You and me | Pacey Witter

sixteen

AURORA KNOCKED on the bedroom door of Dawson Leery, immediately she stuffed her hands in her jacket pockets. A small, yet confused smile appeared on his face as he looked at the brunette. "Hey, Rora, uh, what are you doing here?" he asked. He waited for the girl to mention something about today. 

"Uh, can't I just visit a friend?" Aurora asked with a small shrug. "I mean, I feel like we barely hang out anymore," she told him. "I mean, it's a plain, old boring weekend, do you have any plans?"

"Uh, no, I don't," Dawson responded. "But I agree, totally, it's just some boring weekend," he mumbled underneath her breath.

Aurora laughed underneath her breath before she looked back up at him. "Leery, I'm just messing with you," she spoke up. "You didn't think I actually forgot your birthday, did you?" she asked, and gasped at the expression on his face. "You did, didn't you. Wow, I'm offended."

Dawson shook his head and laughed. Aurora smiled before she leaned over and brought the boy in for a hug. Aurora pulled away, "so, I figured for the day, that you, Lucas, and Andie could go out and have fun for your birthday. Supposedly, Andie was prescribed to go out and have fun tonight, so I figured, why not take Dawson with."

Dawson didn't mind the sound of that idea. He shrugged and nodded, "okay, yeah," he told her. "I mean, there's this really cool place that I saw not too far into town. Do you think they'd like it?" 

Aurora shrugged, "do I look like an expert on feelings? You ask them yourself, Leery."

Aurora turned around to walk out of the bedroom, "happy birthday, Leery," she called out before she walked down the staircase. Dawson watched as the girl left, he laughed as he shook his head and looked down.

- - - - - - - - - -

SO FAR everyone had been around the Leery house either chatting or patiently waiting for the birthday boy to arrive. The music played faintly in the background. Pacey and Aurora sat at the kitchen table, both of them tried to sneak a chip from the kitchen each time Gail or Bessie would look away.

Joshua was in the kitchen with the two adults and watched at the teenagers danced and talked. He chuckled to himself before he turned to Bessie, "Bess, you remember when we were teenagers? Man, our birthday parties were wilder than this. I mean, we had people dancing on tables, and they were sober!" he exclaimed.

Bessie looked over at the man and put her hands on her hips, "yeah, well, we're in a generation that doesn't understand how to have fun anymore without either being drunk, or it leads up to sex."

Joshua shrugged, "true that."

Pacey finally snatched a chip, "ah, ha," he exclaimed with a smile on his face as he took a bite out of the chip. Aurora looked over at the boy with crossed arms as she shook her head, hiding the smile that tried to make its way to her face. "Here," he said, holding out the chip for the girl, "you can have the rest."

Aurora smiled as she took the chip from his hand. "Thanks, Pace, you're the best," she stated, before she ate the chip.

The two perked up to the sound of their friend's voice, ringing through the house. The front door was pushed open and revealed Dawson, "surprise!" he exclaimed with a huge grin on his face. The people at the party sharing confused looks with one another, he was the one who was supposed to be surprised, not the other way around.

Andie and Dawson rushed up on the table and began to dance, the two uncontrollably laughing. Aurora's eyes widened as she looked over at her brother, "Luke, are they drunk?" she questioned, and she didn't need an answer, the look on his face answered for him. "Are you kidding me? We leave them with you for a few hours, and you bring them home drunk?" she whispered-yelled.

Lucas sighed, "I know, I'm sorry," he exclaimed. "But they snuck it passed me, and every time I tried to tell them something, they ignored me. You know I had to listen to the both of them sing about their 'blues,'" he inform ined them.

Aurora shook her head as she closed her eyes, worried that his parents would find out, and Lucas would get in trouble. Before she knew it, Joey was helping Dawson upstairs. Lucas took that as the cue to grab Andie from the table and take her somewhere to try and help sober her up.

- - - - - - - - - 

EVERYONE BEGAN to slowly circle around in the kitchen as it was time for the birthday boy to make a wish. Pacey had his arm wrapped around Aurora's waist as he held her close to his side. The two watched as his best friend got ready to make a wish. Aurora felt the nervousness in her body, Dawson was wasted, and wasn't in the right headspace at the moment for any of this.

"Time to make a wish, okay. Let's make a wish. A wish. I wish that my mom never slept with her co-anchor. I wish that my father would stop talking about getting a job and actually go out and get one," Dawson let out a chuckle as he looked in between both of his parents, "and I wish that the two of you would stop your petty bickering and at least pretend to be the adults around here."

The room was silent as the boy continued to rant. "I wish that my best friend, Pacey, would just end this transformation into do gooder, "a" student, and all-around sanctimonious teen angel and just go back to what he does best, which is make me feel good about my life because his is supposed to be worse."

Dawson turned to his ex-girlfriend next, "and there's Jen Lindley, with her drunkenness and her revolving boyfriends and her wild, wicked ways," he stated, as he walked closer to the girl. "I wanna party with you."

"Ah, and there's, Jack Mcphee," Dawson exclaimed, pointing toward the boy. "Jack Mcphee, who likes guys, but doesn't mind stealing my girlfriend. Tonight, ladies and gentlemen, starring in his very own version of in and out," he clapped but no one joined him. "He's in, he's out! He's in, he's out!" he repeated a few more times. "Nice hair, by the way."

"Oh! How could I forget my favorite pairs of twins?" he exclaimed with a laugh as he pointed back in the direction, they were in. "Lucas, my best friend since forever. You know, I'm starting to feel like you're the only one I could tolerate the most. And this guy, right here, has the nicest hair I know," he exclaimed, pointing toward him. "And, Aurora, oh my goodness, the real-life princess herself. Her life has been no fairy-tale I could tell you that much, man, I love her, but sometimes she could be a real bitch, I mean, isn't it strange, she never takes my side!" he exclaimed.

Joshua looked over at the twins, Aurora wore an upset expression as she shifted, uncomfortably. Dawson smiled, "and then, of course, there's my Joey. My sweet, precious Joey. The only sixteen-year-old in the world who needed to find herself. You know- You know what? That's- that's okay. I accept that. You need to find yourself, and I accept it."

Everyone watched as Dawson went on this entire talk about where Joey was, until he finally "found her" and as soon as he did, he kissed her, but Joey was quick to push him off, and he face planted straight into the cake. The people at the party tried to contain their laughs, or smiles that tried to crack.