Cut to the cabin, back in present day.
PACEY: Wait, you mean to tell me you actually told off the Grams? My respect for you has just skyrocketed.
DAWSON: I was angry.
JOEY: Try overprotective.
Dawson looks over at her.
DAWSON: And you were jealous.
Joey’s mouth hangs open.
JOEY: I was not…
Sounds of ‘sure’ and ‘uh-huh’ come from the mouths of the other six people seated around her.
JOEY: Ok, maybe a little bit.
JEN: I’m flattered. Dawson, you get major macho points for standing up to Grams like that.
DAWSON: Which is precisely why I didn’t tell you about it. I had enough problems with Joey suspecting you as it was.
JOEY: I wasn’t wrong.
Audrey grins.
AUDREY: Ouuu…this is sounding juicy. So, what happened next?
DAWSON: I’m drawing a blank.
Pacey sighs.
PACEY: Of course you are…my turn! Ok, here’s what I can remember…
*****
Cut back to several years ago, at the Icehouse restaurant.
Six glasses clink together.
PACEY: Cheers, folks.
Dawson, Joey, Andie, Jen, and Jack all look at him, smiling.
PACEY: Here’s to leaving Freshman year behind for good.
JACK: At least until college.
PACEY: You know…at this rate I might get into Yale.
Joey rolls her eyes.
JOEY: Oh lord…hello! Delusions of grander, people!
PACEY: Hey, it’s my party…
JEN: And you’ll cry if you want to?
Pacey does a mock laugh, as he ruffles her hair.
JOEY: As fun as this is, I’ve gotta get back to work.
JACK: Yeah, me too.
Eventually, the group goes their separate ways. Andie goes to talk with Jen, while Pacey and Dawson wander outside onto the docks.
PACEY: So, when were you going to tell me?
DAWSON: About what?
Pacey smirks.
PACEY: You know…you and Joey.
DAWSON: Wait…wait! How did you know…?
PACEY: Jack told Andie, who told me. It’s the Capeside hotline, Dawson.
Dawson chuckles.
DAWSON: Sorry, Pace. I just remembered what happened at your birthday party.
Pacey scoffs.
PACEY: Ancient history, man. Besides, I have a girlfriend now.
Dawson bites his lip.
DAWSON: There’s something else. Grams kicked Jen out of the house. Mom’s letting her stay over.
PACEY: For how long?
Dawson gives him a look, indicating it’s an unanswerable question.
PACEY: Errr…how’s Joey taking it?
DAWSON: Not good.
Pacey sighs.
PACEY: Here we go again…
Dawson stops in mid-step, turning towards him.
DAWSON: No, we do not! I know exactly who I want. It’s Joey.
PACEY: Good. Right, as long as you’ve got your priorities in order. Now you just gotta convince Joey of that.
DAWSON: (muttering) And probably Jen…
Pacey’s eyes go wide.
PACEY: You don’t seriously believe she still has a thing for you?
Dawson shakes his head.
DAWSON: I don’t know.
*****
Cut to outside the Leery house.
Dawson and Pacey walk out back, chatting.
PACEY: I’ll just hang around here for awhile. You know, act as a buffer.
DAWSON: Wouldn’t that get you in trouble with Andie?
PACEY: Nah. She’s not the jealous type.
DAWSON: And Joey is?
PACEY: Heck yeah!
The two of them wander near the front just in time to see a car pull up front.
PACEY: Hey, your dad get a new car?
Dawson looks at it, a glint of anger reflected in his eyes.
DAWSON: Nope…
Mitch steps out, revealing Nicole Kennedy to be in the driver’s seat. He leans over and gives her a kiss, before she drives off.
Dawson continues staring.
PACEY: Come on, man. Let’s go inside.
DAWSON: I’ll catch up.
Despite Pacey’s protests, Dawson heads towards his father.
MITCH: Dawson! Hey…how’ve you been?
DAWSON: Fine. Actually, not so great, really.
Mitch sighs.
MITCH: Yeah, I heard about Jen. Is she doing ok?
DAWSON: As well as can be expected. You know, I’ve come to a revelation about some things.
MITCH: Pardon?
DAWSON: Well, back when Jen and I were seeing each other, Joey used to point something out. That whenever she was around, the rest of the world just phased out around me. That I was completely blind to everything and everyone. I used to think ‘how could I possibly be that oblivious’. Never occurred to me that it might be hereditary.
MITCH: Dawson, it’s not what you think?
DAWSON: Oh, isn’t it? You mean that wasn’t you playing tonsil hockey with my film teacher?
MITCH: I like her, ok? I like spending time with her. Is that so wrong?
DAWSON: As a concept, no. Ignoring the way she treated me…
MITCH: You’re overreacting.
DAWSON: Maybe I am! But the fact is, dad, this is just your warped way of getting back at mom. Or is the fact that you both work at the same place just a coincidence?
