Sweet surrender
Is all that I have
Take me in
No questions asked
You strip away the ugliness
that surrounds me
Are you an angel?
Am I already that gone?
I only hope that I won't disappoint you
I'm down here on my knees
Sweet surrender,
Sweet surrender
Is all that I have

"Sweet Surrender"
- Sarah McLachlan

Pacey glanced out his window and sighed. It had been a week since he had broke up with Andie.

Since he had broke up with Andie

It had been the hardest thing that he ever had to do... and he wished to hell that he could take it back. But he couldn’t. Just like she couldn’t take away the hurt he felt. Pacey knew a part of him died the minute he said the words...Those words that rang in his head over a million times a day. "Andie we need to talk.."
If only he could go back in time, and take the words back. If only he had knew what she was going to tell him that night. He would have never told her the things he did. In fact, the only reason he had even brought up the idea of them going their separate ways was because of the depression. He had been with Andie thru thick and thin. He was there, but she wasn’t there for him. It took two people to make a relationship.
God damn it why did things have to go this way? he wondered to himself slamming his hand against the wall. Taking a quick glance at the clock, Pacey sighed, and raked a hand thru his hair. It was only 10pm on Friday night. Everyone would still be up. Everyone including Andie.
Taking a chance, Pacey picked up the phone on the nightstand next to him, and punched in seven digits. A slight smile came over his face at the voice who answered the phone.
"Hello?"
"We need to talk Andie..."
He heard a slight chuckle on the other end and winced.
"We need to talk...let’s see. Last time I heard those words, I had the guy I loved most in the whole world break up with me, he told me that he I needed some time alone to figure out my ‘problem’....oh and get this Pacey. It was you!"
"Andie...Please. Let me explain.."
"No! No, you know what? I don’t have to let you explain anymore Pacey. You were my boyfriend. You were supposed to support me on my ‘problem’. But you, instead, chose to dump me. Thanks a lot." *click*
Pacey bit slightly at his lip and nodded. He hadn’t thought about anything besides himself when he had told her those things. He just wanted the best for her. Quietly he placed the phone back in it’s cradle. And holding his head in his hands, Pacey Witter started to cry.


"Practical Magic or Urban Legends."
"Eww what is it Dawson? Scary movie night?"
"Jo, these aren’t scary compared to half of the stuff we have seen."
"Who said I ever actually watched those movies with you?" Jo added coyly.
Dawson smirked and popped in Practical Magic. "You’ll like this one, it’s a total chick-flick"
Jo jabbed Dawson in the side with her elbow. "Us ‘chicks’ don’t always like the same ‘flicks’ Dawson."
Joey smiled as Dawson shrugged and pressed play on the VCR. Joey snuggled up against the backboard of Dawson’s bed, in ‘her’ spot and everything. Inside, she laughed as Dawson quickly returned to the bed, making sure not to miss any previews.
Joey tried to shift her attention to the previews also...but failed. She could do anything right now -- anything but watch a movie.
She hated the thought of telling Dawson that their tradition of movie night would be ruined because she didn’t want to. So despite her feelings, she had went. And now, here she was, watching Sandra Bullock kill men that fell in love with her. No matter how interesting this was...Joey couldn’t keep focused. Too many bad things had happened this week. Things that Dawson wasn’t even worrying about. She kept thinking about Andie and Pacey. Poor Andie. It was enough to have found out her brother was gay...did Pacey really have to pick now to leave her? She really didn’t and couldn’t understand him.
There...She thought smiling. There’s my excuse to get out.
"Hey Dawson...I have to go. I just remembered I had to work late shift at the Icehouse tonight for Bess. You don’t mind do you?"
"No Jo, it’s ok. See you tomorrow." Dawson replied, keeping his eyes glued to the movie.
"k, thanks. See ya."
With that Joey climbed out of his window, and headed over to Pacey’s...
It was questioning time.


