The blonde girl rushed to her friend's locker, she tapped the other girl's arm impatiently.

"Why are you glowing, Trish?" The other girl asked asked suspiciously.

"You will never believe what I heard last night Jules," Trish told her friend.

"Gossip?" Jules asked, "Do tell."

"I was walking out of Molly's Market last night and I saw the sheriff's son and the convicts daughter in an argument," Trish began. "You know, the girl that was, like, planning marriage with Dawson Leery all of last year?"

"And why are we caring about them?" Jules asked.

"Normally we wouldn't, but what they were fighting about caught my attention. You know how Pacey, the sheriff's son, is like best friends with Dawson?" Trish asked, not waiting for an answer. "Well, it turns out that he took Joey's virginity not Dawson. And Dawson found out. Kicked the shit out of him too. Pacey's pissed at Joey now."

"Oh my God. Potter and Witter, now that's an interesting conflict," Jules said with a smile. She waved at a friend of hers before leaving Trish behind.

"Hey Jules," Her friend greeted her. "What's up?"

"Only the biggest conflict of the century."

"Care to clarify?" Carly questioned.

"Word has it that Capeside High's own Three Musketeers have disbanded." Carly raised her eyebrows. "See, Pacey Witter, you know, the hottie in our Math class, did the deed with Joey 'Prude' Potter."

"Betcha Dorkson didn't take the news well." Carly snickered.

"You'd win that bet. He beat the crap out of Pacey, broke his nose again. And apparently, he's not talking to either Joey or Pacey now. Funnily enough, they're not talking to each other either."

"Wait a sec, wasn't he dating that crack-pot Sandy?"

"Andie, as in McPhee, Jack McPhee's sister. Yeah...you know, come to think of it, he probably did Potter to get back at Andie. Explains why he wants nothing to do with her now."

"I didn't think he had it in him."

Jules rolled her eyes, "Hardly, the guy would do anything that involved sex. The best part is the Potters and the Witters have been feuding since the dawn of time. It's about time those two suffered from it. Their friendship always bothered me."

Carly motioned her friend Cindy over as Jules walked away.

"You're awfully cheery, what's the gossip?" Cindy demanded.

"You know the hottie in math class?" Carly asked her. "Pacey?"

"Yeah, what about him?" Cindy asked.

"He apperently did the deed with Capeside's own Virgin Mary," Carly told her.

"No way! I thought she was saving herself for Dawson," Cindy rolled her eyes.

"That's what Dawson thought too," Carly told her friend. "That's why he broke a few of Pacey's bones."

"Didn't know he had it in him. Are you sure Leery has that much testosterone?" Cindy asked her.

"Speaking of testosterone, word is Pacey only did it with Potter to get back at Andie for sleeping with that mental patient," Carly told the intrigued girl. "That's why none of them are speaking to each other right now."

Cindy's mouth gaped open, "Never thought I'd see the end of that perfect little friendship."

"Tell me about it."

Cindy waved over her boyfriend Mike and his friend Paul. "You guys won’t believe what Carly just shared with me."

"Car?" Mike raised an eyebrow in her direction.

"You guys know Jack McPhee right? He was the football team? Ok, his sister was dating Pacey Witter last year."

"The class clown and all around slacker?" Paul asked.

"Yeah, him." Cindy nodded.

"Well, she cheated on him over the summer with some nutcase in the coo-coo house."

"Yeah so? That's public knowledge." Mike shrugged.

Carly rolled her eyes, "You think I'd bring up old gossip? No, he finally got the balls to get back at her. He slept with Joey Potter."

"Joey Potter? Wasn't she, like, attached at the hip to Dawson Leery?"

"Like, duh, that was before he turned her father into Pacey's dad."

Paul shook his head, "How do you chicks keep this stuff all straight?"

"Anyway, apparently Pacey didn't take Dawson into account, 'cause he beat the crap out of him."

"That makes no sense," Mike said.

"What? Do you doubt my sources? I saw them arguing with my own to eyes just yesterday," Cindy protested.

"No, I believe ya, Cind." Mike said. "But either you're wrong or Witter's quite the player."

"What on earth are you talking about?" Carly questioned.

"I live next door to, Witter. Jen Lindley, ex-Cheerleader, was crawling out of his window last night."

"Whoa...so he was sleeping with both of them?" Cindy asked wide-eyed.

"He's really out to get revenge on McPhee. I mean, both of her only female friends. Poor girl." Carly frowned.

"Pacey's a prick." Paul said, "I always thought so."

Paul broke away from the gossiping group when he spotted his girlfriend Erin and her friend Danielle. He wrapped an arm around her shoulder and kissed her cheek.

