"Well last night I was a little bored because Bessie wouldn't let you come over, when my mom called me to the phone for a call. Of course I received the phone call with my very receptive tone of voice." Dawson smiled briefly. "So anyway I took the call and you will never guess who was on the opposite line." Dawson said getting excited about the good news that he could finally tell his girlfriend. "So go on... guess?"

"NO! Come on, Daws, I am dying here. Just tell me already." Joey said practically fainting from excitement. Whatever news Dawson had received last night, it obviously involved her in some way. Though she had no idea how.

"Okay....so on the other line was the guy from the New York Film Festival....you know just like the Boston one way back in Sophmore year, except the New York one is for the senior adolescant competition... ages 16-19." Dawson looked into Joey's eyes only to see the dancing fire of excitement. It was obvious to him she was intrigued by what Dawson was saying.

"Anyway....so the guy told me with a very dull tone ov voice, like he wasn't happy for me at all, that I won!!! Can you believe it....I won my movie.....you, you won my movie!" Dawson picked Joey up and swung her around with a great big hug.

"Congratulations, Dawson, I am soooo proud of you." Joey said starting to get a little queasy from the spinning Dawson was doing to her. "One question though, you haven't completly filmed a movie since sophmore year, just bits and pieces! So...?" Joey asked trying to understand what Dawson was saying.

"I was just getting to that. I entered Creek Daze in the festival! I still think that it's my best piece after all this time. I have you to thank for my success. My movie was about you Jo, I have you to thank." Dawson repeated to her.

"Well, I am happy to help and be a part of the success." Joey said, the whole time thinking about the news she had for him also. Watching him get so excited about this made her realize even more how much she loved and didn't want to hurt him. But, she had to tell him soon or else she was going to explode. As much as she had promised to herself to keep her news a secret from him for now, she couldn't keep the truth a secret for much longer.

"Dawson, I have to tell you something...." Joey drifted off. Dawson seemed too excited to comprehend the request of her trying to tell him something though, and he went on talking.

"There's more, Joey." Dawson said a little more excited. "I haven't told you the best part yet!" Joey decided to put her news aside for a moment, to concentrate on him.

"Joey, the prize was that my favorite person next to you, Steven Spielberg, gets to see my movie in a private screening and me and a friend get to fly down to New York to see a repremiere of Jaws, where Speilberg will of course be there for. Well, of course, I am going to take you! Isn't that great?" Dawson asked Joey. Joey grinned in surprise and gave Dawson a kiss on the cheek.

"That is great I am so excited...when do we leave?" Joey replied.

"We leave really early Monday morning." Dawson said. A gust of wind suddenly brought the smell of the gradualy cooling food to Dawson's attention. "Anyway, lets talk about all of this over the gourmet meal that is on the table. Sound good to you?"

"Yes, I would like to accompany you and eat the very nice gourmet meal. We can discuss the details over dinner." Joey said leading her boyfriend to the table. They both sat down and Dawson poured the sparkling cider he had bought for the occasion. Joey's pretty face suddenly sombered over. Dawson gave her a quizzical look.

"Dawson, I just had a terrible idea. This whole trip sounds amazing, but what if Bessie doesn't let me go? You know how she can act sometimes! We have to go talk with her right now so she can have time to think the idea over!" Joey exclaimed worridly as she jumped up from the table.

"Joey! Stop! Wait just a second, I haven't told you everything!" Dawson told Joey. He got up and pulled her back to to the bench. She sat down and waited for Dawson to continue.

"As soon as I got all the details from the man on the phone, I knew I wanted to take you! So I took the liberty of calling Bessie and explained things to her, and asked if you could accompany me on this trip. After a few minutes of begging her, she agreed! So, you OK with going away from Monday till Sunday?" Dawson asked her. She smiled, however, silently got up and walked over to Dawson's side of the bench. She sat down next to him and gave him a big kiss. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her back, his fingers running through her long, brown hair. After a few minutes however, Joey pulled back laughing, sounding somewhat nervous.

She said to Dawson, "Dawson, I just realized something....I haven't been in a plane ever before...."

"Well, will that be a problem flying on a plane with me sitting next to you?" Dawson asked half joking/half serious.

"No, it won't be a problem because you're sitting right next to me. I was just warning you in case...I get scared." Joey replied. Dawson shrugged.

"Don't worry about it, you know I will be right there if you need me." Dawson reassured her.

"I know, believe me I know. Now why don't we go back to eating that delicious meal you have so graciously prepared for us." Joey decided while walking back to her side of the table.

"Well, before we begin I would like to make a toast." Dawson announced.

"And what would you like to toast to Dawson?" Joey asked curiously. Dawson looked straight into her eyes the whole time he was speaking.

"To having the most amazng, wonderful, sexy, and sincere girlfriend any guy could ever wish for. To being able to wake up each morning knowing that whatever happens you will always stand by me now and forever. And to loving you with all my heart because that gives me greater happiness than anything else in this world. I love you." Dawson told her sincerely, By now Dawson's voice sounded choked up, and Joey was silently crying. He got up and wiped the tears from her face. She smiled through her tears and gave him a hug.

"Thank you, Dawson. That is the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me." Joey whispered softly. As she held Dawson close she wished with all her heart that things could stay this perfect between them forever.

