Please e-mail me with any comments
Minmey@aol.com!
They really do brighten my day.
*****
"What's that?" Joey asked looking at the computer screen while Dawson typed away. People milled around quietly searching for books in the high school library. "Oh, I'm surfing the web," Dawson said. "I figured it's time to join everyone on the super information highway. I wanted to see what's so special about it." "So... what's so special about it?" Joey searched the screen for something of interest. "I don't know yet," Dawson clicked on a flashing icon. "So far it's a bunch of people with a little too much time on their hands. People actually write stories about their favorite shows. Why don't they just wait for things to pan out on the television screen? And these websites, my gosh, do these people have no life?" "Hmm..." Joey scann ed a list of links to sites waiting for something to strike her fancy. Pointing to one in particular DC'S KATIE AND JOSH LOVER'S SHRINE. "Try that one." "Okay," Dawson clicked on the blue writing.
***CUT TO CREDITS: THEME SONG, I Don't Wanna Wait, Paula Cole***
Author butting in: Yeah, I know. This has nothing to do with the story line. I just... wanted to write it, and since you don't have much of a choice in the matter, no one could stop me! Anyway, my apologies for this shameless plug!
*****
The sounds of school kids were heard from the distance as the gang walked up the steps of Capeside Day Care. Part of their graduation requirements was to participate in a few hours of community service each year. The day care service was a non profit organization where single mothers, single fathers, anyone in need was able to drop off their children. Jen walked up the steps hesitatingly. She'd never really had that much experience with kids, and she wasn't sure how to act to make the kids warm up to her. "Relax," Pacey whispered to her sensing how apprehensive she was. He tried to joke with her to make her loosen up, "They can smell fear." Jen froze on the steps Pacey's comedy obviously backfiring. "Jen, I was just kidding. C'mon, just be yourself." "Pacey, I've never been around kids before," Jen tried to explain. "They're not aliens," Pacey said. "Just... think of them as little adults." Jen nodded and stepped into the lobby while Dawson held the door open for the group. She took in a deep breath.
*****
"All right, kids," a sweet lady approached the 4 and 5 year olds as colorful blocks were thrown around, finger paint splattered everywhere but the paper, and the children ran rampant through the small room. "Kids?" She tried again failing to get their attention with her soft lilting voice. A shrieking whistle came from Joey's lips that stopped the little rugrats dead in their tracks. "Hey," she said as if nothing ever happened. "This woman has something to tell you, and we'd all appreciate it if you'd quiet down for a few minutes." The children gathered on the carpet in little clusters obediently as if they had been chastised by their own mother as the director of the day care explained who these four were, "They're here to help you guys today. So let's welcome them here, okay?" she smiled. "They're all yours," she said to the four teens as they stared at the group of at least thirty kids anxiously looking up at them. "Well, uh," Dawson said taking hold of the reins. "I have an idea. Let's discuss the types of cinema features that interest your budding young minds." "Huh?" a small young boy said a confused expression on his fa ce. "You talk weird." "It's french," a girl spoke up. "I know, my mommy speaks it." "Dawson, these are kindergartners, not Ivy Leaguers," Joey explained. "They don't know the alphabet yet, let alone how to use athesaurus."
"I know the alphabet!" an indignant hand raised. "A B C D E FG..."
"H I J K L M & M O P..." the rest chimed in. "That's nice guys, really," Joey said calmly. "What Dawson here meant though was what kind of movies do you guys like?" "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers!" the same boy stood up in his karate pose. "YEAH! GO! GO! POWER RANGERS!!" the kids sang. "You liked the Power Rangers?" Dawson clearly offended responded. "Out of the plethora movies in the world you choose the Power Rangers as your favorite one?" "Yeah, that movie bites." a girl spoke up. "Thank you, a little girl with taste." Dawson relieved that someone out there agreed. "SpiceWorld rocks!" with that his jaw dropped. "I was thinking more along the lines of eternal classics such as E.T," he persuaded. "That movie sucks," Power Ranger boy said again. "'Scuse me?" Dawson angered beyond belief stood up to face the small child. "E.T. is an unforgettable, everlasting classic. It was the first to portray an extra terrestrial as actually approachable, even peaceful thereby making movie history." "Yeah, whatever you said, it still sucked," he said. "Did not!" "Did too!" "Did not!" "You probably sleep with an E.T. doll!" he l aughed in his face. "It's a -" "-collector's item." Joey, Pacey, and Jen finished his sentence amidst snickers and laughs in the corner as they watched him duke it out with a five year old. Pacey stepped in then. "Okay, guys, I think we should take a break. It's playtime!" "Did not..." Dawson said timidly in the corner.
