Nowhere Fast
Chapter 16 - Start of the Revolution
Pacey Witter
As soon as I heard the door open, I knew I had to restrain Joey. Jack was looking around, completely puzzled by our expressions.
“Did I interrupt an argument?” Jack asked. He seemed to be somewhat drunk as he stumbled toward his closet to hang up his coat.
Joey tried to refrain from showing emotion as she stated. “We ran into Abby tonight.”
“Always a source of scorn.” I added needlessly.
“What is she trying to do?” Jack questioned as he sat down on his bed.
“She had a plan all right. I’m just surprised that it wasn’t exactly what I imagined.” Joey pointed out. Jack closed his eyes as he rested his head against the wall. “I have this suspicion you may even know what I’m about to say.”
I was watching Jack for a reaction to that news. Surely, he should have said something regarding that accusation. Instead, he didn’t move from his position, just opening his eyes slightly to peer at Joey.
Joey got irritated at Jack’s lack of a response so I continued for her, “I realize Abby and Chris are just trying to rile us up so there’s nothing to truly concern ourselves with. Of course, you’re not friends with our RA, even though you claimed that you were joining crew with him.”
Jack’s eyes grew wide as he asked, “Tom’s on crew?”
Was it better for Jack to have lied about that or not? It was hard to say because if it was the truth, then he was friends with our RA and had the access. He didn’t seem to know that information so he must have lied for a different reason.
“Look, it doesn’t matter that you weren’t interested in attending the sorority party. Hell, I think I speak for Joey as well when I say that I wish I hadn’t gone.” Joey nodded. “So you went to a better party than we did?”
Jack glanced from Joey to myself, trying to figure out what was actually going on. “Well, I went to a party. I can’t say it was that great but at least I didn’t see Abby.” He chuckled nervously.
This explanation didn’t satisfy Joey. “I asked you about attending a better party, remember? I didn’t want to go to that stupid party but I had been cajoled into it thanks to you. Let me just say that it fulfilled most of the stereotypes I’ve ever had of those people.”
“Oh please.” I sighed, “Don’t believe her, Jack. She may have found a way out of her housing problem. It involves the roommate of a recruit…”
“Pacey, don’t change the subject.” Joey barked out. She turned back to Jack. “Did you drop that journal off at my door and want me to think that Pacey found it?”
“Um, that’s not quite how it happened. Yes, I dropped off the journal. I wrote a quick note and kind of disguised the writing. I didn’t realize it was looked like he wrote it.” He then jumped upright. “Are you asking me because you think I’m involved in Abby’s plan?”
“No, of course she isn’t.” I assured him.
“Why would you tell that bullshit story then?” Joey spat out, quite insistent to know the true story.
If Jack had a way to reply, this whole issue could have been over with. There was an obvious problem with that, though I had no idea who or what was holding back a response. “It doesn’t matter right now, I can see that. If I told you why, it would only convince you further that I’m trying to manipulate you two.”
Hold on. How did he know that Abby had been trying to get Joey and I together if he was supposedly innocent? Joey’s eyes widened - I wasn’t the only one who caught what he said. It was clear that he was aware of the situation somehow.
“I know that if I found out information regarding Abby’s guilt, I’d immediately release that information.” I stated emphatically.
“ Abby’s guilt? That’s amusing because it sounds as if I’m the accused party here.”
“That is not what we’re saying!” Joey shouted. “Why the fuck are you turning this into an issue among us? That’s exactly why I’m here, to prove that Abby can’t win.”
Jack shook his head, muttering, “I can’t believe that fucking bastard fooled me.” Now, I was definitely confused because Abby wasn’t fooling anyone - she was evil from the moment we met. Louder, he said, “I need to get out of here.” Before either of us had a chance to say anything, he left the room.
Joey stared up at the ceiling, looking for a sign. She muttered, “It’s not that I really think he’s involved with Abby’s plan. But there’s clearly a piece that we’re missing in this mess.”
“You realize there’s a possibility that Jack really thinks we believe Abby. I wasn’t even sure which position you were taking sometimes.”
She glanced back down to face me. “I know. The scary part is I have a bad feeling she won.”
