Cut to outside the house.
DAWSON: Pacey? Where’s Jack?
PACEY: Took your car.
Dawson’s eyes go wide.
DAWSON: What?
PACEY: You’ve gotta find a better place for those keys, bro. Don’t know what crawled up his butt, but he gave me this death stare when I tried to talk with him.
Dawson sighs.
DAWSON: He heard about the thing with Rich.
PACEY: So?
DAWSON: He blames you.
Pacey’s eyes go wide.
PACEY: Huh? That wasn’t even my fault, Dawson!
DAWSON: That’s what I’ve been saying.
Pacey shakes his head.
PACEY: I gotta try and talk to him.
DAWSON: Ok. We’ll just follow him.
PACEY: With what? My car’s totalled, remember? Car bomb?
DAWSON: What about the Viper?
PACEY: Not unless you wanna get out and push?
Dawson shakes his head.
*****
Cut to back inside.
AUDREY: Anybody but me realize that seventy-five percent of the guys just took off?
Andie looks confused. Joey less so.
ANDIE: I’m going to see what’s going on…
But before she can move, Joey stops her.
JOEY: I wouldn’t worry. Probably just a bonding moment or something. You know them.
AUDREY: I know that every time they have a ‘bonding moment’, somebody comes home with a black eye.
ANDIE: What?
Joey gives her roommate a warning look.
JOEY: Audrey…you’re over-exaggerating.
ANDIE: I hope so.
Joey smiles at Andie.
JOEY: So…what you wanna do now that it’s just us girls?
Chris’ mouth hangs open.
CHRIS: HEY!
The three girls laugh.
ANDIE: (sarcastically) Oh, yes Chris…we have every intention of braiding your hair and gossiping all night.
He groans.
CHRIS: Why do I get myself into these things?
*****
Cut to across town. A taxi passes by Dawson’s car, parked at the side of the road.
DAWSON: There it is…stop the car!
Dawson and Pacey exit the taxi. After paying the driver, the two walk over to it.
Pacey looks up at the sign above the door.
PACEY: Uh oh!
DAWSON: Come on…he’s probably inside.
Pacey quickly shakes his head.
PACEY: Uh uh, Dawson. I’m not going in there again.
Dawson raises an eyebrow.
DAWSON: Why not?
PACEY: I’ve been here before.
DAWSON: So? Did you piss off the owner or something?
Pacey chuckles ironically.
PACEY: Something like that. Let me put it this way, Leery: it ain’t just any bar.
Dawson’s eyes go wide.
DAWSON: Oh. Well…we still have to go in.
PACEY: Didn’t you see Police Academy?
Dawson rolls his eyes.
DAWSON: Look, Jack needs our help. You wanna talk to him; you’re going to have to go inside.
PACEY: Not unless I’m positive I won’t get hit on again. Can you guarantee that?
They pause.
Suddenly, a large smile appears on Dawson’s face. Pacey immediately realizes what he’s thinking, and puts up his hands in protest.
PACEY: Oh nonononono! Ain’t gonna happen, Dawson! You know what…maybe he just went for a walk. If we hurry we might be able to…
Dawson grabs Pacey’s arm and drags him inside.
DAWSON: Come on, Pace!
*****
Cut back to the house.
AUDREY: No…way!
Joey smiles proudly.
ANDIE: What’s it called?
JOEY: ‘The Amber Shadow’.
ANDIE: You’re writing a book. An actual book?
AUDREY: Wait…isn’t that the name of the story you wrote for Hetson’s class?
Joey nods.
JOEY: Yep. He made me an offer.
AUDREY: Why didn’t you tell us about it sooner?
JOEY: I didn’t know how far it would go. I just had a meeting with the publisher today.
ANDIE: And?
Joey grins.
ANDIE: Oh my god!
Andie hugs her.
ANDIE: This is so cool.
JOEY: I know.
ANDIE: When do I get to read it?
In the kitchen, Chris is searching through the fridge.
CHRIS: Don’t you have anything to eat around here?
