Michelle Branch
Joey and Audrey enter the main hall where the writing competition is going to take place.
AUDREY: What are we doing here? You’re twisting your own knife, Jo.
JOEY: I just have to do this, ok?
Audrey nods.
They continue walking through the hall, not noticing Pacey and Dawson watching from the side door.
PACEY: Well, this is a surprise. Wanna tell her our master plan?
They watch as she approaches Derek.
DAWSON: I want to see what happens first.
Derek turns to her, grinning.
DEREK: Hello, again. Please tell me you’re not going to be all jealous again? Nobody likes a sore loser.
JOEY: There’s only one loser here, and I’m looking at him.
He laughs.
JOEY: You’re pathetic, you know that? You’re really pathetic. So much so that you had to take somebody else’s work and present it as your own. That’s not smart…that’s compensating. It’s like admitting you can’t handle it yourself, so you need somebody else to do it for you.
He scoffs.
DEREK: Hey, I have talent…
JOEY: No Derek, you don’t. Believe me, I’ve known talented people. Guys with more raw talent, and more guts, and more heart that you could ever believe. And Derek…you could never measure up to those people…
She smirks at him.
JOEY: In any aspect.
A collective ‘ouuuuu’ sounds from a few of the people standing around. Derek gives her a cold look.
DEREK: You finished?
JOEY: Yeah! Now I am!
She turns around, and walks away.
Over at the side door, Dawson and Pacey grin.
PACEY: Hey! Score!
The two of them slap five.
PACEY: Hey…question. Was Potter being here part of the plan?
DAWSON: Nope.
PACEY: Good. Cause I’m changing the plan. Wait here a second.
Pacey takes off.
*****
Standing by Joey, a small wad of paper suddenly impacts with Audrey’s head.
AUDREY: Hey!
She turns around, only to see Pacey standing in a corner, indicating that she comes there.
JOEY: What? What is it?
Joey turns to look, but Audrey blocks her view of Pacey.
AUDREY: Nothing. Say…will you be ok by yourself a moment?
She nods, and turns to watch some of the other readers. Audrey quickly crosses the hallway towards Pacey.
AUDREY: What are you doing here?
PACEY: What? Not happy to see me?
She smirks.
AUDREY: Depends. You here to see me?
PACEY: I cannot tell a lie, my dear. Dawson and I came to spank glory boy’s tucus!
She raises an eyebrow.
AUDREY: Sounds dirty.
PACEY: Well, it’s a dirty job, but somebody’s gotta do it, right?
Pacey hands her the envelope.
PACEY: See that Jo gets this, will you? Incognito?
AUDREY: Is this…?
Pacey nods, causing Audrey to smile mischievously.
AUDREY: Wait! If this is the real thing, what does he have?
PACEY: You’ll find out in about five seconds…
*****
Derek gets up in front of the judges, taking the piece of paper out of its envelope. He takes one last look at Joey, who is still staring at him evilly.
Motioning dramatically, he begins to read…
DEREK: I would not…could not, in a box. I would not, could not, with a fox. I would not, could not, in a house. I would not, could not, with a mouse. I do not like green eggs and…what the hell is THIS?
Derek’s eyes go wide as he realizes exactly what he’s reading. The hallway suddenly explodes with laughter. Joey tries to hold back a snicker, while back near the door, Pacey and Dawson are busting their guts laughing.
DAWSON: I can’t believe he actually fell for it.
PACEY: (laughing) Like you said…overconfident. One thing I learned from Rich is that you ALWAYS read the fine print.
The judges, however, are the only people there who do not find it funny. Someone escorts him off the stage, but not before he notices Dawson and Pacey by the door.
He stares at them evilly. Dawson waves to him mockingly, before both he and Pacey take off.
Still laughing, Joey is suddenly surprised as Audrey hands her the envelope.
JOEY: What’s this?
Audrey grins.
AUDREY: Open it!
She does. Much to her surprise, it’s her poem.
Joey’s eyes go wide.
JOEY: Where did you get this?
She looks over to the side door, only to find the guys are now gone.
AUDREY: A friend.
Smiling, Joey walks up to the judges. As she passes the still-angry Derek, she sticks her tongue out at him. Then she prepares to deliver her poem.
*****
And outside…
Dawson and Pacey, still laughing, walk below the tower.
DAWSON: The look on that guy’s face was simply priceless.
PACEY: Oh man…that was good. That was really, really good. We make a good team, don’t we?
Dawson smiles.
DAWSON: That we do. I have to say, I haven’t felt this good since…well, since high school.
PACEY: So? What happens now?
DAWSON: Now? Now we wait.
*****
Cut back to the hall. Derek storms off after talking to Chris.
CHRIS: Yeah, whatever!
He begins to walk back to his dorm, but is distracted. He sees Joey and Audrey talking.
