. Author’s Note: I always wanted a soap opera style fic, where the relationships change constantly. Anyway it’s sort of based on some life experiences from when I was in high school and had my own Dawson, Pacey, Jack and Jen, in fact some of the PJ banter comes from some banter I shared with a friend of mine. It takes place in multiple points of views so between every break I’ll label the narrator. Summary: The beginning of junior year, this picks up after season 2. Some plots and season 3 story lines from the actual show will be used but only briefly and altered. Example: Andie still cheated on Pacey and Dawson is still being seduced by Eve.. Warning: Contains sexual content. Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15

Jen 

I sit in chemistry scribbling down a note to Jack to continue our debate on communism in movies. We had already concluded that It's A Wonderful Life was fully supporting communist ideals, but now I'm trying to convince him of all the anti-commie statements in The Faculty. 

"They were fucking on his car!" Gladys Kravitz exclaims, ah typical high school hijinx. 

"You're kidding!" Lisa what's her face replies. 

"His hands were up her shirt and everything when they caught them." 

"Who did?" 

I smirk returning to my notes on equality within the film when something catches my attention, "Leery and that crazy girl." 

Excuse me? Who did they catch? Who did they catch? I find my self questioning anxiously in my head. 

"Pacey Witter and Joey Potter, didn't she try to kill him with a frying pan once?" 

"Beats me, but unless she was trying to tongue him to death I'd say their sparring since diapers have come to an end." 

"I used to hang out with them back in junior high; she was all into Dawson then." 

"You didn't hear about their drama last year? They dated and she dumped him for that gay guy, then he made a movie about her and they got back together." 

"Oh yeah, and then she dumped him again because he turned her dad into the cops, I remember that, but Witter is his best friend…" she trails off, "oh." 

"That's where the story gets interesting," she smirks just as the bell rings. Why was I not informed of these recent events? 

I run off to lunch seeking out Jack, this news is big, huge even! "Jack McPhee," I call out rounding his table, "I've got news." 

"So do I!" He replies excitedly, we need lives. 

"I just heard that Joey and Pacey were playing a porn couple at the Halloween Dance last Friday." 

"Then it definitely was them that I saw making out in the hall just thought I'd get a comformation," Jack nods in agreement. 

"How did this happen though? I thought Pacey was trying to get back together with Andie," I wonder. 

"And Dawson and Joey were back on reconciliation road," Jack adds. 

"But more importantly why have we not found out until three days later?" 

"Somebody's been to busy schmoozing with a certain CJ," Jack smirks that evil little grin. 

"Hey don't act like you weren't enjoying it, or were you not going to tell me about your little crush on David," I retort. 

"I don't know what you're talking about," he blushes; oh he so likes him. 

"He was totally into you too," I support, "But back to CJ." 

"Slick Jen, slick," he jokes, "so have you caught him in your web yet?" 

"No, not yet, but I fully intend to," I state popping one of his tatter tots into my mouth. Jack is angered by this siege on his property and guards his food whacking my hand away as I attempt to swipe another. 

During our mini battle something catches my eye on the lunch line, something that ties everything together. It's Joey standing on the lunch line picking out food; Pacey is directly behind her, chin resting on her shoulder and both hands secularly on their tray sufficiently trapping her between his body and the counter. She picks up random food items holding them up and glancing over her shoulder for Pacey's approval before setting it on the tray or tossing it back amongst the others every so often receiving a kiss on the cheek. To the average viewer this would seem sweet and intimate, but to me it's confusing because this was something I was not expecting. 

"Hi," Joey says casually as if she didn't have a Pacey attached to her back. 

We both stare at them blankly. 

"Explanations, right," Pacey exclaims swinging around her and slipping into a chair. 

"Those seem appropriate at this time," I agree. 

Joey shrugs sinking into a chair scooting it next to Pacey’s so it’s practically bound together, “We decided to start dating, I mean we hung out all the time anyway.” 

“And that’s why a three day developed relationship resembles what I like to call one month bliss,” I intervene. Pacey drops his arm over her shoulder resting his hand on her waist rubbing small circles on her side, “Where everything becomes free terrain.” 

