Author’s Note: Thanks to HermioneGirl3, XtReMe-GuRl707, C-chan, Nebula, Audrey, and Anniepaulie for your reviews. I’m glad that you like it so far. I’m really just developing the story right now, and can’t wait to really get into what I have planned! And I’m sorry Nebula; there is no Dougie in this chapter, BUT he will be making an appearance soon, and just might even become a major part of the storyline...cough Anyway, I’m kinda going to make Dawson look like a big ass in this update, and I’m sorry. I seriously don’t mean too, but if you think about it, that is how he was in season one when it came to Joey and Jen. I really don’t want to make Dawson the villain, and I promise that is not how this story is going to go. He will eventually redeem himself. So I apologize. And of course I need to say a few words about the song I use. It’s a great song, and one that always reminded me of Pacey and Joey. I hope you like how I use it here! Thanks again for all the positive feedback!

The Study Session That Went Bad

Joey lay sprawled out on her stomach on Dawson’s bed, her nose in a book as usual. This time she was studying for the chemistry quiz she was dreading that was looming at the end of the week. She wasn’t getting anywhere though because her mind was on something else that had absolutely nothing to do with the periodic table.

Joey had gotten a phone call last night – a very important phone call. It was one that she was sure she wouldn’t get. After all, she had sent her entry video into MTV over three weeks ago. If they were going to pick her for the show, she would’ve heard something by now, right? That’s what she thought, until last night.

She was sitting at home reading her latest English assignment when the phone rang, startling her from the deep train of thought she was in. She answered it with a slightly annoyed tone in her voice, half expecting it to be Dawson calling to analyze his relationship with Jen down to the minutest detail for the hundredth time. Either that or it was Pacey wanting to know if he could borrow her notes from Algebra II. However, it hadn’t been either of those familiar voices on the other end.

Instead it was the last person she expected; a bubbly female voice on the other end said they were from MTV productions and asked if they could please speak to Miss Josephine Potter. Joey froze and couldn’t speak for a minute as it sunk in to her brain what the call must be about. She finally choked out that she was Josephine Potter. She was so in shock that she didn’t even bother to correct them and ask them to call her Joey instead of the given name that she despised.

Her amazement and awe only increased as she listened to the woman say that her name was Ashley and that she was calling to let her know that they had picked her to be in an episode of Made. Joey barely heard the rest of what Ashley said. She thought maybe Ashley said something about how real she came across in her tape, and how her mention of being in love with her best friend and desperately wanting him to notice her had sealed the deal for them. They thought her story would appeal to millions of teenage girls everywhere.

As Ashley babbled on, Joey began to get sick. Her stomach was swirling around and threatening to spill the spaghetti and meatballs that had been that night’s dinner. She was going to be Made into a beauty queen, and what was worse was this transformation was going to be taking place on national TV! Why had she ever thought this was a good idea? She had made the tape that weekend in an act of sheer desperation, never imagining in a million years that she would be chosen for the show. She had done it more for herself, to get her feelings of frustration at not being noticed by Dawson off her chest. It had been therapeutic for her, but she never thought she really had a chance.

Apparently she did...and now there was no backing out of it. For a brief moment, she thought about declining the offer, but there was a little part of her that actually wanted to do it. It was that part of her that ached for Dawson to look at her as a beautiful female he’d liked to date and not the tomboy from across the creek. Also, the Miss Windjammer Pageant, which she had said in her tape she wanted to enter, offered a $1000 scholarship and a trip to New York City, as it’s grand prize. Joey could definitely use the money for her college fund, and the trip to New York would mean that she would actually get out of the god-forsaken town of Capeside for once.

Even though she knew she was probably getting herself in over her head, she heard her voice telling Ashley that she would LOVE to be on the show. Ashley had squealed with delight and then said that a representative would be out to see her in Capeside at the end of the week. They wanted to meet with her and Bessie to work out all of the details of the show, especially since they were going to be following her journey for the next two and a half months.

