Title: Untitled (for now...If you have any suggestions I'll owe you)
Author: TopazAngel
Rating: PG
Content: Eh. Nothing bad
Fandom: Dawson’s Creek
Pairing: Joey/Drue (mostly friendship), Pacey/Joey implied
Distribution: Losing Grip, any one else who happens to want it, just let me know where its going.
Feedback: Praise is nice. Costructive Critisizm is good also. Flamers SUCK.
Timeline: Directly after Promicide
Teaser: The aftermath of Promicide
Disclaimer: I don’t own em.
Joey sat at the counter of the yacht club, waiting for her shift to start. This was the last place she wanted to be right now. More than anything she wanted to be at home, still under her blankets, and feeling sorry for herself because she had just been dumped.
But no. She had to spend the day waiting tables at the yacht club, and serving food to people who didn’t know the meaning of the word tip. And of course, being at the club meant a day of fun with-
“Harry Potter! I thought you’d have called in sick with heartbreak by now,” Drue Valentine.
“Great, just what I need right now,” she mumbled sarcastically under her breath.
“What was that Potter?” he asked.
“Drue, I’m really not in the mood right now.”
“Awww. Did poor Josephine Potter get her heart broken?”
“Bite me Drue.”
He put his hands to his heart in mock-defense, “Oh Potter, you wound me.”
“Can it Drue. I’m really not in the mood for you today. I just want to get this shift over so that I can go home and forget that last night ever happened.”
“This isn’t working for you Potter.”
“What isn’t working for me?” she asked, clearly confused.
“This whole ‘my boyfriend dumped me so I am going to feel sorry for myself and you should to’. Its not you.”
“You don’t know what’s me Drue.”
“You’re right Potter. I know virtually nothing about you. But I know that you’ve never been one to want pity.”
“And I don’t want pity. If I wanted pity I wouldn’t ask you to leave me alone.”
“You didn’t.”
“You’re right, I didn’t-ASK. I told. Now please. Leave me alone,” she said forcefully. She was telling the truth. She wasn’t in the mood for him right now. She was upset enough without having someone rub it in that she had been dumped on prom night of all nights.
“Joey Joey Joey. Are you going to be that rude to our customers? Because if so, I think maybe you should just turn around and leave now,” he said mockingly.
“Go. Away,” she said forcefully.
“Fine. Fine. I’ll leave you to your moping,” he said, walking away.
“Thank you,” Joey said, looking up at the ceiling.
=====
“That’s her,” a girl whispered to her friend.
Joey’s ear perked. She knew what they meant. Of course, it was her table. Anytime some snooty teenage girl with her father’s credit card came into the club gossiping it was about her.
“Can I get you anything to drink?” she said putting on a fake smile.
“Water please,” the girl said with an equally fake smile.
“I’ll be right back,” she said spinning on her heels.
“She actually started crying. He went totally psychotic on her. Everyone saw,” she continued to whisper.
Joey didn’t know how long she was going to be able to listen to this without screaming.
“Are they bothering you?” Drue asked, peaking from behind a corner.
Joey jumped.
“God Drue! Are you trying to give me a heart attack?” she asked, glaring at him.
“Sorry, I just heard those girls…Do you want me to take care of them?”
“No. I can handle it. I’m a big girl,” she paused, “Why the hell do you care anyway?”
“What do you mean why do I care?” he asked.
“Drue, on the off chance that you did actually care, I think it would be grounds for a national holiday,” she said bitingly.
“Oh Potter, you hurt me,” he teased, “Seriously. I can take care of them,” he added.
“Like I said, I can handle myself,” she said walking into the kitchen to get the girls’ water.
She quickly came out and walked back to the table, “Can I get you anything to eat with that?” she asked, pulling a pad of paper from her vest pocket.
“No thank you,” the girl said.
“Okay. Just let me know if you need anything else,” she turned to walk to another table.
“Oh by the way, sorry to hear about you and Pacey Witter. Guess he likes his woman a little more psychotic,” the girl said, laughing.
Joey started to turn around to say something, but thought better of it. The last thing she needed was to have to deal with Ms. Valentine.
“Or maybe he wanted to find himself an older woman, like a teacher or something,” the other girl said, loudly.
Joey paused and started to turn back around.
“Excuse me?” She asked.
“Awww, did we strike a nerve?” One of the girls asked.
“I’ll strike some-” she began.
“Excuse me, does one of you drive a red mustang convertible?” Drue stepped in, asking.
“That’s my car!” One of the girls said.
“Yeah, well, its in a no parking zone. You’d better move it before it gets towed.”
“Oh damn. Sorry Joey, its been nice, but I have to go,” the girl said with a fake smile. She grabbed her friends hand and walked out.
“Are you okay?” he asked walking over to her.
“I could have handled them,” she said coldly.
“Yeah, you could have. And they would have complained, and before you know it you would have handled yourself right out of a job.”
“Fine. Okay. But they deserve whatever I was going to say to them.”
“No one is arguing that. But you don’t need to get into trouble with my mom for people like that,” he explained.
“Fine,” she paused, “What exactly are you doing?”
“Coming to your rescue?” he asked jokingly.
“Whatever,” she rolled her eyes, “What’s with the new ‘I care about people’ attitude? Are you plotting something?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Since when do I need a reason to be nice?” he paused, smiling, “okay, I can’t even say that without laughing.”
She smiles slightly.
“Aha. There we go. I think my work here is done,” he said, grinning?
“What?” Joey was confused again.
“You’re smiling,” he said nonchalantly.
“Yeah,” she paused, “You expect me to believe the whole reason for this drastic personality change was to see me smile?”
“It’s the truth.”
“Yeah. Right.”
“Look, I may not be the nicest guy, but I know what its like to be dumped. Especially when you really like the person.”
“You know what its like to really like someone?” she asked sarcastically.
Drue looked down sadly.
“Drue I’m sorry. I didn’t mean anything by it…I’m just,” she walked over to sit at the bar, “I just can’t believe he did that.”
“I know. Believe me, if I thought any couple at Capeside was going to end up lasting past graduation it was you two,” he paused, “I mean, why else would you have seen past my charms?” he grinned.
“If it makes you feel better,” she smiled.
“So, what are you going to do now that you a single girl?” he asked.
She shrugged, “I guess be single. I mean, in the past few years I’ve kind of gone from Dawson to Jack to Dawson to Pacey to Dawson to Pacey…Maybe this is just a hint that I need to stop with the boyfriends for a while.”
He nodded, “That doesn’t sound like a bad idea Potter. Besides you’re moving to Boston in the fall right? Starting fresh?”
“That actually doesn’t sound like a bad idea.”
“Well, I’ll be in Boston so…”
“Drue, if you’re trying to come on to me…”
“Yeah. Like I would,” he said teasingly, “Sorry Potter. You’re not my type.”
“Sorry Drue, but the fact that nothing is ever going to happen between us is all because of me. You know if I was willing you’d-”
“Whoa Potter. You’re a little cocky there,” he teased.
“Thanks Drue,” she nodded, giving him a sincere smile.
“For what?” For taking my mind off of Pacey for just a second.”
“Its no problem Joey.”
She glanced up as a group of adults walked through the door, “Well, I’d better,” she nodded toward the group waiting to be seated.
“Yeah, see ya Potter,” he smiled as she walked away.