Petals On The Water

By Rachel

 

 

 

All day the minutes seemed to drip by…

Gossip about Joey’s accident had already spread, and rumors were rampant in all corners of the school. Frankly, Dawson and Pacey were sick of it. They were sick of hearing people who weren’t even there recount the facts…incorrectly. First it was that Joey was drugged, then it was she was raped and thrown in the pool…one rumor even said she had died on the way to the hospital.

It was just ridiculous…and although they had come to school with the best intentions, they were finding it hard to deal. Pacey was on the look out for Chris Wolfe, regardless if Dawson was in or not… Pacey had plans for this guy…

Dawson was also waiting to find Chris…he wanted to talk to him…have a few minutes to say what he needed to say, and, well…if they just happened to catch him alone, then so be it. He knew Pacey wanted a piece of him, and after the day there were having, so did he.

 

Jack was worried about Jen. Joey was still on his mind, but knowing she was going to be okay, he wasn’t so worked up over everything anymore. But Jen…the way she’d seemed so out of it this morning...

He couldn’t help but think the worst. What if Jen had snapped? What if she started heading down that path again…that dark path that sometimes consumes us all?

She’d been doing so well with everything sine Abby’s death…

Jen was a fighter, but Jack knew that something like this could spin her out of control, and he was afraid for her. He knew she couldn’t handle it alone…he wanted to do everything he could to be there for her…

 

“Hey,” Jack said, sliding into a seat at the table where Dawson and Pacey were sitting in the cafeteria during lunch. They looked up…and though he could tell they were both in grim moods, they welcomed him. “Did you see Joey yet?”

“Yeah,” Pacey muttered. Dawson looked down at his tray.

“How is she?”

“Fine…physically I guess,” Dawson sighed.

“She seemed kinda depressed…” Pacey said huskily. He looked around absently, then sat up. “Hey, where’s Jen?”

“Jen?” Jack said. “Oh…uh,” He looked around, then shrugged. “She was pretty upset over everything yesterday…she didn’t come to school…”

“I’ve got to imagine it would be hard for her,” Dawson said thoughtfully. “After everything she’d been through with Abby…”

“Yeah…” Jack said sadly. “She’s not taking it too well…”

“Well, is she okay?” Pacey asked, his voice growing concerned. He thought about the little blonde, and all of the times they’d been there for eachother when no one else was… He hadn’t thought about her this whole time. But now, the way Jack talked about her, he worried about her.

“Oh…” Jack said, setting down his milk. “I’m sure things will be okay… I’m staying over again tonight…just in case.”

“Well, that’s good.” Dawson said. Pacey nodded and allowed that to set his mind a little at ease.

“Hey guys.” Andie said, as she slid into the seat next to Jack. Pacey looked at her; surprised she was speaking to him. She smiled “Is Joey okay? What happened? I was shocked when Jack called me…”

“Yeah, Andie…” Dawson said, rubbing a hand through his hair. “She’s going to be fine…”

“Oh, that’s great!” Andie said, smiling in relief. “So…are you going to go see her after school?” She started to open her yogurt, then noticed Pacey’s gaze had narrowed past her, and she turned to see who he was looking at.

“Chris Wolfe,” He muttered under his breath, as if reading her mind. Dawson’s eyes focused on him, and both started to rise to their feet.

“Guys!” Andie said, trying to make them sit back down. Jack was getting up too, a stern look on his face. “Jack?” Andie looked up at him nervously.

“Stay here, Andie.”

 

Chris Wolfe was standing smugly in the cafeteria line, oblivious to the three bodies zeroing in on him.

“Hey, asshole!” Pacey yelled at him. He looked up in surprise as Pacey got to him first, and grabbed him by the collar. “Do you know what you did!”

“Piss off, Witter!” Chris spouted once he got his bearings back. He tried to shove Pacey away, but Pacey’s grip was too tough. Chris couldn’t move.

“Hey!” Dawson said, coming up in his face as Pacey held him. “Do you know what you did! DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU DID!”

“Get away from me!” Chris cried, still trying to shake loose.

“Hey, dick!” Jack said angrily, poking him in the chest with his finger. “You seriously fucked up…”

“Seriously…” Pacey growled.

 

The cafeteria erupted into hysterics at the opportunity of an oncoming fight. Heads spun, voices rose, people jumped to their feet to crowd around.

“I’m gonna KICK YOUR ASS.” Pacey growled as he shoved a wide-eyed Chris up against the steel lunch counter. Chris floundered against it, wide-eyed and afraid.

