Chapter Ten - Joey's P.O.V.

This is amazing. I love this feeling. I'm sitting here wrapped up in a blanket with Pacey, his arms around me. He's kissing the side of my neck, driving me crazy and he knows it.

"Mmm... Pace, that feels so good." I feel him start to suck gently on the skin at the base of my neck where it meets my shoulder. "Oh God Pacey!" Unconsciously I reach my arm up around his neck and pull him closer, rolling my head to give him better access. I keep having to tell myself that we are taking things slowly, but when he touches me, instantly I want more. He's this force I'm drawn to, my magnetic north pole.

"Look Jo," he says pointing at a shooting star "make a wish." I close my eyes and wish for forever with him.

"So what did you wish for?"

I smack him softly on the arm and say "Pacey, if I tell you then it won't come true!"

"Come on, just a hint, did it involve me?" he smiles devilishly at me raising an eyebrow.

"I'm not going to tell you, now give it up Pace."

"Come on please?" he pouts at me.

"No!" I know he wont give this up unless I distract him, so I lean over to kiss him. I feel him respond immediately and smile against his lips. We continue to kiss for a while until I finally break away from his embrace.

"So I thought we were going to talk Pace? Not that I object to any of this."

He groans saying, "If you want to talk Jo, then we'll talk. What do you want to know?"

"Well tell me about this scholarship you're on."

"It's for students who in High School had average grades or just below. Ones whose teachers thought showed potential but were almost beyond help. Kids who really just needed someone to believe in their abilities, no matter what. In my case it was Mr. Kasdan who contacted Mr. Kubelik, and he in turn pulled some strings for me at B.U."

"Pacey, you do know that I have always believed in you, right?"

"I know Jo, but it's different with you."

"I guess, so what kind of courses are you taking?"

"Mostly it's all just general first year requirements, but I have a couple of specialized courses, design, and engineering principles."

"Have you picked a major yet?"

"Not yet I have until spring term, but I'm thinking engineering, it depends on if I like what I'm taking this fall."

"I'm so proud of you Pacey, you're really going to make it. I know you are! So what does your family think of all this?"

He looks down at the blanket and starts playing with the material, not meeting my questioning gaze he says quietly "I haven't told them."

"What? Why not?"

"I don't know. I just told Doug that I was in the area and needed some of the stuff I have stored at his place. Nothing specific."

"You should tell your family Pacey, they would be so proud of you."

"Jo you know my family, why ruin a good thing by bringing them into this. I'm not doing this for them or anyone else I'm doing this for me. Besides you, Bessie, Bodie, and Alex are more my family than my own."

"Okay Pacey, I'll let this go as long as you're sure you don't want them to know."

"I'm sure Jo, I really am. What do you say we get you home, it's getting late and tomorrow is a big day for both of us."

"Is it really that late?"

"Yeah, it's almost eleven thirty, and I'm sure Jen will be in your room five minutes after you get home. Jack too for that matter."

"Pacey Witter, are implying that our friends, my room mates are nosey?" I asked him in mock surprise.

"I'm not implying anything. Jackers and Lindley ARE nosey. You know it, I know it, but most importantly they know it."

I walk through the front door in time to see both Jack and Jen dive for the living room sofa, trying to look casual. I laugh knowing they probably had their faces pressed to glass of the front window trying to get a glimpse of Pacey and I kissing good night at the door. I decide not to let them know I'm on to their voyeuristic activities. I walk past the living room heading for the stairs and my room. On my way past I pop my head in to let them know I'm home and to say good night, not stopping to let them ask any questions. I reach that stairs and quickly run to my room closing the door. I take off my coat, hang it on the back of the door and wait, silently counting in my head. One hundred and forty seven seconds later I hear them whispering on the landing out side of my door. I silently swing my door open, cross my arms over my chest and stare at the two of them obviously arguing about which one is going to grill me for information.

"But Jack, I asked her at lunch it's your turn." Jen whispers.

"No way Jen, she'll tell us all about it when she's ready." Jack whispers back.

