“You’re a lot of laughs, Pacey.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.” Her fingers dragged along the curve of his jaw. “And I’m a lot of laughs.”

“A whole barrel of monkeys even.” Pacey smirked at her, glancing up from the book he’d been flipping through.

“Right.” Audrey paused, stretching her arms out in front of her. She let them fall to her sides and pushed off of the bed, staring into Pacey’s slightly curious gaze.

“What?”

She took a deep breath. “I’m dumping you.”

“You are?” Pacey let go of the book, not bothering to stop its fall to the floor. He remained half raised on his elbows, legs sprawled out behind him on Audrey’s small twin bed.

Audrey began with a wave of hands, “Last night Joey sobbed herself to sleep.” Her eyes were drawn to the pictures on her roommate’s wall. There were less up there every day. She didn’t like to think about the reasons why much. Her stare turned on her boyfriend of three months again. “All over you.”

“Audrey, I didn’t-” Pacey started, finally lifting himself off the bed and standing in front of her.

“You don’t have to explain.” She held out a hand and Pacey quirked an eyebrow at the inherent drama Audrey radiated. “I just, I want to be with someone who makes me care when it’s over.” There, she said it.

Pacey flinched and she almost took it back. He stepped away from her and nearly tumbled backwards over a cardboard box. He looked down at it with a grimace and back up at Audrey, the expression intensifying.

“Joey’s heartbroken over you,” she sighed, brushing past him to kick the offending box back under Joey’s bed.

The surge protector on the hardwood floor was empty of plugs and Audrey bit her lip. Pacey followed her gaze, his eyes looking like waves crashing against the rocks at the cliffs that bordered her homestate. She pulled at his arm, attempting distraction, smiling at the warmth of his skin.

“And she’s being so damn nice to me...but she loathes me. I can see it all over her face.” She grinned brightly, giving her blonde locks a healthy shake with the bob of her head. “I’m very perceptive like that.”

He crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow. “She told you she hates you?”

“Well, that too,” Audrey admitted. Pacey nodded. They stood, facing each other in silence. She darted glances around Joey’s side of the room. Her nearly empty side of the-they’d been good roommates. Almost good friends. Pacey was fun. Fun, but hardly...nothing like a good fun guy to kiss. But it wasn’t worth it. Watching her roommate quietly change before her eyes... now there was only one thing left to say. She raised her eyes level with Pacey’s. “I want someone to make me cry.”

The pads of her fingers traced his brow bone mid-air fervently. Before he even found her in the gothic library, she saw him and tried to pretend he didn’t exist anymore.

Her eyes were so intent in their focus, he might’ve believed she really wasn’t watching him for her cue as to what happens next.

“My girlfriend broke up with me, Potter.”

Joey barely acknowledged his presence, her highlighter still poised dangerously above the thick hardbound text before her. “She did? I’m sorry.”

“Why don’t I believe that?” His eyes narrowed as she flipped a few pages, her fingers skimming the paragraphs until she found what she was looking for, then her pen flashed across the paper, lighting it neon green.

“I didn’t mean it,” she said. She wet her index finger with the pink tip of her tongue and touched it to the book, moving another page deeper. Joey darted a glance up at him. Pacey’s jaw was still dropped in surprise. “I’m trying to be more straightforward.”

“Mission accomplished.”

“Thank you,” she replied, smiling sweetly and returning her gaze back to the library table. She unwrapped the cellophane on a package of notecards. She jotted down a page number as a reference, Pacey staring down at her.

He threw his hands up in exasperation as she began to alphabetize her notecards. “So?!”

Joey looked up at him. “So?”

“How honest are you willing to be?”

She thought about it carefully, her lower lip tucked between her teeth. “Depends on the question, I guess.”

“Did you tell Audrey you hated her?”

Joey pressed her lips together. There was a millisecond when something flashed through her dark brown eyes, but it was gone before Pacey could identify the emotion. “Is that what Audrey said?”

“I thought you were gonna be direct.” He cocked an eyebrow at her.

