Cut to Worthington University, inside Hetson’s classroom.
HETSON: And that concludes our review of Hemingway’s works. In closing, I would like to point out that we have a celebrity in this class.
He raises a copy of ‘The Amber Shadow’ in the air so everyone can see it.
HETSON: Even though buying a copy of Miss Potter’s novel isn’t mandatory, I will recommend it on personal preference. And with that, I bid you adieu.
The class leaves. Everyone except Joey, that is, who walks up to Hetson’s desk.
HETSON: I believe congratulations are in order?
Joey smirks.
JOEY: Thank you for centering me out. Again. But I’m in too good of a mood to mind.
HETSON: Taking my advice doesn’t exempt you from having to do the exam, you know?
Joey shrugs.
JOEY: Can’t blame a girl for trying.
Hetson leans back in his chair.
HETSON: Do you know that you’re the first student I’ve ever had who’s been published while taking my course? I’m serious. I guess it really is always the person you least suspect.
Joey crosses her arms.
JOEY: Well, maybe in the future you’ll remember not to doubt me?
She turns to leave.
HETSON: Nice picture, by the way.
JOEY: Oh, that. Well, the publisher wanted it to put it in the back. Just so people realized I was actually the author.
HETSON: No, I mean the other one. In the magazine.
Joey appears confused.
JOEY: Magazine? What magazine?
HETSON: You didn’t know?
He passes her the magazine on his desk. Joey looks over it, her eyes going wide.
JOEY: Oh no…
*****
Cut to Hell’s Kitchen, where Audrey raises her glass in the air.
AUDREY: We so rule. We do! Well, I do, at least. I was the only person in the actual movie.
ANDIE: That’s not my fault. I wasn’t even in the country at the time.
Pacey puts his arm around her.
PACEY: Believe me, if you were, we would have had a part for you.
AUDREY: Come on, admit it! I played the best Tamara Jacobs possible.
PACEY: Who is still going to kill me when she sees this thing.
Chris rolls his eyes.
CHRIS: Will you quit your paranoid whining, Witter? Have you even seen her since you got her kicked out of school?
PACEY: Yes, but that’s beside the point. Dawson, I really wish you would have talked to me before you went ahead and included that little sub-plot.
Dawson shrugs.
DAWSON: I was striving for accuracy. Pace, I promise you can blame the entire thing on me.
PACEY: Can I have that in writing?
Andie giggles.
DAWSON: Sorry for the delay, Audrey. I need to wait a few weeks before distributing the returns.
AUDREY: Returns.
PACEY: What? Didn’t you hear? You’re getting actual money for this?
Audrey covers her mouth and gasps.
CHRIS: Congratulations, guys. You successfully made her speechless.
DAWSON: It won’t be as much as the main characters, but…
AUDREY: Who cares? I’m getting paid for being in a movie…that makes me an actual actress. God, I love you.
She hugs Dawson.
AUDREY: In the platonic sense, of course. No way I’m going down that road.
DAWSON: Good to know.
Just then, Joey scrambles inside the bar. She trips over a few chairs, before she makes it over to their table, out of breath.
PACEY: Woah, Potter! What’s that matter? Guy in a hockey mask chasing you?
She hands Dawson a rolled up magazine.
JOEY: Did you know about this?
Dawson unrolls it, and receives a shock. There’s a picture of her and Dawson on the cover, walking arm-in-arm.
CHRIS: That’s just a local thing, right? From Worthington?
Dawson shakes his head, as he flips through the magazine.
DAWSON: It’s Entertainment Weekly. The picture…it must be from the film festival. Look at this…they’re talking about us inside. Someone must have heard about Joey’s book, and then found the picture from a few months ago.
Everyone goes behind Dawson, to read over his shoulder.
PACEY: Am I mentioned anywhere?
DAWSON: Nope. This is pure gossip.
PACEY: Damn! What’s that say?
CHRIS: ‘Two up-and-coming talents appearing out of nowhere in the same month’…weren’t you working with that Todd guy for an entire year?
DAWSON: Yeah, but no one actually noticed me until recently.
They all back away. Pacey takes the magazine, and looks through it himself.
