INT. THERAPIST'S OFFICE - DAY (DAY
2)
Andie sits in a well-appointed office,
across from MARLIE SUMNER, and
attractive, kind looking woman in her
mid-thirties. Andie looks nervous
to be in her first day of
therapy.
MARLIE
It sounds like you've had a lot on
your
shoulders for a sixteen year old
girl.
ANDIE
(nodding)
After Tim died, and my mother... It felt
like someone had
to be the glue holding our family
together, and I seemed
like the most likely candidate.
MARLIE
It's not a big surprise that you
started to feel overwhelmed.
ANDIE
(relaxing)
It's sort of a feeling of juggling all
these balls in the air,
and if you drop one, everything comes
crashing down. I would
start thinking of everything at once,
and get these panic attacks
where my heart started beating so fast
and I felt like I couldn't
breathe...
MARLIE
Andie, you've got to learn to relax
sometimes and stop putting so much
pressure on yourself. You can't carry
the weight of the world on your
shoulders. No one can.
ANDIE
I always felt like if I could just be
perfect, if I could
just get the best grades, and take care
of my mother, and
say the right thing, everything would
work out somehow.
But it isn't.. It's
not...
She trails off, pained.
MARLIE
Tell me something. Forget about saving
everybody else,
even forget about your family for a
minute. What is it
that you want? What do you wish for, for
yourself?
Andie pauses, thinking.
ANDIE
(sincerely)
I wish I could let all my worries go and
be one of those
people who seems to sail right through
life, you know?
Those people who don't care what anybody
thinks about them,
they just do whatever makes them
happy.
MARLIE
And why couldn't you? If you were to
become one of
those people for one day, what do you
think would happen?
ANDIE
I don't know. I've never tried
it.
MARLIE
(pausing)
I am going to give you a prescription,
Andie. But, not for
a drug. I prescribe for you... one night
of "imperfection".
Off Andie's intregued
expression...
INT. ICE HOUSE - DAY (DAY 2)
Joey and Bessie clean up after the lunch
business.
BESSIE
You can get out of here early - I'm sure
you want
to get changed before going over to
Dawson's.
JOEY
Believe me, getting dressed isn't
gonna
take long.
(pausing)
It's not like I have to get all "gussied
up" for anybody.
I mean, now that I've turned Jack off to
women completely...
Joey laughs a little.
INT. LEERY HOUSE - HALLWAY - NIGHT
(NIGHT 2)
The party is in progress as JACK enters.
His hair has been styled with gel in a
"spikey" look that ups his
babe quotient significantly. Abby walks
up to him, along with Tracy and
Kelly, the two girls from the Ice House.
TRACY
Oh, my God -- Jack, you look
amazing.
ABBY
It's like the transformation from
'John-Boy' to 'John-John'
was all in a jar of dippity-doo.
JACK
(confused)
What's the big deal? I put a little gel
in my hair.
That's pretty much the extent of
it.
ABBY
(shrugging)
I guess you get gay, you get style.
KELLY
This is seriously tragic. He's the best
looking guy at
this party, and we could all
strip down naked without him batting an
eye.
Abby shakes her head at Jack,
flirting.
ABBY
I wish I had nabbed you one sexual
prefrance ago.
Off Jack's distaste...
INT. LEERY HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - NIGHT
(NIGHT 2)
Jen stands by the gift table. She drops
off her wrapped present when Ty
approaches. Without looking behind her,
Jen speaks.
JEN
Hello, Ty.
Smiling, she turns to him.
TY
(pleased)
Excellent. You're learning.
Jen leans in for a kiss. After a few
seconds, Ty awkwardly breaks
away.
JEN
Okay, explanation.
TY
What?
JEN
This morning. Right now. That's two
kisses you've bailed on today.
TY
I didn't bail.
JEN
Ty.
Jen studies him for a second. An honesty
stare-down. He breaks first.
TY
Okay... It's just, we're getting...
closer lately. Y'know?
JEN
Yeah. It's called dating.
TY
I realize that. But...
JEN
But what?
TY
But where does it stop?