“I did. I do. She was my friend, Pacey.” Joey frowned. “And then, bam! She’s your girlfriend.”

“She couldn’t be both?”

Her pen hit the wood with a plastic clap. “No, she couldn’t.”

“Jo, we weren’t together when I met Audrey. It’s not fair to-”

She cut him off with a glare. “Of course it’s not fair. It just is.” Joey tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear, scowling, when she caught his gaze on her fingers. “Shouldn’t you be arguing this out with Audrey? I don’t see where I come into the equation anymore. I didn’t dump you.”

Pacey’s eyes darted up to hers. Joey began gathering her papers, collecting her notecards. She stuck her highlighter in the zippered outer pocket of her messenger bag, not bothering to secure the belts on it as she shoved the heavy book into it. Just as she moved behind him, his hand caught her arm, fingers tightening around her wrist.

“Don’t go.” She looked at his hand on her wrist with a mixture of disdain and fear. Pacey cracked a cocky grin. “I’m liking new, direct Joey.”

She shook her head, extracted herself from his grasp and turned to leave. He watched her walk to the door of the library, a few yards from him. At the arched entrance, Joey turned to look at him, tilted her head and smiled lopsidedly. He followed her out.

“I’m sorry if my dating Audrey ruined your friendship with her.” Pacey stared out at the small pond behind Lafayette Hall. They were in a secluded area now, kept private by a circle of trees. Pacey figured that was for the best. “But I-She’s fun.”

“Yeah. Audrey’s great.”

At his look, “Don’t. I love Audrey. Just not right now.”

“Because of me?”

Joey nodded. “It’s hard to hear her talk about her guy...knowing it’s you.”

“Right.” Pacey kicked at a patch of dry grass. “Again, I’m sorry. Just-”

“Audrey makes you happy.” Joey watched the back of his head, following the path his unruly curls made on his head. “I don’t wanna get in the way of that, Pace.”

He nodded. Sighed.

“But I did.” Joey bit her lip. “I-you want direct Joey? Are you sure?”

He turned to face her. Seeing her earnest questioning eyes, he smiled. Melted. “I’d like that.”

“Okay.” She took a gulping breath. Averted her eyes from his piercing blue gaze. “I’m not over you. It doesn’t seem like that long ago I was your girl...I was the one making you happy. Or not making you happy. I’m sorry about that.” She shrugged, plunging ahead. “The thing about not dumping you? Totally passive aggressive garbage about the prom. Who dumps someone at a prom?”

Pacey opened his mouth to answer and she held a hand out.

“Never mind. Just-If Audrey makes you happy, fine. I’ll- I don’t know why you need me. What’s going on between Audrey and me? It’s done. I’m gonna move out. Already found a new roommate off campus. Some junior from my creative writing class. She’s nice and gay, so I figure mostly the chance of her dating one of my exes is lessened.” He laughed. “Kidding. She’s actually just missing a roomie who had to go home early for a family crisis, giving me the perfect opportunity to give you and Audrey your space.”

Pacey nodded, but only because Joey seemed to need a reaction.

Her eyebrows furrowed, her dark eyes finally meeting and piercing his blue ones. “But I shouldn’t have to watch. I don’t have to be okay with it. I’m not. Just not.”

“You don’t have to,” he reminded her gently, “Audrey dumped me.”

Joey shrugged. “There’s going to be someone else, Pace. You’re gonna find someone to date and love and be happy with...and you should. I want that for you.” She sat down on the grass, her legs dangling just over the water, reminding Pacey of all their nights out on the docks together. “I’m the ex-girlfriend, Pacey.”

“You’re more than that,” he insisted, settling down beside her. She glanced over at him, her eyes unreadable.

“Maybe I just need to be the ex-girlfriend for right now.”

“What?” He turned to her, unsure of what she meant, afraid to find out.

“It just hurts too much to be around you and not with you. I’m ready to do the ex thing. Where we don’t speak and we don’t confide and I focus on how much I hate you and all the girls you look at the way you looked at me once.” She took a breath and met his eyes frankly. “Just leave me alone, ‘kay?”