Joey had listened to the rest of what Ashley said, her head still in a fog as she processed the new turn her life was suddenly taking. She had hung up with Ashley and had to go tell Bessie, seeing as her privacy was going to be invaded just as much as Joey’s. Joey had told Bessie that she had applied to be on Made when she sent the tape in, and Bessie had thought it was a great idea, of course. She was always encouraging Joey to be more ‘girly’ and to get involved in things like the Miss Windjammer Pageant. So, it was no surprise to Joey that Bessie was ecstatic when she told her the news. Joey was half hoping that she wouldn’t be, to maybe give her an excuse not to go through with it, but no such luck. Bessie and even Bodie were on board, and now so was Joey. She had to come to terms with the fact that in about two weeks she was going to be MADE.

In order to do that, her next step had to be to tell her friends, which she was not looking forward to. Obviously she hadn’t said anything to them about it, especially Dawson. She couldn’t exactly tell him that she had aspired to be on an MTV show in hopes of going from tomboy to beauty queen and make him magically fall in love with her. Somehow she didn’t think he would get it. Now though she had to tell him, leaving out the part about making him love her of course. She couldn’t avoid it and she was dreading it. She knew exactly what his reaction was going to be, what all of their reactions would be. They were going to laugh at her and the idea that she even thought she could be a beauty queen in the first place, let alone have MTV try and turn her into one. She knew Dawson would think it was a joke, and Pacey would join him in that thinking. And Jen...well she knew Jen would find it hilarious also. They would all think she was nuts.

Maybe she was, but she told herself that it would all be worth it. It had to be, because if this didn’t work then Joey would have nothing left to do but accept that all she was to be was Dawson’s best pal and nothing more. Joey wasn’t sure she could do that, and she was determined not to go down without a fight.

So, here she was now trying to figure out a way to tell them her news. She, Pacey, Dawson, and unfortunately Jen were all at Dawson’s studying. Joey really didn’t want to tell Dawson and Pacey about this in front of Jen, but Dawson had invited her on the spur of the moment. She had been sitting outside on her front porch when Joey, Dawson, and Pacey came walking past on their way to Dawson’s after school, and Dawson had asked her if she wanted to study too. Apparently, he and Jen had come to some understanding since their break up that they were going to try to be friends, even though Joey knew Dawson still had other things in mind. In keeping with their newfound friendship, Jen had accepted Dawson’s invitation, much to Joey’s disappointment. The four of them all sat awkwardly in Dawson’s room for the past 45 minutes, until Dawson finally broke the tension by offering to go get sodas for everyone. And being the smooth operator that he was, Dawson had asked Jen to help him, leaving Joey alone with Pacey.

Joey’s eyes fell on Pacey, who was reclining back in Dawson’s desk chair with his feet propped up on Dawson’s desk. He had a book open on his lap, but his eyes were definitely not on it. Instead, he was staring off into space with this goofy look on his face, and his eyes seemed to be darting back and forth a little. It was odd, even for Pacey; but then again, ever since Pacey went insane and ‘put the moves on her’ three weeks ago he had been acting strangely.

Joey had chocked it up as a momentary lapse of insanity on Pacey’s part, and hadn’t really given the kiss a second thought. (Besides, it was PACEY.) She pushed it back into her mind. She didn’t have room for it anywhere else right now. She had too much to think about with Dawson and the little MTV show that she was going to be participating in. She and Pacey carried on as if it never happened and everything went back to normal...

Well, sort of. Sometimes Joey would catch Pacey staring at her in class or across the lunch table. When she would stare back in confusion, he would look away quickly. And then there were the few times they were alone like this, and Pacey actually seemed nervous around her. She would try to talk to him, and he would seem to clam up and stutter out a reply. When he wasn’t playing the bumbling stammering fool, he was picking a fight with her. He went from seemingly not knowing what to say to her to having a shouting match with her, and Joey just couldn’t figure it out. Something had changed in their relationship, but she didn’t have the time or the energy to figure out what. She sighed as she continued to watch Pacey, wondering what could possibly be going through his mind...