*****
Pacey glanced in Joey's direction ever since their moonlight escapade in the park he'd gotten the feeling that she was avoiding him. The only consolation he received, and he hated to use this, was that Dawson seemed to be getting the same treatment as well. He knew he had taken a big chance by taking her out that night, and maybe she'd been scared away by it all. As much as he hated that thought, every day that went by made it increasingly more of a reality. He didn't want to rush her into a decision though and pushing her for answers was definitely rushing. He'd realized that when he'd kissed her, he was asking her to take a leap into unchartered waters knowing that she still felt something for Dawson and only recently reciprocated a small part of what he felt for her. He gritted his teeth and decided to bear it. He respected her too much to force her into something she wasn't sure she wanted. "What's your name?" A little girl tugged on the hem of Pacey's shirt interrupting his thoughts and looking up at him with adorable brown eyes. Pace y scooped her up in his arms so that they were eye to eye. "The name's Pacey," he said quickly snapping out of it. "And what's yours, beautiful?" "Don't tell me you're trying your lines on the five year olds," Joey interrupted coming to take the girl away from him. "Can I help it if this cute little thing here finds me irresistible?" "Pacey, I'm not going to let you corrupt these young, impressionable minds." Joey fought. "At least give them a few more years of innocence." "As a matter of fact, she came on to me," Pacey said. "Isn't that right?" he turned to the girl. "Are you guys married?" she answered. The two eyed each other waringly. "Me? Bound for eternity to this Neanderthal?" Joey laughed. "I'm sick of the sight of him already." "No, we're not," Pacey answered in more civil terms. "Oh..." lost in thought, she replied. "Why not?" Pacey stumbled on his words, "Uh, I, geez, um... because." "Because we're too young to get married." Joey answered trying to get into as little detail as possible. "Oh..." she turned again to Pacey. "But she's pretty!" she said pointing to Joey. "I like her! Don't you think she'spretty?"
Joey blushed for about the second time in her life as Pacey looked up at her. He sighed and let his head fall as he surrendered, "Yes, I think she's very pretty."
Then turning to Joey, "And he's cute, isn't he?" At Joey's hesitation, she demanded once again more threateningly with a pout and a pair of puppy dog eyes, "Isn't he?" "Oh..." Joey gave in shrugging her shoulders trying not to be affected by her well versed pouting technique. "Okay, fine. Yes, he's cute... a little, I guess in some twisted, freakish, psychopathic way." She added the last addendum simply for the sole purpose of not letting Pacey get the upper hand in this situation. She seemed satisfied with the answer, for now, anyway. "I'm Amanda." she said taking both of them by the hands. "Let's play house. You be the mommy and you be the daddy and I'll be the baby..."
*****
Dawson cowered in the corner being accosted by five kids who had targeted him as the "Evil Lord Zed". Five plastic swords were pointed directly at his throat. "Aha! Now we have him!" Power Ranger boy shouted to the followers. "What should we do with this traitor?" Dawson not ready to be taken in as a prisoner pointed toward the window, "Hey, it's the black ranger!" "Where?" the small kids turned toward the window Dawson pointed as he quickly picked himself up ran away. "Made you look!" he yelled triumphantly running away from the group, but not so easily getting away as the Power Rangers made a mad dash to catch up to him.
*****
Jen sat at a little table by herself watching the kids play freely. A little girl approached her timidly. The braids at the sides of her head loose and tangled but her eyes wide with fascination. She stroked Jen's thick blonde hair. "You have beau-ti-ful," she pronounced that last word with caution trying to get it right, "hair." She smiled at her sweet nature, "Thank you, you do too," she touched her hair lightly and fingered the braids. "Although it could use a touch up." "My grandpa does my hair every morning," she explained. "but he got sick and had to go to the hospital. Now my dad has to do it, and it doesn't look the same." "Oh..." Jen sympathized with the young girl. Knowing how hard it is to see her grandfather bed ridden, she realized how much harder it must be for someone at such a tender age. "I have a grandpa, too. He got sick just like yours. It's hard, huh?" The girl nodded and looked up at her. "But I send him kisses though." "You send him what?" "Kisses," she explained again. Every night I blow him one out the window, so he knows I'm thinking of him." The girl stopped and tilted her head looking at Jen so intensely she swore that the little girl was reading into her soul. "I'm Melissa. Would you fix my hair?" she softly pleaded. She smiled and took a brush out of her purse which lay next to her. "Sure," she patted her lap gesturing for the tiny flower to sit down. She leaped into her eager to be close to Jen. She slowly undid her messy braids and combed through the tangles. They sat there in that cozy position while Jen brushed through the soft chestnut brown hair. "Jen! Help me, please!" Dawson ran around the small table obviously out of breath and being ch ased by the little rugrats. "What is going..." Jen trailed off watching the game of cat and mouse play in front of her... and behind her, and beside her. "They're trying to get me, Jen," Dawson said trying to block their attack by using Jen's chair with her still in it. "Your friend is weird," the little girl said still sitting in her lap. "I know," Jen answered. "You'll get used to it. Just leave him alone." Dawson took off again with the laughing children trailing behind him.