Pacey fumbled around in the kitchen. "Where’s the god damn turkey?" Mumbling more to himself, he ravaged around in the refrigerator until he discovered the meat. Without any care he pulled three pieces out and threw them on the piece of bread he was holding. Folding the bread in half he took a bite. He was trying so hard not to think about Andie -- and he wasn’t succeeding.
Changing the subject Pacey remembered that he could eat where ever he wanted, considering Doug nor his father were home. Taking joy in that Pacey brought his sandwich into the living room and turned on the television. Towards the last bite of his sandwich and and halfway thru an old ‘Friends’ rerun there was a knock at the door. Shoving the last bite of his sandwich he mumbled what he could out of "Coming".
The pound on the door grew harder and louder, "I’m COMING" Pacey yelled.
Swinging the door open he found himself face to face with Joey Potter.
"Well Well, if it isn’t Ms. Josephine Potter." He welcomed her in and slammed the door shut. Turning and walking back to the living room he mumbled, just loud enough for her to hear "To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?"
Joey smirked and followed him into the living room. She continued yelling as Pacey sunk into the nearby couch.
"Why did you leave her Pacey? I thought you really were shaping up, I thought you had found your someone. But I guess not, you had to screw it up like you do to everything else."
"God Joey, like you should be one to talk. At least my other half didn’t turn out to be Gay."
"Back Up...What kind of comeback is ‘at least my other half didn’t turn out Gay?’ And besides Pacey, we’re not talking about me. We’re talking about you"
Sensing a slight pain on his face, Joey eased up. "Look, I just came over here to ask What was going on between you and Andie. She ...and you...seem so depressed lately. You really should talk to her."
"I tried, and what would you care even if I didn’t? You just proved to both you and me that you don’t."
Joey hesitated, and moved her glare to the floor. "I...I know. I’m sorry. I just, ever since Dawson...Since he got back together with Jen I , I just hate the whole break up thing...no matter who it is. "
"Jo, You have to move on...Dawson’s with Jen now an---"
"Whoa Pace, remember this isn’t about me. It’s about you. Do you ...wanna talk about it?"
Joey shifted her eyes back to meet with Pacey’s, letting a small smile slip out. Pacey didn’t smile, but he did reply. "No...Not tonight."
Joey’s smile slowly disappeared and she headed back towards the door. "Ok, I ’ll talk to you tomorrow." Pacey got up and went after her. Grabbing her by the arm he tried his best to smile.
"Jo, I said I didn’t want to talk today..."
"Yeah I know," she mumbled, "That’s why I’m leaving"
"Wait...Just another minute or so."
Joey stood silently, wondering what Pacey had up his sleeve. She waited a few minutes, then looked at Pacey and started to ask him why she was still here, but before she could open her mouth to speak the old grandfather clock in the Witter living room struck 12. Pacey nodded towards the clock. "It’s tomorrow now...And if it’s ok...I’d like to talk."
Joey smiled and nodded as Pacey led her back into the living room.


"So wait a minute here, you mean to tell me that she just told you about her depression? Is that why you left her Pacey?" Joey thwaped him with the throw pillow that she had lying in her lap. Defending himself as best as he could Pacey put in his word, "No! No way, It’s not why Jo, but it’ s part of the why."
"So what’s the why?"
"I didn’t feel like she was in love with me anymore...All we did was fight, like I said before. We couldn’t go out on a date without breaking up at least once. I’ve tried to patch things up Joey, but it’s...impossible"
"Nothing is impossible Pacey."
"I’m slowly beginning to believe that..." Pacey said with a smile.
It was now 2:30am. They had been practically rivals, Joey and Pacey that is...But now. After just these short 2 and a half hours of talking... He felt closer to her than anyone he had ever known. Besides Andie...But Andie was quickly falling out of Pacey’s mind. No matter how much he tried to resist it.
Joey was taking over Andie’s old place in his heart.

Baby you don't know,
what you do to me.
Between me and you,
I feel a chemistry.
Won't let no one
come and take your place.
Cause the love you give
can't be replaced.
See no one else
loves me like you do.
That's why I want to spend
my life with you.
Wanna please you
in anyway I can.
Wanna share my world
don't you understand.
Your love is a one in a million
it goes on and on and on
you give me a really good feelin’
all day long.

