Hunter

By Leia

Part 11

I close my eyes when I get too sad
I think thoughts that I know are bad
Close my eyes and I count to ten
Hope it's over when I open them

I want the things that I had before
Like a Star Wars poster on my bedroom door
I wish I could count to ten
Make everything be wonderful again

Hope my mom and I hope my dad
Will figure out why they get so mad
Hear them scream, I hear them fight
They say bad words that make me wanna cry

Close my eyes when I go to bed
And I dream of angels who make me smile
I feel better when I hear them say
Everything will be wonderful someday

Promises mean everything when you're little
And the world's so big
I just don't understand how
You can smile with all those tears in your eyes
Tell me everything is wonderful now

Na na na na na na na

Please don't tell me everything is wonderful now

I go to school and I run and play
I tell the kids that it's all okay
I like to laugh so my friends won't know
When the bell rings I just don't wanna go home

Go to my room and I close my eyes
I make believe that I have a new life
I don't believe you when you say
Everything will be wonderful someday

Promises mean everything when you're little
And the world is so big
I just don't understand how
You can smile with all those tears in your eyes
When you tell me everything is wonderful now

I don't wanna hear you tell me everything is wonderful now

I don't wanna hear you say
That I will understand someday
No, no, no, no
I don't wanna hear you say
You both have grown in a different way
No, no, no, no
I don't wanna meet your friends
And I don't wanna start over again
I just wanna my life to be the same
Just like it used to be
Somedays I hate everything
I hate everything
Everyone and everything
Please don't tell me everything is wonderful now

I don't wanna hear you tell me everything is wonderful now

*~*Wonderful by Everclear*~

Jen walked out of her room. It was Sunday, time to call Grams before she went to church. Jen hated getting up early, but she would do just about anything for that old woman... well, except go to church, that is.

She was rather surprised to see Joey already watching the news and drinking coffee.

“Wow, Joey... I didn’t expect to see you up this early,” she said, sitting down next to her. “I expected that you’d still be asleep.”

“I actually didn’t sleep much at all,” Joey replied with a small, tired smile.

“Oh?”

“Yeah... I’ve been doing some thinking. A lot of thinking.”

“Yeah? Care to enlighten me?”

“I’m going to take care of my problems one at a time,” Joey explained. “I’m going to go over to Sandra’s and apologize to her and Sara, and see what I can do to make up for being a total ass to them. Then, I’m going to call Pacey and ask him to meet me for dinner.”

“Oh?” Jen asked with a small grin.

“Its not what you think... I’m telling him that I’m moving out.”

“What? Jo, don’t be ridiculous! That was the perfect living arrangement. You get along, you know each other, and its a great apartment! You get companionship...”

“Jen, I’m causing fights between him and his girlfriend. I don’t want to be the reason that he has to choose between us. And who do you think he’ll choose? His clingy friend who’s bumming off of him or his beautiful, classy girlfriend?”

“I think he’ll choose the woman he’s deeply in love with,” Jen replied, giving Joey a pointed look.

“Exactly... Cici,” Joey replied in return.

“Joey, you know very well what I mean.”

“I know very little nowadays. Just let me take care of this.”

Jen sighed. “Well, you’re perfectly welcome to stay here. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t need the company.”

“Thanks, Jen,” Joey said, genuinely smiling for the first time. “I promise I won’t stay long... just until I can find an apartment.”

“Stay as long as you want... but you’re perfectly welcome to go back to Pacey at any given time...”

Jen was cut off by a pillow being hurled at her.

“Or not,” her muffled voice said from behind the pillow.

*~*~*~*~*

Joey took a deep breath before knocking on the door. She better pull this off well. As the door opened, Joey braced herself, but found Ruth on the other side.

“Um, hi,” Joey said, slightly taken aback. “Is Sandra here?”

“No... her and Sara went to get some lunch... talk through some of their differences,” Ruth replied. “Do you want to come in?”

“Yeah,” Joey said with a touch of relief.

Joey and Ruth sat down on the couch.

“She was pretty upset yesterday,” Ruth informed her.