“We did that already. The whole summer, Jo.” Pacey ran a hand through his hair, his tone agitated. “Christ, how much more punishment do I deserve?”

“I’m not punishing you,” she protested, her voice raising. “You left me with some half-hearted promise that maybe we would still have something someday! That’s not what I needed. What I need. Damnit! I just need,” Joey said, her voice breaking, “I need you. And I know you’re over that, you had your summer away, but I didn’t. I didn’t. My summer was filled with you. Every dock, every memory, they were always there. And you’re still here. Dating the one friend I have at this school.”

Her shoulders shook and her lower lip trembled and before Pacey could even form a coherent thought, her whole body crumpled before him, shaking and convulsing with sobs. He reached out to her, placing a tentative hand on the small of her back, rubbing tiny circles on her green cardigan. She only cried harder, her heart beating so loudly Pacey could feel it straight through her spine.

“You think I left Capeside and instantly forgot about you, Joey?” He asked, realization slowly dawning in his deep voice.

Her moans quieted and her breathing calmed under his touch, but she remained in the same position, a small ball of defeat. Her response was muffled when she finally spoke again. “I do.”

“Every moment there was something around to remind me that I dumped you.” Pacey whispered the words, some so quiet no one heard, not even Joey. “Something I wanted to show you. I made these dumb jokes and no one laughed. I did stupid things. And you weren’t there to tell me off. I know it’s my fault you weren’t there too.”

“You wouldn’t have dumped me.” He meant it as a statement. But there was doubt in his tone and Joey heard it, closed her eyes against the sound. Shook her head blindly. When she finally looked at him again, her eyes registered defeat.

“Is there any point in rehashing this, Pace?” He said nothing. She rose and brushed grass off her clothing. “Yeah. Well. Again, sorry about the Audrey thing. I’m sure you’ll be able to work it out.”

Joey walked away quickly, by the time Pacey turned, she was halfway through the trees that secluded them. “I don’t think I’m going to work it out,” he called after her.

She stopped.

“Audrey was pretty resolute and...I’ve been thinking. I didn’t wanna hold you back, Potter. I couldn’t date a girl going to Worthington.”

Joey turned toward him, rolling her eyes. “Audrey’s going to Worthington.”

He pretended to ponder this, scratching at his chin. The grin broke slowly on his handsome features. “She is, isn’t she?”

“Yeah?” She scowled at him. Pacey chuckled, deep in his throat, slowly moving closer, his gaze predatory. Joey’s eyes widened. “What?”

“Nothing, Potter.” He stepped closer, moving into her personal space. “Just...”

She looked down at his hand. He rubbed a circle around her wrist, let his fingers thread through hers. Joey stared back up at him, her lips parting. “What are you doing?”

“Hitting on you,” Pacey said frankly.

She looked at him as if he’d suddenly sprouted horns. “What?”

“Just being a new, improved, direct Pacey.” He smirked at her, his fingers running up her arms, following back down her ribcage. Pacey tickled Joey’s sides and smiled softly when she squirmed beneath his touch. “Wanna go out? Or stay in?”

Her jaw dropped. Then she giggled. “What part of being an ex-girlfriend does this come under?”

“The part where you stop being an ex. That is, after a lot of angry sex. I hear ex sex is good.” Pacey licked his lips and leaned into her, his breath warm against her mouth.

Pacey’s blue eyes flickered, his brow raising momentarily. Joey smiled. With an easy grin, he pressed his lips to hers.

Joey packed silently. A few more things and she’d be done. Her vision was momentarily clouded by her blue sweater.

“I borrowed this. Months ago. It really looks better on me, matches my sparkly silver lipgloss, but it’s yours. So I thought, maybe you might miss it.” Audrey held the sweater out to her. “Or y’know, you might miss other things.”

“Other things?” Joey raised an eyebrow.

“Like this mirror,” Audrey displayed the dark wooden wall mirror with Vanna White hands, “this mirror is highly missable.”

Joey smiled gently. “I’ll be okay.”

