rushes off to tell Pacey that she is in love with him before he departs for a summer at sea on his boat. She joins Pacey aboard his boat, the True Love, and the two then sail off into the sunset. Season 4 Pacey and Joey return to Capeside from their summer at sea, madly in love. Joey reaches out to Dawson with a symbolic present, and although it appears he is moving on from the coupling up of his two best friends, he is unsure about whether he wants Joey in his life anymore, which leaves her devastated and determined to mend fences. Joey discovers Pacey has returned to academic probation after irresponsibly skipping summer school, while Joey dreams of admittance to the fictional Worthington College in Boston. Joey and Pacey's relationship begins to become strained by Joey's determination to rebuild her friendship with Dawson and her prioritization of his feelings over their relationship. She struggles with watching Dawson move on romantically with Gretchen, Pacey's older sister. She is eventually relieved and delighted when Dawson starts to soften his stance and confide in her again. On a ski trip with the senior class, Pacey and Joey finally sleep together for the first time. She later runs into Dawson whilst walking through Capeside, and is delighted when he agrees to spend the night watching movies with her just like they used to. Dawson asks her if she has slept with Pacey, which Joey denies. Gretchen discovers Joey's lie and confronts her over it, to which Joey reacts defensively and possessively, prioritizing her fragile friendship with Dawson over the Witters. Gretchen also informs Pacey, which further strains his relationship with Joey. Joey is admitted to the prestigious Worthington College but discovers she won’t receive enough financial aid. When Dawson offers to front her a payment from Mr. Brooks' inheritance, she admits to Dawson she lied about having slept with Pacey. Dawson accepts her apology, reaffirming the survival and importance of their bond. She accepts the money from Dawson to attend Worthington. After Joey returns from a trip to New York with Jen, she discovers from Gretchen that Pacey was arrested for public drunkenness. She also suspects she may be pregnant. Bessie learns about Joey's pregnancy scare and argues with her, claiming she is not ready to have a baby if she is pregnant and that she has an immature boyfriend. Joey