Beyond the Triangle
Part 15 - Coffee and Other Addictions
* * * * *
Scene: Friday after school at Coffee Cup. Jen is sitting alone at a table when she gets unexpected company in one Pacey Witter.
Jen: What are you doing here alone? Have you finally caved into your addiction.
Pacey: (scoffs) Please, woman. Gretchen is working tonight, as is Joey. I'm meeting Dougie here, who, by the nature of a police officer, is a frequent customer.
Jen: Spending time with your brother voluntarily? You're up to something, aren't you?
Pacey: Me? Of course not.
Jen gives him a 'you're not fooling me' look.
Pacey: Okay, I'm trying to get a scheme together in which Drue Valentine gets what he deserves. If he had the nerve to rig the senior poll, then I think it would only be fair to return the favor. I don't know why he's obsessed with our relationship.
Jen: I'd hate to tell you this, but it's not just about you and Joey anymore. His new ritual is popping up when I'm with Ryan and flirting in front of his face.
Pacey: Does that bother him?
Jen: Actually, no. Ryan figured out the game pretty quickly. So, in response, he irritates Drue by appearing that he's conceding. It's pretty funny.
Pacey: Interesting tactic. But we need something that's a little more fun than that.
Jen: I agree completely.
Pacey: I'm trying to get on Dougie's good side for a couple of days in case we need his help again.
Jen: Any ideas so far?
Pacey: Sorry, everything I've thought of is either too tame or too violent.
Jen: Have you asked Joey yet?
Pacey: Um, I haven't really talked to her about anything the last few days. I'm trying to avoid a certain conversation with her.
Jen: Does it begin with a D?
Pacey: (smirks) Partially. (looking around) Where is Kent?
Jen: Oh, he and Cheryl made an impromptu visit to New York.
Pacey: Family reunion?
Jen: Basically, yeah.
Pacey: Any hot plans tonight?
Jen: Because I so often have hot plans with Jack?
Pacey: I didn't mean Jack, for a change.
Jen: Oh, well, Ryan's working tonight in the Hardings' absence, so there are no plans with him. But I wouldn't have a problem hanging out here for awhile.
Pacey: I'm sure you wouldn't, Lindley.
* * * * *
Scene: Harding house. Ryan is rushing to get ready for work when there is a knock at the door.
Ryan: (buttoning shirt) Better to ignore it.
Of course, the knocks persist.
Dawson: (talking through the door) Cheryl, I was wondering if you wanted a ride to work.
Ryan reluctantly answers the door.
Ryan: I'm sorry, she's not here nor is she working tonight.
Dawson: Oh, do you know where she is?
Ryan: In New York with her mother. As much as I love talking to you, I really have to cut this off. I'm running late for work. (begins to close the door)
Dawson blocks the door's path.
Dawson: I could give you a ride since I'm over here.
Ryan: There are no hidden cameras around the house. You don't have to be pleasant. Cheryl will never know the difference.
Dawson: You don't have your car here, right? I didn't see it in the driveway.
Ryan: I dropped it back off at the house when I finished moving.
Dawson: So then I'll give you the ride. It's the least I could do. Cheryl isn't exactly thrilled with the way I've acted lately.
Ryan: (mutters) That makes two of us.
Dawson: Understood. So, are you interested?
Ryan: Don't think of this as a friendly gesture. It's just that I'm too tired to argue. I'm paying you back for this. Just give me five minutes.
Dawson nods as Ryan leaves the room.
* * * * *
Scene: Back to table at Coffee Cup with Jen and Pacey a short time later.
Jen: Is there something I'm unaware of about you and Joey?
Pacey: What? No, why would you say that?
Jen: Lately, when it's just the two of us talking, the subject inevitably goes back to either Joey or Dawson. Today, you've completely avoided the subject. Therefore, I know something's not right in paradise.
Pacey: There's just some distance going on between us.
Jen: Dawson!
Pacey: (raises his voice) Not everything is about Dawson.
Jen: No, I mean (gesturing toward the door)
Pacey turns around and spots Dawson and Ryan at the entrance.
Pacey: Oh, sorry about that.
