"Witter, I have a score to settle with you."

Pacey looked up from his locker and smiled weakly. "Hey, Joey."

Joey smiled back. "Hi," she said cheerfully, touching his arm. "What happened last
night?"

He seemed deeply engrossed in something that was inside his locker. "Not much.
Andie and I talked. She made dinner. We ate with Jack. What about you?"

She kept the smile on her face, determined to ignore his reticence. "I went home,
which turned out to be a good idea, because Bodie made some of his binge-inducing
clam chowder." Pacey smiled absently. Joey paused, trying to decide whether she
should tell him about the latter part of the evening. Something told her that while he
was in this mood, he wouldn't take too kindly to hearing that she'd been talking
about him with Jen. Or that she had been talking to Dawson until the wee hours of
the morning. She sighed.

"Pacey," she began, then touched him again when he continued rummaging through
his locker. "Pacey, it's the second day of school, how much stuff could you have in
there?" She asked, exasperated but still trying to smile. "Will you please tell me
what's wrong." Her tone was serious now.

Pacey finally stopped to look at her. "Nothing's wrong, Jo. I'm sorry." He glanced
away. "I'm just a little nervous, I guess… I'm starting my new job this afternoon."

"Really? That's great! Why didn't you tell me yesterday?" Joey didn't care if she
sounded too enthusiastic. He was talking, and she was going to take what she could.
"Where's it going to be?"

He smiled dryly. "The library. Pacey J. Witter's new place of employment is the
library. The world must be coming to an end." He closed his locker and started
walking with her. "It doesn't pay as much as Screen Play, but I figured I could use
the fringe benefits."

"I didn't know the library carried Playboy." She couldn't resist.

"Gee, thanks, Potter."

"Sorry." She stopped outside her classroom. "Have lunch with me later?"

"Uh… can't," he answered, heading for his own class. "Got something I need to do.
Sorry."

"It's okay," she said quietly, more to herself than to him. What is going on? She was
beginning to miss their easy banter. And she couldn't suppress the feeling of
uncertainty that was starting to gnaw at her.

**********

Joey stepped into the library and looked around, automatically smiling when she
spotted him. Pacey stood behind a counter, helping a girl with the books she wanted
to check out. Joey stayed where she was and watched him, hiding partly behind a
rack filled with books.

He was smiling as he chatted with the girl, talking to her as if they'd been friends for
a long time. He could make anyone feel at ease in seconds, and this particular girl
was no different. She laughed at something he said, leaning forward to touch his
forearm. Joey raised an eyebrow. Classic flirt moves.

She didn't know whether to feel annoyed or amused. Here she was, spying as some
random blonde in a library flirted shamelessly with her… boyfriend. Thinking about
Pacey that way still made her stomach flutter. It also made her feel scared as hell,
especially now that things seemed to be so weird between them. She knew there
was something wrong, she was just afraid to keep pressing him to say what. Pacey
never was big on talking about his feelings.

Joey frowned. Was it her? She remembered their conversation in the pool, when they
were headed back to Capeside, and stared blindly at the blonde who was flirting with
Pacey. Did Pacey think she was too… inexperienced?

The blonde finally left, and Joey pushed her thoughts to the back of her mind as she
started walking toward him. He was sitting now, his feet propped up on the counter
as he leaned back in his chair and read the book on his lap. He knit his brows in
concentration, making her want to smooth them over with her fingers.

She cleared her throat as she reached the counter. "Excuse me," she stated in her
most flirty voice. "I was wondering if you could help me find a book that I need."

Pacey looked up, a hint of a smile playing at his lips. "Of course." He stood up,
leaning on the counter so that his face was just inches from hers. "What's the title
of the book?"

Joey fluttered her lashes. "Moby Dick," she said, then broke into a big grin. They both
tried to suppress their laughter as library patrons shot them pointed looks.

"You're gonna get me sacked on my first day, Potter," he whispered, his fingers
grazing the ends of the hair that fell over the front of her shoulder.

She arched her brow. "Now I know what 'fringe benefits' you meant. That blonde
definitely had the hots for you, Pacey."

His expression was innocent. "What? I was merely extending assistance in the pursuit
of knowledge."

"I'll bet that wasn't the only thing you were extending." She smirked.

Pacey chuckled. "What are you doing here, anyway? D'you miss me already?"

"No," Joey retorted.

He shook his head, amused. "C'mon, I can have a break right about now, anyway."
He walked around the counter and grabbed her hand, pulling her to the exit. "Hey,
David," he called to the other boy behind the counter. "Be back in ten minutes."

"Ten minutes?" Joey echoed. "That's all it's gonna take?"

"Shut up, Potter, or I might just have to kiss you right here in the middle of the
public library."

They walked out, Pacey leading them to a secluded spot at the side of the building.
His hand held the back of her head as he kissed her without preamble, his tongue
entering her mouth and tangling with hers. She licked his lower lip and then started
to suck as he deepened the kiss more, tasting every inch.