Cut to Hell’s Kitchen. Joey is sitting at a table with Pacey.
PACEY: Ok, I’m going to ask you this once, and I expect an answer. Got it?
Joey sighs.
JOEY: Got it.
PACEY: Now, what are you and Dawson? Simple question.
Joey thinks it over.
JOEY: I don’t know…
PACEY: Come on. You’ve had to have thought about it one time or another.
JOEY: Me and Dawson?
PACEY: Yeah.
A smile comes over her face.
JOEY: Me and Dawson? Hmm...got it! Xander and Willow, in the earlier episodes.
Pacey shakes his head in protest.
PACEY: Uh-uh, no way! If anyone's Xander, I'm Xander
JOEY: Then who am I?
PACEY: Buffy, easy!
She scoffs.
JOEY: Oh, sure! Make me the blonde!
PACEY: Can you name another girl in our illustrious social circle who's beat up jocks?
Joey sighs.
JOEY: Spike's Chris, of course!
PACEY: Of course.
JOEY: I may be violently ill!
PACEY: Let’s just forget that he’s the only guy you haven’t gone out with!
JOEY: Oh, so I’m easy now, am I?
PACEY: I did not say that!
The two of them laugh.
JOEY: Who’s Anya again?
PACEY: Audrey. Who else?
Joey nods.
JOEY: Mmmm…she does have a knack at saying the most inappropriate things, doesn’t she? Now that I think about it, Andie’s more of a ‘Willow’ than I am.
Pacey smirks.
JOEY: What?
PACEY: Sorry…just got a mental picture.
She rolls her eyes.
PACEY: Ok, so who’s Dawson then?
Joey grins.
JOEY: Who’s left?
Pacey’s eyes go wide.
PACEY: Oh no! No, no, no, I refuse to acknowledge that. Just completely inconceivable.
JOEY: Come on, Pacey!
PACEY: Dawson is SO not Angel! For one, Angel’s moody. Dawson is the exact opposite of moody. He’s anti-moody! He’s cheery, almost!
JOEY: Sorry, Pace! Fits the criteria. Angel’s always wearing the same jacket, and Dawson’s been wearing that same red shirt ever since graduation. I’m starting to think he found a crate of them.
Pacey rolls his eyes.
JOEY: Then there’s the easily jealous thing. Running away to LA. Turning evil after you sleep with him…
Pacey scoffs.
PACEY: You have a very narrow idea of ‘evil’, don’t you?
Joey gives him a look.
JOEY: On second thought, all guys do.
PACEY: Hey, I was not evil! Insensitive, maybe…I’ll give you that.
At that moment, Dawson enters the bar.
DAWSON: Pacey insensitive? Will wonders never cease?
Joey looks at Dawson and smiles.
JOEY: Hey. What’s up?
Dawson sighs.
DAWSON: Time. We need to write up a contract before we start filming.
Dawson notices Pacey watching their every move, and suddenly has a twinge of guilt.
DAWSON: Um…Pacey, you wanna hit the library?
Pacey gets up from his seat.
PACEY: Sure. I’ll go round up our co-conspirators and meet you there.
DAWSON: I’ll come with you.
Pacey shakes his head.
PACEY: Nah, it’s ok. I can handle it. Uh…see you later, Potter.
He takes off.
JOEY: Bye.
Dawson sits down across from Joey. She looks distressed.
JOEY: Dawson, can I ask you something?
He listens.
JOEY: Have you noticed Pacey acting…differently this past week?
DAWSON: Differently? I don’t think so.
She sighs.
JOEY: Then I guess it is just me!
Dawson suddenly realizes what she means.
DAWSON: Oh! Yeah, maybe a little.
JOEY: We had kind of an…intense argument back at that intervention with Wilder. Ever since, he’s been kind of distant with me. Something’s bothering him, but he won’t tell me what it is.
DAWSON: I can’t imagine what.
Joey nods, then gets up from her chair.
JOEY: We still on for Capeside this weekend?
DAWSON: Oh, definitely. Mom and Lily can’t wait to see you.
Joey grins, then turns to leave.
DAWSON: Joey? About Pacey…?
She turns around, with a look of concern.
JOEY: Yeah?
Dawson appears as if he wants to tell her the truth, but backs off at the last moment.
DAWSON: I’m sure he’ll tell you when he’s ready.
She smiles.
JOEY: Thanks. You’re a good friend.
She leaves. Once she’s gone, Dawson leans back in his chair, exhausted.
DAWSON: (grumbling) Yeah…some friend!
*****
Cut to the town library. It’s an old-looking building, made out of stone. The front door is large and made of oak.
Inside, Dawson, Pacey, Andie, and Oliver are sitting at one of the centre tables, looking through some books.
ANDIE: What are we looking for again?
DAWSON: Law books. Specifically ones dealing with copyrights, entertainment, and contracts.
Andie and Oliver get up from their seats.
OLIVER: Maybe we should check upstairs? See if there’s anything in reference?
Dawson nods, and they leave. Once the two of them are safely out of earshot, he turns to Pacey.
PACEY: You know what the one thing I was most glad of when I decided not to go to college? No more homework. Never thought I’d find myself in a library again.
Dawson chuckles.
DAWSON: Pacey?
PACEY: Yeah?