Dawson spots them and heads toward their table, sitting next to Jen. Ryan heads for the kitchen.
Jen: This is a surprise.
Dawson: There's nothing odd about me being here. Granted, I'm not as regular a patron as either of you but..
Jen: I meant that you and Ryan showed up at the same time.
Dawson: Temporary agreement. I gave him a ride. He's giving me a coffee and a muffin on the house.
Jen: (mockingly) That makes more sense.
Pacey: D-Man, do you have any ideas regarding our earlier discussion?
Dawson: You told Jen?
Pacey: Yeah, well, I determined that she deserved to have some input as well.
Jen: Especially since you left me out of the senior prank.
Dawson: Are we allowing Joey to help as well?
Pacey: We'll see if we need her later.
Dawson: Isn't it going to be difficult to keep such a secret from her?
Pacey: (glares) Aren't you gonna have a problem with Cheryl?
Dawson: Come on, Pace. You know we don't have as serious a relationship as you have with Joey.
Pacey: I was able to handle not telling her the first time. I propose leaving the option of having Dougie involved open but that's the limit.
Jen: What the hell is that.. that.. thing doing here?
Pacey: (bored) I told you, Dougie's picking..
Jen: Pace, yet again, you're wrong. Turn around.
Pacey does and spots Peter Farrell entering the cafe.
Pacey: Can you believe he's spent the whole week harassing Kent? Kent told me he's been spotted in the area on three different occasions.
Jen: A slight upgrade over him flirting with me.
Dawson: (mutters) You've gotta be kidding.
Just then, Ryan comes from the kitchen, pretending he didn't spot him as he serves another table.
Jen: The Kent issue wouldn't be so bad if he at least talked to his son. Ryan called home various times during the week but kept getting the answering machine. Naturally, none of the messages were returned. It sounds like Peter is more intent on winnng than anything else.
The other waiter approaches Ryan, gesturing towards that table. Ryan heads over as though he was being executed.
Dawson: Wait, hold on a sec. That guy is Ryan's father?
Jen and Pacey nod in unison.
Dawson: My mom worked with him back in her reporter days. I remember he once invaded a family dinner to suggest that she should try to look more youthful.
Pacey: Why doesn't that surprise me?
Ryan is standing at Peter's table, looking down at the pad in his hand.
Ryan: May I take your order?
Peter: (looks up, genuinely surprised) Oh, I didn't expect to see you here.
Ryan: Kent's not working today so you might want your order to go.
Peter: I'm sorry, I seem to recall having a son.
Ryan: (chuckles) I'm surprised you remembered that. You seem to have forgotten all week. Wait, that's not true. You know you have a son but no clue who it is.
Peter: Long-lost relatives for $100, I see. Speaking of which, how's your mother?
Ryan: Fine. She called to find out.
Peter: Is this power play time? I know it's a little early but I suspect you're already planning it.
Ryan: I have no interest in reuniting you two.
Peter shakes his head.
Peter: I don't possess the best of memories but I distinctly remember those exact words coming out of your mouth the last time. We all know that was a lie.
Ryan: Are you planning to order anything?
Peter: (off-handedly) The usual. So you still refuse to admit that was your motive. Take advantage of your mother's concern over your little party mishap in an effort to keep the family together.
Ryan: I wouldn't know what the usual is.
Peter: Strong coffee, two sugars. OD's occur. Not in your mother's quaint little secretarial world but they do in a real man's world.
Back to other table.
Jen: So that's what Drue meant.
Pacey: (mutters) This is eerily playing out like one of my birthday parties with the family. (normal tone) I'll be right back.
Back to Farrell table.
Ryan: (mumbles) I’ll be back with your order.
Pacey gets up from his table as Ryan is leaving for the kitchen. Pacey casually strolls to the table and sits across from Peter.
Peter: May I help you?
Pacey: I seem to remember the owner banning you from this establishment.
Peter: I’m sorry, I have no clue what you’re talking about.
Pacey: You don’t remember me, let me reintroduce myself. I’m Pacey Witter. You might know me better as the sheriff’s son. That’s okay if you forgot since you can also think of me as the deputy’s brother since he’ll be around here shortly. He would definitely have a problem ignoring that order plus currently harassing employees.