‘No Joey! Don’t look at me! Please!’ Pacey thought helplessly. ‘I can’t handle this anymore! What the hell has happened to me?’

It had been three long weeks since he had put his lips on Joey’s and turned his world upside down. He had thought that he could just move on after kissing her. He had tried; he had thrown his best pitch out there and struck out. It happened all the time. He could just pick himself up, dust himself off and move on to the next girl...

Then why wasn’t he moving? Why was he stuck...on JOEY POTTER of all people? She was all he could think about, and it was making him go out of his mind. Every time he was around her those damn butterflies would flock to his stomach and flit all over the place. All she had to do was look at him, and there they were. And if she talked to him? Well, that was even worse. He seemed to lose the power to speak altogether and would stammer around saying lots of ‘ums’ and ‘uhs.’ When he did finally get his bearings and could talk, the only thing he could think of to do was to insult her in the meanest way possible. It was all he knew to do to chase away the feelings he now had for her. Those feelings were scaring the hell out of him!

But all this wasn’t the worst part. There was something else that had him even more convinced he should be in a padded room and wearing a straight jacket. Every time he saw Joey coming his way everything seemed to change around him. The world seemed to slow down, like everything was in slow motion, and everyone else would fade into the background. All he could see was HER. And all he wanted to do was grab her and kiss her and never let her go. And if that wasn’t enough, the moment he saw her and all this happened, a song would magically pop into his head! Yes, Pacey Witter heard MUSIC when Joey Potter was near.

It was always the same song too, ‘Why Don’t You And I,’ one that he had heard on the radio a few times and had gotten stuck in his head. Now it was always there when Joey was. As soon as she came around him, he would start hearing that captivating opening guitar riff that was laced with a little Latin flavor coming from the great Mr. Carlos Santana. Then Alex Band would start singing the words he was now wishing he could say to Joey:

Pacey quickly searched Dawson’s room for a distraction. He was really beginning to frighten himself with the voices he was hearing in his head. He wondered what was next; was he going to see little dancing Joeys with butterfly wings? That Ally McBeal chick on that show his mom and sisters watched saw that dancing baby, so as far as Pacey was concerned, anything was possible. He needed to get a grip.

His eyes fell on the poster for Schindler’s List that Dawson had up on the door of his closet. Now, if there was anything that could take his mind off of Joey it was that horrifyingly depressing movie. How could thinking about the Holocaust remind him of Joey? Pacey concentrated with all of his might on that poster. He tried to remember the horrific details of the movie and the terrifying nightmare that the Jewish people had to endure...

But didn’t he see Schindler’s List with Dawson...and Joey. Yes, he had. They hadn’t been allowed to see the movie when it first came out, since they were only ten years old and the movie was rated R. Dawson had begged and pleaded with his parents for years to let him see the movie, and they finally caved last year when they were all fourteen.

Dawson was so elated that he had a special movie night, in which he gave Pacey and Joey his own ‘Making the Movie’ special. Joey and Pacey were forced to sit and listen to Dawson talk for an hour about what Spielberg had to do to make Schindler’s List and the story behind the movie. Being the good friends that they were, they listened to every word, although Pacey remembered that Joey had to elbow him a few times to wake him up.

Finally, Dawson finished, shut off the lights, and put the movie on. Dawson took a seat on the floor right in front of the TV because he didn’t want to miss a thing. He sat leaning up against the bottom of the bed, staring at the TV mesmerized by his idol’s work. This left Pacey and Joey sitting side by side at the head of the bed. Pacey really thought he was going to be bored, but he wasn’t prepared at all for the intensity of the movie; none of them were.

