just hasn't been a whole lot of room for me," he answered. "We're quickly growing apart, and I've tried to fix it. But he just doesn't seem to care all that much right now. And I wonder why."
Joey finally clued in. She knew what it was like to be the third wheel. "I'm sorry, Pace," she said.
"It's fine. I just wish you would wake up and notice that I'm just trying to be a good friend," he replied, hurt. "And I can handle the bantering, and being the punching bag when you're upset. I just wish you wouldn't close yourself off to me all the time."
"I'm not trying to hurt you, Pacey. But you're gonna have to understand that I'm not used to being completely open with anyone besides Dawson," she declared.
"Really? So how come you came with me to skip school? Why did you spill your guts then?" he asked.
"I needed to talk to somebody who wasn't Dawson. And in case you haven't noticed, besides Dawson, you're all I've got," she answered.
"Is that a bad thing?" he asked.
"No, of course not. I'm just not used to turning to you for my problems. I'm not trying to complain about spending time with you. It's just different," she replied. Pacey didn't really know what to say. He felt bad about assuming the worse from Joey.
"Is it a good different or a bad different?" he asked with a smile, hoping to break a bit of the tension.
"It's a good different. Oh, and I'm sorry about the whole Viagra comment," she said.
"You should be. I was expecting a bit more from you. I think you're going soft on me," he teased.
"And like the Midol thing was that much better? Come on, Pace. How many times have you used that one now? And how would you know about Midol anyways?" she teased back. They both laughed as they walked on.
~~~~~ Later on in the week.. ~~~~~
It was a slow night at the Icehouse. Joey was working, and Pacey was trying to put the finishing touches on their project.
"I don't see why each kid needs their own room, Joe, they can all share!" he argued.
"And I don't see why you need to have that Viper, Pacey!" she argued back.
"It's such an awesome car!" he argued further.
"Can you just forget about the car so we can finish the project?" she answered.
"Fine. At the expense of my happiness, I'll do the typical guy thing and sacrifice for the good of my wife and what she wants!" he complained.
"Thank you," Joey said sweetly.
"We better get a good grade on this. I've had just about enough of your charm Potter," he said with an annoyed tone.
Before Joey could answer, a girl entered the Icehouse. Joey got up to hand her a menu.
"Hi, here's a." she started.
"Oh, sorry, I'm not here to order anything. My name's Andie McPhee," she said, extending her hand to Joey. "I was wondering, I have a brother named Jack, and he's kinda looking for a job, but he's really shy, and I thought that maybe if you were hiring, I could put in a good word for him."
Joey was staring at Andie, looking confused and she was still shaking her hand. "Um, yeah, we could use the extra help actually. Tell him to come here tomorrow and ask for me," Joey replied.
"Thanks so much! It was so nice to meet you," Andie said. She noticed Pacey sitting at the counter. She walked over to him. Pacey looked up.
"Um, hi, Andie, right?" he asked.
"Yeah, look, I just wanted to apologize," she started.
"No, you have nothing to apologize for. I was just having a rough morning that's all. So, let me start over. I'm Pacey. Pacey Witter," he interrupted.
"Andie McPhee. Oh, you already knew that," she said embarrassed.
"Well, it is very nice to meet you Andie McPhee. Oh, I met your brother today. He seemed like a nice guy. You two should just fit right in here," he replied sincerely.
"Thank you. Sorry, but I've got to go. It was nice talking to you Pacey," Andie said heading to the door.
"Yeah, you too," he said. He went back to work while Joey made her way over to the counter.
"Looks like Pacey's got a little crush," Joey teased.
"Do not," Pacey replied.
"Do too, and now you're blushing," Joey laughed.
Pacey smiled. His cheeks were feeling a little red. "I don't like her like that. You're making a big deal out of it," he answered.
"I don't get to make fun of you over girls that often, so please, let me bask in this glory," Joey said, grinning.
"Well, bask up, cause I don't just like any girl, you know," he said.
"You liked me," she teased.
"Fine. I liked you. But believe me, those feelings have passed," he answered. He paused for a minute. "Can you imagine what would have happened had you returned my affection?"
Joey was caught off-guard. "Well, I'd like to think I would have at least kissed you back that night," she replied.
Pacey grinned. He was going to get the most out of this conversation. "Say Potter, seeing as we both know that I liked you, have you ever thought that way about me?" he asked.