Peter: I don’t think you should interfere in family affairs, kid.
Pacey: (feigning innocence) That was a family affair? I’d hate to see how you treat total strangers.
Peter: Would you like to find out?
Pacey: (glares) The owner wouldn’t mind seeing your sorry ass in jail.
Doug enters at that moment and notices the scene.
Doug: Pace, what kind of trouble have you gotten yourself into this time?
Pacey’s expression changes to pure elation. Dawson is watching the scene, transfixed by the action.
Dawson: This makes up for missing movie nights.
Jen shakes her head in disbelief, then gets up and heads for the kitchen.
Pacey: Just the person I wanted to see. I have an intriguing tale for you.
Jen enters through the 'In' door of the kitchen. She looks around the kitchen.
Cook: He went out the back door.
Jen: How’d you know what I was looking for?
Cook: I know who you are. He swiped the pocketknife from my coat pocket before he left.
Jen: Pocketknife?
Cook: I don’t get it either. I use it for opening packages but I have no clue what he’d do with it by the garbage.
Jen: (even more puzzled than before) Okay, er, thanks.
Jen heads out the back door. She spots Ryan sitting on the ground, figuring out the best way to hold the knife.
Jen: (softly) What are you doing?
Ryan retracts the blade, refusing to look in her direction.
Ryan: I know, I shouldn’t fool around with something so dangerous.
Jen is more baffled than before. She sits down next to him. Ryan hands her the pocketknife which Jen places on the ground.
Jen: Not something I really want to learn, Ry.
Ryan: I guess not. My dad says you really should know how to hold one before using it.
Jen: I guess that’s true but why are you trying now?
Ryan: (hesitantly) No particular reason.
Jen realizes he’s lying. She’s about to ask another question when she thinks better of it. Instead, she tries to move hair away from his face.
Ryan: You really shouldn’t get involved with me.
Jen stops what she’s doing.
Jen: Where did that come from?
Ryan: Nothing but trouble. I am my father’s son after all.
Jen: You are nothing like him.
She grabs his hand and intertwines her fingers between his.
Ryan: Now I’m not. But I was exactly the kind of pathetic loser that he is now. I’m sure there was a point when he briefly woke up too or else my mom wouldn’t have fallen in love with him. Correction, I wasn’t exactly like him only because I was a complete failure in the realm of women before you.
Jen: You are being irrational, not to mention harsh. I’m sure your previous girlfriends..
Ryan: (interrupts) There were no previous girlfriends.
Jen: Oh well, that doesn’t matter. What’s significant is..
Ryan faces her finally. Jen is startled by the fear in his eyes.
Ryan: What’s significant is that this should be the happiest time of your boyfriend’s life yet he’s still attempting stupid stunts like this. What the fu.ck is wrong with him?
Jen: Ryan, I’m not sure what you were planning to do before I arrived but I know you’re going to be fine.
Ryan pulls his hand away from hers and darts up on his feet.
Ryan: How the hell do you figure that? I subconsciously tried to the first time at a kegger and nearly died. Ended up in counseling where I’m told that there’s nothing wrong with me and that my mom was being irrational. Shortly after that clean bill of health was serious attempt number two. I passed out cold from a mix of aspirin and scotch and woke up on my own accord about three hours later. (his voice gets shaky) Nobody suspected it was anything more than the flu. I’ve thought about it too many times to count but I inevitably chicken out. Can’t even fu.cking get that right.
Jen gets up and tries to give him a hug, which he pulls away from and takes a couple of steps backward.
Ryan: I can’t drag you down to my level. I care about you too much to let you suffer like that. I’m just telling you what my reality is so you understand why you must leave.
Jen pulls him into a hug.
Jen: (whispers in his ear) Too late, I’m already in.
Ryan: You are going to regret this.
Jen: I don't see how I could possibly regret saving your life.
Ryan: I’m so sorry, Jen. (clutches onto her and begins crying) I’m so sorry.
Part 16 - New Beginnings