The three of them sat motionless for almost the entire three-hour span of the movie. It was a gripping story, even for three teenagers who had never known such sorrow in their lives. Well, maybe Joey had known some of that sorrow, and that was probably why she had reacted to the movie the way she did. At one particularly heart-wrenching part in the movie, Pacey heard her sniffling a little. He looked at her out of the corner of his eye and saw a tear escape from her eye and slide down her cheek.

Pacey was surprised that Joey Potter, the ice queen, was crying, but then he felt something else as he watched her crying quietly in the dark shadows of Dawson’s room, with only the faint glow coming from the TV screen flickering over her face. He never could explain why, but he felt the overwhelming urge to comfort her in that moment. Usually that job belonged to Dawson, but not always, and Dawson wasn’t the one beside her then. Before Pacey knew what he was doing, he reached over and placed his hand lightly on top of Joey’s, not fearing in the least how she might react.

He recalled how natural it had felt to rest his hand on Joey’s, like it was something he did all the time. Joey, to Pacey’s surprise did not flinch at his touch. She didn’t look at him either; instead she kept her eyes fixed straight ahead on the screen. Pacey didn’t think Joey was going to react at all, but then he felt her turn her hand around so that her soft smooth palm was pressed to his. She then laced her delicate fingers through his and squeezed his hand gently. Pacey returned the gesture, and he ended up holding Joey’s hand for the rest of the movie.

When the movie was over, Dawson had jumped up from the floor excitedly, eager to discuss the movie. He flipped the lights on, and Pacey remembered that this was when Joey quickly tore her hand from his, breaking the spell that had seemed to be over them. A few minutes after that, they went back to insulting each other as usual, as if it never happened in the first place.

Pacey hadn’t given it a second thought; he had forgotten about the moment he and Joey shared during Schindler’s List. It had been one of those freaky rare occurrences where they had connected on a level that had nothing to do with their normally hostile relationship, and Pacey had to admit it was nice. Now it proved to Pacey even more that he and Joey didn’t hate each other at all, and that they too had their own unique connection.

Pacey got a goofy grin on his face from the memory he was reliving. The idea of holding Joey’s hand now brought back those pesky butterflies that he was trying to do away with. So much for using Schindler’s List, to take his mind off of Joey!

Pacey heaved a frustrated sigh and leaned further back in his chair, putting his hands to his face and rubbing his eyes. The chair he was sitting on was already teetering dangerously on its two back legs. When Pacey leaned back more, not giving much thought to how much force he used, the already wavering balance of the chair was completely lost. The chair tipped backwards suddenly, catching Pacey completely off guard. He was totally helpless as the chair crashed to the floor, taking Pacey with it.

"AHH!" Pacey yelled out on the way down.

Joey, who had gone back to trying to force herself to study, jumped at the sound of Pacey’s crash. She looked up in time to see him hit the floor. She quickly sprang from the bed and rushed over to see if he wasokay.

"Pacey, oh my God!" Joey exclaimed as she stood over Pacey. "What happened? Are youokay?" She looked down at Pacey, who was still sitting in the chair that had just toppled over.

He had his eyes shut as he lay there, not wanting to open them. He couldn’t look at Joey just yet, not after he embarrassed himself like that. ‘Smooth Pacey!’ He thought. ‘I’m sure this little stunt really impressed her!’

Pacey was embarrassed and angry that he made an ass of himself like that in front of Joey. He was even angrier that he actually cared enough about what she thought to feel that way. Pacey Witter usually didn’t embarrass easily, especially not when it came to Joey Potter. But this was just another example of the new way she affected him.

Pacey finally forced his eyes open and looked up at Joey’s face that was etched with worry. She was peering down at him, her brows knitted in concern and a questioning look in her big brown eyes. She was absently chewing on her bottom lip, in that adorable way that was her trademark.

"Hey, dumbass." She joked softly, giving him a crooked grin. "Are you alright?"

