NeW bLoOd By HzElEyEs
Joey woke to the sound of a crying Alex. Great, she thought, who needs an alarm clock when you can have earlybird baby. "Bessie," she yelled, "Your son wants you."
She heard Bessie open the door of her and Bodie's room and stumble to the crib near Hoey's couch/bed. "Y'know Joey, you're right here and you can't even try to quiet him down."
"Last time i checked, you were his mother. Did that change suddenly?
"No. but last time i checked you were his aunt," Bessie lifted Alex out and rocked him a little. he pulled on her dark blond hair.
"What time is it anyways Bess? Hopefully after seven," Joey sat up and pushed her frazzled dark brown hair behind her ears.
Bessie looked at the clock and shrugged. "Seven fifteen." Joey groaned and flopped back down. "Come on sleepy head, get up,' Bessie chook her.
"It's Sunday, summer, and your son woke me up at seven fifteen. I think I have the right to go back to sleep."
"Well you would have to get up soon anyways. You have the eight-thirty shift at the Icehouse."
Joey reluctantly got out of bed and stumbled to the bathroom, where she locked herself in a started getting ready. An hour later, dressed in a jeans and a tanktop, she hurried out into the morning sunlight. On the way to the Icehouse she though about Dawson. Ther were actually going out. That was what she wanted for the longest time, but why now did she still have this empty feeling in her?
She saw Pacey go into the video store when she arrived at Main Street. She smiled to herself, not knowing why, and decided she could spenc the next fifteen minuets before her shift at the store and rushed inside. Pacey was in the back when Joey came to the cash register.
"My my, the service here really stinks. I demand to see the manager." Joey sighed dramatically.
Pacey came out from the back. "Well you can go see Nellie Olsen. That's the closest you can get."
"Nellie Olsen? Yuck. I think I'll stick with the bad service. She might give me a lecture about fashion and make-up," Joey laughed.
"Well, since it is my job, may I help you?"
"You can try to get Bessie o give me a day off from the Icehouse," Joey sighed.
"Sorry Jo, I have to work too and if i have to work you have to work 'cause I can't be the only one suffering."
"Where's Dawson. Doesn't he work here anymore? Or did he get his ass fired?" Joey looked around.
Pacey's eyes got cold at the mention of Dawson, but tried not to show it in his voice. "He should be here soon. We have the same shift today. If you want I'll tell him to go to the Icehouse fo rlunch."
"Yeah," Joey nodded. "and you can come too."
"Yeah?" Pacey smiled. Joey nodded, not knowing wny Pacey was so surprised at her invitation. "Ok, cool. I hate to do this, but I really have to work. New video day today. I have to stock up, but I'll see you later."
"Ok, later,"Joey smiled and turned around, bumping into Dawson. "Oh, hey Didn't hear you come in."
He bent down to kiss her on the cheek. "What are you doing here? And what's happening later?"
"You and Pacey are coming to the Icehouse for lunch. So I'll see both of you later. Duty calls." She waved to Pacey, kissed Dawson goodbye, and hurried out of the video store. I can't believe I just kissed Dawson, Joey thought. I guess I have t oget used to it now. Me and Fawson are goin gout? God, how wierd. Wierd? It's not wierd. It's great. It's-
"Joey!!" Bessie screamed in her ear.
"What?" Joey looked at her annoyed.
"Are you actually gonna go in? Or are you gonna stare at the restuarunt all day?"
Joey turned and saw she had been standing in front of the resturaunt for the past minuet. "I was just. . . uh. . .um. . . thinking we need a new look for the place." Joey tried to come up with a good answer so her sister wouldn't think she was a total airhead.
"First we need some new money so get your lazy butt in there and work it off okay?" Bessie gave her a little push towards the door. Joey glared at her, but went inside and to the back to get her maroon apron, the official waitress uniform.
After a morning of loud, obnoxious people, Bessie screaming at er, hearing Alez cry for two straight, running out of coffee and eggs and having to run across town and back Joey was beat and grateful for her break with Dawson and Pacey. She rushed to them when the entered and led them out back.
"Rough morning, Joe?" Pacey asked when they were seated. Joey grouned as she set her head on Dawson's shoulder. "Guess so." Pacey frowned and looked away from the couple. "Wheres the waitress?"
"Be nice Pacey," Joey mumbled, her eyes closed. "It's a full house today and everyone had their hands full."
"Yeah, it was pretty rough in the video store too," Dawson smiled down at her.
Pacey rolled his eyes and glared at Dawson. "Yeah it must be so hard fo ryou Dawson to stay in the back and work on your script while I'm in the front being bombarded by people and having to stock the shelves at the same time." There was coldness in Pacey's voice that he never used with Dawson and immediatly regretted it.
Joey glaned at the two boys, a confused look on her face. "Are you guys okay?"
"I'm not sure. What's up Pacey?" Dawson asked his friend.
Pacey shrugged the question off and turned his attention to Sarah who came to take their order. "I'll have a turkey sandwish with extra mayo, hold the pickle and the onions, and a glass of ice water."
