"So is she so mad at you. Is that why she isn't here?" Jen asked.
Andie, Jack, Jen, and Dawson were at the Dive-in. There was no sign of Pacey or Joey. Jen decided since Andie and Jack were at the concession stand, this would be a good time to talk to Dawson. She did not get a chance to hear his behalf of Pacey's return. She wanted to know how he felt.
"Who?" Dawson plead the fifth.
"You know your mother. Out of all the females in the world, I want to talk about your mother. Dawson you know who I am talking about. I'm talking about Joey." She said sarcastically.
"Yeah, I don't think she is going to show. She's pretty pissed. Which she shouldn't be. All Joey needs to be is understandable." Dawson said.
"And are we following your understandings or Joey's? Dawson because since last spring, we all followed your rules and sometimes you did not like the outcome. You broke up with Joey. You told Pacey to watch Joey for her. You created an equation, Joey plus Pacey should equal a friendship between the two of them and the romance between you and Joey. But when answer came out, it wasn't how you planned." Jen explained.
"What are you trying to say? I led myself to this?" Dawson marveled.
"What I'm trying to say is that you led yourself to this because you were afraid to follow someone else's path. Which means you might want to stop listening to yourself and start listening to others." Jen simplified.
Why did everyone say that? Was Dawson self-absorbed? Did he care about no one but himself? Last spring, Dawson was stuck into a situation. Moreover, when he was stuck into the situation, he planed how he would fix it. The only problem to his plans were that he contradicted his surrounds. He just assumed that everyone would act and proceed as he wished.
Nonetheless, it seemed like everyone acted completely opposite than how he imagined. So when the outcome came, he felt as though he failed. Maybe it would be a good idea if Dawson started listening to others.
After Dawson had awhile to think, the movie began. Andie and Jack had joined Jen and Dawson who were sitting on the end of the dock with their feet in the water. There was no sign of Joey. Dawson just assumed that Joey was too mad to show up.
"That is one hot guy." Andie said as she stared at the screen.
"Especially for a forty year old man." Jen noted.
"That chin is not real." Jack assumed. They all laughed hysterically as they continued to watch the movie.
Unfortunately, Dawson glimpsed down at the beach and noticed Joey approaching. Sadly, she was not alone. She was with Pacey. Once the two teenage boy's eyes came into contact, Pacey's face turned alarmed just as Dawson's face turned cold. Was Dawson jealous? Was Dawson frustrated? Or was he just plain confused?
Jen noticed Dawson awkward body behavior. She looked over to see why. Once she saw Pacey and Joey together, she whispered to Dawson, "I thought you said she wasn't coming."
"I just assumed she wasn't." Dawson whispered back.
Joey started to head to the others when she noticed that Pacey was not moving.
"Aren't you coming?" She asked.
"Maybe I should go somewhere else. Like to the concession stand. " Pacey said afraid. It was not until that moment that he was afraid to sit with his friends.
As Pacey turned away, Joey grabbed his shirt, "Pace, don't be ridiculous. Come sit."
Each step closer to Dawson, Pacey got more apprehensive. What was going to say to Dawson? He remembered the last conversation he had with Dawson. The last time they talked was at his parent's wedding and it just after how Joey explained she could not give Pacey a reason to stay. The last thing Dawson and Pacey talked about was things were never going to be the same between the two of them.
Pacey and Joey walked to the gang.
"Hey guys." Joey said.
"Hey." Jack, Jen, and Andie greeted.
"Hey Dawson." Pacey said after a couple seconds of awkwardness.
"Hey Pacey." Dawson said.