"Affectionate much?" Danielle asked.

Paul smiled thinly at Danielle. "I could be far worse. Did you hear about Witter?"

"Pacey?" Asked Erin.

"Yeah, he like started a revenge plan, or something, on Andie McPhee to get back at her for cheating on him," Paul explained.

"Bitch deserves it. A guy that hot doesn't deserve to be cheated on," Danielle stated.

"He definitely did. Word is that he slept with Joey Potter and Jen Lindley to get back her."

"That is so untrue," Erin told him.

"Why's that?" Paul asked.

"Nobody could get Joey Potter in the sack," Danielle explained.

"Really? Well, she told Dawson that they did," Paul pointed out. "That's why Witter's in the hospital now with a few broken bones."

"No way!" Erin exclaimed.

"Way." Paul said, "Prick deserves it."

“Those poor girls,” Danielle commented. “I’d hate to be played like that.”

Jen stalked into the cafeteria, her eyes focused straight ahead, avoiding the prying eyes of her peers. It seemed the entire student body had heard about their ridiculous triangle, or rectangle, or pentagon depending on who you wanted to include. She spotted Jack and made a beeline for him. "Please tell me this isn't as bad as I think it is?" she pleaded with him.

"If you're talking about the food, yes it is." Jack told her, "But if you're asking about the rumors, it's worse."

She frowned, "Jack, I am so sorry."

He shrugged, "I'm sure it's not as bad as it sounds. I feel really bad for all three of you though. Seeing as, most likely, you don't know the entire story."

"No, Jack. I should have told you about this in the beginning. Maybe you could have talked me out of it." She thumped her head on the table. "I should have known better than to get involved with Pacey."

Jack rubbed her back, "What's past is past Jennifer. You want me to get some of my football buddies to kick his ass?"

"No, I think between Joey, Andie, Dawson and I, there's going to be plenty of ass kicking in his future," She glowered. "Speaking of...." she looked sideways at Jack, "Have you seen Andie yet today?" She asked nervously.

"Not yet, but I'm pretty sure she's heard by now. Which means she's probably in the girls bathroom," Jack told her.

She frowned, a pained look in her eyes. "I didn't think Pacey was capable of something like that." She sighed. "I am so screwed, Jack. I haven't seen Joey yet today, but she's probably ready to kill me now. I have absolutely no desire to see Pacey right now. And I think Dawson and I are still on good terms. Think, mind you. Right now, I think his rage is too blinding for him to see anything beyond it. So, I've lost all my friends save you, and you're being torn in four different ways."

"I don't think you have to worry about seeing Pacey today anyways," Jack told her. "I heard he was in the hospital."

"The hospital?" She gave him a shocked look.

"Apparently Dawson beat him up."

"Dawson Leery? Enough to hospitalize him?" her eyes widened. "Wow, I didn't know he had it in him."

"I did," Jack said. "I've felt the power of his punch before, remember?"

"That's right," she mumbled resting her forehead flat on the table. "Wake me when this day from hell is over."

"Speak of the hospitalizer," Jack told her, spotting Dawson coming out of the lunch line. He waved him over.

"Hey Jack," he smiled thinly, well aware of the many pairs of eyes on them. "Jen."

"Am I the only one that feels like we're taping an episode of the Real World?" Jack asked him as Dawson sat down.

"I don't want to talk about it." Dawson grumbled, picking idly at his food.

"Before we cease talking about it, since I'm sure the rest of the school is making up for it, I have to know. How badly did you get him?"

"What do you mean? I didn't get him, God, I wish I had...especially now..." Dawson seethed.

"So you didn't beat him up to the point of hospitalization then?" Jack asked him.

"I only wish," Dawson threw down his sandwich. "I just split is lip. He's probably cowering around here somewhere." he grumbled.

"Damn, and that was the one rumor I hoped was true," Jack muttered.

"So, Jen." Dawson began, "Is your part in this whole torid afair true?"

"'Fraid so, Dawson." She admitted. "'Cept for the part where I knew he was doing Joey too, and I joined in making it a threesome."

"And that was the one rumor many guys hoped was true," Jack pointed out.

Jen gave him a dirty look. "Actually, the fact of the matter is, Pacey and I never got around to doing it." He sighed, her eyes drifting around the cafeteria, "Not that anyone's likely to believe that."

"I don't think they're going to believe the truth for awhile, the rumor mill is having a field day with this news," Jack told her. "Or even bigger, a field trip."

"Ugh..." She whined, "I want to go home."

"I take it you haven't seen Andie or Joey yet, have you?" Dawson asked.

