Chapter Text
Joey Potter had spent the entire summer convincing herself that her feelings for Pacey Witter were just a temporary lapse in judgement.
She had realised it after he’d pushed her off the dock one evening.
The memory still made her groan. One second she’d been minding her own business, the next she’d been waist-deep in freezing water, furious beyond reason. The anger had followed her all the way home, lingering far longer than it should have. Eventually, somewhere between plotting revenge and complaining to Bessie, an uncomfortable thought had surfaced.
Why do I care so much?
Unfortunately, instead of arriving at any sensible conclusion, Joey’s fifteen-year-old brain had settled on the far more logical explanation that Pacey Witter was simply the most irritating person ever to walk the face of the Earth.
Even now, she still struggled to process that her annoyance with Pacey came from a place of longing.
The problem was that longing didn’t make any sense when it came to Pacey Witter. He spent most of his time making fun of her, irritating her, or finding increasingly creative ways to get on her nerves.
And then she would spiral, wondering what it was about her that seemed to make Pacey act so immature whenever she was around. Was it just in her nature to rub him the wrong way?
Which was ridiculous, really, because Pacey seemed perfectly capable of acting normal around every other girl in Capeside. It was only Joey who inspired that particular combination of sarcasm, teasing, and reckless stupidity.
Yet, even though the teasing had got to her on occasion, she gave it back just as good. She thought for a while that they only hung out because of Dawson, but their mutual fondness for bullying each other certainly helped.
In fact, some of her favourite afternoons were the ones where Dawson disappeared into his room to work on a screenplay, leaving her and Pacey alone on the creek, trading insults so effortlessly that neither of them noticed the hours slipping by.
Some of the things he had said to her should have made her run in the opposite direction and never look back.
But it never worked that way.
She was firmly in Pacey’s orbit.
The worst part was that every so often, usually when he thought nobody was looking, Pacey would flash her one of those rare, genuine smiles. For a few terrible seconds, Joey would forget every reason she’d ever had for being annoyed with him.
So imagine the horror when little Joey Potter realised those feelings of resentment were actually feelings of attraction.
That her annoyance wasn’t just with Pacey himself, but with the way he clearly felt about her.
Because if Pacey disliked her, she could handle that.
If he found her annoying, she could survive it.
But the possibility that all those smirks, jokes, and careless comments meant absolutely nothing to him was somehow infinitely worse.
-
It was a Monday morning, and Joey stood in front of the bathroom mirror getting ready for school.
Bessie appeared behind her, leaning casually against the doorframe.
“You’re up early.”
Joey grunted around her toothbrush.
“And you’ve changed your shirt three times.”
Joey froze.
A slow smirk spread across Bessie’s face.
“A boy?”
Joey nearly choked on her toothpaste.
“What? No!”
The denial came so quickly that even Joey knew it sounded suspicious.
Bessie’s smirk widened.
“It’s okay, sis. It was only a matter of time before you started having feelings for Dawson. You guys are just meant to be.”
Joey stared at her reflection.
Then she groaned.
“See, that’s exactly the problem.”
The smirk disappeared.
Bessie’s eyebrow rose.
“But if it’s not Dawson-”
Joey dropped her head forward against the mirror.
“Please don’t make me say it out loud, Bessie. I have enough problems without hearing myself admit that I might have a thing for Pacey Witter.”
For a moment, Bessie simply stared at her.
Then, to Joey’s horror, she looked completely neutral.
“I’m not surprised.”
Joey’s head snapped up.
“You’re not?”
“Bessie, this is the same Pacey who once told me my personality was a public service announcement for birth control.”
“And that’s exactly why I’m not surprised.”
Joey blinked.
“If that boy really didn’t like you, he wouldn’t come around bothering you so much.”
“That is the most insane thing you’ve ever said to me.”
Bessie folded her arms.
“Whatever you say, sis.”
Then she stepped forward and let Joey’s hair down.
“Wear the purple top.”
