Joey Potter sat quietly on the dock outside her house, her feet dangling a foot above the water of the misty creek. She looked up toward her house and saw two of her best friends, Jack McPhee and Jen Lindley, still asleep on the front porch. She smiled and then turned back to the water that was slowly drifting past her. She picked a daisy and pulled the petals off one by one, each one drifting along toward the ocean with the rest of the creek. She then looked across the flowing waters to Dawson Leery's house. Dawson was her best friend in the world, and he was in California because he has started college early. It had been two months since she had seen him, and they had only talked on the phone a few times, since he was so busy with school work.
Joey sighed and pulled herself to her feet, walking back to the cozy bed and breakfast that was her home. Her sister, Bessie, emerged from the house as Joey reached the porch steps.
"You know," Bessie said. "With these two sprawled on the porch here, it's no wonder we didn't get any business last night."
Joey smiled. "Come on, Bess, you know you love them." She looked down at Jack and caught drool glistening on him cheek as he let out a grunt. "However, in the morning, I can see how that's a face that only a mother could love." He grunted louder. "Maybe not even that."
Bessie laughed. "Wake them up, Bodie's almost finished making breakfast." Bessie brushed her sister's hair out of her face and went back inside, where there were sweet aromas of pancakes and sizzling sausage. Joey glanced down at Jack again, then up on the porch swing where Jen had chosen to spend the night. She bent down to nudge Jack, when suddenly, a thought popped into her head. She grinned and ran back toward the creek.
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It was a beautiful winter evening. Jack was warm in his thick wool sweater by the fire. He felt a chill run through him as the door opened, and looked to see Tobey, his boyfriend, enter the house. Tobey walked over to Jack and gave him a small, sweet kiss.
"You in the mood for some hot cocoa?" Jack asked.
"When am I not?" Tobey answered, flirting a little. Jack reached behind him to the table next to the couch and picked up a large mug of hot cocoa. He brought it near Tobey's lips, then stopped suddenly and dumped it over his head.
Jack sat straight up, screaming as water dripped from him hair and t-shirt. Behind him, on the porch swing, Jen screamed. Joey looked at them for a moment, then collapsed in laughter, dropping the large bucket she had been carrying.
"Oh, that's it, little girl," Jack said. "You're gonna get it now!" Jack got up and grabbed Joey around her waist, throwing her over his shoulder. Jen giggled, then ran after Jack and Joey. Jack carried Joey to the dock and set her down on the very edge. "Any last words?" he asked.
"No, Jack! No!" she screamed as Jack shoved her into the cool creek. "She surfaced, splashing water at him. "I can't believe you just did that!"
"You get what you dish out, Jo," Jack replied. "Now you're as soaked as I am."
Jen suddenly rushed up behind Jack and shoved him in along with Joey. "Correction, Jackers," she said. "Now she's as soaked as you are."
"You are low, Lindley, low!" Jack yelled, laughing. "You realize you're getting in here too, right?"
Jen smiled. "What the hell, there's nothing like a brisk swim in the morning!" She laughed as she jumped into the air, landing in the creek. Bessie came out of the house and watched the three friends play in the water. She smiled and rolled her eyes before going back inside.
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"So, what do you guys wanna do today?" Joey asked that afternoon. She was walking in the park next to Jen, with Jack and Tobey trailing behind them.
"How about a movie?" Jen asked.
"Nah, not really in a movie mood," Jack said.
"Um...dinner?" Joey asked.
"Not really in a food mood either," Jack replied.
"Are you kidding me?" Tobey asked. "You're always in a food mood. You're like a freaking—"
Jack clamped his hand over Tobey's mouth. "You wanna keep talking, boy? See how far that gets you!"
"Oh, am I being threatened?" Tobey asked, sarcastically. "Joey, Jen ... I think Jackers here is threatening me!"
Joey gave Jen a look. "They never get sick of it, do they?" she asked.
"Nope," Jen answered. "The two of them could flirt for hours and they'd still never get tired of it." She wrenched herself between the two boys and grabbed each of their hands. "Okay boys, you can do that all day, but we're kind of thinking group activity here. So what do you suggest?"
"Dawson. . . ." Joey said, her voice trailing off.
"Yeah, Jo, we'll drive to California right this afternoon," Jack said.
"Dawson!" Joey screamed, running ahead. She jumped into Dawson Leery's open arms as the others looked on in awe.