Cut back to Turner’s office. Dawson and Oliver are still sitting in the same seats. Turner himself, however, is gone.
DAWSON: That’s it, then? We blew it!
Oliver shrugs.
OLIVER: There’ll be other film festivals, right?
DAWSON: When, months from now? What am I going to do in the meantime? We don’t have enough money to make a second movie. I failed!
Dawson chuckles.
DAWSON: What am I going to tell Pacey? No, forget that…what am I going to tell Todd?
At that moment, Turner comes back inside. He’s carrying the tape.
TURNER: It’s a shame. This movie is good.
OLIVER: You liked it?
Turner nods.
TURNER: Though I really don’t know what else you need to do with it. That ending is almost perfect.
Oliver raises an eyebrow.
OLIVER: It is?
TURNER: Yeah. What you did with that window scene…
DAWSON: What window scene?
TURNER: At the end. I especially like the subplot with the friend and the teacher. Dustin Hoffman would be proud.
Dawson eyes go wide, as he opens up the cassette tape.
DAWSON: I can’t believe this!
OLIVER: What?
DAWSON: I--I brought the wrong tape! This isn’t your movie! It’s mine! I’m sorry, sir…I…
TURNER: Well, why don’t you enter this film in the festival?
Dawson shakes his head.
DAWSON: I can’t!
Oliver looks at him, confused.
OLIVER: Why the hell not?
DAWSON: I just can’t.
Dawson gets up and heads out the door.
DAWSON: Sorry for wasting your time…
Oliver sighs.
OLIVER: Can you excuse us a moment?
He chases after Dawson.
OLIVER: Dawson! Wait!
*****
Cut to outside the movie theatre. Chris and Audrey walk out, laughing.
CHRIS: So, what’d you think?
AUDREY: Oh, I loved it! You really have to ask when it comes to Hugh Grant? Was it supposed to be a rhetorical question?
Chris laughs.
AUDREY: Listen, we…
CHRIS: Have to talk?
She nods.
AUDREY: Yeah. We do.
They start to walk.
AUDREY: You were completely right. The only thing I could think of was calling you. Sorting this all out. Finally, after hours of soul-searching, I came up with some lame excuse to spend time around you.
CHRIS: It took you hours to come up with ‘let’s go to the movies’?
AUDREY: Don’t mock. Anyway, here we are. Should I start?
He shakes his head.
CHRIS: No. I started this whole thing, so I should talk first.
AUDREY: Ok…
Chris bites his lip.
CHRIS: Truth is, I’ve wanted to kiss you for months. I’ve never been what you’d call shy around girls before, but with you I was. I didn’t know how to approach it. Last week just felt like the best opportunity. But it wasn’t, was it?
AUDREY: No. If you knew that, why’d you do it?
CHRIS: Because I’ve gotten so used to preying on girl’s weaknesses to get what I want. But it was wrong, and I apologize. I shouldn’t have taken advantage of you like that. Sorry.
She smiles at him.
AUDREY: Apology accepted.
CHRIS: Ok, now your turn.
She sighs.
AUDREY: Ever since it happened, I can’t seem to get you out of my head. It’s driving me crazy. I mean, don’t get me wrong, you’re hardly bad looking. Oh, who am I kidding? You’re gorgeous! But…
CHRIS: But what?
AUDREY: You hear what they say about me, right? That I don’t take anything seriously? Well, that’s because most of the time I don’t. It’s easier not to get attached for me, because I tend to ruin everyone I date. I’m damaged.
CHRIS: And I’m not?
She looks at him.
CHRIS: You want to take a look at someone’s past, try looking at mine. It’s not pretty. There’s probably dozens of people out there who are convinced I’m the lowest form of life on the planet. Next to me, you’re an angel.
She blushes.
AUDREY: Then what is it?
CHRIS: What’s what?
AUDREY: What makes you care about me so much?
He sighs.
CHRIS: I’m going to have to borrow a line from Jack here.
She raises an eyebrow.
AUDREY: Why Jack?
He smiles.
CHRIS: Because you make me want to be a better man.
She pauses for a moment, and then smiles.
AUDREY: Ohhh…THAT Jack!
He nods.
AUDREY: You were right…I want to kiss you again. Especially when you talk like that. But I’m just scared of being hurt again.
CHRIS: We can start slow.
She smiles.
AUDREY: Really?
CHRIS: Yeah. Really.
*****
Cut to the dorm. Chris and Audrey barge into the room, making out furiously. They continue kissing until they fall down on Joey’s bed.
AUDREY: Wrong bed! Wrong bed!
They spring up, twirling around, and land on Audrey’s bed this time. Audrey is now on top of him.
They continue to kiss.
CHRIS: This is ‘slow’ for you?
She giggles, before taking off his shirt.
*****
Cut to a suburb. Someone knocks on the door of one of the houses.
A moment later, Patrick opens the door.
PATRICK: Oh, it’s you!
