This story was written by Melody and Erana Zeitler. This story was edited, corrected, typed, and rewritten by Erana Zeitler. This story was HTMLized, thought of, and posted by Melody.
"I can't believe I agreed to go to this," Joey said with a sigh, putting the last of her t-shirts into her suitcase and closing it heavily.
"You know bringing clothes and your disc-man onto a camping trip really tends to defeat the whole purpose of living off of nature," Dawson commented, raising an eyebrow.
"I don't even want to go," Joey reminded him. "You asked me to, so I am, but that's the only reason. I'm sorry, but spending three days with Pacey and Jen out in the middle of the woods is not my idea of a good time."
"Come on, Joey," Dawson pleaded with her. "Pacey's been miserable since Tamara left town. This might go a long way in cheering him up. Besides, the weather man predicts a 95% probability that this weekend the weather's going to be sunny with a 4% chance of rain, it's the perfect time to get away."
"If you say so, Dawson," Joey sighed, not wanting to tell him that the only reason she had agreed to go on this camping trip of his was because he was going to be there. The idea of spending three days along with Dawson definitely appealed to her; she only wished Jen and Pacey weren't going. She really didn't want to watch Dawson and Jen make out while Pacey moped.
"It'll be fun!" Dawson said, sounding enthusiastic. "Think about it, three days
away from school and parents and teachers, just living off the land, fighting to survive with
only our wits to keep us alive."
Joey looked at him skeptically. "So that's why you brought three bags of chips and two six packs of soda?" she asked with amusement.
"That is so totally not the point, Joey," Dawson protested, sounding slightly hurt.
"Whatever you say," Joey answered coolly. "Personally, I'd rather spend my three day weekend inside enjoying some peace and quiet for a change."
"It will be peaceful and quiet! Joey, think about it, we're going to be surrounded by woods in the middle of nowhere, with no one to turn to if we get into trouble or if there's any danger."
"What are you expecting, Dawson? That a pack of wild bears are going to try and attack us because they're drawn to the camp by the smell of potato chips and Mountain Dew?"
Dawson decided to let that comment pass. "Let's get going," he said, instead. "Pacey and Jen are outside with the car. I'm telling you, Joey, this is going to be awesome!"
Joey sighed and grabbed her suitcase, lugging it out with her. She smirked in amusement when she noted that Jen had also brought a suitcase with her, only hers was a lot larger than Joey's and probably contained a lot more clothing and accessories and
make-up. Joey rolled her eyes; wouldn't want Jen to look a little less perfect and beautiful out in the middle of nowhere, now would she?
"You two idiots ready?" Pacey asked, gunning the engine and looking at them impatiently.
"Let's hit the road!" Dawson intoned, still sounding enthusiastic as he hopped into the passenger seat and Joey demurely got into the back.
"Well, here we are," Dawson said, taking a deep breath as he looked out at the woods. "Let's get going."
Jen raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure this is a good idea?" she asked, sounding slightly worried. "I mean we're out in the middle of nowhere . . . this isn't an official camping site . . . "
"Quit worrying!" Dawson chided her. "The statistics prove that this area is perfectly safe for a three day camping trip."
Joey looked longingly back down the road, thinking of her room and the fact that her sister and her niece were also on vacation. She shook her head, wondering once again why in the world she had agreed to go on this trip in the first place when she could be home, she was not looking forward to watching Jen and Dawson for three days.
Joey looks at Dawson. "Okay, we're here, now what?"
Dawson gave Joey a desperate look. "Can you at least pretend to have fun? For me?"
Joey rolled her eyes but said nothing.
Jen came up behind Dawson. "Dawson, this is beautiful! Thank you for bringing me here."
Dawson kissed her on the cheek. "You ain't seen nothing. I'm going to make you regret our little break-up."
The group dropped their stuff onto the ground and Dawson began to unpack. "Okay, since there's only two tents we'll make it guys and girls. Any objections?"
Joey gave Dawson an evil glare but kept her comments to herself. Everyone else agreed.
"Okay," said Dawson. "Pacey and I will get this stuff set up. Jen, why don't you and Joey get some firewood for dinner?"
"Okay. Joey?" Jen asked.
Joey replied, "Sure, fine, whatever."
