As she was entering high-school, Joey was trying very hard to go unnoticed. She knew she couldn't. All her friends were in her literature class and she knew it was going to go bad. For the first time ever, she was tempted to skip school.
"I hate you, Pacey." she inwardly cursed him. She had been up all night remembering the hottest kiss she ever experienced. And of all the people in the world that she had to share that with, it had to be him. Why couldn't she just stick to hating him? That was so easy...
She headed towards her locker, wishing that it hadn't been placed in such a central area. And that's when she bumped into Dawson.
"Dawson, hi..." she mumbled, feeling weird all of a sudden, knowing that he had been right all along about Pacey. Knowing that she had kissed Pacey the day before and that Dawson was, no doubt going to be affected by it.
" ...oh... Joey... uhm... hi..." he mumbled back and she noticed that, surprisingly, he was avoiding her eyes.
"Are you ok?"
"Yeah... I'll just see you later..."
"Don't forget about the literature class!" Dawson's eyes turned wide.
"Right..."
Joey frowned at Dawson's weird behavior and resumed her way to the locker.
"Joey!" Jack came to her.
"Jack..." she started with a glare and fully intending to give him a lecture on keeping promises.
"I know I suck for not coming yesterday..."
"You do suck for not coming yesterday. Do you know how embarrassing that was for me? To have Pacey, of all people..." she lowered her voice and checked to see no-one was listening, "...pose naked for me?!"
"...he offered... and you two are good friends since diapers... I didn't think..."
"Me and Pacey are not friends. Sparring partners. Enemies. Foes. Sharing a common friend. But me and that... that... that... we're not friends." She breathed in strongly remembering his lips on hers.
"Why are you so upset? You two have been getting along great lately!"
"Me and Pacey do not get along! Get it?!" she raised her voice.
"Okay, okay, sorry... I promise... no more naked Pacey..." he whispered.
Joey licked her lips involuntary and Jack stopped and stared at her weirdly:
"Jo, what did happen?"
"Nothing. He posed and I drew... Nothing happened..."
"You're acting weird."
"I am not."
"You are blushing and acting weird."
"Jack, I am not acting weird!" she nervously brushed her fingers through her hair. Jack was just about to question her further, when Jen entered high-school. Their eyes locked and Jack blushed. As Jen passed Joey and Jack by, Joey said in a low voice:
"Talking about acting weird..."
"Don't even go there."
---
"So, we can conclude that film mysteries don't differ from literary ones, at all. The genre's still constructed in three sections: the setup... uhm, uhm..." Dawson threw a glance on his paper, "the testimonies and the classic day new morph... moth... errr..." Dawson threw a desperate look at the class but no-one was looking back except Joey who seemed pretty lost in her thoughts herself.
"Thank you, mr. Leery. I think we all got the picture." Mr. Peterson said.
"But... sir..."
"That will be all mr. Leery. You can go to your seat now so we can have time for one more..."
Dawson nodded and gulped as he headed for his seat. Joey couldn't help but wonder what his weird behavior was all about. It was so unlike him. Actually everyone was acting weird. She could understand Pacey's sudden fixation for his sheet in the seat in front of Jack's, but she could in no way understand Jack's blushing on her right, Jen's constant and nervous moving behind her and Andie's erratic desk-scratching in front of her. As Dawson headed for his seat, behind Jack, he rubbed his hands nervously.
Mr. Peterson's voice broke off her thoughts:
"Abby! What incredible insight do you bring to the mystery genre?"
"Actually, mr. Peterson, I don't have my project. You see, the most tragic thing occurred while I was working on it. Our family pet, a very temperamental schnauzer named Giggles, got underneath the bathroom sink and chewed up a whole box of chocolate-flavored laxatives that my dad sometimes needs. So anyways, Giggles ate the whole box and he bled to death, internally. Apparently, chocolate laxatives are toxic to dogs."
"It's a shame, Miss Morgan that you cannot find a more productive outlet for your creative lying."
"I'm not lying."
"Please, let's just stick to the fundamentals. The alphabet. The letter 'F'. If you don't turn in your project, I'll see it that you fail this course."
Just as Mr. Peterson finished his speech, the bell rang. He rose from his desk and added:
"Tomorrow we are hosting a book fair in the school cafeteria. I remind you, as literary scholars, your attendance is mandatory."
