The Sheriffs Son and The Convicts Daughter

Chapter Four ~

Chapter Four ~

Joey was sitting on her dock in front of the Potter house with her arms around her legs and her face buried down in her knees. She was so hurt and so angry at Pacey. Not only for what he said but also for that he could make her feel that way. He always knew which button to push to make her angry.

Joey was so deep in her thoughts, that she didn't hear the car pulling up and a worried-looking Jen and Jack coming over to her. Both sat down beside their crying friend and put an arm around her, trying to comfort her. Joey looked up, wiping her tears away.

"Joey?" Jen asked her softly. "Please tell us what happened. And not only what happened right now, but what happened between you and Pacey all those years ago."

Joey tried to calm down. She wiped away her tears, looked at her friends, and took a deep breath before starting to tell them what they wanted to hear.

"Dawson, Pacey, and I all used to be really good friends at one point. But that all ended four years ago, the day my father got arrested..."

...

The last thing little Joey Potter saw through her blurry eyes, was the cop car pulling away.

He said he would come by later, so she waited and waited and waited. Dawson sat with her in the grass, still holding her tight.

Soon Dawson's parents came by. They heard what happened and wanted to check on them. They brought something to eat, but Joey wasn't hungry. The four of them were still sitting outside when Bessie arrived. She was crying too. Gale hugged her and she and the Leery family went inside.

Joey didn't know how long she and Dawson were sitting outside. He never left her side and for that she was grateful, but she just wanted Pacey to be there and hold her hand again. He said he would come by. So she was going to wait.

After a while, Dawson and his parents needed to leave. Dawson didn't want to at first. He knew if he would go now, he wouldn't see his friend for the whole summer and he couldn't just leave her. But Joey told him that it was okay. She wouldn't be alone, she had Bessie and Pacey.

It was getting dark and cold. She and Bessie were still sitting outside. Now with a blanket around them. They had lost both parents in just a few months. What were they going to do? Neither of them knew. All they did know was that they still had each other. Joey snuggled against her big sister. The last thing she remembered was Bessie holding her tighter.

...

Joey woke up the next morning not remembering how she ended up in her bed. Soon the events from yesterday came to her mind again and she wanted to cry again. But she didn't. What she did do was pull her blanket over her head and drive back to sleep.

It was already noon when Joey woke up for the second time. She crawled out of bed and made her way to the kitchen. Bessie was sitting at the table, drinking some coffee and looking outside the window.

"Morning" Joey sat down too.

"Good morning" Bessie tried to smile a little. "How are you feeling? Are you hungry?" Bessie was getting up and opening the fridge.

At the same time, Joey's stomach growled. She remembered that she hadn't eaten since yesterday's lunch.

"I take that as a yes." Bessie started to make some pancakes. "Do you want to come with me to the Ice House today? Bodie, the new chef, told me I could stay at home today, but he is still new so I'm going there for a few hours to check on everything."

"No," Joey didn't feel like going to a crowded place where everyone heard by now what had happened.

"Are you sure? I don't feel very comfortable leaving you here all by yourself. I mean I would drop you off at the Leerys', but they already left this morning."