"I saw Jo briefly this morning, but I believe that was before the rumor mills got started, so I don't know any of the aftermath."

"It's not like I went out of my way to talk to Joey in English." Dawson told them, "But from what I saw, the pitying looks all the girls were giving her and the leers from the guys, weren't improving her already foul mood any." He quickly added, "not that she didn't deserve it." He swallowed from his water bottle, "And Andie's a mess. I spent most of Chemistry trying to console her, along with the female half of our class." There was a disgusted look on his face. "This was low even for him."

"Trust me if I could get my hands on him..." Jack warned.

"Wait your turn," Jen grumbled. Joey entered the cafeteria and was immediately met by the gazes of the student body, she was glad she wasn't hungry because she'd rather starve than converse with gossipers. She spotted Dawson, Jen, and Jack at a table and took a seat next to Jack. "Hey guys." "Excuse me," Dawson immediately rose from his seat amid a buzz of voices. "Bye Jack, Jen. I'll talk to you guys later." With that he made a beeline for the door. "I saw that coming," Joey mumbled. "Hey Jo," Jack greeted her. Jen avoided looking at Joey, maybe she hadn't heard that part of the rumor yet. If so, she wasn't going to incur her wrath. "Hi Joey." Joey gave her an icy smile, "Hey Jen. So you know I heard the most interesting rumor today in Spanish."

"Hmm, You should know better than to believe everything you hear." She tried to smile.

"I usually would," Joey told her, "But you know, I just can't help but catch onto a little rumor about you sleeping with Pacey. I knew it couldn't be true, I mean I talked to you about Pacey and all. But then, your side of the chat we had started to make sense, if I fancied the idea that it might be true."

"So...what, Jo? What do you want me to say?" Jen said, eyeing the taller girl warily.

"You know you could have brought it up that you slept with him," Joey told her.

"Why? You already got what you wanted, stole yet another guy out from under me, literally!"

"Well, don't take it out on me if guys prefer me over the wannabe blonde bombshell thing you've got going on!"

"They don't prefer you, you brainwash them!"

"Oh right, I spend hours and hours, brainwashing guys so they'll sleep with me instead of you. Get over yourself Jen, they come to me because they want me more than they want you!"

"Fuck you, Joey. They want you because they know they can't have you. You taunt and tease and don't give a fuck when they end up in love with you. It's all just a cruel game for you. Well, fuck you, Joey Potter. I actually cared about him!!" She yelled. The duo had caught the attention of the entire cafeteria, it was almost silent as the students watched the fight escalate.

"Oh, and I don't? I mean, how could I? I'm just a cold and heartless bitch...nothing but an ice queen. Well fuck you too Jen Lindley, you don't know my emotions. You don't have enough wisdom in your brain to have that ability, you just fake it. Just like you fake everything else in your petty little life," Joey snapped back at her, not really caring about the crowd watching them.

"I may not know your emotions. But whatever the hell you claim them to be, they change with the wind. The entire time I've known you, there hasn't been a decisive thought in your head! Except of course, to hate me." She spit out.

"Well, you made the whole feud begin. I tried to open up, but you resent me too much to ever truly be my friend. So what in the hell does it matter to you?" Joey asked her.

"I started it! When was that? When I was trying to be your friend? Or when you were calling me a bleached blond bitch?!"

"Right about the time you were stealing my best friend! Face it Jen, you accuse me of stealing people from you, but the truth is I don't steal them, they only end up coming back to the beginning. Because, I had them first!"

"You had nothing first! You had two friends! That's all they were until I came along! I had Dawson first...I kissed him before you did. He loved me before he did you. I had Pacey first! He was making out with me, he was touching me, he was making me scream his name before he even thought about you!" She growled maliciously, not even caring that it was a lie.

"You never had Pacey first. He tried to get with me last year, back when you were shunning Dawson for that loser Cliff Elliot. Not that you'd notice, you're always stuck in your own damn world, not caring about anyone else but who affects you the most!"

"If I recall, and I do...You fucking rejected him then. What it really comes down to, is that fact that you stole him from me! And you don't even know how the fuck you feel about him! He could do so much better."

Joey's hand flew up, coming in contact with Jen's pale flesh and creating a loud noise that echoed through the silence of the cafeteria. Joey looked at Jen, her eyes hard and cold.

"Go. To. Hell."

With that she turned on her heels and pushed her way out of the cafeteria and away from the wide eyes of the students.

"Well, that went well," Jen said bitterly, slumping back into her seat next to Jack as her classmates applauded Joey.

"What'd you expect, hugs and kisses?" Jack asked her.

She sighed, "Why didn't you stop us? I think we just made it all worse."

