Dance With Me
Part Four of "Once in A Lifetime"
by Rae Vertudez


DISCLAIMER: "Dawson's Creek" does not belong to me. But, duh, you already knew that. I just have to say it doesn't so I don't end up getting sued by its true owners Kevin Williamson, Columbia-Tristar Televsion, Sony Pictures Entertainment, and the Warner Bros. Network.

SUMMARY: A romantic tale that explores the past lives of Pacey, Joey, Dawson, Jen, and various other Capeside citizens. Ever wonder what the small Massacusetts town was like in the 50's?
KEYWORDS: Pacey/Joey romance

~February 2, Present Day~

"Pacey, you okay?" Dawson asked.

"Fine," Pacey answered, pushing peas around his lunch tray. "Why?"

"You seem...distracted," Dawson tried to explain. "Jumpy, too."

"Jumpy?"

"Hey, guys," Jen greeted the two from behind Pacey. Pacey literally jumped out of his seat, his face somewhat annoyed.

"Geez, Jen, you nearly gave me a heart attack," Pacey said as Jen took a seat next to Dawson.

"Jumpy," Dawson confirmed to himself, then greeted the person who had arrived with Jen. "Hey, Joey."

Pacey hadn't noticed Joey was there until that moment because Jen had scared him half to death. Joey muttered a hello and hesitantly sat in the chair next to Pacey's.

The table was quiet for a few seconds before Dawson quickly broke the uncomfortable silence. "Okay. So, guess what I found while doing some research in the library."

"Research?" asked Pacey.

"Yeah, I thought it'd be more effective to base the past life I'm going to use for my new movie project on something that really happened. The whole idea that the tragedy which happens to be the center of the film is a true story grabs the audience more, don't you think?"

"So, what did you find?" Joey asked him.

"Listen to this." Dawson pulled a photocopied sheet of paper from his binder and began to read from it. "Valentine's Day, 1958. Two teenaged lovers were instantly killed when a truck driver heavily under the influence of alcohol was driving the wrong way on a one-way street and collided into the couple's car when on their way to Providence. It is rumored that they were heading toward that particular town to elope. Earlier that night, the father of the boy, a well- respected bank manager, had found out of the two's relationship, and, due to the girl's family's reputation in town, demanded his son to end the romantic involvement between them immediately. Instead of obeying his father, the son chose to run away with his girlfriend. The fatal collision occured about a block away from the entrance to Highway 6 at approximately midnight."

The table was silent again, this time to digest the story they just heard.

"Romeo and Juliet," Joey suddenly said, in a contemplative tone.

"What?" Pacey asked.

"Romeo and Juliet," she repeated. "Two teen lovers being torn apart from each other by their parents tragically die."

"That's what I thought, too," Dawson said. "And it's perfect for the reincarnation film. The story's basic, everyone's familiar with it, the audience already identifies with it. All we have to do is come up with characters and plotlines that's going to occur in the modern-day aspect of the movie that mirror those in this tragedy that really happened forty years ago."

"What were their names?" Jen asked quietly.

Dawson scanned the article for their names. "Um...Nina Connley and...Ben Wagner. They went here; they were juniors at Capeside."

"They weren't much older than us, then," Jen realized with a shiver.

"How come we never heard about this before?" Pacey questioned. "I mean, this is the kind of stuff that the generations that follow make up ghost stories about. Urban legends and such. You know, like that girl Nina roams the halls of the school on the anniversary of their death crying out for her dead lover or some shit like that."

Dawson shrugged. "Years go by, things get buried."

"Did the article have pictures of them?" Joey asked.

"I'm assuming it _did_, but our school microfiche machine only accepts text," he answered disappointedly. "Which really sucks because I'm kind curious about what they looked like."

"How about yearbooks?" Jen suggested.

"Been there, done that. All the yearbooks available dated back only to 1964."

"You can always track down an alumni," Pacey pointed out. "There should be a few still living in these parts."

Dawson contemplated this for a moment. "Not a bad idea."

Just then, some girl from the pep squad, her name was Rachel or something to that effect, dropped a flier onto their table. "Hope you can come," she said with Colgate smile before moving onto the next table.

Both Pacey and Joey reached for it at the same time, and when their arms brushed, they recoiled. "Sorry," they said at the same time.

Dawson reached over and grabbed the flier himself after shooting him a "What the hell was that all about?" look. He made a mental note to talk to Pacey about it later.

"What does it say?" Jen said as she looked over his shoulder.

