A/N: Sorry for a little longer wait than usual. I work in a nursing home, and Covid finally hit our building this week. So, it's been extra stressful and exhausting. I hope you enjoy the update. See more notes at the end.

June 3. The black stretch limo pulled into the hotel drive and drove around the brick cul-de-sac to park in front of the walkway that led up to a brightly lit verandah and the front entrance. The driver opened the trunk and retrieved several bags, handing them off to their owners. Pacey slung Joey's overnight bag over his shoulder, and took her by the hand. The group of friends made their way up the concrete steps to the long porch. It was covered from end to end with wicker furniture.

Once inside the quiet main lobby, they spotted a large display sign that welcomed Capeside High seniors, and pointed the way to the pool area. The gang decided to check it out before heading up to the rooms. They followed the signs and then were stepping through French doors to a concrete walk that led away from the main building. The path went down a sloping hill, steps heading toward the beach. Music could be heard in the near distance. The further they walked, the louder the music became.

They soon reached a large concrete area with decent lighting, complete with an oceanfront heated pool, hot tub, bar, and plenty of lounge chairs and cabanas. They also found the festivity was already going, thanks to a small group of seniors who'd decided to skip the prom boat to go all out with the after-party preparations. There was no staff supervision in sight, and a couple students were already manning the poolside bar, no doubt thanks to arrangements made by Chris Wolfe, whose uncle owned the resort.

As more classmates reached the poolside area, the gang of eight decided to head back inside the hotel and change clothes. They approached the front desk so Dawson could check in and get room keys, and afterwards they made their way to the elevators.

When the elevator dinged and the door opened to the second floor, most of the guys stepped off except for Pacey. "My bag's up in our room on the third floor," he told them. "I'm gonna go grab it and then come back down."

The door closed and the elevator started moving again. Once they were on the third floor, Pacey led the girls down to his ocean view suite. Unlocking the door, they stepped inside. The room had elegant décor and furniture, including a sofa, loveseat, and a round coffee table as well as a larger table against the wall between two armchairs. There was also a small kitchenette complete with coffee pot, ice bucket, and plenty of cups sat upon a sleek marble countertop.

Pacey set Joey's bag down on the loveseat and picked up his backpack, slinging it over his shoulder. Then he handed her one of the room keys. "I'll meet you downstairs in the lobby," he said, gazing at her affectionately. "Try not to take too long."

"Oh, please," Andie replied. "Pacey, do you realize how sweaty we are? And look at the state of our hair! It might take us some time to look half-way decent again."

"Speak for yourself," Jen said. "I didn't dance that much, and I still look great for someone who literally puked off the side of a boat not that long ago."

"Well, I danced pretty much the whole time, and look at me," Andie complained, running her fingers through her flat hair.

Joey laughed, and then raised her lips close to Pacey's ear. "I'm just gonna get this dress off and freshen up and I'll be right down. I won't take long, I promise."

Smiling, he bent his head and kissed her. When he opened the door to leave, he turned around. "Oh, and don't forget to take your bags with you when you walk outta here," he said, addressing Jen and Andie. "The room will be barred to anyone who isn't me or Joey."

Jen smirked knowingly. "We're aware, Pacey. I have the other key to Dawson's room. We're gonna throw our stuff in there on the way down."

The door shut behind him, Joey smiling as she watched him leave. Then she turned and grabbed her bag from the loveseat. "I'm claiming the bathroom first because I'll be the quickest."

She opened the door to the bedroom. There was a king size bed with fine linens, bedside tables, flat screen TV, a table and two chairs in front of a large bay window, and a door that led out to a balcony. Her heart fluttered; Pacey had done good.

There was an en suite bathroom with a soaker tub, shower, and lush marble vanities. She felt somewhat sad about changing out of her lavender dress. It was the prettiest she'd ever felt, and she wasn't quite ready for that to be over. On the other hand, exchanging a floor-length dress and heels for more casual wear also felt like a blessed relief. Her plans for later suddenly filled her mind, and she started to hurry. She carefully removed her corsage, not wanting to smush the blue and white flowers, and set it on the marble countertop. Unzipping the dress, she stepped out of it. She stood at the sink and stared at herself, then lifted the bodice of the dress to her nose. It still smelled like Pacey's cologne.

Not quite ready to completely wash away her fancy looks, after brushing her teeth and emptying her bladder, she quickly rinsed off in the shower. Her sleek dark brown hair skated around her naked back. She knotted it up to avoid as much contact with the water as she could, avoided getting her face wet, and just rinsed the salty sweat from her skin. She stepped out and toweled off.

From her toiletry kit, she removed a stick of deodorant. Then she took out the pink Victoria's Secret shopping bag and clothed her body in black lace lingerie that made her look like she glowed: a push-up bra, a tiny pair of panties, and sheer black stockings. Once her hair was coiled into a perfected knot, she pulled out the folded black sleeveless V-neck mini dress she'd bought when shopping with Gretchen a few weeks back.