He grabbed at his tray and tossed it awkwardly at Dawson, flinging pudding and macaroni across Dawson’s sweater. Dawson waived it aside and socked Chris in the gut. Chris kicked at them and clawed at Pacey’s hands as he tried to break free.

The fight was on, and Pacey, Jack and Dawson took turns batting Chris. Chris got one good hit on Pacey before he went down. Pacey gave him a good kick to the ribs, knocking the wind out of him.

Suddenly, above the deafening roar of the other students, they heard someone barking at them.

“BACK OFF!” One of the proctors yelled, getting in between the boys. He grabbed Pacey by the shoulders and jerked him back. Another intervened between Dawson and Chris and shoved Dawson back with one hand, and fended off Jack with the other.

Chris coughed raggedly from the floor as he tried to catch his breath.

“Okay! Okay!” Pacey said, raising his hands in the air. “Okay…”

 

~O~

 

“Boys…” The principal tapped his pencil on his desk as the three of them sat in his office;

Dawson on the left, Jack on the right, and Pacey in the middle. “Boys… boys… boys…” He took a deep breath.

Pacey stared at him with an indifferent gaze as the welt Chris had cause on his cheek faded away. Dawson sat erect in his chair, trying to look unafraid, but deep down he was really terrified. Jack sat slumped in his chair, chewing his nails, awaiting punishment.

“Boys…”

“We’ve done that part already, remember?” Pacey said finally, sick of the preliminaries.

“Excuse me, Mr. Witter!” He snapped. “I don’t think you were asked to speak yet.”

“Well, if you’d stop it with the ‘boys’…” Pacey smarted, lowering his eyes and readying himself for the clash.

“…I don’t care!” The principal barked, silencing him. “I will say ‘boys’ as often as like! Now do you understand me!” The principal glared at him. “Do you?”

“Yes…” Pacey mumbled.

“Good! That’s better!” He sat back in his chair and straightened his tie. “Now…Mr. Leery, I’ve already spoken with your father about this little ‘situation’…I know the reason for the incident, and I understand how upset the three of you must be. But you’ve got to understand that I have a job here, and a school to uphold. Your actions can not be taken lightly…Fighting will not be tolerated…”

 

They were dismissed on suspension…Jack and Dawson for three days, Pacey for five.

 

~O~

 

“Oh well…” Pacey shrugged as they walked along the road leaving school. “Five days off is five days off.”

“Yeah, but! But…suspension?” Dawson said heavily. “This is not going to look good on my academic record!”

“It’s not that bad, Dawson,” Jack mumbled as he stared at the ground. “It’s only one fight… Most kids get suspended at least once in their lives…”

“Not me!” Dawson said incredulously. “Not me.”

“Dawson…” Pacey said, glancing back at him. “Look at it this way…now you’ll have a whole three days to spend with Joey…” Dawson looked up at him thought fully.

“You’re right.” He said. “You’re absolutely right…three days with Joey.”

‘And I’ll have three days with Jen,’ Jack thought.

The three of them caught the next bus to the hospital.

 

“Hey, Joey!” Jack smiled as they entered the dark room. It was the middle of the day, but the blinds were still drawn halfway closed. Joey was lying propped back against the pillows with a tray of some disgusting type of mush…probably oatmeal…before her. Bessie sat on the edge of the bed feeding her with a spoon.

The bowl was almost completely full.

Bessie smiled brightly at the three of them.

“Hey Jack!” Bessie said getting up to hug him.

“How’s it going?”

“How ya feeling Jo?” Pacey asked quietly.

“Okay…I guess.” Joey whispered, pushing the tray away.

“Joey…we were worried about you…” Dawson said, stepping forward.

“I…” She coughed as she tried to sit up.  The three boys started towards her but she held up her hand as she tried to clear her throat. “I know…I’m sorry.”

Her voice was still ragged, and her skin pale. She looked thin and very sick, though Dawson could see an improvement compared to how she had looked this morning.

Bessie patted Jack on the shoulder.

“I’ll give you guys a few minutes…” She said. She left.

 

They were silent for a moment. Joey stared at the window.

 

“God, Jo. We are so glad to see you sitting here right now…” Pacey went around the side of the bed and took her hand. She glanced down at his fingers entwined with hers.

“We were really worried.” Jack said, taking Bessie’s place on the edge of the bed.

“You scared us…” Dawson said, still standing at the foot of the bed.

Still seeing all the tubes and IV’s in her made him feel weak. He crossed his arms as he watched her.

