CHAPTER 8:
When Pacey had changed his cloths he felt much better again, not so cranky as before anyway. He looked himself up an down in the mirror and saw Dawson's cloths thankfully didn't look as stupid as he had thought they would. His friend had been so clever to give him a short pair of pants, which was pretty common for the time of the year, and no-one could see they were the wrong seize.
Pacey's got a creased forehead when he though of what to expect of today. He was going to the other class. Even though Mitch was going to help him with school, in the mean time he had to go a year back, because it wasn't even sure he would be able to catch up on the higher level. Of course he didn't want to go to the other class. Even though he always pretended nothing got to him, that he didn't care what others said of thought about him, of course he cared. Who wouldn't? His crankiness from earlier really didn't had to do much with the sudden bath in the lake before, it was just that he was thinking of school, worrying was more like it. The day he wanted to forgot before it actually happened.
He heard a knock on the door and slowly looked in that direction. "Be there in a minute", he said.
"Hurry Pacey, we all need to use the bathroom, before going to school or work", he heard Mitch reply.
"Yes", Pacey said. He looked at himself in the mirror one more time and with a sigh he turned around. Picking up the wet cloths from the floor he opened the door for the next person. He brushed past Dawson's dad who gave him a soft smile, when seeing the worried look on Pacey's face.
Mitch wasn't forgotten what the day was. "It's going to be alright Pacey", he said reassuring while he grabbed the boy's arm so he wouldn't walk away before Mitch was finished. "They won't eat you and I know you can handle this. I know you can make it through the day. And remember, if you work hard with me it's only temporarily."
Pacey nodded and he felt a little better again. He still had to go, which sucked big time, but he also knew Dawson's dad was right. What was the worst that could happen?
Pacey walked into the classroom and an immediate storm of whispers followed. Kids leaning towards each other, whispering in the ears and pointing towards him. He ignored the looks, the words, the stares, and with firm passes he made his way to the nearest empty seat. Plumping down on it he stared at the black board until the teacher came. She made everyone quiet and when the class started Pacey's cramped sit posture became a little more relaxed.
He finally experienced the advantage of going a year back. The material the teacher was discussing he already did once, and he hadn't forgot it. On contrary of what most people, including Pacey himself, he wasn't a muddle head. Someone who just wasn't capable of learning something. He actually had a very good memory. Last years material, the stuff he already learned once, was a clear in his head as if he had learned it yesterday.
As long as people let him know it all had a purpose to learn and that he could actually do it, everything would be alright. But they didn't and Pacey figured it was all useless when you dreamed of a life on a boat, on the sea.
The rest of the class he tried to pay a little attention so he wouldn't screw this up the first day already, but when the school bell rang to announce everyone that class was over he was the first to run off. Suddenly not interested anymore in hearing the last of the teacher's words, but more important those of his 'new' class mates. He wasn't planning on staying in this class long and didn't feel like socializing, supposedly nice, but superficial chatter or hateful words of him being much older than the rest of them.
Slandering through the hallways he looked out for Dawson, because he wasn't planning on suddenly 'hanging out' with other's in between classes. But before he could find his friend, Joey saw him.
"Hey there stranger", she said with a huge grin on her face as she walked towards him. "Were you to wet to go to the first class today?"
"Well well well if it isn't the devil herself", Pacey said as he stopped in front of her. "Are you sure it's safe to come this close to me, because I still need to get back at you for you know what."
"There are too many people here to cover up a murder Pacey", Joey said sarcastic. "So no I am not afraid. But seriously where were you this morning? You didn't need to skip class because you 'didn't do homework or something, you understand this stuff better than me, you helped me yesterday with it, remember?"
"Yeah big mistake", Pacey replied. "Helping you. Anyway where's Dawson, he was supposed to be in class with you."
"He's coming in a minute", Joey said. "But you still didn't answer my question, where've you been?"
"If I haven't answered might mean it's none of your business Potter", Pacey said, annoyed with the ten questions. Finally he saw Dawson coming out of the class and he walk towards his friend. "My saviour", he said.
"What?", Dawson asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Potter's playing a journalist", Pacey explained. She's determined to find out where I was this morning, even though that's none of her business and not even interesting to know, if you know what I mean." Pacey hoped that with this cryptic explanation Dawson would understand Pacey didn't want everyone to find out about his last stunt in school, especially not Joey Potter.