They'd gone to a shop in Hyannis that specialized in travel wear—clothes that were comfortable, durable, and made solely of wrinkle-resistant fabrics. She'd never known such a shop existed. The casual dress clung to her body comfortably, but was much shorter than she was used to wearing. The hemline stopped well above her knees. She had protested that it was too short, but the shop owner, an older classy woman, and some other people watching told her they liked it, and Gretchen insisted she get it.

Joey traded in her heels for a pair of black sneakers and added a fresh touch of gloss to her lips. She was ready for the party.

"In and out in less than twenty minutes," she announced proudly when she walked out of the bedroom.

Her friends stared at her. "Wow, you look amazing," Jen said, sitting on the couch in a hot pink tank top and matching black and pink paisley knee-length skirt. Andie, who had yet to change clothes, nodded in agreement, saying, "Joey, where did you get that dress?"

"At a shop in Hyannis," she replied with a shrug. After glancing at the clock, she slipped her room key in the convenient pocket of her dress and bid her friends goodbye, encouraging them to join her at the party as soon as possible.

Despite her friends' compliments, she was unprepared for the reaction when she walked off the elevator and into the lobby. Her boyfriend's jaw dropped and Will Krudski stared like this was the first time that he'd ever laid eyes on her. As Joey and Pacey exchanged a look of adoration, Dawson's gaze was downright envious.

"Wow, Joey, you look great," Will told her.

"Thanks," she smiled. "You guys might wanna head up to room three-fifteen and tell those girls to hurry it up."

Dawson cleared his throat. "Good idea."

As the two boys walked away, Pacey still stared, momentarily lost for words. He thought he should be used to her stunning beauty by now, but she once again left him breathless. She wore a simple black dress, and it was discreet, modest even, the neckline not low enough to reveal even a hint of cleavage, but it fitted snugly and made no secret of her shape. The hem stopped at least six inches above her knees to display long slender legs encased in fine black stockings and finished with black Converse All-Stars.

"Do I look okay for the party?" she asked, aware of his overly long observation.

His mouth had gone dry and he had to swallow in order to speak. "Okay? Jo, you look beautiful. You're a knockout."

She smiled—not her full-on dazzling smile, but halfway to it. "Thank you."

He quickly closed the distance between them, grabbed her around the waist, and pulled her close. "Forget the prom party," he murmured in her ear. "Let's just wait until they clear the suite and head back upstairs for our own party for two."

She shook her head, giving him a pointed look. "Nope. Not until I get my money's worth out of this dress," she snarked. Then her gaze turned seductive. "Our party can wait until a little later."

Pacey glanced at his watch. "Yes, later. Any time after two o'clock."

"That's like an hour from now. Why after two?"

He arched his brow and grinned. "Because that's when I've made arrangements."

"Arrangements for what?"

"You'll just have to wait and find out, Miss Potter."

He clasped her hand, and they started to head through the building for the French doors that would lead them to the party. While they walked, she glanced over at him, admiring his handsomeness. Pacey looked good: retro colorblock burgundy and white bowling shirt, black cargo pants, and black Vans with bright white laces.

"You look very nice," she told him. "I think I like this better than the tuxedo."

"Better than the tux?" he said, surprised. "Really? I thought I cleaned up rather well."

"I mean, it's great to dress up once in a while, but… this is you," she said simply. "I really don't want you to be anything but yourself."

His heart swelled with deep emotion. As they walked, his thumb caressed the back of her hand in affectionate circles.

They made their way to the outdoor pool area, and found it was already filled with their classmates. There weren't as many as on the prom boat, some no doubt had other plans or strict curfews imposed on them, but there were more than enough to make it a rousing party. It was just starting to heat up. Pot smoke filled the air. Loud music. Kegs of beer. Spiked punch. Many were dancing, while others sat around on the lounge chairs snacking on pizza and chips. Some kids had brought swimsuits and were already in the pool.

"Don't go crazy with the spiked punch," Pacey warned.

Joey let out a gasp of laughter. "Why not? Scared you'll have to carry me all the way back up to the hotel suite?" she grinned. Memories of Jen's unbirthday party made her cheeks flush with warmth.

"Well, remember our little party of two that I've arranged for later? So, take it easy down here. We both know you can't handle your alcohol."

"Hmm…"

He at first thought her smirk was flirtatious, but he was wrong. It was knowing—like she had a secret. "Are you planning something yourself, Potter?"

She averted her gaze from his. "Surprises are completely your area, Pace."

"You know damn well that's not true."

She giggled but said nothing more. They decided to share a cup of spiked punch, and as they meandered around the party, people's eyes started turning in their direction. Pacey noticed the attention Joey was getting, and knew that if he hadn't been by her side, it wouldn't have taken long before some chucklehead stepped toward her with disrespect.

All of a sudden Andie was there, grabbing Joey's hand and whisking her away, saying, "We need to have an estrogen energy boost." She turned to Pacey to see if it was okay that she was leaving. He nodded his head in approval; not like he had much of a choice with Andie around anyway.

"So," Andie began once they settled near the bar waiting to get a drink. Before she could say anything more, Jen appeared.

