Part 3
Carnal Knowledge
Disclaimer: Dawson, Joey, Pacey, Jen and all other Dawson's Creek characters are the proporty of Kevin Williamson and the WB. I don't own them, so please don't sue.
Rating: PG-13. If you can watch the show, you can read this.
Spoilers: You know what happened in season 1 of Dawson's Creek. Of how Dawson Leery was oblivious to the fact that his long-time best friend, Joey Potter, was in love with him. You know of how Dawson dated Jen Lindley, while his other friend Pacey pursued his English teacher, Tamara Jacobs. But what if some avents had happened differently? I am the Watcher(KIDDING…lol…sorry, in-joke, nevermind). Anyway, in this story, something happened at the end of the pilot episode to change the course of the entire series. What happened? Just wait and see.
Editors Note: I'm trying something different this time around. I usually write in script format, but I thought I'd try narrative this time. It's a little experiment for a fic I might co-write in the future. Hope you like it.
In Dawson Leery's bedroom, the former 'best friends' appeared to be very preoccupied with each other.
It had been a week since their unexpected, passionate kiss at the Ruins. Ever since, Dawson and Joey had been meeting in his bedroom almost every night.
Suffice to say, their 'movie nights' had become a lot less platonic.
This time, they had gotten together to edit Dawson's 'Sea Creature Of The Deep' movie. However, they spent a lot more time kissing than editing.
Dawson broke off the kiss, and looked into Joey's eyes. He smiled.
"You're perfect, you know that?" he told her with a smile.
"Perfect?" she asked, a confused, doubtful look on her face.
"Yeah." he replied "Your eyes..."
He stroked her hair back with his hand.
"...your hair..."
Joey just rolled her eyes.
"You are such a sap," she said with a small laugh.
"What can I say? I'm optimistic," he said, defending himself.
"You're always optimistic." she reminded him.
"Yeah, but now I have a good reason for it." He retorted, smiling once again.
"Which is?" Joey asked.
"I've managed to find a stepping stone for the whole 'boy-girl' aspect of high school." Dawson explained to her. "I've found a girl that I don't have to worry about introducing to the parents, being nervous around, avoiding all that 'getting-to-know-each-other' stuff. We can just skip ahead to the fun parts."
"Only problem is that, with us, there's no mystery." She informed him.
"Of course there is." he argued.
"Are you kidding me?" she replied. "I can see our entire future already."
"Really?" he asked, doubtfully.
"Yes." She continued, putting her arms around his neck. "In a year, some artsy-fartsy freshman shows up and tries to sweep me off my feet. You go into insane jealousy, beat him up, and spend the next several years watching him like a hawk. We break up and get back together three times, and finally elope in senior year. We move to some big city, where you dazzle people with your cinematic genius, and get us both rich. Then, after we buy Universal or something, we move to Long Island where we will raise three over-analytical children."
Dawson became amused
"You've put quite a bit of thought into this."
"Not really, it's just too obvious." She explained, and let go of him.
"To be honest I think I prefer to let life surprise us." Dawson said, before going back to his editing.
"Suit yourself, but I'm just trying to save us some time." she said.
Dawson leaned back over and kissed her unexpectedly.
"Can you hand me that B roll over there?" he asked, after they broke apart.
Joey moved away from him, picked up the film and passed it.
"You know, we've been doing this for almost a week." he reminded her, while taking the film.
"We've been working on this movie for months, Dawson." She corrected him, ignorantly.
"No, I mean 'this' this." he explained. "You and me, together."
Joey looked at him nervously.
"Are we 'together' together?" she asked.
"Of course we are." he answered.
Joey sighed.
"Well, then how come we haven't told anybody yet?"
"I'm just stalling a little." Dawson explained. "The second Pacey hears about us, I'll never hear the end of it."
"Well, how about your parents?" Joey suggests to him.
"And have them not let you spend the night anymore?" he asked, with a suggestive grin.
Joey looked at him, not believing he said that.
"Okay, I'll tell them at their anniversary party. Which, by the way, I'm taking suggestions for a gift for." he said, changing the subject. "I'm at a total loss. What do you get two people who have spent every day together for the past 20 years?"
"Offhand I'd say separate vacations." Joey joked.
Dawson popped in a video and the tape that he left recording of Pacey and Jen started to play on his TV. Joey's eyes began to widen as she sat down.
"Dawson?" she asked, surprised. "I know your cinematic influences are still evolving, but I never anticipated a Rush Myer phase."
"I didn't shoot this!" he said, defending himself.
"I'm just thankful it isn't us." she admitted. "I think we found the perfect anniversary gift. Dawson, what is this?"
"I don't know!" Dawson admitted. "I swear I didn't shoot it, I must have left the camera running when we were kissing in that shed."
"You know it has a certain quality." Joey said after a moment, transfixed.
"Very watchable."
"Yeah."
They both stare at the screen, eyes transfixed at the mystery couple.
"You know, it's funny but that girl looked familiar." Dawson commented.
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"I don't know." he said, confused. "It's just that...nevermind. I mean, her head looked like a duck, you'd think I'd be able to recognize that in a second."
