"Is this seat taken?"  Drue smarmed.

Joey glanced up from her book and sighed heavily when she saw Drue standing there.  She had been hanging out at this outdoor cafe for the past few weeks.  For some reason, she enjoyed studying more when she wasn't cooped up.  "Yeah, sure.  Go ahead."

Drue picked a book from her stack and inspected the cover.  "Nineteenth century French poetry...that looks like a difficult subject.  Even for a bright girl like you."

"Drue.  Please tell me what I can do for you," she huffed impatiently.

The corner of Drue's mouth turned up wickedly.  "Well...when you put it like that."

"Drue!  I mean it.  If you're just here to bug me then go away.  I've got to get through this chapter.  I don't have time for this right now.  If you only want to chit-chat then I'll catch you at home later.  Bye!"

Joey tried to shoo him away with her hand, but Drue wasn't having that.  "Actually, that's what I wanted to talk to you about...home.  Now, don't think that I miss you or anything, but where have you been lately?  I mean, you're gone before 7 every morning and no one ever sees you come home until late at night.  What gives?"

Joey was obviously agitated.  "What business is it of yours?"

Drue crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back in his seat.  "Well, I suppose it isn't, but if one of my roommates has become a topless dancer then I want to be first in line to support her."

"What?  Drue, please leave me alone.  You can see that I'm here studying.  I haven't taken up the lifestyle of trailer trash or become a potential guest on Jerry Springer.  I've simply found a quiet place to get my schoolwork done.  Okay?  The mystery's solved.  Now buzz off!"

Drue furrowed his brow and studied Joey for a moment.  "This has something to do with Pacey, right?  You started making yourself scarce after we went to Grams' for dinner.  Something happened between you two, huh?"

"Yeah something did happen, Drue.  I started college.  I'm under an extreme amount of pressure here.  And if I don't want to spend as much time at home, it wouldn't necessarily be because of Pacey."

"Okay, Joey.  I'll bite.  What would the reason be?"

Joey crinkled up her face and thought for a moment.  Then she shrugged and started shoving her books into her backpack.  "I don't know.  I do know that I have to go now and I didn't get a damn thing done, so thanks a lot."

As she tried to walk away, Drue reached up and lightly gripped her arm.  "Where are you going, Potter?"

Joey refused to look him in the eye.  Drue rose from the table and faced Joey.  She finally glanced up at him.  She didn't answer him so he proceeded with caution.  "Whatever is going on with you and him shouldn't keep you from wanting to spend time with the rest of us.  We miss you at home, Joey."

Joey sighed emphatically.  "It's not like I moved out.  I just...I've found other places to be when I'm not in school," she paused.  "So you actually missed me?  That's weird."

"Well, I didn't miss you.  I just noticed you weren't there...that's all.  Don't go getting all sappy on me, Potter.  I mean, it's not like I care or anything."

"I don't think that Pacey cares either," she told him as she began to walk away.  "That's why I don't need to be there."

Drue jogged a little to catch up to her.  "He's never there, Joey.   Pacey is working his ass off right now.  You think that you're avoiding him, but you're really just avoiding the rest of us.  Stop hanging out by yourself and be home more.  And if Pacey can't see what he's throwing away..."

She stopped now to face him.  Drue turned on a cute little smile and smirked, "Well, then it's his loss.  You have to get on with your life.  You've got to quit beating yourself up for all those things that happened at the prom."  Joey lowered her head when she heard this.  But Drue used two fingers to lift her gaze.  "It just didn't work out.  But I know that he still loves you."

Joey's eyes were beginning to well up with tears.  "How do you know?"

Drue took Joey's hand in his and began walking down the street with her.  "Well, he has this picture of you in our room.  And he doesn't see me, but I see him looking at it...all the time."

Joey snatched her hand away.  "Are you teasing me right now?"

"I don't think so.  But maybe it was the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue he was looking at.  I really can't recall."

"Drue!  OH!  That's it.  You are dead!"  she called after him.

Drue ran ahead and yelled to her, "Only if you catch me!"

Later that evening, the gang had decided to have a movie night.  Andie had chosen three Jim Carrey comedies to view.  They were watching "Me, Myself, and Irene" when Pacey returned home from his EMT training.

"Hey, Pacey!  You're just in time.  We're having movie night," she bubbled.

