Jen scurried around her room, flinging possible outfits onto the bed from her closet.
"No," she mutterd as she held up a pink blouse and dropped it to the floor, "no, no, no." She threw doesn two sweaters, red and yellow, and a pair of blue slacks. "Here it is," she took out a red skirt and found the black shirt on her bed and then dashed into the shower.
It was seven-thrity. She was going with Joey, Dawson, Pacey, and his date, a new girl named Lila, to the movie with Cliff as her date in forty-five minutes. She remembered how ecstatic he had sounded when she had called him that after noon. She quickly rinsed out the shampoo from her blond hair and applied the conditioner. Evern though Cliff was her date, she still had her heart set on winning Dawson back. Maybe when he saw her tonight his feelings for her would rush back and they would live happily ever after. But i nreality no one lived happily ever after. SHe had learned that from Dawson's mom, who had gone and made her very happy life a mess by cheating on her husband with her co-anchor.
Then she thought about Joey. Last night, by Joey's remark, Jen had thought her and Dawson were still just friends, but when Dawson had called her this afternoon and asked het to go he had said to bring a date and that was when she realized they were a couple. Now Jen knew how Joey must have felt when she liked him and they were going out. But Joey had had years to go for him and she gave up her chamce. And do had Jen now. She got out, wrapped her hair in a towerl, and began to dry herself off.
Joey ran a brush through her hair and tied it at the base of her neck with a violet clip. She looked in the morror and thought her denim flares, purple shirt, and matching denim jacket was a good movie outfit. She wondered what the new girl Lila was like. What's so special about her that Pacey wants to go out with her? Joey angrily thought. Wait a minute, she said in her mind. am I jealous? No, I'm just concerned about my friend.
She nodded, satisfied with her reason, and began for the door. Then, thinking quickly, came back in and rummaged through her dresser for the lipstick her sister had given her. Wicken Red, and and some shimmery blue eyeshadow and applied both.
"Why am I doing this?" she wondered aloud. "I know, I wanna look good for Pacey-I-I-I mean Dawson. What is wrong with me?" She shook her head as if to clear it and went out.
Pacey looked in the mirror for the tenth time in the last five minuets and wondered if his baggy pants and too large T-shirt was right for tonight. He really wanted to impress Lila. He had fifteen more minuets until he had to pick Lila up and she lived sairly close so he combed his hair a little more and smiled at his image in the morror.
"Well, look at the stud!" his brother, Doug, barged in without knocking. Pacey dropped his smile and turned to his deputy brother.
"What do ya want Doug?"
"Can't I just come in to see my little brother?" Doug's voice was dripping with sarcasm. "Actually I came in to make sure you weren't jerking off. There are no cheerleaders here, but then again you being Pacey. . . "
Pacey widened his eyes. "Who told you about that?"
"You'd be surprised at how quickly word gets around in this town. Especially if you smile charmingly at Abby Morgan," Doug smirked. Pacey dropped his head. What woudl happen if Lila found out. "Have fun tonight. Don't get too messy." He left the room laughing.
Dawson came out of his house and saw Joey tying up her boat. He smiled to himself and waved to her. She ran up to him and gave him a kiss.
"Ready?" she asked him. He nodded and they began to walk to the Rialto. "What's Lila like?"
Dawson shrugged uncomfortably, remembering how he had been attracted to her when he had seen her talking to Pacey. He hadn't even thought of Joey. but now that his long time best friend and now girlfriend was next to him he realized he would never love anyone else. Had he just said love?"
"Dawson?" Joey broke him out of his daydream
"Oh, she'd OK. Nice. Didn't really have a chance to gt to know her. Look, there's Jen and Cliff," Dawson pointed to the front of the theater. Joey looked up and rolled her eyes. She sensed Jen still liked Dawson and wondered how far she would go to get him back. Joey was determained to keep them apart.
"Hey guys," Jen greeted them politley.
A few minuets later Pacey showed up, Lila next to him. They were laughing about something. After introductions were made they got tickets and snacks and entered the theater. There was a whole row free in the middle and they decided to sit there. Cliff went first, followed by Jen, then Lila, and Pacey after her. Dawson started to go, but Joey knudged him in the ribs with her elbow.
"Haven't you ever heard the term 'ladies first'?"
Dawson raised his eyebrows at her. "I didn't kow you went by that, what do you call it? 'Romantic crap'."He smiled, but bowed his head and gestured to the seat he was about to sit in. "Your seat m'lady." She glared at him as she took the seat.
