Jack cleared his throat and knocked, glancing quickly in Joey's direction. Now that they were actually here in the moment, he wasn't so sure that this was such a good idea anymore.
Joey didn't miss Jack's worried look and she shot him one of her own. "What is wrong with you?" she asked, crossing her arms over her chest and furrowing her brow. "You've been acting strange ever since you picked me up."
"Nothing's wrong," Jack smiled, shaking his head.
He didn't know why he was worrying. Hell, if anyone could pull off a stunt like this, it was surely Jen.
"I know you better than that, Jack," Joey stated, leaning in towards Jack and looking him in the eye, making a show of examining him closely. "You've got that mischievous little glint in your eye again. I know that you're up to something."
Jack smiled innocently. "Who? Me?"
Just then the door swung open and Jen appeared, cutting off whatever comment Joey was about to return.
"Joey!" Jen exlaimed, moving in to hug her. "I'm so glad you could come."
"Well, you have Jack to blame for that," Joey smiled, releasing Jen. "He was the one who practically dragged me, kicking and screaming, out of my dorm room."
"Well, it's good to hear that you were looking forward to seeing us," Jen smirked, motioning for them to come inside.
Jack and Joey made their way into the house, immediately overcome with the amazing smells that were coming from the kitchen.
Joey inhaled deeply. "Mmmm. Smells like you have been busy in here."
Andie poked her head out of the kitchen and smiled. "The only thing Jen's been busy doing tonight is cutting into tonight's wine supply."
Jen laughed, hiding her glass of wine behind her back and smiling sweetly. "That's not true."
"Right, you've also been busy taking credit for my cooking," Andie grinned, untying her apron and tossing it onto the kitchen counter as she went to join the other three. She hugged Joey warmly. "I haven't seen you in forever!" she chirped. "Now, you better get your butt in that kitchen and help me with the pumpkin pie."
"I think that for the benefit of everyone's health, not to mention their taste buds, you would much rather trust someone else with the duty of preparing anything that we will eventually be consuming."
Jack shook his head. "Unfortunately, I defy that particular gay stereotype. Can't cook a thing... And trust me, neither can Jen."
Jen poked Jack playfully in the ribs. "I resent that," she smiled. "But he's right."
"Okay, then," Joey shrugged. "I guess that leaves it up to me and Andie. And I apologize in advance for my part in it," Joey joked.
Andie and Joey made their way into the kitchen and Jen immediately turned to Jack, smiling knowingly.
"You still up for playing Cupid?" Jack asked quietly, pointing towards Joey's retreating figure.
"You better believe it," Jen whispered back. "He'll be here at six."
Jack slung an arm over Jen's shoulder, unable to stop himself from smiling at the slim prospect of their little arrangement somehow actually working out. "Well, maybe the better question is: are you prepared for the array of catastrophes that could be mere minutes away from transpiring?"
"Remember who you're talking to, Jack," Jen said reassuringly. "I've got this one under control. What could possibly go wrong?"
Jack looked at her pointedly.
"Okay, fine," Jen sighed. "Let's just say that I made sure that all of our sharp objects were properly secured... just in case."
"That's what I thought," Jack laughed.
Joey smiled to herself as she listened to Andie ramble on incessantly about school and guys and whatever else that was on her mind. There were so many things that Joey missed when she was away and on her own at school... even this. She was glad that Jack had somehow convinced her to pull her nose out of her books long enough to drive up here for Thanksgiving. She had been uneasy about the idea, sure that things would be uncomfortable between the four of them because of the obvious absence of Dawson and Pacey. She was sure that she was responsible for at least one of them not being there. Hell, who was she kidding? Probably both.
Dawson was at home in Capeside with his family for the holiday, turning down Jen's invitation because he claimed that he hadn't seen his parents in ages and that he missed the Cape. He didn't fool anyone, and we all knew that he visited Capeside whenever he got the chance, that it hadn't been more than three weeks since he was last home.
And then there was Pacey... Joey didn't even know if Jen had bothered to ask him to come at all, sensing how awkward it would be if both Pacey and Joey were forced to spend an entire weekend together without it ending in some kind of bloodbath. Or maybe Jen had asked him and he had flat out refused, wanting nothing more than to keep as far away from Joey as humanly possible.
She wouldn't be surprised if it was the latter.
Jen checked her watch again. "Damn it," she muttered.
"He's only fifteen minutes late, Jen," Jack said, his eyes never leaving the TV and the football game that he was concentrating on. "Don't worry."
"I'm not worried," Jen lied.
Jack chuckled. "Sure. You seem perfectly relaxed."
"I'll have you know, Jack, that I couldn't be more relaxed. I am completely confident that everything is going to go just as planned..." Jen began to trail-off as she heard a car pull into the driveway. She jumped up from her seat on the couch and pulled aside the curtain to watch Pacey's car pull up. The engine turned off. "See? Perfect," Jen smiled, watching him get out. "He's here."
Her smile quickly faded as Pacey moved to the passenger's side and opened the car door, holding out his hand to a petite blonde .
"Jack, you're not gonna believe this," Jen gasped as Pacey took the blonde's hand in his and they made their way toward the front steps.
"What?" Jack asked, the remark finally turning his attention away from the football game.
"Pacey brought... a date."
Jack and Jen exchanged a worried look.
"Remember when you assured me that nothing could go wrong?" Jack asked her, joining her at the window and cringing at the site. "And that you had everything under control?"
Jen shot him an angry look. "You're not helping, Jack," she sighed.
"You want help?" Jack asked, placing a hand on her shoulder. "I don't think that securing the sharp objects is going to be good enough, Lindley. You better lock up the blunt ones, too. It's going to be a long weekend."