Cut to Doug Witter’s house. Doug enters through the front door, just in time to see a pair of teens exit. Ones he doesn’t recognize.
As he heads towards the kitchen, he sees more and more people he does not know…all talking to someone very familiar.
DOUG: Pacey? What is going on here? What are you doing here?
Pacey looks up from the kitchen table. In front of him are several graphs, notes, and lists…as well as photographs and maps of Capeside.
PACEY: You said I could stay here while I was in Capeside.
Doug laughs.
DOUG: Yes. I said you could stay…not half the high school.
PACEY: For the record, most of these guys are in college. Ok, they’re freshmen, but that’s still…
Doug sighs.
DOUG: What are they doing here, little brother? What?
PACEY: We’re doing some last-minute preparations before filming. Making sure everyone is gonna be where they gotta be at the right time.
Without warning, Doug lets out a high-pitched whistle.
DOUG: (yelling) Everybody out!
He receives quite a few groans and ‘awws’.
DOUG: NOW!!!
Quickly, the ‘visitors’ exit the building. Except Pacey, of course, who gives his brother an angry stare.
PACEY: You have no business acumen, you know that?
DOUG: ‘Acumen’? Since when do you say ‘acumen’?
PACEY: I’m Dawson Leery’s right-hand man. You’d be talking like Webster, too.
Doug sits down at the table.
DOUG: Did you really have to do this here? What’s wrong with Bessie’s? Or the Leery house?
PACEY: Yeah, like we’re gonna set up with the newlyweds? And Gale’s storing the costumes there.
Doug raises an eyebrow.
DOUG: Costumes?
PACEY: It’s a period piece?
DOUG: Dawson Leery wrote a period piece?
PACEY: Nooo…Joey wrote it. Didn’t you read her book?
Doug’s blank look answered Pacey’s question for him.
PACEY: Nevermind. Here…read this…
Pacey hands him a piece of paper.
DOUG: What’s this?
Pacey grins.
PACEY: Congratulations, Dougie…you’ve just been drafted.
Doug’s jaw drops.
*****
Cut to the Leery house. Audrey exits the closet, wearing a large, pink hat, and striking a pose.
AUDREY: (with southern accent) I’ve always depended on the kindness of strangers…
She giggles, to which Joey rolls her eyes.
JOEY: Knock it off, Audrey. And this story takes place in Boston, by the way.
Audrey pouts, taking off the hat.
AUDREY: You’re no fun.
JOEY: This isn’t supposed to be ‘fun’.
Audrey raises an eyebrow.
AUDREY: It’s not? And here I’ve been misinformed for years that acting was supposed to be fun.
JOEY: Sorry. You’re right…it’s just that I’m really stressed out.
AUDREY: Well, of course, bunny! You’re treating this like a job.
JOEY: I’m new at this, ok?
Audrey smirks.
AUDREY: Doesn’t mean you can’t have fun with it. Do you think Dawson’s obsessed with making movies because of the money? Getting paid for doing what you love. It’s like the best job in the world.
Audrey tosses Joey a brown fedora. After a moment, she puts it on.
JOEY: Ya can stop drooling in yer brews, boys…just here to ask a few questions. Kindly answer, and maybe we won’t have to go downtown.
Audrey laughs.
AUDREY: There you go.
PACEY: (off-screen) I’m intimidated already.
The two girls turn to see Pacey and his reluctant brother standing in the doorway. Joey’s face immediately turns red, as she removes the hat.
JOEY: Hey, Pacey. You got him to agree?
DOUG: I had a choice in the matter?
Audrey tosses him a copy of the script. He looks over it.
DOUG: So you’re a writer now?
JOEY: That a problem?
DOUG: Heavens no. This highlighted stuff is what you want me to say, right? Period piece, is it?
JOEY: 1920’s detective flick. Think Bogart.
PACEY: Personally, I’m going with more of a ‘Who Framed Roger Rabbit’ vibe. Without the cartoon.
DOUG: So you’re not in it?
Audrey laughs.
AUDREY: Good one.
PACEY: Hardy har har! Just so happens that I’ve got more important things to do, Dougie. With Dawson actually acting in this thing, they need someone behind the camera to make sure everything goes smoothly.
DOUG: Dawson Leery can act?
PACEY: Haven’t I always said he was a drama queen?
His response was a brown fedora, thrown by Joey, colliding with his head.
PACEY: Ow!
Doug laughs.
DOUG: Ok, I’m in. Sounds like fun.
Joey smiles.
JOEY: Great. Just let me get you a schedule and we’ll be good to go.
*****
Cut to later, in Dawson’s bedroom.
Chris enters with a few reels of film just in time to see Dawson finish getting into costume.
DAWSON: How do I look?
