Cut to the student centre, where Oliver is talking with Dawson, Andie and Pacey.
OLIVER: This place is PERFECT! It captures the whole feel of the movie right here! Look at that tower up there! Perfect! Oh, I gotta rewrite that scene. I didn’t know there’d be a tower…it’d be perfect for…can we shoot there?
Dawson nods.
DAWSON: We can shoot anywhere but inside the classrooms themselves.
OLIVER: A minor setback, which has a quick fix. Some guys from the art class will put together our sets for us. Owed me a few favours.
Pacey hands him a list of names.
OLIVER: What’s this?
PACEY: What you asked for, remember? Local businesses that want to sponsor. Restaurants and retail stores, mostly. Can you write them into the script?
Oliver looks over at Dawson.
OLIVER: That fast? Where did you find this guy, Leery! Can I keep him?
Pacey laughs.
PACEY: Just doing my job, pal.
Dawson’s eyes wander, as he notices a familiar face walk towards them. It’s Derek, Joey’s ex.
DAWSON: Oh no…
Pacey looks in the same direction.
PACEY: What? What is it?
Derek gives him a cold look.
DEREK: What are you doing back here?
Dawson smirks at him.
DAWSON: Business.
Derek laughs.
DEREK: So you’re Mr. ‘Big Time Director’ that they’ve been talking about around the school. Why am I not surprised? Though you’d be a better fit as an actor.
OLIVER: Want me to rough him up for you?
Derek chuckles.
DEREK: Just try it, scruffy!
Before he can continue, Joey shows up with Audrey.
JOEY: YOU!
Derek turns around and grins at her.
DEREK: Joey! How you been?
JOEY: Fine until you showed up!
Derek sighs.
DEREK: Why am I not surprised you and Eddie Dolan know each other?
Joey raises an eyebrow in surprise.
JOEY: Eddie’s here, too? What is this, Joey’s ex day? Where is he?
Derek stares at her as if she were crazy.
DEREK: He’s right here!
JOEY: Where?
DEREK: Standing right in front you!
Joey looks at Dawson, while Pacey chuckles under his breath.
JOEY: I don’t see him!
Andie speaks up.
ANDIE: Wait, wait…who’s Eddie?
Derek points at Dawson.
DEREK: He is!
JOEY: No he’s not!
Finally, Pacey can’t help himself. He burst out laughing.
PACEY: Hate to say it, Dawson, but your subterfuge is gone now.
Derek looks at them coldly, realizing how stupid he looks.
DEREK: Excuse me? ‘Dawson’?
Dawson smirks.
DAWSON: Yes?
Everyone starts laughing at him now.
DEREK: You’ve just made yourself an enemy.
Then he storms off.
Joey half-smiles, then looks at Dawson.
JOEY: Nice going, ‘Eddie’! You couldn’t think of another name to use?
Dawson shrugs.
DAWSON: Seemed like a good idea at the time.
Pacey walks up to the two of them.
PACEY: Now, Oliver was just saying how much I rule, so…
Joey sighs.
JOEY: Dawson, I have to talk to you again.
Pacey begins to get frustrated.
PACEY: About what?
Joey bites her lip.
JOEY: It’s kinda personal, Pace.
PACEY: (annoyed) Of course it is.
Joey leads Dawson away for the second time. Gently, Andie puts her hand on Pacey’s shoulder.
ANDIE: Pacey?
PACEY: (angrily) I’m fine!
He storms off.
*****
On top of the tower.
DAWSON: You didn’t tell Pacey what’s happening?
JOEY: I don’t know what to say. I’m scared he’ll take me talking to Wilder the wrong way.
Dawson sighs.
DAWSON: Jo, you saw his expression. He’s probably convinced himself that we’re having some sort of passionate tryst behind his back.
Joey rolls her eyes.
JOEY: You have ‘trysts’?
DAWSON: I can have trysts!
She laughs, but then a serious look comes over her face.
JOEY: The thing with Wilder…it’s gotten worse.
Dawson raises an eyebrow.
DAWSON: Worse? Did he kiss you, or…?
Joey shakes her head.
JOEY: I saw him with Harley. They were holding hands!
His eyes go wide.
DAWSON: Maybe it’s not what you think.
JOEY: Dawson, the way he was acting with her…that’s the exact same way he acted with me. I’m starting to think that what happened between Wilder and I wasn’t accidental.
