I Don't Wanna Wait
Jen was right about their relationship. Somehow they'd missed the signs that they were doomed. He should have guessed something was up when she laughed every time he kissed her. A guy can only take so much of that, but they'd managed somehow to move past it. Move past it, but never actually get their arrangement off the ground.
He wasn't ready to accept what she and the dance instructor had said or hinted. There was nothing between him and Joey Potter except animosity. Apart from Dawson Leery, their shared connection. That was all there was. He'd just been using her to help him with his failing math grades and she'd been using him to get her dance scholarship. It was a mutual arrangement of using each other for their own benefit, nothing else to it. Hatred for the other was still in place.
He looked up from the dancers. He hadn't really been watching them just passing the time. He was in no hurry to get home to Casa de Witter. There stood Joey next to his table, looking like she had something to say. He motioned for her to take a seat.
"I forgot my coat," she offered as her reason for returning.
"Well yeah, you ran out of there in a bit of a hurry, didncha?" He paused to let her answer, but when there’s no response, he continued. “Look, if it makes you feel any better, we never actually slept together. Not even close."
"It's none of my business what you guys did or didn't do," she countered, pausing to allow the weight of her words to sink in. She wanted to make him feel at least a little ashamed. "I'm sorry I overreacted,” she said, caving a little.
"Yeah you did overreact didn't you?" he said immediately charging her weak moment.
"Don't act so smug. I'm not saying you're right or that I approve of what you guys are doing."
"--were doing,” he corrected. “I'd say the time limit on the limited time offer has probably run out now."
"Oh," she said, looking away uninterested.
"So you got your coat,” he continued, “what made you come in here?"
"Dawson,” she said simply. “He convinced me to take pity on your poor misguided, testosterone impaired self."
Pacey laughed; a sarcastic laugh tainted with a bit of disbelief. He’d only chastised the man for being protective of his ex-girlfriend. Somehow he doubted Dawson had taken up Pacey’s cause out of the goodness of his heart. He suspected it had more to do with the fact that Joey wasn’t involved with him. "He did that, did he?"
"'Fraid so," she continued laying on the guilt trip.
"Man! Guess I owe him another one, huh?" Pacey quipped going with the guilty conscience.
"Yeah, you do,” she agreed. “Come on," she said, rising, taking his hand and picking up her coat. “Let's go."
He stood up to leave with her and found the scenery had changed. Joey was gone as were the ballroom dancers in the small dance class. He wasn’t even inside anymore. He was standing in what appeared to be a tropical setting with a large creek sprawling in front of him. They called it a creek in Capeside, but it was really more a river. This was something he might call a large stream or maybe, on a generous day, a small river.
Up ahead, lying on the ground, he saw something familiar: Joey's blue jacket. “Joey!" He called out. No answer. "Dawson!” he called out just in case it was some sort of elaborate prank, unlikely as that was. When there was no answer again, he shrugged and started walking. There was nothing he could do except keep his cool and follow the stream to see where it took him. Hopefully to civilization and an explanation, but he’d take just civilization. It was a lot more comfortable than camping after all.
[Pacey Witter walking by your house or post explanation in the Compound.]
He wasn't ready to accept what she and the dance instructor had said or hinted. There was nothing between him and Joey Potter except animosity. Apart from Dawson Leery, their shared connection. That was all there was. He'd just been using her to help him with his failing math grades and she'd been using him to get her dance scholarship. It was a mutual arrangement of using each other for their own benefit, nothing else to it. Hatred for the other was still in place.
He looked up from the dancers. He hadn't really been watching them just passing the time. He was in no hurry to get home to Casa de Witter. There stood Joey next to his table, looking like she had something to say. He motioned for her to take a seat.
"I forgot my coat," she offered as her reason for returning.
"Well yeah, you ran out of there in a bit of a hurry, didncha?" He paused to let her answer, but when there’s no response, he continued. “Look, if it makes you feel any better, we never actually slept together. Not even close."
"It's none of my business what you guys did or didn't do," she countered, pausing to allow the weight of her words to sink in. She wanted to make him feel at least a little ashamed. "I'm sorry I overreacted,” she said, caving a little.
"Yeah you did overreact didn't you?" he said immediately charging her weak moment.
"Don't act so smug. I'm not saying you're right or that I approve of what you guys are doing."
"--were doing,” he corrected. “I'd say the time limit on the limited time offer has probably run out now."
"Oh," she said, looking away uninterested.
"So you got your coat,” he continued, “what made you come in here?"
"Dawson,” she said simply. “He convinced me to take pity on your poor misguided, testosterone impaired self."
Pacey laughed; a sarcastic laugh tainted with a bit of disbelief. He’d only chastised the man for being protective of his ex-girlfriend. Somehow he doubted Dawson had taken up Pacey’s cause out of the goodness of his heart. He suspected it had more to do with the fact that Joey wasn’t involved with him. "He did that, did he?"
"'Fraid so," she continued laying on the guilt trip.
"Man! Guess I owe him another one, huh?" Pacey quipped going with the guilty conscience.
"Yeah, you do,” she agreed. “Come on," she said, rising, taking his hand and picking up her coat. “Let's go."
He stood up to leave with her and found the scenery had changed. Joey was gone as were the ballroom dancers in the small dance class. He wasn’t even inside anymore. He was standing in what appeared to be a tropical setting with a large creek sprawling in front of him. They called it a creek in Capeside, but it was really more a river. This was something he might call a large stream or maybe, on a generous day, a small river.
Up ahead, lying on the ground, he saw something familiar: Joey's blue jacket. “Joey!" He called out. No answer. "Dawson!” he called out just in case it was some sort of elaborate prank, unlikely as that was. When there was no answer again, he shrugged and started walking. There was nothing he could do except keep his cool and follow the stream to see where it took him. Hopefully to civilization and an explanation, but he’d take just civilization. It was a lot more comfortable than camping after all.
[Pacey Witter walking by your house or post explanation in the Compound.]