Cut to Creek Side pictures. Andie is at the table, going over some paperwork.
A moment later, a bowl is placed in front of her, steam rising from it. She sniffs.
ANDIE: Mmmm…it smells delicious. Chicken soup?
Pacey shakes his head.
PACEY: Better. Chicken gumbo. Most people don’t realize there’s a difference, but there really is. Worlds of difference between soup, gumbo, and stew.
She rolls her eyes.
ANDIE: Fascinating.
PACEY: Yeah, I know…might as well be speaking Chinese.
Andie eats a spoonful. She closes her eyes, savouring the taste.
ANDIE: Oh, wow! Why couldn’t you know how to cook when we were going out? You would have been the ideal boy.
Pacey grins.
PACEY: You don’t say?
ANDIE: I said ‘would have’, Mr. Ego!
Pacey laughs, and sits in the seat across from her.
PACEY: Speaking of guys, what’s up with you and Dawson the second?
Andie raises an eyebrow, not understanding for a moment.
ANDIE: You mean Oliver?
PACEY: Yeah. You two seemed kind of cozy today. Something happening there?
Andie giggles.
ANDIE: No! Though I have to admit, the man is a charmer.
PACEY: Charmer? That guy? Sure, maybe is a lovable goofball sort of way.
ANDIE: He’s not a goofball, Pacey.
PACEY: Have you seen the guy’s hair? And notice how baggy his clothes are? The guy’s mangy.
ANDIE: And cute, too.
PACEY: Cute? You gotta raise your standards, McPhee.
Andie laughs.
ANDIE: Ok, let’s change the subject to your love life, Pacey. How goes things with the proverbial, proverbial, proverbial triangle? I heard they’re hitting an all-night study session as we speak.
Pacey groans.
PACEY: Please tell me you do not buy into Oliver’s subtext theory.
ANDIE: What? Don’t tell me you’re not the least bit concerned?
PACEY: For starters, I’m over the whole me/Joey/Dawson troika. Ok? I had enough of being second best to both of them. That dead horse is sufficiently glue, Andie.
ANDIE: So, you’re no longer haunted by the ‘what could be’s’?
PACEY: Hey, they could be doing the horizontal in front of the camera for all I care. Actually, I would care…because I have no desire to work on THOSE kinds of movies! It’d ruin by credibility!
Andie laughs.
PACEY: Secondly, I highly doubt we’ll be seeing any R-rated activities between them for quite some time. Dawson has become a complete workaholic in the past few weeks. I don’t even think he looks at girls anymore. And Joey’s so caught up in her self-discovery mission that she’s the same way.
ANDIE: And how about you, Pacey? Have you joined the celibacy squad?
Pacey pauses for a moment. He looks at her, thinking about his response.
PACEY: Nah! You know me…just waiting for the next opportunity. Odds are the next damsel in distress I run across will end up on my arm before you know it.
Andie finishes her food, and packs up the papers. She gets up from her seat and walks over to Pacey.
She then brushes her hand across Pacey’s cheek.
ANDIE: Well, whoever she is, she’ll be a really lucky girl. Night, Pacey.
Andie heads upstairs. Pacey watches her go.
PACEY: Yeah. Sweet dreams, Andie.
Pacey sits in the darkness alone, contemplating.
*****
Cut to Joey’s dorm room. Slowly, we focus on two people asleep on the bed. They’re lying back-to-back, on top of the covers.
Joey’s the first to wake up. She quickly realizes someone else is there with her.
JOEY: Audrey?
She sees Dawson. Smirking, she climbs off the bed and goes over to his side.
JOEY: Wake up, sleepy-head!
Dawson opens his eyes.
DAWSON: Please tell me the entire last year’s been a dream?
She shakes her head.
JOEY: Sorry, Bobby! No Dallasizms for you. Your mom’s still dating a spawn of the devil.
He groans.
DAWSON: Yeah, thanks for reminding me. I didn’t mean to stay the whole night.
JOEY: Don’t worry about it. I spent the night in your room so often when we were growing up. About time I returned the favour.