"Ehhh...I really need to hit the books, you guys," he explained.

They grumbled about him being a workaholic, but Pacey just waved them off and padded off to his room.  Joey sat there for a moment and then decided to follow him.  When she arrived at his door, she found it to be partially open.  Without thinking, she entered and began looking for him.  "Hey, Pacey. I just wanted to talk to you for..." she trailed off when she caught a glimpse of him removing his shirt.  Joey whirled around and stammered, "Uh, sorry.  I should have knocked.  I'll come back."

If Pacey noticed her embarrassment, he didn't let on.  "No, it's okay.  I was just going to jump in the shower.  What did you want to talk about?"

She steadied herself for a moment.  Joey wasn't sure how much more he'd taken off or if she'd be able to keep her nerve.  She turned back around and took the few steps to Drue's bed.  She sat down because she was sure that her knees would buckle if she didn't.  "I wanted to apologize to you, Pacey."

Joey finally looked up at him before she continued.  Pacey was standing only a few feet away.  She noticed that not only had he removed his shirt, but also he had unsnapped the top button of his faded blue jeans.  Joey had to force her eyes not to follow that trail of soft hair just below his navel.  "I shouldn't have asked you how you felt about me that night after we left Grams'.  We were getting along okay, but I just couldn't let it go," she explained.

Pacey regarded her for a moment and shook his head slowly.  "Why do you need to apologize for that, Jo?"

"I know that I made everything uncomfortable for us when I did that and I'm sorry.  You shouldn't distance yourself from them because it's awkward between us."

Pacey chuckled lightly and approached her.  "You didn't make things awkward...I did.  I hurt you again.  And I'm distancing myself to make things easier for you.  I just figured that you were totally fed up with me by now."

She stood and faced him now.  "No, Pacey.  I'm not fed up...I miss you.  I miss being your friend and hearing about your day.  I miss..."

Pacey looked down at Joey's trembling hands.  He took her slender hands into his and raised them to his face.  Pacey watched Joey's eyes as he began kissing her fingertips.  They moved towards each other slowly and found themselves in a tender embrace.  Pacey brought a fistful of her hair to his nose and inhaled the scent.  Joey nuzzled her nose into the crook of his neck.  She rested her hands on the small of his back.  She ran her fingers over the tiny hairs in that little dip in his lower back.   For a moment, Joey thought that he might kiss her.  She pulled away slowly and gazed into his eyes.  "Joey, I'm a mess right now.  I don't know what to do about us and..."

Joey brought a finger to his lips and delicately rested it there.  "I  know.  It's a big adjustment for both of us.  This living arrangement, school, work, and being away from home is causing a lot of stress for all of us.  And I am not trying to pressure you."  Pacey kissed the fingertip she held to his lips before she could remove it.  He smiled sadly at her as he began to untangle her hands from his.  "So we are agreeing to be friends... and table the relationship questions for a while?" he asked softly.

Joey forced a smile.  "Yes.  I want you to concentrate on you for now.  I just need to know that I still have a place in your heart."

"You don't even have to ask me that, Jo.  You do and you will...for a long time."

Joey smiled and turned to leave him standing there.

“Good.”

Jen sighed. She was fed up with reading. "Who cares about integrals and vectors," she thought. "I don't know what I want to do, but I'm sure I'm not going to be a Mathematician."

She took a lock of her hair and started curling it through her fingers.  The exams were only two weeks away but she couldn't concentrate.  She wanted to do something.  She felt that she had spent all her first college semester reading.

She felt relieved when she heard a knock on the door.  Whoever it was, she had an excuse. "Come in!"

Jack entered holding a box.  "Am I interrupting?"

"Yes, you are.  And you're more than welcome to"

"I want to ask you something."

Jack sat on the bed, next to his friend and gave her the box.  "It's Tobey's birthday tomorrow and I got him this.  What do you think?"

Jen opened the box and saw an expensive sports watch in it.  "It's great, Jack!  He's going to love it."

"You think?  It's the first time I get a present for a boyfriend.  Isn't it too much?"

"Well, it isn't too much if you want to get lucky…” Jack blushed.

"So what's your plans for tomorrow?  How are you going to celebrate?"

"I don't know.  We didn't make any plans."

Jen jumped out of bed.  "I know!  We're going to throw him a party!"   She started pacing back and forth in the room.  "Oh, that's great.  A party is exactly what we need."

