Cut to the next day. Joey is at her computer, writing something. It’s her entry for the competition.
DEREK: God, you’ve been at that for over an hour…take a break!
Joey turns towards him smiling.
JOEY: Sorry. It’s just that I’ve been so inspired recently. I’ve been afraid that all these ideas would just leave me if I stopped to think about it.
He starts laughing.
JOEY: What’s so funny?
DEREK: You think way too much.
Joey rolls her eyes, and then gets back to work.
DEREK: Don’t get me wrong, smart girls are hot! But when you invited me up here, I assumed you weren’t gonna spend the entire time on your laptop.
JOEY: Not the entire time.
Joey presses a ‘print’ button, and watches as a group of papers come out of the printer. She picks them up.
DEREK: Can I see?
Derek walks up, putting his arms around her, and attempting to read over his shoulder. Joey begins to laugh.
JOEY: Come on…stop it.
DEREK: Why not?
Joey wiggles out of his grip and half-smiles at him.
JOEY: It’ll ruin the surprise. I want to wow you tomorrow.
DEREK: You kidding? You’re wowing me right now.
Joey smirks, and puts the papers back on her desk. Then she walks over with Derek towards the bed.
JOEY: There. I’m all yours now.
She wraps her arms around his neck and kisses him.
DEREK: Hey, can I ask you a question?
JOEY: Sure.
DEREK: Doesn’t this seem a little…mundane to you know? Compared to Paris?
Joey scoffs.
JOEY: I think everything is going to seem mundane compared to the City of Lights. Thank god I’m not heading back to Capeside for at least another three months.
Derek raises an eyebrow.
DEREK: You’re from Capeside?
JOEY: Yeah. Why?
DEREK: Well, this friend of mine’s from there originally. Coincidence?
She smiles.
JOEY: Maybe you’re just lucky?
He grins at her.
DEREK: Oh, I know I am.
They start to kiss again. It becomes heated, until the two of them fall down on the bed.
*****
The scene shifts to a montage of Capeside. A group of teenagers wander out of Leery’s Fresh Fish, on their way to school.
Inside, Dawson is busy bussing tables. He picks up a pile of dishes, and brings them back to the kitchen.
There, his mother greets him.
GALE: You can take a break.
DAWSON: You sure?
GALE: It’s a slow day.
DAWSON: I’d better stick around just in case.
He heads back into the restaurant before Gale can argue with him. She sighs.
Once Dawson’s out, Pacey is there waiting for him.
PACEY: My, how the mighty have fallen.
Dawson looks at him in surprise.
DAWSON: Hey, Pacey. What are you doing here?
PACEY: I was in the neighbourhood. I had to catch a train to GET in the neighbourhood, but you know how it goes…
Dawson raises an eyebrow in confusion.
DAWSON: That still doesn’t explain…
PACEY: I think the better question would be why are you here, and not in LA?
Dawson sighs.
DAWSON: Pacey, I told you…?
PACEY: What? That you’re ‘not comfortable’ there? That’s bull, and you know it.
Dawson begins to get impatient.
DAWSON: Well, maybe I want to spend some time with my family. You ever think of that?
Pacey laughs mockingly.
PACEY: You’ve spent the entire freaking summer with them. Stop making excuses!
DAWSON: That why you came here, Pacey? To mock me?
PACEY: I’m not the one who’s trying to start a fight!
By this point, the few customers in the restaurant start to notice them. Dawson realizes then, and heads towards the door.
PACEY: Where you going?
DAWSON: Out!
He shuts the door roughly behind him. Pacey sighs, and follows him.
PACEY: Dawson!
Outside, Pacey manages to catch up to him.
PACEY: Just what is your problem?
Dawson chuckles at the notion.
DAWSON: Problem, Pace? I don’t have a problem. You, on the other hand…
PACEY: That’s it…just deflect it onto me like you always do!
Dawson spins around to face him.
DAWSON: You can’t possibly think you can convince me you’re happy, Pacey!
PACEY: Come again?
DAWSON: This! All of this! That…that hellhole you’re living with. It’s only comfortable for you because it’s familiar. I don’t understand how someone with your talent and intelligence would settle for that when you could be so much more.
PACEY: So much more? Listen to you, Leery…you’re a hypocrite! Here you are, lecturing me about being afraid to change, when you’re mortified of going back to LA. You’re frozen solid, but instead of admitting that, you’re just gonna try to tear me down to make yourself feel better.
DAWSON: Is that what you really think of me?
Pacey starts to make expressive hand motions in the air, as the argument gets more and more intense.
PACEY: I don’t know! But it’s the only explanation I can come up with for why you’re acting like a moron!