While collecting wood Jen started in with Joey. "So, do you still hate me?"
"I never hated you. I just hate to see Dawson hurt."
"Dawson seem's fine."
"You don't have to hear about it. Dawson's far from fine. I know it's not my business, but you hurt him, and I don't understand why you dumped him."
"I didn't want to hurt him. I just don't want to get serious with him. I know that's what he wanted, but I'm not ready."
"When will you be ready? When he's finally gotten over you, so you can hurt him again. Just tell me when so I can leave the country."
"I just want to stay friends with him. And I want us to be friends to."
Joey said, "Why?"
Jen said, "In case you didn't notice, I don't have any real friends here, besides Dawson and Pacey. And since your friends with them I thought we could try to work out our differences. I know how you feel about Dawson, I never meant to get between
you."
"Dawson and I are just friends."
"Don't you see you two are more than that. I'd give anything for the kind of relationship you guys have."
Joey speaks, "It's not a relationship."
Jen speaks, "Yes it is. He can tell you anything, he feels comfortable with you."
"I guess. But I can't tell him anything."
"That's your problem. You can, you just don't want to."
Joey talks, "What good would telling Dawson how I feel do? We would lose our friendship."
"Only if you let it happen. Dawson loves you, Joey. He's always talking about
you. You two have a connection him and I could never have."
"I wouldn't go that far." Joey started to walk back towards the camp site and
spoke again. "If you want I'm willing to be friends with you, but there's one
condition.”
"What's that?"
"No more talking about Dawson."
Dawson and Pacey had the tents set up when Jen and Joey returned with the firewood. Dawson took the wood and set up the fire. "Did you two have fun?"
Joey looked at Jen. "We bonded."
"That's good. You guys ready for dinner?"
"What's for dinner?"
"Hot dogs."
"Sounds good." She began putting her stuff in the tent and slipped into a
sweater.
"So what did you two talk about?" Dawson asked Jen.
Jen smiled. "Wouldn't you like to know?"
After dinner Pacey started up the group discussion. "So, let's play truth or dare." Everybody groaned, and Jen laughed.
"Not after what happened last time."
"Agreed," Dawson said. "How about Pacey tells us all about his older woman."
Pacey laughed. "Nothing you could handle, Dawson. All I know is I'm sticking with older chicks."
"Why don't you wait till your legal so they don't wind up in jail? Or at least wait
until I make a movie about you."
"Dawson, just imagine your parents having sex. Does that gross you out?"
"Not as much as my mom and her new boyfriend."
"Come on, Dawson. At least she's giving her marriage her full attention," Jen said.
"I don't know. I haven't talked to my mom since it all came out," he replied.
"It could be worse, Dawson. My mom can't remember the guys name the next day. She can't even remember her own name."
Dawson looks concerned. "Is that why you left New York?"
"Part of it. My grandmother says I'm just like my mother. Sometimes I wish my mom were dead."
Joey stood. "Careful what you wish for, Jen." She walked off into the woods.
Jen looks confused. "What did I say?"
Dawson stood up and ran after Joey.
Pacey speaks to Jen. "Joey's mom is dead.”
"Oh, no," said Jen. She stands up. "I have to talk her!"
Pacey stopped her. "Let Dawson take care of it. When Joey's mom died she didn't talk to anyone, she had a huge fight with her mom the night she died. She said the same thing to her mom that you just said. It took Dawson a long time to calm her down. Joey's far from over it. She doesn't even talk about it anymore . . . except with Dawson."
Jen said, "She must really hate me now."
"I thought you knew. I figured Dawson told you."
"No, he didn't. I wish he had."
"Why do you worry about being friends with Joey? I don't see how you could since you're fighting for the same man, well, boy, in Dawson's case."
"We're not fighting over Dawson. We just needed to clarify our feelings."
"I see. And did you?"
"I don't know."
Joey kept running deeper into the woods. She heard Dawson calling out to her but she didn't care. She didn't want to talk to him. The wounds from her mother's death were still hurting and she'd unloaded enough on Dawson about this.
Finally out of breath, unable to see through the tears, Joey stopped and sat on the ground. She pulled her knees under her chin and buried her face in her arms. Dawson caught up with her. "Why didn't you stop?"