The girls don’t pay any attention.
ANDIE: So, what’s it about? Romance novel?
Joey scoffs.
JOEY: Yeah, like I’m the first person I’d trust with that? It’s a mystery, actually. A period piece. I’m actually basing a few characters on people I know. And get this…once it’s done, Dawson wants to make a movie based on it!
Chris scoffs.
CHRIS: Predictable. Just so you know, I’m not playing pseudo-Dawson this time.
JOEY: Yeah, sorry Chris…but this character has actual class.
ANDIE: Ouuuuuu!!!
Chris puts his hand over his heart, imitating a knife being plunged there
The girls laugh.
*****
Cut to inside the bar.
A familiar couple wanders through, arm-in-arm.
PACEY: (whispers) You are so dead!
Dawson smirks.
DAWSON: Aw! Come on, honey…I hate it when we fight.
PACEY: Ha freaking ha! Joey is going to have a field day with this one!
The two of them arrive at the main bar. There, they see Jack sitting. He has quite a few empty beer bottles in front of him.
Dawson turns to the bartender.
DAWSON: How many has he had?
BARTENDER: I wouldn’t let him breathe on anything flammable if I were you.
Dawson shakes his head in disappointment.
JACK: (drunkenly) Hey, Dawson. Hope you don’t mind I borrowed your car.
PACEY: Great…you’re drunk. Andie’s gonna love that!
Jack laughs.
JACK: Pacey. Pacey Witter. My ‘good friend’…what brings you here?
PACEY: Concern over you. Come on, man…what are you doing? ‘Drowning your sorrows’?
JACK: Whatever works, right?
Jack reaches for another bottle, but Pacey moves it out of his way. Jack looks at him angrily.
DAWSON: Maybe we should continue this outside?
Neither one listens.
PACEY: We have to talk.
JACK: ‘Bout what?
PACEY: You know what!
Jack laughs again.
JACK: Dawson told you, didn’t he? Man, you are such a hypocrite, Leery. It’s ok when you’ve got a problem with him, but the second…
Before he can continue, Pacey cuts him off.
PACEY: Would you look at yourself, Jack? What do you think Andie would say if she saw you right now?
Suddenly, Jack’s face goes cold.
JACK: And suddenly you care? What does she think of a gun being held to her head, huh? Probably didn’t thrill her.
Pacey freezes.
PACEY: (quietly) That wasn’t my fault.
JACK: No, nothing’s ever your fault, is it Pacey? It’s always someone else’s. Like when you beat up C.J. at that concert, or when you went after Joey behind your best friend’s back, or when you had an affair with a woman twice your age, even when you knew it could land the both of you in jail. But no…none of that matters. So long as Pacey gets what he wants. Well, you know what…if you think for a moment I’m going to let you hurt her again, you’re dead wrong!
Jack turns the other way. For a long moment, neither one speaks.
PACEY: I love her.
JACK: Really? Then explain to me why she had to leave the freaking country just to get away from you?
PACEY: You blame me for that, too?
JACK: Maybe.
PACEY: I’m sorry, Jack. I’m sorry if I scared you and drove you to this. If I could take it back, I would. What can I do to make it up to you?
He sighs.
JACK: I don’t want your apology, Witter! I just want you to stay the hell away from my sister for the rest of your natural life!
Dawson is taken aback by the sheer bile evident in Jack’s voice.
PACEY: I can’t do that, man. I love her.
JACK: Shut up!
PACEY: You’re just going to have to…
Without any warning whatsoever, Jack spins around and punches Pacey with all his might.
The force of the blow causes Pacey to tumble backwards, tripping over a chair and landing on the ground.
JACK: YOU STAY AWAY FROM HER! YOU HEAR ME, PACEY?!?
Dawson jumps into action, grabbing Jack and slamming him against the bar.
DAWSON: Get a hold of yourself!
Dawson looks over at Pacey, still on the ground. Then he looks at Jack.
DAWSON: (muttering) That went well…