Dawson and Joey were not talking about their official status. In fact, they had been free of any romantic gesture. For a week, that hadn't kissed, hugged or even hold hands. They also avoided talking about Pacey who, amazingly, was pretty good at avoidance himself. Even at school Dawson hardly ever saw him. He had a feeling why his best friend had problems facing him and for different reasons he was grateful for that.

He wasn't as broken hearted about Joey as he thought. Yes, he was hurt, yes, he was jealous. But the world was still spinning, he found with amazement. So he invited her for the traditional movie night. And afterwards they sat in front of his window staring at the sky like they used to. And he felt ok with that, even if he wasn't allowed to touch her anymore.

No-one knew they had broken up. They had never been a very touchy-feely couple so no-one noticed the change, since on the outside there wasn't much of a change. And that amazed Dawson even more. He started wondering if Joey wasn't right, if they just weren't meant to be anything else other than really good friends who transcend genders.

He sighed:

"Is there anything more beautiful than a full moon? It looks close enough to touch but its a million miles away."

Joey snickered.

"It's actually only 240,000 miles away, Dawson. And it wont be completely full till tomorrow night."

Leave it to Joey to make a cynical comment over something as romantic as a full moon. As he was waking up from his perfect romance dream, Dawson was finding more and more things that didn't fit with the two of them.

"Well..."

He sighed again.

"...its still romantic"

Joey made a face at him.

"How did the moon become the state flower for romance? I mean, its just a natural satellite that reflects the sun's light"

"Well, casting it's peaceful and silent glow over a chaotic world... I love a full moon"

"But peaceful, Dawson? A full moon turns everything off-kitter, it turns everything upside down. I mean, weird things always happen during a full moon."

Dawson raised an eyebrow.

"Is Joey Potter being supersticious?"

"No, Im being scientific"

"How do you figure that?" Dawson chuckled.

"Human beings are made up of 70 water, right?"

"Errr yeah..." he wasn't sure about that but since he was talking to Joey, she was probably right.

"And the moon controls the time..."

"Mmmmhmmm..." Dawson put his head on his knees, blocking a yawn.

"Pulling great bodies of water back and forth, it does the same thing to us"

"Really..." Sometimes Joey just knew too much.

"Pulls us in different directions, disrupting the normal flow of things... and Dawson?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm telling you. Weird things always happen during a full moon"

Dawson moved, trying to get comfortable and slipped.

"Ooops!" he tried to mask his pain with a laugh.

"Very funny"

"So what do you think will happen this time?"

"I don't know, Dawson. I'm working tomorrow so I'll welcome the distraction..." Joey sighed and stared at the sparkling water of the creek.

Dawson saw the nostalgic look for the first time and wondered what she was thinking of. He wondered if he should tell her about Pacey and Tamara. She hadn't known they were together in the first place, Dawson was the only one besides them who knew. And Jen probably figured it out. And now his father. The secret was becoming less and less of a secret.

"Joey, I know that things are weird between us right now... But I am still your best friend. And if you want to talk I'm here for you" he took her hand.

It took her a while to answer.

"I'm okay, Dawson. It's just the damn full moon"

--

Pacey sat inside the video store watching a porn video. He didn't even know why he was watching them anymore, ever since the real thing had happened they weren't even half as fun. But it was a way to pass the time.

The last week had been a succession of weird moments between him and Tamara. He followed her around a couple of times, and each of those times she was meeting with Mitch Leery, something that he found extremely weird. He tried to talk to her a couple of times, but she always avoided him and although he got the fact that the last time they had seen each other embarassing things had happened, he still wanted to talk to her to clear the air at least to get rid of the nagging feeling of unfinished business.

He was ready to accept a break-up... although it wasn't technically a break-up since they weren't actually together. But he had to hear it from her. He wanted a closure.

And then it happened. In the morning before getting to work, Pacey saw her on the street and couldn't help running to her. She said she was in a hurry, she was meeting Mitch Leery. Again.

