Joey twirled her pen through her fingers deftly before putting it up right and scribbling down the answer to the question about Confucius theory on the social order of China. She frowned, glancing at her watch, she'd been working on this one question for the last ten minutes, damn Pacey for ruining her concentration. When did he become everything she wanted?

She sank down in her seat, he'd always been. She just hadn't allowed herself to see it...even when he'd tried so hard to show her.

�Hey, what�d you get for number one?� Jen asked gazing up from her own textbook helplessly. Her spiral notebook lay open in front of her with only her name and the date heading the page in purple ink.

"Um..." Joey sat up and scanned her paper. "That-that family structure was central to Pacey's philosophy," she muttered carelessly.

Jen had her pen poised above her paper ready to jot down what Joey said before her eyes widened and she brought a hand to her mouth to stifle a giggle. �Pacey�s philosophy?�

She blushed faintly. "Sorry, you know who I meant."

Jen smiled up at Joey as she wrote down the correct answer. �What was that all about?�

"Nothing." She shrugged. "I was just thinking about him and it slipped." She turned her concentration to her work.

�You and Pacey are just friends, right?� Jen asked curiously as she pretended to flip through her book. �I mean, there�s like not any unresolved issues left are there?�

Joey shook her head, staring down at her book. "No, of course not. We're friends...at least, when I see him we are," she mumbled.

Jen raised an eyebrow carelessly doodling in her notebook. �Are you sure this isn�t classic Joey Potter denial of certain feelings?�

"Please, Jen. It's Pacey. I had him once, why would I want him again?" She gave Jen her most sincere look while lying straight to her face. "There was never anything there."

She smiled relieved, closing her textbook and sitting up in her seat. �Well that�s good to hear.�

"Yeah? Why?"

She blushed faintly, kind of embarrassed. �I�m sort of interested in Pacey.�

Her eyes shot up. "You-you're what?"

�It may seem kind of silly,� Jen, said glancing down at her notebook, she raised her eyes to Joey. �But I really like him.�

She blinked and sat back with a thud. "Pacey? Witter?" Jen nodded. "But what does...does he know?"

A smile curled her lips. �Well, after the other day I�m pretty sure he has a good idea.�

Joey's brow furrowed. "You told him?"

�Not exactly...�

"Then...?" She gave her a questioning look.

�There might have been kissing,� Jen answered evasively. �And maybe some groping.�

Joey winced and looked down, fighting the urge to run from the room, but not before giving Jen a hardy slap on the face. "So...what? Are you guys reinstating your pact from last year?"

She shook her head; her soft blonde curls brushing against the shoulders of her blue sweater as she fiddled with the edge of her notebook. �No...I think we�re actually going to try at a relationship this time.� She smiled faintly. �Weird right?�

"Yeah, weird..." Joey trailed off closing her eyes. Forcing a smile to her face, she looked up at her friend. "That's great, Jen."

�Thanks.� Jen eyed her friend concerned. �Are you sure you�re okay with this?�

"Yeah, Why wouldn't I be?" She turned the page under the pretense of going back to work. "So are you guys an item now?"

�Well we haven�t really discussed it yet,� Jen answered uneasily.

"Oh, well, I'm sure he's interested," Joey reassured her. "He has always had a thing for blonds."

Jen shrugged opening up her own book. �I don�t know�Pacey�s a really great guy. I�d really like for it to work out this time.�

"Good luck," she replied dryly.

She smiled as she went back to work. �I�m really glad you�re okay with this Joey. I�d hate for the already tentative strands we have of friendship to break because of this.�

"Yeah well..." She gripped her pen tightly. "Would it really matter if I wasn't okay with it?"

Jen frowned. �I just don�t want this to cause any problems between us.�

"It won�t." Joey reassured her, "I was over him months ago." She studied the words she'd written on her paper; they suddenly looked like a foreign language.

�Are you sure?� Jen asked again, she couldn�t really tell if Joey was telling the truth or not.

"Why wouldn't I be?"

Jen shrugged. �I don�t know. You�re just acting weird.�

"You just told me you're interested in Pacey." She tried to appear appalled.