"Hey, guys. Glad we're at the bar to get a drink. Or twelve."

"Oh, my God, Jen," Andie said, eyes wide, reaching out to grasp their friend's arm. "What did that witch say to you and Dawson?"

Joey glanced between them, confused. "What witch?"

"Belinda McGovern," Jen answered with a frown. "Ugh, I really don't want to talk about this right now, Andie. She's a soulless wench."

"What did she do?" Joey asked, concerned.

"Suffice it to say, she may have made a passing crack alluding to Dawson's sexual inexperience compared to my apparent proclivity for gang bangs."

"Ugh." She felt disgusted. "What a bitch."

Jen heaved a sigh. "Anyway, Dawson immediately got weird."

Andie handed over a cup of spiked punch to her. "Not about you, I hope."

"Thanks." Jen took a drink. "No, he felt bad about what she had said about me, but he got embarrassed and said maybe Belinda had a point… you know, about him. That he would have no idea what he was doing and there was no way I'd… have a good time. Then he said he was gonna get a drink and just… disappeared."

"I'm sorry, Jen." Joey frowned in sympathy.

"Fucking Belinda."

They laughed in shock. "Damn, Andie," Jen said.

She shrugged as she lifted her cup of spiked punch to her lips. "My friends in Italy cursed all the time. I think it rubbed off on me."

They walked away from the bar and found an empty cabana. Lounging inside, Andie untucked her coral spaghetti trap sundress as she sat on her knees. "So," she said, before taking a sip of her punch. "Sex with Will. Should I? What do you think?"

Joey exchanged looks with Jen, smiling. "That's not for us to say, Andie."

"I mean, technically, this is our second date, and it's been over a year since that disastrous first one. So, we've known each other a while, but we also haven't even said what this is yet. If I do sleep with him, is that too soon? We had been writing each other for the past couple months, so we've gotten to know each other really well. That's gotta be several dates' worth of information learned. So, then it wouldn't be so bad to go all the way, right?"

Jen laughed. "Andie, it's totally up to you."

"Why do you want to have sex with him?" Joey asked. "Like, what are your reasons?"

"Well, it's senior prom. So, I mean, it's sort of… part of the whole prom experience, right?"

"You shouldn't sleep with a guy just because you think it's expected or you feel obligated just because," Jen told her.

"No, I didn't mean it like that. I don't feel obligated. I meant, that it would make my night extra special, wouldn't it?"

Joey shrugged. "I suppose that depends on the guy and how the experience actually turns out. Will is a very nice guy, and you really seem to like him, so…"

Andie drank from her cup and then took a deep breath. "And he's so cute," she groaned. "And he's been so sweet to me all night. Did I mention he's cute? He's really, really cute. And I bet he looks good under that tux." She sounded like she was talking herself into it. "I… I think I want to. Yeah. I'm totally gonna sleep with him. I'd basically already decided to earlier on the boat when he kissed me… well, the first time."

"What did you even need us for if you'd already decided?" Jen laughed.

"Well, I was starting to get nervous about it and I needed my sisters! You guys make the best sounding boards, and I knew if I was making a bad choice, you'd talk me out of it." Then she shot Joey a pointed look and turned to Jen. "So. About you and Dawson…"

Jen groaned. "It's not going to happen." She downed the rest of her cup. "It's… whatever. I'll get over it. It was just a passing idea, that's all. It's not like it was gonna lead to anything. He's getting on a plane and flying to the other side of the country soon. I had thought it might be a nice way to cap off my time in Capeside, since it honestly started with him, after all, and it just felt like something I wanted to do. That maybe it would be a nice experience to share with each other, and then my senior year wouldn't have been a total waste."

"You know what, girls?" Andie said, her voice full of bubbly enthusiasm. "Regardless of what the boys in our lives do, we are going to have an amazing summer together. You, Jen Lindley, are destined to find love. We all know it. Maybe you'll find it this summer, or maybe you won't. Or maybe your one true love is waiting for you in Boston. Maybe Will is my true love and we'll live happily ever after. Maybe we won't. Maybe Joey and Pacey will get married and have a bunch of little Witters and be together forever. Maybe they won't. All I know for sure is that the three of us are going to have bright futures full of love and happiness and good friends, and I believe we will always have each other, no matter how many penises come into our lives."

"Was that pun intended?" Joey snarked.

Andie laughed, rolling her eyes. "Chicks before dicks. Say it with me."

Joey and Jen laughed.

"Come on! Say it!"

"Chicks before dicks," they replied in unison.

"Okay, so no more wallowing! This is a party. Let's have a good time!"

She drank the rest of her cup and then jumped up from the lounge chair. "Okay, I'm gonna go find Will."

Jen chuckled, shaking her head as Andie walked off. "I really did miss her when she was gone."

"Me too," Joey smiled. She eyed her friend for a moment. "I'm sorry things with Dawson aren't working out like you wanted. Are you gonna be okay?"

"I'll be fine."

"I'm sorry Belinda said that stuff and made the situation… difficult."

