However much I generally detest this place, Capeside is a gorgeous place to live.  Especially in winter, when the tourists have all gone away and the residents take back the town.  We appreciate the quiet after the busy summer and take the time to fully enjoy the beauty and serenity around us.

A snowball hits me in the ass and all thoughts of peace and harmony quickly scatter. 

“Pacey!” I yell before I even turn around, knowing instinctively who the culprit is.

He’s several feet behind me on the snow-covered front lawn of Capeside High, the very picture of innocence.  “I think I saw the guy who did it, you want me to go after him?  I’ll take him down, you just say the word, honey.” 

I cross my arms over my chest and struggle to keep from smiling as he walks up to me.  He’s wearing baggy jeans and a gray button-down shirt beneath his corduroy coat, his cheeks a ruddy red from the cold and his eyes bluer than the sky.  He grins when we start walking toward the doors and makes a show of brushing the snow off the seat of my pants.

“Stop it,” I say, exasperated.  Classmates who heard his boast and have been watching us are laughing and I swat his hand away.  “Its not even eight a.m. and you’ve reached your annoyance quota for the day.”

He laughs, slipping an arm around my shoulders as we head up the front steps of the school.  “Why are you so cranky, Josephine?  Today is the last day of school before our two-week vacation.  Two weeks, Jo.  Count ‘em.  One.  Two.”

“Tutoring you in math has certainly paid off,” I remark, squeezing the hand draped over my shoulder.

“Tell me you aren’t glad to have some time off,” he says as we make our way down the main hallway.  His enthusiasm for the upcoming break is apparently shared by both students and faculty, judging by the heightened level of obnoxious laughter and revelry all around us.

“Of course I’m glad, Pacey,” I tell him as we reach my locker.  I hand him my book bag and spin the dial of my combination lock.   “I’m just tired today, it’s not like I’m the Grinch.”

There’s a snort of derisive laughter from behind me and I glance over at Jen Lindley as she opens her own locker a few away from mine.  “You give the Grinch a run for his money when it comes to . . . um, grinchiness.”

“Did you not get in your seven cups of coffee this morning?” I ask her.  “Because usually your spiteful and nasty comments are so much more wittier than that.”

She laughs as she opens her locker.  She takes off her royal blue long woolen coat and stuffs it in her locker, revealing a red off-the-shoulder sweater and a printed silk skirt that falls to her mid-calves.  Her hair is curled around her face and she looks especially lovely today, though by our silent understanding we never compliment each other.  Reeks of friendship, and we can’t have that.

“How are you guys this morning?” she asks. 

“Well, Grinch here isn’t as enthused by our upcoming break as she should be.  I have no idea why,” Pacey tells her as I exchange books from my bag and my locker.  “It’s like she doesn’t know what she’ll do with herself since she won’t have finals and college to worry about for a few weeks.”

“Or it’s like she’s going to busy with the influx of relatives staying at the B&B and won’t have a moment alone for the foreseeable future,” I say, taking my bag back from him.  “Bessie says she’s nailing my foot to the floor to prevent me from running away with Pacey.”

“Then can I run away with him?” she asks.  “My parents are coming to visit and I want to be far, far away.”

I pretend to consider it as the three of us begin walking down the hall toward Pacey’s locker.  “While normally I’d be eager to foist him upon you, he’s volunteered to help us out around the house, because it‘s going to be a madhouse.  Which was really nice of you, Pace.”

“When did I volunteer to work?“  he asks.  “I don’t remember ever doing that, Potter.”

I smile sweetly and say, “You don’t?  It was right after you threw a snowball at me not ten minutes ago.”

“Oh, yeah.  I remember now,” he grins.  “Sorry, my hand was on your ass and that means I can’t be held to any promises made, if any were indeed uttered.  Blood that would normally flow to my brain headed in the opposite direction and I’m not responsible for anything that came out of my mouth.”

“You’ve made a valid point.  We’ll discuss it further while you’re fixing the toilet in the second bathroom tomorrow,” I tell him.  To Jen I make a mockingly apologetic face.  “Sorry, he’s booked for the time being,”

“Damn,” Jen sighs dramatically as we near our destination. 

“Maybe next time,” I offer, and lean against the wall of lockers with Jen as Pacey opens his.  “But keep in mind I need more advanced warning than the day before.”

“I’ll try to remember that,” Jen agrees solemnly. 

Pacey’s amused by us and our non-friendship.  He’s glad that she and I have grown closer over the past year or so because I need somebody to talk to sometimes who isn’t in love with me and never has been. 

Speaking of which, two of my ex-boyfriends turn the corner and walk toward us, Dawson Leery and Jack McPhee.  “Hi, guys,” I greet them as they reach us.

“Hey,” Jack greets us all with a small wave.  He looks great in jeans and a blue polo shirt underneath his letterman’s jacket.

Dawson looks at me and smiles gently, his eyes warm.  “Hi, Joey.”

He’s dressed in khakis and a dark green v-necked sweater with a white undershirt, a slight variation on a yuppie theme.  I smile back and slip my hand into Pacey’s when he shuts his locker and turns to face the group.  Dawson turns his attention to Pacey and nods, acknowledging him. 

Pacey nods back and I squeeze his hand.  Mysteriously motivated into speaking, he says, “How you doin‘, Dawson?”

