Whenever You Need Me

Chapter: 2

Yellow

Look at the stars; look how they shine for you.
And everything you do,
Yeah, they were all yellow.
I came along; I wrote a song for you,.
And all the things you do,
And it was called yellow.
So then I took my turn,
Oh what a thing to have done,
And it was all yellow.
Your skin, oh yeah your skin and bones,
Turn into something beautiful.
Do you know?
You know I love you so,
You know I love you so.
I swam across; I jumped across for you,
Oh what a thing to do,
'Cos you were all yellow.
I drew a line; I drew a line for you,
Oh what a thing to do,
And it was all yellow.

And your skin, oh yeah your skin and bones,
Turn into something beautiful.
Do you know?
For you I bleed myself dry,
For you I bleed myself dry.
It's true.
Look how they shine for you,
Look how they shine for you,
Look how they shine for…
Look how they shine for you,
Look how they shine for you,
Look how they shine.
Look at the stars,
Look how they shine for you
And all the things that you do

Pacey woke up from his deep sleep in Joey's bed; he looked around the room through his partially opened eyes and noticed that this was definitely not a truck. There were no seats in sight, his feet were not resting on the steering wheel, it was warm and cozy and most importantly he had woken naturally and not by the sound of his feet moving and honking the horn. He sat up in the bed and glanced around, he remembered decorating this room when he did the refurbishment. It was bight and it was Yellow, sunshine yellow, he remembered Joey had always liked Yellow, the color always reminded her of the summertime, and even though she was hardly a girly girl she liked flowers too. He recalled the day he had surprised her with the room, he had picked some flowers from his garden and put them on her window ledge in a small glass vase. She had loved it and thanked him for about a week afterwards; even after the flowers had died out she loved them. In fact she had loved them so much that she had picked the petals off delicately and arranged them in a frame, compressing them with some glass and making it into a beautifully decorative piece of artwork. He took another quick glimpse around the room to get his bearings before getting out of the bed and walking out the door as quietly as possible. He didn't want to wake her, she looked so peaceful, her legs were tucked up slightly and her hands had curled up like a child. He tiptoed quietly into the kitchen, looking out the window he could see there was no real need for a light as it was light outside. He looked in the pine cupboard and took out a box of Advil, popping two into his mouth he took a drink of water from the tap. He knew it wasn't very polite but no one could see him.

"I saw that, Witter," Bessie uttered in slumberous tone. She opened her mouth and yawned widely. It was five am and she had hardly slept. She looked at the boy leaning on the counter in his novelty Boxers and T-shirt. "What are you doing up at this hour?" she asked, intrigued. She would have thought that given that he hadn't slept in a bed for a week he would have taken the opportunity to sleep all through the night in a proper bed.

"I just seriously needed some Advil," he said, getting a glass out of the cupboard, wincing at the pain as he stretched. "Want a drink?" he asked her but she just shook her head. "I guess it comes from the way I slept for the last week, it was very uncomfortable in that truck," he said rubbing his neck with his left hand as he filled the glass with juice.

"So where's your truck?" Bessie asked him, inviting him to sit beside her at the table. "Joey said you walked here, but if you've been sleeping in your truck where is it?" She asked as he sat next to her. She heard him groan as he sat down.

"Ruins" he said simply. "It's in a hidden area back there. I'll go pick it up after school," he told her, taking a drink of water. "Listen Bessie, if I'm in the way here you just let me know and I'll go y'know I don't want to be a nuisance," he commented shaking his head slowly, he felt like a pity project and a charity case.

"Pacey," Bessie said taking his hand, she hated the way he thought he was a charity case, he didn't need to say it, she knew Pacey. "Look around this house just for one second," she asked him and he did, she could see it in his eyes, he had no idea why she was making him look around. He looked at her with his blue eyes, questioning her. "This house was just a little family house six months ago. You came in here and you poured your heart and soul into Mom's dream. You didn't have to, but you did it anyway," she sighed and looked at him. "Your blood, sweat and tears are in this house and now instead of a tiny little house we have a dream come true. Every inch of this house has a part of your heart in it. You think this isn't your home?" She shook her head at him and smiled soothingly. "You're so wrong, this is just as much your home as it is mine now. So stay as long as you want because we're not letting you go back to that house and be treated the way you are by that tyrant of a father of yours." She saw him open his mouth to protest but she spoke again before he had a chance. "You're not the only Witter brother I know y'know," Bessie sighed and stood up. "Doug used to talk to me just as much as you confide in Joey," Bessie said sadly. "So don't think you need to hide because I know all about him and his ways," Bessie said, looking at him. He just looked shocked, like a deer caught in the headlights of a fast moving car, ready to knock it over and finish its life. He was speechless, he didn't know quite what to say he didn't even know Doug and Bessie had been that close.