Everyone rose and rushed to the door. Chris Wolfe returned to his seat behind Jen to recover a forgotten book, when a piece of paper situated between Joey and Jack's desk caught his attention. He took it and read it in surprise.
---
Joey sat next to Dawson at the lunch table: "urgh, what a day!"
"I know..."
"So... what's new with you?"
"Nothing much... I added some changes to the script last night."
"Really? Why? I thought it was good enough..."
"Yes, it was, but last night I was... uhm... inspired, and I figured I could make it even better."
"Can I read?"
"Sure, you can come over after school to review it..." He smiled unsurely.
"I'd love to." She smiled back. "So what did you change...?" She asked but stopped as Pacey sat at their table in silence.
---
"If I had a gun, mr. Peterson would be dead. If I fail English, I have summer school hell!" Abby screamed in frustration.
"Did you kiss anyone last night?" Chris asked her. Abby turned to face him, surprised:
"Are you talking to me? Cause if you are, that's a Non Sequitur I'm choosing to ignore."
"Well someone's had some big kiss last night. I'm just trying to figure out who it is."
"What are you talking about?"
Chris handed her the note he found in the classroom:
"I want to talk to you about yesterday. The whole evening was amazing, but that kiss changed everything for us and for our friends. And I think we should take some time to think about it, before we do it again." Abby read out loud. Where did you find this?
"On the floor, in mr. Peterson's class."
"I don't recognize the handwriting. Did you see who dropped it?"
"No."
Abby looked at the note again and then grinned:
"This is it! This is what I'll do for Peterson! Instead of deconstructing some literary convention, I'll solve my own real-life mystery. It's original, it's creative, it's so Abby Morgan."
"And what's the mystery?"
"Who wrote the letter? Who had this life altering kiss?"
"Yeah, but there are 20 people in the class. It could be anyone."
"Well, let's try logic. Where did you find it?"
"It was two desks in front of me..."
"Who was sitting there at the class?"
"It was between Potter and McPhee..." Chris frowned. "You think it was them?"
"Could be... they do work together and I believe spend time together... Who knows what might have happened?"
"Yes, but Potter is going out with Leery."
"Not anymore, Wolfe. Aren't you up to date with the class gossip?"
" Only the really important one." Chris shrugged.
"Whatever. See, it couldn't have been Potter and Leery. It's just too predictable. And they've done it before. No-one would be surprised! See, this note also mentions the effect it would have on their friends! Meaning, someone else would probably not like the idea of this kiss... and the one who wrote it, knows that! Now let's think..."
"McPhee's been hanging out with Jen lately." Chris pondered. "Too much. She hasn't come to any of my parties this week... and I saw them in town yesterday..."
"Aha!" Abby grinned. "That is a possible couple! They hang out enough, I believe he has a crush on her and she is Dawson Leery's ex, which means that her getting involved with someone else might cause some trouble. Like it happened a few months ago with Cliff when filmboy followed her to their date! Great work, Chris!" Abby giggled.
Chris grinned: "I do my best. So you think it's them?"
"Well, let's think. After all they weren't the only one sitting in the area. If I remember correctly, he was sitting in front of Leery and behind Witter..."
"Yep."
"Now let's think of them. We've already excluded a Potter-Leery kiss on grounds of boringness... Who else could, let's say, Leery kiss?"
"Well... he did go out with Jen for a while... they're neighbors..."
"Good point. So Jen could have kissed either McPhee or Leery. Or even both, we know she's capable of that..." she grinned. "Now, let's see, would Jen's kissing of Leery affect anyone?"
"Potter... McPhee..."
"Yes, indeed... So a Leery-Lindley kiss would cause trouble and would be likely..."
"Yep."
Abby sat down at a table and started writing on a piece of paper. She wrote Jen's Jack's and Dawon's names and connected Jen to both of the boys. Chris sat down next to her.
"Now let's think of Witter. After all, he was in the area too... Anyone he could kiss?"
"The McPhee girl has been after him for a while..."
"Really?"
"Yeah, she was very clingy about him at my place, a few weeks ago."
"I see... and who would this kiss upset...?"
Chris shrugged. "I don't know anyone rooting for Witter and McPhee's way too psycho to have guys knocking at her door..."
