Author's Notes: I’m taking some time here to recommend an actual published book – ‘Summer Sisters’ by Judy Blume. It’s one of her adult books, and made me cry. Read it! Dedication – Dedicated to my mummy. She’s one of my best friends, and hugged me and cried with me when I got my GCSE results.
You don't know a woman until you have had a letter from her.'
- Ada Leverson (1862 1933)
Capeside, July 6th, 2001
The phone rang. Dawson answered it. Bessie was
distraught.
"Dawson, she's gone. Oh, god!
She's gone!" she sobbed down the phone. Dawson didn't understand.
"What? Who
Joey? What do you
mean?"
"She's gone. I got a letter from her
this morning, and Mrs. Ryan says she hasn't seen her. Have you had a letter?"
"I don't know. I got in late last
night, and I'm hung over. I'll go check
" Dawson said, taking his
cordless phone downstairs with him. Sure enough, on the table in the kitchen, lay an
envelope with the simple title Dawson' on it in Joey's handwriting.
"Bessie, I've got one too," he answered finally, his mouth dry and
seemingly full of teeth.
"Oh God," Bessie cried. Then she
hung up. Dawson put the phone down, and picked up the letter.
Bessie,
I'm going. I need to be away from
Capeside and away from you and Dawson. Please know that I never meant to hurt any of you.
It's just that you're better off without me. I hope that one day you can forgive
me for destroying our family. I am an empty shell of a person, doing only harm. Please
comfort Dawson he's a good man, and he doesn't deserve to hurt because of
me. Take care of Alex he needs a mother, just like we do.
Maybe one day I can come back. I don't
know. I'm sorry if I am disappointing you, but college isn't the answer yet.
I'm not sure I ever wanted to go there. It was an assumption made because I did well
at school.
Please don't try to find me
I'll hide myself well, and hope that when I'm far away, I won't be able to
inflict harm on you anymore.
Until we meet again,
Joey.
Mrs. Ryan,
Thank you for all you have done for me. You
were the only one who cared whether I lived or not in those black days even I
didn't care enough. You are an angel in disguise. However, it is time for me to go.
I've stayed here too long. I'm taking myself away from Capeside, where I've
caused so much trouble. Please take care of Bessie for me. Apart from Alex, she's all
alone until Dad gets out again
if that happens. She'll need someone, even more
than I did when you took me in. And tell Jen and Jack that I'm sorry I didn't
say goodbye. I doubt that my absence will make any difference to their lives, but in case
it does, they have each other. I've learnt that, after the bonds of family, bonds of
friendship are stronger than the bonds of love. You can fall in love with many people, but
true friendship is something to be cherished. I wish that was how I'd left things
with Dawson
Please forgive me for doing this. I hope to
see you again one day, but I need time to change and grow. I love you for the way
you've helped me.
Joey.
Pacey,
I don't really know what to say. Take
care of Dawson for me don't let him break down and tell him I'm not good
enough for him. You'll be the only one he can depend on from now, and I'm sorry
that I'm burdening you by going. I do love him, but I'm fed up of hurting him.
It pains me to be away from him, but it's for his own good.
Thank you for helping me through the rough
times and for always being the one whose life was worse. Feel good about yourself in the
knowledge that at least you can stick it out. I gave up. You're better than I am.
Joey
Jen,
I'm sorry for being a bitch to you all
those years ago. I was jealous because you had the one thing I wanted. Then I got it. As
George Bernard Shaw said, there are two great tragedies in life one is not to
get your heart's desire. The other is to get it'. I'm hoping you'll
forgive me for not knowing the quote word perfect, but English Literature always lost
it's gleam after that study session at Chris'. Anyway, you can have Dawson now.
I don't want him pining after me. Comfort him, and I hope that affection will turn
into love for you both. You deserve him more than I ever did.
I'll always wish we were better friends.
Joey
Dawson,
Oh God, this is the hardest thing I've
ever had to do. I'm leaving you behind. And it hurts like hell. But let me explain
some things, OK? I'm sorry I threatened to take our baby away from you. It was stupid
and I wish I'd never thought about it maybe it would still be here. If it were still
here, I'd want to be with you. We could have got married. You would not have ruined
my life, just supported me in it. I know that now. Oh, the painful beauty of hindsight.
It was my fault that we lost it. I accept full
responsibility. If I hadn't planned to kill it, maybe God wouldn't have taken it
from me. And now I want that child more than anything else.
Dawson, I'm sorry for the pain I've
put you through in the past few weeks. It started as restlessness, but that lethargy was
nothing to do with you. I loved you. I always loved you. It had to do with me
I'm 18, and I've hardly changed since my Mom died. And that isn't something
I'm proud of. I need to grow up, and the only way I can do that is by being alone. So
please don't come and find me.
Last night at Chris's party, I could see
the pain in your eyes. And I don't ever want to inflict that kind of pain again.
Chris has never slept with me. You're my first and only. I spent some time with him
because he deserves to be hurt by someone. He's only after what he can get. He takes,
and doesn't give. So I felt safer being with him. I'm a better person than he
is. And that goes for his friends, too. Yes, I've been to some of his parties, but
kissing and drinking and dancing is all I ever did there.
Did I tell you when I first realized I was in
love with you? It was when Jen got out of that taxicab. Pacey's mouth dropped open. I
was expecting that his pointer has always ruled him. But it was your reaction that
disappointed me I assumed that you didn't look at me because you hadn't
become a sexual being yet. But when you looked at Jen like that, I knew that you were, you
just didn't find me attractive. And that hurt. I asked myself why, and that's
when I realized I loved you. I've always loved you. And that's why I'm
going.
One day, I hope to return to Capeside. I hope
that I'll be a good person. I hope that I'm worthy to bear your children. But I
know that you could be married by then. It could be a year's time; it could be a
decade or more. But I will come back, I promise. Just don't' spend your life
waiting for me. If we were truly meant to be, then fate will guide us both.
Eternally yours,
Joey
XXX
-Becci Wooster
20th September 1999
Bessie's Letter
Mrs. Ryan's Letter
Pacey's Letter
Jen's Letter
Dawson's Letter
So? What did you think? I'm dying to
know. Look out for the next part, which takes place in Las Vegas! Thank you for reading this story.
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