* * * * *
Jack McPhee
What the hell is going on? I couldn’t even figure out exactly when this situation had turned into a mess.
I just kept driving, refusing to let this damn hangover get to me. I knew that I hadn’t drank that much the night before because I could remember every bit of that conversation with Pacey and Joey. I also knew I had drunk enough that I couldn’t go on this impromptu road trip right after I left my room.
Looking back now, it probably would have been better if I’d left the building. I should have confronted Charlie after I’d thought about what happened with them.
No, it wouldn’t have mattered. There was one thing I was certain about. I had been wrong to listen to Jen regarding him. There was no reason to trust him. I had been correct in not telling Joey where I was really heading because she would have thought I’d really lost my mind. As opposed to Abby’s probable claim that I lost my mind.
Besides, Charlie was the one who wanted to keep the excursion a secret. Okay, he hadn’t actually told me not to tell Pacey and Joey the truth. He just said not to let Abby find out. For that matter, he didn’t want Joey to know where I’d gotten the journal. The conclusion was still that he never wanted the real story to come out.
He blatantly told me the plan! Yet it still had been effective enough to cast doubts in, at least, Joey’s head.
I was sitting in the lobby, going over everything that happened. Charlie entered the building and as soon as I saw him, the first thing that popped out of my mouth was, “You were trying to screw over someone else. In either sense of the phrase.”
It went downhill from there. I wasn’t sure how much was fueled by this goddamn journal mess and how much by Gary’s accusations.
Not that those accusations should have been entirely surprising to me. Two weeks ago, I would have believed every word he said as truth and it wouldn’t have mattered in the slightest. It wasn’t as if he’d acted much differently before the party either; he was still an opinionated quack who annoyed me more often than anyone else on this campus.
Why is it that everything that happened suddenly felt at least ten times worse than it should?
“*I* wouldn’t believe that alibi I gave them. So why should I consider yours the truth? You knew it would be more exciting if you used me as the go-between.”
Using the contents of the journal by itself was the obvious plan. She probably would have enjoyed confirming to everyone that I was gay - even though at this point, I doubt I would have cared if she did that. Maybe Joey made clear her feelings for Pacey - after all, according to Char…er, the enemy, she wasn’t immediately planning to pull them apart.
I didn’t quite blame them for questioning me. It was a stupid lie in the first place.
I drove into the parking lot of a bagel shop and shut off the ignition. At the very least, I could use some food after being awake for so long. What town had I entered anyway? I searched for my road map of this state - like there was even a slight chance that Andie would let me leave home without it.
Charlie claimed, “You really think that I’m part of this game? I happen to know the rules so I must be a participant?”
For the most part, Charlie was back-pedaling but that was when everything began to shift. Regardless of whether he was to blame, I had no idea where he was involved and where Abby made it seem that he was involved.
Oh, cut it out, Jack. He was always involved. From the moment that he burst into the room, probably setting up something right at that moment.
“You don’t give a damn about whether anybody gets hurt.”
I was heading to the door when Charlie countered, “I wasn’t the one who suggested going to the party together in the first place.”
I didn’t know how to react to that. No matter how much I could maintain that this was all his idea, that wasn’t entirely true. The problem was there was more than I wanted to admit. That I couldn’t retract no matter how much I wanted to.
There were so many things I would have preferred forgetting lately. Let’s try most of the last year and a half. That would be a good starting point.
Let’s forget that phone conversation with Mom in which she prodded me for details on our football team’s victory over Yale. I mean, Columbia football team’s victory.
Let’s forget that I’m not supposed to be having stupid daydreams regarding my roommate. For that, I’m at least grateful that I’d never written in a journal in my life so there was no danger of it getting lost or stolen by obnoxious neighbors.
Let’s forget that brief moment when I felt that I had actually connected with Charlie Maiello. Please, let’s forget that since that was clearly a fabrication from my imagination.
The brain must stop thinking like this before I start believing that I’m going crazy. Which I’m absolutely not. I am not like Mom. I am not like Andie was for a brief period of time. After all, both of them were seeing Tim. That’s not what this is.