Joey stands in front of him, crossing her arms angrily.
JOEY: Outside! Now!
He sighs.
PATRICK: Come on…
They start to walk.
PATRICK: So, how is she?
Joey scoffs.
JOEY: Like you care?
PATRICK: I care. Believe me, I care! I hate to see her upset.
JOEY: Well, you should have thought of that before dumping her! Maybe if you get on your knees and beg…
PATRICK: I made my decision.
Joey stares at him, wide-eyed.
JOEY: But you just said…
PATRICK: I know. That’s what makes this hard.
JOEY: Do you love her?
He sighs.
PATRICK: I’m not sure.
JOEY: How can you not be sure? Either you love someone or you don’t.
PATRICK: It’s not that simple, ok? I like spending time with her. We have fun together, she laughs at my jokes, and kissing her is…well, it’s out of this world! I don’t want to hurt her, but…she acts like I’m her entire world sometimes. Like there’s nothing that’s more important to her than our relationship. It’s serious…it’s too serious for me. Do you understand what I’m saying?
Joey nods, sadly.
JOEY: You need to be alone?
PATRICK: I have feelings for her. Maybe I always will, but I’m just not ready for this kind of commitment yet. I need to, you know…find myself first.
Joey stares at him in utter shock.
JOEY: (whispering) What…did you just say?
PATRICK: Every now and then I run into this other girl that shows an interest in me. I start to think maybe I should go after them, but then I remember Harley. I act on it, and I feel like the biggest jerk in the world. I hate feeling like that. I don’t want to be that kind of guy. So until I can figure out what kind of guy I want to be, it’s only best that there isn’t an ‘us’. You understand?
JOEY: I thought I did.
Joey walks away, her eyes reflecting a newfound truth she hadn’t considered.
*****
Cut to the side of the road. Dawson sits on a bench outside Turner’s office, staring at the cassette in his hands.
Oliver sits down beside him.
OLIVER: Why are you such a freaking moron?
Dawson turns to him.
DAWSON: Hello to you, too.
OLIVER: Seriously, what’s your problem, Leery?
DAWSON: We didn’t come here for my movie, Oliver. We came here for yours, and I…
OLIVER: Shut up for a second, ok?
Dawson sighs.
OLIVER: Who cares? Me, I can wait a few more months. You on the other hand have borrowed money from that overrated hack in order to set up your little business. I wouldn’t have even been able to make this movie if it wasn’t for you, Dawson. Now, here’s your chance to stay in business, and you won’t even try?
DAWSON: Not with this movie I can’t.
OLIVER: Why? What’s it about?
Dawson looks at him, unsure.
OLIVER: Dawson?
DAWSON: It’s about me!
Oliver’s eyes go wide.
OLIVER: About you?
DAWSON: My first three months of high school. It’s about me and Joey.
Oliver laughs.
OLIVER: You’re kidding me? You made a movie about you and the ‘love of your life’?
DAWSON: And Jen. And, to a lesser extent, Pacey.
Oliver shakes his head disbelievingly.
OLIVER: And you think it won’t sell? Leery, I’ve hung out with you guys. You could make an entire sitcom about yourselves.
DAWSON: This isn’t the first time I tried this, Oliver. In tenth grade, I made the same exact type of movie. I was told, in no small words, that it was a self-indulgent piece of crap.
OLIVER: So? You’ve had people dislike your movies before, right?
DAWSON: This isn’t just a movie, Oliver. It’s my life. When she said that…it was like she was saying my entire life was a waste. That I was boring, and unrealistic, and naive…it felt as if the world I had inspired to my entire life just rejected me. That almost destroyed me, and I’m not sure I can go through that again.
They pause.
OLIVER: You know what I think, Dawson? You’re scared. Not that the same thing is going to happen. No, you’re scared that this might actually work?
Dawson looks at him.
DAWSON: Oliver, you…
OLIVER: Just hear me out, ok? I go to a school full of would-be filmmakers and artists, but for some reason you’ve got more passion for this job than any one of them. Myself included. You had the dream every one of us wishes for on a silver platter, but you rejected it because you had to make compromises. Do you have any idea how much guts that takes?
Dawson’s spirits begin to rise.
OLIVER: Dawson…that guy in there loved your movie. Maybe he’s just a sap, or maybe you made this one better than the first…I don’t know. However, I do know that when you told that story about your high school romance two years ago, it almost brought me to tears. If you could do that just by telling me, imagine what you’ll do with an entire freaking movie?
Dawson thinks about this.
DAWSON: You think this actually has a chance of not being laughed at?
Oliver shakes his head.
OLIVER: Nope.
Then he smiles.
OLIVER: I think this actually has the chance of winning. So here’s what you’re going to do. You’re going to take your life there, and you’re going to place it on the table for all the world to see. And there’s a small chance that your life story is going to end up on the big screen.
Dawson smiles from ear-to-ear.
