Pacey cocked an eyebrow at Dawson. "What's gotten into her?"

"I don't know. She's been moody lately. My mom says it's because she's changing."

"Joey hasn't changed a bit." Pacey sneered in her direction as she turned around and looked at them. "She's still the same annoying girl she's always been."

"Yeah, well." Dawson shrugged noncommittally. "I'm going to go see what's wrong, okay?"

"Sure. Whatever." Pacey shrugged. "I'll be over here looking at the nudes."

Dawson shook his head and headed toward Joey, barely noticing as she looked away at his approach. "Hey, Jo."

"Oh. Hey." She glanced at him then back at the statue in front of her. "Let me guess, Pacey's gone to ogle the nude women."

"I can neither confirm or deny."

"Why do you protect him?"

"Protect him?" Dawson asked. "From what, Joey? Half the guys in the class are over there giggling about them."

"Why aren't you?"

"Because you look upset. And I thought I'd find out why."

She shrugged. "I'm not upset."

"You nearly impaled Pacey on Venus de Milo or whatever that statue was." He tilted his head, looking at her intently. "What's up, Joey?"

"Nothing."

"Okay." He sighed and shook his head. "I'm going to go…"

"Look at naked women?" She snapped.

"Yeah." Dawson nodded, his eyes narrowed questioningly. "Actually, yeah."

"Good to know Pacey's rubbing off on you." She turned abruptly and stormed out of the room. Dawson watched her for a few moments then shook his head, heading in the opposite direction.

"Picasso's blue period." Joey started at the voice behind her, turning slightly. When she saw Pacey standing just a little to the side, she shook her head and turned back to the painting.

"How'd you figure that out? Some security guard tell you before you bothered me?"

"I'm not a complete idiot." His voice was dry. "No matter what you might think."

"Yeah, well you've yet to prove that to me, so you'll forgive me if I don't subscribe to your opinion."

"In fact, I'm pretty smart. Smart enough to know why you're in such a pissy mood." He smiled as she turned to face him, her hands on her hips.

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah." His voice dropped as other kids started filtering into the room. "You're jealous." He turned on his heel and headed out the doors, walking toward the entrance and the huge lawn outside. Joey gasped quietly and followed him, her feet slipping in the unaccustomed low heels her sister had made her wear.

"What do you mean?" She grabbed him by the arm, turning him to face her. Her eyes were flashing and angry, her whole demeanor threatening. "Tell me what you meant!"

"You're jealous because Dawson is all stupid over my sister."

"I am not!"

"Right, Joey. This whole little attitude has nothing to do with the fact that Dawson's spending more time at my house fawning over Gretchen. It has nothing to do with the fact that he's not spending all that time with you."

"Dawson can do whatever he wants."

"As long as it doesn't interfere with your time with him."

"We're just friends." She crossed her arms over her flat chest and glared at him. "That's all."

"Right. Just friends." Pacey nodded for a moment then shook his head, laughing at Joey's angry face. "You're not just friends, Joey. You love him."

"What?"

"You've had a thing for him forever and you don't even know it, do you?"

"I don't…"

"You do." He stated it matter-of-factly, watching her open her mouth to deny it then stopping. His voice dropped, softened. "And you don't know it, do you, Joey? You don't even realize that's what it is."

"I don't have a thing for Dawson!" She punched him hard on the arm then kicked him in the shin. Pacey yelped in pain as she turned and ran off, the skirt of her dress flying out behind her.

Dawson laid a napkin on the lawn then sat down on it, careful to keep his khaki pants free of the grass. He unfolded the carefully creased top of his paper bag then looked inside. "What do you have?"

"PB&J." Pacey grabbed a handful of potato chips and shoved them in his mouth. "You?" He asked through the crumbs.

"Same." He pulled a sandwich out and opened the baggie, holding it through the plastic. "Chips and an apple."

"I shoved a bunch of candy bars in mine." Pacey pulled out a mini-Snickers bar. "I think they're from my dad's lunch stash. Want one?"

"Nah. I didn't bring my toothbrush." He looked up as Joey came up to them. "Hey, Joey."

"Can I sit here?"

"Of course." Dawson smiled and pulled another napkin out of his bag, laying it on the ground for her. "What's for lunch?"

"What's always for lunch?" She pulled out a sandwich identical to both of theirs. Without a word, Pacey handed two of the small candy bars over to her. "What are you guys talking about?"

"I just got here." Dawson stated. "What'd you guys think of the exhibits?"

"They were okay." Pacey shrugged. "I never thought I'd see too many boobs though."

"A steady diet of stolen Playboys will do that to you."

He ignored Joey. "But some of the abstract stuff was cool. I kind of like being able to interpret it my own way."

