Joey ran a shaking hand through her hand as she made her way through the increasingly crowded halls of Capeside High. She wondered if this decision was brought on the sleep depravation that thinking about what Jen had said to her. She found him at his locker, pulling books out of it.

"Hey Dawson."

Dawson's brow was furrowed together as he shifted through his belongings. "Hi Jo."

"We're always.." She stopped her sentence, rephrasing it. "We're friends right, Dawson?"

He turned to give her his full attention, a confused look on his guileless face. "Of course, Joey. Why would you even need ask?"

"It's just..." She stopped again. "As friends, we can talk to each other about anything right?"

His confused look melts into one of concern. "Yeah." He nodded, "Are you okay,?"

"Kind of," she said, gathering all her courage together. "I did something sort of out of character recently."

"Ok-ay...?" He implored her to go on.

"Um," She looked nervously around the hallway, holding back a sigh of relief as the bell rang and students began to empty into various classrooms. "I was, I kind of." She dropped her voice down to a whisper. "I lost my virginity."

Dawson's eyes widened, "Come again?" He choked out.

She chewed on her lower lip, lowering her eyes away from him. "I lost my virginity."

He shook his head slowly from side to side, the words not computing. "You what?"

"Dawson," She said, "You know what I said and.."

"You had...sex?" He said the word with such disgust that she took a step back.

"Uh-huh," She said, her heart beat increasingly growing faster.

"With who?!"

"That doesn't really matter," She said quickly. "It's just..."

"It doesn't matter?!" he repeated, "Like hell it doesn't!" He yelled.

She took another step back, as she glanced at one of the near-by occupied classrooms. "Not for this conversation, it doesn't matter."

"What were you thinking?! I thought... When I came back you said... We're soul mates, Joey."

She winced at the words, the words that had haunted her ever since she and Dawson had began to date. "Dawson...."

"What?" He gave her a disgusted look, "What more could you possibly have to say?"

She opened her mouth to say something, but decided against the words. "Dawson, I thought you were my friend."

"And I thought you were mine. I thought that was a step we'd take together. I thought a lot of things, Josephine Potter. And frankly, I'm finding none of them to be true." He said coldly.

She flinched, "I'm sorry Dawson."

His eyes narrowed to a glare, "Too little, too late." With that he slammed his locker shut and took off down the hallway, to angry to even look at her anymore.

She bit back a sob and closed her eyes as she stopped the tears from coming. She didn't know what she had expected, but she hadn't expected the coldness from him. She jumped slightly when she felt a hand on her shoulder, she opened her eyes slightly to see a familiar person standing there.

"Hey Jack."

Without saying a word he enveloped her in his arms.

She buried her head in his shoulders and began sobbing. She was glad to have Jack around, a nonjudgmental, understanding friend. She finally controlled herself and lifted her head to look up at him. "Thanks."

"Welcome." He ran a hand over her hair. "Now, will you tell me what has you in tears, or do I have to guess?"

She took a deep breath, "I just told Dawson I lost my virginity."

Jack's eyes widened, but he bit back his questions. "I take it that didn't go over well."

"What do you think?" She asked him.

"Thought so." He nodded once. "You wanna talk about it?"

She nodded, "Yeah...but can we find an empty classroom? This hallway revelation thing really just makes me uncomfortable."

"Yeah, of course." They headed down the hall to find an empty classroom.

She closed the door to the classroom, and sat on top of the desk before facing Jack.

"Okay, so after..um, it happened, I talked to Jen about it," she began. "She told me that I should tell Dawson after I had figured out what I wanted. Which is what I thought I had done this morning, but...now that it's done and over with, I'm not sure if it was the best course of action."

He nodded his understanding, though still completely baffled by this new information. "But it is 'over and done with', you can't go back and change it."

"I know," She said with a sigh, "But it was stupid to just go out and risk my friendship with Dawson on something I'm already unsure of."

"What did Pacey say?" Jack asked.

She looked up at him sharply, "What do you mean?"

"You did tell him you were going to tell Dawson, right?" Joey didn't reply, "Please tell me you told him?"

"Not exactly," She said, "How did you know that..."

Jack shrugged one shoulder, "Who else could it have been?"

"Oh," She said, not sure what to make of the statement. "But I didn't tell Dawson it was Pacey."

"Hmm, then you should be okay." Jack said slowly, "As long as Dawson has no reason to think Pacey's the guy...And really, why would he? They're best friends, there's no reason for him to think Pacey would betray him in that way."