She smiled. �I know it does seem weird but it�s Pacey. What can I say? He�s practically perfect.�

'Thanks for reminding me,' she thought. "Love is blind," she replied trying to appear like she was engrossed in her work. Boy, was it ever. Hindsight was a bitch.

�I know he�s not perfect,� Jen amended and then smiled thoughtfully. �But...it�s just like Pacey has this way of making you feel like you�re the most important person in the room, you know?�

Joey felt like screaming 'I know, I know!' she bit the inside of her cheek to keep from doing so. She nodded silently and kept her eyes on her book.

�He has this way of making you forget all about your problems with just a smile and of course there�s the whole good-looking factor woven in there and he�s smart and he�s funny...� Jen sighed and laughed lightly her face red. �God I�m embarrassing.�

"Yeah, for the both of us," Joey said her voice slightly raspy. She cleared her throat. "Are we gonna work here or discuss the merits of Pacey's ass?"

Jen nodded and glanced down at her books. �You�re right. Work it is.�

"Thanks." Joey smiled and took a deep breath, trying to put thoughts of homicide out of her mind.

Jen spoke after a while, interrupting the silence that had fallen between them as they worked. �But you know...it is a nice ass.�

"Yeah, it is," Joey replied without thinking.

Jen�s eyes drifted to Joey curiously and she frowned at the look on the brunette�s face maybe Joey wasn�t as over Pacey as she thought.

Joey slid unceremoniously into her seat beside Pacey just minutes before the bell signaling the start of class rung. She plopped her bag atop the lab bench as Mr. Grandview turned the overhead on and told them to prepare for notes. Dutifully, without acknowledging Pacey in anyway, she pulled out some blank paper.

Pacey poked her discreetly in the side with the eraser of his pencil. �Hey Potter, you have any extra paper? My tree fund is running low.�

She slid him her piece of paper and got another out for herself. "Why am I not surprised?"

�Thanks,� he said ignoring her comment and jotting down his name on the paper.

She concentrated on the notes the teacher was giving them on their dissection lab, wondering what on earth had possessed her to take AP Biology. She glanced furtively to her side, or how he managed to get into the class. All too soon, Mr. Grandview was clapping his hands together and telling them to get the baby pigs from the storage refrigerator from the back.

�Looks like we get to dissect, Porky here,� Pacey said holding up the container he had gotten from the back.

"Yay," she said dully, putting their names at the top of the worksheet the teacher had handed out.

�Yep, that�s all folks.� He placed the container on the table and sat back down on his chair rubbing his hands together. �Okay, where do we start?�

"We start by putting an end to the lame jokes." She handed him the keys to unlock their lab drawer.

�Fine, so what do we need?� Pacey asked opening the drawer.

"Scalpel, tweezers, knife and the tray." She read off the paper. She turned the piglet on its side and looked at it. "Poor thing."

�Maybe next week we can dissect Kermit and they could both live happily ever after,� Pacey cracked as he pulled out the things they needed.

She forced herself not to smile. "Thought I mentioned to cease with the pathetic attempts at humor."

He brought a hand to his chest dramatically. �I don�t know what you�re talking about. Kermit and Miss Piggy were a tragic love story. She�s a pig. He�s a frog. Those crazy French people eat him with a side of mustard. She comes with an order of scrambled eggs. Do you not see how sad that is?�

She scowled at him, "Can't we just work on the assignment? Besides, that's not tragedy, tragedy is-" she cut herself off.

Pacey glanced down at the pig with mock sympathy. �I think you hurt her feelings, Jo. Look at the way she�s just laying there now.�

She groaned aloud, did he have to be so...him? "Just make the cut," she growled pointing to the stomach.

He grabbed the scalpel and held it above the pig prepared to make an incision. �Maybe you should apologize, make your peace first.�

"I'm not apologizing to a dead farm animal."

�But you hurt her feelings.�

"I'll hurt more than your feelings if you don't leave me the hell alone and just work on the assignment." She glared and then looked away, not wanting to see the look on his face. "God, I need a new lab partner," she muttered to herself.