"So you know, huh?" Pacey asked sadly as he stood up and walked over to her, she just nodded to him slowly. "Well it's good to know that you understand." He swallowed the lump in his throat, it seemed that the icy Potter exterior was crumbling. "I appreciate it, y'know you're kinda like a sister, Bess," he said shyly. "You're the sister I never had," he told her giving her a bear hug.

"Pacey?" Bessie asked thinking. "You have three sisters," she pointed out laughing softly looking up at him as he hugged her.

"Well, yes," Pacey admitted. "But one of them is very manly, one is just plain mean and Gretchen never sees me anyway, so I guess you're like my sister," he told her, pulling away from the embrace. "Y'know you're like a sister, Bodie is like a brother and Alex is like a son, you're kinda my family," he said, his shy tone returning. "I should get back to bed," he said.

"So..." Bessie said teasing him. "If I'm your sister, Bodie is your brother and Alexander is your son" she paused, looking at him with a knowing smile. "What is Joey to you? And don't say your sister."

"Joey?" He asked and smiled. He shook his head and gave her a nervous smile. "Joey is..." he paused, he didn't quite know what she was to him. "Joey is..." he said again, he was trying to think, it was a very simple question but one he couldn't answer. He had no answer; Joey was so much to him, beyond a category. "Joey is..." he let out a sigh. "Joey is a very special person," he said starting to walk away but turning around before he walked out all the way. "What else can I say?" he asked. "She's Josephine Potter." He smiled and walked into the bedroom.

Dawson sat in class looking out the window, he tapped his pen against his desk and glanced at the clock, twenty minutes since class started and there was still no sign of his lab partner. He cursed at Pacey in his mind, if he didn't turn up today he would be stuck with Andie and there was no way he could handle being around her. Having to be next to her in Math was bad enough but at least they didn't have to talk or work together. He already felt guilty for what he was doing, but to have to stand next to her without touching her was out of the question. He watched as the rain poured outside, clobbering the window frame and slowly trickling down the window Payne in small streams. Where the hell was Pacey? He asked himself in his mind. Joey wasn't in class either; Joey was never late or absent. A feeling of fear swept over him as he thought of what might have happened, terrible thoughts of car accidents or hijackings, the thought of her lying beside the roadside covered in blood all alone. He snapped out of his nonsensical thoughts when he heard several pairs of feet running down the corridor and into the classroom drenched with the rain from outside. It was Pacey and Joey, as they ran in and halted quickly as Mr. Rogers, the English teacher turned and peered over his glasses. Mr. Rogers was a man in his late thirties with black, thin rimmed glasses and short blonde hair. He just took off his glasses and pointed to their seats. His face was red and easy to tell he was seething. Mr. Rogers was the worst teacher to be late for, he was a robust believer in 'tardy for school, tardy for life'. He had said it on many occasions and watched eyes roll every time he said it.

"Tardy again, Mr. Witter?" he commented. It was more of a statement than a question. "And what is your remarkably elaborate excuse for your tardiness today?" Mr. Rogers asked, walking over to him and looking down on him. "Let me think what haven't you used?" he pretended to think. "An elephant sat on my engine?"

"No, sir. I slept in," Pacey replied simply. There were many things he could do to make this worse and he had no intention of doing any of them.

"You slept in?" he repeated. "Well, well, well, this is a sudden alteration of genetic makeup, telling the truth?" The teacher chuckled at Pacey's expense. "Bizarre concept, I'm relatively impressed" he said. It was really getting to Pacey. Talking about kicking a man when he's down. Pacey said nothing; he just looked at the desk and bit his tongue. Saying anything right now was not a good idea at all.

"It was my fault, sir," Joey said speaking up, she felt awful. If it wasn't for her they wouldn't have been late. "I made Pacey late. I'm sorry," she said, she couldn't let him take all the criticism for it.

"Miss Potter, it's just such a shame you're letting him drag you down with him," he said. Joey's plan had not worked at all. This man was just so annoying.

"I think that's hardly fair, sir," Joey spoke up as he turned his back. He quickly whipped back and looked at her questioningly. "To criticize for being a few minutes late. That is just plain benighted ness on your part," she said biting her lip. She had never talked back to a teacher before but it was about time she did, it actually felt good. "And to put him down in front of everyone when I admitted it was me whose fault it was that we were twenty minutes late for your absolutely uninteresting, unexciting, ho-hum class," she said. She heard people sucking the air in through their teeth as they heard her talk. She was being very brave no one in their right mind would talk back like this, but she was not in her right mind she was trying to prove a point.

