Nearly two weeks of classes had passed by him and he hadn't even begun to feel completely comfortable here. Not that that was a very long time, but it was long enough to really start to wear on him. His clothes were all wrong for the weather here, he was still achingly jobless, and there were just too many people he didn't know and it felt like he would never get to know them. Ugh. Everything seemed fake, more like a movie set or something. Pacey hadn't really sussed out his role yet. Sure, he'd met some decent people and he had burgeoning little crushes on half the senior class, but tonight was Friday night and he still had shit all to do. Even as a less than popular Capeside guy, he had Friday night plans. This just kinda sucked.

He missed his friends. He missed Dawson's bullshit and roses, he missed Jo's wry sense of humor. He missed them all, even the things he hated about each of them he found himself waxing nostalgic over. And the phone calls were doing nothing but make his need for a freaking job even more desperate. He really needed to get a life. The possibility of spending yet another Saturday night watching cable with his mom wasn't really stirring him.

He heard footsteps in the gravel behind him and turned towards the sound, Maria Deluca and Liz Parker shimmied between the tightly parked cars. He shielded his eyes from the sun with a hand.

"Good morning, ladies." Pacey grinned like an ass.

"Hey...," the uninterested Liz said sweetly.

"Hi, Pacey. How's Roswell treating you so far?" Maria leaned in and rested her elbows on the hood of the Jeep ducking into Pacey's shadow.

"So far, so good, I guess... I was just trying to finish up yesterday's English. I forgot all about it last night."

"Ooooo! Hot date last night, new boy?" Maria spread those lips of hers into a flirtatious smile. Or, he wanted to think it was flirtatious when it might only be friendly. Whatever, didn't really matter.

Liz rolled her eyes. "Maria, I have to get to class early. I'll see you later. Nice seeing you, Pacey." She walked purposefully towards the school leaving he and Maria alone. Pacey sat up and collected his things into his knapsack. Maria shifted her weight onto the car behind her.

"So?"

"So, what?" Man, those lips should be outlawed

"So, you never answered me... Hot date last night, English homework pushed aside?"

He smiled at her, liking the way that she operated. Very straightforward. "Yeah, right. Hot date with the Nintendo, if that counts..."

"It doesn't count." Maria laughed and ran her tongue over her front teeth.

Damn. A guy might bust a nut thinking about what those lips could be capable of... Pacey, down boy. "Yeah, I didn't think so." All right, Pacey... take it down a notch, it hasn't been that long...

"And what about tonight?"

"What about tonight?" he repeated.

"Hot date tonight? Which lonely Roswell girl are you taking to the party out by the ridge?"

Pacey looked at her, clueless. "Actually, this is the first I've heard about this party. What's up at the ridge? And where is this ridge?" He quirked an eyebrow at her inquisitively.

"Wow. I can't believe you haven't heard about this thing! It's going to be huge, there've been flyers all over school. Well, anyway, you know about it now. It's just outside of town, about halfway to the Reservation. I could draw you a map..."

Pacey saw his chance and drew back his lips, biting his tongue between his teeth and cocking his head to one side. "Or... you could take me with you and you can show me the way." He glanced at her sidelong.

Maria seemed to think about it for a moment, staring off at a point beyond him over his left shoulder. There was a somewhat nervous flash in her eyes and then she relaxed again, bringing her eyes back to his. "All right. Sure."

"Good. Excellent. Then it's a date." He slid down off the car, facing her. There was hardly any room for both of them, their bodies smushed together. He moved to one side.

"A date. Right." She smiled again. "Well, I have to get to the gym, so I'll see you at lunch and we can iron out the details then." Pacey noticed her quickly shoot a look over his shoulder again before she turned to trot away. "See ya later, Pacey!" He waved and watched her go for a second before turning to quell his curiosity. Of course, Guerin. The bastard was everywhere, it seemed. Well, screw him.

* * * * *

"You have got to be kidding me, Maria! What about Michael?" Liz Parker stood close to her locker speaking to her friend in a shrill whisper, her eyes wide.

"I've decided that it's a shit or get off the pot situation. If Michael doesn't want to deal with me on anything more than a physical level, then it behooves me to take the better opportunities as they opportune themselves. Besides," she moved in closer and looked around her cautiously. "He's fine. You know he is... Have you seen his eyes? They're, like, six different colors..."

"You are just doing this to make Michael jealous." Liz stood her ground. Liz thought it was easier if the six of them just stayed together, for everyone's sake. It was the safest way.

"I am not. Liz, Michael and I just don't have what you and Max do. We're not destined soulmates or anything like that... and even if I was... well, whatever." She raised an eyebrow at Liz, indicating that they had company.

"Liz..." Max spoke in that disconcerting soft voice that made Maria both calm and nervous at the same time.

"Hi, Max." She looked up at him with huge eyes. They made Maria nauseous.

"I was wondering if you would take a walk with me through lunch? I wanted to talk..."

"Um, Hello?" Maria said pointedly. They were really too much.

"Oh, Maria... I'm sorry. Hi. Liz?"