Joey's eyes go wide, and she stared at the screen.
"Jen?" she exclaimed.
*****
The next day, at the Icehouse.
Dawson, Pacey and Joey were all at a table and Dawson and Joey were telling Pacey about what they had found on the video.
Pacey was staring off into space, clearly upset. Fortunately for him, neither Dawson, nor Joey, noticed his discomfort.
Oh, this is JUST perfect! Pacey thought. Wait to go Leery, capturing it on tape for crying out...
A small grin appeared on Pacey's face. Neither of his friends noticed.
"There she is, right there on tape!" Dawson explained. "Doing it with some guy."
"Wait a minute!" Pacey stopped him. "Are you sure it's Jen?"
"Positive." Dawson informed him.
"Sorry Dawson." Pacey said nervously. He's gonna kill me, he's gonna kill me!
"I was there with Joey, shooting some shots of the surrounding area at the Ruins, and we accidentally left the camera running." he explained to Pacey, leaving out the kissing part. "We ran out and the rest is pornographic history."
"That's really strange." Pacey lied. "Hmmm, you can't tell who that guy is or anything, can you?"
"Standard over the shoulder shot." he answered. "We can't see the guy's face."
Saved
"Wish I could, though." he continued. "I mean, for all we know, that guy was taking advantage of her."
...or not!
Pacey became even more nervous.
"If you're thinking of tracking him down, Dawson, just look for the guy with the brown hair and throbbing neck muscles." Joey told him.
"Dawson I think..." Pacey asked. "I think I should get to take a look at that tape."
"Wanting to join the manhunt, or just your voyeuristic tendencies?" Joey said, mocking him.
"Sure. We'll arrange a private screening for you." Dawson commented.
"Yeah, so you can flag the bishop in privacy!" Joey joked.
"That's really clever how you turn all the sexual repression into humor." Pacey told her, suddenly.
"Knock it off, Pacey." Dawson snapped, giving Pacey a cold stare.
Pacey was surprised at Dawson's sudden defense of Joey. He backed off slightly.
"Listen, I've gotta get back to work." she informed them both.
Joey stood up, and then leaned down, attempting to kiss Dawson. At the last moment, she stopped herself, and just grabbed her book off the table.
Lucky for both of them, Pacey didn't notice. Dawson just sighed in regret as she walked off.
"What was that about?" Pacey asked.
Whoops, Dawson thought. Sorry, Jo. We're busted.
"Huh?"
"Potter can handle herself, you know?" Pacey informed him. "Why'd you have to stick up for her like that."
I guess not. he thought. I don't really know if I want to tell Pacey about this thing between me and Joey yet.
"It's...complicated, Pace. Okay?"
"Yeah, I get it." Pacey complained. "The old 'whoa is me, the girl's got a HUGE crush on me, therefore I must protect her fragile ego because I feel guilty'."
Dawson gave him the 'evil eye'.
"I'm going to track down Jen, okay?" he said, changing the subject. See you later."
Dawson walked off.
"Dawson!" Pacey hollered after him. "Don't forget, man, I want to see that tape!"
"You are sad, you know that?" he yelled back at him.
*****
Later, at the Ruins. Jen and Dawson have finished the filming.
"And cut." Dawson yelled. "Perfect. Now all we have to do is some sound work and we're done."
"It's a shame, really." she commented. "I mean, this is so much fun."
Well, Dawson thought, it's now or never.
"Um, Jen...can I talk to you about something? Something personal?"
"Personal?" she asked. "Sure, what's the problem?"
"It's not about me, Jen." he admitted. "It's about you?"
"Me?" she asked, confused. "What do you...?"
"I was here last week with Joey." he revealed. "We were...uh...discussing the film, and I accidentally left the camera here. Not only that, but I left it on."
There was no sense in letting her know what he and Joey were kissing there last night. Dawson still wanted that little bit of information kept a secret.
Jen's face, though, went completely white.
"You...you..." she panicked. "How much did you...?"
"See?" Dawson finished for her. "Don't take this the wrong way Jen...but pretty much everything but the guy's face."
At that, Jen hid her face in her hands.
"Did this guy hurt you?" he continued, concerned.
Jen shook her head no.
"Dawson, please tell me no one else knows about this?" she asked.
"Just me, Joey, and Pacey." he answered.
A small smile appeared on Jen's face.
"Dawson, please promise me you won't tell anybody about this." she pleaded.
"Jen..."
"Promise." she ordered, insistently.
"Do you like this guy?" he asked her.
Jen nodded her head.
"Ok..." he agreed. "I promise."
*****
Well, this is another mess I've managed to get myself into.
Jen walked home, alone with her thoughts. As she opened the gate to her yard, she noticed Dawson entering his own home, next door.
Poor Dawson, she thought. The guy had a biggest crush on me, too. Seeing that tape must have hurt him big time.
She opened the door, and walked into the kitchen. There, she saw her Grandmother waiting for her.
"And where were you, Jennifer" Mrs. Ryan asked her granddaughter.
"Just working on Dawson's movie" she answered.
