Cut to the cabin, present day.
AUDREY: Sheesh! Not the warmest welcome, huh guys?
CHRIS: I wasn’t exactly the nicest guy back then.
PACEY: Understatement.
Chris sighs.
CHRIS: Ok…so I was a creep.
PACEY: Understatement…
Andie elbows him.
AUDREY: Ok, so Chris crashed the psudo-party. What next?
PACEY: Come on. Isn’t it obvious?
Jen gives him a look, sighs, then speaks up.
JEN: Here’s what happened…
*****
Cut back to several years ago, inside the Leery house.
A rough wind blows, causing the door to knock back and forth.
JOEY: Will somebody please close the door?
Jack closes it. Chris waves at everyone.
CHRIS: Hey.
DAWSON: (monotone) Chris.
Another boom of thunder sounds through the room. This time, however, it causes the lights to go out.
JEN: Please tell me you didn’t plan this, Dawson.
DAWSON: Not this time. Anybody have a lighter.
PACEY: That’s a joke, right?
CHRIS: Guess you must really regret being a bunch of goodie-goodies right now, huh?
DAWSON & PACEY: Shut up, Chris!
GALE: I think we have some matches in the bathroom.
JACK: What are you going to light? The couch cushions?
PACEY: I vote Chris as honorary torch.
JEN: Pacey!
ANDIE: Candles, people! We need candles!
DAWSON: Basement?
MITCH: Basement.
JOEY: Any idea which direction that is?
DAWSON: This way I think.
There’s a pause.
JOEY: Uh…Dawson?
DAWSON: Yeah?
JOEY: That’s not my back.
DAWSON: Whoops! Sorry, Jo!
CHRIS: Ou hou hou! Go Leery! Ow!
JEN: What?
CHRIS: Someone hit me.
MITCH: I think it was Pacey.
GALE: Mitch!
*****
Eventually, the calamity dies down as they each go in their separate directions. Dawson and Joey arrive in the basement.
JOEY: Dawson, what are you doing?
DAWSON: Looking for candles.
She sighs.
JOEY: You know what I mean. Just because Ms. Kennedy didn’t like your movie?
DAWSON: It’s more than that, Joey. It’s not just any movie. Creek Daze was about me, remember? It’s about us! She didn’t only not like it, she insulted it! She took my life and tore it to pieces.
She looks him in the eyes.
JOEY: Dawson…
Dawson turns away.
DAWSON: It wasn’t professional…it’s personal. For some reason, she just hates me. Maybe it’s jealousy, or envy…
JOEY: Isn’t that the same thing?
Dawson laughs.
DAWSON: And now…now dad’s going out with her? Not because he loves her or…or is attracted to her, no! That would be acceptable, if a little crazy. No, this is all part of some deluded revenge thing, to get back at mom. My parents are trying to one-up each other. That’s just…
In a fit of rage, Dawson kicks over a box. He sits down where it used to be, and closes his eyes.
Joey walks towards him.
JOEY: It’s ironic, isn’t it? I used to think my life was so terrible. Now my dad’s home, there’s us, I have actual respect from people. But now…it’s your life that’s horrible.
She kneels down next to him.
JOEY: So if you think I don’t understand, Dawson…you’re wrong.
He hugs her.
*****
Cut to upstairs, in the bathroom.
Jen and Chris enter, looking around.
CHRIS: Ok...matches. Who’s got the matches?
Jen takes out a flashlight, looking around.
CHRIS: Where’d you get that?
JEN: The kitchen. I’m not stupid.
Chris looks her over.
CHRIS: Never said you were.
Jen turns around, looking at him.
JEN: Would you stop doing that?
CHRIS: Doing what?
JEN: ‘Sizing me up’. You’ve been leering at me since we’ve got here.
He grins.
JEN: And I want you to stop it.
Chris raises an eyebrow, confused.
CHRIS: I don’t understand.
Jen groans, frustrated.
JEN: Haven’t you learnt anything? There’s a reason your parents are sending you away. Did it ever occur to you that they’re right?
CHRIS: Were your parents?
She pauses.
JEN: I’ve considered they may have been. You never have, have you?
Chris’ face falls.
CHRIS: I liked you better when you were fun.
JEN: Not the first time a guy’s told me that. You know, when I first got here, I didn’t tell anybody about my past. They found out eventually, but not at the start. I was able to start fresh. Dawson and the rest all had a first impression of me that didn’t include all of my mistakes. You can do that too.
Chris sighs.
CHRIS: And what if I don’t want to change?
JEN: Somehow I doubt it.
*****
Cut to up in Dawson’s room.
Andie snaps her eyes shut as a thunderous gust of wind shakes the windows. Pacey holds her closer
They’re cuddles together on top of Dawson’s bed.
PACEY: Shh…it’s ok. Just the wind.
Andie sniffs.
ANDIE: I’m acting like such a baby.
He smirks.
PACEY: Yeah, but you’re my baby, baby.
She smiles back at him. But then…
Andie screams, as shards of glass erupt outwards from the window.
ANDIE: OH MY GOD!
As if on cue, Mitch bursts into the room.
MITCH: What is it? What happened?
Pacey points at the broken window.
PACEY: The wind! It just…
Mitch rushes over to them, leading them over to the door.
MITCH: Downstairs! Quickly!
*****
Cut to the living room.
Dawson and Joey arrive just in time to see Mitch leading Pacey and Andie downstairs.
DAWSON: What happened?
MITCH: Window broke in your room.
Dawson turns to Pacey and Andie.
DAWSON: Are you two ok?
Andie nods, while Pacey holds her close, trying to comfort her.
Dawson tries to run upstairs, but Mitch blocks him.
MITCH: I wouldn’t!
DAWSON: But my room…
Mitch looks him in the eyes.
MITCH: It’s not worth you getting hurt over!
They look at each other for a moment, before Dawson sits down.
MITCH: Ok, everyone relax.
*****
A few moments later, the candles are lit. The nine of them are all sitting in a circle around the gentle light.
MITCH: Now, you kids probably don’t realize it, but I’ve weathered worse than this before.
Pacey rolls his eyes.
PACEY: No duh, Mr. Leery! Hurricane Chris, remember?
Mitch laughs.
MITCH: I was a little too…preoccupied…to worry about that one. I think it was sometime in June, years ago. I had just finished college, and came up with the notion that I should invite Gale out to the Caribbean.
Dawson looks over at Gale.
DAWSON: Mom, you never told me you went to the Caribbean.
GALE: It wasn’t the best vacation.
Mitch laughs.
MITCH: Not one for travelling, I had no idea June was, in fact, hurricane season.
PACEY: Yikes.
GALE: And knowing your father, he wouldn’t book a normal hotel.
MITCH: Where’s the fun if you don’t spend the entire trip on the beach?
Gale rolls her eyes. Joey laughs, while Jen listens intently.
MITCH: We ended up staying at this cabin. I thought, hey…private. Nice roaring fire. Romantic, right? That is, until the windows blew in.
JOEY: Must have been a mood killer. What’d you do?
MITCH: They had a cellar in the basement. We stayed there all night. Morning came; the storm had passed, so we went back upstairs. The inside of the place was totalled. Broken windows, overturned chairs…the works. Best vacation I ever had.
Gale smiles at him.
JEN: I don’t get it.
MITCH: Well, you see, sometimes you have to weather the truly horrible times to understand how important the good ones are. When I stepped outside and saw the sun in the cloudless sky, it felt damn good to be alive.
We’re shown a view of all seven teenagers one by one, their faces showing a glint of understanding of what he means.