"Screw Belinda. Her life is destined to be a domestic wasteland." Jen sighed deeply. "I just hated seeing that look in his eyes."

Joey's brows knitted. "What look?" she said quietly.

"That regretful look that compares me to you. I'll never be his virgin soulmate."

"Well, neither will I. The hymen is long gone."

Jen started laughing. "Yeah, I guess that's true." Her laughter was infectious, and soon both girls were giggling.

Still laughing, the two friends walked away from the cabana and back towards the crowded bar area. Classmates danced to the music while others lined up for beer and punch. They looked for their friends while gawking at all the popular kids who surrounded them, drinking and passing joints, and a few times they caught whispers of other girls pointing their way. Joey finally spotted Pacey in a corner with Jack, Tobey, and Dawson, and some other guys. She thought a couple of them might be Jack's football teammates.

She and Jen made their way towards them, and as she got closer, she suddenly recognized one of the guys.

Drue Valentine.

Pacey's posture was stiff. He was standing up straight with his arms crossed in front of him, clearly giving off the nonverbal cue to walk away. Drue either wasn't getting it, or noticed and didn't care. Her bet was on the latter option.

"I thought he was barred from prom," she murmured to Jen.

"School-sponsored prom events. This party clearly isn't."

Joey stopped for a minute and looked around the party to find something else they could do so they could just ignore Drue until he walked away. But when she looked back to Pacey, he locked his eyes on her, and she knew there was nowhere else she wanted to be, regardless of Drue.

"Potter," he said in greeting when she reached them.

"Cretin," she sneered.

Pacey released his arms and smoothly slid one around her waist, pressing a tender kiss to her forehead. "Hi, sweetheart." He noticed that Drue's pleasantly fake smile remained planted on his face until the guy actually got a good look at Joey. Then he stared, his seedy eyes brightening with renewed interest.

A classmate-turned-DJ announced a Guns N' Roses doubleheader, and Pacey's brows shot up. "Finally, some decent music."

"Dance with me," Joey said, taking her boyfriend by the hand.

As she started to pull him away, Pacey locked eyes with Drue and gave him a shit-eating grin as he passed by him.

She led him to the nearby makeshift dance floor that was close to the bar, where they joined some other couples. She fit into his arms. He held her just right, not as if she were so fragile that she might break, and not so tightly that she couldn't breathe. His right hand rested at her waist, warm and heavy, and his left wrapped around her fingers, strong and secure. She could feel the smooth warmth of his palms and imagined how they would feel later against her more sensitive skin…

"So, what was that about back there?" she asked when the first song ended, pushing away her provocative thoughts.

"What?"

"Drue."

"He came over and wanted to meet Jack's date, and then he was just being his usual charming self."

They danced quietly for some moments, listening to the music. Grinning to himself, Pacey could feel Drue's envious stare burn into the back of his head as they danced. "Anyway, he's just jealous."

She laughed. "Jealous?"

"Well, the most beautiful girl at this party happens to be here with me, so…"

Her cheeks flushed. "The most beautiful, huh?"

"Definitely. And the sexiest. You're the hottest chick here and everybody knows it and all the guys hate me for it." Especially Dawson, whispered a voice in his head, remembering the look of pure envy on the guy's face back in the lobby, but kept that thought to himself.

"Chick?" she said, brows arching.

He blinked. "Girl. Woman."

She laughed breathlessly. "That's better."

"Know what's even better?"

A heated look stole into his eyes and he pulled her closer. She could no longer hear the music for the buzzing in her ears. He smiled, a heart-stopping look that made her pulse race. She closed her eyes. Every nerve hummed with awareness of him.

Pacey bent his head. She felt so soft and sweet and sexy in his arms. His lips brushed against her ear. "You're my girl. My woman. And they'll all just have to eat their hearts out."

She laughed.

"But there's no need for us to rub it in."

"No. Of course not."

"And the fact that I want to kiss you right now in front of everyone probably isn't the best idea."

She leaned closer, and could smell his cologne and his unique underlying maleness that made her stomach tighten. He smelled so good. She opened her mouth to say that she had no intention of having a make out session on the dance floor in front of their classmates. But of course, she wanted nothing more than for him to kiss her. She leaned into him again, lips parted to protest a public display, but the words refused to come.

His lips suddenly covered hers, hot and insistent. She froze, balanced on the precipice between desire and caution. His warm arms encircled her and he pulled her closer. Caution lost. With a soft moan, Joey slipped her arms around his neck and clung to him, need shuddering through her as Axl Rose crooned the lyrics to "Don't Cry."

He caressed her mouth with his, gentle brushes of his lips against hers, and then deepened the kiss. She felt his smooth face against her cheek, and the mingled scents of cologne, spiked punch, and Pacey flooded her senses. Damn, he could kiss! As usual, all her most sensitive places responded to his silent skill. She opened to him, and his tongue swept across hers, washing away the last vestiges of caution. Her bead buzzed with more than punch, but she stopped herself from shamelessly grinding against him.

