Five For Fighting
Cut to the house.
Out the window, we can see Dawson’s car pulling into the driveway.
AUDREY: Hey! They’re back!
Joey and Andie run to the window.
ANDIE: How much you wanna bet they went to get a cake?
Audrey smirks.
AUDREY: Yummy.
The front door opens, and Pacey walks inside. Quickly, Andie goes up to him.
ANDIE: Hey. I missed…
She gasps.
Pacey’s lip is bleeding, and he appears to have been roughed up a bit.
ANDIE: Oh my god…what happened?
PACEY: What do you think?
Behind him, Jack enters. Dawson is close behind.
Andie looks at Jack, then over at Pacey. The look on Jack’s face is enough for her to put two and two together.
ANDIE: You were fighting?
JACK: He started it!
DAWSON: That’s a lie, and you know it!
Jack turns to Dawson.
JACK: Shut up, Dawson!
Dawson crosses his arms in defiance.
ANDIE: Is this true, Jack?
Jack bites his lip.
JACK: I was drunk. But it’s not like he didn’t have it coming!
Andie’s mouth hangs open. She doesn’t believe her ears.
ANDIE: Excuse me?
JACK: You could have died, Andie. All because of him!
Pacey moves to say something, but the devastated look in Andie’s eyes stops him.
ANDIE: Is that what this is about? Jack, that wasn’t his fault!
JACK: Wasn’t it?
She starts to become angry.
ANDIE: I chose to be there, Jack! I went because I didn’t want him to face that maniac alone!
JACK: And what about next time, huh Andie? What about the next time he does something stupid?
ANDIE: Stupid? You mean like beating up his sister’s boyfriend? That kind of stupid?
Joey’s eyes go wide. She didn’t expect Andie capable of that kind of anger.
JACK: Andie…listen…
ANDIE: Don’t you ‘Andie, listen’ me! How dare you! How dare you presume to decide what’s best for me!
JACK: I’m not just going to sit back and let you…
ANDIE: You can’t bring him back, ok!
Silence.
ANDIE: (quieter) You can’t bring Tim back by being over-protective of me.
We see the shocked expressions of the other five people in the room. Pacey reaches for Jack’s shoulder.
PACEY: Jack…
JACK: Don’t touch me!
Pacey backs away.
JACK: No matter my reasons, trouble follows Pacey Witter wherever he goes.
ANDIE: I’m not going to break up with him just on your say-so, Jack!
Jack’s eyes narrow.
JACK: Either he goes, or I go!
There’s a long silence once again. After awhile, Pacey heads towards the door.
Before he can get far, Andie runs up to him. She grabs him by the arm.
PACEY: Huh?
ANDIE: You stay…
She looks over at Jack, sadly.
ANDIE: …you go.
A look comes over Jack’s face. Part shocked, part infuriated.
Without saying a word, he makes for the door.
JOEY: Jack, wait!
He turns to Joey.
JACK: What? You’re going to side with me against ‘your boys’?
Joey bites her lip.
JACK: Didn’t think so!
Without another word, Jack leaves. The others stare at the closed door for a long moment, until…
CHRIS: Um…happy birthday?
The others look at Chris.
*****
Cut to Worthington University.
The elevator opens, as Dawson and Joey exit onto her floor.
I'm 15 for a moment
Caught in between 10 and 20
JOEY: Knew this would happen.
Dawson looks at her, disbelievingly.
DAWSON: You could have warned me.
And I'm just dreaming
Counting the ways
To where you are
JOEY: I did. I don’t mean the whole thing with Jack. I mean that, eventually, we’d be at each other’s throats once again. It was only a matter of time, Dawson. The illusion of peace: nothing but a momentary respite.
DAWSON: Does it have to be?
Joey ponders the question.
JOEY: Yeah. It makes life interesting.
Dawson laughs.
I'm 22 for a moment
She feels better than ever
DAWSON: I will never believe that pain and heartbreak makes things ‘interesting’, Joey.
JOEY: Even so, it’s kinda unavoidable. For every up, there’s a down.
DAWSON: Am I selfish for being relieved that it wasn’t us this time?
Joey half-smiles.
And we're on fire
Making our way
Back from Mars
JOEY: To tell you the truth, I kinda am too. But it’s not actually a worry of mine.
Dawson raises his eyebrows.
DAWSON: And why is that?
JOEY: My sister loves you, Dawson. That, and she has a terrible left hook.
He smiles. They lean down and kiss for a long while.