Joey blushed. "No," she stated simply.
"I saw that! You blushed! So, tell me, when was I the roadkill on the Dawson highway?" he asked.
Joey glared at Pacey. "I liked you a little when we were 11," she replied.
"Really? Do tell," he said with a large grin on his face.
"Fine. Let's get this out in the open. Do you remember that first summer day that year?" she asked.
"Yeah, we went swimming, you, me and Dawson," he responded.
"Well, that was the first day I saw boys in a new light," Joey said embarrassed, but the look on Pacey's face made her continue. "I came walking out, and I saw you in those ugly black swimming trunks. And you had that huge grin on your face. And it kind of made me weak in the knees," she stammered.
Pacey was shocked. "Really?"
"Yes, really. But don't flatter yourself. I only liked you for a few weeks anyways. And that's when I started liking Dawson," she replied, her face a shade of red.
Pacey sat for a few minutes. "Okay. You spilled your guts, now its my turn. Now this is my deepest, darkest secret. Not even Dawson knows this. It was the Fourth of July when we were 11. You remember?" he asked.
"Yeah," she answered, intent to know what he was getting at.
"Well, we were all going to go swimming that night at the creek, and watch the fireworks there. And I was already in the water, with Dawson, and you were just coming in," he said, his voice growing more and more shaky.
"Pace?" Joey asked.
Pacey could feel his cheeks starting to burn. "You were peeling off your t- shirt and shorts, and I couldn't keep my eyes off you. And let's just say that I got a little aroused."
Joey started to smile. "So you liked me then too," she started.
Pacey sighed. "Do you remember how before the fireworks started that I said that I needed to go home because I was feeling sick?" Joey nodded. "I wasn't sick, Jo."
Joey didn't get it. "Then why did you go home?" she asked.
Pacey was frustrated. His cheeks burning with embarrassment, he continued to explain. "Jo, what do you think a boy does when he's feeling aroused?" he asked.
Joey sat for a minute until she finally understood what he was trying to say. Immediately, her cheeks were burning as well. "Um," she stammered.
"Look, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have brought it up. Look, I better go, this is done anyways," Pacey said quickly. Joey just nodded. Just as he was about to leave, she turned around.
"Pace?" she asked,
"Yeah?" he said, surprised.
"How is that your deepest, darkest secret?" she asked.
"No girl had ever made me feel like that before," he said. "It was my first."
"Oh my god, ok, I get, it now, um, yeah, I'll see you tomorrow," she said, stuttering almost every word, turning away so Pacey could not see how embarrassed she was.
Pacey left the Icehouse. He could not believe he just told Joey that. Suddenly, he realized what had been nagging at him for the past few weeks. No girl had ever made him feel this way. She still gave him butterflies, 5 years later. 'Please, God, no,' he thought to himself. But he knew that this time, these feelings weren't going to go away so quickly. He walked home in disbelief.
5 minutes later, Joey was still embarrassed. She could not believe he had told her that. She could not believe that she had told him about her little crush. It kind of felt surreal, how they both secretly had liked each other at that time. Then, Joey started to wonder. Did he still like her? And if he did, would he act upon his feelings? Luckily for Joey, a customer had entered the Icehouse, giving her something to do besides think about Pacey.
Author's Note: Thanks to the following for reading and reviewing my story: Gypsy, Giuliana, justagirl, alysa, Aubrey, Abagail Snow, Cesare and roundin3rd. I appreciate the comments and constructive criticism. You guys rock!!! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"And so, in our study of micro economics, we're going to be playing a little game I like to call Alternative Lifestyles. I'll be giving you each identities, and you have to come up with a comprehensive annual family budget. Let's begin the selection process," said Mr. Maddock, holding out the hat full of names.
Pacey snapped to attention. It was getting harder and harder to stay awake in this class. Mr. Maddock was the type of teacher who liked to give long speeches. It had been a busy few weeks. He and Joey had been doing a lot of studying. But, that was about the only time he got to see her. She and Dawson had been working on rebuilding their friendship. They were always hanging out together now, and Pacey was feeling like the third wheel again. He would be in this role with Jen, but she had become fast friends with Abby Morgan. It felt like he was all alone again. Lost in his thoughts, he didn't notice Mr. Maddock repeating his name.