It was the way she said it that bothered him. For the first time, he saw Mitch as a rival. As a guy who was going after Tamara. He knew it was ridiculous. He knew Mitch was married, and although his marriage was rough at the moment, it was still a marriage, and Mitch loved Gail. And Mitch was Dawson's father, for God's sake! And all that aside, after last week's debacle, it would have been unbelievable.

But he was a man. A man who spent way too much time with Tamara.

The sound of the doorbell stopped his thoughts. He turned off the video quickly and looked up. It was Andie McPhee.

"Well if it isnt little miss McPhee..."

He couldn't help teasing her. And at the same time he couldn't help thinking that Dawson told him that Andie liked him. Although he didn't believe Dawson at the time he did start to pay more attention to her actions towards him and noticed a few interesting things that supported Dawson's theory.

And in the end Dawson was right. She was his age. She was less complicated. She could go out with him in broad daylight. She wouldn't be sent to jail for having sex with him.

"I'm just here to get a video, Pacey."

"Can I help you?" He threw her a flirtatious look and noticed her blushing. She actually liked him.

She was cute in a way and she did have a witty tongue that was a real plus... She was a bit weird at times but who isn't? And she liked him...

"Don't bother, I can help myself. Why don't you just go back to your Debbie Does Dallas?"

"It's, uh..." he checked the video, "Jaccuzzi Floozies, actually." Andie headed for the videos and he followed her. "You ever notice that the most interesting part of a porn movie is the title? Think about it. You got The Sperminator, Romancing The Bone, Oral Annie..."

"I don't know why they bother being clever. I mean, they're all the same to me. They should all have the same title: Women Pacey Will Never Do."

Pacey chuckled. He did like being talked back to. Hell, this could be interesting, why not?

"Ouch. You know, McPhee, we should really just bite the bullet."

She looked confused: "Meaning?"

"All this verbal sparring we're doing is getting a little dangerous and we should just go out on a date before somebody gets hurt."

She didn't answer right away but in the end she said: "Forget it."

"Come on. You know you want to..." He smiled at her and she blushed again.

"Well maybe if I was asked politely..."

For a moment Pacey backed down. He didn't like her that much. But in the end, how many girls would go out with him anyway?

"Okay Andie would you go out with me tonight?"

It was just a date.

"Okay" she said simply. Too simply.

"Dont sound too enthused..."

"I'll try to restrain myself." She smiled angelically at him. "So where are we going?"

"Uh, how about the movies? That way we dont have to talk to each other much, less chance of punches being thrown."

"Good idea..." She was still studying that video. But he could tell it was just a way for her to not look at him.

"Great, I'll pick you up at 7:30. You live on Windsor, right?"

Andie's eyes went wide.

"Um, I'll meet you there."

"No.. It's okay... It's a date... I can pick you up"

What was up with her?

"Well, maybe we shouldn't do this."

What the hell was wrong with this girl? That's it, he's had it.

"Fine, I'll see you around then."

Andie turned to him and he saw her panicking:

"How about we meet at the Icehouse? You know, neutral grounds and all..."

Pacey raised his arms in frustration.

"Fine, whatever. 7:30?"

"Sure..."

She didn't even get a video, she got out in a hurry and Pacey started regretting the whole thing.

--

Joey was frustrated. She could have done so many things with her time. Instead she just stood at the Icehouse waiting for the bread to mold and for the one customer to get the hell out so that she could close in.

"It's Saturday night! Where is everyone?!"

"Relax. Enjoy the quiet", Jack said calmly.

"If Mr. Botomless Cup of Coffee would leave I would close the place."

"You really don't like being a waitress, do you?"

Joey chuckled:

"What gave you the first clue?"

"Your utter disdain for our customers."

"And you find this new vocation stimulating?"

"Absolutely!" Jack said excitingly. "Come on..." He continued after seeing her not in the mood face. "At what time in your life are you ever going to be exposed to so many different walks of life, so many different people that just randomly cross your path, each with a different story, different set of hopes, different set of dreams..."

"...ways to blame you for their food being cold, there are not enough clams in the chowder..."

"Why are you so angry?"

"It's just the full moon." Joey tried to brush things off. "It's got me freaked."

"Not just tonight. All the time."