"Sure, Max... let's go. We'll talk more about this later, Maria." Liz stuffed her books into her locker and shut the door with a click.

"Talk more about what? Anything I should be concerned about?"

Maria turned her head towards the voice. Michael stood so close that she could feel his hot breath prickle the back of her neck. She grit her teeth; he wasn't going to get anything out of her, he didn't deserve it.

"Nothing."

"Nothing? Funny, Liz didn't seem to think whatever it was is nothing." He raised an eyebrow at her.

"Nothing that is any of your business. Y'know, the entire universe does not revolve around Michael Guerin. Ugh!" She huffed and stomped off towards the cafeteria without looking back at him.

He made her so mad sometimes. Sure they'd been seeing each other on and off for over a year, but Michael had never made even close to any type of commitment to her and he consistently reminded her that he had no ties to Roswell and he could take off at any time. What the hell else was she supposed to do? Rot? No freakin' way! Michael Guerin could kiss her ass, she was moving on.

* * * * *

The cafeteria was one of Pacey's least favorite places in West Roswell High, he just wanted it to be another cafeteria across the country. He could get through day after day of boring classes and concentrate on other things, but for some reason, when he entered the cafeteria and grabbed his lunch off the sneeze-guarded displays, he got more homesick than ever. He'd taken to lunching with Alex Whitman every day so far. Four days in and he already had a routine, it was comforting but also kind of pathetic. And Alex was a good guy, it wasn't his fault that Pacey didn't want to really be there.

They seemed to get along pretty well, Pacey pegged him right off as a real stand up guy. In Pacey's book, there really was no higher compliment. But, conversation was already beginning to get a little tedious. Alex had the most intense, earth-shattering, all-encompassing "thing" for Isabel Evans.

Pacey had made the early mistake of mentioning her to Alex in the locker room before gym the morning after she had taken him to the reservoir and Alex all but proclaimed her as his own. Isabel didn't seem the type to belong to anyone other than Isabel, but Alex's proclamation was all Pacey needed to step back and give up on her. Truth be told, she really didn't do it for him anyway. There was something just a little off about her. In fact the whole group of them, including Alex sometimes, seemed a little weird. They watched their mouths more than anyone he had ever met before; there was this unspoken law between them. Pacey plain vibed it.

Not that she had pursued him since that evening either, he had to admit. But even if she had, he would have had to forego. Alex was his first friend in town and she was only one girl in a sea of thousands. It had to be more important to cultivate some friendships before worrying needlessly about getting laid. Pacey could always get laid.

Alex and Maria were sat at the outside table facing each other when he arrived with his lunch tray. He stood over the table unsure for a moment on which side to sit. Finally, he slid his tray onto the table and sat beside Maria. She turned as he sat and flashed him an uneasy smile. It was cute.

"Hey, Pacey! How's it hangin'?"

"It's hangin', man. It's hangin'." He smiled and began to dive into his meat concoction.

"So you going to this thing tonight?" Alex asked.

Pacey smiled and shifted his eyes towards Maria, whose eyes were reflected in her compact staring back at him. He was getting increasingly more excited for this date of theirs. "Yeah, I'm going. You?"

"I'm not sure yet, I have to see what Isabel's up to."

Maria rolled her eyes as if to signify her thinking that Alex really needed to give it up. "Alex, I'm sure that she's going to be there with her obnoxious posse. We're all going to be there, just go. And forget about Isabel for once, jeez..."

Alex looked wounded. "God, Maria. If anyone should understand, you should. Man..."

Pacey leaned in towards Alex. "Really, Whitman. You have to come tonight, I hear it's the party of the century. It'll be cool." What he really wanted to say was that Isabel was completely not worth Alex's over-inflated affections, but he knew that his words would go over like a lead zeppelin. He could see where some guys would be completely ga-ga over her, she was an incredible babe, but she was really an odd bird. The time they had spent together made him feel awkward ever since; a strange feeling. Like she knew everything about him and he knew nothing. He felt stripped. If she was capable of doing that in one afternoon, imagine what she could do during the time span of an entire relationship. The thought gave him the shivers.

Alex, of course, stared off into the direction where she and Guerin sat at another table across the quad. "Yeah, I guess you're right. I'll be there, right after band rehearsal."

"Damn! We have practice tonight? Ugh... I completely spaced it."

"Ummm yeah, Maria. Every Wednesday and Friday for what, the past year and a half? Duh."

"You guys are in a band?" Pacey was intrigued, sounded like fun. He didn't have an ounce of musical talent in his body.

Alex went off into a lengthy explanation of the theories behind the band and their music and their plans for commercial success through playing live and getting a record deal. Maria stayed mostly silent, smirking. At least Alex was capable of talking about something other than Isabel.

"Alex plays guitar and I front. We don't completely suck," she said rather plainly.

"Well, what time does your practice end? I can pick you up after, or something?" Pacey offered.

Her eyes widened. "Actually, I'll want to freshen up first. You can pick me up at my house at nine. That sound good? Alex, you can get there on your own, right?" Maria looked over at Whitman nodding slowly to convince him.