"Mr.Witter!" he exclaimed.
"Um, sorry," he apologized before reaching into the hat. He pulled out a piece of paper. He read the familiar name: Joey Potter. "Joey Potter," he said out loud.
"Okay, Pacey and Joey, you two are a lower-middle class family with three kids. Pacey, you're a bus driver, and Joey, you're a sales clerk," Mr. Maddock said. Pacey took a glance at Joey, who was writing all this down. Dawson looked a little upset about her not being his partner, but was eager to select a name from the hat.
"Jen Lindley," he said. Jen looked up from her seat. She had done the inevitable: she had fallen once again for Dawson Leery. He had been there when her gramps had died, but after his little kiss with Joey, it felt like he was hanging around her just to avoid Joey. Now, Joey and Dawson were trying to repair their friendship. At least she had Abby. Without her, Jen knew she would be a loner. The bell woke Jen up from her daydream.
"The projects are due on Friday! No lates accepted!" shouted Mr. Maddock as the students filed out the door.
Joey went to look for Pacey. Knowing him, he probably wouldn't want to start the project until the last minute, so she figured it would be a good idea to try to get a good start on it that night.
"Potter!" exclaimed a male voice behind her. She turned around to find Pacey standing there with a grin on his face. "Hey, Pace, I was just looking for you. Look, I have to work later on in the week, so maybe it would help to get a good start on the assignment," she rambled.
"Sure. Do you want to work on it after school today?" he asked.
"Yeah, that'd be great. Can you come over right after school?" she asked.
"Okay, I'll walk you home," he answered.
"Don't you want to stop at home first?" she asked.
"Uh, I'd rather not. I'm in a lot of hot water at home right now, and my dad's going to be home after school, so I wasn't planning on heading home until supper anyways," he responded nervously.
"Okay. Um, just meet me at my locker later. Bye Pacey," she said, walking away.
"Bye," he said. He turned around, and instantly fell to the ground.
"Oh, geez, I'm sorry about that man," said a guy that Pacey didn't know. Pacey got up.
"I'm okay. Hey, are you new here?" he asked.
"Yeah, actually I just moved here from Rhode Island. My name's Jack. Jack McPhee," he said, reaching out to shake Pacey's hand.
"McPhee? You wouldn't happen to know Andie McPhee would you?" Pacey asked.
"Yeah, she's my sister. Oh, have you met her?" he asked.
"Well, we sort of collided the other day. It was nice to meet you Jack, hope to see you around soon," Pacey said, running off to his next class.
~~~~~~ Later on. ~~~~~~ Joey was heading toward her locker. She had had a rough afternoon, and now she had to go work on a project that was worth 1/3 of her econ grade. She saw Dawson up ahead. He was talking to Jen. As she watched them talk, she started feeling jealous. 'Joey, stop it,' she told herself. But she couldn't help it. She watched as Dawson and Jen flirting. She was touching his shoulder, he was giving her one of his heart-melting smiles. Joey felt all of her old feelings coming back. Finally, she remembered that she was keeping Pacey waiting. She hurried off to her locker, only to find a waiting Pacey.
"What took you so long, Potter? I've been waiting here for quite a while now," Pacey said impatiently.
"Pacey, can we just leave please?" she asked with an annoyed tone in her voice. She grabbed Pacey by the arm and dragged him outside. She let him go as soon as they got outside.
"What the hell is wrong with you Joey?" he shouted.
"Nothing's wrong Pacey, it's just hormones, or something," Joey said, coming up with a quick excuse.
"Well, I hear that Midol might take away your bitchiness, but wait, does that ever go away?" he said, extremely irritated.
"Well, I hear that Viagra may make your dick look bigger than my pinky!" she yelled back. He stared at her, as if he had something to say, but he didn't say anything. She stormed off. Pacey continued to stare. He was determined to find out what was wrong.
"Joey, what's going on? You were fine earlier on today, what happened?" he asked after catching up to her.
"Nothing Pacey, can we just not talk right now?" she said on the verge of tears. He didn't listen. He grabbed her by the arms. He looked into her eyes, and strangely enough, he somehow knew what was wrong. He let go of her arms, and they started walking again.
"What did Dawson do this time?" he asked softly.
Joey looked up into Pacey's concerned eyes. "I saw him talking to Jen. And, I guess it brought back all of my feelings again," she explained.