When Pacey pulled away from her, she felt dazed. He held her at both sides of her waist and squeezed gently, his face flushed, his eyes full of apology. "Didn't mean to get so carried away," he grinned sheepishly.

The words came out as a growl, and she could hear his ragged breathing. As the song came to an end, Joey became aware of others watching them and whispers rising around them. Her face burned. "I know I should feel embarrassed, Pacey," she said close to his ear. "And I do… kinda… but now I'm thinking that when our classmates think back on their time at Capeside High, I doubt anyone will remember little Joey Potter as the Virginal Prude."

"Definitely not," he chuckled.

"And… well, I think I'm happy about that."

Smiling, Pacey pulled her close once again as "November Rain" began to play. They swayed to the beat of the music, and he kept his face close to hers, singing along quietly into her ear for the rest of the song. She closed her eyes and simply enjoyed the feel of him. They danced for a few more songs before they were interrupted by Jen and Andie.

"We're going to find the bathroom," Andie said to Joey. "You wanna come with us?"

"Sure." She kissed Pacey on the cheek. "I'll be back," she assured him.

He watched her go and then turned to see Will there. His friend smiled and they moved away from the other dancing couples. After grabbing a couple beers, they started walking around the heated pool where some kids were playing Chicken fight. When they'd reached a couple empty lounge chairs at the furthest end of the pool and away from most of the other partygoers, they stretched out. Then Will lit a joint and smoked it.

"Another boarding school habit you've picked up, Krudski?"

He chuckled and then offered to pass it.

"No, thanks."

"Really?"

Pacey shrugged. "Well, I might've considered it, but… there's someone here at this party who would think that that's a very, very bad idea."

"Gotcha. Because of her dad and the drugs and getting arrested and going to prison, right?"

"I was more talking about how… non-nonjudgmental she can be about stuff like that and how the night would not end well for me, but yeah, you're right. That has a lot to do with it, I'm sure."

Pacey shook his head. "Remember when I said to leave my mom's car in the same spotless condition that I left it in? That applies here as well 'cause God forbid Deputy Doug gets a whiff. That's the last thing I need," he warned.

He laughed. "You've got nothing to worry about. This stuff isn't that strong and I promise not to drive Andie home until the effects have worn off," he assured him. "You know, I never took you to be a quitter, Pacey."

"Well, it's not like it was a regular thing, and it was Andie who made me stop altogether, so you might wanna keep that in mind, buddy."

Will laughed again and then paused, thinking. "Andie… Andie is awesome. She's sweet as an angel, and then she can be a real spitfire. She has this whole grab-life-by-the-balls approach to everything, but then there'll be moments where she's suddenly unsure about things, and it completely catches you off guard 'cause she just seems like one of those people who always has the answers. She's like this puzzle I wanna figure out. I just have so many questions, and I have a hunch I'll never be bored."

"I know what you mean."

"Here's a question that's always bugged me: Why do girls go to the bathroom in groups? This is a mystery to me. I just don't get it. There is no way you would ever hear a guy say to another guy, 'Hey, I'm goin' to the bathroom. You wanna go with me?' That would never happen. What is it about the girls' bathroom that makes perfectly normal young ladies want to gather around in small groups and hang out in there? I don't get it, but I have to know. I have to solve this mystery. Do you get it?"

Pacey laughed breathlessly. "Not really." He didn't quite understand it either, but as he started to remember the way a lot of the other guys there at the party had been eyeing Joey in that dress, he thought the answer started to become a little clearer. "Maybe there's safety in numbers."

"Safety from what?"

"Us."

"Us?"

"Yeah, us. The male species."

His friend was quiet a moment, and then Will nodded in agreement. "Yeah, you're probably right."

Not long after that, Andie appeared and whisked his friend away.

When the girls returned to the party, Jen and Andie broke off to find their dates, and Joey went in search of Pacey. It wasn't long until she found herself face to face with Drue Valentine again.

"If it isn't the Grim Reaper. Having a good time?"

"I am. I can see that you're not, though." He looked miserable, and it definitely appeared as though he'd had quite a few cups of spiked punch.

"You know… I've been living here since September and I have to say, Capeside sucks. The people here are boring and full of shit, especially your little Party of Five. Or should I say six now that Andie McPhee is back? I'm sick and tired of all of you, and I can't wait until you're a distant memory along with everyone else in this boring town."

She rolled her eyes. "Need to get something off your chest, Drue? I mean, don't hold back on my account."

His eyes narrowed. "Well, you asked for it, Potter. First of all, there's Jen Lindley. When I arrived in a new town, not a friend in the world, I was thrilled to find an old friend from New York. But was I treated like a friend? From day one, she treated me like I was a bad influence who was just waiting to convert her to the dark side of the force or something."

"Well, isn't that what you've basically been trying to do all year?" Joey countered.

"It's not my fault there's a dark side just waiting to emerge. She and I could go shot for shot back in New York; now she spends all her time playing same sex matchmaker for her gay friends while her own love life spirals down the toilet. What a waste when she could've been having fun with me."

She clenched her jaw. "I don't think that's the kind of fun Jen wants."

