Cut to the highway.
A truck zooms by Doug Witter’s squad car. Quickly, Doug does his best to catch up to it.
Much to his surprise, it slows down immediately. Doug walks up to the window, only to see Pacey looking back at him.
PACEY: Well, that’s one way to get your attention.
Doug gives him a cold look.
DOUG: You mean to tell me you sped for no other reason than to have me pull you over?
Pacey nods.
DOUG: I don’t believe this…
He sighs.
DOUG: So, what can I do for you, little brother?
PACEY: I want you to talk to dad.
Doug laughs.
DOUG: Oh, this is rich.
Pacey gets out of the car, and looks him in the eyes.
PACEY: Look, I know what you’re thinking about the whole retirement thing, but what if you’re wrong?
DOUG: Don’t think I don’t know what this is all about, Pacey. You finally get to be on dad’s ‘side’, and you’re just loving it.
PACEY: This isn’t about me. I don’t have an agenda, or some warped payback for all the years the two of you treated me rotten. I am being sincere here.
Doug looks at him for a moment.
DOUG: God, you really are serious, aren’t you?
Pacey nods.
DOUG: Ok, say for a minute I buy it. How can this be viewed as anything other than giving up?
PACEY: Maybe he’s just tired? Maybe taking care of this town day in and day out has taken its toll on him.
DOUG: Come on, that’s impossible. It’s dad.
PACEY: Oh, sorry. I forgot that he’s not human.
Doug freezes.
PACEY: Just think about it, ok? I’ve got somewhere I need to be.
*****
Cut to Dawson’s porch.
Joey goes out the back, seeing Dawson sitting on the bench.
JOEY: Hey. You’re not dressed?
DAWSON: It only takes me seconds to get into a suit.
JOEY: Oh yeah. Forgot. California boy. What are you doing?
DAWSON: Thinking.
She sits down next to him.
DAWSON: You’re driving everybody crazy.
JOEY: Yeah, I know.
DAWSON: That doesn’t bother you?
She shakes her head.
JOEY: I mean, it does a little. But I figure I can make it up to everybody after the wedding’s over and done with.
DAWSON: So be a jerk now, and be a saint later?
Joey gives him a look.
JOEY: Excuse me?
DAWSON: Sorry…
JOEY: No, what did you mean by that?
DAWSON: Just forget about it…
JOEY: Dawson…
He bites his lip.
DAWSON: I don’t like the way you’re acting. Ordering everyone about, telling them what to do. I understand how you want everything to be perfect, but it’s not worth it if you have to bully them to get your way.
JOEY: You never had a problem with it before…
DAWSON: Yeah I did.
JOEY: Then why didn’t you say anything?
DAWSON: Isn’t it obvious?
JOEY: No. Enlighten me!
He sighs.
DAWSON: I love you. But I’ve spent the past several months walking on eggshells around you, making sure I don’t say or do the wrong thing to make you mad. I don’t want to lose you again, and have been making an extra effort to make sure that doesn’t happen.
JOEY: Don’t make this about us?
DAWSON: Isn’t it already? Isn’t that why you’re freaking out about everything, and don’t give me the ‘it’s for Bessie’ excuse, because you and I both know that’s not true. You’re scared. I am, too.
Joey shakes her head.
JOEY: What could I possibly be scared about, Dawson?
DAWSON: Where will we be five years down the road?
She looks at him, confused.
JOEY: I-I don’t know.
DAWSON: Yeah, me neither. Will we be married, will we be engaged. Will we be flying halfway across the country every third weekend just to see each other? Or maybe we’ll just be old acquaintances. Maybe one of us will be dead, or something…
JOEY: Don’t even joke about that!
DAWSON: It scares the hell out of me, Jo! I’m trying to plan my career so far ahead, but when I try to think that way about you and me, it’s all a blank. This whole wedding thing is only making it worse, so please can you try and not vent your frustration on everyone else? Ok?
Dawson heads inside. Joey sighs, and follows him.
*****
Cut to the McPhee house.
Jen is in the bathroom, with a pair of scissors in her hand.
CHARLIE: Are you sure you know what you’re doing?
JEN: Just relax, will you? We’re almost done.
She snips some more. Slowly, the camera pans down to Charlie’s head. His hair is now neat, and slicked back.
