Beyond the Triangle
Part 19 - ..and ended at a crossroad
Scene: The next day at a cafe in Province Town. Otherwise known as the meeting place for the Gay/Lesbian Teen Coalition.
Pacey walks in, wearing a baseball cap and sunglasses. He looks around to make sure he doesn't recognize anyone, then sits down in the back row.
* * * * *
Scene: By the entrance of the cafe, where Jack, Patrick, Marty and Arielle (Marty's girlfriend) have just walked in. Patrick spots Tobey and waves him over.
Arielle: Would you just admit it, Patrick? You totally want to date him.
Patrick: Not really, that's your fantasy guy.
Arielle: (swooning) If only he was bi.. (Marty glares at her) I would have the opportunity to turn him down flat.
Marty pats her on the head. Tobey creeps up from behind.
Tobey: Don't think so highly of yourself. (Arielle turns around) You and Marty are truly two of a kind.
Marty: (pretends to be offended) Geez, thanks a lot. Any luck keeping this place here?
Tobey: So far, so good. The owner and I have made a tentative agreement.
Arielle: What if there's another crisis of faith?
Tobey: Well, I suppose I can take up the handshake deal at this cafe in Capeside.
Patrick: (to Jack) You never mentioned a cafe in Capeside!
Marty: Don't you ever listen to people? Farrell's working at the place. (rubs her hands together) That gives me a good idea for later.
Arielle, Patrick and Jack all glare at her.
Marty: What can I say, I love irritating him.
Arielle: (to Tobey) This is what happens when an unsuspecting straight guy makes the mistake of admitting he had a crush on her.
Tobey grins, then glances in Jack's direction.
Tobey: Recruiting again?
Patrick: Sorry, I almost forgot. Jack, this is Tobey Barrett, the big mouth in charge of this organization.
Tobey: (smirks at Patrick, then turns back to Jack) Have we met before?
Jack: I don't think so.
Tobey: I've definitely seen you.. (snaps his fingers) The gay football player from the news.
Patrick and Marty exchange glances in confusion. Jack winces at the comment.
Tobey: We were always wondering when you'd show up.
Jack: (gives a forced smile) Well, I finally made it.
Arielle: Don't let Tobey's arrogant attitude fool you. He was actually quite impressed.
Tobey: Why don't you guys sit down and we can talk afterwards? I'd better get this meeting started before everyone gets on a mochaccino high.
* * * * *
Scene: Inside the cafe.
As Pacey is waiting for the meeting to start, he spots a group of slightly older kids taking a table towards the front. He doesn't think much of it until he recognizes one of them as Jack.
Pacey: (mutters) Why does he have to be here tonight of all nights? (slouches in the chair, pulling the cap further down his forehead)
* * * * *
Scene: About an hour later at the Coffee Cup. Dawson arrives to find Joey and Jen immersed in conversation.
Dawson: Have I walked onto a different show? Since when are you two so catty?
Jen: You are looking at the perpetrators of what will be one of the great plots in Capeside history.
Dawson: (shocked) You told her. I thought this was between you, me and Pacey.
Jen: You try finding Pacey. Anyway, relax. I had to involve her since she is the only one with the necessary powers.
Dawson: (raises his eyebrows) Powers?
Joey: She wants Drue to think that he broke up my relationship with Pacey. I'm sure Pacey will find it amusing, just as soon as he finishes the redecorating Gretchen has in mind.
Jen: If he gets really bad about being a pest, then I can always pull out the devious trick. (Joey and Dawson lean in closer) Have you ever seen the movie Can't Hardly Wait (Joey nods while Dawson is confused) Come on, the graduation movie in which Jennifer Love Hewitt and the Empire Records guy try to hook up?
Joey: Oh my god, you're not seriously thinking of enacting what the geeks wanted to do to the jock, are you?
Jen: What do you think?
Joey: I think it would be fun.
Dawson: Hold on, what do the geeks want to do to the jock?
Jen and Joey exchange glances, then begin laughing hysterically.
Joey: So who would be the other guy?
Jen: I can think of a couple of candidates. For instance, Chris Wolfe. I can see him getting into a situation like that.
Joey: How about Grant Bodine? Then you'd have two guys who had the honor of being dealt a Potter right hook.
Dawson: (insistantly) What do the geeks want to do to the jock?
Jen: Have him in a torrid embrace with another football player. (Dawson looks at her skeptically) But not just anyone, it has to be a guy who prides himself on getting a lot of girls in the sack.