“Good.  You?” Dawson asks.

“Good.”

“Good,” Dawson repeats and Jen rolls her eyes at Jack.

“How about you, Jack?” she asks, grinning up at her best friend.  “Are you good?”

“I’m very good,” he replies, smiling broadly.  “And yourself?”

“Extremely good.  Joey?  Are you good?” 

The tension between Pacey and Dawson is broken and they both crack genuine smiles, which makes me happy.  “I’m great,” I say.

“You always have to go against the grain, don’t you?” Jack laughs.

Jen giggles and pokes him in the stomach.  “You’re one to talk.”

“So,” Dawson says, cutting through their special moment.  “Are you all coming to the party tomorrow night?”

His parents are hosting a Christmas party at their restaurant, Leery’s Fresh Fish.  It’s really for fellow business owners and their families but all of us are invited because of Dawson.  It’s going to be a black-tie affair and if I know the Leerys, it’ll be oozing with enough holiday spirit to choke a wise man.

“Of course we’ll be there,” Jen tells him.  “Grams and my parents are coming, too, don’t ask me why.”

Jack nods, slinging an arm around Jen’s shoulders.  “Don’t worry, Dawson, it’s my job to keep her as far away from her mother as possible.  There won’t be any bloodshed at your party.” 

Jen elbows him in the ribs and he grunts.  Dawson smiles and says, “Thanks, Jack.”

“Yeah, thanks, Jack,” Jen mocks, rolling her eyes.

Turning to us, he meets my eyes.  “What about you, Joey?  Are you going?”

He’s been slighting Pacey for so long now I think it’s merely instinctive at this point.  “Yes,” I tell him, smiling pleasantly.  “Pacey and I will be there.”

Dawson looks at Pacey and seems to remember his manners.  “Not to sound redundant, but good.”

“So Joey,” Jen begins, hating the awkward silence that overtakes us for a moment.  “What are you doing tonight, the first night of vacation?”

Gratefully I take the opening she’s offered.  “One of the cable stations is having a Christmas movie double feature, so we’re making a night of it.”

“Sounds fun,” she says.  “I’ve always loved Christmas movies, the cheesier the better.”

Without thinking I invite her to join us.  “They’re showing A Christmas Carol and How the Grinch Stole Christmas, I think.”

“How appropriate!”

“Shut up,” I tell her, laughing. 

“Why is that appropriate?” Dawson wonders.

Jack’s a bright boy and has caught on quicker.  “I think the insinuation was that Joey’s got Grinch-like tendencies.”

“I can see that,” Dawson agrees, nodding as if in deep thought.  “She certainly hates all the Whos in Whoville.”

“Hey!” I cry indignantly, bringing my hands to my hips.  “I am nothing like the Grinch.”

Jen is laughing so hard she’s leaning against Jack for support and Dawson has a broad smile on his face.  I am not Grinch-like.

I glance at Pacey and he looks away quickly, but not before I see his face.  “You’re laughing at me!”

“Yes, I am,” he says, turning bravely to face me.  And then they stand there, the four of them, and laugh.  At me.

And that’s okay.  Dawson and Pacey are standing next to each other and they’re laughing about the same thing.  I don’t care if it’s me they’re amused by, if that’s what helps them rebuild their friendship.

“Why don’t you come over, Jack?” I ask him.  He’s been lonely since his sister, Andie, left for Europe with their father a few months back. 

“I’ll have to check my social calendar but I think I have, oh . . . seven hours free tonight,” he agrees.  “What about you, Dawson?  You in?”

When I turn my attention to him, his laughter has died off and he’s looking at me with an unfathomable expression in his eyes.  “Sure.  I’m in.  It’s been a long time since we’ve enjoyed a Movie Night together.”

“Well, you’re certainly welcome to join us as long as you don’t critique the movies,” I offer.

“The Grinch might take offense and then God help us all,” Pacey warns him and I open my mouth to protest but I’m cut off by the warning bell.  Around us, students pick up their pace as they head to their classes. 

“What time should we show up?” Jen asks me, hitching her book bag higher up on her shoulder.

“Around seven,” I tell her, and she and Jack say their goodbyes and leave for their homeroom, leaving the three of us.

Dawson stands there for a moment, smiling at me.  “Can I bring anything?”

“Just yourself,” I answer.  “See you later, Dawson.”

“Yeah.  See you, Joey,“ he says.  Before he turns toward the direction he came from, he looks at Pacey.  “You too, Pace.”

Pacey nods.  “Later, D.”

We walk in the opposite way and I swing our joined hands as we move with the flow of the student body.  “It’s good to see you two talking again,” I tell him when we reach the door of my homeroom.

“Jo,” he says, using that I’m-being-patient-here voice, “We say hello.  We say goodbye.  And sometimes, we laugh at you.  It’s nothing.”

“It’s more than it has been,” I counter.  “And tonight you two are going to be hanging out together socially for the first time in a long, long while.”

“Yeah, about that,” he says, pulling me close against him.  My hands go to his shoulders and he continues.  “Wasn’t this going to be a me and you sorta thing?  An alone thing?”

I smile up at him, toying with the hair at the nape of his neck.  “They will eventually leave, Pacey.”

He grins, brightening quickly.  He kisses me and I have to leave before we make a scene in the hall.