"Um, I think s-so." He stuttered, her smile causing him to stumble over his words again. And then he heard it again. It was so loud in his head; it was like he had his own personal stereo in there. The song picked up right were it left off:

‘No! Here were don’t go again!’ Pacey shouted to the voice in his head. ‘Just shut the hell up Santana and Alex Band! I don’t even like your little song!’

Pacey closed his eyes again for a minute and willed the song from his head. Then he made himself speak to Joey, who was now looking at him like he was nuts.

"I mean uh that nothing is broken." ‘Except my ego.’ He thought to himself.

"So you can just stop staring at me like I’m an idiot now."

"I can’t do that because you ARE an idiot, Pace." Joey retorted as she extended her hand down to help him up. "You’re still as clumsy as ever, I see."

"I wouldn’t talk, Potter." Pacey said as he took her hand and tried to ignore the flip-flop his stomach did. "If I remember correctly, you are the queen of the klutzes."

"Is that so?" Joey challenged as she pulled Pacey to his feet. "And here I thought that title belonged to you, Miss Witter, Your Highness." Joey gave a little bow as Pacey brushed himself off, still trying to regain his composure from his fall.

"Cute Jo. Very cute." Pacey smirked at her. "But I wasn’t the one who broke her arm jumping off a swing in the third grade."

"Yes, but who was the one that had two concussions? - One after trying to do some stupid skateboarding trick without a helmet, and the other while jumping from the roof of your garage imitating some stupid wrestler." Joey raised her eyebrows arrogantly at Pacey.

"Yeah, well at least I didn’t almost drown after driving my bike off my dock and into the creek!" Pacey exclaimed.

"Well, I wouldn’t have done that if some little snot-nosed seven-year-old kid named Pacey Witter didn’t dare me to!!"

"I did NOT dare you! You were just trying to show off for Dawson!"

"I was NOT!" Joey shouted, her face becoming red.

"HA! The hell you weren’t! You were always trying to impress Daw-..."

Just then the door to Dawson’s room flew open and in rushed Dawson and Jen, interrupting Pacey and Joey’s shouting match.

"Hey, is everythingokay in here?" Dawson asked, eyeing Pacey and Joey warily. He could tell just by looking at them that they were fighting...AGAIN.

"Yeah, we heard a loud crash and then yelling." Jen chimed in.

"I’m okay, Dawson." Joey said calmly. "It’s your moronic best friend over here who has the problem." Joey nodded towards Pacey, scowling at him. "He obviously lacks any grace or coordination whatsoever. In a brilliant move, he tipped your desk chair backwards and fell right on his butt. Maybe that was a good thing though; it might knock some sense into him, seeing as his ass is where his brains are anyway!"

"That’s it!" Pacey yelled, lunging for Joey. "I am going to throw you out this window!" He gestured toward the open window that they had been climbing through for years.

Joey started to back away quickly from Pacey, her eyes wide with fright. She had never seen Pacey THIS angry with her, and he had been mad at her many times before. She really was only joking, but he seemed to take it personally, like he actually cared what she thought of him. He almost grabbed her, but Dawson saved her.

"Oh no you don’t, Pace," Dawson said, as he grabbed a hold of his best friend’s arm. "You and Joey are going to leave each other alone. I mean seriously, when are you two going to grow up? We are not seven years old anymore, and this isn’t the playground."

"I’m sorry, D," Pacey said, glaring at Joey still. "But I couldn’t help myself. She...she just makes me so furious sometimes!"

"The feeling’s mutual Pace." Joey shot back coolly, her arms crossed over her chest.

"If it is, then you can understand how much I can’t stand you." Pacey growled, even though he knew it was the furthest thing from the truth. He couldn’t help it; this was the only way he knew to deal with how he was feeling.

"Well, I loathe you too."

"Enough!" Dawson said, stepping in between them. "I’ve had enough. I feel like the dad here or something..."