"A ham and cheese sandwich and put some lettuce in it and water," Joey tolde her. "Oh and do you have any asprin for that water?"
Sarah smiled, but shook her head. "Sorry Joey, only plain water."
"Then give me a glass of iced tea instead."
"Got it, what about you Dawson?"
"Um. . . a burger, medium rare with lettuce, mayo, pickles, hold the onions and tomato, a slalad on the side, some fries, and a coke."
"Woah Dawson, pack on the calories." Joey joked.
Dawson and Joey provided most of the conversation, with Pacey grunting occasionally and stuffed himself with food. Dawson and Joey both noticed something was wrong with him, but didn't chance asking him what it was in fear he woulf bawl them out for being nosy."
Afterwards Pacey left quickly giving Dawson and Joey an extra few minuets alone.
"Something is definately wrong with him," Joey stared after Pacey's dissapearing figure. "Did he say anything to you?"
"Besides finding something wrong with everythign I say or do? Nope, not a thing." Dawson shrugged. "But I do have to get back to work. Come by later, we can have a movie night."
Joey smiled and nodded. "I'll be there," she said, as she brushed a lock of his golden hair off his forehead and kissed him lightly on the lips.
Pacey fumed as he entered the video store and went in the back to get his employee vest. Nellie, who was at the register doing her nails, looked up as he stormed in.
Pacey rolled his deep brown eyes. "Please Nellie, it's your fathers store and he wouldn't fire me for slamming a door."
"Yeah right. If I really wanted to get you fired do you think I would tell him you slammed a door? I would make up something far worse and of course he would believe me," she gave a chilling laugh. Pacey sighed, knowing she was capableof doing that and went in the back to label some tapes.
He hadn't meant to get somad at Dawson and Joey, well maybe moreDawson. It was just that when he saw them toegther his mind went crazy. Even when he had been with his English teacher, Tamara Jacobs, and had seen her with the film teacher, Mr. Gold, he hadn't felt that jealous. It was scary to him how much he liked Joey. He heard Dawson come in and tried to ignore him when he came in the back to get his vest.
"What happened back there man?"
Pacey sighed for the second time in the past ten minuets. "I don't know Dawson. I didn't mean to act like that. Something inside me snapped."
"Why? What did I do that was so horrible? Is it something completley unredemable? Tell me now so I won't analyze everythign about myself to the point where I have found every one of my flaws and even some that don't exsist."
Pacey looked sadly at his long time friend. How could he tel him that he was mad because Dawson was dating the girl he loved. He was about to come up with another reason when the service bell gave a ding. Pacey stood and rushed out, stopping dead in his tracks when he saw a gorgeous girl standing at the counter. Nellie was putting some videos on the shelves and had headphone on her ears so she didn't even hear the girl come in.
"H-H-How may I help you?" Pacey squeaked.
The girl smiled warmly and Pacey noticed right away what an amazing smile she had; one that could have been advertised in a toothpaste comercial. 'Hi, I'm new here and was wondering how I can rent some videos."
"Yeah, um, well I need an ID of some sort." Pacey couldn't take his eyes off the girl. She had light brown hair with an even lighter shade of streaks, big sapphire eyes, and a great body. Tall and athletic, but not to bulky.
She fumbled in her purse and came up with her ID card and handed it to him. He saw her name was Lila Reynolds, she was 15, and used to live in California, which would explain her nice tan. He entered her into the computer and gave it back to her, his fingers brushign hers. "There ya go Lila."
"Ok, you know my name, it's only fair that I know yours now."
Pacey Whitter-"
"And I'm Dawson Leery," Dawson jumped into the conversation.
"Great, I made some friends, I don't really have any money to rent anything, so I'll come back another time."
"Oh no, it's pay when you return," Pacey informed her.
"Great! In that case where do you keep the new releases?" she turned to Pacey. "I especially love romantic flicks."
"Me too," Dawson grinned.
Pacey glared at Dawson as he went around the counter and showed Lila the new releases section. It seemed every girl the Pacey liked Dawson moved in on.
"Who's she?" Nellie came over to Pacey, her headphones around her neck.
"New girls. Lila Reynolds. Don't go and get her in your little club Nellie, she's actually sweet."
Nellie threw him an icy stare, then went back to stocking the shelves and listening to her music, not really caring that she was putting Forest Gump in the comedy section for the fifth time. Lila and Dawson returned and Dawson went to the back to get her tape. It was now or never, Pacey thought.
"Lila, The Mask of Zorro is playing at the local theater and I was wondering if you would like to go see it wih me tonight. I could introduce you to some of my friends. You don't have to think of it as a date, just hanging as a friend."
She smiled and nodded. "Yeah, that's be nice. I moved in a week ago and my family and I just finished unpacking and I haven't had the chance to meet anyone. And we can think of it as a date."
"Great," Pacey smiled. What a great way to foget about Joey, Pacey though.
"What's great?" Dawson came back with the movie L.A. Confidential.
"Oh, Dawson, me and Lila are going to see The Mask of Zorro tonight. You and Joey wanna come with us? We could invite Jen. . . "
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Email: freakgirlz@aol.com