He scoffed. "Please. And speaking of gay guys, that brings us to Jack. I, for one, was shocked to see he actually brought a date to prom. I had been a little concerned that he was spending more nights with the sexiest blonde bombshell Capeside has to offer instead of hitting the bars in P-town. It's nice to know he finally realized that being gay actually involves dating men."

"You really are a horse's ass, you know that?"

"Maybe I am, but you know who else is an ass? Your pal, Dawson. Ever dependable, ever virginal, ever verbose and boring as hell, Dawson Leery. His columns for the school paper read like a doctorate thesis about nothing in particular. I can't seem to wrap my head around the love triangle melodrama of junior year that was apparently interesting enough to feed the Capeside High gossip mill for months. It took you that long to decide between Dawson and Pacey? Seriously?"

She heaved a sigh. "You think you know us, Drue, but you don't. Like you said, you haven't been in this town long. You have no idea what our lives were like before you got here, and you certainly don't know anything about our friendships and everything the three of us have been through together."

"I know enough. Joey Potter, Capeside's former biggest cock-tease. For a while there I thought that chastity belt you had glued to your hips was getting just a little too tight. There you were, seemingly spending all your time coming up with eloquent missives about the woes of poor kids trying to get into college, when we all knew what you really needed and it sure as hell wasn't higher education.

"But you sure had enough charm to get Witter to bend over backwards while patiently waiting for you to stop wasting his time. Glad you took my advice to piss or get off the pot. I just hope you can keep that coquettish charm of yours going long enough to keep him interested in the long run. You're both gonna be in Boston, right? Well, honey, there's a whole world of girls out there who'll be more than willing to give him exactly what he wants faster than you can say, 'I have a headache.'"

Anger started to flood her insides. "I'll make a note of that."

Drue laughed darkly. "I know you wanna bite my head off right now, but before you do, take a second to ask yourself… do you think you can compete with every girl he's going meet up in the big city? And can you honestly expect him to settle down with one person for the rest of his life at the age of eighteen? I'm sure you haven't forgotten his predilection for the company of older women, so how long before you get traded in for a way more exciting and experienced option?"

Stomach tightening into knots, her anger only burned hotter. "You're such a bastard. You don't know anything about Pacey if you believe any of the crap that just came out of your mouth," she spat, turning on her heel to walk away from him.

"Which of course leads me to that boyfriend of yours. I have a hell of a lot to say about him."

Unable to help herself, she stopped and turned back to face him.

"Yes… trusty, loyal Pacey Witter. To tell you the truth, at the start of the school year, I had thought we had a real chance at becoming friends. That is, 'til he screwed me on that senior prank situation… which come to think of it was not so bad considering I did get to miss a couple weeks of school. However, getting a temporary expulsion and missing two months of school almost fucked things up royally with the ol' Harvard Admissions Committee. He started the whole fight, beat the shit outta me, and gets three days suspension. Tell me, how the hell does that add up?

"Witter has serious anger issues. Have you ever considered why he spends so much time ranting? Maybe he should rant about what he really wants to rant about. I'm sure all the college talk for you and yet no action for him is starting to wear a little thin. What do you think it's gonna be like for him while you're at Worthington bettering yourself, and he's the designated loser wearing a uniform to work and making minimum wage? How long before being with you just makes him feel like the failure he is?"

Her face burned with anger. The familiar guilt reared up with a vengeance. Hot tears pricked her eyes. "Are you done?"

"Done?" Drue laughed in disbelief. "With Witter? Oh, no, I'm not done with him."

"Well, you can stop right now. You can go to hell."

As Joey stormed away, desperate to push his hateful comments out of her head, her gaze fell on the bar. Something mind-numbing certainly sounded great at the moment. She was soon standing in front of Chris Wolfe and Todd Bloom. "Joey Potter, how the hell are ya?" the latter said in greeting.

"I'll be a lot better as soon as I get a drink."

"Tequila punch?" Chris offered, holding out a red Solo cup.

"Thanks."

As she drank, she felt a pair of eyes watching her, and turned to look at the boy whose gaze was fixated on her. Dawson was sitting with Jen, Jack, and Tobey. She threw him a friendly smile and it was instantly returned. Moments later, he left their friends and joined her in front of the bar.

"I hope you're making sure Jen is having a good time," she told him before he could say anything. "She deserves to have a good time."

"I'm pretty sure she's having a good time, Joey. You, on the other hand…" He eyed her a moment, and then seemed to make a point of looking around. "You over here on your own?"

"No," she frowned before taking another sip of punch. "My friends are all invisible."

He smirked, apparently finding her sarcasm amusing. "You having a bad time?"

"No." Joey started walking away from the bar.

Dawson followed. Her sulkiness apparently wasn't deterring him. If anything, he seemed to regard it as a challenge; something to break up the monotony that must have shaped the rest of his time here at the party. "Did you and Pacey have a fight?"

"Of course not."

He laughed. "Of course, not? Isn't fighting a key element to the Joey-Pacey bond?"

