Disclaimer: I do not own anything here, and this is just for fun.
Note: this is an alternative season 5...It's pretty much the same about season 4; the differences will come here, in Joey's memories....
Thanks: to Lali, who always reads them and asks for more
Joey was tired...she was tired of everything...Dawson, Pacey and all the drama that would always be their history...Three days passed after the whole café fiasco, Audrey, Jen and Jack were feeling guilt...and she made good use of it...free coffees and some silence to study could be very useful...but one thing Jen told her, made sense...Pacey was the one who should tell her about Erin. They interfered more than they should...And she made one decision, a really tough one: move on...She knew she would love Pacey for a long time...maybe forever, but things wouldn't work out between them...they still had to many issues to solve...the only thing she could do now was move on with her life, study, get a job, have good and clean college fun. And right now, she was tired of one more thing: the book she was told to read for the next day, and she couldn't go farther than the first pages...And she wouldn't be able to finish, she thought, rolling her eyes as the phone rang...
"Hello! Is this Joey Potter's dorm?" She didn't know what to think when she recognize that voice...his voice
"It's me, Pace...What do you want?"
"Calm down, Jo...I come in peace..."
"Pace, I have a book to read for tomorrow, a Henry James one, it's not easy, and I'm not willing to talk to anyone, especially you...."
"Joey, I phoned 'because I want to help you"
"Witter, if you really want to help me, you could tell me what the hell is this book "The turn of the screw" is about...but as I know you, that would never, be possible"
Pacey started to laugh. That was the Joey Potter he knew and loved and feared most of all things in the world. He was still hurt and Erin helped him to deal with that, but he was not able to have her completely out of his life.
"Potter, you're right, I can't help you with that...but I can make you a better offer....a job"
"A job? Pacey, what kind of job are we talking about? You know I have to st..."
"Joey, in case you have forgotten, I go to college too, remember? But it's a part time job as a waitress in a bar near BU...it's nor that far from your college and it's good money...I've been working there for two weeks and when Danny, the owner, well, he asked me yesterday if I knew someone who could want this job, your name came immediately on my mind... like it hasn't been always there", he added to himself.
"And why didn't you ask that girlfriend of yours?"
"Jo, Erin doesn't need to work...her father is a well-known doctor here in Boston...the only person I know here in this city that needs money as much as I do is you. Can I tell Danny you're up to it?"
So, that Erin girl was rich...she wanted to tell Pacey she didn't want anything from him, but he was right...she needed the money, and besides that, she would be near him...Oh, God, that was definitely insanity...or masochism...
"OK, Pacey...you can tell Danny you have someone to the job...and thanks, Pace"
"Don't mention it, Jo.
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The job at the restaurant wasn't different from what she did at the Icehouse or the Yacht Club...the most difficult part of it was dealing almost everyday with Pacey or his annoying girlfriend...definitely, she hated the girl...but she loved the atmosphere at Civilization...They worked as a bar too and form Thursdays to Saturdays, amateur bands went there to play, many college students spent nights there first having dinner, then drinking and enjoying themselves...so, even when she had a night free, there she was, with Jen, her boyfriend Charlie, a guy who studied music at BU and played guitar in a band, Jack and Audrey...and annoying Erin, of course, she couldn't stay away form her knight in shinning armor...
She laughed at her thoughts...she was acting like some old senile lady...she was at Jen's apartment, singing something as she waited for the microwave popcorn to be ready....they were watching some videos tonight, instead of going to Civilization...that made her remember Dawson...she had started to answer his emails two weeks ago...Oh, God...the guy was the most oblivious and stubborn person she ever met....two weeks after months and he was again professing his undying love for her, the soul mates crap and the eternal Dawson's rumbling... but he had always been a part of her life, and she really missed the guy, despite all that...
Jen was setting the video when she heard Joey singing...a smile came across her face...she had been in a good mood since she started working at Civilization...maybe was just the job, maybe proximity to Pacey, maybe she was finally moving on, but she was happy to see her this way...
"Audrey, Jack, the video is almost ready...Jo, where's the popcorn?
"It's here, Jen. The others?"
"Right here, warming the couch" Jack and Audrey answered.
The movie was almost finishing when they heard the doorbell ring...showing a very angry Charlie when the door was opened...
"What happened, sweetie?"
"I can't believe it, Jen...she left us..."
"Who left you, Charlie?"
"Becky... she just left the band, and in two weeks we have that show at Civilization"
"So, what are you going to do?"
"Well, try to find another singer...and by the way, who is singing this way?"
Joey went back to the kitchen to have more popcorn and while she waited to the microwave to work its magic, she was singing again...funny how singing helped her to forget her troubles...but she stopped when a dazzled Charlie entered the kitchen...
"Joey Potter....you're the answer to all my problems..."
"ME, Charlie? If I remember, Jennifer Lindley is your girlfriend..."
"It's not that, Joey...See, may lead singer, Becky just left the band today and we really, really need someone to her place..."
"Charlie, I don't know if I can..."
"Please, Joey..."Charlie asked again showing her his best puppy eyes...
"You wanna know what? Ok, I'll try this...."
They shaken hands to settle the deal and Joey couldn't help laughing...She needed a shrink, 'cause this could only mean one thing: she was insane...She would be singing on a stage in two weeks...Josephine Potter was now a singer....