Joey says, "Didn't want to."
Dawson sat next to her. "Come on Joey, I hate seeing you like this."
"Then leave."
"You know I won't go. She didn't know, Joey."
"It's not even about Jen, Dawson. You are so close-minded when she's around. You don't have to defend her."
"I am not close-minded."
"Yes, you are."
"Okay, maybe when it comes to Jen I want everyone to see her as I see her. But just because I defend her doesn't mean I'm close-minded."
"Dawson, I'm upset because of my mom, not because of Jen."
"But Jen set you off."
"Dawson, just forget it." Joey gets up and walks away from him, he follows.
"Joey, I'm sorry! Maybe I have been so wrapped up in my own Jen-world lately, I
just don't want you two to hate each other."
"Dawson, my life unlike yours does not revolve around Jen. Now can we stop
talking about her."
"So you're still upset about your mom?"
"Bad conversation, I guess. I'll get over it."
"Want to talk about it?"
"Not really. Didn't want to think about it."
"It's hard not to think about it. Even with everything going on I can't imagine my
mom not being around."
"You get used to it after awhile."
"I admire you, Joey."
"For what?"
"For being so strong. Sometimes I forget you have your own problems, and I'm
too busy dumping mine on you."
"That's what I'm here for. To be dumped on."
"Joey, no you're not! I apologize if I make you feel that way. Why didn't you say something?"
"Dawson, it doesn't matter, just forget it!"
"No. Is this why you've been mad at you?"
"When was I mad?"
"You haven't been the same for awhile. Kinda distant, I guess."
"Distant how?"
"With me. Joey there's been some weird stuff going on with us lately. First there's the whole Breakfast Club thing, then you getting drunk with that guy and kissing
me."
"When did I kiss you? Besides the truth or dare thing?"
"The day you were drunk I took you home and before you passed out you kissed me."
"What?"
"I never said anything because I knew it meant nothing."
"That's where your wrong Dawson." She turned away from him.
"Joey?"
"You think you know everything Dawson! You're so great at your movies and
making up different realities. But when it comes to this reality you don't have a clue."
"Then why don't you fill me in? Cause I have no idea what you're talking
about."
Joey turns around and kissed Dawson hard on the lips. He was surprised at first but responded. They kissed for a few seconds before Joey pulled away. "That's what I'm talking about."
Dawson was speechless.
Joey speaks, "So you see, there's a little bit more going on in this reality than you realize." She walked further away from him, neither one spoke a word. Dawson couldn't believe what was going on, he was completely and utterly confused. "Dawson?"
"Yeah?"
"Do you know how to get back?"
Dawson looks around. "I'm sure its back this way. You took a straight path, I just followed you."
They walked about an hour not saying anything, Joey worried about their
friendship, Dawson worried about what he was feeling.
Joey interrupted his thoughts, "Dawson, we've been walking forever. I think we're lost."
"They should be around here somewhere."
"It didn't take us this long to get out here."
"I think you're right. Maybe we should stay here and wait for them to look for us."
"It's really dark, maybe they went to sleep."
"Well, I still think we should just stay here. I mean, I said I wanted to live off the
land and all," he added.
Joey sighed and closed her eyes for a moment. "Dawson," she said softly, "You have to know I never meant to tell you like that. I mean, I've tried to think of a way to tell you for so long, and of all the ways I'd imagined that wasn't one of them."
Dawson looked at her. "Joey, why didn't you tell me?" he asked. "I mean, I think I have a right to know when you started feeling this way."
"Dawson, I can't give you an exact date and time," she replied.
"Come on, Joey, you must have some idea! What did you just wake up one day
and say 'I think I'll fall in love with my best friend?'"
"No!" Joey protested. "It wasn't like that, Dawson. It just kinda developed over time, I didn't plan on it!"
"Well, I want to know how long this has been going on," Dawson said. "I mean,
what, since Jen moved here? Since we broke up? When did this start?"
Joey winced, knowing that Dawson wasn't going to like her answer. "Before," she whispered, inaudibly.
"What?"
"Before Jen!" Joey shouted. "God you're such an idiot sometimes, Dawson, it's unbelievable. I've been in love with you for the past three years."
