Jen knew she had to get out of the house. Everything she looked at reminded her of her grandfather and the atmosphere was so melancholy and depressing. It was a house of mourning. Her grams was at church preparing for the funeral which would take place in two days.

Jen sighed. There was only one place she could go, to Dawson’s. Today he had upset her a lot but Dawson never was the best at saying the right things. Besides, Joey had gone to talk to him while he was in detention so perhaps he now understood what she was feeling.

Jen got up and left her house. She hesitated before she climbed the ladder to Dawson’s room. She didn’t want to go in the conventional way and run into Dawson’s parents. She wasn’t in the mood for polite chatting.

‘Joey?’ Dawson called out, hearing Jen on his ladder.

‘No, Dawson, it’s me.’ Jen climbed the window and sat beside Dawson on his bed. Dawson switched the TV off using the remote and turned to face Jen.

‘I was kinda hoping you were Joey, I really need to talk to her,’ Dawson sounded disappointed.

‘Didn’t you talk to her after school in detention today?’

‘No, She kinda saw something she shouldn’t have and got the wrong idea. I never got a chance to speak to her.’

‘Oh, maybe I should just go then.’ Jen had only decided to come because she thought Joey had explained to Dawson how much he had hurt Jen. She was also sad that Dawson felt disappointed that she wasn’t Joey. I thought he still cared about me as a friend too, she thought.

‘No stay, Jen. We can still talk can’t we?’ Jen instantly felt relieved that Dawson wanted the same out of their relationship as she did.

‘Yeah, sure Dawson.’ Jen managed a small smile. ‘I came over cuz I wanted some company. I know it sounds stupid but now that my gramps is dead the house just seems very lonely.’

‘Your gramps died? Geez Jen, I’m sorry,’ Dawson’s eyes were wide with sympathy. Jen was confused. Is it just me or has Dawson flipped? I told him already today about my gramps didn’t I?

‘Yeah Dawson, isn’t that what we were talking about in Chemistry today? My gramps dying?’

‘It was?’ Dawson looked really guilty. ‘I’m so sorry, Jen. No wonder you got so upset. I thought it was Joey we were talking about.’

Jen frowned. She was extremely puzzled. ‘Joey? Joey’s not dead!’

‘No, but she’s dying.’ Dawson spoke sadly and looked down at the bed.

‘She’s what?’ Jen felt like someone had just punched her. Joey can’t be dying. We’ve just started to be friends. Tears filled Jen’s eyes. This is too much, I’m losing everybody.

‘Yeah, it’s true. She...um....she has cancer. I saw a letter she got from the hospital about it this morning.’

‘Well, um, have you told Joey that you know yet?’

‘No, why do you think I have been going on about friends being honest with each other all day? I’ve been trying to get her to stop hiding it from me. I thought she had already told you though. You know, before homeroom, when she was talking to you and suddenly you started crying.’

‘No, she was telling me how sorry she was about my gramps, that’s why I was crying.

But never mind that. We should go over to Joey’s house and talk to her. If must really hurt her to have to keep a huge secret like that from her friends.’

Jen and Dawson went over to Joey’s. All the way, Jen was thinking about how well she and Joey had been getting on recently. I don’t want her to leave me now, please God? Jen was atheist, but since her grandfather’s death, the idea of God and heaven was a great comfort to her.

They reached Joey’s home just as Joey and Pacey were approaching it from the opposite direction.

‘Hey guys,’ Dawson said lamely.

‘Oh hey Dawson. Abbey not with you? That’s a shame, you looked like you were having such a great time together earlier on.’ Joey sneered at Dawson.

‘No wait, Jo. I can explain....’

‘What is going on?’ Jen interrupted.

‘Apparently Dawson and Abbey are a bit of an item now. Joey saw them playing tonsil hockey in the library this afternoon,’ Pacey smirked.

‘You kissed Abbey?!’ Jen shrieked.

Dawson frustratedly pulled at his hair. ‘No, she kissed me. But I told her I didn’t like her. I like someone else. What you saw, Jo, was a kiss that lasted only a second and which I would prefer to forget. You just came in at the wrong moment.’