JOEY: I wrote one book. How does that make me a celebrity?
ANDIE: It doesn’t. Not unless you write about teenaged wizards. Dawson, on the other hand, has a movie that’s at the top of the box office. You could have been a food critic and had the same reaction.
Joey sits down and groans.
JOEY: This is not happening.
AUDREY: Congratulations, Bunny. You’re the new Bennifer.
Joey stares at her.
JOEY: Don’t even joke about that!
Pacey doesn’t even look up from the magazine.
PACEY: Yeah, you two are ten times more interesting than they ever were. I mean, if you were famous in high school the media would have a field day.
DAWSON: Oh no…
Joey, Audrey, Andie, and Chris look over at Dawson.
ALL: What?
DAWSON: Imagine if they trace that we both come from Capeside? That we have a history there? There’s a few people who don’t really like us.
ANDIE: Like when Drue Valentine messed with the yearbooks?
Pacey raises an eyebrow.
PACEY: That’d get my name in a magazine.
Joey and Dawson stare at Pacey, who raises his hands.
PACEY: I’m just saying…
Joey sighs.
JOEY: Any ideas?
DAWSON: Pacey and I are heading to New York tomorrow for this talk show thing. Maybe I can ask the producers to let you come on? Set the record straight?
Joey half-smiles.
JOEY: So…I’m going to be on a talk show?
Chris uses his hands to imitate and balloon being inflated.
CHRIS: Ego alert! Ego alert!
Audrey elbows him.
CHRIS: Oof!
*****
Cut to Joey’s dorm room.
Joey is there, packing a suitcase, while Audrey sits on the bed watching her go back and forth.
AUDREY: So you’re actually going to be on TV?
Joey shrugs.
JOEY: I guess.
AUDREY: (mockingly) I guess. What, you’re not thrilled?
JOEY: I don’t know. A part of me always assumed Dawson would end up being famous one day. I just didn’t think that…
AUDREY: It would include you?
Joey sighs.
JOEY: Does that sound strange to you?
Audrey laughs.
AUDREY: Joey Potter, everything you do seems strange to me. What, you’re one of the ten people in the world who doesn’t want to be famous.
JOEY: That’s the thing, Audrey. I do. I just want it to be for me. For something that I did. I don’t want to be known as just ‘Dawson Leery’s girlfriend’. You understand what I’m saying?
Audrey nods.
AUDREY: Then wow these people, ok? Go on this talk show or whatever it is and show them what you got!
JOEY: Kind of hard when I’m sitting next to a filmmaker, isn’t it?
Audrey grins.
AUDREY: Only if you make it hard.
Joey half-smiles.
JOEY: You’ll be watching, right?
AUDREY: Wouldn’t miss it for the world.
*****
Cut to the Boston airport.
Dawson, Joey, Pacey, and Andie check their boarding passes, and carry their suitcases into the terminal.
ANDIE: And here we go again. I’m doing a lot of traveling this year. True, I did a lot of traveling this year, but I assumed that when I returned home I’d actually stay in one place for awhile.
PACEY: Hey, you’re getting frequent flyer miles, right? LA, Sundance, New York…
Andie gasps, and grabs Pacey’s arm.
ANDIE: Oh, you think we’ll have time to sightsee? I always wanted to see the Empire State Building.
Dawson laughs.
DAWSON: Well, you two will. Just as soon as Pacey signs something at the studio.
PACEY: What?
DAWSON: They want to show some clips from the movie during the interview. But afterwards, there’s really no point in you sticking around if you don’t want to.
Pacey grins.
PACEY: I get a free trip to New York. I love this job.
JOEY: I haven’t been to New York since that time I went with Jen back in High School.
Andie looks at her, surprised.
ANDIE: Where was I?
JOEY: Europe.
DAWSON: As I recall, I was stuck in the middle of nowhere begging for car-parts.
PACEY: Jail. Thanks for asking.
Dawson laughs.
DAWSON: You dad arrested you for skipping out on skip-day?
PACEY: No. That was Dougie.
Suddenly, an announcement rings through the intercom.
DAWSON: That’s our flight. Let’s go.
They head towards the plane.