He rolled his eyes ignoring the slight pang her words caused. �Pay no mind to the anal retentive. She still obviously hasn�t gotten that stick removed from her ass,� he said to the pig as he made the incision. �You know, Jo, you should get a good look at its heart. Just so you know what one looks like, since, clearly, you don�t have one.�

She looked at the incision and began describing the internal organs of Miss Piggy as the instructions dictated. "I have a heart," she replied.

�Must�ve just slipped my mind then,� he mumbled.

She looked down at her work. "So, I hear you and Jen are a couple." She looked up at him, her eyes piercing.

He exhaled sharply. So that�s what this was about. She was upset about him and Jen. Not that he was even sure what he and Jen were at that moment. But if Joey heard they were a couple, that meant Jen thought they were a couple and he wasn�t sure how he felt about that. He cleared his throat and decided to be honest. �Jen and I haven�t really discussed what we are yet.�

"She must have really liked the necklace. I thought you weren't interested in her." She continued her voice monotone. "That's what you told me Thursday. How do you go from that to groping? I know you move fast, Pace, but that's speedy, even for you."

�I never said I wasn�t interested in Jen. I said we were friends.�

"So you are?" She clarified.

�What?� Pacey asked suddenly interested in doing his work.

"Interested in her." She handed him the tweezers. "Pull back the skin and then cut it away."

�Well, Jen�s an amazing, beautiful and intelligent woman. I�d be crazy not to,� he said doing as she instructed. �Besides, she�s not afraid to go after what she wants,� he couldn�t help but add.

She bit her lip thoughtfully, "I should have done that months ago," she mumbled. She looked up at him trying to catch his eyes with hers. "Hey, Pace?"

�What is it Joey?� he asked tiredly not in the mood to get into an argument with her.

"You, I mean... we've..." she struggled to put her thoughts into words. "We've been through a lot together right, Pacey? And for the most part, we're all still friends right?" she questioned, playing with her pen.

�Yeah, I guess you can say that�� he said not sure where she was going with this.

"Do you think... how would you feel if..." She felt like there was some huge lump stuck in her throat making it impossible for her to get out what she wanted to say.

�I know I leave you tongue tied, Potter, but really try to control yourself around me,� he joked attempting to bring some levity to the conversation as he noticed her uneasiness.

"What I mean is, I want us... do you still... Ugh," she groaned. "I think maybe I still have feelings for..." she looked into his eyes and trailed off. Damn those eyes, she thought, losing her train of thought.

�Dawson?� he said quietly finishing up for her after a moment. �You think you still have feelings for Dawson.�

She looked down in dismay, "Yeah. Dawson."

�Well, you and Dawson are the soulmates, right?� He coughed uncomfortably. �I wouldn�t worry too much about it.�

"You think so?" she asked quietly picturing her friend in her mind. Maybe Dawson was exactly what she needed to get over Pacey.

�Yeah, sure, I mean you guys are the ones that are �inexplicably intertwined� and all that good stuff.� His eyes clouded over slightly. �No one can come between the two of you.�

"I wouldn't say that," she replied. "You did, Jen did. Look at us all now, we're the best of friends." There was a touch of bitterness to her voice. "So, um, you think he might still be interested?"

�He�d be crazy not to.�

The corner of her mouth turned up sadly. "Why would you say that?"

�You�re an incredible, intelligent, beautiful, breathtaking woman. What guy wouldn�t be interested?� He couldn�t keep the touch of honesty out of his voice. �Plus, you�re incredibly stubborn, but I�m sure they�re willing to overlook that.�

She blushed slightly. "You didn't." she told him quietly, giving him a sidelong look.

He smiled faintly. �Ah, but that�s where you�re wrong, Potter because that was one of the things that attracted me to you in the first place.�

She shifted in her seat, "Wh-what was?"

�The way you believe in everything you do so wholeheartedly.�

"Yeah right," she rolled her eyes. "I�ve never done anything wholeheartedly." Her voice fell, "Especially the important things."

