A few more inches to the left, maybe?" Jen Lindley squinted up at her best friend, taking a few steps backward to gauge the approximate center of the wall. Jack stretched his arm a little further, holding the twisted crepe paper in place.

"Perfect." Jen said and handed him a piece of tape. He tacked it up, climbed down from the ladder and surveyed his handiwork. The decorations were too far left. Jack shrugged. He wanted Andie's homecoming party to be great, but he doubted she'd notice some off-center streamers. In fact, she'd probably only have eyes for Pacey. They'd been apart for three months now and he was sure his sister had missed the big lug just as much as he missed her. Jack turned around and clapped his hands together. "So, Dawson, is the camera ready?"

"Just about." He tightened the leg of the tripod that aimed his precious handheld camera at the front door. He stooped slightly to look through the lens of the camera. The front door was perfectly centered in the viewfinder, but Dawson's attention was riveted on Joey, who was stretched out on the wide windowsill. Dawson's eyes panned over her crossed ankles, her high leather boots and black tights, to her short skirt and slinky tank top, which was covered partially by her tightly folded arms. She even had black sunglasses on. There was something almost feline to her appearance and Dawson thought she looked rather like a cat sunning itself. Her face was turned away from them, watching out the window. She'd said barely a few sentences the entire afternoon. It was a strange sensation to be in the same room with Joey and not have a clue as to what she was thinking. Sighing softly, he straightened up. "Okay. It's all set to catch any especially cringeworthy moments we should happen to be fortunate enough to memorialize on film."

Jen grinned at him as she emptied a bag of chips into a bowl on the table. "Yes, well, let's just hope this surprise party doesn't end like the last one."

Joey swallowed a yawn and rolled her eyes, her expression safely hidden by the dark glasses. She'd waitressed at the club till almost 2 a.m. last night and the banal small talk combined with the heat of the sun was making her sleepy. She hoped Pacey and Andie would get here soon, so she could greet them and leave. She wasn't in the mood for socializing. Bessie had given her the third degree all morning about her "new job" and Joey had barely managed to keep from out and out lying to her. She'd evaded and dodged so many times she felt like a Harlem Globetrotter. Then she'd had to come here (at Jack's request of course) and face Dawson. Dawson, who she was sure was laughing at her ridiculous trampy clothes and overdone makeup. Part of her couldn't blame him. If she'd seen herself on the street, she'd probably run the other way, pointing and giggling all the while, too. It hurt too much to think of him with Eve. Every time she looked at him, all she could see was the guilt and disgust on his face when he'd turned her away and told her to put her shirt back on. She turned her head and watched the three of them, Jen in her cheerleader's uniform, Jack in his football jersey and Dawson wearing his usual button-down and t-shirt. At least his wardrobe hadn't changed over the summer, even if everything else had. The three of them looked like a commercial for one of those fancy mail order catalogs...J. Crew or Abercrombie & Fitch. When Andie and Pacey came in, they'd blend right in too. Joey felt even more like trash than ever. The last thing she wanted to do now was play "Party at the Peach Pit." She had to be back at the club in about three hours anyway. Jack approached her tentatively. "Hey, Jo, how've you been? I didn't get to see you much this summer."

Joey smiled at him. Jen and Dawson may not be her favorite people at the moment but she'd always have a soft spot for Jack. "Working mostly. Hey, congratulations on this football thing. I have to say it was kind of unexpected though. What happened to that guy who used to drop his trays full of dirty dishes at the Icehouse?"

He laughed. "Oh, he's still here. In fact I stubbed my toe coming down the stairs just this morning. But I don't know. For some reason, it's different when I step onto that field you know? It's like…I'm a different person. Not clumsy, gay Jack Mcphee." He looked at her bashfully. "Sound stupid?"

"Nah." Joey shook her head. "I think I know exactly what you mean."

"So speaking of old selves, what about you? What's with the clothes and the makeup?"

Joey thought about telling him about her plan, but she couldn't do it. He'd only flip out about the strip club and Dawson might hear and then everything would be ruined. She wasn't ready to give it up yet. She was going to get Dawson back, but she had to be in control and now wasn't the time. She shrugged at Jack. "Maybe I just felt like being different, too."

He looked at her and she could see the concern and worry etched across his face. She refused to see the disappointment. "Look," she cut him off, before he could speak, "I'm fine, okay? I promise you I just wanted to forget what it was like to be Joey Potter, trailer trash, for a little while. I'm not having any kind of psychotic episode." She stopped and cringed. "Oh, Jack, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean-"

He looked at her puzzled and then recognition dawned. "Oh, hey, it's fine. Andie's feeling a lot better…" His glance flicked over to the window and then he did a double take. "And she just pulled up." He motioned to Jen and Dawson. The four of them scurried to hide behind some furniture and the minutes ticked away as they waited for the creak of the door. After a few minutes, Jack stuck his head over the back of the couch and eyed the door. It was unmoving. "I don't know what's taking them so long. I saw Mr. Witter's cop car, it had to be them." He whispered. The foursome exchanged puzzled glances and then they heard voices. Jack ducked down quickly. The voices were too far to make out particular words, but they listened. A few seconds later a door slammed and then the front door knob clicked and swung open. The four of them jumped up and yelled, a mixed chorus of surprises and welcome homes that died on the last syllable. Andie was slumped against the door, her eyes red-rimmed and teary and now wide with shock.

