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TITLE: Confusion, part 2/2
AUTHOR: JSL
E-MAIL: dawsondiva@juno.com
DISTRIBUTION: you can post this on websites, forward it, etc. as long as
you send me a quick note asking my permission. Thanks!
SUMMARY: you'll have to read it to find out what happens!
RATING: PG
SPOILER: none
DISCLAIMER: the characters in this story are property of the WB network
and Kevin Williamson. They do not, in any way, belong to me.
Part 2
"Hey Dawson," Joey said hesitantly as she climbed through his window.
"Jo! Uh, good to see ya!" Dawson said as he quickly hit stop on his VCR remote-- obviously hiding something. Then there was dead silence.
"Dawson, look--" Joey started to say.
At the same time, Dawson said "Joey, we gotta talk--"
They both laughed. "You go first," Dawson said.
"Alright… uh… ya know, Dawson-- it's awfully hot in here. Would you mind going outside?" Joey asked.
Dawson glanced over at her, and noticed that she looked pretty nervous. "Sure Jo, whatever you like. Hold on a minute, I'll be right back," he said as he left his room. Joey looked over at the VCR.
'Should I?' she asked, wondering if she should see what he had been watching. 'What the heck, it's probably some Spielberg flick or something." She walked over to the VCR, and hit eject. She looked at the tape that popped out. "Dawson and Joey's Pretend Wedding?" She read. 'What the heck is this?' She put it in the VCR, and pushed play. A scene with her and Dawson came on the TV. Joey was wearing a sheet Mrs. Leery had sewn to look like a long dress; Dawson was wearing his Dad's old suit coat. They were walking down the aisle, "arm in arm". "I remember this!" Joey said as she thought back to the summer between kindergarten and first grade. Joey had gone to a wedding with the Leery's, and the next day she and Dawson wanted to "get married". With Mrs. Leery's help, they had had a pretend wedding.
"Joey! What are you doing?" Dawson said, looking pretty flustered.
Joey didn't look up. She was too busy watching the home video, filmed so many years ago. Dawson lay down behind her, and silently watched.
Suddenly, Joey turned around and looked at Dawson with tears in her eyes. "Dawson, I miss how it used to be. Ever since Jenn moved to Capeside…and Bessie had the baby…well, how do I put this?" she said, looking down at the bedspread. "I mean, we still have our movie nights. And we still talk, but I miss the closeness. Do you think, just for tonight, that we could forget about all this stuff going on between us? Could we just be like little kids again?" Joey asked, with her little half-smile that Dawson was suddenly finding so adorable.
"Shhh…don't say another word," Dawson said as he sat up. "We can't change what's happening to us, Jo." He looked over at Joey, and realized that she was about 3 inches from his face. 'Should I kiss her?' He asked himself. Just then, the phone rang, ruining the mood. They both jumped back, startled at the sudden intrusion.
Dawson picked up the phone. "Yeah?" he said abruptly, making Joey giggle. "Oh, hi…. hey, that sounds great, Pacey. Uh-huh… hold on, let me see what Jo thinks," he looked over at Joey. "Do you want to go to a party at Campbell Lake tonight? Pacey's throwing a big bash," he said with a shrug.
"Um…sure, why not? That actually sounds like a lot of fun. We haven't been there in ages!"
"Sounds great, Pace. What time do you want us to be there? 7:00…. cool. See ya then. Bye," he said as he hung up the phone. Dawson looked at the clock on his wall-- it read 5:38. "Jo, I'm gonna quick take a shower. You're welcome to stay if you want…"
"No, that's alright. I need to go home myself. Do you want me to come back here…or meet you there… or what?"
"How about I come to your place. 6:30 okay? I was thinking we could walk to the lake… its not that far. Is that okay with you?" He asked.
"Sounds perfect," she said as she walked over to Dawson. She stood close to him, wondering if he would have the guts to kiss her or something. She saw that he hesitated, so she just gave him a big hug and ran to the open window. "Bye, Dawson," she said as she climbed out.
"Dawson Leery, you are a gutless wonder," he said under his breath.
@>---,---'----
"Bessie! I need your help!" Joey yelled as she walked into her small, but cozy house.
"Wow, is Miss Potter actually speaking to me? Somebody's had a little attitude adjustment!" Bessie said sarcastically.
"Come on, Bess. I'm serious! Please…no smart-aleck remarks, okay?"
"Sure, Jo. I was just kidding. It's just that you were in such an awful mood at work this morning. Anyway… how can I help you?" Bessie asked curiously.
"Well…promise not to laugh at me?"
"Honey…just spit it out!"
"Uh… I'mgoingtoapartywithDawsonandIwanttolookspecial" Joey said, speaking so quickly that Bessie couldn't make anything out past the "uh".
"Could you please repeat that? This time, make it audible," Bessie said with a big grin on her face.
"I said, I'm…going…to…a…party…with…Dawson…and…I…want…to…look…special!"
"Okay, okay, I got it that time. Hmm… let's see," Bessie said, a plan forming in her mind. "Go hop in the shower, and we'll see what we can do."
@>---,---'----
"This is perfect! Dawson is really going to thank me for this," Pacey said as he hung up the phone. He had just invited Dawson and Joey to a "party" at Campbell Lake. "Now, if only I can get Jenn to do something with me… hmm," he said, deep in thought. He'd wanted to ask Jenn out for a couple months, but had restrained himself because of Dawson. But now that Dawson and Joey had a little somethin' going on, he figured it was his chance to jump in. "Maybe I'll just have to pay her a visit tonight," he said, laughing. "Tonight is definitely going to be interesting!"
@>---,---'----
"Joey! Hold still," Bessie said as she was applying eye-liner to Joey's eyelids. "I'm gonna poke you in the eye with this if you don't stop wiggling!"