"Do you do these things to upset me Jennifer?" she asked again.
"It's the truth, Grams."
"Are you sure, Jennifer?" she continued. "I seem to remember a lot of trouble back in New York when..."
"Will you please stop that, Grams?" she pleaded. "Dawson's not interested in me anymore, okay? We just did some filming. So just get off my back"
Evelyn stared at her for a moment.
"In that case, why don't you tell me why you think your parents sent you here?"
"Why don't you remind me, Grams?" Jen replied, coldly. "I haven't heard a recitation of my past sins in what, 15 seconds??"
"I don't do this to torture you, Jennifer." she informed her. "I do it so you won't stray down the same path twice."
"You know what, Grams?" Jen asked. "I'm bored of this, of the way we talk to each other. Of these conversations that we have that go round and round in these incredibly pedestrian circles and we say the same things over and over again. Let's just end this right now.
With that, Jen stormed upstairs.
*****
Next door, Dawson's parents were in the middle of a conversation.
"How could you have never seen that before?" Mitch asked his wife.
"I've never seen it before, I swear to God." she told him.
"You're kidding!" he continued, disbelievingly. "After 20 years of marriage..."
"Not 20 yet." she said with a smile. "Not until Monday."
At that point, Dawson entered then room. His father went up to him immediately, bringing him into the conversation.
"Hi Dawson." he greeted him. "I want you to hear this; your mother just told me that she's never before seen this scar underneath my chin. Can you believe that?"
"You mean the one that you got from that moped accident 10 years ago up in the cave?" Dawson asked.
"Yes!" he exclaimed, and turned back to Gale. "Thank you, Dawson. Thank you very much. My son knows my face better than you do. Maybe you should start coming home early, you could see my face in the daylight for a change."
Mitch and Gale kissed, and continued to grow more intense by the moment.
Like I need this? Dawson thought.
"Don't bother. I'll show myself out."
*****
Upstairs, Dawson entered his room to find Pacey throwing around tapes and searching around his desk.
"Pacey!" he exclaimed. "What are you doing?"
"The tape!" Pacey yelled, with a panicked expression.
"The tape with Jen on it?" he asked.
"Yes, that tape! Where is it?" he demands.
"I just talked to Jen." he informed him. "She's pretty shook up about me catching it on tape, and I think we'd better just destroy the thing. It's pretty obvious she likes this guy."
Come again? Pacey thought, and stopped what he's doing.
"She said that?"
"Not in so many words." Dawson responded. "But I got the distinct impression that she did."
Pacey smiled, but then turned around to face Dawson.
"I'm sorry, man." Pacey told him. "Listen, there's something you've got to know. Something I've just got to tell you."
"Yeah?" he asked.
"I haven't been entirely honest with you lately." Pacey admitted. "I mean, not that I've lied to you or anything, just withheld some details."
"Ok." he said.
"I'm not cursed with self-awareness like you are Dawson." Pacey admitted. "But I know enough to know how people see me. I'm not the guy who gets the girl; I'm the guy who talks about getting the girl, but not the guy who gets her. Enough people say that stuff about you and you start to believe it yourself."
What is he talking about? Dawson thought.
"I'm not quite following you here Pacey."
"I got the girl this time, Dawson." Pacey continued, with a sigh.
"What?" he asked.
"Yeah." Pacey continued. "Call it the law of averages or call it an act of God. Call it whatever you want, but I got her."
"Pacey, who did you get?" Dawson asked him.
"You know what, Dawson?" he replied. "I don't know how to tell you this but the guy with the brown hair and the 'throbbing neck muscles', the guy with Jen in that video, that's...that's me."
Dawson's jaw dropped.
"I'm so sorry, man." Pacey continued. "I would have asked you first, but it happened so suddenly. I know there's a rule somewhere that said we're not supposed to go after our friend's girls, but I just..."
Dawson interrupted him.
"Pace...it's okay. Really."
"Really?" Pacey asked, confused.
"Yeah" Dawson continued. "I'm over Jen, okay. And I'm...I'm happy for you. I'm...wow...you're the one she was talking about at the dance a few weeks back, weren't you?"
Pacey looked surprised.
"A few weeks back?" he exclaimed. "Well, that would certainly explain her eagerness during filming."
Pacey smiled at himself, triumphantly.
"So, she likes me, right?"
"From what I've seen, yes." Dawson told him.
"Good." he said. "Cause I like her too, Dawson. I really do."
"I know how you feel, Pacey." Dawson admitted.
"You do?" he asked. "How?"
Whoops, better stay quiet until I talk to Joey first. Dawson thought. I'm pretty sure she doesn't want Pacey to be the first person to find out.
"I mean I understand how you feel."
"Thanks, man." he said. "Don't tell anybody."
"I already promised Jen I wouldn't" he informed him.
With a smile, Pacey left.
*****
In a store downtown, Dawson and Joey were browsing, looking for an anniversary gift for his parents.
"You're kidding me?" Joey asked. "That was Pacey? Oh my god, I described him as having 'throbbing neck muscles. I think I'm going to be physically ill."
