202 - Crossroads
On Dawson’s TV, a commercial for a sausage maker is on. Dawson and Joey aren’t watching. They are too busy making out. A hand reaches across the TV and shuts it off. Dawson looks up to see his mom and dad looking at them. “You remember Joey, right?”
A woman is congratulating people on passing their driving exam. Pacey, however, missed by one point. “Shouldn’t have studied!” He tries to bribe her with free videos. Give him a break. It’s his 16th birthday.
Mitch tries to tell Dawson about teen pregnancy. Gale then starts on Joey. She has a nice book for her to read. Dawson cuts in and tells Joey it’s time to go. Mitch reminds Dawson, “No hat, no glove.” Gale corrects him, “No glove, no love.”
Jen is woken by Grams opening the window. She’d too tired to go to school. She doesn’t seem herself.
Pacey slams his bike into the bike racks. Dawson arrives, “Your gonna kill it!” “I failed.” “Mid-terms?” “Mid-terms. Like I care Dawson. I failed my drivers test.” “Might wanna take better care of that bike then.” Dawson goes off on how Mitch and Gale are acting. Pacey reminds Dawson that he really would have liked to pass today. “Today. Two weeks from now, what’s the big deal? Dawson continues on about him and Joey. Pacey interrupts. “You don’t have anything to say to me today?” Pacey thinks he hears Joey calling Dawson, so he walks away.
Pacey has a seat beside Jen. He has a bad case of the Molly Ringwalds today. Jen reviews Ringwald’s career. “Breakfast Club” she gets detention; “Pretty in Pink” she gets dumped before the prom; “16 Candles” everyone forgets about her birthday. Jen wishes him a happy birthday. Dawson always remembers and has some outing planned. Joey and Dawson are so caught up they forgot. Pacey’s happy for them. Jen says she is too. “No, your not.” “I know.” Jen tells him to forget about them. “I’m sick and tired of being Dawson Leery’s sidekick. I’m getting my own storyline.”
Jen is cleaning up garbage from the bleachers. Abby Morgan is sitting on the bleacher. She stole some letterhead from the doctor and writes her own notes. Jen used menstrual cramps. “Not so bright for a big city girl. Your life in ?New York was probably just as dull.” Jen describes how she dated the bouncer at The Curtain. Abby wants to know all the details.
Dawson and Joey are at Joey’s “studying”. They go over events of earlier. Joey will write that one down in her diary. Dawson loves how he knows everything about her. Joey says he doesn’t. “What you don’t know about me could fill a book.” Alexander cries in the background. Joey goes to check up on him. Dawson looks at a picture of Joey and her mom, then glances at her diary. His face looks shocked. When Joey returns, Dawson has to go. “I thought you had allot of reading to do?” “I’v done enough reading for today.”
Pacey is posting flyers about a beach party he’s throwing tonight. Dawson tells Pacey what he read in Joey’s diary; “I’m so sick of Dawson’s movie. I wish I could tell him how terrible it is. How stupid, rancid” “So what? At least she didn’t tell you your a selfish, self-absorbed, self-centered... “ Dawson cuts him off and continues. Pacey interrupts. “No offense Dawson, but I don’t think anyone cares.” “I care and I could use some advice” “You want some advice? Your life is not that interesting. I’m so sick and tired about hearing your and Joey’s little mini-dramas. Get over yourself Dawson! Deal!”
Andie runs into Joey. She says she’s a friend of Pacey’s. “How bold of you to admit that.” Her brother Jack’s looking for work. Joey says for him to come in and ask for her.
Dawson catches up with Joey. He says he found the costume she wore in the movie and wants o know if she was happy with the movie. “I loved it. It was great, Dawson.” Dawson doesn’t seem convinced. Joey catches on that he read her diary. “What else does Joey Potter really think of me?” “Right now, you don’t want to know.”
Mitch is at the fishing docks and talks to an old friend Cole about his problems. At the same time, Gale talks to Grams about marriage. Cole recommends they try an open marriage.
Pacey continues to hand out flyers, this time on windshields of cars. Andie gets one and asks what the party’s for. “It’s my going away party. I’m dying of a heart-stripe or haven’t you heard?” “So what’s the reason?” “I’m sorry. Were you under the impression that you were invited?” “Well, it says ‘Come one, come all’?” “It says ‘Come one, come all’ except spoiled trust fund casualties from Rhode Island. Sorry.”