�I think you�re being too hard on yourself. For example, look at what you did for Mr. Green.�

"Right, I was kicking and screaming the whole way. You however, pushed me to do it. You were behind me the whole way, Pace. I wouldn't have done it if you hadn't been there."

�Hey, all I did was follow directions. It was your show, Jo.�

"Regardless," she shrugged. "There was nothing wholehearted about my efforts."

�It was something you believed in.�

"Yeah, it was." She sighed, "Okay, we're supposed to move on to the ear now."

He handed her the scalpel. �I believe it�s your turn. No way am I doing all the work.�

She took it from him and made the incision. He was ignoring the fact he wasn't attracted to her. She bit her lip, for that she was glad, despite her words, she didn't want him to tell her the truth. "So...you're best friends with Dawson again, right? Does he ever talk about me?"

�I don�t think we�re that good of friends,� Pacey said as he watched what she was doing.

"So, I take it he hasn't." She frowned; it may be harder than she thought to win Dawson back.

He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, not liking the frown on her face. �Besides, I don�t know if Dawson�s too keen on the idea of discussing you with me after what happened.�

"Yeah, I can see where that might be the case." She narrowed her eyes in concentration so as not to cut through the eardrum of Miss. Piggy. "Still though, Jen had no problem discussing you with me."

He laughed nervously. �That�s Lindley for ya.�

"So, um, what's really going on between you two?" she asked quietly.

�I�m not really sure. We haven�t talked about it.�

"Well, Pace. Don't hurt her, okay?" Joey smiled softly, "She deserves some happiness, and you've always been good at providing it. Just don't," her brows drew together and she looked down so he wouldn't see the shine of tears in her eyes. "Don't yank it away too quickly."

�Well, I wouldn�t really worry about it because Lindley will probably realize what a mistake she�s making soon enough.�

"No," Joey shook her head, "She's smarter than Andie or I ever was."

He shrugged busying himself with filling out the questions on the sheet in front of him. �I�m sure I would�ve found some way to screw it up anyway.�

She bit her lip to keep from contradicting him. He was perfect. She was saved from thinking of a less lovelorn response by Mr. Grandview.

"Class is about to end, please wrap up your pigs and we'll go over the answers tomorrow." He clapped his hands, signaling the end of his announcement and turned back to his desk.

What better way to celebrate an upcoming three-day weekend then with a party on Friday night? Dawson maneuvered his way past the gyrating bodies in the living room and into the kitchen where a group of rambunctious jocks had congregated around the keg. He rolled his eyes and grabbed a six-pack of soda that was on the counter as he walked out the sliding glass doors and onto the beach. Even more teenagers spilled out into the sand, and a game of night volleyball with a glow-in-the-dark ball had started as people took advantage of the last remaining days of warm weather.

�Here you go,� Dawson said after he had walked down the beach a considerable distance. He plopped himself on the sand beside his friend and grabbed a can, the faint sounds of the party drifting over to them.

Joey smiled, taking the soda from him. "Thanks," she popped open the can and stared out at the ocean for a few moments before taking a sip. She sighed, "You know, it's just like us to come to a party and go off on our own."

He smiled as he took a drink of his soda. "It's not that bad."

She gave him a self-deprecating smile, "Dawson. We're alone on the beach while the rest of the senior class parties on." She shifted her eyes back to the water, "Not that I'm complaining. There are very few people I'd rather be with right now." Her eyes fell to her hands as she thought of the one person who constituted the few.

�Hey, we can go fraternize with the rest of them soon enough. No rush.�

"No, Dawson," she put her hand on his arm. "I'd rather just stay here with you. It's been a while since we..."

He grinned at her easily. �Who knew senior year would have the two of us so busy?�

"Yeah. I know, it's overwhelming." The corner of her mouth turned up, "So tell me, Dawson, what's goin' on in that busy life of yours?"

�College. Two years ago without a doubt I knew where I was going but now�� He brought his soda back to his lips and took a sip.

"Now there are just so many options and it's all happening so fast and before you know it you're looking around for what you once had only to find that you've neglected and ignored and it's just too damn late to get it back." She babbled.

