You and me | Pacey Witter

twenty

IT'S BEEN a couple weeks since the death of Abby Morgan. The hallways were a lot more peaceful; it was strange to have Abby not there to strut down the hallway, voicing her remarks about anyone and everything. It had seemed that the group had grown more closer together over the past few weeks.

The eight of them hung out in Dawson's Leery infamous bedroom. Aurora laid in between Pacey's legs and rested her head against his chest as they watched the tv screen. She took a handful of popcorn from Jack's bowl, he glanced back at the girl and smacked her hand, playfully as the two of them smiled.

"Okay, movement break," Dawson announced as he got up to turn the tv off. He grabbed his water bottle that was near the bed and turned to face the rest of them. "Isn't anybody else struck by the humor of this moment, that we're all in the same room at the same time?"

"Way to ruin the moment, Dawson," Aurora looked up at the boy with a sarcastic smile. The two talked it out and were on good terms with each other now. 

Dawson looked down at the girl with a smile. Jack looked at her and chuckled as he shook his head. He grabbed his drink and looked at the blonde. "Yeah, it is, uh, bizarre," he commented. "I mean, the way we all started this school year, and we are actually all managed to come out to be friends."

"Yeah, like, St. Elmo's," Andie replied.

"None of you guys could compete to Rob Lowe in St. Elmo's," Aurora commented.

Pacey looked down, "ouch, Benson, that wounds me."

Aurora gave him an innocent smile until Joey continued on with the conversation. "Yeah, St. Elmo's from hell."

Dawson chuckled, "that would be a negative spin."

"I just think it's important in times of maudlin reflection to incorporate a little honesty," Joey stated.

Lucas groaned, "why do you speak like you are a grown, middle-aged woman?" he asked. "I mean how many sixteen years old do you know use the words, maudlin?"

Joey scoffed a laugh, "I just happen to know a lot of big words. I'm so sorry that your tiny brain can't process them."

Jen sat up in the bed, "you know what? I happen to agree with Joey," Jen spoke up. "I mean, sure, we've all grown to tolerate each other, but I still think that we're a long shot off from 90210-land of best friends forever."

"Well, I don't know. I kind of think Andie's got a point," Pacey spoke up. "I mean, there has been a lot of hanging out lately," he stated.

"Like when?" Jack questioned.

"Well, like right now, for instance," Pacey argued back. He ate a piece of popcorn before he moved to stand up. "Have we ever stopped to consider why we've all come here together tonight? If not, I need to cohabitate in- dare I say it- a clique?"

"Scary."

"Yeah. Pacey, when you say it like that-" Andie stated.

"Wait a minute, though. I mean no offence to anybody here, but I called up Pacey and Lucas to invite them over to watch a couple of movies. That hardly qualifies as a group hangout out," Dawson informed.

"Yeah, but then I invited Andie," Lucas said.

"I invited Aurora," Pacey stated.

"I invited Jack," Andie added.

Joey looked over at the Leery boy with a playful smile, "well, I better not need an invitation."

"And I live here now," Jen added.

"Let's face it, guys," Pacey said, raising his pointer finger and thumb out, apart from each other, "we are this far away from the peach pit."

The seven of them paused what they were doing and stared, blankly at the Witter boy. Next thing he knew, he was being attacked by pillows. Soon, it turned into a pillow fight between everyone else as well.

- - - - - - - - - -

AURORA'S EYES widened as she walked through the hallway and spotted the Mcphee girl. "Whoa," she blurted out as she approached her. "Andie, your hair," she said with surprise in her voice, "it looks great," she complimented. "I never, uh, pictured you for a brunette though," she said, and mentally cursed herself at her poor choice of words.

Andie turned around, "liar," she simply replied. 

Aurora's mouth fell a gape as she shook her head, "no, I'm not lying," she defended herself. "You look beautiful with blonde or brunette hair, hell, dye it red and you'll still look good," she exclaimed with a small smile.

Aurora furrowed her eyebrows as she realized Andie had zoned out of the conversation, a small smile came onto her face as she looked at the corner of the hallway. Aurora looked over as well, but no one was there. "Andie? Andie, what are you staring at?"

Andie just smiled before she looked away, "no one."

- - - - - - - - - - 

EVERYONE PRETTY much had their own plans tonight. Aurora was sat at the dinner table with her uncle and her dad. All you could hear was the forks scraping against their plates. The awkward tension swarmed through the air. Joshua looked in between the two of them and cleared his throat, deciding if neither one of them were going to say anything, he should. "Uh, I think you two should talk things out."

Aurora dropped her fork and looked over at him. "What?" she questioned. "I don't have to talk to him, if I don't want too. You told me I don't have to forgive him if I didn't want too. You can't change your mind now."

Joshua sighed, "I know, I did," he stated. "But you should at least talk to him. You can talk to someone without having to forgive them, okay?" He got up from the table and grabbed the three plates, and walked to the kitchen to do the dishes, leaving the daughter and father left alone.

Tom turned to the girl, "Aurora," he spoke up. "I know I've done some terrible things in the past, but I'm here to be a better father for the both of you. We could move away, start a new life somewhere else, and start over."

Aurora scoffed at him as she looked over at him, "you've lost your opportunity to start a new life with us," she stated. "It's been five years, five!" she exclaimed, as she felt the tears well up in her eyes. "We're not going anywhere with you. We're not going to leave our lives behind here, because you want to make up for being a shitty father," she told him. "We don't need you anymore. We've been fine without you here, and Uncle Josh has been more of a father figure to us in the past five years, than you have."

Tom scoffed at his daughter's words. "Now, don't act like I wasn't a good father before, maybe not in that one year, but I'm better now, and I am back, whether you like it or not," he told her. "And Uncle Josh, isn't your father, and he never will be. I am, and you can't change that."

"You may be my biological father, but I will never consider you as one," Aurora spat. "If you loved us, you wouldn't have left in this first place. I know it's not easy, but we should have influenced you to be a better dad. We lost mom first, and then we lost you right after. How'd you think that was going to help us?" she asked, but never got a response for him. "I don't want you to be a part of my life. I'm happy now. I have my friends, my family, and an amazing boyfriend. I don't need you to ruin that for me."

Aurora stood up from the table and began to walk away to her room. Tom stood up and followed after her, "Aurora, you don't walk away from me," he called out, which made her stop at the bottom step.

"Why not? You walked away from us," Aurora stated and shrugged, "I think it's pretty fair."

Aurora walked up the staircase and went inside her bedroom, slamming the door behind her. She sat down on her bed, and brought her knees up to her chest, her head was buried into her knees as she sobbed. In her lowest moment, she had no one there to comfort her, but it wasn't their fault. How were they supposed to know the pain she was feeling if she never talked to them about it?