"But…" Jack started but she didn't let him finish.

"Don't worry about anything.  I'll take care of the whole thing.  How hard could it be anyway?  All we need is some drinks and crackers, uh and some seats.  And we don't have to invite a lot of people.  There are six of us and Ben and the birthday man himself, of course and maybe a couple of guys I know from class.  Well, what do you think?" she looked at him making her pleading face.

"Actually, I think it's a pretty good idea."

Jen kissed him on the cheek. "Thanks.  And… um… all you have to do is to ask him to pick you up from here tomorrow, 'kay?"

Jack nodded.  "Got to go. Andie's waiting."

Jen didn't notice him.  Her mind was on the party.  It was exactly what they needed in that house.  Sometimes she thought she could touch the tension between them.  But they needed some seats… where would she find some?  And what about drinks?  She suddenly felt energetic and anxious about this.   I'm going to take a shower, she thought, and then I'm going to ask Joey to help me plan.  She grabbed a towel and some underwear and headed to the bathroom.  "And when the others come back, I'm sure they won't mind cleaning a bit."

Jen opened the bathroom door.  In the background she heard Joey's voice from the kitchen.  "Jen!" and she looked up.  In front of her, there was Drue, completely naked. Jen froze.  Drue looked at her in amazement without moving.  "What are you doing here? Didn't you see the light?" he uttered finally, using his towel to cover himself.

She opened her mouth but nothing came out.

"So, I guess, since you're still standing there, you like what you see, huh?" he said, trying to hide his embarrassment.

"I'm… um… I'm so… sorry," she stuttered. "Really… I didn't realize…” She stopped, turned around and ran to her room.

Joey immediately followed her. "I tried to warn you,” she said.

Jen shook her head. "I'm going to remember this for the rest of my life." She looked at Joey and realized she was trying hard not to laugh.

"Umm…" Joey giggled.

"No. Don't laugh. This is not funny." Jen said sniggering.

"Ok. I'm serious."

Joey sat down and frowned trying not to smile.

"So, seen anything interesting lately?"

The two girls burst out laughing.

"I'll tell you that," Jen said wiping her eyes, "Drue Valentine has nothing to be ashamed of."

Andie examined the room.  Everything was perfect.  The only thing missing was Jen with the supplies and Jack with the cake.

"Where are the others?” she asked Joey.

"Relax.  It's only five," she answered.  "Jack and Jen will be back soon.  I've just made some room in the fridge."

"I'll just go and tell the boys to hurry."

Joey heard the key to the door.  Jen came in carrying some heavy bags.

"Need any help?" Joey took a bag from Jen's hands and looked inside. "What's that?" She asked.

"Soda, snacks, beer." Jen answered carelessly.

"Are you kidding?  Where did you get them?"

"I got them, alright?  Don't worry Jo.  Nobody's going to get drunk.  I mean, not too drunk and nobody will drive home, I swear."

Joey took a deep breath. "You're right.  Let's have some fun."

Joey busied herself with putting the groceries away while Jen ran off to get changed for the party.  Joey had resolved to have fun tonight and because of that, she was starting her second beer when Drue sauntered into the kitchen.  He found her pouring bags of the assorted snacks into large bowls.  Drue came up behind her and presented three bottles of liquor for her inspection.  She noticed that he had a bottle of tequila, one of whiskey, and one of vodka.  "Where did you get these from?" she questioned.

Drue, still standing behind her, answered, "Oh.  It's my little secret."

Joey whirled around to face Drue.  "You know what?  We have some margarita mix in the freezer.  You need tequila for that right?"

A sly smile spread across Drue's face.  "Potter!  You've been drinking, haven't you?  Wow.  Let the party begin!"

Joey quickly clasped a hand over her mouth, but it was too late.  Drue had smelled the beer on her breath.  She shot him a dirty look and returned to her task.  Drue leaned over her shoulder and whispered in her ear, "Hey, I'm not trying to criticize.  I'm just a little surprised...that's all."  Drue reached up and caught a couple of her curls between his fingers and added, "By the way, you look good tonight."