JEN: Go ahead. Take a look.
He looks in the mirror.
CHARLIE: Ugh. I look like a geek.
JEN: You look handsome.
He raises an eyebrow.
CHARLIE: Really?
JEN: Yeah. A total Leo.
He cringes.
CHARLIE: On second thought, could you point those scissors towards my jugular?
Jen laughs.
JEN: Oh, quit complaining. You want to be my date, you have to look the part.
CHARLIE: Never say I didn’t do anything for you.
Jack heads into the bathroom, eyes wide.
JACK: Is that Charlie?
JEN: Uh huh.
Jack whistles.
JACK: I’m starting to get jealous. Where’d the hair go?
CHARLIE: Very funny.
JACK: Come on…it’s time to get fitted.
*****
Cut to the tailor’s office.
Bodie is being fitted for his tuxedo, as Pacey watches on.
PACEY: Don’t worry, man. It’s ok to be nervous.
Bodie chuckles.
BODIE: I wasn’t. Not until you mentioned being nervous five times so far today.
PACEY: Hey, it’s what I do.
BODIE: I’m just relieved my brother agreed to be best man, and I didn’t have to rely on you.
Pacey staggers back, acting as if he had an arrow to the chest.
BODIE: Heh. I pity your friends.
Bodie looks towards Dawson, Jack, Charlie, Chris, and Mike. They are seated in chairs, already wearing suits.
JACK: Gay.
CHARLIE: Never going to settle down myself.
DAWSON: At this rate, I’m never going to have the chance.
Pacey smirks.
PACEY: Uh oh. Trouble in paradise?
DAWSON: Joey and I had a fight.
BODIE: You’re not going to try and upstage me, are you?
Dawson laughs.
PACEY: Well, just as long as she’s yelling at you and not the rest of us.
DAWSON: That’s actually what the fight was about. Among other things.
JACK: Oh boy. Here we go again. Just let me know when you’re going to have a scene, so I can be very far away.
Mike raises an eyebrow.
MIKE: A scene?
DAWSON: There’s going to be a scene?
PACEY: There’s ALWAYS a scene!
Dawson crosses his arms.
DAWSON: I seem to remember you causing a few scenes yourself.
PACEY: Yeah, but I’m nothing like the masters. The drama queen and the king of drama know how to yell.
Dawson groans.
*****
Cut to elsewhere…
BESSIE: Just please promise me you won’t cause a scene at the rehearsal.
Joey sighs.
JOEY: There’s not going to be any scene.
JEN: HA!
AUDREY: Yeah, right…
ANDIE: There’s always a scene…
Joey turns towards the three girls, giving them an evil look.
JOEY: If there is, I’ll promise to take it outside.
Bessie comes out of the dressing room, wearing her wedding gown.
JOEY: Wow…you look beautiful.
Bessie blushes.
BESSIE: It’s been a long time since I’ve dressed up at all. I’m kind of nervous.
JOEY: Don’t be. Everything…everything’s going to be fine.
AUDREY: (muttering) Famous last words.
*****
Cut to outside the tailor’s. Pacey and Dawson are walking down the street, carrying some bags.
DAWSON: You ever think about the future, Pace?
Pacey scoffs.
PACEY: Never.
DAWSON: Why not?
PACEY: Live in the present, that’s my motto. The past sucks, and the future is bleak no matter how you look at it. Look at all the movies they’ve made. Terminator, Blade Runner…every movie about the future shows how much we screw up the earth. You live in the here and now, living every moment like it’s your last.
DAWSON: Yeah, but don’t you ever wonder how things will turn out?
Pacey sighs.
PACEY: I got a better question. Why is it, whenever you’ve got a question about Joey, you always come to me?
DAWSON: How do you know this is about Joey?
Pacey raises an eyebrow.
DAWSON: Well, I guess you’re the only person who knows everything about us. Then you have this habit of being brutally honest. Like that time in the jail cell.
PACEY: I was drunk and trying to split you up.
DAWSON: So you admit it?
PACEY: Drunk. Not in control. Cake in face…
DAWSON: Point taken.
He sighs.
DAWSON: I just wish I could see ahead is all. See what the future means to us.
