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The All-Nighter
Dawson is delivering a monologue on Shakespeare but Joey isn't available for movie night
this evening, so his mother is on the receiving end. She tells him to look on the bright side
concern in his separation from Joey; now he can scowl, bitch, work out aggression, and find a
new love for country music. "So it doesn't get any easier?" Dawson asks her. "Nope," Gail
replies, "You just go to bed earlier." She leaves, and Dawson turns on the TV, but pays more
attention to the open, empty window.
In English Literature class, the teacher explains the midterm. Covering Shakespeare,
Beowulf, and numerous others, he is sure the entire class will fail, and extols the midterm's
virtues. "It's more than jut an exam people," he tells them, "It's your life." Joey finds Dawson
after class and tells him they have to talk to each other at some point, but he doesn't want to
hear it. She wanted space and he's giving it to her.
Pacey is complaining about the quality of the fries in the cafeteria, and Andie is reading a
purity test from a magazine out loud, asking about his sex life. Pacey finds it a little too
distracting. Andie tells him his purity level is probably "Closer to Big Bird than Bill Clinton.
Pacey is going to bail on the study session, and Andie is concerned about him. "Give me one
good reason why I should go," he says. "Me," Andie replies quickly. He agrees to attend.
Jen is warming up before gym class when Chris comes up to flirt with her, which she
quickly throws off. Dawson watches Chris leave and approaches Jen. He tells her he's a little
worried about Chris's intentions and asks her about the study session, which she's not going
to either. Dawson is going, as its better than another movie night with Mom.
The class arrives for the study session after school, but the teacher has gone home sick.
Chris suggests to Jen that they have their own study session at his house, his parents are
away. In order to prove his intentions are honorable he invites Pacey and Andie. Andie says no
at first, but Pacey tells her Chris's family is loaded, his house has to be seen to be believed,
and they agree to attend. Andie finds Joey walking home and convinces her to come to Chris's
as well. Pacey does the same with Dawson, and he soon agrees to go. They pile into Chris's
truck, Joey looking more than a little surprised to see Dawson there.
The group arrives at Chris's house, a majestic sight. Chris shows them around briefly.
Sauna, pool, guest rooms, the works. Chris introduces Deena, his little sister, who he swears
will not bother them. Pacey is entranced by the satellite dish, especially the Three Stooges in
Cantonese. Andie pulls him away, insisting that they need to study. She develops a plan of
attack for the evening and Chris suggests they order a pizza. Chris finds some wine in the
kitchen with Jen, who marvels that they're getting to know each their without sexual overtones.
"The only way to really get to know someone is to get to know them," he tells her.
Later, Andie has turned the study session into a game show, which no one is taking very
seriously. Chris suggests they chill out in the hot tub, but Andie insists on focus.
Unfortunately, Jen finds the magazine with the purity test in it and they all adjourn to the living
room to take the test properly. Andie organizes this too, passing out paper ad pencils. They
begin. After reading numerous sexual questions aloud, Joey reads the final question aloud.
"Have you ever been in love?" She exchanges an uneasy look with Dawson.
Everyone totals their scores. Joey leaves the room and Dawson follows her into the
kitchen. He tarts to ask her about the love question, but she shrugs him off. "I asked for time
Dawson," she says, "Please respect that." Joey leaves, and Dawson is left with Deena who
starts asking him about his relationship with Joey. She's obviously flirting with him.
Andie reads the scores out loud. Chris had the lowest score of 62, Jen just above him
with a 69. Joey and Dawson tied with a score of 85, and Andie had the highest score, a 92.
Pacey's answer sheet is conspicuously missing, and when Andie asks him about it, he
refuses to give it up. Chris asks him if his reticence has anything to do with question sixteen
and Pacey is visibly upset. "Is there anything redeemable about you other than your house?"
he asks, but Chris continues and has Andie read question sixteen: "Have you ever had sex
with someone twice your age?" "So it's true," Chris says, "You laid pipe with Miss Jacobs."
Andie is shocked, she leaves the room in tears.
Dawson finds Chris out by the hot tub, which he is warming up in anticipation of seducing
Jen. "There's bound to be some serious sex in your future." Chris asks Dawson how he thinks
he's doing with Jen, and Dawson tells him Jen is in a particularly vulnerable mindset right now.
He obviously doesn't care. Chris points to a lighted window in the guest house and tells
Dawson that when that light is off it means he's in there with Jen "And you'll be out here," he
continues, "Alone."
Jen and Joey are upstairs marveling at the new swimsuits which Chris's family has just for
visitors. Jen tries to talk to Joey, telling her that she's genuinely sorry about her separation
from Dawson, but Joey keeps dismissing her.
Andie is on a swing n the backyard. Pacey stands before her. Andie asks him why he
never told her about Miss Jacobs, and Pacey tells her that it's not the kind of thing you can
just come out and say. Andie is not satisfied. "It' not fair," Pacey says, "You're judging me and
you don't even know the circumstances." "Why would you do it Pacey," Andie asks, "Why?"
Pacey explains that it basically came down to sex, that whether she likes it or not, he is a
sexual being and so is she. Andie is not happy with his answer, and turns away from him. He
walks off, leaving her alone with her thoughts.