"Yeah, Pacey. They're called inkblots. You might want to get used to them, what with all your deviancies." Joey opened one of the candy bars and bit it in half. "You'll be seeing a lot of them in the shrink's office."

"You'd know." She stuck her tongue out at him and he grinned. "Too bad you don't know what to do with that yet, Potter."

"Like you do."

"You want me to show you?"

"Eww." Dawson held up his hand. "Stop it."

"Right, Dawson." Pacey smirked. "What if Gretchen was telling you what to do with her tongue?"

"Pacey." Dawson cast a quick glance at Joey whose face had frozen. "Not in front of Joey."

"Like Joey doesn't know that you're crushing hard on my sister? Dawson, the whole world knows it. In fact." Pacey waved at one of the guards patrolling the grounds. "Hey!"

The uniformed man came over, smiling at the small group. "Yes?"

"Can you tell just from looking at this young man that he's got a huge crush on my older sister?"

The guard smiled at Dawson's blush. "I think it's pretty obvious, son." He touched the bill of his cap. "Enjoy your lunch."

"You're a dick, Pacey."

Pacey laughed as Dawson ducked his head, stopping at Joey's stony face. "It could have been worse, Joey. I could have accused him of having a crush on you."

"Like that'd happen." Dawson put his arm around Joey's shoulders and hugged her close. "Joey and I are the best of friends. No offense, Pacey."

"Oh," he drawled, "none taken."

"You don't fall for your best friend."

"You just fall for your second best friend's sister."

"I haven't fallen for Gretchen."

"In that case, I guess it's just Cupid leaving all those boxes of chocolates at our door."

"Yeah," Joey snapped. "And you'd better stop eating them all, Pacey, or they're going to have to start rolling you to school."

"Look who's talking, Miss Piggy." He reached over and pinched her side as she leaned in to steal another candy from the pile in front of him. "You keep eating my contraband and you're going to have to start borrowing Bessie's clothes. And not because you're filling out anywhere but your gut."

"You're such a jerk."

"Takes one to know one."

"Can't you guys stop?" Dawson sighed. "What has gotten into you lately?"

"Apparently chocolate." Pacey smirked and crumpled his trash together, shoving it into his paper bag. "I'm going to go get a soda from the cooler. You guys want one?"

Joey shrugged and Dawson said sure, so Pacey jogged off toward the bus. Dawson waited until he was gone then looked over at Joey. "What's going on with you two?"

"What? Nothing. Why do you think anything would be going on with me and Pacey?"

"Because you guys aren't usually like this."

"We spar all the time, Dawson."

"Not like this."

"He just gets on my nerves even worse in public. That's all." She sighed and looked toward the museum. "Can you imagine having someone come and see something you've created thousands of years later?"

"Film doesn't last that long, Joey."

She looked from the huge stone walls to his uncomprehending gaze. "No. It doesn't, does it?" She was about to say something more when she shrieked, reaching for the dripping can that Pacey had pressed to her bare neck. "You dicksmack!" She elbowed backwards, nailing him hard in the leg. He went down on one knee, then flopped dramatically on the ground.

"She…she got me…Dawson. Tell…tell my wife and kids…that…I love…them." He let out a long sigh and dropped his hands to his chest. Dawson reached over and grabbed a Coke from him.

"Thanks, Pace. I'll be sure to pass along the message."

Joey blew out a breath, sending her damp bangs dancing in the muggy air as she slipped another metal pan into the steaming water. She could feel grease curl up around her fingers and shuddered at the familiar sensation.

"Here." She opened her eyes at Bessie's voice, surprised that she'd even had them closed. Her sister stood beside her, a sweating glass of ice water in her hands. "You look like you could use it."

"Thanks." Joey reached for it, her hand dripping suds onto the foam matting on the floor. She held the glass with both hands, afraid it would slip out onto the floor and she'd have to hear her dad yell about the cost. She finished it in a couple of gulps. "Thanks, Bessie."

"Your friends are here. Why don't you go out front for a while." She glanced at the piles of dishes still remaining. "These aren't going anywhere. And after we're closed, I'll give you a hand."

"I thought you were going over to the Witter's to spend the night."

"I was. But Dad left about fifteen minutes ago, which means yours truly has to close the place down."

"I'm sorry, Bess."

"And I don't think Kerri would appreciate me showing up at midnight, smelling like grease."

"You always smell nice, Bess."

"Thanks, sis." Bessie tugged Joey's ponytail. "Go out and hang with Dawson and Pacey. Have a little fun, huh?"

Joey shrugged off her soaked apron and left it hanging on the hook next to the last sink in the row, catching a quick whiff of bleach water as she walked past. She grabbed a towel from the stack near the counter and dried off her hands then moved to the soda machine. Pacey and Dawson were sitting toward the back door, trying to catch a few of the breezes off the water.