He draws his hand away, “Alright I do admit we’re a little touchy feely.” 

“So when did this happen?” I ask. 

“Third period I’d say,” Pacey scrunches his nose thoughtfully. 

She slaps him, “Second.” 

“Already forgetting the anniversary,” I whisper to Jack loudly so that they can still hear, “not a good sign.” 

“And Miss Josephine this rumor of you and Mister Witter at the Halloween Dance sounds rather out of character for a first encounter, and that was before second period if I’m not mistaken” Jack adds. 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she rolls off effortlessly, oh she’s onto us. 

A large smile plasters across my face, “You’ve been sneaking around haven’t you?” 

“I refuse to answer that,” Joey blurts out shocked. 

“I think we have our conformation,” Jack jokes nudging my shoulder. 

“You guys,” she squeals, Pacey just smirks chuckling lightly, they so have been doing it. 

“So Pacey when exactly did you discover an interest in our dear Josephine?” Jack asks draping an arm over my shoulder. 

He eyes Joey warily, “Probably last year when we had this snail project.” 

“Oh yeah!” Joey cuts in, “and you forgot to tie up the boat so we had to trudge through the creek…” 

“So we changed into those blankets to avoid pneumonia,” he finishes. God they’re already finishing each other’s sentences…disgusting. 

“Aw remember that time you drove me out to Louisville to visit my father,” she smiles. 

“I never got reimbursed for that twenty I shelled out,” he pouts, they kiss. 

“Ah the first year wedding bliss,” Jack rolls his eyes. 

“Should we just start calling them Jocey now?” I say dryly clearing my throat until they part. 

“Sorry,” she blushes. 

“Get a room,” I continue, “I hear the boiler room is available between 4th and 5th period.” 

“I’ll remember that,” Pacey smirks nuzzling his nose into her hair. 

She elbows him, it’s sweet. “We should get going anyway,” Joey says picking up their tray, “I left something in my locker and lunch is almost over.” 

“And you can’t go anywhere without me?” Pacey questions. 

She gives him the eyes, he folds, they leave, Jack smiles, I laugh. “You and CJ?” He asks. 

“Give me two months.” 

~*~ 

Joey 

This feeling feels good, the one that has me in Pacey’s arms without worrying about what other people think, where we’re past that hurtle of hurting others, where this luminous cloud of what Dawson will say when he finds out has parted. I don’t feel as guilty anymore, sure I’ve severed ties with some friends new and old but I truly believe that those wounds will heal with time, that there will a day in the nearby future where Dawson and I can rebuild our friendship, where Andie and I can engage in educational conversations. 

“Pacey,” I say spinning out of his arms but still holding securely onto his hand. 

“What?” 

“I think we need to take a step back,” I explain. 

“I don’t get it.” 

“Well, I mean, we’ve got the intimate aspects of our relationship covered, but that’s not a romance,” I say grabbing his other hand and bumping our foreheads together. “It’s a free trade agreement.” 

“I think we deserve a little more credit then that,” he pries kissing the tip of my nose. 

“Fine,” I sigh, “but still, I feel that we’re lacking communication all in the name of horny high school mating rituals.” 

“So what are you saying?” He asks warily resting his hands on my hips. 

“I’m saying nothing below the belt until I say so,” I say kissing him before he can respond. 

"Fair enough," he mumbles against my lips. 

"You mean you're okay with this?" I ask pulling away abruptly. 

"No you're right the foundation of our relationship should not be based on amazing mind blowing incredible," he voice begins to tighten, "sex," he finishes. "You know maybe we should give it one more roll in the hay before we make this final." 

"Nope," I smirk, this new amazing power now in my grasp. 

"Joey," he pouts. 

"Maybe you should study karma sutra or something, maybe focus all your sexual repression on building a boat you know something to tool around on," I suggest heading farther down the hall. 

He catches up quickly grabbing my waist, "Or maybe I could take you to a movie, out to an expensive restaurant, maybe a romantic stroll on the pier how does that sound?" 