Joey narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
Bessie reached for a lipstick tube.
“Oh no.”
“Just a smidge of Very Berry.”
Joey snatched it away.
“Absolutely not. I’m going to school, not auditioning to be one of the girls Pacey flirts with between classes.”
Bessie’s laughter echoed around the bathroom.
“So what’s your plan, Jo?”
Joey sighed. “What do you mean?”
“I mean are you going to ignore it? Hope the feelings go away? That’s not quite how these things work.”
For the first time that morning, Joey’s confidence faltered. “I don’t know.”
The admission came out quieter than she’d intended.
“It’s not like I can just walk up to him and say, ‘Hey Pacey, every time you call me Potter my stomach does a weird little flip.’”
“No,” Bessie agreed. “That would be weird.”
Joey threw a towel at her.
Bessie caught it easily. Then her expression softened.
“I get it. You’re fifteen. Of course your brain automatically jumps to worst-case scenarios and certain doom.” She placed her hands gently on Joey’s shoulders. “But there is a possibility that this doesn’t end badly.”
Joey looked away. “That’s the problem.”
“What is?”
“I think part of me would rather he laugh.”
Bessie frowned.
Joey shrugged helplessly.
“Because then I’d know what to do next.”
Bessie squeezed her shoulders gently.
“Unfortunately, there’s no playbook on dating, Joey. Sometimes you just have to take the leap and trust the process.”
Before Joey could respond, a car horn sounded from outside.
Then came a familiar voice.
“Potter! If you’re not out here in thirty seconds, I’m telling Dawson about the time you cried during E.T.!”
Joey froze.
Bessie grinned.
The grin widened as she grabbed Joey’s hand and practically dragged her toward the front door.
“You don’t have to admit anything today,” she said. “But why don’t you try asking him something? Have a real conversation.”
Joey rolled her eyes. “Because our relationship is built entirely on sarcasm.”
“Exactly.”
As Joey grabbed her jacket and school bag, she felt something small being pressed into her hand.
She looked down.
Very Berry.
“Oh, absolutely not.”
Bessie winked and shut the door before Joey could hand it back.
Joey stared at the lipstick.
Then at the closed door.
Then at the lipstick again.
“Traitor.”
The horn sounded a second time.
With a sigh, she shoved the lipstick into her pocket and headed for the car.
-
“Pacey, since when do you care about punctuality?”
Pacey leaned across the passenger seat and pushed the door open.
“Since Dawson got grounded and suddenly I became your designated chauffeur.” He flashed her a grin. “Some of us take our responsibilities seriously.”
Joey buckled her seatbelt. “Dawson got grounded?”
Pacey started the car. “Oh, yeah.”
“Your fault, I presume.”
“For the record, I was merely an innocent bystander.”
Joey snorted.
“If Dawson chose to recreate a scene from Rebel Without a Cause using his father’s lawnmower and a shopping trolley, that’s hardly on me.”
“And who,” Joey asked, raising an eyebrow, “provided the shopping trolley?”
“Doug.”
The answer came instantly.
Pacey paused.
“Although in my defence, I did suggest stealing one with better wheel alignment.”
Joey laughed despite herself. “So how’s Dawson getting to school?”
Pacey shrugged. “Last I heard, his punishment involved taking the bus with the rest of the common folk.”
He glanced over at her. “Which means he’s probably halfway through a dramatic monologue about the death of artistic freedom by now.”
Joey smiled. “And we’re missing that?”
Pacey looked genuinely offended. “Potter, are you implying that a morning trapped in a car with me isn’t infinitely more entertaining than listening to Dawson compare public transport to The Grapes of Wrath?”
The usual response rose automatically to Joey’s lips. A sarcastic comment. A joke. A deflection.
Then she thought about what Bessie had said. Try asking him something. A real conversation.
Or maybe, just once, give him a real answer.
“You’re right, Pacey.” The words left her mouth before she could second-guess them. “This is a lot more fun.”