Dawson chuckled at her.
"The point is, she really likes him." He said. "And he really likes her. Must be something in the air that's causing everyone to get romantic inclinations?"
He gave Joey a sweet smile.
"Any ideas." Dawson said, turning towards the shelf.
"We could get them some candlesticks." she suggests. "A nice picture frame, maybe?"
"Do you really think they'd like something like that?" he asked.
"Dawson, your parents are middle-aged, white suburbanites, they live for that stuff." she informed him.
"You should see my parents lately." he said, changing the subject. "It's disgusting, half the time they're making out or dry humping in the living room. You know, what's sad is that I'm actually jealous of my parent's sex life."
Joey gave him a suggestive smile.
"Jealous? You're not suggesting anything, are you?"
Before he can answer, Dawson noticed his mother and her co-anchor shopping for jackets.
"Mom?" he greeted her.
"Dawson!" Gale responded. "Hello, Joey...Dawson! What are you doing? Well, this is a surprise. What brings you two here?"
"Just doing some shopping." He admitted.
Gale's co-anchor walked up to them.
"I'm sorry, Dawson this is..." Gale introduced them.
"Bob Collinsworth." he said, introducing himself.
"Yeah, the 6 and 11 right?" Dawson asked.
"Right." Bob replied.
"And this is Joey." Gale said.
"Hi!" he greets her.
"Real thrill." Joey answered, with a bored expression.
"Listen your mom was just helping me out with a little wardrobe problem." Bob informed them. "It seems that station research has indicated that the viewers like me, but they hate my sports coats. It's wonderful to finally meet you Dawson. Your mother has told me all about your film, being a bit of an indie fan myself, I'd love to take a look at it whenever it's done."
"Sure." Dawson responded with a smile.
"We really should get back to the prep session." Gale interrupts, changing the subject.
"She's right." Bob agreed. "Take care, it's a pleasure to meet you both."
"See you at home, honey." Gale said.
"Bye Mom." He responded.
"Bye Joey." She said.
Both Bob and Gale left the store.
"You know, it's funny." Dawson said to Joey. "When I first saw Bob on television I thought he was a real tool but I don't know. Now that I've met him in person he doesn't seem so bad, what do you think?"
"I think you had it right the first time." she responded bitterly.
*****
Back at Jen's house, Grams is in the kitchen while Jen is on the phone.
"You told him?" she asked into the phone. "And you didn't think to ask me first? No, I'm not mad...too much. We'll talk about it when I get there. Ok? Can't wait to see you again."
Jen smiled, and hangs up the phone.
"Where are you going?" her grandmother asked, walking up to her.
"Your worst fears were realized Grams." Jen responded, in a mocking tone. "I'm going on a date. Maybe I'm just asking for it right now, but I would rather you say whatever it is you're thinking than continue to look at me the way you were right now."
"That boy only wants one thing from you, you know." She informed her.
"How can you even say that?" Jen asked. "You...you don't even know who this guy is, and you're immediately jumping to conclusions."
Grams sighed, and walked over to the window. She looked towards Dawson's house and saw Joey climbing the ladder.
"That friend of yours...Dawson" she commented. "Him and that Potter girl, the way she climbs in and out of his bedroom window. I don't even want to guess."
"Dawson and Joey are just friends." Jen informed her. "Sure, I mean maybe there's some of that sexual tension thing that happens when a guy and a girl have been friends for so long. But that's as far as it goes."
"Are you so certain of that, Jennifer?" she asked.
"Yeah" she answered. "Of course I am."
*****
Later, at screenplay. Pacey leaves work and crosses the street.
At a restaurant nearby, he comes to see Jen sitting at a table.
"Hey Lindley." he greets her. "Miss me?"
Jen smiled at him. They kiss.
"Explain to me why you told Dawson?" Jen asked.
"I just needed to make sure it was okay with him" Pacey told her. "I mean, he was bound to find out eventually, and I sooo did not want him hearing about us from Joey or someone. I just needed to make sure he wouldn't feel too hurt."
"And did he?" she asked.
"Nah" he answered. "According to Dawson, he's completely over you."
Jen smiled at him again.
"I guess the only thing we have to worry about now is the 'wicked grandmother'." she jokes.
"She giving you a hard time?" he asked.
Jen sighed, and lowers her head.
"Like you wouldn't believe. And you definitely wouldn't believe what she said about Dawson."
"Do tell" Pacey replied, with a grin.
"Grams apparently thought they're having some sort of illicit affair whenever she climbs in his window." she informed him.
Pacey chuckles.
"Yeah, right" he commented. "That's a laugh."
*****
Back in Dawson's bedroom, him and Joey were kissing on his bed.
"You know..." Joey said between kisses. "...this could almost be considered 'sneaking around', Dawson."
"You know perfectly well that my reputation wouldn't even suggest it." he commented.
"Yeah, but mine would." Joey told him. "I'm the one with the unwed mother for a sibling, remember? The natives would probably accuse me of corrupting you."
Dawson laughs.
"Oh please" he said. "I'm the one who made the 'Pacey and Jen porno'..."