“Yes, I endured some of her wrath yesterday morning.”

Ruth smiled.

“Sandra has quite a temper on her. I can understand why she’s upset, but...”

“But what?” Joey inquired.

“But I think that Sara needed to know... someone needed to.”

“Do you know exactly what causes her to act so recklessly?”

Ruth hesitated.

“I have an idea, yes,” Ruth admitted. “Its something that she doesn’t like to talk about.”

“Oh?”

“Yes...”

“Something serious?”

“Do you consider a broken heart serious?”

Joey took in a deep breath.

“I take a broken heart with the up-most seriousness.”

Ruth smiled. She knew somehow that Joey would understand. She had told Sandra that, but it wasn’t really her place... but then again, when did Ruth recognize what was her place and what wasn’t? But she knew that she had to let Sandra come to Joey on her own. She couldn’t force her.

“Let’s just say that Sandra’s not quite the same person at heart that she puts on this grandiose display. She’s more vulnerable than she likes to admit.”

Joey nodded. She knew that there was something Ruth wasn’t telling her.

“Is it about the ex-boyfriend? The one that she lost when she slept with someone else?” Joey asked.

“No, that didn’t even seem to phase her. Its something beyond that... but I’ve gone too far already,” Ruth admitted, getting ready to get up and leave.

“Wait, hold on,” Joey pleaded. “I need to know what’s wrong. I need to know how I can fix things.”

“Give it time,” Ruth replied. “That’s all the advice I can offer you. Give it time.”

*~*~*~*~*

The day had gone by... she wasn’t ready to talk to Sandra or Sara. It would have to wait, because she had another thing that she wasn’t quite ready to do.

Call Pacey.

“Hello?” Pacey answered the phone.

“Pacey. Hi,” Joey stammered.

“Jo,” he said, breathing out a sigh of relief. “God, Jo, I was so freaking worried about you!”

God, he was only making this harder on her.

“Pacey... we need to talk,” she began.

“I agree. We need to.”

“Meet me for dinner at Mario’s in Little Italy at eight tonight, okay?”

“Okay, I’ll see you then... and Jo?”

“Yeah?”

“I... I’m sorry. This is all just one big mess.”

Joey bit her lip.

“I know, Pace. We’ll get it sorted out. I promise.”

“Bye, Jo.”

“Bye.”

Joey hung up the phone and let out a shaky breath. This was going to be harder than she had hoped it would be.

*~*~*~*~*

Pacey walked in the door. The restaurant was beautiful. Dim, candlelit lighting and soft violin music playing in the background.

“Are you Mr. Witter?” a man with a thick Italian accent inquired.

Pacey turned around, startled.

“Yes,” he answered.

“Miss Potter is waiting for you right this way,” the man said, and gestured for Pacey to follow him.

He followed him to the main dining room. Joey was practically sitting in the center of the room. She seemed to glow, Pacey noted. Maybe it was the candlelight, but she had this warm glow as she nervously looked around. Her hair was swept up from her face in a French twist, and she wore a black, strappy dress. As she spotted him, an involuntary smile crossed her face. She looked down even more nervously.

He pulled out the chair so he could sit down.

“You look beautiful, Jo,” he remarked as she sat down.

She blushed slightly.

“You don’t look half bad yourself,” she replied.

They shared a smile before the awkwardness set in again.

“Listen, I-” Joey began as Pacey simultaneously said, “Jo, I’m-”

They laughed, but quickly sobered. Pacey took Joey’s hand in his, and she looked down at their entwined hands. Her eyes remained on them, as if she couldn’t keep her eyes away.

“Joey, I’m truly sorry about the argument... I just didn’t want to complicate things. But if you really want to know what was said-”

“No, Pacey. It doesn’t matter. Its none of my business and-”

“Joey, my business is your business.”

She took in a deep breath and looked up.

“Pacey, there’s something I need to tell you,” she said slowly, taking her time.

“What is it?” Pacey asked, concerned.

“I-” she began before cutting herself off.

Before she could hardly begin her sentence, a familiar presence stood by their table.

“Mind if I join you?” Dawson said with a smirk.