Petals On The Water
By Rachel
Days like this I don’t
know what to do with myself
I wander the halls
along the walls and under my breath
I say to myself,
I need fuel—to take
flight…Fiona Apple, Sullen Girl
“Damn them both.”
Joey stumbled around
the back lot of Capeside High. It was mid-afternoon, nearly four Joey guessed,
and school was already out so she was pretty much alone.
She took another sip
from the silver flask that Chris Wolf had given her and then looked at her
blurry reflection in its surface.
“Joey…” She slurred,
speaking aloud to herself. “You’re a stupid jerk for even letting it go this
far.” She started to trip, but then steadied herself.
Then she got the
hiccups.
In the past few weeks,
her whole life had spun out of control and now she decided to place partial
blame on Dawson Leery.
She had started a
heated relationship with Pacey Witter a few months back, secretly, behind
everyone else’s backs, and when Dawson had finally caught them; in Pacey’s
jeep, taking part in what could vaguely be considered as a sexual interlude
regardless of the fact that no intercourse had taken place; well, Dawson had
gone ballistic.
“You’re my best friend!
You were supposed to be keeping an eye on her… And Joey! You of all people!
Sneaking around behind my back with—with Pacey! Oh! Jo…how could you!”
So, Dawson hated her.
And, as if that wasn’t
bad enough, at the Spring Fever dance, Dawson had started a fistfight with
Pacey, and the commotion blew the whole affair out into the open for everybody
in attendance.
“What the fuck!” Pacey
screamed after Jack McPhee and Henry Parker were finally able to pry them
apart.
“I’m gonna kick your
ass!” Dawson threatened as he struggled to break free of Jack’s grasp.
“Try it!” Pacey roared.
Luckily, Jack had Dawson in a good, firm headlock so he was bound until Jack
made the decision to let him go.
“Chill out, guys!” Jen
screamed, pushing Pacey back. “Jack! Get Dawson out of here! Pacey, you’re
coming with me!” She turned and Henry held an angry faced Pacey by the back of
the neck as they left the dance. Jack took Dawson by the arm and led him in
another direction, Dawson still mumbling curses as he stared back in Pacey’s
direction. Joey sat in tears watching the whole incident go down while Andie
McPhee stood, gawking at her with a look of disgust.
“I hate you, Joey
Potter!” Andie finally said through clenched teeth before turning and heading
out after Jack and Dawson.
That had set it off.
Two days later, Joey
broke it off with Pacey.
So, now Dawson hated
her for betraying him, Pacey hated her for dumping him, Andie hated her for
going out with Pacey behind her back, Jen was mad at her for letting things get
this far and hurting Dawson and Pacey both, and Jack…well, Joey was sure Jack
was mad at her too, even if just out of loyalty for his sister.
“At least Henry’s not
mad at me,” She mumbled, reliving the whole chain of events in her head again.
Not that it mattered…she and Henry had never exchanged more than a friendly
‘hello’.
Joey walked along,
sipping from the flask.
After sitting through
fifty minutes of class with Dawson glaring at the back of her head, she
couldn’t wait to break free and run. And as soon as the final bell rang, she
shot out of her seat and into the hallway…and nearly collided with Pacey and
Jack. They had just left their classroom next door, and Joey felt a flush of
panic at their stern faces. So, she turned and headed in the other direction,
and there almost knocking into Andie, who by chance had just walked out of the
administrative offices.
“Ugh!” Andie scowled
when she met Joey’s eyes.
Joey took a deep breath
and turned again, looking for another exit.
Finally she made it
outside, and somehow ended up in the staff’s parking lot in the back of the
school.
She sat down on the
curb and started crying her eyes out. She felt a tap on her shoulder and looked
up, startled to find Chris Wolf staring down at her.
“Why so sad?”
“Piss off, Chris!” She
snapped. “I’m not in the mood for any of your crap!” He smirked at her, and
instead of leaving, took a seat on the curb next to her.
“Hey…I come in peace.”
He reached into his Varsity lettermen’s jacket. “I think I’ve got something
that will make you feel better…” He pulled the shiny metal flask from his
pocket, unscrewed the lid, and offered it to her.
Joey stared at him mistrustingly
as the tears dried on her face.
“Oh, come on…” He
smiled. “I’m not Satan…Besides, I promise, it will make you feel better.”
She watched him
suspiciously before reluctantly accepting the flask. She stared down into its
well. “I know a little drink always makes me feel better,” Chris went on,
staring out at the cars. “I’m sure whatever is bothering you isn’t the end of
the world…maybe this will calm you down.”
“Why are you being so
nice to me?” Joey asked.
“Because it breaks my
heart to see a pretty girl cry,” He answered, still smiling slyly. “That and
the fact that you’ve wasted prime sexual urges on two fools like Pacey Witter
and Dawson Leery.”
“Well, don’t think
you’re going to get me drunk and talk me into blowing you behind the
bleachers…”
“Of course not… You’re
not Jen Lindley.”
Joey snorted an
unexpected laugh. She couldn’t help but be amused by his natural callous and
lack of properness.
“See…that’s better.”
Chris said, his smile never changing. “When you smile, you light up the world.”
“Oh lord!” Joey mumbled
aloud. She couldn’t help but smile again, and she glanced away shyly. She
looked down at the flask again, and, after a moment, choked back a sip of it’s
tensely bitter contents.
“Blech!” She coughed,
wrinkling her nose. “That’s disgusting!”
“But it’s nice and warm
when it hits that cold, empty knot in your stomach…”
He was right, it did.
“Well, thanks,
Chris…here ya go.” Joey held the flask out to him.
“NO, it’s for you.” He
said, suddenly rising to his feet. “A little gift from one lonely person to
another…you can return the flask to me tomorrow…”
“But—”
“Have a good time,”
Chris grinned and walked away.
Joey watched him.
When he was gone, she
looked back at the flask. Glancing around to make sure no one was watching, she
took another sip.
“Ugh!” She groaned. The
whiskey wasn’t as bad going down this time. It was even a little satisfying as
the warm tingling sensation that came with drinking hard liquor washed over
her.
Now Joey was staggering
drunk.
“Jerks!” She mumbled,
thinking about Dawson and Pacey again. “Who the hell needs ‘em anyways!”
She had been roaming
the backside of the school…the parking lot, the art building, the football
field, and now she entered the pool area.
The water polo team met
here everyday for sixth period and stayed until 4:00. They must’ve just
finished up because the ground around the pool was still wet.
Joey shoved the gate,
and it opened with a clang. It was so hot out; she thought it’d be good to soak
her feet in the water. The thought never crossed her mind that she was drunk
and walking on slippery cement next to an unattended pool could be dangerous.
End Part One