"Did you talk to either of them yet?" Joey asked.
"Yeah, I talked to both of them." Dawson responded. "The funny thing is, Jen really likes him for some inane reason."
"Good taste isn't her strong point, I guess" Joey suggests. "On the other hand, she is from New York. He probably seems normal to her."
"The point is, they're happy" Dawson continued. "They deserve it, really."
Joey smiled at him, and moves a little closer.
"You know, Jo..." Dawson starts. "In the old movies, whenever two characters were in bed together the censors always made one of them keep one foot on the floor. Which I never really understood, because I figured if the characters were clever enough they could still do almost anything."
Joey moves forward, and they start to kiss. After awhile it grows quite intense. They lie back on the bed, but Joey stopped it.
"Dawson?" she said. "We've got plenty of time to prove our censors wrong we don't have to make our case today."
"Ok" Dawson responded, softly. "I'm sorry, Jo. I just thought..."
"Don't be sorry" she said. "Lets just take it slow for now."
Dawson lightly smiled at her.
"Slow huh?" he suggests. "Okay then, how about we go out?"
Joey raised an eyebrow.
"Out?" she asked. "Like on a date?"
"Exactly" Dawson said with a smile.
"You and me on a date?" she asked. "That just seems so...strange. But in a good way."
"So?" he asked.
"Pick me up Saturday" she said with a smile.
*****
Later, at Gale's news studio.
Jen is standing in a soundproof booth screaming into a microphone at the right time of the movie. She has huge headphones over her ears while Dawson and another man is in the other side of the booth, doing the editing and dubbing.
Jen noticed that Dawson appeared to be daydreaming a little. His mind is somewhere else.
I've got a date with Joey Potter, Dawson thought. I never, ever thought I could take a sentence like that seriously. I mean, Joey is...Joey. This is the girl I've known since I was seven. And now I'm dating her? Well, face it Dawson...you're growing up.
"AHHHHHH!" screams Jen.
Jen's scream shook Dawson out of his daze, putting his attention back on the film.
"All right, that was great" Dawson said, collecting himself. "Can we see it with the picture?"
*****
Later, in the hallway, Jen and Dawson were talking near a fountain and a pop machine.
"I'm sorry if I was being a bit of a perfectionist in there," he apologizes. "I get like that sometimes."
"I'm just glad we finished early," Jen admitted. "I've got plans tonight."
A michevious grin appeared on Dawson's face.
"Hot date with Mr. Witter tonight?" he asked.
Jen blushes slightly.
"Let me guess," she said. "He told you."
"Just a lucky guess," Dawson admitted. "I'm happy for you two, really. As a matter of fact, the most unbelievable thing has happened recently. You know how..."
Before he can continue, Jen interrupts him.
"Hey Dawson, look" she said, pointing behind him. "There's your Mom."
Dawson turned around just in time to see his mother and Bob kissing.
What? He thought. I...wha...what is...oh god.
He begins to panic, and runs for the nearest exit.
*****
Dawson runs outside, breathing heavily. He was taken completely by surprise by what just happened.
"Dawson?" Jen asked, following him. "You're hyperventilating. Just calm down a minute and..."
"I'm fine," he told her.
"Look," she said. "I know that your head must be spinning right now and..."
Dawson abruptly turned to face her.
"I SAID I'M FINE!!!!" he yelled.
Jen backs off, a bit startled.
"I'm sorry," Dawson apologizes, his face softening. "I just...I...this can't be happening...this sort of stuff just doesn't happen to me."
Dawson looked back towards the studio with pained eyes.
"I have to go" he said, and then leaves.
*****
At the Potter home, Joey hears a knock on the door. She opened it, and saw Dawson standing there. He looked at her with sad eyes, an extremely pained expression in them.
Oh god, Dawson, she thought. He looks like a frightened child. What could of...?
Then, she realizes what it is. His mom.
"I need to talk to you." he said, his voice almost a whisper.
"Ok," she answered.
*****
Outside, Dawson in the middle of telling Joey everything.
"What I should really do is tell my Dad. 'Dad, the woman that you're about to celebrate 20 years of blissful marriage with...well she's sleeping with Bob now. Apparently the scent of his ice-blue Aqua Velvet was too much to resist.'"
He sighed in depression, nodding his head.
"I think we both know that's not the best idea, Dawson." Joey told him, trying to get him to relax.
"God, I joked about them having an affair before but I was never serious!" he remembers, starting to panic. "You ever wonder what the rate of adultery is in this town? I mean, there's your parents and my parents. We live in this Norman Rockwell picture postcard town with whitewash fences and beachfront houses. Do you think people know?"
"People always know." Joey told him in shame.
"Well, we didn't, right?" he asked her. "Joey?"
She doesn't say anything. She just bites her lip, looking at him remorsefully.
"I didn't know." He admitted. "Did you?"
"Dawson?" she said, her voice a whisper.
He looked at her in horror, slowly backing away.
"You did?" he asked. "You did. You knew."
Dawson's expression slowly turned from one of pain to one of anger.