"Valentine's Day dance this Friday. Oh, look it has a theme," he said, playing up the sarcasm. "A sock hop. Welcome to hell, please leave your coats and bags at the door."

"It could be fun," Jen argued. She nudged him playfully. "And romantic..."

"Isn't Valentine's Day _next_ weekend?" Pacey pointed out.

"They had to push it up a week because of that football conference."

"Once again, sports triumphs over the social needs of rest of the student body."

~February 2, 1958~

"What happened between you and Nina at lunch?" Stu asked Ben as they slid into the booth at the Diner.

"What do you mean?" Ben tried to avoid the subject.

"You know what I mean," Stu replied. "That thing with the flier. And everything else. What has been with you lately?" Stu paused, and his took face took on an expression of worry. He lowered his voice to a whisper. "Your dad hasn't been hitting you again, has he?"

"No, I've been successful in avoiding his wrath lately," Ben said, averting his eyes by scanning the menu.

"So, if it's not that, what is it? Does this have to do with Nina?" Stu nudged him. "Come on, man, talk to me."

Ben put the menu down slowly and exhaled slowly. "Uh...me and Nina..." he began hesitantly. "...after I drove her home from the Ruins...we kinda...kissed."

A small grin worked its way onto Stu's face. "_Kinda_ kissed?"

"It was a mistake, all right?" Ben focused his attention back onto the menu.

Stu laughed. "After Satuday's great performance as Romeo, I expect you to do _much_ better than that, my friend."

Ben rolled his eyes. "It meant nothing. _Nothing_."

"Uh-huh, right," Stu said. "Oh, come _on_, Ben. You've been in love with the girl since the third grade, and eight years later, after your lips touch hers, you say you felt _nothing_? _Please_. For God's sake, you're her unrequited love slave--"

Ben slapped the menu against Stu's arm. "Will you shut up?" he said through gritted teeth. He gestured toward Nina, who was at the moment was a few feet away taking orders from Table 8. "She is standing _right there_."

"Why don't you ask her to the dance?"

"Sure, when I feel like getting rejected, I'll give her a call." Ben's gaze shifted toward a booth across from theirs where a red-headed cheerleader classmate of thiers sat alone. "But as for a second choice..."

"Anna Peterson?" Stu said skeptically. "You're _much_ better off with Nina. That girl is all stuffed-bra and zero personality."

Ben ignored Stu's comment. "Mind if I...?" Ben said as he stood up.

"Go ahead," Stu said, also getting up from the table. "I have to leave anyway. See you later."

~Present Day~

"Hey, have you seen Dawson?" Jen approached Joey, who at the moment was wiping down the counter.

"Just missed him. He left a few minutes ago." Joey's eyes wandered toward Booth 4, where Pacey was flirting with one Alyson Nelson, a perky-cheerleader type. Jen followed her gaze, and soon saw found out what was presently holding Joey's interest.

Jen told her with sincerity, "I wouldn't worry about it, Joey. The girl's nothing compared to you."

"I'm not jealous!" Joey defended herself.

"I didn't say that you were, you just did, however," she said with a mischievious sparkle in her eyes. "Come on, Joey, are you sure you didn't feel anything when you kissed him? Because right now what I'm seeing is contradicting what I heard."

"Can we move on to something else? There must be some other topic we can discuss that doesn't involve the events of Saturday night."

"Pacey and the kiss are on your mind, Joey. And if you don't talk to someone about it, it's going to sit there until it's all you think about. So for the sake of your health and quenching my curiousity and in the name of friendship, tell me what's going on."

Joey released a frustrated breath, and said quietly, "Okay, maybe I'm slightly, somewhat, to a certain extent attracted to Pacey in an alternate- dimension sort of way."

"Well, at least you're out of the denial stage," Jen remarked.

"But it doesn't matter anyway," Joey said quickly. "He's not my type, I'm not his."

"Opposites attract," Jen pointed out.

"That is the most untrue remark about the attraction between the opposite sexes that I ever heard, not to metion unbelievably corny and unrealistic. Name two people who were totally different from each other yet a long-lasting relationship formed between them."

"Look, why don't you ask Pacey to the dance and we'll see if your theory on 'opposites attract' is true or not. One attempt, that's all I'm asking. We can double, it'll be fun."

"Haven't you've been listening to a word I said? He wouldn't want to go with me. I'm not gorgeous, blonde, perky, a cheerleader, or lacking a brain."

"In other words, you're not Alyson Nelson," Jen replied. "But last time I checked, that was a good thing. Come on. Ask him. It'll be fun, just the four of us."

"Don't you remember what happened the last time the four of us got together?