She thought about that as she drank more punch. "We haven't had a fight in a long time, actually."

"Huh."

A sense of unease filled her as a heavy silence enveloped them. "Do you think that's a bad thing?"

"I guess that depends. Are you not fighting because there's nothing to fight about, or are you not fighting because you're avoiding talking about something you need to fight about?"

"Like what?" Her sense of unease deepened, and she lifted her cup for another drink.

"Oh, I don't know… maybe the fact that you don't actually want to use Pacey's money to pay for Worthington?"

She stopped abruptly and huffed in annoyance. "We are at a party, Dawson. Our after-prom party, to be exact. Our last carefree night of senior year before finals and graduation and the anxiety over our future suffocates us. Can't we hang out and make small talk without this subject coming up?"

"Maybe it's something you should talk about before you go drowning yourself in spiked punch."

"Stop trying to ruin my fun, Dawson," she retorted, angry over the weird tension that was suddenly growing between them.

He gazed at her intensely, a slight smile playing about his mouth. "What if I told you I had a solution to your Worthington problem?"

Joey felt an inexplicable sense of foreboding, instinctively knowing she didn't want to hear whatever he was about to say. She didn't want this moment to get any weirder. There was a storm coming, she could feel it inside like the eerie wind that made her hair stand on end in the summertime, and it wasn't about Dawson.

It was about her.

It was about Pacey.

"Look, I don't want to talk about this," she said. "I really just want to go find my boyfriend. I'll see you later, Dawson."

She turned, the instinct to flee urging her to walk fast.

Pacey was just about to get up from the lounge chair to look for Joey when another friend appeared. "Hey, Jackers," he greeted with a smile.

"Hey." He sat down in the chair next to his. "Enjoying yourself?"

"I am. Of course, I'd be enjoying myself a lot more if my girlfriend was over here." A wide grin broke out over his face. "So, how's your night working out? Things going well with Tobey?"

Jack blushed and laughed nervously. "Yeah. Tobey is… is… well, Tobey is amazing. He's funny and handsome and nice and… I really like him."

"I'm happy for you."

"It's kinda scary, though…"

Pacey chuckled. "That it is."

"You really love Joey, don't you? Like the forever kind."

"Yes."

"But aren't you scared?" Jack asked, fear pulling at the edges of his mouth.

"Of course, I'm scared," he said. "I'm terrified. Joey could be hit by a truck. I could lose my left arm in a freak boating accident. The B&B could burn down with us inside it. She could meet some prep school rich kid at Worthington who loves all the same books she does, who never worried about whether or not he'd actually graduate high school, and realize how much smarter and better that guy is. She could break my heart."

He paused, sighing. "It comes down to a matter of trust. I guess it always has."

"I know my sister, uh… hurt you. She broke your heart, but you didn't let that stop you from loving someone again. I don't know if I'd be strong enough to do that if… someone… hurt me… like that."

Pacey took a deep breath. "If Joey has taught me not to take responsibility for other people's actions, to believe I never deserved to be treated badly, Andie showed me I was capable of really loving someone and taught me not to settle for mediocrity. I'm not sure I would've felt worthy enough and strong enough to love Joey if I hadn't loved Andie first."

Jack pursed his lips, thinking over what had been said. "So, what you're saying is that maybe Tobey is just someone I'm meant to be with for a while to help me grow into the person I need to be when I do find that forever person?"

"I don't know, man. Maybe there's a role for everyone who comes into our lives, whether it's temporary or permanent. Some will challenge you, some will hurt you, some will love you, and some will teach you. Some people might come into your life to show you what's right and what's wrong, to show you who you can be, or just to make you feel better for a little while. Not everyone is going to stick around forever. But the ones who are truly important are the ones who bring out the best in you. They are the rare and amazing people who remind you it's all worth it. Joey is one of those people for me, and so is Andie. And maybe Tobey will be one of those people for you, regardless of how it ends up."

Smiling, Jack breathed a happy sigh. "Thanks, Pacey."

Not wanting to return to her boyfriend and have him instantly notice her agitation, Joey veered towards the bar. Once there, she tossed her empty red Solo cup into the large trash can and flagged down Chris. "More punch?" he asked with a sleazy grin.

"Can I just have some liquor? Like in a shot?"

"Damn, Joey," he replied, sounding impressed. Then he lifted a bottle from beneath the bar and poured the fiery liquid into a shot glass. "Here you go."

She took the shot and winced as the flavor gently burned her throat. Tequila. Awesome. It filled her with confidence immediately. Or maybe she was starting to get a little tipsy from the alcohol and what little food she'd eaten several hours ago. Either way, she felt better; calmer. The alcohol helped her push the conversations with Drue and Dawson from her mind. That was all that mattered.

Joey meandered around clusters of her classmates, looking for Pacey. Then she saw him, and at once she was happy again, buoyant and joyful as their eyes met and she watched his face break out in a relieved smile. Just the sight of him coming towards her was enough to melt away her troubled feelings, his presence alone sufficient reason to send her pulses racing. She briefly wondered what her senior year would have been if she'd never ran to that dock and got on his boat last June, wondered what her life would even look like without him in it, but found she didn't want to know.