Chris tells Jen the hot tub is ready, but Dawson intercepts her on the way down. He tells
her he's worried that Chris doesn't have the best of intentions towards her. She is well aware of
this. "Just because he has some sort of master plan," she tells Dawson, "Doesn't mean I have
to go along with it." She walks out to the hot tub with a smile, once again leaving Dawson with
Chris's sister. Deena has found his purity test answer sheet, as well as Joey's. She's sure he'll
find Joey's to be interesting, and she'll give to him in exchange for a kiss. "You know that's not
going to happen," he answers. Deena agrees to tell him anyway. According to Joey's answer
sheet, she's been in love twice.
Jen and Chris are in the hot tub and Chris kisses Jen, who doesn't resist. "I'm not bad
guy," he says, "I just want to have fun." Jen stares into his eyes. "What is your idea of fun?"
"This," he says. They kiss again, "So are we on the same page?" Chris asks. "Same page,"
Jen replies. They continues kissing as Dawson looks on from the living room. Pacey walks in
and Dawson stops him, asking if Andie is okay. Pacey tells him he didn't want to lie to her,
and asks what Dawson would have done in his place. "I like to think I would have been
honest," Dawson says, "I don't know, I seem to have trouble saying a lot of things lately." "You
know what?" Pacey asks, putting a hand on Dawson's shoulder, "Try harder."
Dawson sits down beside Joey on the porch despite her protests. He asks her about her
answer on the test, explaining how he found out. "Joey," he says, "You said that I was your
world. When did you have time for guy number two?" "I don't know okay?" Joey yells back,
"Why can't we just go back to the way things were? Why can't we just be friends Dawson?" "Is
that really what you want?" Dawson asks, "If you don't understand why that can't happen, if
you don't get that, then you don't get me." Joey leaves, and Deena steps out onto the porch.
Dawson tells her to go away but she walks to him. "You're not crying are you?" she asks.
Dawson spins around, glaring down at her. "You wanted a kiss, is that what you want. Are you
prepared for everything that goes along with that? Because it doesn't just end with a fade out.
There are repercussions. Hearts get broken. Friendships get ruined your entire life can fall
apart because of one kiss okay, so do yourself a favor: don't rush it." Deena runs off, upset.
Dawson turns to see Joey shaking her head at him.
The hot tub is empty. The guest room light is off and Dawson notices. He sits down on
the stairs, his head in his hands.
Joey goes to Deena's room to hang out with "the only sane individual here." "He's so
mean," Deena says of Dawson. "All boys are," Joey replies, she tells Deena it's their way of
dealing with emotion. Deena says she is going to avoid growing up, and Joey tells her to let
her know if she has any luck. "Growing up sucks," Joey confides in her, "But there are those
times when everything love romance, relationships, it all falls together perfectly and it's
incredible, and it's those moments, no matter how depressingly few or far between, that make
growing up worth it. It'll be okay." They hug.
Dawson falls asleep on the porch and wakes up the next morning. He rushes inside to
see everyone else has fallen asleep as well, Pacey face down on the pool table. Andie wakes
up and panics. The test is in four hours and they're running out of time, as they basically got
nothing done the previous night. Upstairs, Jen wakes up in Chris's bed. They kiss "Thank you,"
Chris says, "For a very fun night." There are empty condom packets on the bedside table.
Pacey has taken control of the study session. He is, in his own words, a professional
crammer. They finish studying and with a few minutes to spare Pacey suggests a group
activity. They jump in the pool. Afterward, Andie apologizes to Pacey. She was more shocked
by the idea of his sexual experience than by the secret itself. "you're the girl I love to hate,"
Pacey tells her. "I love to hate you too," Andie replies. They kiss.
Dawson approaches Joey once more and asks if he can talk with her. He tells her to
listen and not saying anything, because he's screwed this up enough times already. "All I've
been thinking about lately is how much I wish I could take back our first kiss," he begins, "How
much I would pay to have just let you climb through that window. I don't know what would have
happened. Maybe we'd still be best friends, maybe you'd still have a thing for me, I just know I
wouldn't be hurting like this. But then I think about everything that kiss brought into my life.
What it was like to look at you and to know not just what you were thinking but also what you
were feeling because I was feeling the same thing. And then it's all worth it. I want to regret
kissing you Joey, but I can't. It was the smartest decision I ever made." "The two times I fell in
love, on the test, they were both you. I mean, the first time I fell it was for my friend, the
Dawson I grew up with, the boy across the creek. The second time was after we kissed. You
became this whole new person to me and just because we're not together does not change my
feelings for you." "I'm going to give you that space. No more hostility, no underhanded
comments, just space. But that doesn't change the way I feel about you. Nothing can change
that."
On his way out, Dawson gently kisses a sleeping Deena, who wakes up and smiles after
he departs. The group gets back into the truck and Chris drives them off to school. The teacher
is still sick, the test rescheduled for later that week. "Now what are we supposed to do?"
Andie asks. Pacey tells them he has one last group activity for them. He leads them out to the
football field were they all promptly fall asleep.
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