Cut to the attic of Grams’ old house. Dawson is sitting on the bed, watching ‘Animal House’.
A moment later, Pacey arrives from below, noticing Dawson’s eyes glued to the set.
PACEY: Oh man…why didn’t you tell me this was on?
Pacey leaps onto the bed beside him.
DAWSON: Didn’t think it was such a big deal.
Pacey scoffs.
PACEY: You kidding me? Kevin Bacon is my idol, remember?
Dawson chuckles.
DAWSON: It’s like watching a car crash. Watching it, you realize just how self-destructive the Deltas are.
PACEY: Self-destructive?
DAWSON: Well…yeah.
Pacey shakes his head in disappointment.
PACEY: Dawson, Dawson, Dawson…my poor, sheltered friend. Why must you always equate fun in such a negative light?
DAWSON: You call this fun?
PACEY: Didn’t we put Principal Peskin’s yacht in the Capeside High swimming pool?
Dawson laughs.
PACEY: Well, a horse in the principal’s office isn’t such a far cry.
DAWSON: I don’t know. Maybe it’s the fact that neither of us have much of a college experience to speak of. I spent a total of one semester in two different places, and you went straight to the working world. The total of our college experience has been living vicariously through Joey.
PACEY: Yeah. I kinda regret it a little, you know. You wonder what things would be like if we’d gone to college?
Dawson thinks for a moment.
DAWSON: Sometimes. Especially considering we’re trying to start our own business now. We jumped through a whole social developmental stage.
PACEY: You nervous?
DAWSON: Aren’t you?
Changing the subject, Pacey notices a box of things beside the bed.
PACEY: Hey! What you got here?
DAWSON: Just some things I forgot here. Remember, I spent a few months living in this attic.
Pacey starts to laugh.
DAWSON: What’s so funny?
Pacey pulls a skirt out of the box.
PACEY: Something you ain’t been telling us, pal?
Dawson chuckles.
DAWSON: Joey must have left it here.
Pacey raises an eyebrow in confusion.
PACEY: Joey?
DAWSON: Yeah. She stayed here for a week after she was mugged, remember?
PACEY: Oh yeah. Man, that wasn’t that long ago, was it?
DAWSON: A year and a half.
Pacey shakes his head.
PACEY: What exactly happened that night?
DAWSON: It’s complicated. The guy died, you know?
Pacey looks at him surprised.
PACEY: She told you what happened?
DAWSON: Yeah. Why?
PACEY: Well…she didn’t tell me. I asked, but…
DAWSON: No big deal. The guy reminded her of her dad, you know?
Pacey sighs.
PACEY: Yeah, my dad always pointed guns at me, too. No…wait, that was Doug! Nevermind.
Dawson rolls his eyes.
DAWSON: Aren’t you the least bit worried that we’re making some huge, colossal mistake here?
PACEY: No way!
Dawson crosses his arms, not believing him.
DAWSON: What if this doesn’t work out? What if we can’t handle it, lose all of Todd’s money, and go back to waiting tables this time next month?
PACEY: Confidence, man! We can do it. You know, we’re kinda like Belushi and his pals, when you think about it.
DAWSON: How so?
Pacey grins.
PACEY: Because, from here on out, Dawson…we make our own rules!
Dawson has a look of foreboding.