"Right so they could have kissed, but it wouldn't have affected anyone. And especially not someone in their own group, cause remember, the note is talking about friends..."
"Yep."
"Anyone else to kiss Witter?"
Chris laughed: "Not that I can think of"
"Okay, so we can rule him out for now. Now let's check out the girls."
"The girls?"
"Yes... on McPhee's left, there was Potter. Behind her was Jen, who was sitting in front of you... in front of Potter was the McPhee girl... they could have written the note too."
'True..." Chris scratched his cheek.
"We've already linked Jen to both Leery and McPhee. Now let's see Potter... As you mentioned before, a Potter-McPhee kiss is likely. They work together, they get along good. Not to mention she's Leery's ex, which means Leery would be upset..."
"But McPhee has a crush on Jen. It's obvious."
" True... but maybe he just slipped. And Jen would be another reason why this kiss were so frightening. He doesn't want her to know. I'd say, based on the effect it would cause and based on this note, that a Potter-McPhee kiss could have caused this..."
"I suppose..."
Abby wrote down Joey's name and linked her to Jack's.
"Anyone else Potter might have kissed..."
"Who would want to kiss her?" Chris chuckled
"Good point. How about the McPhee girl? She was sitting in front of her. Close enough to the spot."
"We've already discussed McPhee. She's a wacko."
"Right."
Abby looked at the piece of paper: "So, we have Jen with McPhee or Leery, Potter with McPhee and a highly unlikely Witter-McPhee... I do believe we got ourselves a mystery, mr. Wolfe."
Chris grinned again.
---
"So, how do we find out who's kissed who?" Chris asked Abby.
"Well, since we can't ask them directly, we'll just have to shake the tree a little bit. See what falls out... Here's Jen, a good chance to start."
"Hey you guys!"
"Watch", Abby whispered to Chris.
"Hey, I was wondering if you guys would like to audition for Dawson's film. He's..." Jen handed them a flier.
"Yeah, sure, but I actually wanted to talk to you... I mean, we haven't talked in a while and I was wondering how you're doing..."
"I'm doing great, that's nice of you to ask..." Jen frowned.
"See, you are doing great and it's so obvious..."
"It is?"
"Yes, Jen, you are absolutely glowing! And I am absolutely curious to know what brought on this change in your appearance..."
"Uhm..."
"A new love interest perhaps?" Abby smiled sweetly.
"Look, Abby..." Jen bit her lower lip. "I do not intend to be your newest gossip so find yourself something else to do."
"Oh come on, Jen, have some mercy on a poor girl who has no life..."
"Well, get one and get off mine...!" Jen nervously headed in the opposite direction.
"Smooth, Abby, real smooth."
"She's definitely hiding something..."
---
"Oh look, there's Witter."
"I thought we dismissed him from the list of possible suspects."
"I just wanna make sure..."
Abby headed towards Pacey's locker, taking out a sheet of paper and a pen.
"What's this?" Pacey looked at her, confused.
"I know you can read, Pacey. It's a petition."
"For what?"
"A school condom dispenser. I'm collecting signatures."
"You're too much, Abby", Pacey chuckled uncomfortably, but signed anyway.
"Teenagers, these days. We're just growing up so fast... Sex is everywhere. Like, you know... you and your teacher... and whoever the new girl in your life is..."
Pacey turned red:
"You know, tell me, Abby..." What would it take to make you a distant memory?
Abby smiled and took the paper.
---
"All I'm asking is your signature, a little John Hancock, and I'll be gone."
"The only thing I support is your execution." Jack glared at her.
"Careful Jack, some may take that caustic edge as a bi product of serious sexual repression. Speaking of which, how are things with Jen?"
"You have got to be kidding me." Jack turned his back. Abby followed him:
"Come on, I could give you some clues on how to get her... You know, she and I are great friends... All I need is some info..."
"Some gossip, you mean..."
"Hey, I help you, you help me..." Abby posed her sweet smile again.
"Go away."
---
"Hey Joey..." Abby approached her.
"Urgh, could this day get any worse? What do you want, Abby?"
"Kissing session gone bad?"
"What?!" Joey turned white.
"News travel fast in Capeside..." Abby smiled mysteriously and left.