All hell broke loose. Dawson and I fought, Pacey got punched out by the film teacher, and I was rude to you."

"I'm willing to give it another try. But that's besides the point. _Ask him_," Jen urged.

"I don't even want to go to the dance," Joey said. "And I don't even want to go with him. And even if I did..." She glanced at Booth 4 again. A part of her saddened as she saw the two laugh together. Funny; a week ago, she could have cared less. But something happpened Saturday night. It wasn't just the kiss, though it was amazing, no matter how hard Joey tried to downplay it. It was how Pacey had comforted her, told her she was beautiful though she felt ugly both inside and out. It was a side of him she had never seen before, a side that attracted her to him. Joey forced her eyes back to Jen. "And even if I did, he probably already has a date," she finished, trying to leave out disappointment in her voice.

"Well, there'll be other dances, Joey."

"Stop playing matchmaker, Jen. It's not going to happen."

"But if he did ask you--"

"Can we just drop it, please?" Joey requested, laughing at Jen's enthusiasm to get the two together.

"All right, all right," Jen said, holding up her hands in peace. She paused. "But if he did--"

"Stop it!" Joey laughed, throwing the rag at her.

Jen threw it back. "Okay. No more, I promise."

Joey went back to scrubbing the counter, and after a brief moment of silence, Jen said with a smile on her face, "I like this."

"Like what? Witnessing the hum-drum events of my pathetic love life?" Joey said with a bitter smile.

Jen chuckled. "No. This. Us...talking. Us being friends."

Joey's smile slowly became a genuine one. "I like it, too."

~1958~

"So, how much more of this?" Ben said, making Nina jump since she had adapted to the silence between them as they drove to her house.

"How much more of what?"

"This...silence between us," Ben answered, rounding a turn. "It's neither healthy nor natural. Don't you have a cutting remark about my appearance? Or my lack of intelligence? Why, even a plain ol' 'You're such a geek' would suffice."

"I thought we were trying to act more civil around each other."

"We are. And I thought we were doing a good job of of it, too, until--" He suddenly stopped, and he looked away as Nina shifted uncomfortably in her seat. He cleared his throat and started again. "Look, it's obvious we still need to clear up some things. But I've been thinking about this, and here's what I've come up with. When two teenagers of opposite genders become friends, like we have these past few weeks, there comes a point when either or both becomes romantically curious about the other. It's natural. It's unavoidable."

"So what you're saying is, if we didn't kiss then, we would have kissed eventually."

"_Exactly_. I mean, when you get close with a person, you begin to wonder about the concept of getting closer. It happened to you and Stu, it happened to us. I think it was good that that kiss happened. It got it out of the way."

"Not a bad theory, Freud," Nina said, trying to sound as indifferent as possible. The words 'It got it out of the way' echoed through her head. *He's treating it like it was a stage we'd eventually would have gone through...*, she thought to herself in disappointment.

"So, I assume that we go on with our pathetic existances?" Ben asked, interrupting her thoughts.

"Assumption correct," Nina said, forcing a small smile.

"Good." Ben smiled, but his was genuine; at least to Nina, it was. "So that dance on Friday. You goin'?"

"Why?" Nina looked at his suspiciously. "You need a another favor?"

"On the contrary. I have a date with the very lovely Anna Peterson, thank you very much."

"So, I assume that you're losing streak is over?"

"Assumption correct." His smile grew to a grin. "But we're digressing. Are you going?" *And with who?* he added in his thoughts.

"I don't think so. Dances aren't exactly my thing. And why do you suddenly care about how I spend my Friday night?"

"Concerned as a friend, that's all," Ben answered sincerely. "You gotta have some fun, Nina. When was the last time you had fun? You should go to the dance."

"Right, I'll just pick one from the very long line of Capeside bachelors waiting to escort me to the social event of the year," she said, rolling her eyes.

"I'll just stay home. It's not like I'm going to miss anything monumental."

"Just the social event of the year." He paused. "Look, I can cancel with Anna, you and me, we can go together, have some fun--"

"No thanks, I'm not desperate," she joked. "Besides, you've been eyeing Anna Peterson since grade school. I don't want interfere."

"You won't be inter--"

"Look, I don't want a pity date," Nina interrupted. *I'd rather have you want to be my date for other reasons, but thanks anyway*, she added mentally.

Meanwhile, his thoughts read, *Shot down again. I should be used to this.*

Then again, with Nina, it was a whole different ball game.