He smiles.
DAWSON: Don’t you have a class to get to?
JOEY: Yeah, I’d better get going.
She goes over to her desk, packing some stuff up.
JOEY: You can use the shower if you want. Just be sure to lock up when you leave.
DAWSON: I could always just use the window.
Joey laughs.
JOEY: You do that!
She leaves. Dawson climbs out of bed, looking around. He examines Joey’s posting board.
DAWSON: For god’s sakes, get a better picture of me. I look like Tom Cruise!
He then looks at the desk. He sees the snow globe he got her for her birthday. He also notices her diary. He reaches for it, but stops himself.
DAWSON: Oh no! I’m not making THAT mistake again! Why doesn’t she just use the computer?
Dawson sighs, pulling off his shirt. He then wanders into the bathroom and starts running the water.
Suddenly, someone knocks on the door.
GIRL: (off-screen) Joey? You there? It’s me, Julie!
Dawson can’t hear her because of the running water. After awhile, the door opens slightly. Julie steps inside.
JULIE: Hey, we were getting a study group together and wanted to know if you were in!
DAWSON: (off-screen) Joey? You forget something?
Dawson wanders out of the bathroom, wearing a towel. Julie gasped.
JULIE: Oh! I’m sorry…I, um…I was looking for Joey.
Dawson blushes, slightly embarrassed.
DAWSON: Yeah, she just left for class. If you hurry you might be able to catch her.
JULIE: Thanks.
She goes to leave, but turns back towards him.
JULIE: Dawson, right? Dawson Leery? The movie guy?
DAWSON: Yeah, that’s me.
She smiles.
JULIE: Wow! Um…see you later!
She leaves.
*****
Cut to the cafeteria downstairs. Julie is sitting with a group of her friends.
JULIE: I swear to god! Joey Potter had that director guy in her room.
GUY: Maybe she’s a part of the cast?
JULIE: He was wearing a towel!
The group gasps.
GIRL: No way!
*****
Cut to the hallway. The same girl who was with Julie is talking with another group.
GIRL: No lie! Joey Potter slept with the director!
GUY: Joey? As in the ice queen?
ELLIOT: I know her, ok? She wouldn’t do that with a guy she just met! At least, I don’t think so.
*****
Cut to another hallway.
ELLIOT: So this girl says she walked in on them…
DEREK: Wait? The director? Dawson?
ELLIOT: Yeah.
DEREK: That jerk was covering for her when he first got here.
ELLIOT: So they know each other?
*****
Cut to one of the classrooms.
DEREK: She’s having sex with the guy. Probably trying to get the lead in the movie they’re making here.
GUY # 1: Those Hollywood types are all the same.
GUY # 2: Hey, didn’t she have that thing with Wilder two years back? I’m not surprised.
*****
Cut to Hetson’s classroom. Joey sits down at her desk, as a conversation is going on behind her.
GIRL: You know, I really hope I get the part in that movie.
GUY: Tough luck. Who knows, though…you could always get a supporting role.
Joey turns around.
JOEY: I wouldn’t count her out just yet. The director’s really good at judging people. I know him.
The guy smirks.
GUY: Oh, I’m sure you do!
Joey looks confused. Another girl sits next to her.
GIRL # 2: How goes the project?
She smiles.
JOEY: Great! Just hope I had extra time to work on it, though. I know Hetson won’t give an extension, no matter how much we beg.
GUY: You could always try seducing him. I mean, it worked with the director.
Joey’s eyes go wide. She spins around, staring at the guy.
JOEY: Excuse me?
GUY: Dawson Leery. The guy you slept with last night!
JOEY: WHAT???
Joey’s exclamation attracts the attention of every pair of eyes in the classroom.
GUY: Come on, someone said they walked in on the two of you?
JOEY: Doing what? Nothing like that happened! I didn’t…
GIRL: So he wasn’t in your room last night?
JOEY: He was, but he was just helping me with my homework.
Someone chuckles.
GUY # 2: Is that what they’re calling it these days?