"One In A Million"
- Aaliyah

"Bye Jo, Thanks for staying..."
"Anytime Pace." Joey replied with a tired smile, and walked outside. Pacey shut the door silently and leaned against it with a small sigh. It was 8:30 am, he was so tired. But yet he couldn’t even think of going to sleep. He didn’t want to sleep.
Joey, she had been so supportive. Pacey chuckled remembering when she had first come in, all screaming and yelling at him. Then she loosened up, and let him talk. Underneath flaming Josephine Potter there was a kindred soul after all. A soul that understood everyone. It just never got itschance.
He smiled, and walked out into the kitchen. ‘What a night it had been’, he thought, pulling a carton of milk out of the refrigerator. Who ever thought he and Joey could sit in the same room for more than an hour without having their spats...Let alone talk to each other for more than an hour.
He poured a glass of milk and set it on the table. ‘Doug and Dad would be home soon,’ he thought totally going off subject, with a disgusted frown. The idea of them coming home scared the shit out of him. The whole house was a mess, and he wasn’t in the mood to clean it. Pacey grabbed his glass of milk and poured it down the sink. He made a grab at his key’s that were lying on the counter, and went out the door.
There was something he had to do.

"Hey Jo, Did you and Dawson have a good movie night?"
"What --...Oh, yeah. Movie night. It was fun." Joey bit her lip and shut the front door behind her. She had just gotten home, when she walked in, she had found herself face to face with a half awake Bess. "So what are you doing up Bess? Alex is asleep, shouldn’t you be taking advantage by catching some z’ s?"
"Everytime I try to sleep he wakes up, so what’s the point?"
Joey chuckled as Bessie wobbled into the bathroom and shut the door. She could barely keep her eyes open. But yet she didn’t want to try to sleep. Stubborn Potters...
She massaged her face with her hands and went to lie down on the pull-out couch, in other words, her bed. As she shut her eyes, images of Pacey flew in. Startled Joey jumped off the bed, tripping over her own feet, and landed with a thud on the floor. The bathroom door flew open, as Alex let out a loud cry.
"Jo are you ok?" Bessie asked and gave Joey her hand to help her up.
"Yeah I just...tripped over...uhm...something."
Bessie chuckled and went to tend Alex.
"Why did Pacey just pop into my head," Joey mumbled questionably to herself. Last night had been so...well weird. It had to of been the most she and Pacey had talked civilly in the last five years. She must just be thinking of him because they spent such a long time together. That was heranswer.
Knowing she was wrong, Joey went back out the door. She had some things to straighten out with Pacey.


10 minutes later, Bessie wandered back out into the living room, with Alex in her arm.
"Hey Joey, I was thinking...Joey?"
Noticing her kid sister wasn’t in the house, Bessie shrugged. She had probably gone back over to Dawson’s. Not a big problem. A small ring of the telephone disturbed Bessie’s thoughts.

"Hello?" she spoke at the caller.
"Hey Bessie, Is Joey up yet?"
"Actually she just left...but Dawson why wouldn’t she be up? She came home from your house and we talked for a bit and then she left again."
"Wait, back up Bess...She came home from my house? She told me she had to work last night.."
"Whoa, So you mean she didn’t go to your house at all last night?"
"No...Well Yeah, she was here for a little while. She left around 9 o’ clock."
"Ok, Thanks Dawson. I’ll tell her to call you when she gets home."
"Ok. Bye"
"Bye"

Dawson hung up the phone and stared out the window. ‘Where are you Jo?’ he wondered to himself. He sat down on the bed and began a long morning full of worry.

Bessie sighed and hung up the phone. She would have plenty of questions to ask Joey when she came home...Plenty of questions.