PACEY: The way I see it, you’ll probably break up five more times, then when you’re thirty forget to be safe that one New Year’s. BOOM, relationship cemented by kid. It’s so predictable, Dawson. And you wanna know why? Because you NEVER do anything to change it!
DAWSON: Yes I do.
PACEY: HA! The one time anything ever changed between you and Joey was when I fell for her. And even then, you spent the entire year pinning over her. I saw it, my sister saw it. Then we broke up, and the cycle starts all over again. Now, this whole maturity thing you’ve been doing is some kind of progress, but it’s not going to last as long as you still have doubts. You wanna prevent that future I just spelt out for you, fine? Change it!
They continue walking.
DAWSON: Are you ok?
PACEY: Not really.
DAWSON: Is it because of what I…?
Pacey sighs.
PACEY: Not everything is about you, Dawson. My dad…he’s retiring.
Dawson’s eyes go wide.
DAWSON: Wow. That’s…that’s really something.
PACEY: Deputy Doug doesn’t seem to think so. For once, I’m the guy that has to be the mediator. When did I become the favored son? I take pop’s side with the Gretchen thing, and I’m taking it now.
DAWSON: Karma maybe?
PACEY: Yeah. Just don’t know what I’m going to do about it.
Dawson looks at him.
DAWSON: You’ll do the right thing.
Pacey smiles.
PACEY: Thanks, man.
*****
Cut to Leery’s Fresh Fish, in the kitchen.
Pacey is standing in the walk-in fridge, making some finishing touches on the icing of a very large cake.
PACEY: (muttering) And that, my friends, is a masterpiece. Yep…I’ve still got it.
ANDIE: (off-camera) Pacey?
Pacey exits the fridge, but Andie’s there to meet him before he can shut it.
ANDIE: Ou…is the cake in there?
Pacey nods, reluctantly.
PACEY: Yeah, just finished it.
He hands her the tube of icing.
PACEY: Want a lick?
ANDIE: Ha! Yeah, like I need a sugar high to make me even more hyper than I already am?
PACEY: Good point.
She looks over his shoulder.
ANDIE: Can I see it?
Pacey tries to protest, but she manages to get by him. Quickly, Pacey follows her into the fridge.
Andie gasps, placing her hands over her mouth, as she stares at the three-layered pastry in front of her.
ANDIE: Omigod! Pacey, it’s gorgeous!
Pacey rubs her hands, nervously.
PACEY: Yeah, thanks. Now, you’ve seen it, can we go now?
ANDIE: What’s the big rush?
He sighs.
PACEY: I just don’t want you to spaz out on me, and…
Andie turns towards Pacey, giving him a cold glare.
ANDIE: What do you mean ‘spaz out’?
PACEY: The last time you were in the same room with a wedding cake, it went ‘splat’, McPhee! I do not want that little drama to repeat itself. Especially with ‘General’ Potter lurking about.
She puts her hands on her hips.
ANDIE: I’ll have you know I’ve matured in the past few years, Pacey.
Pacey walks around Andie, placing himself between her and the cake.
PACEY: I know you have. But if it’s all the same, I’d rather not take any chances.
Andie rolls her eyes.
ANDIE: You’re apparently become uptight since high school.
Pacey’s mouth falls open.
PACEY: Excuse me? Uptight? I may be more responsible, but the name’s still ‘Pacey J. Witter’. The ‘J’ is more ‘jokester’.
ANDIE: Pacey…just let me get a closer look.
Pacey laughs.
PACEY: Oh, yeah…so you can wave your arms around wildly, and…
While he’s off on his tangent, Pacey starts mimicking Andie…waving his arms around wildly. He doesn’t realize how close he is to the cake.
That is, until his arm knocks the two top layers off, causing them to fall on the floor.
Andie shrieks. Pacey’s face goes white.
Joey enters the fridge.
JOEY: Come on, guys! We need you for the rehearsal. And for all the places you could go to screw around, I don’t know why you’d pick…
Joey looks over at the cake, as a horrified look comes over her face.
Andie points at Pacey.
ANDIE: It wasn’t me…it was HIM!
Joey stares at Pacey, who laughs nervously.
PACEY: Um…whoops!
JOEY: I’M GOING TO KILL YOU!!!
Joey puts her arms out, attempting to strangle him.
Pacey runs.