"Ooh, then can I be the mom? I mean, if we’re playing house..." Jen said excitedly, trying to lighten the mood. The smile from her face faded when she saw the looks of anger that the three of them shot at her. "Um,okay. It was just a suggestion." She walked over to the overturned desk chair, picked it up and sat down on it, feeling left out as usual.

"Now, you guys are going to stop arguing now," Dawson scolded, looking back and forth between Pacey and Joey, who were still glaring angrily at each other. "We have more important things to deal with anyway. Joey, didn’t you have something you wanted to tell us?"

Joey cringed at Dawson’s question. Why did she have to open her big mouth earlier and say that? "Um, yeah." She mumbled. "But shouldn’t we study first?" She asked, walking over to the bed to grab her book. As she brushed past Pacey she hissed at him under her breath, "Loser."

"Prude." He hissed back.

Dawson shot them another warning look and Pacey moved to sit down on the floor by Jen.

"No, that’sokay." Dawson said to Joey as he took a seat by her on the bed. "I think you should tell us now before we start. So what’s up?"

Joey fidgeted nervously, searching her mind for a way to tell them her news. She had no idea where to begin.

"Um, well...have you guys heard of that MTV show, Made?" She asked, figuring that was the best place to start.

"I love that show!" Jen exclaimed, suddenly excited that maybe her and Joey would finally have something in common. "Isn’t that the one where you get to be made into what you’ve always dreamed of being?"

"Yeah," Joey said coldly to Jen. Why did she have to be the one to know what Joey was talking about?

Pacey kept quiet. He wasn’t really even listening. He was still nursing his wounds from his riff with Joey. Her words had really hurt him this time, and he wasn’t used to that.

"I think I’ve seen that too." Dawson said. "I remember I watched the one that had two kids who wanted to write, produce, and direct their own play. I kept wishing that I could go on there and be made into a director, but I would never have enough guts to do it."

"It’s uh funny you should say that." Joey said, laughing nervously and tucking her hair behind her ears. "Because I am going to be on the show." She mumbled, looking down and waiting for the questions and laughing to begin.

Dawson, Pacey, and Jen all looked at Joey then, with looks of surprise and confusion on their faces. They were all speechless for a moment, and then Dawson broke the silence.

"What?" Dawson asked, not sure he had heard her right. "Did I just hear you say that you are going to be on Made?"

Joey took a deep breath in and out. Then she looked up at Dawson. "Yes."

"But...but," Dawson stammered. "But why would YOU of all people want to go on that show? And what do YOU want to be made into?" He asked incredulously.

The way Dawson was reacting already hurt Joey. "First of all," She began. "Why can’t I go on that show, Dawson? Is there something wrong with me? Am I not allowed to have dreams and goals?" She asked, her eyes flashing with anger.

"That’s not what I meant." Dawson said, taken aback by Joey’s sudden outburst of anger at him. "I just know how you are. I mean you don’t even LIKE MTV Jo! You are the LAST person I would expect to want to be on Made. This has to be some kind of a joke, right?" Dawson looked at Joey hopefully, expecting her to start laughing, but she wasn’t laughing at all. Instead she was giving him a look he knew meant he was in trouble.

"No, I’m not joking Dawson." Joey said through gritted teeth. She was getting angrier by the second. Dawson thinking that it was ridiculous for her to be on Made caused her to lose it. She couldn’t stop what came out of her mouth next. "I am going to be on Made, and I’m going to be made into a beauty queen. I’m going to enter and WIN the Miss Windjammer pageant! I’m going to get a thousand dollar scholarship and a trip to New York City! Then maybe I can finally get out of this backwoods town and away from all the idiots that live here!!"

Dawson couldn’t believe what Joey was saying or how she was acting. And did he just hear her say she wanted to be a beauty queen?

"Calm down, Jo." Dawson said, reaching out to touch her on the arm. She immediately jerked away from him. "I’m sorry." He continued, ignoring her reaction to him. "But I’m just a little in shock. Did you say that you want to be made into a beauty queen and enter the Miss Windjammer pageant?"