The chilling wind made Pacey force his hands deep into his coat pockets. He didn’t really know where he was going. He just knew that he had to go somewhere, anywhere, but home. He tried to think of whether Andie would be up, he could go and try to make peace again. Although, a part of him didn’t want to.
It was the strangest thing he had ever known. Not wanting to get back together with Andie? It just didn’t say ‘Pacey’ on it. And this...this scared the shit out of him. If he couldn’t love Andie, who could he love?
With a look up from the sidewalk, Pacey knew he had found his answer.
"Hey."
"Hey."
"So uhm...Have you talked to Andie?"
Pacey shook his head. "No, I can’t Jo, I just don’t have the heartanymore."
Joey paused to take a good look at her friend that stood before her. Andie had been the one girl Pacey Witter truly loved, but he didn’t have the heart to try and make things right with her? There was something up with this...
"What do you mean Pace?"
"I think..." Pacey took a breath and looked Joey in the eyes. "I think I’m in love with someone else."
Joey darted her eyes away to the nearest thing that caught her attention. Pacey? In love with someone else...But who?
Deep in her heart, Joey knew she already had the answer.

You tell me you’re in
love with me
Like you can’t take
your pretty eyes away
from me
It’s not that I don’t
want to stay
But every time you
come to close
I move away
I wanna believe in
everything that you say
Cause it sounds
so good

"Sometimes"
- Britney Spears

"Pacey..." Joey paused. What if she wasn’t right? What if she wasn’t the one he was in love with. ‘Not only will it hurt...I’ll be really embarrassed.’ She thought. As if on cue, Pacey spoke,
"Jo, I think you know who it is." He said quietly.
Joey smiled and looked Pacey in the eye. "I think I love you too..."
His eyes went wide with his smile. "Seriously? Oh my god Jo, no way!"
He swept Joey up in his arms and spun around. She laughed as he set her back down. "Pacey what the hell are we doing?"
"I have no clue!" He said excitedly, giving Joey a soft kiss on the cheek. He smiled as the next words came out of his mouth. "I just know I’m in love you."
"Wait...You’re in love with me Pacey...?"
"Joey, I know what you’re thinking...but I am. I have been for... longer than I can remember!"
"But Pacey, the relationship between us before last night could barely have been called a friendship...and now you’re in love with me?"
Love doesn’t need time Joey, it needs the right person."
"Pacey..."
"Joey, please, just for once...Believe me. I’m so in love with you...I would kill for you."
Joey gave a half smile, "I have this sudden desire for you Witter...And its starting to scare me, but I’m slowly being convinced it will be alright." She smiled softly and returned his kiss from just moments ago.
"Josephine Potter, After all these years that I’ve waited for you...and that ’s the best kiss you can give?" Pacey replied sarcastically, and winced as Joey punched him softly in the stomach.
"Pacey...Sweetheart...I don’t like that name. It makes me sad. You don’t want me sad do you?" Joey whispered the last words playfully, and gave Pacey the most passionate kiss she thought she could. Pulling apart she smiled, seeing Pacey’s satisfied face.
"Ahh...Now that was worth waiting for."
He wrapped his arms around her as she laughed at his remark. The day had barely started, and already he knew...it was the best one of his life.

Andie paced back and forth in her bedroom. Why wasn’t he calling? Why was this different from the other times they had ‘broke up’. She just didn’t understand. Usually Pacey would call her at precisely 10am the next morning, they’d make up, then plan to get together later that day. But it was -- Andie glanced at the digital clock next to her bed ...11am now.
"Should I call him, for a change?" she mumbled quietly to herself. "Or should I give him another hour or so...Another hour or so. I think I’ll do that."
With a stressed sigh, Andie sat down on the bed and watched the clock.