The joke died on Pacey’s lips. For a second he simply stared at her.
Joey immediately regretted everything.
Then Pacey’s expression softened.
“Yeah,” he said quietly. His breath hitched slightly. “Yeah, you’re not so bad either, Potter.”
Heat rushed to Joey’s cheeks. Thankfully, Pacey was focused on the road. Or at least she thought he was.
After a moment, his expression shifted.
“Jo.”
The sudden seriousness in his voice caught her off guard.
“What?”
He hesitated.
For perhaps the first time in his life, Pacey Witter looked nervous.
“Are you free tonight?”
Joey’s heart promptly launched itself into her throat.
Every word Bessie had spoken that morning came rushing back.
Her brain immediately produced seventeen disastrous scenarios.
“What for?”
Pacey studied her face for a second before looking back at the road.
He let out a breath. “Turns out I’m failing math.”
Joey blinked. “You’re what?”
“I was wondering if you’d find it in your heart to tutor me.”
Relief crashed into her so quickly it was almost embarrassing. Closely followed by disappointment she absolutely refused to examine.
“That’s what you’ve been building up to?”
Pacey laughed. “It’s just… you and I have this tumultuous relationship built on resentment and teasing.”
He tapped the steering wheel. “I figured if I asked, you’d make fun of me for failing, refuse to help me, and then kick me while I was down.”
Something about the way he said it made Joey pause. The joke was there. But underneath it… Something else.
Insecurity.
The same insecurity she occasionally caught glimpses of whenever Doug was around.
Or when a teacher dismissed him.
Or when somebody assumed he wasn’t trying.
She almost reached for his shoulder.
Almost.
Instead, she folded her hands in her lap.
“No, Pacey.” The words came out gentler than she’d intended. “Because you’re my friend.”
Silence filled the car.
Pacey blinked. Then laughed quietly.
“You know, Potter…” His smile returned. “For someone who spends most of her time insulting me, you’re surprisingly good at saying exactly the thing I need to hear.”
Joey smiled. Big this time.
“Swing by the Ice House later.”
Pacey looked over.
“What?”
“Study session.” She shrugged. “When my shift’s over.”
A genuine smile spread across his face. The kind he usually saved for when nobody was looking.
“Yeah.” He nodded. “Yeah, I’d like that.”
Joey raised an eyebrow. “Pacey. Like and studying in the same sentence?”
“I said I’d like the studying.” He paused. “I never said I’d actually do any studying.”
Joey laughed. “Oh great. Already wasting my time.”
“Joey Potter, are you questioning my commitment to academic excellence?”
“Absolutely.” She pointed at him. “You’re forgetting that I know you, Pacey.”
For a second, his grin softened. Something warm flickered behind his eyes.
“Yeah, Potter.” His voice dropped slightly. “That’s kind of what I was counting on.”
-
The parking lot was already busy by the time they pulled into Capeside High.
As Pacey parked the car, Joey spotted a familiar figure climbing off the bus. A familiar figure who looked deeply unhappy.
“Oh, how the mighty have fallen.”
Pacey followed her gaze and immediately winced. “Uh-oh.”
Dawson was marching across the parking lot with the determined stride of a man who had spent forty-five minutes on public transport rehearsing a speech.
“That’s not the face of someone who’s accepted his punishment with grace and maturity.”
Joey grabbed her bag and the two climbed out of the car.
Dawson stopped in front of them.
“From that look on your face, I’m guessing your public transport experience didn’t quite live up to Speed.”
“First of all, Speed is a masterpiece.”
Pacey rolled his eyes.
“Secondly,” Dawson continued, ignoring him completely, “I spent thirty-seven minutes listening to a man explain why Waterworld is an underrated social commentary.”
Joey bit back a smile.
“And somehow that’s still not the worst thing that’s happened to me today.”
The three of them started toward the school.
“Well,” Joey said innocently, “I hear this is what happens when you mix lawnmowers and shopping carts.”
She glanced at Pacey.
“Right, Pacey?”