“You won’t miss the mirror?” Audrey stared at her solemnly.

“It’s a great mirror. But yeah, I think I’ll get over the loss. Maybe I can get a new mirror.” Joey zipped up the suitcase. “I hear they still make them.”

Audrey threw up her hands and sighed. “Okay, so I suck at being subtle. I wasn’t talking about the mirror. I was talking about roommates.”

“I’ll have one of those, too,” Joey replied.

Audrey stuck her tongue out at Joey and grabbed her by the shoulders. “C’mon, you’ll miss me, Joey Potter. I know I broke the whole girl code rule and everything by dating Pacey, but you love me. I bring out the best in you.”

Joey sighed. “Look, don’t do that.”

“Do what?”

“Don’t say you’re sorry about Pacey-”

Audrey cut in, her hands on her hips. “I wasn’t going to say sorry. God, Pacey’s hot. And funny. And up until he got his head out of his ass with his self esteem crap, he was also single. Or my boyfriend. None of which I regret.” Joey stared at her, her jaw dropping slightly. “Okay, I regret what it did to us, obviously, but-”

“I understand,” Joey said, a small smile forming, as she shook her head in disbelief. “Or I don’t, but I-I regret how I behaved a lot. It was totally immature and rude and-”

“True,” Audrey finished. She smiled proudly. “You learned that from me, you know.”

“I know.”

“So unpack,” Audrey said, putting action to words by pulling at the duct tape securing one of Joey’s cardboard boxes, “and we’ll go celebrate. Drinking. Singing with the band! I can beat you at pool.”

“Audrey,” Joey touched her hand gently, “I still have to move.”

She raised her eyebrows. “Why?”

“I’m dating Pacey now.”

“Yay you. Must be getting some too,” Audrey observed coyly, “You’re a lot more relaxed than usual.”

“Audrey!” Joey laughed. “Aren’t you upset?”

“About the boyfriend swapping thing? A little. Well, actually no. I figure I missed bugging you more. Being your friend, sage, and overall fashion guru, I mean.”

She waved dismissively and moved through the room, yanking the tape off boxes as she went.

“You have all this history with Pacey. I had three months. A great three months, but please, it wasn’t gonna be heading to the altar or anything.” She winked. “I dumped him too. I’m much more mature when I get to be the dumper.” Audrey smiled wickedly. “You’ve got my hand-me-downs, Joey.”

Joey considered this, her eyes lighting up as she grinned. “He did look a tad rumpled. You could’ve at least put him through the laundry first.” She raised an eyebrow, lifting the blue sweater from her bare mattress. “Much like my sweater.”

“You’re staying right?” Audrey said over her shoulder and she flopped down on her bed.

“Right.”

“Any plans tonight?” Joey sat down on her bed, folding her legs under her. She unzipped her suitcase. “I have to call my new roommate and tell her I’m not moving.”

“Oh, that’s all taken care of,” Audrey replied nonchalantly.

“It is?” Joey looked up at her in surprise.

“Duh. Jen doesn’t need you at Grams’ that badly.”

Joey stared at Audrey, amazed. “How did you know?”

“A girl with a family crisis and a desperate need for an uptight studyholic roomie? Please. You’re totally transparent to me, Joey.”

Joey shook her head, laughing.

“Anything else planned for tonight?”

“Your hand-me-downs wanted to get a little more rumpled tonight,” she admitted honestly, a whisper of a smile lifting the corners of her lips.

“When doesn’t he? So. Girl’s night out? We’ll call Lindley to be our mediator just in case we come to drunken blows and we’ll paint the town fuschia.”

“Okay,” Joey agreed gratefully. She watched Audrey play with the edge of her comforter for a moment. “I might not be home tonight, Audrey.”

“It’s not like your bed is made or anything.” Audrey smiled softly. Graciously. Then her eyes sparked. “Important stuff now. Sparkly green or glittery blue eye shadow?”

“Is there a difference?” Joey rolled her eyes and Audrey laughed.

“Joey Potter. You still have so much to learn.”