Pacey clenched Joey’s hand tight in his own, as they walked down the sidewalk in downtown Capeside. It had been a great day. He hadn’t thought about Andie once...until now, but it had been a great day. He glanced over at Joey and smiled. He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. "I love you Jo."
"I love you too Pacey." Joey replied with a smile. "Well look at that..." she mumbled, referring to a slightly torn banner that was taped in a store window. Pacey read the sign silently and chuckled. "Can you believe that?...Capeside High is having a dance tonight, and we didn’t know shit about it."
"Well..." Joey said slyly. "We could always surprise everyone, and go to the..."
"Wait Jo, Are you actually thinking about going to one of these things? Don’t you remember last time?"
"Very well thank you...I’m just saying. Well Pacey, C’mon. I’m sure we’d be ok. Knowing Dawson, he’s moping over Jen in his room, and Jen? She’s at some club with that religious freak. Jack..." Joey paused and took a deep breath. "Jack’s probably still debating on whether he should actually do the next assignment in English."
Pacey gave a half smile and continued with the one person Joey left out.
"And Andie...She’ll probably --" He cut himself short. What would Andie do? She wouldn’t go to the dance by herself. That was certain. Joey, noticing Pacey’s lack of speech...sarcastically continued for him.
"She’ll probably run away with some underwear model...Don’t worry Pace, She’ ll give you a call soon." Pacey smirked and stepped infront of Joey.
"Not that it matters, but Andie’s more the boxer type..."
"And how would you....Oh. Ok. Too Much Info...." Joey put her hands over her eyes and shook her head, laughing at the same time.
"Awh C’mon Jo, You mean to tell me your not a boxer’s fan?"
"Pace, that’s a subject I have no experience in."
Pacey smiled and put his arms around her waist.
"Don’t worry, you will."
Joey laughed. "And what’s that supposed to mean, is it a threat?"
"No..." Pacey replied. Looking deep into her eyes he continued. "That’s a promise."
For once in her life, Joey Potter was speechless. Luckily enough, Pacey continued to talk.
"So we are going to that Dance tonight then right?"
Joey smiled and pressed her nose against his. "I promise."


**Later that Night **

"So Pace, you’re picking me up at 8 then?"
"Yeah is that ok?" "Ok, I’ll see you later then, Love you."
"I - I love you too."
"Bye."
"Bye Pace..."
Joey sighed and clicked off the phone. Outside it was lightly snowing...Joey gave her half-smile towards the phone and walked over to the kitchen window. She watched the light snow hit the pavement and disappear. Was she making the right choice? It had only been a couple days, and she had already told him ‘ I love You ‘...It had taken her 10 years to tell Dawson those words. Joey held her arms against her stomach, with her outer hand she rubbed her forearm.
"It’s ten below zero outside, and we have no heat...figures" she mumbled to herself while walking over to the little heater that was placed on the counter by the kitchen light switch. She flipped it on and sighed with relief for the instant wave of heat.
She smiled softly, as she remembered words that were said to her just a few hours before.
"Love doesn’t need time Joey, it needs the right person."
Somehow repeating them to herself made everything feel better. At least it did for now.

"Baby, Let me set you down
You look so troubled and I think I know
Just when you think you’ve come around
There you go.
Now I know the business of the heart
And it will get you anyway it can.
You need someone to walk with in the dark,
Well, I’m your man.
I go to the trouble like a magnet
That’s where I’ll be
Trouble is just a place to sing
It’s what you need."

- Trouble, Shawn Colvin


A small smile came across Joey’s face as she took notice to the brightly decorated gymnasium.

"See Jo, This is what a school dance looks like..." Pacey whispered teasingly.

"Yes..it’s...better than I ever dreamed," Joey mocked.

Dawson chuckled and followed them into the gym. He still didn’t know why he had agreed to go...or why Pace and Jo had wanted to go... together...linking arms..

"That’s just going to have to be one of the mysteries that will unravel tonight," He mumbled hoping he was right. A voice from behind him made Dawson snap out of his daydream.

"Dawson, It’s very discouraging to a girl, when a guy starts talking to himself."

Without needing to turn around Dawson knew who the walking insult provider was. Abby Morgan. To no surprise, that was who he landed face to face with when he did turn around.

"Get. Shoo. Scatter. Away. Be gone, will you..." Dawson demanded, giving Abby no attention as he looked around for Pacey and Joey.

"Who are you looking for Dawson? If you’re setting your peepers for Jen, you won’t have any luck. She had no interest left for a film-maker-wannabe."

"Abby do you have a brain defect or is it just hard for you with your lack of brain cells to acknowledge that I’m not interested in talking to you?"