Jack looked at her warily and rushed to her side, with Jen and Joey fast on his heels. "Andie what's wrong? Are you alright? Where's Pacey?" Unobtrusively, Dawson walked over to the video camera and turned it off.

In shock, she looked bemusedly from Jack to Joey to Jen and to the streamers on the walls. "You guys… threw me… a costume party?" Her voice was trembling and her eyes widened. She looked to Dawson. "What are you supposed to be?"

"Andie, what is the matter?" Dawson asked calmly, "Where's Pacey? Didn't he come pick you up?"

Andie looked down at her hands which were shaking. Slowly and softly, she said in a raw voice. "Yes, he came to pick me up and…he ... I was..." She stopped, her breath hitching in soft gasps and she inhaled slowly trying to regain control. "Pacey broke up with me."

They exclaimed with surprise at once, all of them asking why. Joey broke through, shaking her head. "I don't understand. Why would he do that? He was so excited all week about you coming home, he couldn't stop babbling," she looked at the weeping girl, suspiciously, but her voice was gentle. "What happened Andie?"

"I…He…" She looked up at their concerned faces and she was ashamed. She couldn't tell them. They would hate her forever. Well not Jack, but the rest. Then she looked at them and saw the concern and caring on their faces and it was almost too much to bear. She said a silent prayer that they would somehow understand and find a way to forgive her. These were the only friends she had now and she couldn't imagine being alone again, like she'd been when she'd first left Capeside at the beginning of the summer. Dawson and Jack were hovering now, flanking her with solidarity and encouragement. "Come on Andie," Dawson said softly. "Just tell us. We're your friends."

Andie looked at them and tried to gauge how they would react. Jack would be supportive of course, but Dawson was a hard one to read. They had a lot in common and Andie considered him a friend, but Pacey was his best friend. Her eyes moved to Jen, standing to the other side of Jack, who looked mostly curious but a little worried. Finally, she turned to Joey. If anyone could understand how bull-headed and stubborn Pacey could be it would be Joey. But as she looked up at the tall girl in the strange clothes, Andie was swept by a feeling of foreboding. Joey's arms were folded across her chest and she looked surprisingly suspicious. Andie stared at her in surprise, feeling the distrust coming off Joey in waves. Suddenly, inexplicably she felt she had to justify herself, she had to make them understand. She didn't understand why she felt that way. In fact, Joey couldn't stand Pacey. Nonetheless Andie found herself addressing her comment to her specifically. She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, trying hard not to cry. "I…He …" Her gaze swept over the group, and returned to Joey. "I didn't mean to hurt him." For a moment, Joey's face hardened. Andie blinked in shock, but when she looked at Joey again, her expression had changed to a more sympathetic one. Amid the surprised cries and questions of the others Andie wondered if she'd imagined the blatant disgust she'd seen on Joey's face. Then her attention was caught by her brother and the others who were patting her shoulders and murmuring surprised comforting messages, as Jack slid an arm around her waist for support and guided her over to the couch.

Joey slipped backwards to the door unnoticed as Andie hesitantly began telling them what she'd already guessed. Andie had cheated on Pacey. As Joey silently pulled the door open to leave, she heard Dawson's incredulous query, "He didn't forgive you?" A burst of anger swept through her and Joey stepped onto the porch and pulled the door shut behind her. She couldn't believe the way Dawson and Jen had just immediately flocked to Andie and taken her side. For some reason, though she knew she was being irrational, she hated Andie's weakness, the fragility that caused them to immediately forget Pacey and how he must be feeling. She couldn't believe Dawson, he didn't even give his best friend a thought. He really had changed in Philly. Pacey and she had always had a rocky relationship, but deep down they'd always had a fealty to each other that wouldn't be damaged. She imagined that was where the sudden anger had come from. Pacey could be crude and obnoxious, but he'd been great with Andie, he didn't deserve that kind of betrayal.

She turned to go down the front steps and was momentarily blinded by the sun. It was glinting off the red and blue bar of the Police SUV Mr. Witter owned. Stepping forward, Joey could just make out Pacey in the driver's seat, his head bent and resting on his arms, folded on the top of the steering wheel. She started to turn away, planning on pretending she hadn't seen him. But something made her turn around and walk over to the truck. She couldn't say exactly what, maybe she just knew he wouldn't want to be found just sitting there, should anyone else come outside. Or maybe she just felt bad for him. In just the past week, they'd gotten a lot closer. For as much as they liked to insult each other and squabble, she couldn't leave him there. He looked so…abandoned. As much as Joey tried not to admit it, Pacey had been the one who looked out for her, he'd been the one to comfort her and wipe her tears away after Dawson rejected her. She could at least try to do the same. Pacey sat slumped over the steering wheel, his head pressed against the cool slick vinyl of the padded wheel. His eyes were squeezed tight against the sunshine streaming unfiltered through the slightly streaked pane of the windshield. It figured. Worst freaking day of his life and the sun was bright, the sky blue. It should be raining, thundering mercilessly, lightning crashing. A sparrow's twirps and twitters echoed ironically in his ear. He thought about what he'd like to do to that bird, the hundred ways he could silence it. Anything, not to think about her.