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Later that night after Dawson had walked Joey home, he walked back to the ruins to clean up the dinner that was still sitting there. He was almost done when he heard someone calling his name.

"Hey, man, what are you doing here?" Pacey asked Dawson while coming into the small clearing where Dawson was already standing.

"Hey, Pace, just cleaning up the stuff from my date with Joey tonight." Dawson replied, his voice slightly muffled from bending over to pick up the picnic blanket.

"Ah, the knight in shining armor does all the dirty work. How chauvenistic of you. Really Dawson, I expected more!" Pacey kidded. Dawson gave him a look.

"Haha... very funny Pacey. Now may I ask what you are doing here at this hour alone? If anything your leading lady should be here with you!" Dawson suggested.

"Oh, Andie... I dropped her off at her house a little while ago. Jack needed her to help with their mom, it seems she isn't that good these days." Pacey said depressingly. Dawson nodded thoughtfully.

"Sorry to hear that. Tell Andie if there is anything I can do..." Dawson trailed off. Pacey looked up in surprise.

"Actually, there is something, that Andie mentioned and I feel the same way," Pacey began. Dawson waited for him to finish. "I guess we both feel that we haven't seen a lot of you, and Joey for that matter, lately. And we were thinking the four of us should do the double date thing over the next 2 weeks, so whaddya think?" Pacey asked. Dawson shrugged.

"Well actually, there is something I have to tell ya... we may have to take a raincheck on that night out. I found out yesteray that I won! The New York Film Festival, sponsered by Steven Speilberg??!!! I won and I get to go to New York for the first week of vacation, meet Speilberg, go to a repremiere of Jaws... all for no cost!!! It is a dream come true!" Dawson spoke excitedly of his big break. Pacey pulled Dawson forward and slapped his back in respondance. Dawson laughed.

"That's great man!!" Pacey said happily. "I totally understand about haing to postpone the group get together, you have been waiting to meet this guy since you could hold a camera!" Pacey cracked. Dawson grinned in anticipation of meeting his hero.

"Hey, and besides, Joey will still be around so she and Andie can still have their late night giggle fests whenever they want!" Pacey said cheerfully.

Dawson, however, was not laughing anymore. His face went almost completely blank as he turned to continue packing up the almost full picnic basket. He had known this was going to be an issue, he had just been procrastinating over it for as long as he could.

"What is it, D?" Pacey asked worridly. He had a sinking feeling that what he was about to hear would NOT be to his liking.

"Pacey, listen, I know for a fact that you are not going to like what you are about to hear but hopefully you have the heart to forgive me and be happy for me." Dawson said trying to make the news sound better to his friend.

"Just spill it, Dawson....what is it already?" Pacey demanded.

"Okay... you already know that one part of winning this is that you get to go to New York for a week. What you don't know is that you can bring someone along with you... I asked Joey to come and she said yes..." Dawson looked up to see Pacey's reaction. He took a deep breath and continued.

"I see the look on your face that you don't like my decision." Dawson said.

"No, Dawson, I am man enough to accept the fact that...that raging mind of yours....Full of all that testostorone crap in it picks the girlfriend while the best friend gets kicked to the side. I know that Joey is really your best friend... that we have drited apart a little, but I thought our friendship still counted for something! I guess I was wrong though... I totally understand." Pacey said sounding like he didnt understand at all, and didn't want to! He said this fighting back the anger that he just wanted to get out. He began to turn around to walk away.

"No....Pace....Pacey, don't walk away.....this has to be straightened out!!!" Dawson said finally realizing that he wasn't thinking and analyzing for once. He needed to think about this. What would Spielberg do? NO.... Dawson told himself. I am fed up with all this crap, I am 18 and should start to make up my own mind about these things.

"Pacey.....you have to understand something we are 18 we need to make up our own minds about certain things. I realize that there is no movie that Spielberg ever made that could help me through this situation." Dawson tried to make the situation better but in reality even he could tell that it worsened it. "Pacey you will always be my best guy friend. You are the person who helps me through my awkward moments in my teenage years. You are the one I go to for all the weird manly advice. I can't do that with Joey! That's what I love about being your friend, because it is different than with Joey, or anyone else in this world!" Dawson was practically screaming at Pacey. He had to some way get it through Pacey's head that he didn't want his friend to be mad at him because he loved his girlfriend, and at the same time thought of his best friend as someone who he couldn't live without.

"Dawson, I'm hurt. And there is nothing you can do to change that, at least not right now. You and Joey have been friends for longer than we have so it is understandable that you are taking her. It just hurts inside that you haven't chosen me.....after all we have been through." Pacey started to walk away again, and this time Dawson just stood there speechless.

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Well everyone, that was Chapter 2!! Hope you all liked it. We had fun writing it. If you have any comments or questions to ask or tell us then just send them our way. Anyway here are some questions that will keep you in some suspense while we are working on the next chapter. What the hell is up with Joey? What happens with Pacey? How is Dawson's vacation going to turn out in New York? Well, there they are hope you are enjoying reading it....Chapter 3 should be out rather soon. However, we are both going on vacation in a week so we will try and get it out before then! Please send feedback: it is what we live for! Thanks again!

~Debra and Amy

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