---
"Dawson Leery... our very own filmmaker."
"Abby Morgan... our very own bitch."
"I just wanted to tell you I admire you for having the guts to put your life on paper like that. I know I couldn't do such a thing."
"Even if you did, you think anyone would care?"
"Well, I'm not as interesting as you... I mean Jen, Joey, and now..." she stopped short and put her hand on her mouth. "Oops..."
Dawson closed his locker door violently as Abby giggled away.
---
"Don't we have enough reading to do some school? They want us to start reading for pleasure?" Abby sat next to Chris at the book fair.
"Don't you look ample today!"
"Hands off! I don't want to catch any of your diseases."
"So... any new developments?"
"We'll find out the truth soon enough... You heard Dawson, yesterday, in class, between babbles: 'The secret to solving a mystery is gaging human behaviors.'"
"...actually i was otherwise engaged..."
"Nevermind. The idea is that if I make them think I know the answer, they will give it to me." She took out a few notes from her backpack and handed it to Chris: "Make sure these get into the right hands and be discreet about it."
---
"Uhm... Jo... How's it going?" Pacey sat uncomfortably next to her.
"Oh, now you're talking to me?"
"Look... I know it's weird..."
"Weird?! Weird? As in how weird? Weird as in you can't talk to me but you can talk to Abby Morgan?!" Joey whispered loudly between her gritted teeth.
"What? She just wanted..."
"You know what? Save it!" Joey moved to a different seat and Pacey sighed.
---
Joey entered the classroom and saw Jack seated in his desk:
"What are you doing here?"
"I got an invitation, taped to my locker, it says: 'Your presence is required in Mr. Peterson's class 7 pm. I have something very valuable that may belong to you.'"
"Yeah, I got the exact same invitation..." Joey half-smiled and sat down.
Andie entered:
"What are you two doing here?"
"Andie?"
Andie showed her invitation just as the door opened letting Jen in.
"Hey guys..."
"Let me guess, your presence is required in Mr. Peterson's class..." Joey looked at her suspiciously.
"Yes..." Jen frowned. and sat behind Joey.
Pacey and Dawson entered too.
"I see you all got mysterious summons too..." Pacey sighed and sat down next to Dawson. "Is this some sort of practical joke or what?"
"That's what I wanna know..." Jen pondered.
"You know, I have a bad feeling I know who is behind this..." Pacey said.
"Who?" Dawson asked.
Abby entered the room:
"Oh look! All my favorite people gathered together in one room and I forgot my camera!"
"I should have known..." Dawson said with a frustrated sigh.
Chris entered with a camcorder.
"Oh, no, I didn't!" Abby laughed.
"Okay, Abby, what devious scheme have you hatched up this time?" Jen sighed.
"All good things come to those who wait, but you've never been very good at postponing pleasure, have you?"
"Why did you bring us here, Abby? Take part in one of your satanic rituals?" Pacey asked.
"Actually, it's my mystery project. In my possession, I have a letter. A lost letter. That was written by one of you in this room to another one of you in this room. Stop me if you think you've heard this before: 'I want to talk to you about yesterday. The whole evening was amazing, but that kiss changed everything for us and for our friends. And I think we should take some time to think about it, before we do it again.'"
"You know, this is absurd, I am so out of here..." Joey stood up.
"Oh come on, Joey! Don't you want to stick around to see who the author of this letter is?"
Joey looked around unsurely and sat down.
"Now, this letter is going to have a major effect on all of you. As it says here, not only the two who kissed are involved, but also their friends, which probably have some interest in them. And that of course makes a very good classical story of triangles - who knows? - maybe even squares."
"Spare us the monologue, Abby."
"Could you just get to the point?"
"Who wrote the letter?"
There was a short silence until Abby answered.
"That's all you care about, isn't it? Fine! When the letter was first brought to my attention... my first instinct was... Joey and Jack. They've been hanging out together ever since he first showed up in town, but he's also hanging out with Jen... and of course, we have to think of ex-boyfriend Dawson... so, it would upset a lot of people and there's an opportunity. But then I remembered that Jack has a crush on Jen..." she looked pointedly at Jack who glared at her "...and realized he would never do that to her. He's way too boring to do two girls at a time... Joey's his mate which she seems to be with all the guys in her life..." that earned Abby a glare from Joey, "and Jen's the elusive girl he's trying to conquer. Which would lead me to think that maybe Jack and Jen are the couple in question..." Jen nervously arranged her dress ...but then I figured, it can't be. "See, even if Jen has a stalking ex-boyfriend..." Dawson fumed "...he's too hung up on his other ex to even consider her. And Jack has no-one to upset, unless of course, Joey had some hopes... but I don't think so... so it simply does not make sense, it wouldn't upset enough people hard enough..."