*****
Joey sat uncomfortably over a tea party that she was forced into by Amanda. This was really ruining her "I need some space to think" strategy. When Joey had said goodbye to Dawson, she was hesitant in starting anything with Pacey. She was more than certain that Pacey cared for her, and she didn't want to take advantage of his deep feelings as a rebound reflex after such a long torturous infatuation for her best friend. Pacey didn't deserve a heartbreak like that. She watched him playing with Amanda though and couldn't help but smile. Underneath all of his jokes, snide remarks, and clown routines there was a truly gentle heart that shone through when he was with kids... and with her, she realized. He was able to let some of his well built defenses down. She sighed again and looked over at Pacey studying him. The desire to move their relationship forward was overwhelming. She wasn't sure when and couldn't begin to explain how her feelings for him had changed so quickly. All she was certain of was that they had. "If you guys aren't married," Amanda said watching her two new friends. "What are you?" Joey was quickly drawn out of her reflections and confronted by a very difficult question. "Well, Pacey is, he-" "Joey, well, she's, um- kinda" The both of them stammered on grasping for answers in their own head, but trying to avoid talking to each other. He aven forbid, they communicate to each other, a fate worse than death. "He's really-" "I, y'know-" "You guys are too confusing," Amanda sighed pulling the two together and forced their hands together in a lock. "You talk amongst yourselves. I need a drink." Amanda clearly exasperated walked off. "But Amanda!" they both called back to her not wanting to be left alone with the other. The two looked down at their locked hands, but neither made a move to let go. "It looks like we've been set up by a five year old," Pacey smiled at her. She smiled back a little timidly, "Yeah, looks like it..." The silence was deadly, but neither knew where to begin. "We should talk," both said in uniso n. With a giggle, "You first," came from their mouths. Joey sighed and pulled her hand away from Pacey's. "Pacey, we have a lot to talk about." "Well, we agree on that," he stood in front of her waiting for her to begin. "Well, first of all, I think I owe you this." Joey began without hesitation, "Thank you for all that you've done to make me..." she smiled. "happy." "It was my pleasure," Pacey replied sincerely.
"Now I think you need some answers," Joey explained. "Answers that I haven't been giving. Pacey, I know that you have feelings for me, and your infatuation is flattering to say the least. I can't contemplate why-" "Yeah, yeah. Let's skip that, I think we both know a little too well how I feel. The real question here is what do you feel?" Pacey said impatiently and tired of beating around the bush. "I feel..." she searched his eyes amazed at the adoration she found there. She wanted to tell him. She wanted to scream it, but she was afraid of where that might lead, "I like you, Pacey. I like being around you. You make me feel happy and sad, strong yet vulnerable, and scared and confused, but all the while amidst all that chaos in my mind, I know exactly what's right." She confessed. "but..." "There's a rock in the road blocking the path between you and me," Pacey said. "and his name is Dawson." "No!" Joey said amazed that he could still think that she had feelings for Dawson. "That's not it. That's not it at all. I just... I don't want to exploit your feelings for me... I... I don't want to hurt you, Pacey. I don't want you to become my rebound reaction. I want this to be real." "Whoa, save the psycho babble bullshit," Pacey stopped her, and looked into her eyes almost challenging her, "Just answer one question, plain and simple, who do you want?" "I want you!" Joey cried making people turn heads. She approached him and repeated softly, "I want you, Pacey." "Well, I guess it's settled then," he pulled her against him and rested his head on hers. "But-" Joey protested. "I don't give a damn about whether or not this is a rebound relationship or not," Pacey explained. "The very fact that you thought about it, that you didn't want to hurt me, assures me that it's not... and..." he said a little quieter, "I want this too much to let you pass me by." She pulled away to get a good look at him and smiled. "So this is happiness?" she thought to herself. "Out of my way!!!" Dawson yelled running between the two of them. Then Joey and Pacey were separated once again as five kids trailed him. "Run, all you want, Lord Zed," Power Ranger boy yelled chasing after him. "Justice will prevail!" Joey and Pacey laughed as they looked at each other knowing exactly what the other was thinking. One way or another, Dawson will always find a way to get in the middle of things.
*****
"E.T. phone home..." the television said as the music swelled at the poignant moment. Joey had found a copy of the movie on a shelf and decided to pop it in. One by one each kid had slowly approached the tv set and watched with interest. Half the kids were asleep tired from such a fun day, including the now exhausted Dawson and his five friends. Jen's new friend had fallen asleep in her lap, so Jen sat quietly enjoying the movie and the closeness she felt with Melissa. Joey and Pacey surveyed the kids from the back of the room noticing that Amanda had not yet fallen asleep but sat watching intently the story play out on the screen before her. "I guess they like E.T. okay after all," Joey replied. "Life's full of surprises." "What about you, Josephine Potter?" Pacey asked playfully. "You're full of surprises as well." She smiled and through gritted teeth said threateningly, "Call me Josephine again, and I'll rip out your spleen." "Fair deal," he said and pulled her in for a kiss.
*****
THE END