I’d fully intended to tell Jen to go away, and I’m sure she would have understood.  But she seemed to be upset about something so I had her sit down and talk to me while I was cooking.  She’d teased me good-naturedly about me wearing the same clothes I’d been wearing last night, and I eventually asked her what was wrong.

“Nothing,” she said, and thanked me for the plate of food I’d set in front of her.  My breakfast.  The other part went into the microwave for Joey.

“Okay,” I’d shrugged.  It was early.  And I don’t pry. 

She’d suggested that I get Joey up and I’d gone to her bedroom but I couldn’t bring myself to wake her.  She looked so peaceful that I decided to leave her be for a while longer. 

I poured us both some coffee and sat with her while she ate.  We talked about the party tonight and she said that she’d come over to go dress shopping with Joey.  Which Joey apparently forgot all about, but Jen didn’t seem to mind too much.  She’d been worried about something else. 

I have no idea what was bugging her.  I didn’t have the time to wait for her to spill, because I had to leave to come here, to the jewelry store.  It’s bothering me no end, because I have the feeling it involves Joey.  Because now that I think about it, when I mentioned the Leerys’ name she’d looked spooked. 

I push the thought from my mind, deciding to catch her at the party later.  I study the overly-expensive watches in the polished glass case, killing time while one of the jewelers engraves the item I’d bought.  I’m not much of a fancy watch guy, so I move on to the next case.

Which happens to be chock full of engagement rings and wedding bands.  Diamonds of all shapes and sizes glitter in the bright lighting of the display.  The solitaires range from plain to gaudy, simple to overly-extensive.  I had no idea there was so many to chose from, and it looks like I’m going to have a hell of a time picking one out five years down the road.

“Don’t you think you’re just a little young to be looking at engagement rings?” 

His voice alone makes me want to punch him.  Where once the tone would be joking and friendly, now it’s tight and incredibly pissed off.  Whatever.

“Hey, Dawson,” I say, nodding at him as he comes up beside me in front of the case.  “You’re right, I am too young to be looking at these.  Which is why I’m not exactly picking out a rock for her just yet.”

A muscle twitches in his jaw and it’s obvious he’s biting his tongue to keep some big-worded sarcastic comment from being spoken.  Finally, he asks what it is I’m doing here.

Cause Lord knows, Pacey Witter has no business being in a jewelry shop during the holiday buying season.  “I’m picking up a gift for Joey.  They‘re engraving it in back,” I tell him, trying to keep the you're-a-dumbass tone out of my voice. 

By the way his brows seem to crash together, I don’t think I succeeded completely.  Damn.  “What about you?”

“My father bought a necklace for Mom and I’m picking it up for him,” he tells me just as a helpful shop clerk comes up to him.

Thus concludes the conversation, or so I hope.  I turn back to the jewelry case and glance at my watch, wondering what the hold up is.  The shop has become too small and I’m feeling a little claustrophobic.

I wonder what Jen and Joey are up to at the moment.  Somehow, it’s hard to picture the two of them shopping like your average teenage girls, laughing and boy-watching, snapping their gum.  It’s far easier to imagine them making sarcastic comments about said average teenage girls as they look for that ever elusive perfect dress Joey’s after.  Either way, I hope Joey managed to find out what’s bothering Jen.

“Isn’t it a little late in the season to be buying Joey’s Christmas present?  I mean, Christmas is only two days away,” Dawson comments, free of the shop clerk.

Why is he talking to me?  I thought we had this understanding that we never bothered to verbalize.  Leave one another the hell alone when the others aren’t around.

I take a deep breath and use the time to control my temper.  “Actually, Dawson, I picked her present out two months ago.  I’ve had it on layaway.”

He nods thoughtfully.  “Must be pretty expensive if you had to pay for it bit by bit.”

“When you don’t have a job it makes it harder, Dawson.”

“Oh, that’s right.  With your failed junior classes on top of your senior classes, you don’t have time for a job,” he says, as if he just remembered why I wouldn’t have much money. 

For whatever reason, he’s trying to goad me and I’m not going to let him.  For Joey’s sake.  “Right.”

“You know, this brings up an interesting question.”

“What does?”  God, why does he have to be such a prick?

“Your lack of money,” he says, turning to look at me directly.  “How do you honestly expect to pay tuition for whatever community college you manage to get into and the rent?  Do you think you can decently take care of her?

I didn’t think he’d actually broach the subject with me.   “If I didn’t think I could, Dawson, I wouldn’t.  Besides, she’s going to be working part-time to pay for the groceries and the utilities and with the student loans I plan to take out, we’ll be fine.”

He looks at me like he can’t make heads or tails of what I’m saying.  “You’ll be poor.”

“But we’ll be happy, Dawson.”

He shakes his head, reaching up to brush a few strands of his lanky hair back.  “How can she be happy, working and going to school full-time, living in whatever tiny apartment you two find?  Have you done research, do you know how much a one-bedroom apartment costs in New York City?  In Boston?”

“Yes, we have done our research.  We know it’s going to be expensive.  But not impossible,” I tell him, keeping my tone controlled.  “Not even close.”

“What kind of life can you offer her, Pacey?  You seem to think she’ll be happy living in squalor and working her ass off to make ends meet while attending one of the toughest schools on the planet.  Do you think she’ll be happy forever?”

I can’t help but laugh, shaking my head.  “I take it we don’t have your approval then.”

“Would it matter?” he asks bitterly.

“Not in the least.”

He shrugs, nodding.  “Didn’t bother you before.  Why should it now?”

“You know, I was wondering when you were going to give up that whole acceptance facade you’ve got Joey convinced of,” I say, and our conversation, such as it is, is interrupted when the jeweler hands me a slender, black velvet box.

I open it to check the engraving, thanking him and then thanking God I’d paid for it before, because I don’t feel like standing in the long line.

I turn to leave but Dawson stops me with a hand to my shoulder.  I shrug it off and ask, “What is it, Dawson?  As much fun as this has been, I have to get going.”

“However good an actor I am, you’re an even better one,” he says, his meaning clear.  This is between him and I, and Joey should be left out of it. So she can continue to happily believe that the three of us are well on our way to achieving the friendship of yesteryear.  Whatever.

“See you on stage, Dawson.”

I slip the box into my coat pocket and leave the shop, Dawson, and negative thoughts behind.  Tonight is going to be wonderful and I can’t wait to see her face when she sees what I got her.