Drue released her and took off to greet the guests.  Joey was glad that the extra time she had taken to hot roll her hair had not gone unnoticed.  Even if it was only Drue who had done the noticing.  Joey had let the big, soft curls fall haphazardly around her shoulders.  She had decided to wear her best-fitting jeans and pair those up with her lavender long-sleeve tee with the scoop neckline.  She wasn't going all out, like Jen.  When Jen entered the room in her red silk dress, she thought that Drue's eyes were going to pop out.  Jen had been talking about Drue incessantly since 'the sighting'.

An hour later, the party was in full swing.  Tobey had arrived and was in awe at the fuss that Jack had made over him.  He was completely surprised when Jack opened the front door.  Tobey threw his arms around Jack and gave him a little kiss.  Everyone could see how happy they were just then.

Joey announced, "I'll get it," when she heard the doorbell ring.  She didn't think that anyone else had heard it because the pulsating music was so loud.  Joey opened the door to find a strange woman standing there.  Before either of them had a chance to speak, Pacey appeared in the doorway.  "Hey, Felicia.  What's going on?"

Felicia slid past Joey's prying eyes and replied, "Nothing really.  You said I could come by sometime and see your place, but maybe I should come back another time."

"No, that's okay.  It's a party.  Come on in and meet everyone."  Felicia took Pacey's hand and he led her inside, to the other guests.  He introduced her to everyone by saying that they are partnered up together for their EMT training.  Joey couldn't help but see how Felicia wasn't letting Pacey out of her sight.  Joey wasn't sure if Pacey had noticed or not, but the chick was definitely out to get him.

Joey was getting ready to retreat to the bathroom when one of Jen's guests approached her.  He looked a little like Paul Walker, which was good, in her book.  "Hi...Joey, is it?  I'm Kyle."  The pair shook hands for a moment and Joey couldn't help but feel that Kyle was flirting with her.  When Joey looked over and saw Felicia and Pacey dancing together, she quickly asked Kyle to join her in the kitchen.

Kyle stared at Joey quizzically as she began opening up all the cabinets, in search of the blender.  "What are we making?" Kyle asked her.

"Margaritas," she announced.  Kyle placed his hands over hers as she shakily tried to assemble the blender.  She was still fuming over seeing Pacey with that girl.  "Here, let me help," Kyle offered.  Joey nodded.  She didn't really care about the margaritas, she just wanted to escape.  She decided to perch up on the counter while Kyle whipped up the concoction.  He presented a glass for her tasting.  "Hmmmm.  This is really good," she
commented after sampling about half of it.

"Thanks."  Kyle tossed the bottle of tequila into the air and caught it behind his back.  He filled a shot glass with the warm liquid and didn't spill a drop.  "Oh my God.  You're one of those bartenders, aren't you?  Like Tom Cruise, in Cocktail," Joey commented.

Kyle laughed and gulped down the shot he had just served up.  "No, not quite.  You see, Tom is an actor who was trying to be a bartender and I am a bartender who is trying to be an actor."  Joey smiled widely at him.  She loved the way his green eyes sparkled when he talked about acting.  He found out that Jen and him had a public speaking class together at Boston Bay.

Jen and Drue were slow dancing together when Drue caught sight of Kyle and Joey together in the kitchen.  "So what do you know about him?" Drue quizzed Jen.

"Him who?" Jen quizzed back.  Drue nodded towards the kitchen where Joey was still sitting on the counter.  Jen couldn't help but smile when she saw Joey laughing, presumably at one of Kyle's jokes.  "Kyle?  He's a drama student.  He's in our public speaking class, remember?  He sits in the back next to Jack," Jen reminded him.

"And you really think you know him well enough to sic him on our good friend, Joey Potter?"  Drue's voice was dripping with sarcasm.

"I didn't 'sic' him on her," she retorted.  "He asked me about her..."

"And you told him to go for it, didn't you?  Do you really think that this is what she needs right now, Jen?"

"Yes, I do.  Did you see her face when that Felicia walked in?  She was devastated, Drue.  And since when do you care so much?"  Jen scanned Drue's face and took a half step back.  "Oh my God.  I can't believe I didn't see this before."  Jen retreated out the patio door to the balcony with Drue hot on her heels.

"You're in love with Joey, aren't you?" Jen demanded.

Drue laughed loudly.  "Uh...Lindley, I'm not sure how much you've had to drink tonight, but I think you need to slow down."

