аЯрЁБс>ўџ ўџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџ§џџџўџџџўџџџ  ўџџџўџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџRoot Entryџџџџџџџџ РF й™’CщП €WordDocumentџџџџџџџџ 9CompObjџџџџџџџџџџџџ^џџџџџџџџџџџџўџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџmaking him read that unmasking poem in front of the whole class. Bile had risen in Pacey's throat. He had never hated anyone as much as Mr. Peterson in that moment, forced to watch Jack flee the room in tears but unable to do anything. *I hate this, this helplessness. I hate that I can never _fix_ things. He's one of the few friends that I have left, and I'm failing him. That's me-Pacey the town screwup* "He doesn't want me. No one wants me..." Jack's body was wracked with sobs as he threw words out in a half unconcious ramble. "Why is it so hard? I don't understand. Why me? I didn't ask to be gay." Jack slumped against Pacey, who wrapped his arms around his friend in a futile attempt to shield him from the world. A couple walked by and paused at the sight of the two young men embracing. Pacy froze as their gaze seemed to burn right through him, and watched as they shook their heads in disgust before continuing on. Instinctively he recoiled, loosenly his hold on Jack and beginning to back away. But only for a second. As soon as Pacey was aware of his actions he stilled, forcing himself to relax. *Who the hell cares what some idiots think? Screw them* Pacey returned his concentration to the warm yet shivering bundle of nerves in his arms, content with simply cataloging his friend's breaths-in and out, in and out. In an unconscious effort, he made his own synchronize with them. Pacey could feel a heart beating steadily against his chest, and he could hear his own in his ears. These observations were strangely soothing. The sobbing had become so constant that it no longer interferred with his thoughts, and his mind was free to debate his course of action. Sailing away for the summer no longer seemed an option, for some inexplicable reason he couldn't quite put his finger on. Yet how could he watch the Joey and Dawson soap opera drama unfold day in and day out in Capeside? Despair clutched his heart and tightened his throat. A scream bubbled up inside of him, anger fighting to be released. He wanted violence and flesh...tangible things, things that made sense. Pacey wanted a world where you could just come in, fists flying, and get the job done. Then everything would be alright. Nothing would hurt anymore. No long drawn out discussions, no philosophical dilemmas, no consequences. He wanted to climb aboard that boat, with a name that he didn't even believe in anymore, and leave all of this shit far behind. But... When Jack had called his name and collapsed at his feet...Pacey had forgotten. For five or ten blissful minutes he had been thinking about someone else. For the first time in months Pacey had felt _alive_. He had stopped feeling sorry for himself, turning the same questions over and over in his head until he slowly went insane. Instead of thinking he had been _doing_--living in the moment, running on instinct. It was nice. "Hey." Pacey's voice came out in a raspy whisper, surprising them both. "Why don't we get out of here. You can come back to my house with me, we can `borrow' some of Doug's beer, and you can fill me in on what's going on..." He looked at Jack kindly, no demands in his voice. Just an offer. Jack picked himself up, suddenly very self-conscious. He straightened his мЅe#Р эБ$9Ф!,8l,8l88 8 ЊC(8ь8˜8Tю8CTimes New Roman Symbol ArialCourier NewTitle: Where My Innocence Was Left Series: Reaching for the Stars (Part 1) Author: Kristin W. (kwilcox@e...) Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters from "Dawson's Creek". I'm not trying to break any copywrites.. They belong to Kevin Williamson, producers, the WB, ect. Song lyrics are from the band "Human Drama", which also inspires the titles Rating: PG, pre-slash Fandom: Dawson's Creek Pairing: Pacey/Jack Spoilers: "True Love" and all that came before... Summary: Dawson didn't have a huge epiphany in the Season Finale. He never told Joey to go to Pacey..so she didn't. But after the Ethan fiasco Jack needed a friend, and Pacey decided to stay and be there for him. Author's Note: I pick up as Jack is coming back to Boston, so the scene with his dad never happened. Sorry, I loved that scene too..but this worked out better for my story. ~You can reach for the stars But take what you get here~ -Human Drama ~~Where My Innocence Was Left~~ *Forget waiting. I've just gotta get the hell out of this town* Pacey made his way slowly towards the boat, peering over the last of the boxes stacked up to his nose. The weight unsettled him, and he tripped over a loose board. The boxes went flying, and Pacey toppled to the dock face first. Luckily, the contents weren't fragile. Unluckily, his ego was. *Great. Just great. Because it wasn't bad enough that Doug and Andie were right all along...Left all alone-what a big surprise.* Pacey let out a bitter laugh. *But noooo... I also have to steer my boat off into the sunset with pounding headache. Oh yeah. The day's sure looking up...* He picked himself up and finished loading "True Love", this time carrying the boxes one at a time. He didn't need any more injuries, and with fate's vendetta against him lately...it probobly wasn't wise to push it. Just as he was getting ready to set the boat free from the dock, a voice shot out like a sonic boom through his thoughts. "Pacey! Stop!" Pacey looked up and saw a figure dodging people as he ran, jumping over ropes and speeding down the ramp. It was Jack. *Wait a minute..Jack?!* "Pacey" Jack skidded to a halt and bent over, placing his hands on his knees for support. He had to take a moment to catch his breath, and then continued with only slight panting. "Don't leave..I...I mean...I really...I need someone to talk to..." And then he let it all out, falling to his knees and sobbing in plain view. Pacey was baffled. He had no idea what could have happened to make his friend react like this. Cautiously, he lowered himself to the floor and reached out a hand, patting the crying boy's back in an awkward attempt at comfort. Pacey hated to see Jack like this, he was usually so calm and laid back. There was a sick feeling in Pacey's stomach. It was eating away at him like acid...and was vaguely familiar. Sifting back through his memories, he found the source of the deja vu. It was when that bastard of a teacher was trying to humiliate Jack, clothes and wiped his eyes, avoided Pacey's concerned gaze. "Alright." The two boys walked out of the marina, side by side. Silence hung in the air, but it was a comfortable silence. And "True Love" bobbed in the water, dressed in the vague shadows of sunset...ready to set sail, yet abandoned. ~This damn wind will change direction It will stop you Dead as you walk~ -Human Drama - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - End Part 1эHI{|жз-.‰ŠГДкл'(jkЦЧ !rsЫЬ!"RSdef“”СТшщъlmnЧШ y z §ћљїѕѓёяэыщчхуспнлйзегбЯЭЫЩЧХУСПНЛЙЗЕГБЏ­ЋЉЇЅЃЁŸ›™—•“‘]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]8z б в , - ‡ ˆ р с : ; – — ю я B C œ  о п р ;<‰ŠВГДhiКЛOPQЈЉ]^ЕЖklЦЧz§ћљїѕѓёяэыщчхуспнлйзегбЯЭЫЩЧХУСПНЛЙЗЕГБЏ­ЋЉЇЅЃЁŸ›™—•“‘]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]8z{жз12Š‹цч]^ИЙgh“”•№ёLMІЇUVЌ­ЩЪЫ !qrЯа,-‡ˆту=>•–ьэ§ћљїѕѓёяэыщчхуспнлйзегбЯЭЫЩЧХУСПНЛЙЗЕГБЏ­ЋЉЇЅЃЁŸ›™—•“‘]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]8эGHijkЦЧ"#yzгд/0†‡кл"#$xyде01ˆ‰ту9 : ; • – я № I!J!Ѓ!Є!Ѕ!""X"Y"Z"Г"Д" # #a#b#}#§ћљїѕѓёяэыщчхуспнлйзегбЯЭЫЩЧХУСПНЛЙЗЕГБЏ­ЋЉЇЅЃЁŸ›™—•“‘]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]8}#~##Е#Ж#т#у#$$N$O$P$”$•$А$Б$§ћљїѕѓёяэыщчхус]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]эI|з.ŠДл(kЧ!sЬ"Sef”ТщъmnШ z в - ˆ §ћљїѕѓёяэыщчхуспнлйзегбЯЭЫЩЧХУСПН!ˆ с ; — я C  п р <ŠГДiЛPQЉ^ЖlЧ{з2‹ч§ћљїѕѓёяэыщчхуспнлйзегбЯЭЫЩЧХУСПН!^Йh”•ёMЇV­ЪЫ!rа-ˆу>–эHjkЧ#zд0‡л§ћљїѕѓёяэыщчхуспнлйзегбЯЭЫЩЧХУСПН!л#$yе1‰у: ; – № J!Є!Ѕ!"Y"Z"Д" #b#~##Ж#у#$O$P$•$Б$§ћљїѕѓёяэыщчхуспнлйзегбЯЭЫЩЧХэБ$эБ$Ф!џџџџџџџџ;5K@ёџNormala "A@ђџЁ"Default Paragraph Fontаџ@ўџ џџџџ РFMicrosoft Word 6.0 Document MSWordDocє9Вq