After awhile, Joey looks at him, breathless.
15 there's still time for you
Time to buy and time to lose
JOEY: What…was that for?
DAWSON: Us not fighting.
She grins.
JOEY: We should not fight more often.
They finally arrive at the door.
JOEY: Wanna come inside?
Dawson smirks.
15,
There's never a wish
Better than this
DAWSON: I’m probably shooting myself in the foot for turning down an offer like that, but I’ve gotta check on Jack. Make sure he’s ok.
They hug.
JOEY: Good luck. And Dawson?
DAWSON: Yeah?
JOEY: We’re going to be ok.
He smiles, then heads to the elevator.
When you only got 100 years to live
*****
Cut back to the house.
Andie is in her bedroom, brushing her hair, when she hears a knock on the door.
I'm 33 for a moment
Still the man,
But you see I'm a they
ANDIE: It’s open.
Pacey enters. Andie gets up and walks over to him.
A kid on the way
A family on my mind
ANDIE: How’s your lip?
PACEY: Better. I think I’m developing an immunity to face bruises.
She hugs him.
I'm 45 for a moment
The sea is high
And I'm heading into a crisis
Chasing the years of my life
ANDIE: I am so sorry for what happened. Jack was just…
Pacey sighs.
PACEY: I still can’t believe you chose me over your own brother.
ANDIE: I didn’t want to, but he didn’t give me much of a choice.
They sit down on the bed.
15 there's still time for you
Time to buy,
Time to lose yourself
Within a morning star
PACEY: I just can’t help thinking about it, though. That maybe he’s right.
Andie stares at him, surprised.
PACEY: I mean, you wouldn’t have even been there if it wasn’t for me. Rich took you hostage specifically to strike at me.
ANDIE: Don’t be like Jack, ok? I might seem fragile on the outside, but I don’t need either of you to protect me. I’ve been through a lot worse.
PACEY: (whispers) I don’t wanna lose you, Andie. Fame and fortune aside, you’re one of the few bright spots in my entire life.
She smiles at him warmly.
15
I'm all right with you
ANDIE: Do you hear that? That’s for you.
PACEY: What is?
Andie takes his hand and puts it over her heart.
ANDIE: My heart. Boom-boom…boom-boom…
She leans in closer to him.
ANDIE: (whispers) Boom-boom…
She kisses him.
15,
There's never a wish
Better than this
When you only got 100 years to live
The kiss deepens, as the two of them fall backwards on the bed. Andie pulls him closer, as she slides his jacket off.
They break apart for a moment.
PACEY: Sure you want to do this? Even after…
She nods.
ANDIE: Yes.
They go back to kissing.
Half time goes by
Suddenly you’re wise
Another blink of an eye
67 is gone
The sun is getting high
We're moving on...
*****
Cut to outside the house.
Behind a tree, Jack looks up at Andie’s room sadly. His face seems to be full on uncertainty and regret. Also a sense of just how useless he feels.
After a moment, the light in Andie’s window goes out. Jack turns and starts to walk away.
Before he can go far, though…
DAWSON: Penny for your thoughts?
Jack sees Dawson leaning against another tree.
I'm 99 for a moment
Dying for just another moment
JACK: Come to rub it in?
DAWSON: Actually, I wanted to make sure you’re ok.
Jack sighs.
JACK: Who’s side are you on, anyway?
DAWSON: The side I’m always on, Jack. Mine. You know…the one who forgives people no matter what boneheaded things they may have done?
And I'm just dreaming
Counting the ways to where you are
JACK: Dawson, believe me, this is one situation where you can’t be friends with both of us.
Dawson gives him a look.
DAWSON: Maybe not. But I can sure as heck try! I know a coffee shop that’s open late.
Jack is silent for a moment.
JACK: Your treat?
DAWSON: Of course.
15 there's still time for you
*****
Cut to Joey’s dorm.
Audrey is already asleep. Joey, meanwhile, is busy typing on her computer. She looks over at her post-it board for a second, looking at an old photo of her and Jack, back when they worked at the Icehouse together.
22 I feel her too
33 you’re on your way
She sighs, and gets back to work.
*****
Cut back to Andie’s room.
Every day's a new day...
Pacey and Andie have made their way under the covers, undressed, and kissing passionately.
15 there's still time for you
Time to buy and time to choose
Hey 15,
There's never a wish
Better than this
When you only got 100 years to live
Fade to black
End credits
Five For Fighting