Author: Kate
Rating: PG
Category: pj
Author's Notes: Since we were cheated out of a lot of PJ scenes this season, I thought I'd write in my own for each episode. They aren't romantic, more of friendship, but I hope you like them! Feedback is appreciated :)
--------------------------------------------------------------
"My mentor is an adulterer." I sigh. I lean my head against my forearm which is grasping the metal railing of my boat.
"Yeah, well, so's my boyfriend." Jen counters.
"You two are starting to bum me out." Joey says, looking out into the water.
"You were already bummed out." I say.
"We're always bummed out." Jen sighs.
"We should start a club." Joey says while slipping her feet into the water.
"We could make it our mission to bum everyone else out." I suggest.
"Or just the skank who's screwing my boyfriend."
Joey snorts in agreement and I rub Jen's back soothingly. I thought a sailing trip would put us in better spirits. Bring up our morale. Let us forget our problems for a night.
It seemed like a good idea at the time ... then I remembered Jen and I almost died on one of my sailing trips ... and Joey and I fell in love on one of them.
Neither trips need to be remembered nor revisited at this current point in time.
We fall back into a comfortable silence. There seems to be a lot of those these days. "For a bunch of kids who couldn't keep their analytical mouths shut in high school, we sure are a somber group."
"Would you like me to go on about the whore who was kissing my boyfriend?"
"Or my best friend who I can't help?"
I raise a hand in defense. "Guess silence really is golden."
I hear Joey sigh deeply after a few minutes. "Now it's just annoying."
"What is?" I ask.
"The silence." She responds.
"So say something." Jen prompts halfheartedly.
"How's the job going Pace?" Joey tries.
"Sucks." I answer.
"And how's Jack, Jen?"
"Still gay."
Joey nods.
More silence.
Joey tries again, "Pacey, let me ask you a question, and be perfectly honest when you answer, okay?"
"Okay ..." I agree cautiously.
"Did you ever cheat on Ms. Jacobs?"
"No."
"Did you ever cheat on Andie?"
"No."
"Did you ever cheat on me?"
"Do you even have to ask?"
"Then what makes you think you're going to turn out like this mentor of yours?" Joey asks like I'm a moron for not being able to figure this out on my own.
"Well, I'm like him in every other way." I answer weakly.
"Do you really think you two are the only smart asses in Boston with a bad sense of humor?" Jen chimes in.
"No, Charlie is."
I watch her cringe a little and I feel bad until she responds. "Fine, point taken. He's all yours, Jo."
"Pacey," Joey continues, "cheating is not an innate trait. You either do it or you don't. It's a conscious decision."
"Right," Jen adds, "A conscious decision that only jerks make. And, luckily for you, the general consensus is that you’re rarely a jerk."
"Aww, thanks Jen." I say somewhat sarcastically.
"And you, Jen." Joey starts again. "You need to stop bemoaning your existence just because some shit head cheated on you. He obviously didn't know what he had when he was with you. Because if he did, you wouldn't be on this boat with us right now. You'd be in his room gettin' some ass."
"Amen, Sister." I commend.
"Well what about you?" Jen says to Joey.
"What about me?" Joey asks, her take charge attitude suddenly dissipating.
"You can't keep on worrying about Dawson like you have been. I mean, sure, a certain amount of worry is healthy and any good friend would do it. But no amount of it will erase this tragedy from his mind. Everyone deals with death differently. You have to let him find his way."
"I'm just trying to help him." Joey says.
"So let him know you're here and then wait for him to come to you." Jen suggests.
More silence.
"I guess you're right."
"Jen's always right." I say to Joey.
"This is the most therapeutic boat ride I've ever been on." Jen comments.
I nod my head in agreement. "What do you say I turn this baby around and then we go out for some ice cream?"
"Why ice cream?" Joey asks.
I shrug, "It just seems like an ice cream moment."
"I agree. It's a very rocky road kind of night." Jen says.
"I was thinking more along the lines of chocolate chip cookie dough." Joey responds after a moment.
I smile as I steer the wheel toward our new home in the big city.
------------------------------------------------------------