"I'm leaving, Pacey! Try and not screw anything up this time!" Doug Witter yelled up the stars to his younger brother.
"Shut up, Doug, just leave!" Pacey hissed back.
Pacey was sitting at the new Compaq computer in his room that his sister, Theresa, had gotten him for his 16th birthday. Theresa was like a friend to him and she seemed to understand him. The only problem was that Theresa lived in Rhode Island, visits were rare. Theresa, like her brother, hated Doug and their father for various reasons. When she was at home she always sided with Pacey and made Pacey feel as if he wasn't a loser. Now Theresa was far away, she was making good money at her job, but it didn't make up for her absence in Pacey's life.
The gift had arrived the day after his 16th birthday and Theresa had come down to deliver it personally. He remembered the large wrapped packages she and her boyfriend, Todd, had lugged in from Theresa's blue Toyota. The wrapping paper was soon ripped off and revealed the various parts of an expensive new computer. "Happy Birthday little brother, " Theresa had said, smiling. Todd and Theresa helped install the computer system up in his room and then the three went out to a belated birthday dinner. Pacey thought that that day had ranked among the best in his life.
"You've Got Mail!" a voice chimed from the speakers on his computer, breaking his thoughts. He sighed, and checked his watch. It was two hours until he had to be at Dawson's.
END OF MESSAGE
Pacey grinned uncontrollably. At that moment he'd definitely trade Doug for Theresa, or Doug for Todd.
Theresa,
You poor, poor delusional person! Where have you been all these years? Remember when Doug played Barbie instead of Hot Wheels and Dad gave him the (one) beating of his life. Ahhh...family memories.
Joey? I still like her (in a more than friends way), but I doubt anything will happen. She and Dawson broke up last week, after the Homecoming Dance. I'm, at the moment, sort of "involved" with Andie MacPhie. She's really hyper, and optimistic. My exact opposite. You'd like her though. You'd also like Joey, I'm not sure if you met her before you left for Rhode Island.
Pace
END OF MESSAGE
Pacey finished typing and logged off of his Internet account. He decided to go over to Dawson's early, in case Dawson needed any help setting up for his newest movie creation. He "borrowed" the keys to teh Jeep and made the five minute drive over to the Leery household.
**********
"Dawson, what are you doing today?" Gale Leery asked her son, who was stapling pieces of computer paper together.
"Working on my new movie and going over the script with everyone else. We'll be right outside Mom, don't get paranoid on me." Dawson explained.
Gale gave her son a half-hearted laugh. She fought the urge to ask Dawson if he had heard from his father and then decided to work some more on the upcoming week's news stories.
"I'll be in the den if you need me, Dawson." Gale informed her son.
"Alright.." Dawson was half listening. He had just noticed a small mistake in the script and was feverishly writing something on the copies in pen.
Gale walked upstairs, feeling lonelier than she had for the past thrity or so years. Mitch, her husband, was at some horrible motel in the downtown area of Capeside. Their picture perfect marriage had all but been demolished after her affair with Bob. A divorce now seemed inevitable, since Mitch had moved away.
**********
The tires of the Jeep Pacey was driving crunched on the gravel that led up to the Potter house. The house in which Joey, Bessie, Bodie, and Alex lived in was very small. Pacey walked up the rickety steps and softly knocked on the door.
"Be right there!" Joey's voice called from inside.
Joey angrily rushed around the house, sifting through the baby toys and clothing to find her shoes. Finally, she found them. They had been hiding beneath a pile of plush stuffed animals. Joey managed one shoe on when she heard the knock on the door. She hopped on one foot over to the door and shoved her other shoe on before opening the white door.
She looked on the other side of the screen and saw her friend, Pacey Witter. Joey was flushed from running around the house and she looked at Pacey expectantly.
"Did I come at a bad time?" Pacey asked.
"No," Joey huffed, "Just getting ready to go to Dawson's."
"That's sort of what I came here about, do you want a lift?" Pacey said.
"Sure, thanks Pace." Joey replied gratefully.
Pacey held open the passenger side door as Joey climbed in. He then sauntered to the other side and sat in the driver's seat.
"I'm assuming that your parents didn't give you the keys, that would make me an accomplice, wouldn't it?" Joey joked after they had turned onto the main road.
"Uh-huh, but I didn't just say that and we aren't having this conversation." Pacey said and smiled.
"So, have you thought of anyone else to star in Dawson's newest frolic into cinema?" Joey queried.
"I was thinking Andie, but it might get messy with the whole you Jack and Dawson situation..." Pacey's voice trailed off.
Joey looked out the window, trying to ignore the uncomfortable silence that filled the car.
"I was thinking we should get Abby to play the monster this time." Joey said, hoping to chabge the topic.
"But then we'd end up practicing the killing scene over and over and over. We'd enjoy it too much."
"True, and Dawson said his newest creation is much better than his last."
"It'd better be." Pacey pulled into the road leading to the Lindley and Leery houses.
**********
Jen sat outside on the swing on her porch. She waited for either Pacey or Joey to arrive so that she wouldn't be the first person at the Leery's. She saw the red Jeep coming down the road and rose to greet Joey and Pacey as they exited the car.
"Hey, guys!" Jen said cheerfully.
"Hey, Jen.." Both Joey and Pacey replied amiably.
"I see Pacey's stolen the car again?" Jen looked amused.
"Why does everyone always have to pick on me?" Pacey said jokingly.
"You're a really easy target, Pace." Joey replied.
"I wouldn't be talking Ms. Potter. Mind you, I am your ride home." Pacey shook his finger at Joey.
"Let's get inside, you guys, it's freezing outside." Jen said and the three walked up the stairs together.
To Be Continued....