"Like a lame attempt to get in my pants," I reply dryly, his lack of creativity astounds me sometimes. "Look," I say lacing my fingers through his as we continue towards our lockers, "how about you come over tonight and we'll watch some TV, snack out of the fridge, and act like married people over forty." 

He doesn't seem very excited, he sighs defeated, "Sounds swell, hon." 

"There's still other stuff we can do," I smile slyly stepping closer to him so our noses touch. 

"Hmm," he groans, "like what?" 

"Something like this," I whisper catching his bottom lip between my teeth sucking it between my lips before releasing it. 

"I like the sound of that," he mumbles capturing my lips with his as his hands snake across my back tangling in my hair, my own arms latching onto him as my knees go weak. 

~*~ 

Dawson 

This sucks, this absolutely sucks. I’ve been scanning my mind for movies in which the hero looses the girl but wins her again. His Girl Friday, no that won’t work not only does Pacey have a more colorful personality then my own but we don’t work at a newspaper. Philadelphia Story, okay this comparing myself to Cary Grant is not going to work. Mallrats I’ve got the Shannon Hamilton comparison of Pacey down but I’m just not as smart and witty as Brodie. Here on Earth well Josh Hartnett should have won in the end. 

This sucks, it really really does. I don’t need to see their little fuck show when I head to English, I don’t need to see them clawing at each other and giggling during study hall. In fact if I never had to see them in the same proximity ever again I’d be a happy man. 

This sucks, there’s no avoiding it. I want to shot across the hall at them, “hey man she doesn’t need CPR.” But then I’d sound bitter, not that I’m not. 

“Hey,” it’s Andie. 

“Hi.” 

“How are you taking this change in events?” She asks adjusting her backpack her wrists hidden behind clunky bracelets. 

“I’m trying not to think about it,” I sigh swiping my hand through my hair. 

“Everything is so weird, huh?” 

“What’s weird, I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I shrug off. 

“I know,” she glances over her shoulder at the mauling before turning back to me, “it sucks.” 

“Exactly,” I exclaim, at least somebody understands me. 

“To see somebody that you love,” she continues, but there’s no continuation to this argument, “so happy with some one else.” 

“It won’t last,” I say abruptly, she eyes me strangely and suddenly I feel guilty for saying it, “I mean none of these high school relationships ever do.” 

“But they carry some weight of significance,” she counters, “otherwise we wouldn’t be so bitter right now.” 

“You talk as if the bitterness will go away,” I reply. 

She laughs at my ignorance, “Well not too long ago they were bitter as well, but it seems that they’ve gotten over it.” 

“So if I lodge my tongue down someone’s throat the pain will go away?” I question. 

“No,” she shoves my arm, “if you move on with your life.” 

“Your pessimism is startling.” 

“Your cynicism is rather disconcerting.” 

“I like it that way,” I smirk, “it shortens the life, thus getting me a quicker ride out of here.” 

“No, the dreaming quality will give you some nauseating fairy tale ending.” 

“There’s that too,” I shrug, “something to look forward to I guess.” 

~*~ 

Jen 

“Aren’t there laws against forcing children out in these temperatures?” I grunt wrapping my sweatshirt tighter around my body as Joey and I make another lap around the track. 

“Second week of November,” Joey explains, “we always have to wait for the second week of November before indoor gym begins.” 

“What if there’s snow on the ground?” 

“Second week.” 

“You know in New York we spent the whole year in the weight room, I’ve got abs of steel from that curriculum, I guess they’ll go lovely with the frostbite I’m obtaining.” 

“It’s not that cold,” Joey offers. 

“Joey it’s like 40 degrees out here!” 

“So?” 

“You just can’t feel the freezing temperatures because you’re still all hot and sweaty from your boyfriend,” I tease. 

“Am not,” she fires back, my god we’ve turned into little teenyboppers, next thing we’ll be reading J-14 and fighting over who’s the cutest Nsync member. 

“Will we ever know the true story about you two?” I pry, because I can. 