�Yeah...I guess.� Dawson eyed her strangely as he took another sip of his soda. �You okay, Jo?�

She screwed up her face, "If I say I'm fine, will you believe me?"

"What do you think?"

"Thought so," she sighed. "I am fine though, Dawson. Just...overwhelmed and nervous and�A little lonely."

He shrugged. "I guess that's understandable."

She rolled her eyes, "Which kinda makes me an oxymoron because, low and behold, I'm off on my own being a wallflower."

He laughed lightly. "Joey you're worrying over nothing."

"Yeah, I know. I have a bad habit of doing that." She smirked, "That's what you're here for."

"Yeah..." he eyed the water through his peripheral vision.

"So, aside from college pressure...what's going on?"

"Nothing much. Still have to worry about finding my parents in flagrante delicto when I'm not helping out at the restaurant."

She winced, "None to pleasant I imagine."

"I don't know whether to be glad to have them back together or have my eyes gouged out."

She giggled, "You know it's worth it."

"Yeah, I guess it is." He smiled. "So what's new with you?"

"Not much. Going through friendship withdrawal, I think." She sighed.

"Want to talk about it?"

"Not much to talk about." She shrugged taking long sip of her soda.

"You sure?"

"Yeah," she nodded and they fell into a relaxed silence. Joey thought back to her conversation with Pacey earlier that week. Maybe Dawson...maybe she really didn't love Pacey. Maybe she just wanted to be in love... "Hey, Dawson?"

"Yeah, Jo?"

"Have you..." she started and looked over at him. "What went wrong between us?" She changed her tactic.

He shrugged again and eyed her curiously. "I guess the timing was never right."

She took a deep breath and summoned her courage, pushing Pacey to the very back of her mind. "And...Right now?"

He raised an eyebrow. "What are you trying to say Joey?"

"I think...I want to know how you feel about me." She said slowly.

He exhaled sharply and stared out in front of him digesting what he�d just heard. He looked at her honestly. �Joey, you know how feel about you.�

"No, Dawson." She replied her voice strained. "I really don't. I don't know how anyone feels about me right now."

�You�re my friend, Joey. My best friend. My soul mate. My conscience.� He smiled faintly. �Sometimes you�re the only thing that makes sense in my life.�

She bit her lip and smiled sadly, "Thanks Dawson." Well, that was answer enough, wasn't it? She let her eyes drift back to the water, listening to the hypnotic sound of the waves wash against the shore.

Dawson glanced at his friend taking in her despondent figure. �Are you sure you�re okay, Joey?�

She nodded her head, "Yeah, I'm fine. Just a little..."

He wrapped an arm around her shoulder and pulled her to him. �Don�t worry so much, okay?� he said concerned and affectionately kissed the top of her head.

"Sure, Dawson." She pulled away from him after a few moments and smiled tiredly. "So, you heard about the latest Capesideian romance?"

He shook his head. �No, but I have a feeling you�re going to tell me.�

"Pacey and Jen. You really hadn't heard about them?"

�Seriously?� He finished off the rest of his soda. �Who�d of thought the two of them would actually�Well, I guess it even kind of makes sense.�

"It does?" She arched an eyebrow. "Their sex pact last year didn't pan out. Why would a relationship?"

�Pacey and Jen are remarkably similar. They get along great. I don�t see why it wouldn�t.� She frowned and didn't reply, taking a long drink from her can of soda.

"So, Witter..." Jen began teasingly, running her nails lightly along the back of his neck as they slow danced. The crowd of partiers around them had toned down some, thanks to the abundance of alcohol and the soothing music being pumped through the house. She swayed happily in Pacey's arms, and aside from having to crane her neck to look up at him, she was content to stay there. "When are ya gonna try and spirit me upstairs to have my way with you?"

He laughed gazing down at her in amusement. �Have your way with me, huh?�

She chuckled, "Or your way with me." She tilted her head up at him, "Either way, we both win, don't we?"

He nodded in agreement. "That we do."

"So?" She grinned up at him.