"Yes." Joey said, narrowing her eyes at him.

Then Dawson did the worst thing he possibly could. He burst out laughing. "Joey now I know you have to be joking!" He said through his laughter. "Because that is the funniest thing I’ve ever heard, you becoming a beauty queen?!"

Just when Joey thought Dawson couldn’t hurt her any more than he already had, he did this. He was laughing at her like she was some kind of joke, which is exactly what she was afraid he would do. She didn’t even dare look at Pacey and Jen, because she was sure they were laughing too.

Pacey and Jen weren’t laughing though. They instead were watching quietly as Joey’s expression went from anger to hurt as Dawson laughed at her. Surprisingly neither one of them thought it was funny. They did think it was hard to believe that Joey would do this, but it didn’t make them want to laugh at her.

Pacey didn’t think the idea of Joey being a beauty queen was ridiculous at all, especially not after the recent turn of events in their relationship. There was a time he might’ve laughed at her just to get under her skin, but now the feelings he had developed for her only made him feel bad for the way Dawson was treating her.

Joey couldn’t take Dawson’s laughter anymore, especially when it was him she was doing all this for! "Shut up, Dawson!" Joey yelled, jumping up from the bed. "This is not a joke! But I’m glad you find it so funny that I want to be a beauty queen! What, am I too hideous for you to even consider that I might be pretty? Why is it so hard for you to believe that underneath my tough tomboy exterior there might be a beautiful talented woman just waiting to come out!?"

Dawson stopped laughing as soon as Joey started yelling at him again. His expression turned somber as he realized that Joey wasn’t joking. He didn’t know what to say. "It’s...it’s not that, Joey. I uh...I just can’t picture you wanting to do something like this. I thought that beauty pageants were against everything that you stand for? This isn’t something that you would do. I mean I could see Jen doing something like this, but you..."

Now Dawson had done it. By bringing Jen into this, he had done the worst thing possible. Joey was seething with rage, and she also could feel tears threatening at her eyes. She was about to rip into Dawson again when the one person she never expected cut her off.

"What was that supposed to mean, Dawson?" Jen asked, standing up to join Joey in glaring at him.

"I...well...I don’t know....I just..." Dawson trailed off. He didn’t know what to say, especially when he had two pissed off girls circling him like vultures.

"Is that all you see me as?" Jen asked. "Am I just some kind of brainless bimbo to you who would make the perfect beauty queen? You never see me as anything more than a pretty face!"

"And you never see me as anything more than your tomboy best friend! I don’t think you even realize that I am a girl sometimes!" Joey said.

"She’s right!" Jen agreed, much to Joey’s amazement. "You are so blind sometimes it kills me! You only see what you want to see, and you never even stop to think that there might be more to us than the roles you’ve cast us in! Why can’t Joey be a beauty queen?! I think it’s great that she is going on Made and going after what she wants! And I think she has an excellent chance of winning!" Jen turned to Joey. "I’m behind you all the way, Joey."

"Um thanks." Joey said, still in shock that for once she and Jen were on the same side. Then Joey tore into Dawson again, this time sticking up for Jen. "Jen has you pegged perfectly." She told him coldly. "You are so self- centered that you never even see what is going on right in front of you! You claim to know both of us so well, but you don’t! If you did then you would see that all Jen wants from you is respect and friendship. She doesn’t want to be treated like a sex object! She wants you to look past her beauty and see the person inside!"

Joey began to cry then because she realized that the one person she thought she didn’t have anything in common with at all, was the one person who could probably understand the most what she was going through. They both wanted Dawson to see past the stereotype they had been locked into a long time ago and see who they really were.

Joey wiped at her tears with the back of her sleeve. "I can’t take this anymore! I thought you were supposed to be my best friend, Dawson! You are the one person in the world who I thought would always understand me and not judge me, but I was wrong! I knew you would be a little in shock over all this, but I never expected you to react like this, like I am the biggest joke! I...I...I’m outta here!"

