Sand In My Shoes

Part 4

Annoying

"Have I told you yet how much I do not want to be here?" Pacey moaned as Jack dragged him towards the table of drinks laid out for all the party goers.

"Just about a thousand times in the last sixteen and a half minutes," Jack complained, handing his friend a beer. "Beer. Drink. Be merry!" he pleaded, rolling his eyes. He couldn't wait for Jen to arrive, at least she wasn't depressed. "Hey Andie is in a real writing spree lately isn't she?" Jack asked and watched Pacey's face fall.

"She wrote to you?" he asked.

"Yeah of course, hasn't she written to you?" he questioned him.

"Nope," he said sternly. "Not for fifteen days,"

"Are you sure?" Jack asked him in confusion. He was getting an email or a letter from her every day.

"Pretty sure, unless Paul, my mailman is playing a very cruel joke," he said, throwing the first beer down his neck and reaching for another. He couldn't believe Andie would do that, he couldn't believe she would write to Jack and not to him.

"So that's what's eating you?" Jack said, finally understanding.

"Not completely, Miss Josephine 'razor whit' Potter also has a lot to do with it," Pacey said sarcastically, shaking his head.

"You've been back for four hours, how can she have annoyed you already?" he asked in disbelief.

"She filled the boat with gas,"

"Ahh," he sighed in understanding.

"then she shouted at me, just as I was going to ask her if she had heard from Andie, she got told off by her boss and so I tried to rescue her from the situation, but I really don't know why I even bother," he complained, throwing another beer down his neck.

"You might want to slow down a little there Pace," Jack warned him.

"Hey guys!" Jen said greeting them with Joey in tow.

"And that is my cue to leave," Pacey said, coldly, brushing past Joey.

"Let him go," Jack sighed. "He is impossible tonight,"

"Pacey!" Joey said, running after him. "Pacey wait up!" she shouted after him, but he ignored her. "Pacey Witter you come back here right… ow!" she moaned as she tripped over a large rock and fell face down on the sand. "Pacey come on!" She shouted. "Ow, ow, ow!" She tried to hop over to him on her good ankle but fell over, unsuccessfully.

"Are you okay?" he asked her, turning around and walking over, kneeling beside her.

"I have sand in my shoe," she complained. "Oh yeah and a broken ankle!" she bellowed. "Now help me up you idiot," she added with a scowl on her face.

"Did anyone ever tell you that shouting at people is not the best way to get them to help you? And that calling me an idiot when I'm already pretty mad isn't the best apology I've ever heard?" he asked her.

"I'm sorry," she said honestly. "Now can you help me up? Please?" he requested.

"Ok," he sighed, sitting her up. "come on, lets go get you some ice for that slightly twisted ankle," he laughed, shaking his head, putting her arm around her shoulder and bringing her to her foot.

"Ahhh!" she complained as the pain shot through her ankle. "I think it's broken," she complained.

"Ok," Pacey sat her on a very large rock and took off her shoe, inspecting her foot. "Twisted, maybe sprained, definitely not broken so stop being a drama queen," he told her, looking up at her.

"Well if it's not broken then how come I can't walk on it?" she asked him, narrowing her eyes at him.

"Because you twisted it and it hurts, now come on tiny Tim," he sighed, helping her up again, putting his arm around her waist. "Walk with me and we'll get some ice on it," he suggested.

"Well it better not be too …" Joey spoke then fell again. "Ow!" she moaned.

"You are such a drama queen!" he complained, shaking his head.

"Well excuse me for coming to apologise to you and breaking…"

"Twisting," he corrected.

"Fine!" she agreed between gritted teeth "Twisting my ankle in the process. But you're not perfect by any means Pacey, I mean thanks for the on site first aid and all but your bedside manner really does leave something to be desired," he scowled.

"If you're looking for help you are really going the wrong way about it," he snapped back and took a deep breath.

"Will you just help me up already!" she asked him and he threw his head back, letting an exasperated breath escape.

"Fine," he agreed and helped her up. She put her arm around his shoulder and he supported her waist as she walked. They got half way to the porch of the house when she started to fall again. "Ok, this is getting us nowhere," he sighed.

"What do you suggest?" she asked him. He placed his arm under her knees and scooped her up.

"God you've heavy these days Potter," he complained. "What the hell do you eat?" he joked.

"Less talking, more walking, this is so embarrassing," she scowled as he carried her to the house and up the steps, entering through the back door.

He scanned the crowd for a free couch but found nothing. Teenagers made out wherever there was a vacancy. Scanning the house he watched two people walk out a bedroom holding hands and marched to the open door. He walked in and laid Joey on the bed carefully.

"Leave the door open," she requested. "I do not want roomers circulating about this," Joey complained.

"I'm going to find ice, I'll be right back," he told her.

"Close the door behind you," she requested.

"But you just said that…" she sighed and shook his head, he didn't have the energy to argue with that woman. "I'll be right back, don't move" he told her.

"Oh you want me to stay?" she asked him sarcastically. "I thought I would go skiing!" she snapped.

"Whatever you have shoved up your ass? Remove it by the time I get back?" he requested, taking a heavy exasperated breath as he walked out of the door in search of ice.