Dawson: You two would never do that!
Jen: Probably not, but it was certainly fun to picture it. Like I said, the initial idea is to make him feel guilty about breaking them up.
* * * * *
Scene: At the Coalition meeting, which has just ended.
Arielle: I'm gonna see if Tobey wants to join us. I'll be right baaack. (heads off)
Marty glances first at Patrick, then at Jack.
Marty: So you officially survived your first meeting.
Jack: It was surprisingly tolerable considering how political that guy can be.
Patrick: He is quite passionate about his work.
Marty: You do realize that Arielle's probably telling Tobey that you want to jump him tonight.
Patrick: Doesn't she try that stunt every time we come here? (Arielle creeps up from behind) It's bordering on pathetic.
Arielle: You are simply sad. Anyway, he's busy. Let's go.
Patrick: I was thinking it would be amusing to create our own little political statement. Well, actually you ladies would probably be doing this anyway..
Jack glances in Tobey's direction. His face drops as he notices Pacey talking to him.
Jack: What the hell is he doing here?
Marty: (spins around) Who?
Jack: That g-g-guy, nevermind, you know, I suddenly remembered that I have to get back home.
Patrick: Are you okay? You look like you saw a ghost.
Jack: I'll be fine. I just think that so much has happened and..
Patrick: (gestures to Marty and Arielle) You two go on your way. I'll meet you in the car. (they walk off) So how do you know that guy?
Jack: (quivering) Which guy?
Patrick: I'd surmise from where you were staring that it's the brunette talking to Tobey. Correct? (Jack doesn't answer) I'll take that for a yes. Does he know you're gay?
Jack nods slightly.
Patrick: So what do you have to be paranoid about? Unless.. there's actually some hidden attraction, which I could understand because he is quite a hottie and you...
Jack starts walking for the door. Patrick sighs, then follows him.
* * * * *
Scene: Back to the Coffee Cup some time later. Pacey is rushing in and plops down next to Jen.
Jen: I thought you wouldn't make it.
Pacey: Well, you know how difficult Gretch can be sometimes.
Joey glances at Jen, then at Dawson. They nod their heads.
Jen: Pacey, there's something we need to talk about.
Joey: I'm not sure how to ask this exactly, but.. is there a problem?
Dawson: I know that we're all probably heading in different directions in the fall.
Marty: (clears throat)
They all see Marty standing in front of their table. Pacey recognizes her as one of Jack's friends and tries not to let on.
Jen: I didn't expect to see you tonight. You like making entrances like this.
Marty: Hey Jen. You wouldn't happen to know where my favorite bugger is right now.
Jen: Ryan's not working tonight.
Marty: Damn, the one time I'm in Capeside and I can't annoy him at work. Oh well.
Jen: Marty, this is (pointing around the table) Dawson, Joey and Pacey.
Marty: Pacey? So you're the guy...
Pacey: (quickly) That Jack has told such wonderful things about. Yes, that's me.
Marty registers that Pacey doesn't want to talk about it now and nods.
Jen: So, where's Jack?
Marty: It's a funny thing. He didn't flip out when we arrived or during the meeting. But apparently, he (glancing toward Pacey) recognized someone and couldn't handle anymore. We dropped him off at his house. I'd better get back to my table, have Patrick and Arielle here.
Jen: Nice to see you again. (Marty leaves the table) I wonder what could have possibly gone wrong.
Joey: Let's get back to the problem at hand..
Jen: Actually, I think I'm going to check up on Jack.
Jen rises from her seat. Pacey gets up and pushes her down.
Pacey: I think I'll do that. Enjoy this rare opportunity for the three of you to bond.
Jen: (slinks back into her seat) I guess so.
Joey: No, wait a second.
Pacey leaves before giving Joey a chance to continue.
Dawson: I don't believe this.
Joey: (glares at Dawson) You didn't really think he'd talk in front of all of us, did you?
Dawson: I can't believe I didn't see all this sooner.
Scene: McPhee house. Pacey knocks on the door, with no reply. The door is open a crack and he lets himself in. He wanders throughout the house until he spots Jack sitting on a lounge chair in his dad's study, his back toward the door.
Jack: I'm trying not to jump to conclusions as to why you were there.
Pacey leans against the door, sheepishly grinning.
Pacey: How'd you know it was me?
Jack: (softly) Who else would it be at the moment?