There was a brief silence.

‘Geez, I guess I’ve been a bit stupid Dawson. I mean, you and Abbey? Eeeuuugh! I’m sorry, forgive me please?’

‘Sure, Jo. Where have you two been anyway?’ Dawson was concerned.

Pacey went red as Joey started to speak: ‘Pacey has a secret life we didn’t know about. Do you know he is now officially dating Susi?’

‘Uh, well,’ Jen replied, ‘We kinda guessed that you had got lucky, Pacey, after your little conversation with her in the cafeteria the other day.’

‘That wasn’t what she meant!’ Pacey cried. ‘She was um.....well she was...um....talking about a little acting I did in a cafe the other night.’ Pacey was speaking so quiet and quickly that he was almost incoherent.

‘Yeah, Pacey’s been going to this cafe and acting out scenes from movies on stage to impress Susi. I saw him do a scene with her tonight. It was after that that she asked him out.’

‘You only know that because you sneaked out after me,’ Pacey snapped. Then he suddenly said, ‘Are you all right Joey? You’re shivering.’

‘Yeah, I’m fine, it’s just a little cold out here on the porch that’s all. I’d invite you in but Alex is sleeping.’

‘No, no you’re not fine Jo. Jen and I, we know that you are sick.’ Dawson was staring Joey straight in the eye. Jen could tell how hard he was trying to keep all the emotion out of his voice.

Joey’s expression was one of confusion. ‘I don’t know what you are talking about, Dawson.’

Without moving his eyes away from Joey’s, Dawson continued speaking slightly nervously. ‘I, um, I’m sorry, Joey. I read your letter. I know you have cancer.’

The stunned silence was interrupted by Pacey taking a sharp intake of breath. Then Joey spoke softly: ‘Oh Dawson, I don’t have cancer. That letter you saw, that was just to tell me to go for a check-up. See, cuz my mom died of cancer, Bessie and me have a higher risk of developing it so we go to the hospital every few years to make sure that if we do get cancer, it is caught early enough to be treated. I promise you I am fine, thanks for worrying about me though.’

Pacey began to laugh. ‘I’m sorry,’ he gasped. ‘Its just this whole day everyone seems to have only heard or seen little bits of things and totally misinterpreted them. I mean, Dawson thought Joey was dying, Joey thought Dawson was in love with Abby, you all thought that I had slept with Susi...’

By this time all four of them were laughing as they remembered their part in the confusion of that day.

As they all drifted away home a short while later, still laughing to themselves, Dawson lingered a few moments on Joey’s doorstep.

‘I’m sorry I read your letter, Jo. It maybe would have saved a whole heap of bother if I hadn’t but....in a way I’m glad I did. I mean, when I thought you were dying I suddenly realized a lot of things that I hadn’t been aware of before....’ he stopped as he realized how beautiful she looked in the moonlight.

‘Dawson,’ Joey prompted gently. She was so nervous. This was her best friend but he had made her feel dizzy. The anticipation of what he was going to say made her shiver.

‘I, I realized that you mean everything to me, Jo. I need you to survive. Without you I wouldn’t even be able to get up in the morning. Today when Abbey kissed me all I could think about was you. And then you walked through the door and I was so scared I would lose you, that you would never speak to me again. I felt like I had been unfaithful to you, Joey. It sounds stupid, I know.....’

‘I don’t think it sounds stupid at all,’ Joey whispered.

‘Then I told Abbey that I loved someone else,’ Dawson continued. ‘I told her that I loved you. Lord knows it will be all over the school by tomorrow, I maybe shouldn’t have told her, but now I’m telling you before someone else does.....’ Dawson’s nervous, quick talking was interrupted by Joey who leaned in and kissed him passionately on the lips. Dawson was surprised for only a second then he kissed her back.

In the distance Pacey and Jen had stopped to wait for Dawson and they had witnessed the scene.

Jen shook her head. Who would have thought.... ‘What a weird day,’ she said aloud.

‘Yeah,’ Pacey agreed. ‘I’ve been thinking the same thing the whole day. It must be a full moon.’