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Pacey pulled another row of books off of Doug’s shelf and set them on the bed. Housework sucked. He had to find another way of making his brother let him stay here and not return to the Witter insane asylum.
“Don’t miss anything, Pacey.”
“Going to put on your pretty white gloves and test for spots?” He muttered under his breath.
“Maybe.” Doug grinned at him and walked over. Pacey sprayed Pledge in his direction.
“Stand back. I’m armed and…lemony.”
“I just want a book, Pace.” Doug dug through the stack on the bed, stopping when he came across his high school yearbook. Pacey stopped dusting and took it from his hands.
“Wow. I didn’t know they had cameras back then.” He flipped through it, laughing at some of the pictures of people he knew. Stopping when he came to the P’s, he looked at Bessie’s picture. “She looks different than I remember.”
“She looks different than she does now, you mean.” Doug tried to take the book from him, but Pacey refused to let it go. “She’s changed a lot since then, since her mom died and her dad went to prison. I mean, she’s got Joey and Alexander to raise, Bodie was gone for a long time. She had to grow up fast.”
“Were you guys close? I mean, I know that you grew up together, but did you…I don’t know, ever put the moves on her?”
Doug raised an eyebrow, wondering if Pacey was joking with him. Although, with everything that had happened in their lives in the past several years, it wasn’t impossible that the truth behind the beginning of the animosity between them had faded to a distant memory. “No. Not really. Just friends.”
“Hmmm. Like Joey and I are friends?”
“How would you define your friendship with Joey Potter, little brother?”
“You’re like Gatsby, dispensing starlight to stray moths. I radiated in your flame for so long that I’m a little afraid of the darkness. But I suppose you helped give me courage to face that fear as well.”
“What?” Doug gave his brother a strange look.
“It’s written here on the faculty page. I was wondering if old man Peterson gave you shit too, and here’s this quote.” Pacey kept the book out of Doug’s reach. “Someday when we’re both old and gray and all of this has been forgotten, I hope you’ll find this Doug. And I hope that you’ll realize what you meant to me. And I hope you’ll forgive me for breaking into your locker. Enjoy West Egg, Doug. I’ll miss you in the Valley of Ashes.”
Doug made a soft sound, something between a breath and a chuckle. “Breaking and entering. Wonder if I can book her or if the statute of limitations has run out.”
“You want Bessie in handcuffs, do ya?” Pacey grinned and handed over the book. “What would all your boyfriends say?”
“For the last time, Pacey, I am *not* gay!”
“Sure, sure.” Pacey laughed and grabbed his jacket, heading for the door. “Denial is the first step, Dougie.”
“Go to school, Pacey.”
“Sure thing, Doug. Shall I give Bessie your best when I see her?”
Doug slammed the door as Pacey walked out, walking to the couch in something of a trance. He smoothed his hand over the handwriting, knowing it was hers even without a signature. He flipped back to her senior picture and smiled.
She’d been right. They’d moved on, not needing each other anymore. And she’d been right that there would always be love between them.
Love and history. He closed the yearbook and got up, returning it to the shelf in his bedroom.
Love and history. And memories.