SOS by Glory, Girl Writer.pdf - Dawson's Creek Fandom Wiki

can do that like you do. You know her, you know what she's scared of, and you step up
and deliver it right down her throat. Can't you give her a fucking break? Can't you give
everybody a fucking break for once in your life?"
"Since when did you become Joey's protector, anyway?" Dawson spat back. "What
gives you the right to lecture me on the right way to treat her? You and Joey weren't
even friends until you decided she was your next likely sex partner. You didn't give a
damn about Joey for the first sixteen years that I knew her."
"Well, if you really believe that, you're even a little more unaware of other people than I
thought you were, which would be worthy of hearty congratulations, since I wouldn't
have thought it was possible." Pacey stepped forward, until he was inches from
Dawson's face. "Get this straight, because the next time you and I have to have this
conversation, one of us is going to end up in the hospital." He took a deep breath.
"Whatever it is that leads you to equate friendship and ownership, it's time to put it away
as an ancient relic and choose another approach. And another thing." Pacey chuckled
a little. "Not like it matters, but if you honestly believe that Joey and I spent ten years
spending half our time together and didn't like each other, you're kidding yourself."
At this, Joey couldn't help smiling, just a little, inwardly.
"As far as Joey goes, the difference between you and me, Dawson," Pacey went on, "is
as simple as the fact that most guys have, somewhere in their lives, whether they mean
to or not, two kinds of girls. There's the kind of girl you fantasize about, who you think is
probably way too good for you, who you think will never be able to look at you the way
you look at her, because she's so beautiful and she's so amazing and she makes you
want to do things you'd never do otherwise, and she's the kind of girl who makes you
understand how someone invented every ridiculous expression like 'shouting it from the
rooftops' how much you love her. And then," his voice dropped, "there are girls you use
as backups. Girls you adore because of how good they are to you, and because of how
they make you feel about yourself. They make you feel safe and happy and whole,
because you know that they will always be there, no matter what happens. Everything
else falls apart, and you still have them." Pacey stepped back and shrugged. "For you,
Joey is, was, and always will be a backup. For me, Joey is rooftops."
"Joey is rooftops this week," Dawson said ominously. "Joey is rooftops when you're not
with anybody else."
"Joey was rooftops when I was ten," Pacey said plainly. "When I was ten, when I was
twelve, when I called her names, when I made fun of her, when I watched you totally
ignore her until her confidence got so low that she actually believed she needed to act
out some kind of beauty queen fantasy to live up to whatever it was she thought you
wanted. You can say whatever you want about what a jerk you think I am, Dawson, and
I really don't believe in playing 'I saw her first,' but if you insist on playing that game, I'm
here to tell you, you may have met her first, but I . . . " He looked over at Joey. "I saw
her first."
She stared at him, breathless, thinking she should thank him or say something, but she
didn't.