"Hey." She slid into the seat next to Dawson. "What brings you guys here?"

"Oh, you, of course." Pacey rolled his eyes.

"It's not my fault you can't get enough of me, Pacey." She kicked him under the table. "Because, trust me, if I had my way I'd definitely see less of you." She sucked on her straw, enjoying the cool rush down her throat as she looked at Dawson over the rim of her glass. Sitting back, she met his eyes. "So? What's up? Don't tell me you had nothing better to do than this on a Friday night."

"We're here, my dear Josephine," Pacey smirked as she kicked at him again, missing this time. "Because my house was about to be less appealing."

"Why? Were you going to get ready for bed?"

He gave her a fake laugh. "Wow. You're so funny." Glancing at Dawson with a sly smile, he turned back to Joey, his face a picture of innocence. "Actually, I think Dawson just wanted to come here to see you, Joey."

She smiled, turning to face Dawson. "Yeah?"

"What?" He glanced at her then turned his eyes back to the door. "Oh, yeah, Jo."

Joey followed his gaze as the front door swung open and Kerri and a few of her friends poured into the restaurant. She bit her lower lip and bowed her head slightly, sighing under her breath as Gretchen followed them in, Doug right behind her.

"Hey, Potter." She looked up at Pacey, her eyes daring him to say something. "How about a refill on my soda, huh?" He held out his glass to her, shaking it so that the ice clinked. "What do you say?"

"Did you pay for the first one?"

"Yes." He smiled weakly at her look. "Dawson did, at least. Come on, Joey. I'm dying of thirst here."

"That's supposed to be incentive?" She glanced once more at Dawson, expecting him to jump in and keep the peace, but instead he pushed his chair back and walked over toward the counter, toward the group of four girls that Bessie had just joined.

"Come on, Joey." Pacey gave her a puppy-dog look, his lower lip stuck out in a pout. "Pleeeeeease?"

"Fine," she snarled, grabbing his glass out of his hand. Pacey watched her storm over to the counter, following along and slipping onto a stool opposite the drink dispenser. Dawson was a few stools away, facing toward the small group.

"Here." Joey set Pacey's glass in front of him then walked over to her sister. "You need some help with orders, Bessie?"

"What?" Bessie turned away, a light blush on her face and Pacey sighed, noticing his older brother, Doug, standing off to the side. All of the girls were flirting with him, but he seemed to only have eyes for Bessie. "Oh, no thanks, Jo. They're just going to hang out here until I close up and then we're going to head back to their house."

Joey echoed her wide smile, happy for her sister. "Okay. Well, I'm going to get back to the dishes." She turned to look at Dawson who was staring longingly at Gretchen's back. "You want to help, Dawson?"

"What?" He blushed as all of the teenagers turned to look in his direction, the color rising even higher as Gretchen smiled. "Oh, no. I'll just…I have to finish my…No."

"I'll help ya, Potter." Pacey slid off his stool and walked back behind the counter, grabbing an extra apron off the rack. "Come on. Anything's better than watching this."

Joey followed him back, not watching where she was going, her eyes still trained on Dawson. As soon as she turned the corner, she slumped against the wall and sighed.

"And you expect me to believe you don't have a thing for him?"

"I don't." She stared down at her hands, neither of them believing her.

"Joey, you couldn't look more hurt if he'd just left you at the altar." Pacey fished around in the first sink and pulled the drain, starting the water running again, testing it occasionally to see if it was hot. "You've got a thing for him."

"Shut up, Pacey."

He shrugged, pushing the drain button down and squirting soap into the sink. He watched it fill up as Joey looked around the corner. Bessie was leaning over the counter, talking to one of Kerri's friends, her gaze drifting over to Doug every once in a while. Doug was apparently playing chauffeur, although Joey was pretty sure it wasn't for any reason other than he wanted to get a good look at her sister.

She sighed then looked at Gretchen and one of the other girls who were both talking to Dawson. She could hear the higher pitches of their voices. Gretchen was humoring his crush while the other girl was condescending. She waited for Dawson to tag her with some ripping comment, make her feel like an idiot even though she was three years older than him.

"He's in love, Joey. Or lust. He's not hearing a word. He's too busy seeing stars and fireworks." Pacey didn't touch her, but she could feel him behind her.

"She's never going to like him."

"I know." He nodded and reached out, barely touching her shoulder. "But you can't help who you fall in love with, Joey."

"I know."

"Otherwise you probably wouldn't have fallen for him, right?"

"I'm not in love with him, Pacey." She barely managed to get the words out. "I'm not."

He released his light grip on her and shrugged, moving back over to the sink. "Come on, Jo. Let's get these dishes done."

7/14/02