Abby gave a shrug and walked away muttering words to herself as she scanned the room for her next victim. Dawson rolled his eyes at her, and walked back to the entrance they had all come in from. Was there really a reason for him to stay?

"Hey, leaving?"

Dawson turned around, prepared for another battle with Abby. He turned around only to be face to face with one of the most intriguing females he had ever seen. Defiantly not Abby.

"Uhm, Hey."

The girl was almost as tall as he was, hazel-brown eyes, and a soft auburn color of hair. "Yeah...I am."

"Oh," she said with a frown. "Can I ask why?"

"Well...uh," Dawson tried his best to give her a smile, and change the subject. If she was sticking around for awhile, maybe he would too. "So how come I’ve never seen you around here before?"

"I don’t live in Capeside, I’m just staying with my friend. Cassy Peterson. Maybe you know her?"

"I’ve heard of her. My name’s Dawson...Dawson Leery." He noticed that as he talked, she kept looking at his hands.

"Uh, Is there something wrong with my hands that I don’t know about?" Dawson asked, checking them over front and back a few times.

"Oh!" She replied startled, pulling her stare away from his hands back up to his face. "No, It’s just that I noticed your palms are sweaty, but you haven’t even had one dance."

"And how do you know that?"

"I’ve...I’ve been watching you since you came in."

Dawson turned a crimson red and looked away from the girl. He was flattered, but curious why she had picked him to talk to.

"I’m Melissa Fox."

"Nice to meet you Melissa."

She smiled and nodded, "Same to you, So are we going to just stand around and talk about dancing...or are we actually going to commit the crime?"

"As the daredevil I’m not, I say commit the crime."

She smiled and took his hand in her own. "Couldn’t have said it better myself."

Andrea McPhee sat quietly staring in the corner of the school gym, A.K.A the Spring Break Dance. It was nine days and counting from the day Pacey had broken up with her. And here she was, at one of the most populated dances that had ever happened in Capeside...with some of the finest guys she had ever seen --definitely out of towners who must have snuck in -- and she could only think of Pacey Witter.

Andie gave a quiet chuckle of disbelief as she watched Pacey and Joey dance to some slow song she had never heard of. Nine days! Nine days, and he had already found someone new. If she only had the nerve to walk up there and bitch them both out in front of all these people...

The way he hung on to her, the way he smiled when she talked...It was so unbelievably cruel and disgusting. Andie glanced away, holding back tears. She had that with Pacey once not long ago, they were almost the perfect couple. Almost. She let a tear trickle down her face, remembering when she used to believe of such a thing.

"So, Josephine. What exactly did we have planned for this evening?" Pacey asked, wrapping his arms around Joey’s stomach as they swayed side to side on the dance floor. They weren’t they only couple dancing, but in Joey’s eyes they might as well have been. It was amazing how fast things were going, she’d never imagined that she’d make it through a whole school dance..let alone be there with Pacey Witter, her childhood sparring partner.

"Jo?"

She blinked out of her reverie and smiled, "Yeah?"

"What’d we have planned for tonight, for after the dance. I’m thinking...maybe the ruins. Just sit and talk for awhile...?"

Air rushed into Joey’s lungs as she opened her mouth. Should she tell him yes? The truth...she wanted to go. She wanted to be with Pacey. But, Andie. Jo had seen Andie staring at her and Pacey from a distance. She was surprised Andie had decided to come in the first place...Joey knew that she herself wouldn’t have if that were her situation. Andie had strength, wits, and most of all...she had Pacey’s heart.

"Uhm...Hold on a second Pace."

Joey gently moved Pacey aside and walked to where Andie was seated, nervously she pulled out a chair and sat down. Andie had her head down on the table, and shook constantly from crying. Joey opened her mouth to speak, but didn’t quite know how to start the conversation. She smiled softly and looked back at Pacey who had been watching her from the moment she left his grasp. There was still time to get up and go back to him, Andie would never have to know she came over here to give him back.

In her own way, that was what Joey was trying to do.

The slow song faded into another one.

