I, brande@tea-house.com, agree that "Bad Things Always Happen in Threes" can
only be posted on the DC Fan Fic Forum under the topic of Road Trips for the
week of August 9,1998.
Bad Things Always Happen in Threes by Brande
Disclaimer: Let's be honest. I know I don't own the characters. You know I don't
own the characters. If KW wants to sue me, the only thing I have to my name are
my student loans, and he can HAVE those.
Pacey pulled out of the gas station and back onto the highway. After filling the
tank, he'd checked the map. Only a few hundred miles left to go, and he'd be in
Arizona. As he drove, he thought about the conversation he'd had with Dawson
just before he left.
"Pacey, classes don't start for two months. Are you sure you want to leave for
Arizona now?"
"No time like the present, my man. Besides, I've got somebody waiting for me
when I get there." He continued stuffing things in a duffel bag. Pacey turned
and grabbed a small box off the dresser.
Dawson grabbed it out of his hand. "What's this?" He opened the box to reveal a
beautiful emerald surrounded by diamonds. "Are you planning what I think you're
planning?"
Pacey snatched the box back, closing it with a snap. "And if I am?" He put the
box on top of everything in the bag and zipped it shut.
"Geez, Pace, relax. I was just teasing you. I'm just surprised."
"What? You think she'll say no?" Pacey asked nervously.
"I didn't say that. It's just that you two have had the most..." Dawson paused.
"Well, most non-romantic relationship I've ever seen."
"Wait. Is this Dawson Leery I'm talking too? You make it sound like just because
we haven't walked around sucking face in public that we aren't in love. You're
the one that used to give me lectures on controlling my 'overactive adolescent
libido'." Pacey swung his bag onto his shoulder. "I love Teresa and I can't
imagine a better way to spend my life than married to her." Pacey gave Dawson a
'guy hug', which was really nothing more than a slap on the back. "I've got to
get going. I'll call you later." He started out the front door of the house he'd
lived in for the last two years.
Dawson called out to Pacey and he turned in the driveway. "Tell me what happens.
I have the feeling it'll make a great scene for my student film."
Pacey laughed. "I'll think about." And he got into the car and drove away.
***
Pacey laughed and turned the radio in the car up louder. 'Yeah, I'll tell Dawson
what happens. The phone would probably melt in his hand.'
He looked at the road sign and turned off onto a smaller highway. According to
the map, this would take him closer to Phoenix and Teresa.
***
Teresa wiped the sweat off her forehead with the back of her hand. "What a day
for the A/C to die on me." She turned to look at the thermometer on the post on
the patio. It read 110 degrees, but that was as high as it registered. Teresa
was sure it was at least ten degrees hotter than that. "Tia?" she called over
her shoulder as she continued sweeping off the patio.
Tia Rosalie came out of the house, wiping he hands on her apron. "Yes, mija?"
"Tell me again why we had to clean today? It's got to be the hottest day of the
year."
"I told you. I'm expecting a house guest tonight and ever since I fell last
week, I've had a hard time getting to everything." Tia looked around the
backyard. "It looks wonderful, mija. Go on in the house and take a nice cool
shower. You'll feel better." She guided Teresa toward the back door. "Go on, use
my bathroom. I left a towel on the counter for you."
Teresa walked into the house and saw Jordan playing with his toy cars on the
kitchen floor. Tia called from behind her. 'I'll keep an eye on him. Upstairs.
Andale."
Tia waited until she heard the shower start upstairs, and she picked up the
telephone.
***
The cellular phone Pacey had bought rang from the seat next to him. "Hello," he
said as he picked it up."
"Oh, Pacey. I'm so glad I got ahold of you. Where are you?"
Pacey glanced at the street sign as he passed. "According to your directions,
I'm about four blocks from Teresa's house."
"Well, there's been a change of plans. Teresa is here at my house. I'll give you
directions."
Pacey turned on his turn signal and changed lanes while he listened. According
to what Tia as telling him, he should be able to see Teresa in about fifteen
minutes. Once he had a general idea of where he was going, he hung up the phone
and concentrated on his driving.
***
Tia hung up the phone and listened. Teresa was still in the shower. Good.