"You're not over him, are you?" he asked.
Joey sighed. "I guess not," she started. "I thought I was, but I guess I was just telling myself that."
"Well, are you going to talk to him about how you're feeling?" he asked.
"Pacey, do you remember what happened last time I put my heart out like that?" she asked bitterly.
"I'm just saying, you never know, he may have changed since the kiss," Pacey answered.
"He hasn't," she replied. "He said that we could never progress past best friends. He told me that a few days ago."
"Oh. I'm sorry, Joey," he apologized.
"It's fine. I've done this before, I can handle it," she said.
"I just don't want to see you get hurt again," he said quietly. It was Joey's turn to stop Pacey.
"Since when do you care so much about me?" she asked.
"Damn it, Potter, can't a guy just try to care about the best friend he's got right now?" he replied, hurt.
"Have you completely forgotten about Dawson, Pacey? Since when has he stopped being your best friend?" she demanded.
"Since I've spoken to him maybe twice in the last few weeks! Between you and Jen, there just hasn't been a whole lot of room for me," he answered. "We're quickly growing apart, and I've tried to fix it. But he just doesn't seem to care all that much right now. And I wonder why."
Joey finally clued in. She knew what it was like to be the third wheel. "I'm sorry, Pace," she said.
"It's fine. I just wish you would wake up and notice that I'm just trying to be a good friend," he replied, hurt. "And I can handle the bantering, and being the punching bag when you're upset. I just wish you wouldn't close yourself off to me all the time."
"I'm not trying to hurt you, Pacey. But you're gonna have to understand that I'm not used to being completely open with anyone besides Dawson," she declared.
"Really? So how come you came with me to skip school? Why did you spill your guts then?" he asked.
"I needed to talk to somebody who wasn't Dawson. And in case you haven't noticed, besides Dawson, you're all I've got," she answered.
"Is that a bad thing?" he asked.
"No, of course not. I'm just not used to turning to you for my problems. I'm not trying to complain about spending time with you. It's just different," she replied. Pacey didn't really know what to say. He felt bad about assuming the worse from Joey.
"Is it a good different or a bad different?" he asked with a smile, hoping to break a bit of the tension.
"It's a good different. Oh, and I'm sorry about the whole Viagra comment," she said.
"You should be. I was expecting a bit more from you. I think you're going soft on me," he teased.
"And like the Midol thing was that much better? Come on, Pace. How many times have you used that one now? And how would you know about Midol anyways?" she teased back. They both laughed as they walked on.
~~~~~ Later on in the week.. ~~~~~
It was a slow night at the Icehouse. Joey was working, and Pacey was trying to put the finishing touches on their project.
"I don't see why each kid needs their own room, Joe, they can all share!" he argued.
"And I don't see why you need to have that Viper, Pacey!" she argued back.
"It's such an awesome car!" he argued further.
"Can you just forget about the car so we can finish the project?" she answered.
"Fine. At the expense of my happiness, I'll do the typical guy thing and sacrifice for the good of my wife and what she wants!" he complained.
"Thank you," Joey said sweetly.
"We better get a good grade on this. I've had just about enough of your charm Potter," he said with an annoyed tone.
Before Joey could answer, a girl entered the Icehouse. Joey got up to hand her a menu.
"Hi, here's a." she started.
"Oh, sorry, I'm not here to order anything. My name's Andie McPhee," she said, extending her hand to Joey. "I was wondering, I have a brother named Jack, and he's kinda looking for a job, but he's really shy, and I thought that maybe if you were hiring, I could put in a good word for him."
Joey was staring at Andie, looking confused and she was still shaking her hand. "Um, yeah, we could use the extra help actually. Tell him to come here tomorrow and ask for me," Joey replied.
"Thanks so much! It was so nice to meet you," Andie said. She noticed Pacey sitting at the counter. She walked over to him. Pacey looked up.
"Um, hi, Andie, right?" he asked.
"Yeah, look, I just wanted to apologize," she started.
"No, you have nothing to apologize for. I was just having a rough morning that's all. So, let me start over. I'm Pacey. Pacey Witter," he interrupted.
"Andie McPhee. Oh, you already knew that," she said embarrassed.
"Well, it is very nice to meet you Andie McPhee. Oh, I met your brother today. He seemed like a nice guy. You two should just fit right in here," he replied sincerely.