"This isn't a joke.  I can see it all over your face.  You're crazy about her.  That's why you don't want her to talk to Kyle," Jen reasoned.

"I'm not in love with her.  We fight like cats and dogs.  Potter and I are mortal enemies.  How could you ever think that I love her?"

"People used to say that about Pacey and Joey," Jen explained.

"Well, I'm not Pacey.  And what is so wrong about trying to look out for your friends.  She's your friend, Jen.  Don't you think you should stay out of her affairs?" Drue asked.

"Don't you?"

Joey laughed.  "You are so hilarious!  You're going to be a comedian, right?"  Pacey heard her say as entered the kitchen.  Pacey had wondered where Joey had run off to.  He hadn't seen her for over an hour.

"Well, I've been trying to get an audition at this comedy club over on 5th.  Have you ever been there?" Kyle asked.  Joey shook her head and looked mildly irritated at Pacey, who was opening and closing all the cabinets in the kitchen and slamming them loudly.  "Can I help you find something?" Joey directed to Pacey.

Pacey didn't respond.  He moved in front of Joey and opened the cabinet above her head.  "I found it," Pacey announced.  He pulled the silver ice bucket down and began raiding the freezer for more ice.  Kyle was visibly uncomfortable.  "Hey, Joey.  I'm going to find Jen.  I'll be right back," Kyle told her.

Joey nodded and smiled apologetically.  As soon as he was out of earshot, Joey began tearing into Pacey.  "Don't you think that was just a little bit rude?  We were talking and you had no right to come in here and start slamming things around."

Pacey turned to face her now.  "Oh, I'm sorry.  I was under the impression that I lived here, too.  Sorry I broke up your little play date."

"God, you are such an ass.  Where do you get off being jealous?  I'm not the one who invited a date to this thing!" Joey seethed.  She moved to hop down from the counter but Pacey jumped in front of her and placed both his hands on either side of her.  "Get out of my face," she ordered.

Pacey moved even closer to her.  "I'm not in your face, but I could be.  Besides, I didn't ask Felicia to come here.  She just showed up.  What was I supposed to do...throw her out?"

"No.  You were supposed to dance with her.  Oh, I forgot.  You already did that," Joey scowled.

A slow smile spread across his face.  "God, you are beautiful when you are angry."  Joey scanned his face and tried to tell if he was teasing her or not.  Pacey reached around her and cupped his hands around her ass.  With one swift movement, he pulled her body up against his.  She instinctively wrapped her legs around his waist.  "No way," she protested.  "You're not doing this.  I'm mad at you."

"You are?" he whispered in her ear.  Joey shivered as the tingles rushed the back of her neck and through her scalp.  "So you wouldn't like it if I did this?"  Pacey teased her ear with his mouth as he blew softly into it.

"Huh-uh," she breathed.  She tilted her head as his cool breath covered her now hot ear and neck.  Joey put her hands on his shoulders and told him to stop.  He pulled away slightly and examined her face.  "We can't do this," she told him.

"You're right.  Kyle might come back and catch us," he teased.

"It's not funny, Pacey.  I don't like the fact that it took another guy talking to me to get you to notice that I exist."

"Are you kidding me?  Do you think I don't notice you, Jo?  I see you everyday.  I see you at the dining room table in your little tank top and boxers, eating breakfast.  I see you leaving the bathroom with your short robe on and your hair dripping.  I watch you twirl your hair while you watch TV.  I see you now," he paused.  Pacey removed his hands from her back and brought them to her breasts.  He used each thumb to graze her nipples ever so slightly. She gasped and dug her short fingernails into his shoulders.  "With your nipples hard and your breath ragged.  I see everything you do.  So don't ever think that I don't notice you exist."

Joey moved her hands over Pacey's chest.  She could feel his heart racing.  She tipped her head down and rested it below his chin.  The room was spinning and she knew it wasn't the alcohol.  When Joey looked back up at him, her mouth was mere inches from his.  Pacey reached behind him and untangled her legs from his body.  "But you're not my prisoner, so go...find that Kyle, or what ever his name was."  He took a small step back and Joey jumped down from the counter.  She turned to leave the kitchen as he grabbed her wrist.  "You'll save me a dance, right?"

Joey pulled her hand from his grasp and ran her fingers over the bulge below his zipper.  "I don't really think you're in any condition to be dancing right now," she teased.