Quickly, she checked the kitchen. Despite the day's heat, she had insisted on
making a hot dinner. Her famous homemade enchiladas were staying warm in the
oven. Beans and rice were still in their pots on the stove. And, as a treat,
she'd made a pitcher of sangria and put it in the refridgerator. Everything was
perfect. She hurried to cover the table outside with a clean tablecloth and set
it. When she was done, she went upstairs.
Teresa had evidently just stepped out of the shower, because Tia couldn't hear
it running. She grabbed Teresa's dirty clothes off the bed and replaced them
with a clean outfit. "Sweetie, I forgot something at the store. I'm going to
take Jordan with me and get some ice cream on the way back. Do you want
anything?"
Teresa poked her head out the door and Tia hid the bundle of clothes behind her
back. "I'll go with you."
"No, no. I have to go to a couple of stores and someone needs to be here. I'm
expecting the repairman to be here any minute. You go ahead and stay here. I'll
only be a little while." Before Teresa could argue, Tia left. Teresa shrugged
and shut the bathroom door. When she emerged a few minutes later, her hair
wrapped in a towel, she discovered her clothes were missing.
"Oh no." She searched the room and they were gone. She found the pile of clean
clothes Tia had left for her, She sighed when she saw it was a short sleeveless
sundress, but put it on anyway. She was in the middle of pulling her hair up in
an effort to stay cool when the doorbell rang. She hurried downstairs and opened
the door.
"It's about time you got here. We've been waiting for you all day. Follow me,"
she said without looking and started back towards the back yard.
"I missed you too, sweetheart."
Teresa spun around at the sound of his voice. "Pacey?!" She ran back and hugged
him. "I'm so glad to see you. Get in here. Sorry it's not cooler. The A/C broke
down earlier..."
"Slow down." Pacey said laughing. "We've got all summer to catch up."
Teresa took the bag he was carrying from him. "Sit down. Are you hungry?"
"I've been driving non-stop since this morning, I'm starved!"
Teresa went into the kitchen to make Pacey up a plate when the telephone rang.
She picked it up to hear her tia on the phone.
"So, did my houseguest make it there okay?"
"If you mean Pacey, then yes."
"Oh, good. I left everything there for you two to have a nice quiet dinner on
the patio. We'll be back in a few hours. Have fun." Tia Rosalie hung up.
As Teresa hung up the phone, she heard Pacey come up behind her. "Who was that?"
he asked as he put his arms around her.
"Tia made us dinner. She wants us to eat on the patio." They looked out the
kitchen window and saw the table that Tia Rosalie had made up for them.
"Well, we can't let it go to waste, can we?" Pacey said with a laugh.
Teresa shooed him out of the kitchen. "I'll get everything. You go outside and
sit down." She came out later with the food and the pitcher of sangria on a big
tray. She set everything on the table and sat down, while Pacey poured them each
a glass of the punch. Before they took a drink, Teresa clinked glasses with him,
saying "Salud". Then she watched with amusement as Pacey downed the glass and
poured himself another.
Dinner went very quickly, partly because they were both so busy talking that
they barely noticed the food. By the time they had finished eating, Pacey was on
his fourth glass of sangria and was slurring his words just slightly. When they
stood up to go back inside, Pacey weaved back and forth.
"I tried to tell you to go easy on that stuff," Teresa chided as she led him
inside to the sofa.
"I wanted... I wanted to ask you something...."
"Shhhh... you can tell me later." She put him down on the sofa and pretty soon,
he was asleep.
Note: I apologize to everyone who has been waiting on Part III of my story. Due
to a sudden death in my family, I wasn't able to get finished in time to make
the deadline. I'm currently working on a section for that topic. (It will be
related to this story, but not vital to understanding the storyline.) I should
be finished by the end of the week. If anyone wants to read it, please contact
me by e-mail : brande@tea-house.com and I will give it to you.
Also, for anyone who doesn't understand Spanish:
Tia - aunt
Mija - term of endearment, kind of like "my girl" or "my daughter"
Sangria - a white wine-based fruit punch. Can be very strong
Andale - "go on" or "move"
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