“Probably when we’re broken up and firing insults,” she shrugs. 

“But that could take days, I don’t have that kind of patience!” I whine. 

“Days? Is that all you guys think we can last?” She asks shocked. 

“Abrupt start, abrupt ending, that’s how it goes,” I shrug. 

“Maybe our start wasn’t so abrupt,” she shrugs still not spilling anymore. 

“Oh so it didn’t start with you two attempting to rip each other’s clothes off on top of his station wagon,” I say sarcastically as if we actually believed them. 

“Pacey and I do have a pension for automobiles,” she says thoughtfully, we’re getting somewhere now. 

“Ah, so there were more cars in this mysterious relationship.” 

She stops walking sucking her lip between her teeth, “Jen, promise not to tell anybody?” Joey Potter is going to tell Jennifer Lindley a secret? 

“Is it that confidential?” I question, but I’m curios so I’m not going to push it, “I promise.” 

“We got together at home coming,” she explains. 

“But Pacey and Andie broke up at…oh,” it’s coming together now. “And at the game with your lip, that was wild monkey love.” 

“Sort of,” she cringes. 

“And when you both disappeared and Pacey came back all dishelved that was you two again,” I continue. 

“Your memory is freakishly immaculate,” she comments. 

“Any other run ins I should be aware of?” 

“None that I’m proud to admit,” she blushes. 

I shake my head drawing my hands to my mouth as I glance in the center of the track where a game of soccer is going on. Not just any game of soccer, this game includes CJ Stryver.

“Oh isn’t that CJ?” Joey asks noticing my gawking in his direction. 

“You know him?” I ask shocked. 

“Sort of,” she shrugs. 

The ball gets kicked in our direction and CJ runs up to us in his journey to retrieve it, God he’s gorgeous. “CJ, hi,” I bark out, men don’t usually make me nervous. 

“Jen,” he grasps for my name. 

“Yes,” I confirm. 

“Josephine Potter is that you?” Guys always remember Josephine Potter. 

“That’s what they call me,” her modesty borders on unappealing sometimes. 

“Where do you two know each other?” I ask. 

“CJ used to work at the Icehouse,” Joey explains. 

“First job,” he continues, “I was the worst bus boy ever.” 

“You were very good for a 12 year old, you should have seen our last bus boy he was 15 and broke your broken glass record with ease.” 

He cringes, it’s an adorable cringe, “I was hoping to get my old job back to save up on college funds but when I was on my way to check it out for a summer job the thing had burnt down.” 

“Long story,” Joey replies nervously, “but after the insurance check comes through and we put the place back together we’ll certainly have a position for you.” 

“Sounds great,” he smiles picking up the soccer ball and bouncing it on his knee, “I’ll see you two around then.” 

“Yeah,” I say all breathy, I’m lost in a dream. 

“Wipe the drool, some find gawking unappealing,” Joey grins knocking me from my reverie. 

“He’s gorgeous isn’t he,” I say dreamily. 

“Who are you?” She eyes me strangely. 

“Jo, I’m going to be a waitress on the new Icehouse staff right?” 

“Do you have any experience?” 

“I can balance a stack of book on my head; trays on the hands can’t be that much harder.” 
“It will be,” Joey warns, “it will be.” 

~*~ 

Jack 

Our history teacher has had horrible attendance this year so we lounge around the class room with another sub and no lesson plan. 

“You know I should be mad at you Pacey,” I tell him solemnly. 

“Is this about the whole Andie and Joey thing?” He wonders. 

“Andie has nothing to do with it,” I refute, “cardinal rule, you don’t date your friend’s ex.” 

He smirks, “You’re joking right?” 

“I’m just making sure you don’t move in on any of my other exes,” I shrug. 

“I’ll try to keep my hands off your left over man meat.” He pauses, “Do you know how Andie’s doing?” 

I feel guilty, “Haven’t talked to her actually, that’s what happens when you basically live in two different worlds.” 

“Every time I see her she just turns the other way,” he explains. 

“Well do you blame her? You abandon her at a dance to hook up with a rather intimidating beauty in our group.” 