"Excuse me, Miss Potter. Are you criticizing my judgement and my teaching in my own classroom?" He asked annoyed at her. "You are completely out of order," he said, shocked by her outburst.

"I'm criticizing your judgement, or should I say lack of judgement. I am criticizing your teaching methods. I'm criticizing you demeanour and your complete Lack of respect for your students." She paused for a small think. "I'm criticizing you in general," she said bravely. She was sick of him and the way he was treating Pacey and he wasn't going to get him get away with it. She didn't care if they gave her detention or even academic probation; she wasn't prepared to let him put Pacey down anymore.

"Joey..." he said slowly. "It's such a pity. You're such a good student it's horrible to see a good student be dragged down by a bad student. What's next? Are you going to spit in my face? Make me retire early?" he said sweetly. He was pushing her and he knew it.

"Screw you!" Joey said in an outburst, she couldn't quite believe her mouth. When did she care so much that she would push herself just to protect him? But she didn't care how much trouble she would get in; she glanced over and saw Pacey's face. It was one of confusion, and humour, he was dying to jump in and rescue her but he was scared if he did it would kill the point she was obviously trying to make.

"Miss Potter!" Mr. Rogers said in a blast. It looked like he was about to blow a gasket, whatever a gasket was, she didn't know all she knew was he was going to blow one, or even a blood vessel if that little vain didn't stop throbbing. She watched it, it was almost hypnotizing her, watching it throb up then down then up and down again. "If you weren't such a good student when you aren't being influenced I would make you collect your things and march down that corridor to see Principal Green!" he shouted pointing his lanky fingers at her.

"Y'know I'll save you the trouble," Joey said picking her bag up and marching out the door. The class was amazed and couldn't quite believe what she had done. Pacey looked at her as she left, not sure whether to walk out after her, he already felt guilty for getting her into trouble but he was touched by her actions. Willing to stand up for him when no one else would. No one else ever did before, he didn't know what it was about that girl but she truly did believe in him, and it almost made him believe in himself too.

Joey stood at her locker putting her books in her locker smiling, very happy with herself. She had marched into the office and explained everything to Principal Green. She was half expecting to be put on probation or something but instead all that he had done was given her a Saturday detention. She had explained to him the reason for her protest and he had even promised to talk to Mr. Rogers about his attitude. She smiled to herself again as she closed her locker door. She heard her voice being yelled by someone from far away. She looked for the person who was shouting for her and saw him at the opposite end of the hallways. It was Pacey running towards her, calling her name. He almost ran past her he was running so fast. When he got to her he was out of breath. "Joey?" He asked out of breath. "What happened this morning? Are you okay?" he asked her. Still trying to get his breath back. He looked at her; she was amused, not angry or upset but amused. He searched her eyes with his and only saw a smile. "Okay..." he said confused. "Why are you smiling? Shouldn't you be upset and crying because you got into trouble?" he asked. He was very bewildered by her; she was one strange woman at times.

"It's okay. I just got a detention," Joey said laughing at his reaction. "But you're so adorable when you're worried," she told him kissing his nose. He was still confused. "And even cuter when you're confused. Your nose wrinkles up and your forehead gets all lines on it. It's cute like one of those puppies with all the wrinkles," she said laughing gently. He was still confused; his eyes asked her for an explanation. "I told Principal Green how unfair I thought Mr. Rogers was and how out of line he was and he just gave me a detention," she explained. "He was very nice about it really. He promised to talk to him about his attitude."

"Why did you do it Jo?" he asked seriously. "You could have gotten into major trouble for it," he said looking in her eyes softly.

"I wasn't going to let a jerk like that treat you like that," she told him softly. "You deserve better and since nobody sticks up for you anymore I couldn't watch it. I couldn't bear to see that hurt in your eyes again. The look I saw last night." She smiled shyly. "You mean so much to me Pacey, So much and I can't sit back and see people tear you to shreds when you have worked your ass off to improve your grades," she told him. All he did was look back her and smile softly at her. They stood in a moment briefly, doing nothing, just looking intensely at each other.

"Listen Jo. I have to go," he said suddenly. "I promised I would have lunch with Andie and she's waiting." He swallowed hard, he didn't know what he had just felt for her but it was not just platonic. "I'll see you at home later though," he told her. "I have something to do," Pacey said walking away from her. He had to talk to Andie, he wanted to ask her about some things that were bothering him. He knew she was being unfaithful but he would give her the benefit of the doubt first.

Okay I know there wasn't much romance in it or anything but it's all vital part of the story. Character building and all that stuff. I'll try and update soon again. Tell me what you think, but only if it's good lol