"How could you not say anything??" he asked her in rage.
"You would have hated me for telling you" she told him. "Dawson, I didn't know how to..."
"How could you keep this a secret from me?" he demands. "This is my parents...my life. You had no right."
"You're a pretty perceptive guy, Dawson" she told him. "I didn't know you were joking...I thought...I thought you were aware. You would have know by now, if you..."
"If I what?" he asked. "If I hadn't been 'preoccupied' by a certain bomb that was dropped on me by my so-called 'best friend'?"
"I didn't say that," she insists.
"But it's the truth, isn't it?" he told her, his voice becoming angry again. "You said it yourself that you'd think I'd hate you for telling me, right? The less I hated you, the better your chances."
Joey's eyes go wide at the accusation, she looked at him pleadingly.
"Dawson?" she pleaded. "Don't do this."
"I guess it's okay for Dawson to be in the dark, huh?" he said, sarcastically. "Just as long as you get what you want from him."
"That is not true!" she yelled at him.
"Isn't it?" he yelled back. "By your own admittance, you didn't want me to be angry at you. We've been friends for years, and we've had fights, but nothing this big. As far as you were concerned, something like this would make it impossible for us to be any more than that. Well, maybe you were right?"
Joey freezes after hearing this, not knowing what to say. She just looked at him with pain-filled eyes.
"Maybe we'd better forget about going out Saturday?" he suggests.
"Dawson..." she pleaded.
"Here's a better idea," he said coldly. "Maybe we'd better forget about it ever."
And with that, Dawson turned and leaves.
Joey stands there for countless moments, letting what just happened sink in. She sits down in front of a tree and closes her eyes. Tears begin rolling down her cheeks as the enormity of what happened starts to sink in. She then falls to the ground, her hands covering her eyes, as her heart begins to crumble into nothingness.
*****
At Jen's front porch, Pacey and Jen walk up to the front.
"Goodnight Pacey," Jen said. "This is as far as you go without having to deal with the 'wicked grandmother'."
Pacey laughs at the remark. Then he leans over and kisses her.
"You think she'd melt with we dumped water on her?' he suggests...then realizes that Grams is standing at the front door.
You are so busted, Witter, he thought.
Grams just gave him a cold look.
"You're the Witter boy, correct?" she asked him. "The sheriff's son?"
Pacey gave her a grin.
"Pacey J. Witter at your service, Mrs. Ryan," he said, introducing himself.
Pacey puts out his hand to shake, but she doesn't even attempt a handshake. Nervous now, he puts his hands in his pockets.
"'The sheriff's son'?" Jen asked him. "You're kidding me?"
"Nope," Pacey assures her. "Pop's the law around here. God help us all."
"A shame that Jennifer doesn't believe in our lord, Mr. Witter," Grams remarks, receiving a dirty look from Jen.
"It's just an expression, Grams," Jen informed her.
Grams sighed.
"That Dawson boy from next door is on the phone," she told them, and turned to Pacey. "Apparently he knew you would be here...he wishes to speak to you."
Pacey looked confused, but goes inside.
*****
Inside, Pacey had finished talking to Dawson, and hung up the phone. He sighed in frustration and turned to Jen.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
"It's his mom," Pacey explained. "She..."
"I know," Jen admitted. "I was there when he saw them."
"Apparently you weren't the only one who knew," he informed her. "He just talked to Joey, who, by the way, knew about it for weeks and didn't say a word."
Pacey stood up and walked to the window, looking towards the Leery home.
"I just can't believe it," Pacey responded. "I mean, his folks go at it every other minute or something. Why would Mrs. Leery just do something like this?"
"The reasons that people usually do this sort of thing, I guess," she suggests.
"No one will ever accuse me of being the poster boy for abstinence," he said. "But, believe it or not, I still have these old-fashioned ideas about cheating."
"How mad was he at Joey?" Jen asked.
"From what he told me..." he said. "I think he'd be happy if he never saw her again."
Jen looked downward.
"I've never really been Potter's biggest pal," he admitted. "Actually, we completely detest one another. But even I would never wish this sort of thing on her. Who knows what's going through her head right now?"
"At least Dawson never returned those romantic feelings she had towards him," Jen suggested. "I mean, loosing your best friend is one thing. But I'd hate to think of how much loosing your best friend AND potential boyfriend would hurt."
"Just promise me one thing, Lindley," he told her. "Never keep anything like this from me. Not that I care about my parents, but it's the thought that counts. What I don't understand is why Jo would keep this sort of thing from him."
"Maybe she thought Dawson would be better off if he never knew about it?" she suggested.
"That's ridiculous," Pacey remarked.
"Don't you think that in certain situations there were things that people just don't want to know?" she told him.
"Wait a sec," Pacey said, changing the subject. "We're not just talking about Dawson, were we?"
"No Pacey," she responded. "We're not."
Pacey looked at Jen, concerned.
"Do you have something you need me to know?" he asked. "Whatever it is, I can handle it."
Jen sighed, and looked at him.
"Pacey," she began. "Do you ever wonder why, two months ago I suddenly came to live up here?"