“Allegedly.” Pacey slung his backpack over one shoulder. “And unless either of you plans on testifying, I’d appreciate it if we kept details of Dawson’s brief but passionate career as a stuntman between ourselves.”
Dawson sighed dramatically.
“Pacey, you’re so lucky that your parents don’t give a crap about you.”
Joey’s smile vanished.
Dawson kept walking.
“What I wouldn’t give to be able to express my creative freedom without punishment.”
Pacey’s shoulders stiffened. The change was subtle. Most people wouldn’t have noticed.
Joey did.
“Yeah, well.” Pacey shoved his hands into his pockets. “Every system has its drawbacks, Dawson.”
“No, I’m serious.” Dawson shook his head. “You can just do whatever the hell you want.” He laughed. “That must be incredible.”
Joey stopped walking.
Dawson took another few steps before noticing neither of them had followed.
He turned around. “What?”
Joey stared at him. “I don’t think having nobody notice when you come home at night is quite the dream scenario you’re making it out to be.”
For a moment, Dawson looked confused.
Then uncomfortable.
Then defensive.
“If you say so.”
The bell rang in the distance.
Dawson adjusted his backpack. “I’ve gotta get to film class.” He pointed vaguely between them. “Catch up later.”
And just like that, he disappeared into the building.
Silence settled between the two remaining figures.
Students streamed around them. Lockers slammed. Teachers shouted. But for a moment neither Joey nor Pacey spoke.
Joey glanced sideways.
Pacey was staring after Dawson.
Not angry.
Not upset.
Just… Tired.
Before she could stop herself, she reached out and grabbed his wrist.
The contact startled both of them.
Pacey looked down.
Then up.
Meeting her eyes.
“Hey.”
Joey suddenly became aware that she was still holding onto him.
She ignored it.
“Take no notice.”
Pacey raised an eyebrow.
“Dawson’s oblivious to his fairytale life.”
Something flickered across his face.
Joey tightened her grip slightly.
“And if it means anything…” The words escaped before she could overthink them. “I give a crap.”
For a second, Pacey just stared at her.
Then his gaze dropped to her hand around his wrist. Back to her face.
Something warm unfolded behind his eyes. Something that made Joey’s stomach flip.
“Yeah?” The word came out quieter than usual.
Joey immediately released him. Her hand disappeared into her pocket.
“Yeah.” She took a step backward. “Starting with your Math grade.”
Pacey smiled. A real smile. Not the smirk. Not the grin. The real one.
“Seven p.m. sharp?”
Joey nodded.
“Seven p.m. sharp.” Then she pointed a warning finger at him. “And don’t be late.”
Pacey placed a hand over his heart. “I’d never dream of disappointing my new math tutor.”
“Later, Pace.”
“Later, Potter.”
Joey turned and hurried toward the school.
Pacey stood there for a moment longer, watching her disappear into the crowd. Only when she vanished through the doors did he finally start walking. And even then, he couldn’t quite stop smiling.
-
By the time seven o’clock rolled around, Pacey had already driven past the Ice House twice. Not because he was nervous. He wasn’t nervous.
He was simply… early.
There was a difference. A very important difference.
The distinction became somewhat less convincing when he found himself parked outside fifteen minutes before Joey’s shift ended.
Still.
He wasn’t nervous. He just liked being there. That was all.
The Ice House was familiar. Comfortable. Predictable. And if he happened to enjoy watching Joey Potter work, that was entirely incidental.
Pacey slipped into a booth near the back and ordered a Coke.
Then he spent the next ten minutes pretending not to watch Joey.
She moved through the restaurant with an efficiency that always fascinated him.
Focused. Determined. Completely in control. One minute she was balancing three plates on one arm. The next she was charming a family into ordering dessert. Then she was arguing with a customer who apparently believed ketchup counted as a vegetable.
Pacey was still trying to work out how she managed all three without losing her mind.