She almost laughs.
JEN
You're kidding, right?
TY
Jen, you really turn me on. And the
closer we get the more you.. turn me
on.
JEN
And that's a bad thing?
TY
It can be. One of us has to be
responsible.
JEN
Ty, it was a kiss.
TY
I'm just saying, it's possible that
things could get out of hand.
JEN
(kiddingly seductive)
Sounds exciting. How out of
hand?
TY
I'm serious.
JEN
I know, and I find that incredibly
attractive.
TY
You do?
JEN
We've barely made out and you're
concerned it's gonna
get out of hand. It's cute, in a 1956
kinda way.
She smirks at him, enjoying her dig. He
laughs at himself,
rising to the challenge.
TY
Oh yeah? How 1956 is this?
And Ty pulls her in for a long, public
kiss. Jen smiles, breaking away.
He waits for an answer.
JEN
I think we're firmly in the 70's
now.
INT. DAWSON'S ROOM - NIGHT (NIGHT
2)
ABBY
Absolutely. You know, the Joeys and
Dawsons of this world
are pretty advanced for their age in
other ways, but with
all the time they spend contemplating
their navels, you'd
think they'd be a little more open to
the possibilities.
Jack lifts up his shirt, looking at his
navel.
JACK
You're right. There's a whole lot of
possibilities in there.
She giggles, lifting her shirt to
contemplate her navel.
ABBY
In here, too.
He drops his shirt, smiling at
her.
JACK
Maybe you're not Satan, after all.
I don't think Satan has a belly
button.
She smiles, walking closer to him and
flirting softly.
ABBY
Outcasts like us have to stick
together.
INT. LEERY HOUSE - HALLWAY - NIGHT
(NIGHT 2)
Joey is walking through the hallway as,
suddenly, the FRONT DOOR opens and
the very drunk DAWSON walks in, with a
drunk Andie and a sober Pacey not
far behind.
DAWSON
(spreading his arms)
SURPRISE!!!!
The PARTY GUESTS, taken unawares, turn
and yell "SURPRISE!!" back at him.
Dawson and Andie laugh headed towards
the kitchen. Joey looks at Pacy, who
looks contrite.
JOEY
You're late! This party is a complete
disaster!
PACEY
I know, don't get me started.
JOEY
Is he...? I mean, are they...?
Suddenly they hear Dawson and Andy
screaming "WHOOOOO!!!!" from the other
room. Pacey sighs, nodding.
PACEY
Rum and Coke. They got by me.
INT. LEERY HOUSE - KITCHEN - NIGHT
(NIGHT 2)
They walk trepidatiously into the
kitchen, where Dawson and Andie are now
DANCING ON THE KITCHEN TABLE,
maneuvering their moves around the chips
and
dip.
INT. LEERY HOUSE - STAIRCASE - NIGHT
(NIGHT 2)
Joey helps Dawson stagger up the stairs
with one arm, holding a mug of
coffee in the other.
JOEY
Okay, Dawson, we're just gonna get you
upstairs before your parents see you
like this, sit down for a few minutes,
and get some coffee into your system.
God knows that probably won't do much to
help, but it's the only thing I can
think of right now.
DAWSON
(sadly)
I've got the blues, Joe... do you know
anything about the blues?
JOEY
More than I care to.
She walks him to his bedroom door,
opening it. Inside, they see JACK and
ABBY on Dawson's bed, KISSING Jack and
Abby look up to see Joey drop the
coffee mug ad Dawson bursting out into
laughter. Dawson launches into the
blues riff.
DAWSON
(singing)
The guy I was talking about, who turned
out to be gay...
(vocalizing the guitar riff)
Da da da da da, he got a new haircut and
then he swung both ways!!... I got
the blues...
JACK
(mortified)
Joey...
JOEY
(to herself)
I can't deal with this.
Joey rolls her eyes and walks
away.
INT. LEERY HOUSE - HALLWAY - NIGHT
(NIGHT 666 2)
At the bottom of the stairs, Joey walks
past KELLY and TRACY, going into the
living room. ABBY walks down right after
her, grinning like the cat who ate
the canary. The two girls wait for her
news with baited breath.