Pacey nodded his head 'no'.
"My parents didn't exactly send me up here to help out Grams," she informed him. "They sent me up here because the cliches about teenagers in the big city were true."
"You mean the fact that you need to glue your shoes to your feet so they won't get swiped?" Pacey suggested.
"Yeah," Jen admitted. "The ones about hanging out with the wrong kind of people and having sex too young."
"My kind of people." he quiped with a suggestive grin.
"Pacey," she said. "I guess we would've travelled in the same social circles after all. I was like that."
Pacey, losing his momentary cavaliar facade, let's his eyes widened and his mouth drop slightly.
"So, all that stuff about you being... I mean before us..." He mumbled, still assimilating all this to his feeble brain that had gone into hyper overdrive after Jen's intimate confession of past wanton behavior.
"So, all that stuff about being..."
"You should probably disregard it," she told him.
"How many guys did you, uh, you know?" he asked her trying to gain his composure.
Jen just sighed.
"Sometimes I have trouble remembering," she said, bitterly. "Listen Pacey, I like you. It's just that I thought you should know about this."
Pacey gave her a good-humored grin.
"Hey, you know me," he said. "Nothing fazes me. No biggie."
Jen smiled, and goes to hug him.
However, she didn't notice Pacey's face start to become slightly upset, losing his usual jovial demeanor.
For the first time in his life, Pacey Witter didn't know how to handle something.
*****
The next day at school, Dawson was at his locker when Pacey walked up to him.
"Hey D-Man," he said. "Can I talk to you for a second?"
Dawson closed his locker and turned towards Pacey.
"Sure man," he said. "What's up?"
"Not here," he said, and they walked into the restroom.
"What's the problem, Pace?" Dawson asked him.
"I know you've got a lot to deal with right now," he told him. "But I really need your help."
"Shoot," Dawson responded.
Pacey paused a moment, then looked towards Dawson.
"You know when we were at the rialto that time?" he asked him. "About how Jen said she was a virgin?"
"Yeah?" Dawson responded.
Pacey shook his head 'no', causing Dawson's eyes to go wide.
"Are you okay?" Dawson asked him.
"I'm fine," he lied. "I mean, this is me we're talking about, the proverbial black sheep. It's just...why would she feel she had to lie about it?"
"I guess lying is just a habit among Capeside's females" Dawson replied, bitterly.
After a moment of awkward silence, Pacey spoke up.
"Look, man," Pacey told him. "Maybe if you talk to Joey she'll tell you why she..."
"If you're so curious, why don't YOU talk to her?" Dawson snapped.
Pacey was taken aback by Dawson's outburst. Then, curious, he looked back at him.
"You are really over-reacting about this," he told him. "I think this is about more than you're telling me."
"I could say the same thing about you, you know?" Dawson replied.
"Ok, ok," Pacey admitted. "All right. This Jen thing...it bugs me. Ok? There I said it."
"Why?" Dawson asked.
"I don't know," he confessed. "I guess, when I thought I was the first guy she ever...you know? It made me feel special. Like I was unique. Like we were unique. I can't believe I'm actually saying this, but now that I know, I sort of feel disappointed."
At that moment, a grin appeared on Dawson's face.
"I don't believe it," Dawson said. "The cynical Pacey Witter is a closet idealist."
"Don't read too much into this, D-Man," Pacey warned him. "You're still the rose-colored glasses wearer in this crowd. Now it's your turn, dude. Confess."
Dawson sighed.
"I guess I feel used," Dawson admitted.
"Used?" Pacey asked.
"Like Joey withheld information for her own benefit," he told him. "You know about these 'feelings' she's developed..."
"And you feel that's the reason she didn't tell you about your folks?" Pacey asked him. "You have real trust issues, you know that?"
Dawson looked at Pacey, confused.
"The girl cares for you, man," Pacey continued. "Both in a romantic and non-romantic sense. Has for as long as I've known you two...which is just a little shorter than you've known each other. This wasn't about her feelings at all, it was about yours."
"What are you talking about?" Dawson asked.
"I'm only going to say this once, so don't hate me for it," Pacey warned. "You live the perfect life, Dawson. You have both parents, and they both love you. You get video games for Christmas, and every summer you go on some inter-state vacation while the rest of us work. You have the perfect life, dude. Joey Potter, and me for that matter, would give our right arms to have that. Did you ever think for a second that she didn't want you to lose that?"
"And if it would have been you instead of Joey?" Dawson asked. "If you were the one who found out about mom and Bob, would you have kept it a secret?"
"Dawson," Pacey began. "I could win the freaking Nobel Prize, and my father wouldn't give a damn. He'd still call me a waste of space, and keep on asking why I'm not like Doug. He doesn't care what I do...as long as it doesn't reflect badly on him. You...if you win this film festival thing, your parents will be thrilled. Your mom would be telling everyone in the freaking news studio how talented her son is. If I would have been in Joey's position, I probably would have found some way to get Bob the anchor man to leave town."
Dawson thought about that for a moment, considering what Pacey had told him.