"I'm sorry, it's like watching an episode of Jerry Springer. You want to switch the channel but you're so transfixed by the fighting, you just can't," He said apologetically.

"You're forgiven." She frowned. "Not like I can afford to ostracize my only friend."

"I see my master plan has worked then," Jack teased. "To make it so you can never hurt me again, and I can't get away with anything."

"Oh God...could my lunch hour get any worse?" Jen mumbled as she spotted Andie making her way through the crowd, her eyes red-rimmed. Jen ducked under the table. "Come get me when she's gone. I can't handle another confrontation."

"Could my lunch hour get any weirder?" Jack mumbled to himself.

"Hi, Jack." Andie greeted her brother quietly, nervously glancing around the cafeteria at the wide-eyed observers.

"Hey Andie," Jack said, "How are you feeling?"

"Absolutely miserable." She said, tears popping into her eyes again. "I never thought he'd...and with Joey...and Jen."

"If it makes any difference, he never slept with Jen," Jack offered meekly.

"Right...it's the fact that he'd even contemplate it. Or that she'd want to..." Andie's frown deepened. "I apologized over and over again...I didn't expect him to forgive me anymore. But I...revenge, I never expected." She wiped at a few tears.

"None of us did Andie," Jack told her. "Which makes it all that much worse But don't tear yourself up over this."

"I'm not tearing myself up. He, Joey and Jen did that plenty well on their own." Tears came to her eyes, "I thought they were my friends, Jack." She lamented.

"I know. We all thought we were friends, but recent events show how fragile that friendship was. The things we take for granted. We can either forgive or go our separate ways."

"I--I don't think I can do either, Jack. They were family. Our friends were our family. Now all I have left is you. Even Dawson is blaming me for driving Pacey to take revenge using Joey." She said, her voice aching with tears.

"I think we need the entire story first before we go jumping to the conclusion of irreconcilable differences," Jack said quietly.

"The entire story is all over the freaking school, Jack." She nearly yelled, "People I don't even know are coming up to me giving their condolences."

"Andie you're talking about gossip here," Jack reminded her. "The same kind of gossip that said our mother thought she was Lucille Ball and the reason our father was moving us was so she'd stop asking him to put her in the show. We both know that wasn't the truth."

She shook her head, "Fine, you try and get the truth out of our estranged and hateful group of ex-friends." She folded her arms across her chest, "I can't stand to look at any of them."

"It's not my truth to know Andie."

"Some help you are," She grumbled. Looking down at the brown paper bag containing her lunch that still remained unopened. "You know what, Jack. I'm not feeling particularly hungry. I think I'm going to just...go."

"You want me to come?" Jack asked her.

Jen hit him on the leg from under the table.

"No, I'm planning to seek solace in the girls bathroom. Gay or not, I don't think you'd be welcome." She tried to joke.

"Okay. Come get me if you need anything," Jack said as she left.

"Bye." She mumbled walking away desolately, her shoulders slumped.

"She gone?" Jen asked from under the table.

"Yup."

She rose from the floor with a sigh. "Why didn't I think about her before I agreed to that stupid pact?"

"Loneliness?" Jack offered, "That and you're totally hot for Pacey."

"Was, Jack, was. Past tense. As in before I knew he was using me to get back at Andie and before I found out he did Joey."

"Speak of the devil," Jack said, motioning to the cafeteria doors where Pacey had just entered. "And the devil appears."

He looked horrible, even Jen had to admit. There was a darkness around his eyes has his cheeks were unusually pale. He scanned the crowd of lunchroom patrons, before his eyes landed on Jen and Jack. "He wouldn't dare come over here." She murmured to Jack as he approached their table.

"He would," Jack said with a sigh.

"Hi guys," he said hollowly.

"Hi," Jack said warily.

"I can't believe you'd have the balls to come over here and act like nothing's happened." Jen said, her voice deathly low. With that she stood and stalked away.

Pacey watched her go, his face blank. "This isn't fixable, is it Jack?"

"Depends if it's as bad as the rumors say," Jack told him.

"Hell if I know, no one in the entire school is speaking to me." He sighed, "What's the story at this point?"

"You're in the hospital because Dawson beat the shit out of you for sleeping with both Jen and Joey to get back at Andie for cheating on you," Jack updated him.

Pacey swallowed, "She believes it, doesn't she?" He asked quietly.

"Which 'she' are we referring to?"

"The one that matters the most," he mumbled. "No offense, I love them all...quite literally, apparently." He sighed again.

"I'm not sure if Joey believes it or not," Jack told him. "But she obviously still cares about you. Seeing as her and Jen got into a major bitch fight before you got here."

