My Best Friend’s Wedding
Part IV
~ Sat. at Jen’s Party ~
~ The street in front of the Yacht Club ~
“Jen, wait,” Dawson yells as he chases after Jen. Dawson finally catches up with her, and although Jen is turned away from him, he can still tell she’s crying. Dawson touches her arm lightly to get her to turn and face him. “Jen …” She turns around and faces Dawson with watery paths of tears careening down her face.
“Are you ok?” asks Dawson.
After getting her tears under control, Jen answers, “Just dandy, Dawson. One of the few people, whom I thought may have turned out to be a true friend, pretty much just called me a slut to my face.” “Joey didn’t mean that. Lately I don’t know what has been going on with her, but she hasn’t been herself lately. Besides it doesn’t matter what she says, the only thing that matters is what you think.”
“God, you sound like an after school special,” said Jen smiling and lightening up a little. Dawson laughs a little, realizing the accuracy in her statement. “There’s that sexy smile I remember,” said Dawson.
Jen slightly blushed at Dawson’s compliment. Forgetting about the incident involving Joey, Jen turned her attention to asking Dawson for a second chance. She was hoping Dawson would take her back, even though she was the one who had broken it off with him. She had missed him terribly after they broke up. She also realized her illogical, stupid reason for breaking up with Dawson was just a lie. She was really just scared to death of getting too close to someone and that phony reason she had given him was just an illusion she had created in order to avoid facing her fear. She now regretted being such a coward and wanted to make things right again.
“Dawson, do you want to know what I wished for tonight when I blew out my candles?”
“What?” inquired Dawson, remembering the mysterious ‘wish’ earlier that evening. “I thought you said it wouldn’t come true if you told me.” “Well, I thought since you are involved in the actual wish, I should let you in on the secret.”
Dawson’s face broke out into a smile, happy to hear that Jen was thinking of him. “Interesting, so what is this enigmatic wish I keep hearing about?” Gazing hopefully up at Dawson Jen said, “My wish was, actually still is…” Jen takes a small breath, “that you will consider taking me back.” Dawson’s reaction was surprise mixed with complete and utter joy. Dawson asked Jen, “Are you sure? What made you change your mind?” “I realized I only broke up with you to avoid my own fears. I was scared to get too close, and I was afraid if I let myself get too close, I’d slip back into my old New York habits.”
“Why would you think that Jen? I’m not like the guys in New York, you know that. I’d never hurt you on purpose or take advantage of you.” “I know, it’s just that I finally got control of my life. I thought that if I gave up some of that control in the form of having feelings for you, then I’d just lose control of my life again. Although my plan seemed logical, it was completely impractical. The one thing I didn’t take into account is the fact that my feelings for you haven’t gone away. So I want to start over and try the you and me thing again.” Dawson was absorbing everything Jen had just said and hesitated to give Jen an answer. Jen began to start to say something else to try to sway his decision, when Dawson leaned down and kissed her. Jen wrapped her arms around him and kissed him back. After what seemed like an eternity to the two, they slowly broke their embrace.
Dawson looked at Jen admiring her beauty, “You know what Jen, I’ve been waiting all night to do that.”
“Me too, I was just worried that I would be too late,” said Jen. “But I’m happy I wasn’t.”
Dawson was amused by Jen’s comments, “You thought you were too late.” Dawson laughed lightly, “I was worried I’d never get you back from the monstrous claws of the one and only Cliff, the creator, star, and director of the high quality film ‘Helmets of Glory.’ I had competition, you were every guy’s dream girl. I had a right to worry, but the girls aren’t exactly fawning over me so what ridiculous reason would you have to worry?”
Jen was taken aback as she realized that Dawson still hadn’t noticed Joey’s apparent feelings for him. She thought he had figured it out, but did not reciprocate the same feelings. Still a bit shocked and not thinking she blurted out, “I don’t think Joey is such a ridiculous reason.” She immediately regretted saying it in fear that now that Dawson knew the truth, he would realize unexplored feelings for Joey.
Dawson stunned by Jen’s reply said, “Wait, hold on, what did you say?” Trying to avoid the topic Jen said, “Never mind, Dawson, you’re right it was a silly reason. Come on let’s go back to the party and have a good time.” She put her arm around Dawson and leaned against him as they began to walk back towards the party.
~ Inside the Yacht Club ~
Pacey reentered the party, this time without the showy, obnoxious entrance of before. As soon as he reemerged from the docks, he noticed Joey sitting alone at a table in the far corner. He started to go over to talk to her to see what was wrong now. As he approached he noticed three empty plates, which each contained the remnants of chocolate cake and realized whatever it was, it couldn’t be good.
“Is this seat taken?” Joey looked up to see Pacey. She was about to answer when Pacey cut her off, “Well in that case I think I’ll join you. So what’s wrong now?”
“Nothing, I’m having a grand old time, can’t you tell?” Joey said sarcastically. “Well, taking into observation that you only eat like that…” Pacey pointed to the empty plates, “when you’re upset, I figured something must have gone wrong with the happily ever after part.”
“Trust me, not just something everything went wrong.”
“Enlighten me on the events of the evening, which apparently have steadily gone downhill since our last discussion,” said Pacey.
“It’s a long story, so to save you any further boredom from my miserable existence I’ll condense. I was going to ask Dawson to dance when Jen and he told me they were going for a walk together, no doubt to talk about getting back together. I got jealous called Jen a slut, she ran out crying, Dawson got pissed and the rest is history.”
“You called Jen a slut?” asked Pacey surprised at how far Joey had gone.
“Well not exactly a slut, but I alluded, not very discreetly either, to that being my point,” said a regretful Joey.
“I’m not even going to touch on how that one should be resolved. But maybe I can take your mind off of it for a little while.”
“Oh yeah, how’s that,” asked Joey suspiciously.
“Like this,” Pacey said as he attempted to pull Joey onto the dance floor. After being pulled to her feet she tried to stand her ground, but Pacey’s desire to get her mind off this whole Dawson dilemma was too great. Despite her many objections, Pacey eventually got her out onto the dance floor. Pacey thought he had won and was in the process of patting himself on his back, when he suddenly realized that getting Joey on the dance floor wasn’t the problem. He found out that the hard part was going to get Joey to dance. He knew it may be an impossible task, but he tried anyway, because seeing Joey having a good time would allow Pacey to have a good time. He began to playfully spin an unwilling Joey around. Although Joey was reluctant to go along with Pacey’s antics, she slowly gave in and started dancing with him. To her astonishment, she actually began having a good time with Pacey Witter. “See this isn’t too bad is it?” asked Pacey.
Joey looked down, away from Pacey, and half smiled, “No it isn’t too bad. And I hate to admit it, but I’m actually starting to have a little fun.” Pacey smiled when he heard that Joey was finally having a decent time, and it made him even happier to think that she was having that time with him. Jokingly Joey said, “Maybe Dawson, isn’t ‘Prince Charming’ after all, maybe you are.” Joey pointed to the table with the remnants of eaten cake on it, “I do believe you have rescued me from a future filled with Sweating to the Oldies’ tapes and Richard Simmons.” Pacey laughed at her comment, but wondered if that comment on him being her Prince Charming was at all based on reality. He decided to stop analyzing it to death before he turned into his totally unaware, best friend Dawson. So he let it go as Joey and he continued to dance together.