"Just remember one thing, man," Pacey said, walking to the door. "At least you've got a mother that can have an affair."
And with that, Pacey walked out.
*****
Dawson sat in his bedroom, thinking about what happened in the past 48 hours.
Two days ago, I was in this room kissing Joey, he thought. Now I don't even want to talk to her. Two days ago, I was contemplating what to get my parents for their anniversary, now I'm planning to make sure they don't have one.
Dawson heard his mother's car pull into the drive way, barely feigning a reaction he sulked, then he distinctly heard his father's voice before he moved from his position on the bed. At the window, Dawson witnessed his father embrace his mother and kiss her passionately; at that moment, his face fell.
He closed his eyes, and tears started to fall down his cheeks.
*****
"Hey sweetie," Mrs. Leery greeted her son as he walked out to meet them.
Dawson paused for a moment, looking at his parents.
"Hey," he responded. "I've got something I need to say to you two."
His parents looked at him for a moment, curious.
"Happy anniversary," he told them with a fake smile.
They smile back at him.
*****
That night, a lonely Joey Potter walked into the ruins. This was the exact same spot where she and Dawson had shared their first kiss only a week ago.
And now it's over, she thought. It figures. Nothing good in my life ever lasts, does it? My mom...dead. My dad...sent to prison. Now I've managed to lose both my potential boyfriend and best friend in one fell swoop.
She sat down on the bench and stayed there, motionless, for several moments. Later, she heard footsteps coming towards her.
"I don't know what I'm doing here," Dawson's voice said behind her. "Maybe I'm just crazy, or maybe just too ambitious for my own good."
Joey looked up at him, as he sat down beside her. After a moment, Joey started to speak.
"We're quite a pair, aren't we?" she asked.
"The too tall girl from the wrong side of the creek who fantasizes about a perfect life..." Dawson answered.
"And the dreamer with the perfect life, who is just waiting for some drama to make it exciting..." Joey finished.
"...But falls to pieces when it actually happens." Dawson added. "We're 'Dawson And Joey'...I just wish I was sure what that meant now."
Joey looked at him, confused.
"In the movies, you're always sure what part each character plays," he commented. "There's the star, their confidants, their friends, their enemies, and their love interest. Black and white...the good guys and the bad guys. The friends and the lovers and the enemies. It's not that easy in real life, is it? Things change, don't they?"
"I don't think so," Joey commented. "I think it's more like...we start to understand more as we get older. Dawson...I've had these feelings for you for as long as I can remember. They didn't just appear one day. I think...I thought they were just feelings of friendship, but..."
"But one day they just felt more intense?" Dawson asked her. "I felt the exact same way when I saw you with Anderson. When we were kids, whenever someone else wanted to play with you, I just got angry for some reason. The older I got, the less it was anger, and the more it was hurt ."
"Are you sure about that, Dawson?" Joey asked him. "Because you get angry with me way too easily."
"Yeah, well you're way too critical of me." Dawson responded, beginning to laugh. "God, are you listening to how we sound right now? In some alternate universe, we must have been married for about 50 years."
"Yeah and I'm sure it was a wonderful wedding." Joey responded.
"The best," he answered.
"We each brought dates, I assume." Joey replied.
"Of course," Dawson joked.
"And at the end of the evening the inevitable question: who to take home," Joey asked him. "The date or the wife?"
"A dilemma." he replied.
"It's fascinating," Joey commented. "Faced with the choice - you stood, surveying your options. Your eyes drifted slowly from her, to me, back to her..."
"...then back to you," he finished for her.
"But I was off having a drink with the rich guy at the bar," she reminded him.
"Until Moneybags got fresh and you needed somebody to bail you out," he added.
"I don't remember that part!" she told him.
"I do," Dawson said. "Clear as day, absolutely, you were definitely in need of a rescue."
"Were you man enough?" she asked him. "Did you set aside your clear-headed analysis of the situation and act? Did we save each other that night Dawson?"
"It gets a little hazy at this point," he admitted. " I really can't remember, I couldn't tell you."
"When it comes back to you, I'd certainly be curious to hear how it all ended," she said.
"You'll be my first call," he reassured her.
"Can we go home now?" she asked him. "All this subtext is making me tired."
"Yeah," he replied.
They stood up. Dawson wrapped his arm around Joey's shoulder and she rested her head on his. Together, they started to walk out of the ruins.
"Dawson?" she asked him.
"Yeah?" he answered.
"No matter how the wedding turned out," she said with a smile. "I'm pretty sure I had a wonderful time up until the end."
He smiled back at her.
"Me too."
Suddenly, Joey's face lit up as she realized something.
"Hey Dawson," she said. "It's one in the morning."
"Too late?" he asked her.
"No," she answered. "It's Saturday."
He smiled at her again, as they began to walk home.
Coming soon: Part VI…Blown Away
Hurricane Chris hits Capeside, and blows our Creeker's emotions left and right. While Dawson and Joey are stuck with Mitch and Gale just when the truth about Bob comes out, Pacey and Jen have to deal with his brother Doug and Mrs. Ryan. Will any relationship be able to 'weather' this storm?
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