"I have no confidence
and I can’t see why I should.
But I could do most anything for you
and you know I would.
I try too hard,
and then I give up way too easily.
I’m the runner up inside of you
and you’re the winner inside of me."

"Oh God..." Andie mumbled quietly to herself, her arms were still crossed on the table with her head lying on them. She still hadn’t acknowledged Joey. But Jo could sense something about the song was hitting Andie in the heart. She closed her eyes for a moment, gathered courage and began to speak to Andie. "Andie, are you ok...?"

"Lose your way,
and I will follow.
Here today, and here tomorrow.
But my freedom I know,
I’ll never let you go."

Andie lifted her reddened face, tears were still falling down from her eyes. She looked at Joey and cocked her head suspiciously like a lost puppy. She cleared her throat and blinked away tears. "I will be," The tension between the two friends had grown so much over the past week that Andie didn’t know what else to say. She looked towards the dance floor. "How’s Pacey?"

Jo looked down at the table and traced her finger along a crack. "Look, I know,...I know I’m not quite the person you would like to talk to right now...But Andie I really need to ask you something."

"I still wish on an evening star,
and I suppose I always will."

"What..?"

"Do you still love him, the way he loves you?"

Andie looked shocked, "He doesn’t love me Jo, He broke up with me so he could be with you. He thinks I’m some...psychotic freak who deserves to live in a rubber room."

"No Andie, I can tell...When he broke up with you, he lost something. Something he can’t find in me..."

"Every child loses something,
a whole life can’t fulfill.
And when you cry,
I feel the sky burst open in my veins".

"I mean..." Jo stopped to take in a breath. "He doesn’t talk to me the way he did to you. When we came in to the dance Andie, he looked around for you. You must not have been here yet because his smile turned to a frown and looked back to the entrance."

Andie shook her head and chuckled. "That doesn’t mean he loves me Jo, it means he wants to make me jealous by being seen with you."

"I don’t believe that."

"Well, you should."

"Lose your way,
and I will follow.
Here today, here tomorrow.
But my freedom I know,
I’ll never let you go".

"Andie..."

"You know what Jo, I really don’t..." Andie started to stutter as she saw Pacey approaching them. "I can’t talk about this right now." She thought of running away, what would stop her? Certainly not Pacey, or Joey. Would they think she was too afraid to face both of them...together. Would he sit by Jo and put his arm around her...Andie closed her eyes briefly. Trying to let everything sink in. No one noticed the song slowly change once more...

"Hey."

"Show me the meaning of being lonely
So many words for the broken heart
It's hard to see in a crimson love
So hard to breathe
Walk with me, and maybe
Nights of light so soon become
Wild and free I could feel the sun
Your every wish will be done"

"Pacey."

"Andie. Jo what’s going on?"

Joey looked helplessly from her boyfriend to his ex. Finally she took in a deep breath and told them both what they needed to hear. "Pacey, I can’t see you anymore."

"Show me the meaning of being lonely
Is this the feeling I need to walk with
Tell me why I can't be there where you are
There's something missing in my heart"

"So you’ve lived here all your life? Wow..what a shame. You know there’s a lot of girls who have been looking for guys like you. Next time I see one, I ’ll have to recommend Capeside."

Dawson smiled at Melissa, "Highly doubtable that they would even know where it is." Melissa smiled and continued on with the conversation.

"So then, you’d know pretty much everyone here, and what goes on?"

He nodded, trying to follow where she was going with these questions. "Almost everyone, why?"

Melissa let her hands slide a little farther around Dawson’s waist. "I’m just a curious person, I guess."

"You like to explore too ..I’m guessing." Dawson retaliated, feeling her hands now move slowly up and down his back. He watched her eyes grow a little wider at the shock of his abrupt confrontation and smiled as she placed her hands back to where they had normally been. "Sorry, I’m just used to city boys...who move fast...er, Faster. You know?"

"No, but I’ll take your word for it."

Melissa grinned, maybe Capeside wasn’t as bad as she thought it was. It couldn’t be that bad if it had guys like Dawson Leery in it.