Jen shows Abby pictures of old boyfriends. She can’t believe she has eyes for Dawson. Abby says they should crash Pacey’s bogus dock party. Abby has some wine.
Joey and Dawson are yelling at each other over their privacy issue. Jack introduces himself to Joey. Andie’s brother. “Who’s Andie?” “My sister.” Joey is too busy to talk to this guy. He tells her he’s here to interview for the job. Joey remembers now, asks him if he’s ever washed dishes before. “No, but I’m willing to learn.” “Good. Interviews over. Kitchen’s that way.” Dawson tries to turn it around and make Joey the bad guy. “The big deal isn’t what your read. It’s that you read it!” Jack returns and asks Joey to tell her sister he works here, ‘cause she won’t let him into the kitchen. Dawson realizes that he doesn’t know her at all.
Andie is the only person Pacey recognizes at his party. New people make Andie nervous, and she clams up. Pacey can’t believe this, ‘cause she hasn’t stopped talking to him since they met. He doesn’t make her nervous. He makes her mad. Mad beats nervous. Andie jokes about a cheerleader checking Pacey out. She points out that some older women happen to like younger men. Pacey doesn’t respond to that one. He wishes he made her nervous.
Dawson arrives in his boat to the party. Pacey just watches over everything. Jen and Abby are drunk, and stumbling, falling, and giggling all over. Abby bets Jen to kiss the next guy who passes bye. Dawson comes over. Jen goes over and kisses him on the lips. Dawson pushes her off and asks what’s wrong with her. Jen stagers off.
At the Icehouse, Jack is staring at Joey. He asks her if this is her first fight. First as boyfriend and girlfriend. That means they haven’t has their first makeup either. Jack offers to lock up. He convinces Joey he’ll be all right.
Dawson doesn’t know what he’s done to piss Pacey off. Dawson knows everything about Pacey, and he needs some advice on Joey. Pacey bets he doesn’t even know when his best friend was born. Then it hits Dawson. It’s his birthday. Dawson is so sorry. He remembers their plan to go to Maine. Pacey says it’s not about that. Everybody in Capeside has written him off as a loser. He came to the conclusion today that his best friend thinks that of him too. How can Dawson make it up? He can’t. He’s got Joey, and their friendship just can’t compare to what they have.
Mitch tells Gale that he doesn’t want a divorce, but they have to make some changes. He thinks they have to open it up, to reclaim honesty to each other, by having an open marriage.
Joey and Dawson catch each others eyes, alone in the rain at Pacey’s party. They walk to each other and hug. He tells Joey about his Pacey problem. Dawson thinks all his dreams are bogus. She tells him that she’s had feelings for him for so long. Some days it would make her so mad, and she had to unleash it. Her diary’s not exactly the truth, just how she’s feeling at that time. She saves the truth for Dawson. She has always believed in him. She’s his biggest fan. They kiss.
Jen and Abby are throwing up. Abby sees Joey and Dawson and says they will be having sex soon. Jen says that Joey will hold out, and Dawson will get sick and tired of it. They are like brother and sister. “Maybe they’re pretending they’re in Kentucky.” Jen still has feelings for Dawson. She want’s him back. “We’re gonna get him back for you.”
Andie gives Pacey a present. He opens it up to find a Magic-8-Ball. Pacey asks it if he’ll pass his drivers test on the next try. “Signs Point To Yes.” What is my future? “Can’t Predict Now.” Andie goes to try, but drops it in the water. “That can’t be a good sign.”
Jen looks at herself in the mirror, at home. She’s a mess. All she can do is rub her hands over her face.
Pacey and Dawson are cleaning the docks up. Dawson explains why he forgot his birthday. Pacey forgives him. “Nothing is ever going to change that you’ll not be my best friend.” “Are we having a moment?” ”I think we are. Let’s go.” “Yeah.” Dawson says Pacey might need some more driving practice. Pacey’s been braking that state law for at-least 3 years now. Dawson knows where the keys to the Mitchmobile are. Off to Maine. They ride off in Dawson’s boat. Dawson wishes him a happy birthday.