CHRIS: Like Tim Robbins from ‘The Hudsucker Proxy’.
Dawson chuckles.
DAWSON: Exactly what I was going for.
CHRIS: You’re kidding, right? I expected you to go Bogart for something like this.
DAWSON: The character’s a researcher, not a detective. Joey’s playing the detective, remember?
Chris smirks.
DAWSON: What’s so funny?
CHRIS: You really don’t have any idea what you’re getting yourself into, do you? Do I have to remind you that you’re the only person out of the six of us who has never acted?
DAWSON: You’re right. I’m usually the guy who tells the actors what they’re doing wrong. I think I can manage.
Chris shakes his head.
CHRIS: That’s not the point, Leery. You’re used to being in control. Playing second fiddle to Joey, even if she is your girlfriend.
DAWSON: I’m still the director, remember? I call the shots.
CHRIS: Joey wrote the script. Joey’s playing the lead. And Joey, as I recall, has you wrapped around her little finger.
Dawson gives him the ‘evil eye’. He crosses his arms.
DAWSON: And here I was just starting to think you were finally becoming a decent person.
Chris puts up his hands in defense.
CHRIS: Hey, no harm intended. Just want you to be careful not to make a wrong move. You think you can handle it, then by all means…
Chris leaves, while Dawson looks out the window.
DAWSON: (muttering) Handle this? What’s there to handle?
He puts on a pair of spectacles and turns towards the mirror.
DAWSON: Showtime.
*****
Cut to outside the school.
Dawson runs up to Joey, who has just arrived herself. Joey is now wearing the fedora, along with a long camel-hair coat.
DAWSON: Wow!
Joey half-smiles.
JOEY: Nice to know I can still make you speechless. How do I look?
DAWSON: Beautiful.
JOEY: Flattery, too? You clean up good yourself, Leery. Wouldn’t mind you staying in wardrobe after filming.
Dawson raises an eyebrow.
DAWSON: Miss Potter, are you trying to seduce me?
They both smile, as Pacey appears at the front door to the building. He whistles at them.
PACEY: Hey, ‘Lois & Clark’? You’re late. Get a move-on!
He heads back inside. Joey sighs, as Dawson shakes his head.
JOEY: I think Pacey’s letting his newfound power go to his head.
DAWSON: You think I should remind him that I’m still technically the director?
JOEY: Eh, let the baby have his bottle.
*****
Cut to the ‘office’ from earlier. The screen is in black and white.
Joey sits behind the desk, her hair tied into a pony-tail. Her hat is hung up on a hanger a few feet away.
Suddenly, Dawson runs up to her.
DAWSON: Just got another call. Third one this morning. How you gonna approach it?
She waves him away.
JOEY: Still thinking. My old man knows something, but he ain’t talking. You find anything?
Dawson places some photos on her desk, each one marked.
DAWSON: See this? These were all taken at the same corner on three separate days. Each time, it’s some kind of bag getting passed around. What’d you suppose is in it?
She smirks at him.
JOEY: You let me worry about what’s in it, kid. You just keep hitting the books until you find something. We’re gonna nail this creep once and for all.
Dawson sighs.
DAWSON: Look, can I be frank with you? Your pop may be a rum runner, but he ain’t no killer. You want my honest opinion: somebody’s setting him up.
She looks at him doubtfully.
JOEY: So now you’re playing junior detective, are you?
DAWSON: It’s an instinct. I just don’t want you to lose your focus going after him without thinking it through. What if you’re wrong?
JOEY: My old man’s going back in the pen, end of story!
DAWSON: For a crime he may not have committed?
Joey slams her hands on her desk, and stands up. She looks Dawson in the face.
JOEY: You know, ain’t too many out there who try to tell me what’s what. At least none that know better. Always thought you were a smart boy.
DAWSON: Who says I’m not?
She sighs.
JOEY: Don’t know why I put up with you sometimes.
DAWSON: Maybe you just like me more than those others?
They stare for a moment, before they hear the door opening.
AUDREY: Uh…am I interrupting something?
Dawson and Joey immediately back away from each other.
PACEY: And cut!
*****
Color returns to the screen, as crew members suddenly enter the ‘office’. Dawson and Joey sit down on the sidelines as Pacey goes to the center of the room.
DAWSON: How was it?
PACEY: What? You play a bookworm? Is that even acting? Potter, on the other hand…you had me intimidated for a second there.
Joey smiles.
JOEY: Thanks.
DAWSON: Ok, everyone take a ten minute break. We’ll shoot the crime scene outside the rialto next.
The crew starts to leave.
JOEY: Well?
Dawson smirks.
DAWSON: You want my personal opinion? We have great chemistry.
Joey scoffs.
JOEY: I could have told you that, Dawson.