DAWSON: Why do you care? Why do you care about what I’m acting like at all?
PACEY: Because I care!
DAWSON: It’s not any of your business. I have my own life! I'm a filmmaker now!
PACEY: Then why are you still HERE?
DAWSON: (screaming) YOU KNOW WHY!
Pacey is taken aback. Both by Dawson’s outburst, and by the meaning behind it. The expression on his face shows that he does, in fact know why.
His anger leaving him, Dawson’s face falls. His expression changes from one of fury into one of sadness.
DAWSON: Joey…that’s why I’m still here. Under some mistaken notion that…that she’d want me to be. Because I’m still in love with her, and I can’t let that go, no matter how much I want to.
Dawson turns around and walks over to the creek. He sits down, staring out at the water.
Pacey stares at him for a moment. Then, collecting his bearings goes to sit down next to Dawson.
The two sit in silence for a while. Eventually, Dawson speaks up.
DAWSON: I’m sorry. You didn’t deserve that. It was probably the very last thing you want to hear.
Pacey shrugs.
PACEY: Hey, if anybody can understand not being able to get over Joey Potter, it’s me, right?
Dawson manages a small smile.
PACEY: Can I ask you a question?
DAWSON: Sure.
PACEY: Are we friends?
Dawson considers the thought for a moment.
DAWSON: I think so.
PACEY: So do I, but are we really? Because we spend way too often fighting with each other. Friends are supposed to stick by you no matter what. So, tell me, how come we can talk to each other about everything but what’s most important?
Dawson sighs.
DAWSON: I don’t know.
PACEY: You were right.
Dawson faces him, a smirk on his face.
DAWSON: Did you just say…?
PACEY: Don’t get used to it, Dawson, because it will be a sentence that you’ll hear rarely from me. But yeah…you were right.
DAWSON: About what?
PACEY: That you and me are a lot alike. Sure, there’s differences on the outside. You’re quiet and introspective, while I’m dashing and charming!
Dawson chuckles.
DAWSON: You’re rude and obnoxious…
PACEY: You’re whiny and annoying…
The two of them start to laugh.
PACEY: Yeah, well, other than that, we’re a lot alike. We’re both scared to death of changing. We both try too hard, and end up planning too far ahead. We both are attracted to women who need our help. Unfortunately, we’re also both in love with the same woman.
Dawson sighs.
DAWSON: The difference is, Pacey, that you can help it. I can’t.
Pacey raises an eyebrow.
PACEY: You sure about that?
DAWSON: I’ve seen you, Pacey. You’re not like me. You don’t dwell on your romantic entanglements. You get over them and then you move on.
Pacey nods his head.
PACEY: You’d think that, wouldn’t you? Let me explain something to you, Dawson. When you grow up believing your own father hates you, you tend to bottle everything up. Despite this fun-loving exterior, I dwell on things too. Unfortunately, it sometimes results in me not being able to express my emotions when I have to.
DAWSON: Want to teach me how to do that? It would make my life a lot easier.
PACEY: If you think it’d help…but I somehow doubt it.
Dawson sits there for a moment, before speaking up.
DAWSON: People are always telling me how great I am, but I can’t see it. If I’m such a talented filmmaker, why do I have to bend over backwards for someone to be interested in my work? If I’m such a ‘nice guy’, why haven’t I ever had a relationship that’s lasted longer than four months? You want to know why I was so mad when I saw the two of you together? Because it made me realize, no matter how good I tried to be, there would always be someone better for her. I don’t take risks, I’m not mysterious, I over-analyze, and I never go after the things I want. Pacey…you’re everything I’m not.
Pacey smiles.
PACEY: Dawson, for someone who’s claim-to-fame is optimism, your self-image needs a lot of work. As down on myself as I’ve been, you’re putting me to shame.
Dawson looks at him, confused.
PACEY: See, here’s the thing…I don’t get Joey. Oh, make no mistake, I love the girl. She’s fun, she’s smart, she’s attractive…but sometimes her idea of fun bores me to tears. You know, she actually takes time out of her day to study?
DAWSON: (sarcastically) How dare she?
PACEY: Yeah, yeah…but there are times when she’s upset, and I have no idea. Or I say the wrong thing, or I do the wrong thing, and she gets incredibly mad at me. Most of the time we were together, I found myself thinking: ‘if only I were more like Dawson…he’d know what to do.’
Dawson shakes his head.
DAWSON: You never had to be like me, Pace.
PACEY: Then why, may I ask, do you think you have to be like me?
Dawson doesn’t have an answer.