Pacey nods hesitantly then slowly walks over to Mr. McPhee's desk and leans back in the office chair. Jack turns away from Pacey and stares out the window.
Pacey: I don't understand what the problem is exactly.
Jack: (tersely) It is much easier thinking about you as a hundred percent hetero. Seeing you at that meeting clouded everything.
Pacey: Jack, I don't think you understand why I attended.
Jack: You mean it's not because you're thinking you're bi?
Pacey: (wracking his head for an explanation) Of course, of course not. I knew, yeah that's it, I knew you'd be there so I thought I'd see the world through your eyes for the night.
Jack: Does that explanation make you feel better? Because it only makes me feel worse.
Jack gets up and heads for the window. Pacey is confused as to what he's actually done wrong.
Pacey: (stammering) I'm sorry, I guess that sounded terrible. You're not a lab rat...
Jack turns around and it is at that moment that Pacey realizes Jack was crying before he arrived.
Jack: (yells) Shut up, Pacey! Do you want to know what it feels like?! Two vastly different worlds collided at that moment.
Pacey: What?! Come on, Jen already knew about those friends. What's the difference?
Jack: I'm not referring to Capeside people. I meant about fantasies versus reality. I thought Jen was having trouble distinguishing the two. Seeing you there was..
Jack stops himself from saying anything even more embarrassing and retreats back to the lounge chair. Pacey gets up and sits on the armrest, awkwardly patting him on the back, still not quite sure what's happening.
Pacey: I'm sure everything will be fine.
Jack: How the hell would you know? (darts out of the chair and glares at him) You really want to see the world through my eyes? That would involve constantly reminding myself that you're dating Joey Potter. That you would never venture the idea of dating a guy. (Pacey's eyes light up as he realizes where this is heading) That I couldn't let another dream ruin everything. (begins sobbing)That I should be dating but there's no guy that lives up to the @#%$ fantasies.
Pacey: I'm sorry. I had no idea.
Pacey gets up from the chair and wraps his arms around Jack to console him. Jack leans his head against Pacey's shoulder, gripping tightly around his waist as he lets the tears come out.
Jack: (muffled) I have just made a complete idiot out of myself.
Pacey: (slowly) I have a confession for you. (chuckling) So I can join the club for the idiots.
Jack pulls away, wiping the tears away as he glances questioningly at Pacey.
Pacey: I was thinking about it for awhile while I was with Joey. Do you want to know the real reason we broke up?
Jack: (confused) Do I have to hear about your relationship now?
Pacey: Yes, you do. When Joey and I were having sex for the first time, there was something, well, wrong. Usually, I have no trouble thinking about the two of us in the sexual sense. But when it was actually taking place, I suddenly couldn't, um, picture her like that. I believed that it was just a temporary lull and tried to think of some erotic imagery, and.. you came up.
Jack: What?!
Pacey stares at the floor and nods. Jack isn't sure how to handle this new revelation.
Jack: This is when you tell me that you're screwing around and just trying to make me laugh. Right?
Pacey: No, it isn't. Joey was so nervous about it being her first time that she wasn't exactly paying attention to what was going on. Or maybe it's the fact that everything in my brain was magnified a thousand times and I was convinced she'd figure out something was wrong. Everything changed in our relationship after that. I felt so guilty about it and so wrong. (glances up at Jack) That's why I attended the Coalition meeting. I couldn't face telling anyone in the gang about it, for obvious reasons.
Jack: (hesistantly) Was this a one-time thing?
Pacey: No but I finally realized that I needed to tell someone after these images came up in the movie theater..
Jack: (finishing) When you fell asleep on my shoulder.
Pacey: Yeah.
Jack: What did Tobey tell you?
Pacey: He thinks the possibility exists but not to think in terms of what to call myself.
Jack considers this, then nods in agreement.
Pacey: There is something, however, that I've been wanting to do ever since that night..
Pacey leans in, not quite sure if he's handling this correctly, and plants a quick kiss on Jack's lips. He tries to back away but Jack responds by pulling Pacey in closer and kissing him back.
After a couple of seconds of this, both of them stop and back away. Jack is in complete shock while Pacey is trying to hide a smile.
Jack: Okay, I can certainly say that was not what I expected to happen tonight.
Pacey: Me either, though I can't say I'm exactly upset by the current developments, are you?
Jack: Well, no.. not really.
Both of them pause for a couple of seconds, then at the same time go back for a more meaningful attempt.
* * * * *
the end.. or is it?