"Three years?" Dawson's eyes widened. "And you didn't tell me? But . . . but why? I mean, I don't . . .You could have at least told me when you gave me the speech about why we couldn’t sleep in the same bed anymore. I just don’t...don’t... " Dawson
stuttered for a moment before trailing off, once again not knowing what to say.
"You always have an answer for everything, Dawson," Joey said softly. "Why don't you have an answer for this?"
"They should have been back by now," Jen said worriedly, warming herself by the fire and looking out into the woods for any sign of her ex-boyfriend and friend.
"Maybe they're getting re-acquainted," Pacey suggested with a smirk.
Jen glared at him but said nothing for a long moment. "Still," she said finally, "I
don't like this. I mean, they should have been back hours ago. What could be taking them so long?"
"It is his first time," Pacey said, "and hers, too, they're probably just not sure what they're doing. Which is odd, I mean, it's a little obvious, but I'm pretty sure Dawson slept through sex-ed."
"They're not having sex, Pacey," Jen said dryly. "I just hope they're both okay."
Pacey smirked. "I'm sure they're both just FINE," he said with a wink, earning
himself a dark glare from Jen.
"Joey, I'm sorry," Dawson said with a sigh. "I just . . . I swear I had no idea, if I
did I would never have gone on about Jen like I did -- "
"Dawson, it's okay," Joey replied softly. "I understand. You just don't see me that way. It's perfectly understandable, I'm the girl you've known your entire life, the girl whose seen you at your worst and who you tell all your secrets to. I'm not exactky dating
material."
Dawson's eyes widened. "That's not it at all, Joey," he said firmly. "You are definitely dating material . . . I just . . . I don't know if I'm the one you should be dating. We’re so different from each other. And we all know how relationships destroy
friendships. But if I had known, I definately would have considered my options.”
"You're saying that you do see me that way?" Joey questioned, raising an eyebrow. "I mean . . . you can picture . . . you and me . . . us . . . together?"
"I don't know," Dawson whispered. "But I'm -- I'm willing to try."
"I'm going after them," Jen said, standing.
"I doubt they want to be interrupted," Pacey muttered. "Besides, despite nature boy's assurances I wouldn't want to be roaming around the woods at night."
"Exactly!" Jen shouted. "They could be in danger . . . we have to help them.
Don't you care about anyone but yourself?"
Pacey stood. "Fine. Let's go," he said, not answering. Jen smiled, knowing she'd scored a point, and the two began to search.
Before either of them knew what was happening Joey had moved closer to Dawson, and slowly began to unbutton his shirt as Dawson did the same with Joey's blouse. His hands were shaking, but he to felt the passion sweep over them both. "Maybe we shouldn't," he whispered. "I mean, if we do, we're only fifteen, and before you know it you'll be pregnant and on the street because you became a nimphomaniac and I wasn't enough for you anymore, and then you won't be able to support your child because your addicted to heroin so you'll wear some short dress and be taking advantage of by hundreds of guys just because they have a few hundred bucks and then you'll be taken in by a pimp who'll rape you and kill you and then your child won't have a mother or a father and will be sent off to a foster home where he or she will be beaten and abused, then that child will grow up and kill hundreds, maybe thousands of people because he was so messed up by you and his foster parents that he became a serial killer and then there will be a violent shoot out and he'll kill seven police offcers before they finally manage to kill him and then no one will go to his funeral because . . . "
"God, Dawson, shut up," Joey moaned, her tongue searching out his as she
continued to unbutton his shirt.
Dawson did as told. He slowly stroked her hair as she made her way around his body with her hand. He couldn’t believe that for as long as he wanted Jen, Joey was here the whole time. They took their time, enjoying the scent of each other, enjoying
everything about each other. Dawson looked down at her, “are you sure you want to do
this? I mean I won't repeat the wrong reasons for this again, but I want to be sure.”
“Dawson, I’ve wanted this for a long time.” To show she meant it, she wiggled
out of her jeans while kissing him. She got his down to his ankles. She ran her nails along his back as the two of them finally became one.
Jen's mouth dropped open in absolute shock. She and Pacey had been walking in the woods for over four hours trying to find Joey and Dawson, and now, it appeared, they had. Both were naked, their clothes lying in a tangle near a very large tree, and they were wrapped in each other's arms.