Joey was looking at herself in the mirror and couldn't believe her eyes. She looked even more beautiful than at the Pageant contest. She smiled at Jen, shyly:
"I don't know how you do it."
"It's the easiest thing in the world. All I have to do is point out what's already there." Jen said, proud of herself.
Joey blushed.
"Hey guys, the filming starts..." Pacey stopped short as he entered.
"OK, I'll go help Dawson. Joey, we'll be ready when you are." Jen got out of the room quickly.
Joey looked at Pacey shyly and blushed as she saw his intense stare.
"We're... redoing the Pageant contest..." she said weakly, for the sake of saying something.
"I know. I read the script, remember?"
"Yeah..." Joey blushed even more. Pacey smiled widely.
"Stop grinning like an idiot" she got close to him and punched him in the elbow.
"I'm not... I'm not grinning like an idiot" Pacey bit back his smile but somehow it kept coming out.
"This is still me. I'm still a tomboy. I'm not gonna change because Jen made me beautiful for a second."
"Jo, you are beautiful every second."
Her heart suddenly went ballistic and she was sure her cheeks had turned purple. She couldn't think of anything else to do so she just hugged him.
Suddenly she realized that his heart was beating rather fast too... And then she realized that he must have felt hers just like she felt his... And then she felt his breath on her bare shoulders and her knees went weak.
She held him even tighter, for fear of falling down. She realized - from the intensity of his breath - that he was getting closer and closer to her shoulder. And then his lips touched her gently and she couldn't control her breath anymore. His lips went up her neck and stopped on her hair, where she felt him breathe in. She could swear she felt his heart beat at the same time as hers, faster and faster as his lips started touching her cheek and turned towards the mouth. When he didn't get there she opened her eyes to see him stare intensely at her. She kept his stare for a few seconds until she decided she couldn't take it anymore and kissed him herself.
It turned into a full-blown make-out session in a matter of seconds.
-
"Joey! Pacey! Are you guys ready? Everyone's waiting for you!" Dawson's voice screamed from outside. They stopped suddenly and stepped away from each other, as if afraid of touching.
They looked at each other for a second and then a grin got on both of their faces.
"You're wearing lipstick"
"Your lipstick has smeared..."
They both said it at the same time and then they started laughing.
"OK, Potter, I think... I'll take the bathroom, you take the mirror and whatever tools Jen left you with. Meet me downstairs in five minutes."
"OK."
Joey stood in front of the mirror and watched herself with a blush. She couldn't stop smiling.
-
"What are you staring at, you freak?"
"Easy, Jones, I was just paying you a compliment."
"I don't need any compliments coming from you, thank you very much" Joey said, although her continuously smiling face did not match her words.
"Then you don't need to worry about, it won't happen again. I just thought your ego needed some healing, but obviously I was mistaken."
"Obviously."
"Have a nice evening, Ice Queen."
Pacey and Joey walked away from each other.
"...aaand cut. That was perfect, guys. We'll wrap it up and start again tomorrow." Dawson said smiling.
"Dawson?" Andie approached him.
"Yes?"
"Are you sure that was the way it was supposed to be? I mean the script said they were supposed to be sarcastic but they couldn't stop smiling like it was all a big joke."
"Well, see, Andie, that's the whole meaning of this film. It is a big joke. That's the way they communicate. When two people pick on each other the way those two do there's no way they truly hate each other. If they truly hated each other they would simply avoid each other. Instead they go out of their way to spend as much time together as possible by making fun of each other. As time goes, they can't avoid their feelings anymore but they continue this routine because deep down inside they like it. Because even when they're gonna be together - and by now we know they're gonna be together - this is what they'll do all day: pick on each other."
Andie looked at him confused.
"Trust me, it's gonna be a great movie." Dawson placed his hand around Andie's shoulder and squeezed her reassuringly.
"Well, it's your movie..." Andie shrugged.
"Hey, guys" Jen and Jack came, holding hands. "Did you see that?" Jack said excitedly.
"See what?"
"That scene! They were great! I didn't know Pacey and Joey could be such great actors. I mean, this is one of the best romantic comedies ever - I can actually believe it, I can see it happening."
Jen frowned at him: "Since when is a guy so excited by a romantic comedy?"
"I'm not excited by a romantic comedy, I'm excited by a good movie. This is a good movie and I'm watching a friend of mine make it. It's like I'm in Hollywood or something."
-
Dawson went to his room to find Pacey on his bed, deep in thought.
"Hey Pace. What's up?"
Pacey looked scared to see him.
"What are you doing here?"
"This is my room."
"Yeah but I thought you'd be finishing stuff with the movie... or going out with Andie... or something."
"Is that why you've come here? Is there a problem at home, is there a reason why you can't think in your own room?"
"Actually, I came here to talk to you..."
"Great, then, here I am."
"It's just that..."
Dawson sat next to him.
"Oh man..."
"Pacey, whatever it is, spit it out."
"Dawson, you're gonna hate me. You're gonna hate me and then I'm gonna hate myself because you were the only one who stood by me all these years, and..."
"Pacey, I couldn't possibly hate you."
"Trust me, you can."
"Pacey... Unless you suddenly decided to kill my parents or rape my girlfriend, which I don't think you did, I won't hate you."
Pacey started walking around the room at a frantic pace.
"What if I were to..."
Long pause.
"Yes?"
"What If I were to make a move on your girlfriend?"
Dawson frowned.
"I thought you decided Andie was too neurotic for your taste."
"Not Andie! Your other girlfriend!"
Dawson lifted his eyebrows.
"Thank god Andie's not here to listen to you, she might actually believe you. I thought you knew me, man. I'm not the type of guy who would have two girlfriends at the same time."
"Not at the same time!"
"You're losing me, man."
"Dawson, I... I kinda like... I kinda... you know... your ex... I kinda like your ex-girlfriend."
"I don't think Jack would be too happy if you made a move on Jen."
Pacey stopped short and stared at him in disbelief:
"Dawson, this is a new level of clueless-ness. Even for you."
"Maybe it's a new level of unclear expression of thoughts because you're not making any sense."
"Why do I get the feeling you're doing this on purpose? Do I really need to spit it out?"
"Yes!"
Pacey sat next to Dawson and sighed.
"I like Joey."
Dawson bit back a smile.
"This sounds familiar."
"No, I mean I really like her... not like..."
"...not like when you kissed her a few months ago..."
"Yeah, I mean, then I think I was just a hormone-driven teenage boy, but now..."
"You mean you're not hormone-driven anymore?"
"You're enjoying this, aren't you?"
"Yeah I kinda am."
"Why are you enjoying this? You should be angry! You should be beating me to a pulp."
"That's not really my style."
"Urgh!"
Dawson placed his hand on Pacey's shoulder.
"I was angry when I first realized what was happening, Pacey, but back then you had other problems that kept you out of my sight. I had months to get used to it. And now I kinda like the idea of you and Joey. It's the perfect story for a great romantic comedy."
Pacey looked at Dawson, amazed:
"You mean... you're doing this... you... you..."
Dawson grinned.
"I know you hate that everything in my life comes out as a movie or is interpreted through a movie, but this movie I think you're gonna like."
"When did you realize what was happening?"
"Remember when I told you that Andie likes you and gave you a lesson in basic kindergarten psychology?"
"Uh... yeah..."
"...and you told me that Andie hates you the way Joey hates you and that if Andie likes you, Joey likes you?"
"I don't think I said it like that..."
"But that's what you meant. And you were right."
"You mean, Joey likes me?"
"You mean you didn't know?"