"Except for the open condom packet and the scrunchie," Joey mumbled to her self, avoiding eye contact with Jack.

"The what?"

"Did I mention that we kind of did it in, um, Dawson's room," she said, studying her fingernails.

His eyebrows shot together and grimaced, "Ewww, Joey!"

She groaned, "Not the best move, I know."

"Okay...I don’t even want to delve into the reasons behind that move. Or doing the whole thing all together." He shook his head as unbeckoned images floated into his mind. "Think damage control."

He turned back to her, "You have to tell Pacey."

"We're not exactly on the best speaking terms," She told him. He gave her a look, "But I'll try to get a hold of him."

He nodded and they fell silent, Jack avoided looking at her as the realization of what this all could mean began to sink in.

She glanced up at the clock, noting the time. "I'm sorry for making you late for class."

"I think that's probably the last thing you should be sorry for, Joey." Jack said dryly.

She leaned forward, giving Jack a small hug and a kiss on the cheek. "Thanks Jack."

"Welcome," He smiled softly, "I just need to know one thing, Joey."

She gave him a confused look, "What's that?"

"Was it worth it?" He asked, "This is really going to screw things up. For everyone, in ways you don't even know yet...I just-was it, was he, worth it?"

She looked him in the eye, "Yeah, he's worth it. He just doesn't know it yet."

Jack nodded, a soft smile on his face. "Good, Jo. I'd hate to think our world came to its knees in the name of a meaningless one night stand."

She laughed, "So, I think we've been tardy long enough Jack. Thanks again."

He sighed; rising from the desk he'd sat on, "No problem, Jo. Just remember, for the record, I'm mad at you for taking Andie's man."

"I'd be mad at you if you weren't," She said, also getting up from the desk.

Dawson was fuming, the only possible candidate for the scoundrel that stole Joey's virginity had to be Pacey. The weirdness...the condom...the scrunchie. The only possible answer. He yanked the door to Screen Play Video, thankful that it was devoid of customers. He found Pacey finishing up putting away a few videos.

Pacey turned toward him and began a greeting but was cut short by Dawson's fist hitting his jaw.

He stumbled backwards, his hand immediately going to his fresh injury. He pulled his fingers away to find them reddened with blood from his freshly split lip. "What the hell was that for?!" His eyes shot to the fuming Dawson.

"You slept with Joey!" He accused him.

"I-I...what?" He tried to think of some way to deny it.

"You slept with Joey!" He repeated.

Pacey looked stricken, "Why would I...?" He shook his head, "The entire idea is preposterous."

"Then why did she tell me that you did?" He challenged him smugly.

“She-she told you?" He repeated dumbly.

He folded his arms, "This afternoon. In the school hallway."

He shook his head; Joey couldn't have been that stupid, he was bluffing. He had to be. "She didn't tell you."

"The condom and scrunchie were from your little tryst, and you did it in my room, right?" He replied.

Pacey shook his head, his mouth hanging open, ready to make up some plausible excuse...but there was nothing.

"I can't believe you," Dawson said, his eyes still were cold but his voice had a hint of hurt in them. "You were my best friend."

"I still am." Pacey replied, his voice grave.

Dawson shook his head, "No, you aren't. I don't know you any more. All you are is the clerk whose shift ends before mine starts."

"Dawson, you can't mean that." He protested. His heart was pounding, this was it...his best friendship was disintegrating before his eyes.

"You did the greatest betrayal you could ever do to me," Dawson told him. "I've never meant anything more in my entire life."

"Dawson, I'm-"

Dawson cut him off, "I don't want to hear it. All I want to hear is the sound of you leaving when your shift's over in two minutes."

Pacey mouth snapped shut, and he turned away from Dawson, "Fine, if that's how you want it." He said curtly.

"That's how I want it," Dawson said.

Pacey frowned and walked to the back room, pulling his vest off as he did so and hung it in the backroom. He returned moments later, "Bye Dawson." He said quietly and exited the small building, his head hanging.

Joey walked towards the familiar video store, wanting to catch Pacey before his shift ended and Dawson got there. Her watch had stopped somewhere in-between so she had no clue to as how much time had gone by. She saw a dark figure walking away from Screenplay…Pacey. She sped up to catch up to him and grimaced when she saw his face.

"Are you okay?"

"You know what, Jo? You are the last person I want to talk to right now." Pacey said darkly, focusing his gaze straight ahead of him.

"What's wrong?" She asked, struggling to keep up with him.