“I-I’m…really sorry…” She whispered.

“Don’t be,” Pacey smiled, pulling her fingers to his lips and kissing them. “Don’t think about it…”

“I am though…” She said as her eyes filled with tears. She glanced from one face to the next settling on Dawson. “I really screwed up…”

Jack felt a knot rise in his throat and he looked at the floor. Pacey stroked her fingers silently. And Dawson held her sad gaze.

“I really messed everything up…” She lowered her head.

“We’re here for you…” Dawson choked.

“You should leave now.” Joey said suddenly, trying to speak out in a louder voice. She fought the urge to cry, and the urge to gag again from the tube in her throat.

“Jo,” Dawson started to protest.

“Please, Dawson…” Her voice lowered to a whisper. “I have to finish my lunch. Then the doctor’s going to take this tube out of my nose...I’ve got some more tests to take, and tomorrow they’ll be letting me go home. Please guys…”

“You don’t want us to stay?” Pacey asked.

She shook her head.

“But we’ll see you tomorrow?” Jack asked.

“Yeah…”

“Good afternoon, Miss Potter.” Dr. Adder said as he came through the door with Bessie behind him. Jack stood away from the bed as he approached. “Oh! I see you have guests. Hello, gentlemen.”

“Hello,” The three of them replied.

Dr. Adder went to her side. Using his stethoscope, he listened to her breathing.

“Take a deep breath,” He instructed. Joey did as she was told. “Good! Good…Looks like we’ll be able to take that tube out now. That should make you happy, Miss Potter…” He turned and looked at the boys. “I’d think you’d better step out now.”

“We were just leaving,” Pacey said. He looked down at Joey one more time. “We’ll see you tomorrow, Jo.” She nodded, and he pulled his fingers to his lips, kissing them one more time. Joey looked into his eyes for a split second before looking away again.

Dawson’s brow wrinkled and his lips twisted down in a frown as he witnessed it.

 

“She seems to be doing better,” Pacey grinned as they left the hospital.

“Yeah…” Dawson said, distraction in his voice.

“I am so relieved!”

“Me too!” Jack quipped.

“What do you guys say we go out for a burger?” Pacey’s grin was a mile wide as they walked back to the bus stop. “I wasn’t able to get to much of my lunch today,” He giggled.

“Ha!” Jack snorted. “Did you see the look on Chris’ face!”

“Yeah I did…”

“I don’t think it’s funny!” Dawson suddenly snapped.

“What?” They asked baffled by his sudden edginess.

“I don’t think brawling in the lunchroom is something to laugh about. The three of us against Chris…It was stupid!”

“Dawson—” Pacey started.

“Shut up, Pacey. There isn’t anything you can say to make me think its okay.”

“What’s your problem now!” Pacey snapped back.

“Guys,” Jack said as he felt the tension rising. “Come on…”

“It’s stupid! Fighting is stupid!” Dawson yelled. “And now I’m on suspension!”

“You act like it was my fault!” Pacey said defensively.

“It is your fault!”

“I don’t recall being the one to take the first punch…”

Dawson stared at him quietly.

“Come on, guys,” Jack said looking around nervously. “Let’s not turn on eachother now…”

“No!” Pacey said. “I wanna know! What’s your problem, D? What made you suddenly go pussy?”

“I’m not a pussy,” Dawson glowered.

“Are you sure? Because you seem pretty pussified to me…”

“You use violence to solve everything!”

“Excuse me!”

“Oh shit…” Jack groaned.

“Me use violence? PUH-LEASE! Dawson, you’re the one who hit me at the dance, remember? You know… You act like you’re such a goldenboy, Dawson! But you’re not. You’re just as bad as the rest of us; you’re just as bad as me! You get pissed just like everyone else, only you don’t know how to deal with it. Someone moves in on your girl, and you go off. I move in on your girl, and you explode. Just admit what’s really bothering you, Dawson…It’s not the fight with Chris; it’s the fight with me. Admit it, goldenboy.”

“Screw you, Pacey,” Dawson said as he turned and walked away.

“Dawson!” Pacey called out helplessly after him. “Dawson, where ya goin’?”

“I’m walking home!”

“But it’s like four miles!” Jack exclaimed.

Dawson didn’t say anything. He just kept walking.

“Dawson???”

“Let him go, Jack,” Pacey mumbled. “Just let him go…let him blow off whatever is eating him. Things will be fine tomorrow…”

“I hope so,” Jack said looking after him.

“They will.”

 

 

 

            End Part 5