AUDREY: I’m gonna get something to eat. You coming?
JOEY: Nah. I’m going to head back to my room. You know…sleep for a week. Catch you later.
They hug, then leave in separate directions.
Chris’ eyes follow Audrey as she leaves. He’s completely mesmerized. So much so that he doesn’t realize he’s walking straight into the iron bar that separates the two double-doors.
He runs right into it, falling to the ground. A guy rushes over to him.
GUY: Hey, buddy? You all right?
Chris collects himself and continues to watch Audrey leave.
GUY: Hey, buddy?
CHRIS: Who’s that girl?
The guy looks at him as if he were insane.
GUY: That’s Audrey Liddell. Potter’s roommate.
Chris sighs.
CHRIS: Wow! She’s, um…wow!
*****
Outside, Joey wanders around Worthington campus, taking in the scenery. There’s a feeling of familiarity almost, from the first time she was there.
I wanted to be like you
I wanted everything
Only this time it’s different. She knows what she had to do.
So I tried to be like you
And I got swept away
V.O.(Joey): I've spent so long judging myself by who I'm with or what I'm doing. It's like 'Joey' doesn't even exist, except in someone else’s mind. There was always another person deciding on who I was. By going to Paris, I thought I would be able to finally discover who I am. But I was running away. This is where I stop running. From now on, I’m going to stop depending on other people to dictate my life. If I accomplish anything this year, it’s going to be finding out who and what I am. Alone.
I didn't know that it was so cold
And you needed someone
To show you the way
So I took your hand and we figured out
That when the tide comes
I'd take you away
She smiles, feeling uplifted. She doesn’t know what her purpose is yet, but she’s going to find out.
If you want to
I can save you
I can take you away from here
So lonely inside
So busy out there
And all you wanted
Was somebody who cares
*****
Finally, Joey arrives at her dorm room. She sees Hetson and Harley standing there, waiting for her.
HETSON: Quite a show, wasn’t it?
I'm sinking slowly
So hurry hold me
She smiles.
JOEY: Yeah. Thank you. For your help.
Hetson chuckles.
HETSON: That’s funny. That’s real funny. What exactly would make you think I would personally risk my neck to help you of all people?
Your hand is all I have
to keep me hanging on
Joey half-smiles.
JOEY: Come on! If you didn’t switch the papers, then who did?
Harley giggles, and the two of them look towards the window. Joey follows suite, and sees Dawson and Pacey standing there, grinning.
Please can you tell me
So I can finally see
Where you go when you're gone
DAWSON & PACEY: Hey!
She freezes in place, her expression a mixture of shock and surprise. Finally a smile slowly appears on her face.
She squeals, and runs up to the two of them. Joey throws her arms around the both of them, creating kind of a ‘group hug’.
If you want to
I can save you
I can take you away from here
DAWSON: Happy to see us?
JOEY: You have no idea!
So lonely inside
So busy out there
And all you wanted
Was somebody who cares
She lets them go.
JOEY: Why are you dressed up in those ridiculous outfits?
Dawson rolls his eyes.
PACEY: See? What’d I tell you? Ridiculous.
She laughs.
All you wanted was somebody who cares
JOEY: I don’t know how you pulled it off…
Pacey poses dramatically.
PACEY: Well, I can’t take all the credit…
DAWSON: …but you will anyway!
JOEY: …but thanks. Thank you so much.
Dawson smiles.
DAWSON: You’d do the same for us, right?
If you need me
you know I'll be there
Oh, yeah
Behind them, Hetson groans.
HETSON: I think I’m gonna be sick.
The three of them turn towards him.
DAWSON & JOEY & PACEY: BITE ME!
Hetson sighs.
HETSON: Miss Potter, I think your friends may be more of a headache than you are. Still…they’re both better looking than Eddie.
PACEY: Well, that’s a given.
Joey rolls her eyes. She then plucks the shades off of Dawson’s face, and puts them on herself.
If you want to
I can save you
I can take you
away from here
V.O.(Dawson): I think I get it now. In the end, it doesn’t really matter who ends up with whom, does it? What matters, really, is that you stay true to yourself. Otherwise, do you really deserve anybody?
The camera pans to each one of them in turn.
So lonely inside
So busy out there
V.O.(Dawson): My name is Dawson Leery, and I’m a filmmaker. I reject reality. I believe that the answers to all of life’s problems can be found in movies. I’m in love with my best friend, and I tend to over-analyze things and see the world in only black and white. That’s who I am, and I’m not going to forget that. Ever again.
DAWSON: So…how was your summer?
Joey half-smiles.
And all you wanted
Was somebody who cares
JOEY: Educational.
The three of them start to laugh, as the camera pans out the window.
Please can you tell me
So I can finally see
Where you go when you're gone
Fade to black
End credits
Michelle Branch