*****
Cut to back at the house. Pacey and Andie are on the couch, kissing passionately.
PACEY: Oh, Andie…
She giggles.
ANDIE: Isn’t this better than any stupid carriage ride?
PACEY: You really have to ask?
They continue kissing.
PACEY: I think you’ve actually improve with age. If that’s at all possible.
ANDIE: Well, they say the French are the best lovers.
They look each other in the eyes for a moment, smiling.
Then, suddenly, Andie takes her top off.
Pacey’s eyes go wide, as he stares at her. She smiles, proudly.
ANDIE: (whispers) And now that I’ve got your attention…
She leans down to kiss him again. However…
PACEY: Andie, stop…
She freezes.
ANDIE: Huh? What do you mean ‘stop’?
PACEY: I don’t wanna do this.
ANDIE: Oh god…
Andie quickly puts her shirt back on.
ANDIE: You don’t want to…? What’s wrong?
PACEY: Nothing. I just…
ANDIE: Don’t tell me nothing’s wrong, Pacey! We’ve slept together before.
PACEY: Yeah, a long time ago. Do I have to remind you when and where the last time was?
Andie’s face falls.
ANDIE: So that’s what this is about? That thing with Rob? You still haven’t forgiven me for that?
PACEY: I took advantage of you that night, Andie! I haven’t forgiven myself for that!
ANDIE: I know I’m not Joey, but…
Pacey starts to laugh.
ANDIE: You’re laughing?
PACEY: Can someone explain to me why we’re all so damn insecure? Dawson’s insecure because of me, I’m insecure because of Dawson, Joey’s insecure because of Jen, and you’re insecure because of Joey!
Andie calms down.
ANDIE: You’re insecure?
He nods.
ANDIE: Why?
Pacey smiles.
I know
you think that
I shouldn't
still love you,
I'll tell you that.
PACEY: Dawson stayed a virgin all through high school. I used to make fun of him because of that, but the more I think of it, the more I realize that it’s given him a different perspective on relationships than I have.
ANDIE: I don’t understand.
PACEY: With me, sex usually complicates things in a relationship. Heck, sometimes it even makes things worse. It’s like I’m stuck in a pattern. So I figure the one way to get out of this pattern is by doing the exact opposite of what I usually do.
But if I didn't
say it,
well I'd still
have felt it
where's the sense in that?
He puts his hand on Andie’s shoulder.
PACEY: By some miracle, you and I got another chance. Do you have any idea how unlikely that is, Andie? I really don’t want to screw this up. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I want to take things slow with you. When we do have sex again, and I promise we will…I want it to really mean something.
She smiles.
I promise
I'm not trying
to make your life harder
Or return to where we were
ANDIE: So you’re willing to be patient?
He nods.
Well I will go down with this ship
And I won't put my hands up and surrender
PACEY: Most definitely. Because you’re most surely worth the wait.
They kiss.
There will be no white flag above my door
I'm in love and always will be
PACEY: You know what else I just realized?
ANDIE: What?
PACEY: Your shirt’s on backwards.
I know
I left too
much mess and
destruction to come back again
Andie laughs.
ANDIE: Why, so it is. You gonna turn around?
PACEY: Now, at what point did I say I wasn’t allowed to look?
ANDIE: Turn around, Pacey.
And I caused nothing
but trouble
I understand
if you can't talk to me again
He chuckles, and turns around. However, he takes a peek over his shoulder.
Pacey’s greeted by a pillow thrown at his face.
And if you live by the rules of "it's over"
then I'm sure that that makes sense
*****
Cut back to Turner’s office. Dawson comes in and hands the tape back to turner.
TURNER: Well?
Dawson smiles.
Well I will go down with this ship
And I won't put my hands up and surrender
DAWSON: I’d like to enter this in the Sundance Film Festival.
Turner smiles.
TURNER: Glad to hear it.
Dawson and Oliver retake their seats.
There will be no white flag above my door
I'm in love and always will be
TURNER: So, you mind giving a description of the film for the judges?
He takes out a pad of paper and a pen.
DAWSON: Um…I hadn’t really thought about it yet.
Then he smiles.
And when we meet
Which I'm sure we will
DAWSON: I guess it’s about a story about a boy. A boy who loves movies…no, who obsesses over them. His best friend doesn’t understand it. She’s convinced he’s so out of touch with reality that he can’t see what’s right in front of him.
All that was then
Will be there still
Turner writes all this down. Oliver grins proudly at Dawson’s enthusiasm.
DAWSON: He doesn’t know it, but his friend’s in love with him. The guy is so clueless, that when this beautiful girl moves in next-door, he falls head over heals for her. Meanwhile, there’s this other friend who…
I'll let it pass
And hold my tongue
And you will think
That I've moved on....
Dawson continues to speak, as the camera pans up.
Well I will go down with this ship
And I won't put my hands up and surrender
There will be no white flag above my door
I'm in love and always will be