"Ugh…Bessie! Stop! I don't want to look like a hooker tonight," Joey said.
"There, I'm all done," Bessie said as she put the cap back on the eye-liner. "Jo, you look beautiful!" Bessie was pleased with her work. She had transformed her-- Joey no longer looked like a tomboy, she looked like a woman. She was wearing a short black dress that showed off her long, muscular legs. Bessie had curled her hair, and pulled half of it back with a silver barrette. To complete the look, she had accented Joey's beautiful features with make-up. A touch of mascara, some eye-liner, and lipstick was all she needed. Of course, Joey (who rarely wore any make-up) thought this was too much.
"Oh! I can't believe I almost forgot! Wait right here, Jo. I've got the perfect thing for you," Bessie said, hurrying off into her bedroom. She came back with their Mom's jewelry box. Bessie set the box on the kitchen table, and opened it. She searched around until she found it-- a diamond solitaire necklace. "Here. I want you to wear this tonight," she said as she fastened it around Joey's neck.
Joey started to cry. "Oh, Bessie! You don't know how much this means to me."
"Now, now. Don't run your make-up! Mom would be so proud of you right now," Bessie said, now crying herself.
"Thanks, Bess." Just then, the doorbell rang.
"Looks like your Prince Charming is here. Have a good time!" Bessie said, as Joey picked up her purse, and went to the door.
"Hey, Dawson," she said after she opened the door. He was waiting there, with a single red rose.
"Oh wow…Joey, you look absolutely stunning!" He said. "Uh…I'm speechless!"
"Thank you," Joey said, looking at the ground, and then at the rose.
"Oh! This is for you," Dawson said as he handed her the beautiful flower. He grinned. "Are we ready?"
"Yep! Let's go." Joey walked over to Dawson, who was holding his arm out for her. "Woah, four-star service!" She said, taking his arm. Dawson just laughed.
"Hey, you're looking pretty good yourself," Joey commented. He was wearing khaki pants and a navy button-down shirt. The shirt brought out the color in his eyes, and at the same time made him look older than his 15 years. 'This night is going to be really fun,' Joey thought.
@>---,---'----
"Rrrrrring!"
"I'll get it, Grams," Jenn said as she picked up the phone.
"Hello?"
"Hey Jenn, this is Pacey,"
"Oh, hi Pacey! What's up?" Jenn asked, surprised that Pacey was calling her.
"That's exactly what I was wondering. Do you have any plans for the evening?" Pacey questioned, sounding a bit nervous.
"Nah, just sitting around watching game shows with Grams. Got anything in mind?"
'Bingo!' thought Pacey. 'She wants me bad!' "How'd you like to go see that new movie with Liv Tyler-- Armageddon?" He asked.
'Woah! Pacey Witter is asking me out!' She thought. "Hey, that sounds great," Jenn said.
"Sweet! What time do you want to me to pick you up? I've got the Jeep tonight…" Pacey bragged.
"Um… how about 7:45?"
"Great, there's an 8:00 show. Well, I'll let you go. I've got three sisters, ya know, and I know how long it takes you women to get ready," he said with a laugh.
"Okay, Pacey. See ya at 7:45."
"Bye, Jenn," Pacey said.
"Bye!" Jenn hung up the phone, and walked into the room where Grams was sitting.
"Hey Grams, I'm going out tonight," she said.
"With that Leery boy, I assume," Grams said unapprovingly.
"Grams, we stopped seeing eachother a while ago. You know that! Actually, I'm going to the movies with Pacey Witter."
"Oh dear. Well, I suppose there's no stopping you. But you know I don't approve," Grams began.
"Grams, nothing is going to happen! Why do you think that I'm going to sleep with every guy I go out with?"
"Jennifer, it's not that. I know what kinds of trouble you got into with the boys back in New York, and I'm just trying to help you out."
"Sure, whatever," Jenn looked down at her watch. It read 7:05. "I've got to go get ready now," she said just before she bolted up the stairs.
"Jennifer, Jennifer. What am I going to do with you?" Grams said, shaking her head.
@>---,---'----
Dawson and Joey were just arriving at the lake. "Where is everybody?" Joey asked, looking around. There was not a soul there.
"Hey, look over there," Dawson said, pointing to a big tree. There was the swing they had played in as kids. There was a CD boombox, and a picnic basket next to it. Soft, romantic music was playing from the stereo. "I have a feeling this is all Pacey's doing," Dawson said, realizing that they had been set up.
"Dawson! Let's swing, just like old times."
"Alright…are you sure you don't mind this?" He asked, hoping she wasn't disappointed.
Joey walked over to the swing and sat down. "I don't mind a bit! I wasn't really in the mood for a big, loud party anyway."
"I'm glad," Dawson said, and started to push Joey's swing.
She let out a happy squeal. "I haven't had this much fun in so long! This is great," she said as the swing started to slow down.
Dawson walked over to the other side of the swing, so he and Joey were facing eachother. The swing slowly came to a stop, and they were face-to-face. Just then, "Iris" by the Goo-goo Dolls came on the stereo.
"Dawson," Joey said quietly.
"Shhh," he said, placing a finger on her lips. "May I have this dance?" He shyly asked.
"Yeah," Joey answered with a grin on her face. She stood up, and put her arms around his neck. Dawson pulled her close, and they started to gently sway to the music.
Dawson closed his eyes. Everything in his life was beginning to fall into place. Dancing under the stars next to a crystal-clear lake with the girl he loves…this night was perfect. Well, almost perfect. He then realized that he and Joey were barely moving anymore. The music was fading away, it was like they were the only two people in the world. He placed his hand under Joey's chin, and lowered his lips to hers.
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