Editing Joey Potter (section)

==Background==
In an official companion book for the show, Joey Potter is described as "a headstrong, vibrant, wily, sultry, and determined go-getter. And yet, in a gloriously contradictory manner, in spite of her tough-as-nails exterior demeanor, Joey's also a frail, sometimes uncertain, emotionally sensitive, in-need-of-love person."<ref>Crosdale, Darren. ''[[iarchive:dawsonscreekoffi0000cros|Dawson's Creek: The Official Companion]]''. Kansas City, Missouri: Andrews McMeel, 1999. {{ISBN|0-7407-0725-6}}. 77–78.</ref>

Joey has been best friends with [[Dawson Leery]] since they were in third grade, and considers him "her family." She spent much of her early childhood at the Leery house, and Dawson was a constant comforting presence during traumatic events in her childhood. Joey's mother had died of breast cancer when Joey was thirteen and her father, Mike ([[Gareth Williams (American actor)|Gareth Williams]]), was in prison for [[Illegal drug trade|drug trafficking]]. Joey is raised by her unmarried and pregnant sister Bessie ([[Nina Repeta]]), who is about ten years older than Joey and runs the Ice House restaurant where Joey works as a waitress.

Dawson and Joey spend many nights bonding over films and TV shows in his bedroom, which Joey accesses via a ladder into his room. She has also known [[Pacey Witter]] her whole life, though they only tolerate each other due to their friendships with Dawson until high school.