I shouted out suddenly, “This has to stop.” I gripped the steering wheel for dear life, thankful that, at the very least, I wasn’t actually driving on the road at that moment.
“I could have…” I unfolded the map and trying to figure out which Main Street I was on, trying in vain to finish that sentence. “…gotten into an accident and joined my brother.” I began crying and just stayed in that parking lot for an hour. I wasn’t sure exactly what should happen, just that this wasn’t working.
* * * * *
Joey Potter
After classes Monday, I returned to my room to take a nap. My head had barely had time to rest on the pillow when there was a loud knock at the bathroom door.
“Joey! I know you’re there.” Pacey shouted as he continued to pound on the door. As soon as I opened the door, he spat out, “You’ve got to stop the finger pointing.”
Ugh, I didn’t want to start this up with Pacey again. After Jack left, he wasn’t pleased with the way I’d acted toward him. I really didn’t care at that moment how it could be construed as blame.
“For the last time, I don’t think Jack did it. I don’t quite trust him because he’s still covering up something. It’s still Abby and her gang. We still don’t know how Jack got hold of the journal.”
“It doesn’t seem like he read the contents.”
“No but it doesn’t seem like Abby has either. At least, I can say she hasn’t used my words against me yet. Do you realize how hard it is to face somebody who may know intimate details of my life and have no idea how to combat it?”
“I’m thankful I don’t.”
“Actually, you do.” Pacey had prodded for anything he should watch out for in the rumor mill. This was the first time I’d actually given him a clue of what she might know.
Pacey’s eyes widened in shock. “You wrote about me?”
“There was some, um, details I wish I’d left out.”
“When you say ‘details’, do you mean like being called a Hawking by sorority girls? Or is this more about how you’ve been checking me out whenever you have the opportunity?”
I tried to hide a blush as I laughed, “The only time I’ve ever checked you out is when your head is on the pillow and you’re looking for someone to have a triple-X dream about.”
“There’s no crime in watching porn.”
I continued, “Next thing you’ll tell me, you think it’s common for the repair guy to say, ‘I need a couple of nails and a good screw.’”
Pacey laughed, “I think you just stole the script from ‘The Handy Cable Guy’.” He then shook his head, “Never mind. The point is that I’m certain there have been times when you checked me out.”
“Go back to your little world.”
He then walked closer to me and hissed, “In fact, I bet right now, you’re wondering if there’s a way you can pretend you’re avoiding me. Or any body parts.” He was now no more than six inches away from me.
Pacey could have easily known that wasn’t true if he’d noticed I’d been focusing on his eyes ever since I’d brought up the porn. Although he’d been kidding around about that, I think he realized that there’d been at least one definite opportunity and it had been ruined. He seemed determined not to blow another chance - even though there really wasn’t one at this moment.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if, someday, I hear that you’ve been attracted to me all along.” He took one last small step towards me and grazed a finger along my cheekbone. I should have stopped him but no part of me wanted to object as I felt his hand trace down to my neck and settled on my shoulder.
My voice was caught in my throat as I barely whispered, “Pace…” I was interrupted by his mouth capturing mine in a kiss. I couldn’t react; it was so dizzying a kiss. I could say that I didn’t quite object to kissing him as I was in the moment. Maybe I even kissed him back. A little. I couldn’t actually remember the semantics of the kiss, just that there had been one.
Pacey was the one to back away, surprised at what he’d done. He grinned slightly then looked slightly embarrassed. “You’re at least able to say that you’ve thought about me a little bit before, right?”
“Pacey, I…” I was stuck for words. Of course there was a, well, little bit that I’d thought about him. Probably a little bit more now. This wasn’t the way everything was supposed to turn out. Just because I’d occasionally thought about him in a more-than-friends manner doesn’t mean anything. After all, there were rare moments that I used to think of Dawson in that way - it doesn’t mean there should have been any action taking place.
Knock, knock.
Never had I been so glad to have a reason to avoid a question. Rather than answer him, I headed for the main door to find out who was there. As soon as I opened the door and found out, I realized Pacey might have easier to deal with at the moment.
Chapter 17 - The Trustworthy Ones
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