Joey spun around on her heels and headed for the window.

"Me too!" Jen said. "I am so mad at you right now Dawson that if I don’t leave I’m going to do or say something that I might regret!" Jen headed in the opposite direction as Joey, going to the door of Dawson’s bedroom and flinging it open. She disappeared through the door, and they could hear her stomping down the steps.

By this time, Joey was gone too. She was already halfway down the ladder.

Dawson sat there gawking with his mouth hanging open. He had no idea that Jen and Joey felt that way. He looked at his best friend, who had been quietly watching Dawson get reamed by Joey and Jen.

"I...uh...what just happened here?" Dawson asked Pacey slowly. He was still trying to process the events of the last few minutes. He still couldn’t wrap his mind around the bomb Joey dropped on him, or why she would do all that. And he certainly couldn’t figure out why Jen and Joey were so angry with him.

Pacey didn’t have any sympathy for Dawson at the moment. He hated to think that way, but from where he was sitting, Dawson had gotten what he deserved. He stood up, his eyes darting over to the window where Joey had just left. He had forgotten all about their earlier argument. Now all he wanted to do was go see if she was all right. Dawson had really done a number on her this time. He knew she was hurting and he wanted to be there for her. But he didn’t think he should be the one to go talk to Joey. As much as he hated to admit it, Dawson needed to go smooth things over. He knew that an apology from Dawson was all she probably wanted now anyway and not Pacey the clown bothering her.

Pacey walked over and sat by Dawson on the bed. "I think that you just got a good kick in the ass by two very angry ladies." He said, trying to break his own anger at Dawson with humor.

"Yeah, I did." Dawson said, still dazed. "I guess I should go and talk to her."

"Yes, you should." Pacey agreed. "She was very upset."

"I know, and I feel bad. I never meant to hurt Jen’s feelings."

"Jen?" Pacey asked, raising his eyebrows. "I know she’s mad too, but I was talking about Joey. You know, your oldest and best friend." Pacey reminded him.

"Oh yeah I know Joey’s mad, but she’ll get over it. You’re right. She is my oldest and best friend so I know she will forgive me eventually." Dawson shrugged, once again taking Joey for granted. "She just took my by surprise with her announcement. She should know better than to spring something like that on me the way she did. I need to go find Jen now because I may have just messed up my chances with her."

"But what about Joey?" Pacey asked, still not believing how Dawson just brushed off the way he hurt Joey like it was nothing.

"Could you go check on her for me, Pace?" Dawson asked, as he headed for his door to go find Jen. "Please?" He begged, when Pacey gave him a cold stare at his suggestion. He still thought Dawson should go.

"Please Pace. I have to go talk to Jen. We were just starting to be friends again after the breakup, and I don’t want to lose that. You know I still love her and want her back! Please just go talk to Joey and make sure she isokay."

"Ok," Pacey sighed.

"Great! Thanks Pace! I owe you!" Dawson said, as he ran out the door and after the wrong girl.

"You don’t owe ME anything." Pacey mumbled after Dawson. He got up from the bed and ran a hand through his wavy brown hair. Part of him really wanted to go to Joey right now and just hold her and comfort her, but he knew that would only get him in deeper with her. That obviously was no way to get rid of his feelings for her.

But he had to go and check on her. He couldn’t leave her alone now. He just didn’t know how he could possibly make her feel better. She didn’t want him. She wanted Dawson. Pacey thought for a minute for an idea as to how he could help Joey....

Suddenly, it hit him. "That’s it!" He exclaimed to the empty room. "I know exactly what I can give Joey to make her feel better!"

Pacey then jogged excitedly out of Dawson’s room, down the steps, and out the door into the bright sunshine. He grabbed his bike and headed not in the direction of Joey’s house, but to his own home. He had to stop and get something there first before going to Joey’s. It was something that he was sure would make her smile a little, which is exactly what he wanted to see...

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