"You're sick and wrong..." Jack said through gritted teeth.
"Is she? Chris turned to Jack. I mean, who would cry for you, McPhee?"
"Shut up, you moron! You couldn't hold a candle to him!" Jen rose.
"Oh, so you have the hots for him or something?" Chris looked at her defiantly.
"What is your problem?!"
"My problem is that I was enjoying your company and you're giving a lot of fun up for... for this..." he pointed at Jack who rose to get Chris, but was stopped in time by Dawson.
"Save it, man, he's not worth it."
"Oh, look, Dawson, you're becoming friends with Jack. I do believe this is the first time any of you talked to each other! Are you feeling guilty or something? After all, you are also a candidate for miss Lindley's kisses..."
"My conscience is clean, unlike yours, scumbag..."
"Really? It doesn't show very well in this little note you wrote!"
"I didn't write it!"
"Well then, enlighten me, mr. Leery..." Abby looked at him squirming: "Who did?"
As the silence was settling, Abby thought she was losing the battle and realized that, while Dawson was not entirely innocent, he was not guilty of this particular crime. And then they all heard a small whimper.
" I did..." Andie cried. Everyone turned to watch her. I'm sorry, Dawson.
"Andie..."
"I'm sorry. I just... I just freaked out... cause I liked Pacey so much, or I think I did and then you kissed me and I just... I don't know what happened... and there's Joey... and Pacey... and..."
"You two kissed?!" Joey's eyes went wider at the realization that it didn't bother her. At all. And at the relief of knowing that the note was not related to her kiss with Pacey. She looked at him and she could tell as she met his eyes that he was thinking the same thing.
" I'm sorry, Joey." Andie cried. "It just happened... we didn't mean to hurt you..."
"You didn't...!" Joey smiled. "Dawson and I broke up weeks ago. He's free to do whatever he wants! Andie..." she almost laughed but then she met Pacey's eyes again. This time with a look she couldn't decipher.
"Joey..." Dawson started.
"Dawson, I am not upset. I am not masking upset under understanding either. I am okay with the idea of you and Andie. Not upset. Okay."
Abby sighed: "Oh great. So you're telling me that there's no drama? No bitch slapping?"
"Get a life, Abby" Dawson helped Andie get up and they got out together. Abby sighed again and Chris stopped the camcorder.
"Let's go, Wolfe. These people are too boring for us. I don't know why I even bothered."
The four remaining people just stared at each other in awe.
"Wow." Jack finally recovered.
"Yeah..." Jen smiled.
"So..." Jack turned to Jen. "You meant that...? That stuff... earlier... with Chris..."
"Of course I meant it, Jack..." Jen smiled warmly. "...and if you want, we can go the Icehouse and have a few drinks... and discuss the whole thing..."
Jack blushed. A minute later they were out the door too, after the appropriate greetings to the two remaining members of the group.
"So..." Pacey turned to Joey. "Still mad at me?"
Joey gulped.
"I'm sorry about that... I know you wouldn't have... I'm sorry... It's just that..."
"Joey, I think we should talk."
Joey looked at Pacey and saw him looking down and realized that he didn't like her back. He was going to tell her that he's sorry but... after all, they were sparring partners. They fought. That's what they did. They weren't supposed to kiss.
"Yes, Pacey, I know..." she gathered all her strength. "I know, yesterday was a mistake, it was the whole naked thing that got to both of us..." She laughed nervously. "It's okay. We can go back to being sparring partners now."
Pacey lifted an unsure pair of eyes and looked at her: "Right..."
Joey gulped again: "Right..."
She rose: "...and I have homework to do. And if I remember correctly so do you, moron." She tried to tease him, but it somehow didn't come out right. But he saw her for what she was and smiled: "Okay, Ice Queen. Let's go."