Pacey heard the creaking whine of the passenger door being opened and heard a rustling noise as someone slid into the seat next to him. Wearily but angrily, he lifted his head and started to speak, his eyes still squeezed shut. "Andie, there's nothing more you can say to me-"

"It's me."

Pacey opened his eyes and saw Joey leaning against the doorjamb, looking for all the world like a goth-vixen version of Wednesday Addams. Her outfit was as black as his mood.

"Potter, I'm really not in the mood to play a round of 'Whose barb is it anyway?' with you right now."

"Relax Pacey, I come in peace. All witticisms and crushing comments have been checked at the door."

Pacey looked at her warningly. But she seemed to be telling the truth. He wasn't sure what else to say, so he said nothing. He thought about asking her to leave, but he was actually kind of glad she was here. It was yet another distraction, one infinitely more pleasurable than thinking up ways to torture small animals. He sighed and leaned back resting his head against the glass divider separating the back and front seats.

Across the car, Joey sized him up from behind her sunglasses, thinking he looked remarkably well for a man who'd just found out his beloved girlfriend had been cheating on him all summer. Then she saw his hands. They were locked on the steering wheel, his knuckles white from the pressure he was exerting on the slim bar. Joey turned back slid her glasses off and looked out the window. She felt horrible, but not as bad as he must be feeling.

A musty silence fell, the chirp of birds in the nearby trees the only sound echoing through the car. Finally, Pacey broke it, his voice sounding distant and low. "Did she tell you?"

"She said you broke up with her."

He gripped the steering wheel tighter, Joey watched the thin metal buckle slightly under the weight of his hands. He spoke very slowly and deliberately. "Did she tell you why?"

"Not at first." Pacey looked at her and she shrugged slightly. "I figured it out. She's telling them now." Another silence. "Are you okay?"

Pacey ignored the question. His brow furrowed slightly and he stared at her angrily. "How did you know? Did she write you and tell you?

"I didn't-"

"She did, didn't she?" His voice was getting higher and angrier.

"You've known. You've known this whole time and you didn't-"

"Pacey!" She said it quietly but hard, it shut him up. "I didn't know, okay? I just…It wasn't hard to figure out when she walked in crying and you didn't walk in at all." She paused, knowing the next words were going to be awkward, but realizing Pacey needed to hear them. "Besides, I know you." She looked at him quickly, then dropped her eyes away, looking at her hands. "I know how loyal you are and I know how much you love her." Her voice dropped slightly and she looked back to him. "I knew she cheated on you because you wouldn't have walked away for anything less."

He looked at her, his eyes wild with heartbreak and grief, then he turned away. His whole body twisted as if he was going to get out of the car. Joey looked at him curiuosly, wondering what he was going to do, until she saw his hand snake up and cover his eyes, and his Adam's Apple bobbing as he swallowed. Then she realized he was trying not to cry. Joey's hand hovered over the door handle. She should really leave him alone. She would want to be alone if the situation was reversed. Of course, the situation had been reversed. Her exact words had been that he was the last person she wanted to see then, but Pacey had stayed anyway. She looked back apprehensively. Pacey had turned back around his head resting again against the glass wall, his eyes closed.

"Pacey, I'm sure you never thought you'd hear me say this, but…she doesn't deserve you."

He didn't move or speak, he made no signs that he'd even heard her. Joey felt foolish. She should leave. She turned back and laid her hand on the handle getting ready to push, when he spoke.

"Jo?"

She froze. "Yeah?"

"Thank you."

She turned back in her seat and looked at him. His eyes were open again, and suprisingly clear, and he was no longer gripping the steering wheel like a life preserver. Joey smiled at him tentatively, then said. "Well you know, I wouldn't want it to go to your already bloated ego. I'm not here just for you, you know."

He shook his head and nearly chuckled. "You're not, huh?"

Joey feigned innocence. "You kidding? I have my own self interests to worry about here." He looked at her quizzically and she shrugged and flashed him a grin. "I told Bessie I'd make you give me a ride home."

Pacey sighed and shook his head again, as he started the car and downshifted into reverse. He turned and threw his arm along the back of the seat as he eased the wide truck down the driveway. But there was the hint of a smile tugging at his lips as he mumbled half to himself. "Potter, I can't wait till you learn how to drive."

Joey grinned and slid her sunglasses back down as she flicked on the radio and dangled an arm out the window, reaching out to almost snag the tree branches as they roared away.

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