DAWSON: I think that’s the answer, really. Maybe she needs both of us, and we’ve just been too selfish to admit it.
PACEY: Yeah. But now it’s too late. She’s written us both off.
They sit there in silence, looking out at the creek.
*****
The next morning, in Joey and Audrey’s dorm room…
Joey slowly wakes up, only to find that she’s alone.
JOEY: Derek?
No answer…he’s gone.
Quickly, Joey puts on her robe and climbs out of bed. She goes over to her desk, only to find the printout from the day before is gone.
She starts to search around. Under the desk, on the floor…everywhere.
Suddenly, Audrey enters.
AUDREY: Lose a contact?
JOEY: Audrey, have you seen my entry?
She looks confused.
AUDREY: I’d have to know what that is.
Joey sighs.
JOEY: It’s a poem for the writing competition tonight. Please tell me you’ve seen it.
Audrey shrugs.
AUDREY: Can’t help you, Bunny.
Joey starts searching more frantically, throwing everything out of the wastebasket.
JOEY: Well, it has to be somewhere. Check under the beds!
Audrey puts her hands up in protest.
AUDREY: Hey! Whoa! Slow down, Joey!
Joey stops her search.
JOEY: Maybe Derek knows? He was here when I finished with it.
AUDREY: He was? I didn’t see…
But before she can finish, Joey had grabbed a handful of clothes and ran into the washroom.
JOEY: I’m going to try and find him.
Audrey sighs.
AUDREY: If you say so…
She doesn’t wait around. Instead, she heads back out the door.
*****
A few minutes later, outside of Worthington, Audrey walks by the old tower. She looks up and sees Dawson there, looking out across the yard.
Quickly, she walks up there herself.
AUDREY: Hey there, stranger.
Dawson turns to her and smiles.
DAWSON: How you doing, ‘Pinky’?
She rolls her eyes.
AUDREY: God, are you ever going to let me live that one down?
DAWSON: Nope. It can be our ‘thing’.
AUDREY: Ouuu…we have a ‘thing’?
Dawson laughs.
AUDREY: If you’re here to see Joey, tough luck. She’s out looking for Derek.
He sighs.
DAWSON: ‘Derek’ wouldn’t happen to be a spoiled rich kid with greasy black hair and dressed like a male prostitute, would he?
AUDREY: So you have met.
DAWSON: Not exactly. Pacey and I were unlucky enough to notice him trying to choke Joey with his tongue.
Audrey cringes.
AUDREY: Owch! You okay?
He shrugs.
DAWSON: I should used to it by now, right?
They pause for a moment.
AUDREY: How is Pacey, anyway?
DAWSON: He was pretty let down by it, too. I think he’s handling it better than me, though.
Audrey’s face falls.
AUDREY: (bitterly)That’s not what I meant.
Realizing his mistake, Dawson mentally curses himself.
DAWSON: I’m sorry. Guess I’m so caught up in my own former flame’s antics that I didn’t realize yours. I’m an idiot.
AUDREY: Yeah, you are. It’s ok, though. You’re a guy…it’s understandable.
He smiles, but his attention is soon diverted by someone calling his name below.
PACEY: HEY DAWSON!
Dawson and Audrey look towards the ground, to see Pacey standing on the lawn.
DAWSON: Pacey?
He looks over at Audrey.
DAWSON: You want to…?
She shakes her head.
AUDREY: Nah! Go ahead!
Quickly, Dawson descends the tower, meeting Pacey at the bottom.
DAWSON: She’s not here, Pace. By the way…the guy’s name is ‘Derek’.
PACEY: Lovely. But I’m not here looking for her. I’m looking for you.
Dawson raises an eyebrow in confusion.
DAWSON: How did you know I’d be here?
PACEY: Well, I called Gale and she said you went to Boston. You weren’t at my apartment, so that leaves Joey and Audrey as the only people in Bean town that you know. Come on…I wanna show you something.
Dawson is reluctant to follow Pacey, but eventually his curiosity gets the better of him. The two guys leave campus.
*****
Eventually, Pacey leads Dawson to a local arcade. It’s filled with old relics, like Pac-Man and Asteroids.
DAWSON: This must be where old video games go to die.
Pacey laughs.
PACEY: These are the classics, my friend. Before the days of a multi-processing chip.
DAWSON: So, why are we here?
Pacey turns to him, grinning.
PACEY: Consider this an attempt to cheer you up, and win this chest-beating contest in the process.
DAWSON: I’m not following.
PACEY: Well, it’s like this. In the old days, when two ‘heroic knights’ had the hots for the same girl, they would settle their differences by jousting. Well…
Pacey points towards one of the old machines, with the title ‘Joust’ displayed clearly at the top.