Walking around the pool, Pacey kept his eyes peeled for any glimpse of his girlfriend. He was struck was déjà vu, remembering Jen's unbirthday party back in the fall. Will had gone off somewhere with Andie, and it wasn't long before he saw Jen herself sitting with Jack and Tobey in one of the cabanas, laughing. They gave him a friendly wave as he walked past. It was surely just a coincidence that he hadn't been able to spot Dawson anywhere either.

A familiar voice pulled him from his thoughts.

"Looking for the old ball and chain, Witter?"

He stopped, turning to see Drue Valentine standing there, and scowled. "I don't suppose you've seen her, have you?"

"Yeah, she was talking to Dawson for a few minutes, and then she went over to the bar. So, I'd head that way, if I were you."

Pacey watched Drue walk off, staring after him with furrowed brows for a moment. Their mundane interactions of late were starting to confuse and unnerve him. He wanted to hate the guy, but it seemed Drue was at least determined to be civil. As he started to head in the direction of the bar, he saw Dawson moving through a group of classmates over to the cabana where Jen was. Still no sight of Joey. He kept walking.

Just as he started to get a little worried, he saw her. Their eyes met. A throb of joy and relief flooded his heart at the sight of her coming towards him.

Joey walked into his arms, absorbing his strength and tenderness as he embraced her and gently took her mouth. Their lips lingered against each other, and she closed her eyes, wanting to simply melt into this man who made her heart and body sing.

"How come I always lose you at these things, Potter?" he asked with a grin.

"You didn't lose me, Pacey, because I wasn't lost," she shot back, arching her brow. "I've been here the whole time."

His grin widened as his eyes narrowed in suspicion. He could hear the alcohol in her voice, relaxing her consonants, changing her vowels. "You went and got some more spiked punch, didn't you?"

Her face fell slightly, and she chewed her bottom lip. "Is it that obvious? I thought I was holding my own rather well. I honestly didn't have that much. I can promise you won't have to carry me anywhere."

Laughing, he squeezed her waist. "It's probably not obvious to other people here, but I know you a lot better than they do."

Warmth spread through her and she slid her hands up his chest to his shoulders. "Mmm, yes, you do," she purred.

"Let's go for a walk on the beach," Pacey said, glancing around at their classmates, not wanting her relaxed inhibitions to become a topic of conversation. He stepped out of the embrace and took her by the hand.

They walked across the pool area and through a gap in the surrounding fence. Then on down a sandy pathway to the beach. The music from the party grew faint. It was a warm night, cloudless, the moon shining and glimmering across the slowly undulating swells rolling to the shore. The stars twinkled above them. Deserted dunes lay shadowed and quiet. The tang of the salty air filled their nostrils, and the fragrance exhilarated them.

Still holding her hand, Pacey lifted his arm around Joey's shoulders, bringing her close. Neither of them spoke for a while; they simply watched the race of waves approaching the shore.

"I miss the True Love, Jo," he said, breaking the quiet. "I wish we were taking her out again this summer."

"I know, Pace. Me too."

It occurred to her once again that he could go sailing this summer, that there would be a yacht waiting in Miami for him to board. That he had the opportunity to spend his summer in the Caribbean islands. She wanted to tell him to go. Tell him that it was only two months and she'd be just fine without him. The separation would only be temporary, and then they'd meet up in Boston. She knew she should push him into accepting Mr. Moore's offer, even though he'd said he didn't want to. But she was unable to speak the words.

She wondered if this was one of the things that Dawson would say they needed to fight about. Frowning, she pushed that thought from her mind. "What time is it?" she asked, stepping out of his embrace.

Pacey lowered his arm and glanced at his watch. "It's almost three. Let's go back to the suite and get some rest," he said with a twinkle in his eyes and a smile on his lips. "I'm guessing you're probably too tired to participate in the party for two I had arranged."

"Rest? I had other plans for you," Joey said as she placed both hands behind his neck and brought his face even with hers.

As they kissed, she pressed her body against his. He pulled her closer. Her fingers found the soft curls at the nape of his neck and threaded their way through. Happiness bubbled deep inside her heart. Maybe this was how it was meant to be. Maybe she should just follow Jen's advice and let Pacey decide his own path. Maybe it wasn't her place to push him toward something else, to push him away from her if this was where he wanted to be.

Some things were destined to happen, she supposed. Unlikely matches, unexpected beginnings, unforeseeable love. She might have stopped believing that a year ago, but now… well, maybe anything was possible when you truly loved someone. As long as they were together, then everything would be all right, no matter what.

After their passionate kiss, they walked briskly hand in hand away from the beach and toward the path that would lead them back to the party and then on to their hotel suite.

A/N: I had some requests to provide some visuals for my inspiration for writing certain things, like Joey's corsage for example. However, this site doesn't seem to allow links. Anyway, is not the most user friendly platform. But for those who asked, I provided links in the end notes of this chapter over on AO3.