Dawson runs his hands through his hair, disbelievingly.
DAWSON: Ok, hypothetically, let’s just say that David Wilder preys on insecure female students. Harley’s only sixteen years old.
JOEY: So we can add pedophile to his list of crimes. All I know is that I can’t just sit back and let it happen.
Dawson sighs.
DAWSON: What are you going to do?
She pauses.
JOEY: I don’t know. Something.
*****
Later on, back at home, Dawson and Pacey are sitting in the editing room upstairs. Pacey’s going through some papers, while Dawson is preparing the sides for the first act.
Neither one has spoken in awhile.
PACEY: So, why won’t you tell me what you and Joey were talking about?
Dawson sighs.
DAWSON: I can’t. It’s…
PACEY: I know…I know…it’s ‘personal’!
Dawson spins around on the chair, facing Pacey.
DAWSON: I know what you’re thinking, but nothing like that’s going on, Pacey. We just talked. It was completely platonic. Joey’s just in the middle of a crisis, and needed to talk to someone.
PACEY: And she couldn’t talk to me? Why the hell not?
Dawson shakes his head.
PACEY: She doesn’t think she can trust me?
DAWSON: I didn’t say that!
PACEY: Well, she trusts you obviously!
DAWSON: Pacey! Don’t, ok? I don’t wanna fight right now.
Pacey quiets down, and nods.
PACEY: Yeah, ok. Sorry for blowing up just then. I just…never mind.
They get back to work.
*****
Back at the student centre…
AUDREY: Well, here it is!
Chris Wolff takes a look at the poster than Pacey put up there.
CHRIS: If I didn’t know any better, I’d swear Dawson was trying to steal our thunder.
Audrey giggles.
AUDREY: Oh, please! We don’t actually perform until the spring. They’ll be long gone by then.
CHRIS: All the same, it’s going to be distracting. You know, I was in one of Dawson’s movies.
Audrey smiles.
AUDREY: Yeah, me too! I was supposed to get my brains blown out, but ended up sauntering away in the snow. Last minute script change and all that. How about you?
CHRIS: I played Dawson’s angst-ridden cinematic self.
She laughs.
AUDREY: You as Dawson? That would’ve been a sight.
CHRIS: You could always ask to see it.
She crosses her arms.
AUDREY: So where’d you disappear to since then?
CHRIS: Excuse me?
AUDREY: Joey told me you just up and vanished one day. No one’s seen you around here for four years…where’ve you been keeping yourself.
Chris shrugs.
CHRIS: Andie was gone almost as long.
She smirks.
AUDREY: Come on…
Chris quickly changes the subject.
CHRIS: Hey, you want to see if maybe we can get parts in this thing, too? Just for old times sake?
Audrey nods.
AUDREY: If you say so.
However, she still seems suspicious. Audrey knows Chris is hiding something.
*****
In the dean’s office…
OLIVER: We can’t even begin to thank you enough, sir!
The dean smiles.
DEAN: Oh, it’s all right…Oliver, you said?
Oliver nods.
OLIVER: Mmm-hmm!
Dawson steps in.
DEAN: How soon until you start filming.
DAWSON: A few weeks. We just need to get casted and set everything up. Oliver will go over the details with you tonight.
The dean raises an eyebrow.
DEAN: Why can’t you?
Dawson smiles.
DAWSON: I’ve got somewhere to be.
*****
Cut back to Dawson and Pacey’s. Joey walks in the front door, much to Pacey’s surprise.
PACEY: Hey!
JOEY: Hey, Pace! Is Dawson around?
Pacey gets up from the couch and sighs.
PACEY: He’s not here. Said something about having to do something tonight.
Joey begins to look worried.
JOEY: But I told him that…
PACEY: What?
JOEY: Nothing.
Joey starts to pace.
JOEY: Well, he was supposed to go with me to a dance tonight…
PACEY: Dance?
Joey silently curses herself.
JOEY: It’s not what you think!
PACEY: Uh…then why don’t I come with you then? It’ll just take me a moment to get ready.
Joey bites her lip.
JOEY: I don’t know…
PACEY: Come on…
Joey sighs.
JOEY: Would you?
He grins.
PACEY: Wait here! I’ll get my jacket.
He takes off upstairs, leaving Joey looking nervous about what she’s going to do.