Joey was really happy. Dawson and Jen were an acceptable distance apart and she was next to Pacey. Wait, why am I happy I'm next to Pacey? she asked herself and sighed. Latley she had been having a lot of discussions with herself. I have to get a diary she though.
"So Lila, where you from?" she heard Jen ask and leaned forward to hear Lila's answer.
"California. San Fransisco," she specified.
"Did you like it?" Jen asked quickly.
Lila nodded. "It was great. I grew up there, I was born there. I mean, don't get me wrong Capeside seems real nice, but it's not home to me. Yet," she added quickly when she saw Pacey's face drop. He brightened.
Jen was going to ask another question but the lights dimmed and the preview started. Joey popped a kernel of popcorn in her mouth and glanced at Pacey. She saw his ar, slide around Lila' shoulders and started choking on her popcorn. Pacey looked at her quickly.
"Joe, you okay?" Pacey asked her, patting her back softly. Joey nodded and took a sip of the coke Dawson offered her.
"Wrong pipe," she managed between coughs. Pacey nodded, giving her a strange look as he turned back to teh movie. For the rest of the previews and the begining of the movie she kept on glancing at Pacey and Lila. When Pacey didn't make another move on her, Joey relaxed and turned her attention on the movie.
Pacey souldn't concentrate on the movie. He thought taking Lila out would be a way to get over Joey, but still he could think on of her. He wanted to be Dawson; to be the one holding her hand and whispering something in her ear even though Joey didn't seem to be paying attention to him. It was even harder for Pacey since she was sitting right next to him.
He was upset for another reason as well. He had taken a nice girl like Lila out and now her night would be ruined as well. He knew she could tell something was wrong. The way she woudl look at him after something funny or gruesome happened, looking for a reaction from him, but never getting one.
Finally the movie ended and everyone agreed on going to the Icehouse for somehting to eat.
"We can get discounts," Joey said, leading the way. "My sister and her boyfriend own the resturaunt and I work there so they do owe me something."
"That's cool," Lila smiled.
Joey had to admit, Lila was really nice. Even though at the begining she disliked her for some strange reason, she was fine with her now. But there was this wierd feeling inside Joey whenever she saw Pacey golding her hand. She had to turn away or give her attention back to Dawson.
Buteven Dawson was very interesting in Lila. Ever since they left the theater he had been talking to her non-stop, Jen acting the same way. Her answers even got Cliff's attention.
"Got any hobbies?" Jen asked.
Lila shruged. "I like volleyball and tennis. We had this great tennis court at my old school and every year there used to be a tournement. I made second place twice and first once."
"That's great," Pacey beamed. "My dat's a tennis pro." Lila got red with embarassment.
"Hardly. It's just the rest of the people who entered sucked." Joey rolled her eyes at Lila's modesty. Pacey saw her and narrowed his eyes at her. Joey just shrugged and turned away. She was starting to dislike Lila again for no reason whatsoever.
Dawson couldn't help but be attracted to Lila. Even though Joey was great, there was someting about Lila that got to him. He tried not to show it much, but after the movie he couldn't stop talking to her. Fortunatly Jen was askign just as many questions, so everyone though him only curious.
At the Icehouse Pacey and Dawson pushed two tables together so there woudl be enough seats. Dawson was ecstatic when he ended up sitting next to Lila, but worked very hard on not showing it. He turned to Joey, who was on his left between him and Jen.
"So, what are you gonna have?"
Jey shrugged. "Anything, I'm starving. Oh no, here comes Bessie. Hide me."
Dawson looked and saw Joey's older sister heading this way. 'So what? She's not a monster."
Joey just shook her head and tried to hide her face with a menu.
"Joey!" Bessie exclaimed, her voice full of false sweetness.
"Hi Bessie. You know Jen right? This is Cliff and that's. . . Lila," Joey's voice got cold at Lila's namme.
"Please Joey?" Bessie was begging now.
"Yeah, thanks alot Dawson," Joey glarred at him.
"For what?" Lila asked, overhearing Joey's last comment.
Dawson turned back to her. "Oh, I'm gonna help Joey look after her little nephew, Alex."
"I love babies! I can help if you want."
"Give him a bottle now and then let him chew on one of his softer toys while rocking him. When he falls asleep bring him to me and I'll put him in his car seat." Bessie said before rushing off.