"They fought?" he gave Jack a disbelieving look. "There goes two years worth of work for the two of them."

"Yeah, they fought. Joey even slapped Jen," Jack said.

"What about Dawson and Andie? Have you talked them...how much do they hate me?"

"Dawson's holding a death threat on you, and Andie just hides out in the girl's bathroom and cries a lot," Jack said. "And being the older brother and caring friend I am, I must know the entire story. So I can decide whether to castrate you or help you."

"The whole story?" He shrugged, "Andie had nothing to do with it, at all.. I wasn't thinking about her in any capacity, let alone trying to viciously hurt her. Just to make that clear to start off."

"Good to know."

"Jen and I were both feeling pretty down about relationships, so when we were out on Witch Island...we made this agreement, this pact to relieve each other when the physical need arose. Unfortunately, neither of us were able to go through with it. I think, we cared about each other too much to just be sex, ya know? She is- was a close friend. And looking back it just didn't feel right."

"And Joey?"

"And Joey...I--I love her, Jack. I know that's horrible to say, given...everything I've done and said, but I do..."

'It’s actually kind of a relief to hear," Jack said. "Seeing as she loves you too."

"Right, Jack," He gave him a disbelieving look. "That's why she was acting so distant. That's why she didn't warn me before she went and told Dawson she lost her virginity. She knew he was already suspicious of the fact I was sleeping with someone. I don't see how any of this is stemming from love." He gave Jack a pointed look. "And even if it did, she's very much in hatred of me now."

Jack sighed, "I ran into Joey after she had told Dawson. I asked her if it was worth it. She told me that you were worth it. Frankly, I think she'd be the only person involved right now that'd be willing to listen to you at this point." He looked at Pacey's doubtful expression. "Not to say that she wouldn't resist at first."

He looked glumly down at the tabletop. "I've got to try, Jack."

"That you do," Jack said. "And I'm pretty sure that if you check out the little area out by the back door to the school, where you usually get dropped off...that you just might find her."

"I will... " he mumbled, not making any effort to leave.

"Before this lunch period is over," Jack urged, "And before any football players do their girlfriend a favor and beat you up."

He winced, "My life sucks." He groaned rising from his seat.

"If Joey'll forgive you, I'm sure it'll get better," Jack said with a smile.

"If, Jack...and that's a mighty big if." He mumbled before walking away, his hands buried deeply in his pockets. He headed towards the side of the school, where Jack hinted Joey could probably be found.

Jen approached Jack, who was now, for the first time since lunch started, sitting alone. "Scare him off, did ya?" She asked.

"In a way," Jack said, as Jen sat down.

"And so, another drama filled lunch hour nears a close." She sighed.

"Oh, you missed half of it," Jack told her.

"Yeah, but you got the full spectrum of victims, didn't you?" She said, giving him an arch look.

"I am rather popular today, aren't I?"

"Ha ha," she said dryly. Scanning the lunchroom again.

"Who you looking for?" He asked her.

"No one," She mumbled, turning her gaze back on Jack. "All my problems would be solved if you were straight, Jack."

"Sorry," He offered. "And if you're looking for Pacey, I think he's otherwise engaged."

"What'd you tell him?" She asked warily.

"He just asked me what exactly the rumors were. I told him. He asked if she believed the rumors, I said I didn't know," Jack said with a shrug.

"And where is he now?" She asked, trying to mask her curiosity.

"Talking to her," Jack answered. "That is if he actually had the balls to go up to her."

"Good, Andie deserves the chance to beat him up." She scowled.

"What about Andie?" Jack asked, confused.

"Isn't that who you meant?" He shook his head, "Oh."

"He was asking about Joey, actually," he winced.

"Right," she averted her eyes from his.

"So he went off to find her," Jack said, "I'm sorry."

"Great, and as always, she gets the guy and the happy ending."

"You don't know that," Jack told her, "She could have murdered him by now."

"I can only hope."

"Or have her tongue halfway down his throat."

"Thank you, Jack, for that lovely imagery. You sure how to cheer a girl up."

"But then again, why would she forgive him?" Jack asked, giving Jen a look. "He only used her to get back at Andie, didn't he?"

"Ugh," she scowled, "I can't stay here. I need to go home." She avoided meeting Jack's gaze.

"I wouldn't suggest leaving by the back door then," Jack warned her with a smirk.

She glared at him, "Bye." With that, she headed out the main doors of the cafeteria towards her locker to get her backpack.

"Weird day," Jack mumbled, "Wish it hadn't happened."

« Previous / Next »

Please send feedback to RinJJ61178@hotmail.com.