In some ways, he thought she was at her most impressive right here. Not because she was trying to impress anybody. Because she wasn’t. Joey never performed. She just did things. And somehow that made people notice.
Unfortunately, Joey noticed him too. Or at least, he suspected she had. She never looked in his direction. Not once.
Which was exactly the sort of thing Joey Potter did when she was deliberately pretending not to notice someone.
Pacey was smiling to himself when a voice suddenly appeared beside him.
“Are you staring at my sister?”
Pacey nearly launched himself out of the booth. Bessie Potter stood there holding a coffee pot.
For perhaps the first time all day, Pacey was completely speechless.
“I—what?”
Bessie raised an eyebrow.
“No.” The answer came out far too quickly. “No. Absolutely not.”
She continued staring.
Pacey immediately regretted everything. “I mean, not actively.”
A smirk appeared on her face. “Well, you’ve been trying and failing to flirt with my sister for years. I guess I wouldn’t put it past you to stare at her too.”
Pacey blinked. “Excuse me?”
Bessie simply poured his coffee.
“Bessie. Joey and I don’t flirt. We engage in a mutually agreed upon campaign of psychological warfare.”
The smirk grew. “You just keep telling yourself that.” Then she walked away, leaving Pacey alone with a very uncomfortable thought.
Across the restaurant, Joey was balancing three plates while arguing with somebody about french fries.
Pacey watched her for a moment.
Then another.
Then another.
And felt a sudden, unpleasant suspicion that Bessie might know something he didn’t.
A few minutes later, Joey appeared in front of him.
A stack of textbooks hit the table with a loud thud.
“Math.”
Pacey stared at the books.
Then at Joey.
Then back at the books.
“Potter.”
His voice was cautious.
“I don’t want to alarm you, but I’m fairly certain there are more books here than in the library.”
Joey sat down.
“And not to alarm you, Pacey, but if you don’t learn this, you’re going to flunk out.”
She began arranging notebooks.
“No friends.”
Another textbook.
“No job.”
A calculator.
“No prospects.”
Pacey leaned back dramatically. “Wow.” He shook his head. “I knew my academic situation was serious, Potter. But I didn’t realise I was one failed algebra test away from becoming a Dickensian orphan.”
Joey pointed a pencil at him. “Get serious, Pacey.” The teasing vanished from her voice. “You asked for my help.”
Something about the way she said it made him sit up straighter.
“If you want it, we do it my way.”
For a moment, Pacey considered making another joke. Then he looked at her. Really looked at her.
At the determination in her eyes. At the fact she was ready to spend her entire evening helping him. At the fact she’d never once made him feel stupid.
“Okay.” The answer surprised even him. “Your way it is.”
And somehow…It worked.
Joey explained things differently than his teachers did. Differently than his parents did. Differently than everybody did.
She didn’t assume he was lazy. She didn’t assume he wasn’t trying. She just kept explaining until something clicked.
And every time he got an answer right, she rewarded him with a french fry.
Pacey maintained that this was an excellent educational system.
Joey maintained that he had the learning habits of a golden retriever.
By the end of the second hour, Pacey was getting suspiciously good at quadratic equations. And Joey was getting suspiciously aware that she had started inventing questions just to keep him sitting there.
Eventually, she slammed the textbook shut.
“Okay.”
Pacey jumped.
“I think there’s serious potential here to make you into a C-grade mathematician by senior year.”
Pacey placed a hand over his heart. “A C?” His voice trembled dramatically. “Potter, that’s the nicest thing anybody’s ever said to me.”
Joey slapped his hand away playfully. “I’m serious, Pace.”
The nickname slipped out naturally. Neither of them acknowledged it.
“You did good.”
Something shifted. Just slightly.
Pacey looked down at the closed textbook.
Then back at her.
“You know…” His voice was quieter now. “For somebody who’s spent years telling me I’m an idiot…” He smiled. “You seem weirdly invested in proving I’m not.”
For a few moments after Joey’s compliment, neither of them spoke, the easy silence between them feeling strangely different than it ever had before.
