Chapter 7
Hiding the Truth
Now, Pacey was certain he was going crazy.
He had just worked out when would be the right time and place to confront Doug about his apparent problem with Jack, when suddenly things went back to normal.
Well, not exactly normal.
On Wednesday evening, the two of them had just shown up for the card game as though nothing was wrong, looking for all the world like there had never been any sort of problem between them and they couldn't be better friends. And they started hanging out together even more often than they had in the past - it truly seemed as though everything was back to normal.
And yet, something was different. There were these glances they shared, when they thought Pacey wasn't looking. Hidden looks that spoke of something beneath the surface. And other looks too, less conspiratorial but just as secretive, when each of them thought the other wasn't looking. They were acting like little kids, and Pacey was beginning to worry that he might develop a nervous tic from the aggravation of dealing with them.
He knew he was going to have to confront one of them and finally, after a few days of watching and waiting, he found his chance.
The three of them were eating at the Ice House (well, Jack and Doug were eating; Pacey was snatching bites intermittently between checking on things), when Doug got up to go to the bathroom. Excusing himself to go look at something in the kitchen, Pacey followed him covertly.
He waited a few moments outside the doors for Doug to finish his business, then slipped in. His brother was standing at the sink, washing his hands and looked up when Pacey entered.
"Alright buster," said Pacey, "spill it. What the Hell's going on?"
Doug raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
"You and Jack!" Pacey practically exploded. "I know there's something going on there! You'd better come clean with it. I'm about to go out of my skull here."
Doug laughed at him. The jerk actually laughed! "Sorry little brother, but I'm afraid I really have no idea what you're talking about."
Pacey felt a little deflated. Maybe he was imagining things? But he couldn't be, could he? He was so sure that there was something...
For some reason, he suddenly recalled the words that Jack had spoken to him several days previously.
Just because he doesn't seem depressed doesn't mean he isn't. Doug is amazingly good at hiding things.
Pacey frowned and peered closer at Doug. "Are you sure there's nothing you want to tell me? Nothing at all you want to get off your chest? Seriously man, you know you can tell me anything. Anything at all."
Doug looked at him, straight in the eyes, and said calmly, without blinking, "Nope, Pacey. Sorry. There's nothing I particularly feel I need to tell you."
And then he walked past Pacey and out the door. Pacey was impressed; Doug hadn't flinched at all. But he was beginning to smell a rat. Something was up, and he had a bit of an inkling as to what that might be.
But until either Jack or Doug would talk about it, all he could do was wait.