JOEY: Shut up!
JULIE: Hey, wait a minute…anyone remember that email from last year? Wasn’t it addressed to a ‘Dawson’?
GUY: Is it the same guy? Come on, Potter…give us the dirt!
Joey makes a fist.
JOEY: I’ve got your ‘dirt’ right here!
The guy backs away. Before anyone else can say a word, Hetson walks in.
HETSON: Good morning, class! Please take your seats.
Everyone sits down as Hetson starts the class. Although, a few stray chuckles are heard in the background.
Joey sighs, not knowing what to do.
*****
Cut to the same classroom where the auditions were held the day before. Dawson is going over a recording of some of the auditions when Chris enters.
CHRIS: Hey, Dawson?
Dawson shuts it off and looks towards Chris.
DAWSON: Chris Wolfe, my first star. Trying to make a second movie?
CHRIS: Actually, I wanted to ask you a favour.
Dawson raises an eyebrow, intrigued.
DAWSON: I’m listening.
CHRIS: Remember in high school, how you always put together these really elaborate scares every Friday the 13th? Jen told me about them. Fake blood, dummy corpses…the works.
Dawson grins proudly.
DAWSON: It rings a bell.
CHRIS: I need you to make something like that for me, only on a much larger scale. A haunted house!
DAWSON: Any particular reason?
Chris sighs.
CHRIS: Audrey.
Dawson smiles.
DAWSON: Chris, you old softy…
CHRIS: Yeah, yeah…mock. There’s this old theatre downtown. The Mad Cat Playhouse. It hasn’t been used for years, and the city’s thinking of tearing it down. If I buy it…maybe restore it…
DAWSON: Lucky for you, I’m a romantic at heart. Your gesture sounds interesting, I’ll give you that. You’ll need actors…
CHRIS: Got em’!
DAWSON: Then I’ll see what I can do.
Chris gives him one of the flyers he was passing out. Dawson’s eyes go wide.
DAWSON: Saturday? Cutting in close, aren’t you?
CHRIS: Time is of the essence.
Chris takes off, just as Pacey walks through the door.
CHRIS: Witter.
PACEY: Wolfe.
Pacey walks up to Dawson.
PACEY: What was that about?
DAWSON: Chris wants Audrey to like him, so he needs our help. We’re putting together a haunted house.
Dawson begins writing out a diagram on a piece of paper.
DAWSON: Hopefully I’m not too rusty. It’s only a rough diagram until I actually see how the floor in the place is laid out. It’s a theatre, so it shouldn’t…
PACEY: Um, Dawson…I think we’ve got something more important than playing cupid right now.
Sensing Pacey’s seriousness, Dawson puts down the paper. He looks at Pacey.
DAWSON: What’s wrong?
Pacey takes a deep breath.
PACEY: We’re friends, right? Despite our rocky past, you know you can trust me now. Don’t you?
Dawson nods.
PACEY: So if a certain life-altering event happens you’d confide in me about it? You’d tell me the truth?
DAWSON: Where’s this leading?
PACEY: You were with Joey last night, right?
DAWSON: Yeah.
PACEY: Did you two have sex?
Dawson’s jaw drops.
DAWSON: That’s abrupt! Pacey, I thought you were…
PACEY: I am! This isn’t about me, Dawson! Just answer the question. Did you sleep with her?
Dawson shakes his head.
DAWSON: No! Not recently, anyway. Why?
PACEY: Well, everyone thinks you did?
Dawson’s eyes go wide. He goes into a panic.
DAWSON: Everyone…oh god! I was using the shower after Joey left. A girl came in a saw me…
PACEY: Saw you? My mouth drops!
DAWSON: I was wearing a towel!
PACEY: Oh, I guess this makes it ok then!
DAWSON: Pacey!
He sighs.
DAWSON: Lord knows Joey’s probably freaking out as we speak.
Both of them pause.
PACEY: So, what you going to do?
DAWSON: Me? I’m going to go scare some people. Come on!
Dawson grabs some papers and heads out the door. Pacey follows him.