Joey just sighed and didn't answer. She wasn't in the mood for philosophical crap. She just wanted to go home and sleep.

Bored as hell she sat next to the counter until she noticed the lobsters.

"Oh my God! The pump is down! Jack, if the lobsters die, we're going to lose a fortune!"

"I... I didn't touch it"

"We have to remove these from the tank and put them into some ice. Can you get that tub over there?"

"Hey, why don't we just throw them back in the ocean. You know, give them another chance at life..."

"Yeah if you do that, you can just jump right in with them. Hurry up!"

At that precise moment, Andie walked in the Icehouse.

"Is he here?" she said nervously. "Damn it, I'm late!"

"Who?" Jack asked, confused, stopping his actions for a few moments.

"Pacey!" Andie asked, frustrated.

That stopped Joey's actions.

"I havent seen him..." Jack said and started moving the lobsters again. Joey joined him after another few confused moments.

"I was supposed to meet with him here tonight! Ten minutes ago!" She looked at them curiously: "What are you guys doing?"

No-one answered. "He's blowing me off, isn't he? He's blowing me off!!"

She started pacing the room and then she stopped abruptly.

"Oh my God!"

"What?" Joey said annoyed, still moving lobsters with angry moves.

"The house! He said he wanted to pick me up! What if he goes to the house?!"

They had finished moving the lobsters.

"Andie, it's ok", Jack tried to calm her down. "Don't worry about it. It's ok"

"Are you crazy? If he shows up and...? God, I gotta go there!"

Andie ran out in a hurry. Joey kicked the counter in frustration and all the lights went out.

"Oh great! This is just great!" She kicked again.

"Joey, calm down. You aren't solving anything..."

"Try unplugging the source and then plugging it back in..." their only customer finally decided to speak.

Jack did just that and the lights went back on. Including the lobster pump.

"Thank you, Mister", Joey said and just laid her head on the counter.

"That was weird" Jack whispered to her.

"Full moon, remember?"

"Yeah right."

"I just wish he'd leave... I mean..."

Pacey walked in.

"Hey guys. Have you seen Andie? I was supposed to meet her here but I had a fight with my dad and..."

"She thought you went over to the house so she went there."

"Great. By the time I get to her the movie will have already started."

He sighed and looked around uncomfortably.

"Aren't you going after her?" Joey asked, confused.

Pacey sighed again. He hesitated for a while and then he just shrugged:

"Nah, it was a bad idea anyway. Want me to help you around here? Close up or something?"

"We can't close up." Joey said, still confused by his behaviour.

"Why not? There's no-one here!"

Joey automatically threw a look at the customer's table. He had left.

"I can help. It's my job, after all..." Jack said, looking as confused as Joey..

"No, you go home and tell Andie not to wait for me. We'll take a raincheck or something. I'll help Joey."

"You want me to serve as the messenger of bad news from you to my sister?"

"Come on, McPhee..."

Jack rose, hesitantly.

"Fine. I'm off. But you owe me big time..." he threw another look at them as if he was expecting someone to stop him. "Night you two"

He went out leaving Joey with Pacey.

"Hey, Potter, why did you take out the lobsters?"

"Ugh, dont ask. Just put them back."

"Aye aye miss"

Joey went to the previously occupied table and found a 100 tip.

"Wow" she looked at Pacey who was fighting the lobsters. "A 100 tip!"

"Cool! You can buy me a Coke once we get out of here!"

She wasn't sure it was such a good idea. Weird things had been happening between them. The whole week he came to the Icehouse around the same hour and stood there doing nothing, just occasionally helping out. They hardly ever talked and yet she felt comfortable having around, although she tried hard not to think about that.

"Ok" Joey said hesitantly and returned to the table. She noticed there was something written on the napkin and read it:

By moonlight many years ago my true love did I know, and by that moon I begged her wait but that night did she go. So, young lovers, heed my words, don't squander love away. The moon is changing ever still, soon comes the light of day.

Joey swallowed and threw a look at Pacey. He had finished the lobsters and started cleaning the counter.

Then she just sighed and started cleaning the table herself.