Dawson bites his lip.
DAWSON: Are you ok?
Pacey stares at him with a smirk.
PACEY: Sure, I’m fine. Why do you ask?
DAWSON: I just want to make sure you’re ok with it. Your decision, I mean. From last week.
Pacey nods, understanding.
PACEY: I’ll manage, bro. Sure, there’s the period of readjustment and everything, but we’re cool.
He freezes.
PACEY: You didn’t, like, ask Joey out or anything, did you? Is that why you’re…?
Dawson shakes his head.
DAWSON: No, nothing like that. She’s just…she’s worried about you, Pace. You didn’t tell her, did you?
He shrugs.
PACEY: Didn’t see the need to, really. Worried how?
DAWSON: I don’t know. Joey thinks you’re mad at her for something. You should talk to her.
Pacey shakes his head.
PACEY: I’d rather not, Dawson. This isn’t about her. Not really.
DAWSON: But she doesn’t know that. I…I don’t like lying to her is all.
PACEY: You’re not, don’t worry. You’re just not telling her everything you know.
Dawson gives him a reluctant look.
PACEY: Just consider it a favour to me, ok? I scratch your back, you scratch mine. Got it?
Dawson nods.
DAWSON: I guess…
*****
Cut to Worthington University. Hetson’s class has just finished, as several students try to leave.
Joey, however, walks up to professor Hetson.
HETSON: (sarcastically) I can’t tell you how happy I am that you convinced my little angel to drag me off to the boonies for the weekend.
Joey sighs.
JOEY: Capeside isn’t the boonies, Professor Hetson. And it was her idea, not mine.
HETSON: All the same, why do I have to go?
JOEY: Because you’re her dad and you love her? Because leaving your daughter in a strange town with people you don’t even know should be your worst nightmare.
Hetson sighs.
HETSON: I keep having this nightmare where everyone in that town is like you. I can’t imagine what your parents are like. Please tell me they’re nothing like you.
Joey rolls her eyes.
JOEY: Hey, you never know…you just might end up relaxing this weekend.
HETSON: Highly doubtful.
Joey picks up her books and places them in her bag.
JOEY: I’ll meet you at Leery’s Fresh Fish. I just have to do some last-minute research at the library first. Trust me, after two days in Capeside, it’ll feel like home.
Joey exits the classroom, leaving Hetson to shake his head in amazement.
HETSON: How do I get myself into these things?
*****
Later, at the library.
Joey walks in the front door, but is quickly stopped by the librarian.
LIBRARIAN: I’m sorry, we’re closing soon. I was just about to tell everyone to clear out.
JOEY: Wait! Please, it’ll just take an hour. My friends are already in here.
Joey looks over her shoulder to see Dawson and Pacey sitting at one of the tables. Joey waves at them, and they wave back.
The librarian ponders it for a moment.
LIBRARIAN: I really need to leave soon. Tell you what…I’ll leave the front door open a crack. They lock from the outside, and I’ve already locked the back door. You just have to remember to shut it all the way when you leave. Deal?
Joey nods.
JOEY: Deal.
Quickly, Joey heads towards the shelf, searching for the book she needs.
DAWSON: So, you all packed?
Joey turns to him, and pats the duffel bag on her shoulder.
JOEY: Yep. I’m supposed to meet Hetson at your mom’s restaurant.
Pacey raises an eyebrow.
PACEY: You going to Capeside?
DAWSON: Just for the weekend. Mom wants me to fill her in on Creek Side Pictures.
JOEY: And I haven’t even seen Bessie since I left for Paris. You wanna tag along?
Pacey shakes his head.
PACEY: Nah. The two of you would rather do it solo, right?
A worried look crosses Joey’s face. Dawson bites his lip, realizing that Pacey should have worded that a lot differently.
*****
Meanwhile, upstairs…
Andie comes across Chris and Audrey, who are perusing one of the stacks.
ANDIE: Hey! Didn’t expect to see you here.
Audrey shows her the book she has ‘The Phantom Of The Opera’.
AUDREY: Research. They made a book first, you know?
ANDIE: (sarcastically) No kidding?
The two of them laugh.
ANDIE: Congratulations, by the way. On getting the part.
Audrey grins.
AUDREY: Like there was ever any doubt? I get to not only rock the house with my magnificent voice, but stun people with me diva-like acting skills at the same time.
Andie sighs.
ANDIE: You know there’s such thing as too much pride?
AUDREY: Hmm…what time does this place close again?
ANDIE: Oh, I sent Oliver back downstairs to check on that.
*****
Cut back to downstairs, where Oliver is searching for the librarian. He looks behind her desk, not able to find her.
OLIVER: Hello? Yoo-hoo?
He shivers, noticing a breeze. Annoyed, he walks up to the door.
OLIVER: Ok, who left this open?
Joey notices what he’s about to do, and races across the room in a panic.
JOEY: WAIT! Don’t shut the…!
However, her warning comes too late. He shuts the door closes with a hard ‘slam’. Joey just stares at him, horrified.
OLIVER: What?
JOEY: That door…locks from the outside. We can’t get out now!
Oliver scoffs.
OLIVER: Don’t be ridiculous.
Oliver pulls on the handle, only to find it doesn’t work.
OLIVER: Oh boy…