"Yeah, that's cool," he paused. "Hey! Are you guys going on a date?" He let out a snort.

"You have issue with that, Dad?" Maria laughed, but shot an obnoxious look at him.

There was a sudden faraway expression on Alex's face. Isabel must be on the approach, Pacey thought. Whitman looked a lot like a lovesick camel whenever she got close.

"Hi." Isabel stopped directly behind Pacey, he had to crane his neck to look towards her.

"Hey, Isabel. Are you going to that shindig tonight? I thought maybe..." Alex tapered off.

"Yes, Alex. I'll be there." She spoke to him deliberately, much like a teacher to a class of second graders. "Pacey, would you like to drive me?" Pacey's eyes stayed on Alex, he looked dejected and shocked. Poor kid, couldn't he see the games she played on him?

"Sorry, Isabel. I've already got plans for tonight." Pacey returned, his gaze still locked with his friend's. "Do you need a lift? Alex could probably drive you. Alex?"

"Oh yeah. Of course. Sure."

He didn't turn to see her reaction, but he was relatively sure that he knew what it was. Girls like her were basically all the same, and he's been in the Alex position too many times to count at this point. Isabel's entire point of this display was to make Alex jealous and lead him on more than she already did on a day to day basis. Plus, she had the added bonus of getting to pull one of those famous "I'll do you a favor and let you take me out" routines. Pacey felt good to turn the tables on her, even though it would hardly affect her.

Who was this newfound Pacey, really? All of this was so out of character for him, but it served so many purposes that he had no choice to act this way. Sure, she was gorgeous and he could totally see what held Alex transfixed on her. Extremely gorgeous, totally popular and entirely trouble. Three things that normally would have Pacey on his knees. But again, Alex was Pacey's first real friend in Roswell, and Pacey liked him. And he liked her. And Pacey had been down this road already and it didn't really taste good. Plus, there was the Maria factor, and he liked seeing that same satisfaction he felt cross her face.

Maria and Isabel seemed friendly enough, but it seemed like more of a product of outside factors rather than any real desire to hang out with each other. Or maybe Pacey was spending way too much time trying to figure all of these people out and was beginning to write it all his own way. It didn't really matter in the end, did it. Whatever he could come up with was infinitely more amusing than real life these days. But maybe shit was looking up, he did have a date tonight. It had been a long while since he'd had a real date.

In the end, Isabel played it all off and Alex was more than a little stoked with the results. You would have thought that she came up and asked him out herself, Alex was such a fool for her. Pacey definitely knew that completely entrenched feeling.

"So, you wanna know where I live?" Maria broke the silence of the table as Isabel strode back towards her table.

"Oh, yeah. Let me write down your address." He pulled a sheet of paper from his notebook and she pulled out a pen.

It's right outside of town, you can't miss it. And here's my number just in case. I should be out of rehearsal by eight, right Maestro? So try not to get too lost and pick me up by about nine-thirty."

"Will do. Well, off to class I guess..." Picking up his knapsack, he headed off towards English, finally completed homework in hand. Turning a corner in the corridor, he bumped head on into Michael Guerin, knocking a can of soda from his hand and sending it exploding over the linoleum. Guerin jumped back to avoid the spray.

"What the fuck is wrong with you, can't you see more than two feet in front of your face?" Michael yelled.

"Hey, it was an accident, man. Calm down." There was really something wrong with this guy, he'd had it out for Pacey from the minute he'd arrived in town. It was odd. Mostly everyone had been pretty decent to him, this guy's friends no less, but Guerin was just a real bastard from moment one. Well, Pacey thought, he can kiss my ass.

"I will not calm down, you've been a real pain in my ass since you got here, Witter. Just fucking know I've got my eyes on you. One move I don't like, you're mine." He turned on his heels and clomped off down the hall leaving the spilled soda in a puddle on the floor.

Pacey stared down at it for a moment, confused by Guerin's reaction and his words. Whatever was going on with that one, he'd never be able to explain. He flashed to the overheard conversation between he and Isabel, and although he hadn't thought about it at all that day, he wondered if maybe they had been talking about him that afternoon. What was it she had said?

"Liz couldn't handle Kyle, Michael, and I'm not going to go through that again. You can't "take care" of everything... so I'm keeping my eyes on this one."

Kyle? He knew the name... he'd been taking in so much over the past weeks that names and faces hadn't really started to synch up yet. But they were all in there, waiting to come together. Kyle Valenti? He'd seen that name in the award case outside the gym. And he'd heard it before that as well... Shuffling through his mind, he tried to place it. Bingo! The dead Sheriff, the one who had gotten killed, facilitating Pacey's recent move from Capeside.

So, they had problems with the cops, did they? He thought about each of them. They seemed okay enough, except for that Guerin. But nothing stood out as necessarily illegal activity. They didn't seem the stoner types at all. Or, maybe, that was Guerin's problem and everyone else protected him? He wondered how many of them were involved. Well, he'd see them outside of school for the first time tonight, he could vibe it out then. A party was the best time to figure out if your new friends had drug issues. Michael Guerin could easily be the dealer of the bunch.