~February 6, Present Day~

Joey flipped through the channels again. *You'd think that with 60 channels there would be at least one thing that was watchable*, she thought. After a little more channel surfing, she pressed the "off" button and threw the remote onto the floor and racked her brain for something to do. Something that would distract her.

Bessie suddenly appeared at her doorway. "Hey, Joey. What are you doing home?"

"What, I'm not welcome here anymore?"

She held up her hands as a sign of peace. "I was just asking a simple question. I mean, it's Friday night, you're a teenager, you should be out having fun, wreaking havoc. What are you doing home?"

"Isn't it obvious? Watching my non-existant social life pass me by."

She picked up the remote from the floor and began to go through the channels again.

"What about Dawson? Pacey? Or Jen?" Bessie asked, still lingering near the doorway.

Joey focused her eyes on the screen. "They're at this dance at school."

"And why aren't you there?"

Joey shrugged, her eyes still on the television. "Didn't feel like it."

"You should've gone."

"Too late now."

Bessie glanced at the clock on her desk. "When did the dance start?"

"Seven."

"Only seven-thirty." She grabbed Joey's hand and pulled her from the bed.

"Come on."

"What are you doing?" Joey pulled her hand away.

"I'm getting you to that dance."

"I don't even want to go."

"Oh, hush. I'm not buying that. You're going." Bessie opened Joey's closet door and began to scan its contents.

"I don't even have anything to wear."

"You have plenty of things to wear."

"There's a theme," she brought up. "A sock hop."

Bessie paused. "Workable. Last year's Halloween party. I was a 50's girl, remember? This is perfect." She grabbed Joey's hand again, this time pulling her to her bedroom.

"Bessie," Joey said. "Bessie," she said a little more forcefully. "Bessie!"

This time her sister stopped in her tracks. "Why are you doing this?"

"I'm your sister, Joey. I want you to be happy." She began again to guide Joey into her room. She let go of her hand and headed to her own closet. "I mean, it's been ages since I've seen you actually smile. I want you to have fun like normal teenagers."

Joey shook her head. "I'm far from normal."

"You've had a hard life. You've grown up far too fast. Which is why you deserve to have fun more than anyone else." Bessie pulled out a dress and handed it to her. It was simple yet beautiful, the color of white, the bodice tight yet the skirt flowed down loosely. It was sleeveless, held together by a thin strap on each shoulder. "Here. Put it on. We don't have much time. We still have to do your hair and make-up." Bessie began to walk to the bathroom.

"Bessie?" she called for her.

She turned around. "Yeah?"

A small smile. "Thanks."

A smile of her own. "Any time, little sister."

~February 6, 1958~

"So then Daddy bought the matching yahhts and named them both after me. It was only fair since the name the restaurant after Angela and his chidren's clothing company after the twins..."

Ben listened to Anna drone on about her father's latest acqirements. Trying to listen, actually. Okay, he was _pretending_ to listen. His eyes glanced around the elaborately decorated hotel dining room every so often, praying that he would find something or someone that would save him from ultimate boredom.

"...and then I said, 'Daddy, you might as well buy another boat!'" Anna laughed hysterically. "And he did! Isn't that funny?"

Ben forced a chuckle. "Hilarious." *Why did I want to go out with this girl?*, he asked himself. *Boy, do I have bad taste in women...*

Anna, totally oblivious to Ben's boredom, continued with her story. "And he just bought a small fast-food restaurant chain in the Bahamas, he's probably going to name it after my little brother Bobby..."

*Kill me. Kill me now.*

Ben scanned the dance floor around him, frantically searching for a way out.

Suddenly, heaven-sent, he felt a tap on his shoulder and familar voice said, "Mind if I cut in?"

Ben turned to the intruder gratefully, and upon seeing Nina dressed to the nines, stood speechless.

Anna, with a fake and forced smile, said to Nina with a trace of obvious annoyance, "Sure. I don't mind." She turned to Ben. "Meet you back at the table, 'kay, sweetie?"

Ben quickly regained his composure. "Yeah. See you later." The two watched as she disappeared into the crowd.

"Thank you," Ben said gratefully as his arms encircled her waist. "You are my savior. I am indebted to you."

Nina laughed, her arms placed around his neck. "I take it that Anna isn't what you expected her to be."

"If you mean a good date, then no, it wasn't what I expected at all. One can only feign interest in her family's stocks and bonds for so long before internally combusting." He paused, and said sincrely, "You look nice."

Nina rolled her eyes. "I was Sam's project for the evening."

"You know, you never could take compliments well."

"And how does one take compliments well?"

"Well, they smile, say thank you, and give a compliment in return."