Thunder sounds above. A very cinematic feel.
MITCH: It’s my life. You just have to trust that I know what I’m doing.
DAWSON: Trust you, dad? You know what? I can’t! Not when I can’t stop hating you for what you’re doing to us!
With that, Dawson storms inside. Mitch watches him, a hurt expression on his face.
*****
Cut to much later. Andie and Jack knock on the door, to which Pacey answers.
PACEY: Well, this is a surprise.
ANDIE: Thought you might be here.
PACEY: Yeah, Gale said I should stay. Supposedly is going to really start coming down soon. Hey, Jack!
Jack nods.
JACK: Is Jen here?
PACEY: Just got a call. She needed to pick up some things from school first.
The two of them come inside.
JACK: Yeah, well, I’m gonna get something to eat.
PACEY: Raid the fridge. I always do.
Jack takes off, leaving Pacey and Andie alone.
ANDIE: Storms always give me the shivers.
Andie shivers, proving her statement true.
ANDIE: I don’t mind the rain so much. It’s the wind and the noise. Plus fear that the house is going to blow away and land on some old lady in a town full of small people. Yes, I’ve seen ‘The Wizard Of Oz’ too much for my own good.
Pacey chuckles, and puts his arm around Andie’s shoulder.
PACEY: Don’t worry, McPhee. I’ll protect you.
She smiles, but then her expression becomes serious.
ANDIE: Pacey? If I tell you something, can you promise to keep it a secret?
PACEY: Sure. What’s wrong?
She pauses, taking a deep breath.
ANDIE: I’ve seen Abby.
Pacey’s jaw almost hits the floor.
PACEY: What the huh?
*****
Cut to Capeside High. The wind continues to blow, as Jen hurries and retrieves her books from her locker.
To her surprise, Chris Wolfe stops her before she arrives at the door.
CHRIS: Woah! What’s the hurry, Jenny?
Jen gives him a cold look.
JEN: You haven’t seen the weather outside?
He shrugs.
CHRIS: I’ve been preoccupied. I take it you’re not happy to see me?
JEN: You weren’t at Abby’s funeral.
He sighs.
CHRIS: Yeah, I was. You just didn’t see me. Didn’t think you wanted to see me.
JEN: I didn’t.
CHRIS: Well, you won’t have to worry about it for much longer.
That last comment gets the better of Jen’s curiosity.
JEN: What do you mean?
CHRIS: I’m moving. My parents are sending me to live with my uncle.
Jen’s mouth hangs open.
CHRIS: Apparently they heard about my extra-curricular activities, and think living out in the desert will help that.
Jen chuckles.
JEN: The irony of this is just sickening. Desert?
CHRIS: New Mexico.
JEN: (muttering) New Mexico. Wow…
CHRIS: Yeah, so this is me saying goodbye. See you, Jen.
He turns to leave.
JEN: Wait!
He pauses.
JEN: Want to say bye to everyone else first?
He raises an eyebrow.
*****
Cut back to the Leery’s living room.
Pacey and Andie are sitting down on the couch, as Pacey holds her hand.
PACEY: Ok, so you ‘saw’ Abby Morgan. I’m guessing you don’t just mean a photograph, right?
Andie shakes her head.
ANDIE: It was in the mirror. When I turned around, she was gone. So either I’m starting to see ghosts, or I’m going crazy.
PACEY: I don’t believe in ghosts.
Andie sighs.
ANDIE: So you think I’m crazy?
PACEY: No! No, of course not! I think you’re somebody who’s been under a lot of stress lately, and your mind is playing tricks on you. Abby’s not haunting you, and you aren’t loosing your mind.
She smiles at him.
ANDIE: You think so?
PACEY: I know so.
*****
Cut to Dawson’s room.
Joey climbs in through the window, to see Dawson sitting on the bed. He appears to have dark shadows under his eyes, lost in thought.
DAWSON: You shouldn’t have done that!
Joey looks at him, confused.
DAWSON: Come in through the window. The wind…it’s getting bad. You could have fallen or something.
JOEY: I’ll keep that in mind. You ok?
She sits down next to him.
DAWSON: No.
JOEY: Want me to stay?
He looks over at her.
DAWSON: Please.
Joey kisses his forehead, then cuddles close to him.
*****
Cut to later, in the living room.
The wind starts to blow fiercely, as sounds of thunder are heard from outside. Dawson, Joey, Pacey, Andie, Jack, and Gale are seated on the couches.
Mitch arrives from the back.
MITCH: Back door’s secure. Though after Hurricane Chris, this is almost nothing.
PACEY: Oh yeah…sounds like nothing.
At that moment, there’s a knock on the door. Dawson answers it.
To his surprise, he sees Jen on the other side…accompanied by Chris.
JEN: Uh…he wanted to come along. See if I was alright.
Everyone stares at them.
CHRIS: Gee. Tough crowd.