"Thank you. Sorry, but I've got to go. It was nice talking to you Pacey," Andie said heading to the door.
"Yeah, you too," he said. He went back to work while Joey made her way over to the counter.
"Looks like Pacey's got a little crush," Joey teased.
"Do not," Pacey replied.
"Do too, and now you're blushing," Joey laughed.
Pacey smiled. His cheeks were feeling a little red. "I don't like her like that. You're making a big deal out of it," he answered.
"I don't get to make fun of you over girls that often, so please, let me bask in this glory," Joey said, grinning.
"Well, bask up, cause I don't just like any girl, you know," he said.
"You liked me," she teased.
"Fine. I liked you. But believe me, those feelings have passed," he answered. He paused for a minute. "Can you imagine what would have happened had you returned my affection?"
Joey was caught off-guard. "Well, I'd like to think I would have at least kissed you back that night," she replied.
Pacey grinned. He was going to get the most out of this conversation. "Say Potter, seeing as we both know that I liked you, have you ever thought that way about me?" he asked.
Joey blushed. "No," she stated simply.
"I saw that! You blushed! So, tell me, when was I the roadkill on the Dawson highway?" he asked.
Joey glared at Pacey. "I liked you a little when we were 11," she replied.
"Really? Do tell," he said with a large grin on his face.
"Fine. Let's get this out in the open. Do you remember that first summer day that year?" she asked.
"Yeah, we went swimming, you, me and Dawson," he responded.
"Well, that was the first day I saw boys in a new light," Joey said embarrassed, but the look on Pacey's face made her continue. "I came walking out, and I saw you in those ugly black swimming trunks. And you had that huge grin on your face. And it kind of made me weak in the knees," she stammered.
Pacey was shocked. "Really?"
"Yes, really. But don't flatter yourself. I only liked you for a few weeks anyways. And that's when I started liking Dawson," she replied, her face a shade of red.
Pacey sat for a few minutes. "Okay. You spilled your guts, now its my turn. Now this is my deepest, darkest secret. Not even Dawson knows this. It was the Fourth of July when we were 11. You remember?" he asked.
"Yeah," she answered, intent to know what he was getting at.
"Well, we were all going to go swimming that night at the creek, and watch the fireworks there. And I was already in the water, with Dawson, and you were just coming in," he said, his voice growing more and more shaky.
"Pace?" Joey asked.
Pacey could feel his cheeks starting to burn. "You were peeling off your t- shirt and shorts, and I couldn't keep my eyes off you. And let's just say that I got a little aroused."
Joey started to smile. "So you liked me then too," she started.
Pacey sighed. "Do you remember how before the fireworks started that I said that I needed to go home because I was feeling sick?" Joey nodded. "I wasn't sick, Jo."
Joey didn't get it. "Then why did you go home?" she asked.
Pacey was frustrated. His cheeks burning with embarrassment, he continued to explain. "Jo, what do you think a boy does when he's feeling aroused?" he asked.
Joey sat for a minute until she finally understood what he was trying to say. Immediately, her cheeks were burning as well. "Um," she stammered.
"Look, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have brought it up. Look, I better go, this is done anyways," Pacey said quickly. Joey just nodded. Just as he was about to leave, she turned around.
"Pace?" she asked,
"Yeah?" he said, surprised.
"How is that your deepest, darkest secret?" she asked.
"No girl had ever made me feel like that before," he said. "It was my first."
"Oh my god, ok, I get, it now, um, yeah, I'll see you tomorrow," she said, stuttering almost every word, turning away so Pacey could not see how embarrassed she was.
Pacey left the Icehouse. He could not believe he just told Joey that. Suddenly, he realized what had been nagging at him for the past few weeks. No girl had ever made him feel this way. She still gave him butterflies, 5 years later. 'Please, God, no,' he thought to himself. But he knew that this time, these feelings weren't going to go away so quickly. He walked home in disbelief.
5 minutes later, Joey was still embarrassed. She could not believe he had told her that. She could not believe that she had told him about her little crush. It kind of felt surreal, how they both secretly had liked each other at that time. Then, Joey started to wonder. Did he still like her? And if he did, would he act upon his feelings? Luckily for Joey, a customer had entered the Icehouse, giving her something to do besides think about Pacey.