Stranger at my Door
"Pacey, hi! How was your weekend?" Pacey spun around to see Joey.
"Okay, who are you and what have you done with Joey?" he demanded to know.
"Oh, Pacey. You're so funny," Joey laughed sweetly. Pacey stopped at his locker and started fumbling with the lock.
"Okay, Jo. What do you want?" Pacey asked.
"What are you talking about?" Joey asked innocently. "I'm going to lunch. Want to come?"
"Look," Pacey said, "You're talking to me like a human being. That doesn't happen too often unless you need something. Now what could it be..." Pacey lowered his voice. "Money, drugs, me?" Joey gave him a look of disgust.
"Information," Joey said.
"Ahhh. So the truth comes out and I was right, of course." Pacey put his hands up in the air and started dancing.
"Pacey, there's no music," Joey reminded him.
"Details, details. Come on. Dance with me."
"Pacey," Joey squealed as he took her hand and twirled her around. "Pacey, we look stupid." They were both laughing hysterically. "I know what you're trying to do. You're trying to distract me from my mission." Joey pulled away. "When will I get my info?"
"What do I get out of giving anything to you?" Pacey asked in a sexy voice. "C'mon, baby, you know what I want. Make it worth my while." Joey made a face.
"Um... I'll buy you lunch today?"
"Cool! Okay, let's go," Pacey slammed his locker door shut and smiled in anticipation of his free lunch. Joey started to giggle and shook her head.
"A man of simple pleasures," Joey commented. "Let's go."
They walked to the cafeteria. Joey bought them both lunch and started to leave with the food.
"Where are you going, Joey?" Pacey asked. "Aren't we going to eat with Dawson and Jen?"
"No!" Joey practically screamed. She turned red when people turned around to stare at her. "No," she said again, softly this time. "You have information to give me. We need to eat alone. We're going outside."
"Are you sure this isn't just your backwards attempt seduce me?" Pacey smirked. Joey gave him a death stare.
"Believe me, Pacey. I only seduce members of my own species."
"I see the real Joey's back," Pacey grinned. "But, seriously, you are kind of fun when you're civil to me."
"Well, I can't say the same for you because you'd have to act civil to me first."
"Okay, Joey, here's a good spot to eat. Can I safely assume by your avoidance of Dawson and Jen that you are a bit miffed at the blondes?" Pacey said, carefully sitting down with his food. "What do you want to know about Dawson?"
"What are you talking about?" Joey asked, giving him a nervous half smile. "What makes you think this is about Dawson?"
"What else would it be? Is it or isn't it?" Joey sat down besides Pacey.
"Yeah," she mumbled. "So what did he tell you?"
"About what?"
"Don't play dumb with me, Pacey. What did he tell you happened at the dance?" Joey asked eagerly.
"You went to a dance? The one on Saturday night? Any hot chicks?"
"Pacey, stop. This is really important. What did he say?"
"I honestly have no idea what you're talking about," Pacey said with his mouth full. "What happened while I was gone? I always miss the good stuff."
"I can't believe it," Joey said to herself. "He really didn't give it a thought."
"He was acting kind of strange, though. More oblivious than usual."
"Aha!" Joey exclaimed. "He was thinking about it."
"Joey, what are you talking about?"
"Sorry, Pace. Maybe I'll tell you sometime, but not now. This has to be resolved first before I can tell you."
"C'mon, Joey," Pacey whined. "Don't keep me in suspense!"
"Sorry, my lips are sealed."
"Are you going to eat that?" Pacey had scarfed down everything on his tray while Joey had barely touched her food.
"Here, take half," Joey sighed. "You are such a pig!"
"Oink, oink, baby," Pacey said, spitting chunks of food out of his mouth. Joey just got up and left.
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"Where's Pacey and Joey?" Dawson asked Jen as they went to go find a table.
"I don't know," she replied. There was an awkward silence as they sat down.
"You know what, Jen?" Dawson said a few minutes later. "This is stupid. Why are we so awkward? We're friends. We should talk. I'm over you," he added proudly, "so no more awkwardness." Jen raised an eyebrow at that last part.
"Very good, Dawson," she laughed. "I know that whole little speech was just so you could say that you're over me. That's good, though, because now I can ask you something that I wanted to know all morning. You were really distant this morning and I know why. I saw it."
"What are you talking about?" Dawson shifted uncomfortably in his chair.
"You and Joey. At the dance. Making out. What's going on there?"
"I don't know," Dawson said sadly. "I had no idea. Now I don't know what to think. I mean, she's my best friend. She wants more? I don't know..."
"You had no idea how she felt about you whatsoever?" Jen asked.
"No."
"Why do I not find that so hard to believe," Jen said into her napkin.
"What?"
"Nothing."
"So, who else saw us?"
"That's the funny thing. I don't know if anyone else did," Jen said thoughtfully. "It wasn't like you two weren't obvious about it or anything, but if any one had noticed it would have been all over the school by now. At least if anyone who had noticed had cared."
"That's good, I guess. I wonder why Pacey and Joey skipped lunch?" Dawson said.
"I think I know why Joey did," Jen said, not believing Dawson's obliviousness. Maybe he was just pretending to be so naive. "I'll see you later, Dawson." Jen had a free period after lunch and she knew that Joey did, too. She found her in the library.
"Okay," Jen said playfully as she walked up to Joey, "spill it."
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