ABBY
(loving this)
Not so gay anymore...
The girls smile, excited. Just then,
JACK comes down the stairs behind her,
overhearing. He looks at Tracy and
Kelly, shaking his head.
JACK
More gay than ever.
They sigh, dissapointed, as he follows
Joey into the living room.
INT. BEERY HOUSE - LIVING ROOM -
NIGHT (NIGHT 2)
Jack walks into the living room, where
most of the party is congrigating. Gale
has set the BIRTHDAY CAKE on the coffee
table, and is prepairing to light the
candles as DAWSON staggers in, seeing
everybody gathered there.
GALE
Perfect timing, honey. I was just gonna
call you to come down after I lit
the candles.
DAWSON
Time to make a wish?
GALE
Dawson, Honey, have you been
drinking?
Across the room, Pacey turns to Andie
who's weaving slightly and looks a bit
green.
PACEY
(accusingly)
You're gonna have to take some
responsibility, here, McPhee. You got
him in
this condition.
ANDIE
(rolling her eyes)
Oh, witter... nobody likes a
goody-goody.
She suddenly leans foreward, about to
throw up. He quickly helps her towards
the hallway.
PACEY
Let's get you to the bathroom.
She shakes him off. Hand covering her
mouth, she races down the hallway.
PACEY
(calling after her)
Second door on the right.
She runs out of the room, as Dawson
surveys the people in his life. Among
others, Gale, Mitch, Joey, Pacey, Jack,
and Jen look on. Dispite the fact
that he's been drinking, Dawson has
never been more lucid or "on" in his
life.
DAWSON
Okay, I'll make a wish. I wish... that
my mom had never slept with her
co-anchor.
Gale's jaw drops. Pacey, who was about
to follow Andie, decides to say.
DAWSON
I wish that my dad would stop talking
about getting a job, and actually get
one.
Mitch can't believe his ears.
DAWSON
I wish both of them would stop their
petty bickering and at least pretend to
be the adults, here.
Dawson turns to Pacey, who's now trying
to decide if he should check on
Andie, or stop Dawson's crash and
burn.
DAWSON
I wish my best friend Pacey would end
this transformation into the do-gooder
beyfriend, "A" student and all around
sanctimonious teen-angel,
and get back to what he does best, which
is make me feel better about my
life because his is supposed to be
worse.
Pacey shakes his head, exiting to go
help Andie. Dawson turns to
fragile Jen, who is vulnerable after her
encounter with Ty.
DAWSON
And you, Jen, with all your drinking,
and your revolving boyfriends,
and your wild, wicked
ways...
Jen prepairs to be attacked. Dawson
suddenly re-thinks it, grinning, and
pointing to her.
DAWSON
I want to party with you, dude!!
Jen exhales, with the relief of someone
who just dodged a bullet.
Dawson turns to Joey and Jack, who stand
near eachother. First, he focuses
on Jack.
DAWSON
And then there's Jack McPhee, starring in his own version of In and Out..
and In and Out.. and In and Out... Nice
hair, by the way.
A few people in the room stifle
laughter. Dawson turns to Joey, and you
could hear a pin drop.
DAWSON
Then there's my Joey. My sweet, precious
Joey. The only sixteen year old in
the world who ever needed to 'find
herself'.
She just looks at him. He walks closer
to her.
DAWSON
Okay, you need to find yourself. I
accept that.
He looks around the room like a kid
playing hide-and-seek.
DAWSON
Where's Joey? Where's Joey?
He looks everywhere, even under the
coffee table. Suddenly, he looks up at
her with surprise.
DAWSON
Oh!!! THERE she is!!!
(grabbing her by the shoulders)
I FOUND you!!
He passionately KISSES HER. She
struggles, pushing him away.
JOEY
Dawson, cut it out!
He STAGGERS BACKWARD from her push,
FALLING into his BIRTHDAY CAKE, as
we...
FADE OUT:
END OF ACT THREE.