"Come on please, I've already been too pushy today. You have to do this for me, I need details."

I could tell they'd been arguing for quite sometime about this, usually Jen uses begging as a last resort, Jack mostly gives in to her requests at the begging stage. I clear my throat, and they both froze, looking like deer caught in the headlights of a vehicle.

"You two are truly sad. Pacey gave you at least five minutes before you were up here asking questions. I clocked you at two minutes twenty-seven seconds. Sad." I say retreating back into my room leaving the door open this time, an invitation for them to come in. They stand there in shock for a while before coming in. I was sitting on my bed looking through my nail polish trying to decide what color to paint my toes.

Jen finally speaks deciding that I wasn't going to offer up any information

"So?"

"I'm thinking the silver it's classy, yet simple, but I love the blueberry, it smells yummy when you put it on. What do you guys think?" I say pretending to misinterpret her question.

"Jo, I don't care about nail polish, I want to know how your date went tonight!"

"It was fine. I really do think the silver is more the statement I looking for."

"Arg!" she screams "Jack talk to her, she's being impossible."

Jack is obviously on my side, and up for a little teasing on Jens behalf; he winks at me and says "Silver? Jo I don't know? I kinda like the metallic purple one you've got in there.

"Really? I just didn't think it was very well, Worthington."

"You could be right, and the right nail polish is important. What else have you got in here?" he says sitting next to me on the bed and dumping all my nail polish on the bed in front of him. "Let's see Passion, Lemon, Ice Pink, Aqua Dream, Midnight Blue, Denim, Royal, Silver, Clear, Flesh tone, White" he continues sorting through the small bottles.

"Grrr, fine be this way, you two have a fun pajama party painting each others toes. I'll find someone else to talk to, maybe Grams is still up." She says in a huff, turning on her heel and stomping from the room. Jack and I just looked at each other and start laughing.

Finally getting a hold of myself, I wipe the tears from my eyes and say to a still giggling Jack "That was too easy."

Jack still fighting the giggles, asks, "So are you going to spill?"

"Yeah, I guess. I'm going to go change first. Why don't you go get Jen and when you come back I'll tell you both all about my date."

"Okay, be back in a minute." Jack says jumping off my bed, walking out of my room calling Jen in a singsong voice. I changed into my pajama pants and cotton tank top. Jack returns pulling Jen along by the arm as I was crawling into bed, leaning against the headboard.

"Are you two quite finished picking on me for the evening?" Jen asks still upset about the earlier teasing.

"Jen, I'm sorry about that, really I am but sometimes its just too easy to get to you."

"So really how was the date?"

I smile dreamily at them both before answering. "Guys it was amazing, he took me on a picnic near the harbor. You could see the lights from the marina on the water, and hear the music from the yacht club playing softly in the background. He had everything all set-up on a blanket. You could really tell he put a lot of effort into the evening, trying to make it perfect."

"Aww, that sounds so romantic."

"It was, Pacey held me in his arms and we pointed out all the constellations, the ones we could see in the city anyway."

"What I really want to know is did he kiss you again? The one I walked in on yesterday looked hot enough to melt the sun."

"Yes, Jen miss nosey, we kissed again. But that was all. We talked about what our summers were like, what we've done since we broke up at prom, his scholarship, our families, stuff. It was a really nice night."

"Sounds like it" Jack said.

"Can I ask you guys something?"

"Jo, you know you can ask us anything." Jack says sincerely.

"He hasn't told any of his family that he's going to school; he hasn't mentioned his scholarship or anything. I told him that I think he should tell them, that they'd be so proud of him, but he said this was something he was doing for himself, not them, not me, not anyone. I argued with him over his decision of not telling them, finally he told me that I was his family, along with Bessie, Bodie, and Alexander. I felt like I had to respect his choice, and told him as long as he was sure then I wouldn't say anything. But I think the Witter's have a right to know that their son is succeeding in life despite what they have put him through. Do you think that I should say anything to them? I just want them to see Pacey the same way I do. I want them to see him for the man he really is, not the one they think he is, or was, or even should be. Is that wrong of me?"