“It wasn’t like that,” he attempts, “entirely.” 

“Do you love her?” 

“Who?” 

“Joey?” I ask. 

"It's hard to answer that based on a three hour relationship." 

I laugh, "Please, two months ago I was sitting between two people who were far more then friends." 

"I don't know," he sighs defeated, collapsing onto his desk, "she's different man, you know?" 

"And I think that's what redeems this whole situation," I say. "When there's this person who sparks these new feelings and emotions from within that you never knew you had. But then there's already somebody else who has staked claim to them making them unavailable even though everything in your heart is telling you to go for it, so you do, and there are friends that accept you for that anyway." 

"Oh so you're conquering of Joey last year is what makes what I did acceptable to you?" He smirks. 

"Well if it wasn't I'd be a hypocrite right?" I explain, "I guess I can relate, that's all." 

"That doesn't mean I'm gay does it?" He wonders. 

"Well I mean you could actually get it up when given the opportunity to sleep with her," I reason. 

"Who says we've slept together," he defends himself quickly. 

"Please," I chuckle. 

~*~ 

Pacey 

School was long, very long indeed and strangely enough I'm really excited about Joey and my little get together, sexual or not, because it's really just exciting to be with her if that statement isn't cheesy enough. But Jack is right you have to take risks for these kinds of feelings and I'm glad we're doing it together. 

"Oh look, there they are, my family. You know I don't say this enough but, uh, I'm going to die," Peter Griffin says after discovering a lump on his fatty breast. 

"I don't get it," Joey furrows her brows absently stroking my fingers as we watch TV. 

"It's funny pointless television fun," I explain to her kissing her on the cheek as I watch the cartoon flash over her shoulder. 

"Hi-five," Stewie exclaims at the news, "anyone? Anyone?" 

"You can't die!" Chris begs, "Who's going to take me to the father/son dance?" 

"You scare me sometimes," Joey sighs leaning forward towards the coffee table a sweep of cold air dancing between the space of our bodies before she retrieves her carrot sticks and settles back against my chest. 

"This is a great show Joey," I argue, "sure the parents are very similar to those on the Simpson's but on what other show can you see an alcoholic dog and a baby planning world domination?" 

"Rugrats?" She offers. 

"Spike doesn't talk," I refute. "Alright Potter if you're so bored, since this episode is based on death let's play a round of Marry, Kill or Screw." 

"Like with the cartoon?" She questions, "You've put thought in this haven't you?" 

"Kill Meg because she's a needy wannabe cardboard cut out, screw Diane because, well, she's hot, and marry Lewis because she'll put up with anything, an abusive baby and an asshole of a husband." 

"Well I'd kill Peter obviously even though he seems fun loving enough he's treats women horribly," Joey begins, "screw death because it will get me out of this show where everybody has extremely round faces and marry the dog because we have the same outlook on life." 

"I don't think that's aloud," I counter. "Hmm, next round, the Simpsons." 

"Could I marry and kill the same person?" She asks glancing at me over her shoulder. 
"It depends on the circumstances," I consider. 

"Well I'd marry Mr. Burns since he's loaded and then have him mysteriously killed so I could be with my lover, Ralph Wiggum." 

"You're kidding right?" I blurt out. 

"What can I say, I have a thing for dorks." 

"Both of the pilots were killed but fortunately for the other passengers actress Karen Black, star of such films as Nashville and Five Easy Pieces was on bored," Tom the news anchor reports on the cartoon. 

"Our hats are of for Miss Black," Diane cuts in. "For proving once again that given the opportunity actresses over 50 can land large aircraft." 

"Wow, Karen Black, what an obscure reference," Tom finishes. 

This time Joey laughs, "Oh yeah, Karen Black from Airport '75 that's funny." 

"Of course you laugh at the movie reference," I roll my eyes. 

She rolls over our chests pressed tightly together, "You're not jealous are you?" She 
teases. 

"No," I shake my head as our lips meet and at these moments when it's just her and me together like this I can't imagine how I possibly could be.