Dawson rolls his eyes.
DAWSON: You have got to be kidding me!
Pacey produces a pair of quarters from his pockets, and offers one to Dawson.
PACEY: Well…en guard!
DAWSON: You are certifiable.
PACEY: You wanna prove yourself ‘worthy’, Dawson? Then mount your pink flying bird and prove your manhood.
Despite Pacey’s overly dramatic urging, Dawson can’t help but chuckle in anticipation. He takes the quarter, and moves towards the machine.
DAWSON: I’m so gonna kick your ass!
PACEY: We’ll see. I’ve been practicing!
The two laugh, as they begin to play.
*****
Back at Worthington, Joey is searching the lobby frantically for Derek. Standing in a corner, someone leers at her. It’s Chris Wolf.
CHRIS: Mind telling me when you turned into a babe?
She turns around, eyes going wide.
JOEY: Oh, great! The one thing missing from my day! What are you doing here?
CHRIS: I go here.
JOEY: Worthington? Since when?
Casually, he produces a paper from his jacket.
CHRIS: Transferred last month. A friend of mine was going here, and New Mexico was getting boring.
Joey sighs.
JOEY: Derek said he knew someone from Capeside. I take it…?
Chris raised his hands in protest.
CHRIS: Guilty as charged. Say, any chance you could direct me to the whereabouts of Miss Lindley? We had some fun times, and I was hoping I could get to know her again. If you understand my meaning?
JOEY: Sorry, Romeo. She’s in New York. You’ll have to hit on some other gullible blonde.
CHRIS: Guess your makeover didn’t include an attitude adjustment, huh?
Just then, Derek walks out of a nearby office. He wanders over to Chris, not seeing Joey.
DEREK: Ok…done! Let’s go!
JOEY: Derek, thank god!
Derek spins around, noticing her for the first time.
DEREK: Joey? Hey…what are you doing here?
CHRIS: Getting reacquainted.
DEREK: You two know each other?
CHRIS: Yeah. Competed for class president back in high school, and her boyfriend cast me in a movie. Fun times.
Ignoring him, Joey turns to Derek.
JOEY: Please tell me you know what happened to my paper?
DEREK: What paper?
JOEY: My assignment. I can’t find it anywhere.
Just then, Joey notices something in his hand. It’s a small manila envelope. A computer printout is sticking out of the end, with some familiar text on it.
Joey sighs in relief.
JOEY: Why’d you take it? I could have…
She reaches for it, but Derek quickly moves his hand away.
DEREK: Whoa…what are you doing?
JOEY: Look, I’m sorry I didn’t let you read it.. Can I have my paper back?
DEREK: Your paper? This must be some mistake. This is my entry for the writing competition.
Joey’s eyes go wide. She’s not happy.
JOEY: Excuse me?
DEREK: How’s your own turning out?
JOEY: That IS my own! This isn’t funny.
DEREK: I know, and I don’t appreciate the accusation. This is my paper, and I spent all night working on it.
Slowly, Joey starts to understand. A horrified look comes over her face.
JOEY: I can’t believe this…
DEREK: Come on, babe! Don’t get jealous.
Joey looks at him in rage, trying to grab the envelope away.
JOEY: You little…!
He backs away, laughing.
DEREK: You’re cute when you’re angry, you know that?
JOEY: Is that all this was? It this the only thing you were after?
He shakes his head, clearly amused.
DEREK: Oh, not ‘all’ as was after, I can assure you. Last night was definitely fun.
Joey’s eyes start to go red.
JOEY: ‘Fun’, huh?
DEREK: But I gotta keep my options open, you know? You understand that, right? No hard feelings?
Joey can’t reply. She’s too mortified. Giving Derek one last, angry look, she runs the opposite direction.
Derek watches her leave, laughing. He turns towards Chris.
DEREK: Women, huh?
Chris gives him a cold look.
DEREK: Oh, come on! What’d I do?
CHRIS: Don’t pretend you don’t know.
Derek sighs and rolls his eyes.
DEREK: I’ve seen you, man. I’ve seen how you are with girls.
CHRIS: I’ve never stolen from them. That’s going too far.
DEREK: Come on…I’m serious. I wrote this on my own.
CHRIS: Don’t try to fake a faker!
Derek groans.
DEREK: Oh, what do you care? She’s just some brainy ditz, right? It’s her own fault. Come on…let’s hit the bar.
Chris seems reluctant, but then eventually agrees.
As they leave, neither one notices Harley Hetson peeking out from the stairwell, having heard the entire conversation.