Cut to the party. Joey watches the wall clock intently. She sighs.
JOEY: (muttering) Where are you?
Audrey pulls up a chair next to her.
AUDREY: Hey, Bunny?
JOEY: (monotone) Hey.
She examines Joey’s depressed expression.
AUDREY: Oh, cheer up. Maybe he’s delayed at the airport or something like that?
JOEY: Yeah, I guess.
AUDREY: Cheer up, grumpy! It’s a party, remember? Be partyfull! Oh my god, is Pacey hitting on that statue?
Joey smirks.
JOEY: He didn’t introduce you to Miranda yet?
Audrey looks at her, confused.
JOEY: Don’t ask.
*****
Cut to somewhere in Boston. Traffic is being held up, with several people honking.
Inside a taxi, Dawson continues to check his watch.
ANDIE: Come on…what’s the hold up?
The driver looks over his shoulder back at her.
DRIVER: Lady…it’s New Year’s Eve! The streets are crowded.
ANDIE: We need to get there by midnight!
Dawson stares out the window.
*****
Cut back to the party. Pacey walks up to Joey’s table.
PACEY: Ok, now you’re depressing me.
She sighs.
JOEY: Fifteen minutes. He’s not going to make it. God, look at me! You’d think it was the end of the world or something.
Pacey laughs.
PACEY: Come on.
Joey reluctantly follows him.
JOEY: Where we going?
PACEY: Dancing.
She shakes her head.
JOEY: Uh-uh, no way!
PACEY: Do you want to feel pathetic?
JOEY: No.
PACEY: Then I’m not gonna let you mope the entire time you’re here. You’re going!
She sighs, then looks at the clock again.
JOEY: Whatever.
*****
Once again, the dance floor changes. We’re now inside a boathouse. Pacey is sitting in a chair, just as Dawson comes in.
DAWSON: Hey. What are you doing here?
Pacey looks at him, urgency in his eyes.
PACEY: I need to talk to Andie.
Dawson’s face falls.
DAWSON: Why?
PACEY: There’s something I gotta tell her, Dawson.
Dawson sighs.
DAWSON: Pace…I don’t understand why you do this to yourself. You have to let go. It’s over…
PACEY: Not it’s not, dude! No matter how much I want it to be. As long as I still feel something for her… I just can’t give it up, Dawson. I can’t. I love her.
Dawson looks at him for several moments, pity in his eyes.
DAWSON: You’re too late.
Pacey doesn’t understand…
*****
Cut to the street.
ANDIE: You don’t know that…there’s still time.
DAWSON: We’ll never get through this traffic. There’s like five minutes left, and we’re…about two blocks away…
Dawson’s eyes narrow. Quickly, he hands the driver some money and pulls Andie out the door.
ANDIE: Hey!
DAWSON: Don’t talk, just run!
They run down the sidewalk, as all the other cars move at a snail’s pace.
*****
Cut back inside, where Joey and Pacey are dancing.
JOEY: You ok?
Pacey thinks for a moment.
PACEY: Yeah. Yeah, I think I am. And I think I figured out the whole ‘subconscious’ thing you were talking about.
JOEY: Do tell.
PACEY: Generally, the grass is always greener on the other side.
JOEY: So I’ve been told.
Pacey laughs.
PACEY: Anyway, I’ve always look at other people to compare myself to. My brother, Dawson…those snobs at the yacht club. But when you think about it, my life’s really not so bad. I’ve got a great job, wonderful friends…a beautiful girlfriend. Whom, despite being absent today genuinely cares about me. The thing is…I like my life. I like being me. And really, I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
Just then, Pacey catches something out the window, just from the corner of his eye. Two familiar people running through the front door.
He grins, and then…
*****
…Dawson looks up at Andie.
DAWSON: You’re a good friend, you know that?
She smiles.
ANDIE: You are, too.
*****
Joey and Pacey race up the stairs.
JOEY: (panting) Two minutes!
They reach the door, but it’s locked.
PACEY: Other side!
They race around.
*****
And back inside…
DAWSON: Now is where I take my leave. I think someone else wants to dance with you.
Andie looks at him, confused. Then the countdown starts.
CROWD: 10…9…8…
Just then, Pacey barges through the door.
CROWD: …7…6…
Slowly, in mid-run, he morphs into Dawson…
…and Joey’s face lights up in surprise.
CROWD: …5…4…
DAWSON: (panting) Three seconds to spare. I so rule!
CROWD: …3…2…
Joey grabs him by the collar and pulls him in.
JOEY: Shut…
They kiss.
CROWD: 1…HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
A few feet away, Pacey shakes his head in amusement. Then a pair of hands go over his eyes.
ANDIE: Guess who?
He tilts his head slightly back and kisses her. Confetti starts to fall, as people start to activate the noisemakers.
Finally, Joey breaks off the kiss.
JOEY: …up! You know, I was worried for a second.
DAWSON: You can thank the lousy cab service. Hope you had fun without me.
JOEY: Mmmm…not really. You’re so the life of the party.
Dawson gives her a look.
DAWSON: Cute.
Pacey and Andie walk over to them.
PACEY: So? How’d it go?
Dawson grins.
DAWSON: Todd gave us his blessing. Let’s go win this thing!
Pacey throws his hands in the air.
PACEY: YES! Knew you wouldn’t let me down.
Joey grabs Andie’s arm and leads her away.
JOEY: Come on…the hostess has been waiting for you.
Once they’re gone, Dawson turns to Pacey. He’s still partially out of breath.
DAWSON: Well, this is it, huh?
PACEY: We can do this! Come on…we’ve been through worse, right?
DAWSON: Can I ask you a question, Pace?
PACEY: Sure.
DAWSON: You ever wonder what it’d be like. You know…if our positions were reversed?
Pacey grins.
PACEY: Once. But only for a moment.
*****
Cut to later, after the party. Pacey exits the building with Andie.
Just then, it starts to snow.
ANDIE: Oh, wonderful!
She shivers.
ANDIE: And I’m dressed for summer weather.
Pacey starts to take off his jacket.
ANDIE: Um…what are you doing?
Pacey laughs.
PACEY: Just something that came to me in a dream once.
He puts it over both their heads, as they walk off into the night.
Fade to black
End credits