"Why don't you go back there and talk to your best friend seeing as you tell each other everything. Then maybe you can go find Andie and add her name to the list of ruined friendships."

"Dawson did this to you?"

"Give the woman a prize." He said sarcastically, quickening his step to get away from her.

She sped up again, "Why?"

"Why the hell do you think? Dawson's not stupid, Joey! He figured it out."

"That we slept together?"

Pacey rolled his eyes, "No, that we've been secretly practicing Satan worship."

"Oh," She really didn't know what to say now, if there really was a thing to say in such a situation.

He continued walking, his destination anywhere but near her. He grit his teeth as she kept up with him. "What do you want, Josephine?" He purposely used her full name, intent on annoying her.

"I told Dawson that I lost my virginity," Joey told him. "That's what I wanted to talk to you about..but I guess it's a little too late for that."

"No shit, Sherlock," he ground out.

"I didn't tell him it was to you," She offered to him weakly.

"And exactly who else would have had the gall to deflower his soul mate? Not to mention the fact he already suspected me of sleeping with someone."

"I don't know Pacey," She said quietly. "Are we done here, Joey?" Pacey asked scathingly, "Or do you want another romp between the sheets first? You know, rub a little salt in the wounds of our friends?"

Joey looked down hurt, and shrugged her shoulders. "No, I think we're pretty much done here."

"Good," he spit out. "I have damage control to take care of." He turned the corner towards the more expensive corner of town.

She watched him go, biting her lip in a vain attempt to stop the tears from coming and started the walk back home.

Pacey continued on his way, his step determined. There was really only one other person of importance who didn't know. And he rather Andie heard it from him, as apposed to the rumor mill which at the very moment was probably working on over time on this piece of gossip. He could only imagine the buzz when he walked into school the next morning with his split lip.

He knocked on the white door to the McPhee house, he couldn't pretend he wasn't nervous about it, he was. But after everything he and Andie had gone through he deserved to hear the truth, not whatever distorted version she might pick up.

Andie put away the book she was studying from and went to open the door.

"Pacey? What happened to you?"

He tried to smile, but it came out half-hearted, not to mention painful. "Dawson happened."

She stepped aside to let him in. "Why'd he do that to you?"

He swallowed, thankful she couldn't see his eyes as he entered. "That's kinda what I came here to talk about."

"O-kay," She said. "What's wrong?"

"Just about everything," he mumbled. "I think the only way I'm going to be able to get this out is if I just say it. But before I do," he paused and met her eyes. "I'm sorry Andie."

She looked at her ex-boyfriend, confused. "What'd you do?"

"I think you deserve to hear this from me, and not someone else, especially not through the grape vine," he ran his hand through his hair. "I...ugh, I slept with Joey." He averted his gaze from her face.

Her mouth dropped open from pure surprise. "Joey. Joey Potter?" "The one and only."

"What were you thinking Pacey? God, Dawson know?"

He nodded, "You think I did this to myself." He pointed at his lip.

"I can't believe you," She shook her head. "So are you two dating now or something?"

"No, actually at the moment, I want nothing to do with her, and the feeling's mutual."

She gaped at her ex-boyfriend in disgust, "So you sleep with her while you two are barely friends, and then you what--just throw her away after the incident?"

He scowled, "Try it the other way around, McPhee."

"And how did she 'throw you away' exactly then?"

"She just did. Refused to talk about it, pushed me away, told Dawson, of all people."

"You're surprised that she told Dawson?"

"Yes, no.... I don't know. She wasn't supposed to."

"Why not?" She challenged him. "Was this suppose to be a dirty little secret between the two of you that was to never get out?"

"It was a mistake. One I'd do just about anything to take back. I don't see why anyone else even had to know about it."

Andie scoffed, "Pacey, the last thing a girl wants to do is to look back on her first time and think it was a mistake. Especially not Joey, you of all people should know how important that was to her. No wonder she pushed you away."

"God Andie, you think I don't know that? She treated it like a mistake."

"But you enforced the idea Pacey. You know how Joey is, it's an automatic defense mechanism," Andie told him, not quite believing that she was close to edging them together, but still wanting Pacey to be happy. And if she couldn't do it, he deserved someone that could.

"You know what, Andie. I should probably just go now. I came here to tell you that, so wouldn't have to hear it from some random girl in you English class."

"Thanks for the consideration Pacey," Andie said with a sigh.

"I'd say you're welcome, but...it just doesn't seem right."

"That's because it's not," Andie told him, following him to the door.

He smiled thinly at her, "Bye McPhee."

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