“Come on, Potter. Let’s get you home before Bessie starts thinking I’ve kidnapped you.”
Joey gathered her books, trying very hard not to smile at the image of Bessie standing on the porch with a shotgun. “Please. Bessie would assume I kidnapped you and then make me bring you back.”
They made their way out to the parking lot. Pacey opened the passenger side door for Joey and she slipped into her seat. It was a small gesture, but she felt her heart pick up speed anyway.
Pacey waited until she was settled before closing the door gently behind her. Then he circled the car and climbed into the driver’s seat.
“You know,” he said as he started the engine, “for somebody who spent two hours threatening my future, you’re surprisingly pleasant company.”
Joey turned toward him, a half-smile on her face. “This might come as a shock to you, but you can actually get to know someone when you stop insulting them for two seconds.”
Pacey laughed as he pulled out of the parking lot. “And this might come as a shock to you, Potter, but if I stopped insulting you for two seconds when we were kids, you would’ve wandered back to Dawson and forgotten I existed.”
The words hung between them.
Joey’s voice was quieter now. “What’s Dawson got to do with this?”
The smile faded from Pacey’s face. For a moment, he seemed to regret saying it at all.
“Nothing,” he said automatically, eyes fixed firmly on the road. Then he sighed. “I just mean… you and Dawson have always been your own little universe, haven’t you?”
“Oh please, Pacey.” Joey shifted uncomfortably in her seat. “You were right there with us the whole time.”
Pacey let out a quiet laugh, but there wasn’t much humour in it. “Yeah. I was there.” His fingers tightened slightly on the steering wheel. “I just don’t think anybody ever noticed.”
Joey’s eyes locked onto her lap, scared to meet his gaze. “Trust me, I noticed.”
The car fell silent. Not the comfortable silence they’d shared earlier. Something heavier and more fragile.
Pacey glanced at her, searching her face for a hint of sarcasm or a joke. Some kind of escape route.
But Joey was still staring at her lap.
“You did?” he asked quietly.
For once, there was no trace of teasing in his voice.
Joey drew a deep breath, recomposing herself. “Of course I did.” A smile tugged at her lips. “If you weren’t there, no one was pulling my hair.”
Finally, she looked up. “Kinda hard to miss.”
A smile appeared on Pacey’s face despite himself. “Ah, there she is.” He shook his head. “I was starting to worry you’d been replaced by some kind of cyborg.”
As they pulled up outside Joey’s house, silence settled between them once more.
This time it felt easier.
The porch light glowed softly against the darkness.
“Thanks for tonight, Jo.” Pacey put the car into park. “With your help, I might actually make it to graduation.”
Joey smiled, her hand already reaching for the door handle. “Don’t thank me yet. We haven’t covered fractions.”
Pacey groaned dramatically.
She laughed. Then paused. “But… you’re welcome, Pace.”
For a second, neither of them moved. Neither seemed quite willing to be the first one to end the evening.
Then Joey pushed open the door. “Goodnight.”
“Night, Potter.”
She climbed out of the car and headed toward the house.
Halfway to the porch, she glanced back. Pacey was still there. Watching. He quickly looked away when he realised she’d caught him. Joey smiled to herself and disappeared inside.
The front door clicked shut. Only then did Pacey pull away from the curb.
God, he’d never been able to get enough of her.
In the early days of their youth, Joey and Dawson had simply clicked. Dawson had become the best friend she’d always wanted. The only one she seemed to need.
So Pacey had found another way to get her attention. Teasing. Pushing. Pigtail pulling. It was all he knew.
And it worked. It got her attention. Just not always in the way he’d hoped.
Somewhere along the way, the habit had become something else. Something deeper. Something he tried very hard not to examine too closely.
He knew he was never going to be her soulmate.
He was never going to be Dawson.
But tonight, for the first time in a very long time, that thought didn’t sting quite as much. Because Joey Potter had noticed him. And somehow, that felt like enough.