Nina smiled. "Thank you."

"And?" Ben asked expectantly.

"And...your outfit matches."

He laughed. "Come on, you can do better than that."

She rolled her eyes again. "You look nice, too."

His eyes sparkled with laughter. "Now, was that so bad?"

"Nina!" Max suddenly appeared, with Stu at her side. Ben and Nina stopped dancing and let go of one another somewhat reluctantly. "You came!"

"I thought you weren't coming," Stu said.

"I wasn't until Sam shoved me out the door."

"You look great," Max complimented.

"Thank you. You look great, too." Nina glanced at Ben.

"We'll work on thinking up original compliments later," Ben said with an amused look on his face.

"So where's Anna?" Stu asked.

"Back at the table. Probably boring passers-by to death with stories about family boats and such."

"I warned you, man." He grinned. "I'm going to get some punch. You guys want?"

"Sure," Max answered.

"Yeah, I'm kind of thirsty," Nina said.

"I'll go with you," Ben offered Stu.

"I have to make a quick visit to the restroom. Meet you guys at the table?" said Max.

"Fine with me," Stu said with a quick kiss on her cheek. "Catch you later."

For a moment, both of them watched Max and Nina head towards the bathroom together. "Why do women always have to go the bathroom in groups?" Stu questioned.

"They really don't go to the bathroom because they need to, they go because they need to find a somewhat private place to discuss their dates outside of their presence."

"Thank you for enlightening me, O Dating God."

~Present Day~

"Ready to go to the table?" Jen said, throwing a paper towel away.

What Joey wasn't ready for was to see Pacey and Alyson together. "I need a little air. The crowds are making me a little claustrophobic. I'll be out on the terrace."

"Well, don't take too long. I need your company. God knows we all need a distraction from Little Miss Wonder Bra."

Joey chuckled. "I'll be there in a couple minutes," she said as they headed in opposite directions.

Joey leaned against the railing, her arms wrapped around herself. Cold gusts of wind would blow through every so often and she had forgotten a jacket. She could faintly hear the 50's music playing from inside. All was basically still and quiet where she stood, which is why she was startled when she heard a few female voices from nearby.

"Oh, my god! Could you believe the dress she was wearing?! Who in the right mind would wear _orange_ to a formal?!"

"I know! And those shoes?!"

"I can't believe she had the nerve to show up..."

Joey stifled a laugh. She always thought it was humorous to hear girls like them talk about things they held as important. My god, there were people dying and suffering out there and all they could think about were clothes? These girls were the reason why adults couldn't take teenagers seriously.

She instantly recognized Abby Morgan's voice, and after a listening a bit more, picked out Alyson Nelson and Ellen Foster's voices. They were talking below her, and she couldn't see them, unless she leaned completely over the railing, which she exactly wasn't willing to do just to get a look at the faces she despised to see every day.

"And did you see Jen Lindley? She think she's all that just 'cause she was raised in the city."

"Honestly, what does Dawson see in her?"

"I'll tell you what he sees in her. One thing comes to mind: Wham, bam, thank you, ma'am."

The girls laughed their annoying, nasal little laughs.

"What a little whore."

Joey was no longer surpressing her own laughter. Instead she was clenching her fists. Suddenly she heard someone open the door from behind her. There stood Pacey.

"Joey--" he began to greet her.

Joey held up her hand to quiet him.

He mouthed, "What?"

She gestured downwards, toward the voices, and as soon as he heard a little Jen-bashing. his expression grew angry. He motioned for Joey to come with him back inside, but as soon as she heard her name in their conversation, they both stopped in their tracks.

"Well, he could do worse. He could've gone for that Joey girl."

"Joey Potter? What a charity case."

"Please, the last thing we should do is pity her. She's such a self- righteous bitch."

Joey fought back angry tears. She told herself to get out of there, but her feet wouldn't move. Pacey fought between comforting Joey and running down there and telling those little snobs off.

"She's just like her slut of a sister. She went from Dawson straight to Pacey. She was putting the moves on him right in front of me! Jen is a saint compared to her."

"I know! As soon as she realized Dawson wasn't budging, she ran straight to him. What's sad is she convinces herself that she's in love with the guys she wants to jump, just to make less of wrong. I heard her and Jen talking about him--"

"Dawson?"

"No, Pacey. They were talking about Pacey. Anyway, I'm at the Icehouse, and I overhear them talking about him. It was _so_ sickening how Joey was talking about him, in this pity-me-because-he-doesn't-love-me-back voice, you know? Honestly, that girl is disillusional."

Continued . . .