�I don�t know how romantic it�d be with a bunch of drunken partiers below us.� He smiled.

"You're concerned with romance?" she asked arching an eyebrow at him.

�Why do you sound so surprised?�

"I dunno," she blushed slightly. "I mean, I know you're capable of it. More than capable of it from what I've heard from Andie and Jo." She played with the lapels of his shirt. "I just never really expected to be on the receiving end of one of Pacey Witter's romantic gestures."

The corner of his mouth turned up wryly. �Well, it comes with the whole significant other territory.�

"Significant other, huh?" She teased, her eyes shining happily. "I think I prefer girlfriend. More personal and all."

He tilted his head to the side. �Yeah, well significant other has more syllables. We�re big on that in Capeside.�

She laughed, "Yeah, yeah we are." She curved her hand around the back of his neck. "So, what's a significant other gotta do to get a kiss?"

�I�m pretty sure she doesn�t have to ask,� Pacey said huskily, lowering his mouth to hers and capturing her lips in a kiss.

She pulled away with a smile. "Anyone ever told you that you have an amazing set of lips?"

He grinned. �I do believe you�re the first person to have that honor.�

"Hmmm," her eyes fell to his lips again before she pulled them back to hers. Her lips fell open under slight pressure and she met her tongue to his, sighing happily.

�Mmm,� he said pulling away with a slow, sexy grin. �You keep kissing me like that and pretty soon I�m going to have to damn the party and spirit you upstairs.�

"I don't know that I'd complain." She murmured, running her index finger along his jaw.

He tightened his hold on her. �See? I knew there was a reason I liked you Lindley.�

She slapped him lightly in the back of the head, "It better not be because I'm easy."

He feigned shock. �Miss Lindley, I would never think that of you.� He smiled teasingly. �It�s because of your breasts.�

"Oh," she lifted one shoulder, "Well, that's okay then. What can I say? I was gifted."

"Lucky me."

She rolled her eyes, "If you behave, I might even let you touch them."

He nodded solemnly a grin sneaking it�s way onto his face. �I�ll be a very good boy.�

She tilted her head to the side, "Do you even know the meaning of the word?" She teased.

He smiled. �I�m insulted, seriously. Those charges were dropped.�

"Witter..." The smile on her face belied her warning tone.

He leaned down and kissed her quickly before she had a chance to protest.

Joey entered the beach house tiredly, Dawson had disappeared on her earlier and she'd finally gotten tired of sitting by herself in the sand. She obviously wasn't the party animal most of her classmates were, but she figured it was time for her to stop moping about Pacey and the fact Dawson was no longer interested in her.

For that matter, after he'd left, she'd thought it over and known that she couldn't have gone through with it. She loved Dawson too much to use him as a replacement for Pacey. It wasn't fair to either of them.

She frowned, nearly stumbling over a guy passed out in the doorway. Looking up, she scanned the crowd for any of her friends. Jen had told her she and Pacey were going to come, and she'd seen Jack earlier too. Picking her way through the crowd, she froze having found the last two people she wanted to.

She felt a thud in her stomach, having found Jen and Pacey completely wrapped up in each other. They were smiling at each other, talking in low voices as they swayed back in forth, completely oblivious to the fast beat of the song currently playing. Her fingers were playing with the hair at the back of his neck. Joey swallowed thickly. He said something and she giggled, looking up into his eyes adoringly. 'Just like he deserves,' she thought. 'I never looked at him that way.' She felt tears sting her eyes as he leaned down and kissed Jen tenderly, his fingers tangled in her mass of blond curls.

She bit her lip and turned on her heel, unable to take anymore she pushed her way back towards the door. She tried desperately to hold back the tears. She wasn't going to cry over him, not over Pacey. After seeing countless girls sitting on the floor of the school bathroom shedding tears over some undeserving prick, she'd promised herself she'd never become one of them.

The blast of cool air felt wonderful on her flushed face, but didn't staunch the stifling urge to cry. He wasn't a prick, and he was far from undeserving. Through the blur of unshed tears she made her way around the house towards the back where she'd parked the truck.