Dawson's Creek s03e23 Episode Script

Well, if it isn't my blushing bride-to-be and her maid of honour.
Hi.
Debbie said the dresses are gonna be ready tomorrow but the cake's ready now.
Come see it.
- Let's go.
- Bye, honey.
Thanks, Joey.
They are as happy as I've ever seen them, if you can believe that.
- I can.
So how's the ring? - It's beautiful.
- And the dresses? - Your mother's is gorgeous.
I'm starting to believe what I've heard about the unflattering nature of bridesmaids' dresses.
I'm sure you look amazing.
Joey, thanks for doing this.
I really appreciate it.
Dawson, it was an honour when your mom asked me.
How could I refuse? It means a lot to her, but it also means a lot to me.
I couldn't imagine you not being a part of this ceremony.
Despite any awkwardness this might stir up- It's a big day for your parents.
I'm not counting on it changing our lives so it's not gonna stir anything up unless we let it.
My point exactly.
Yeah.
I have to go.
I have something borrowed but I don't have anything blue yet.
Shouldn't be too hard.
Seems to be some of that going around.
Yeah.
Hey, Pace, you sure this trip is such a good idea? I already cleared it with Dad.
Stay close to shore.
Call home every week.
I know the drill.
That's not exactly what I'm talking about.
Are you gonna miss me? Is that it, Doug? What you're leaving behind here will be that much bigger out there alone.
Does Joey know you're leaving? If she does, I didn't tell her.
So I guess she doesn't really know how you feel about her either, right? She knows how I feel.
Pace, have you spelled it out to her? I mean, in clear, unwavering terms.
- Have you done that? - And what would happen if I did that? Worst case, nothing.
Best case, she gives you a reason to stay.
See, that right there is what happens to the male mind when it's exposed to too many Katharine Hepburn movies.
Every time you look at the stars, you're gonna see her face.
- You can't run away from her, Pacey.
- Well, I can try.
You know, there really is a certain pleasing symmetry to this.
You, me, together again.
President and vice president of the Bitter Club - reunited for one last session.
- Yeah.
I'm not bitter.
Sure, everybody wants their prom night to end with the person they're most attracted to speeding away from them on a commuter train.
When he comes over here, would you mind telling him that I still mean what I said, I haven't changed my mind and I hope that football camp in Cleveland is sweaty, gross, girl-free, not to mention painful and debilitating? Do you realise how immature this is? Jeez.
Jack, could you tell Jen that I left my copy of Siddhartha in her locker? - I want it back.
- No.
- Why not? - Because she's standing right here.
- Could you just ask her, please? - Henry, this is ridiculous.
Hey, Jen, guess what.
Henry's come over here with this ridiculously lame Siddhartha-related pretext because he's hoping - that you'll give him another chance.
- Wait.
That's not what I said.
You tell Henry that if he would like his book back he should probably start digging.
Translation: She threw it away because it's a painful reminder of how much she regrets freaking out like a total drama queen - and breaking up with you at prom.
- I'm no drama queen.
And I'm not the only one who totally freaked out.
A personal affront.
Must be the going rate for converting young-lover subtext to text these days.
He's right, Jen.
Neither of us is being very direct right now.
So how's this? I'm sorry.
You know what, Henry? I'm sorry too.
I'm sorry that we ever met.
That's too bad.
Because I'm not.
You have nothing else you want to say to me? No.
Nothing.
I guess that finishes that.
- Andie.
- Oh, hey.
- Hey, come in.
It's a little hectic here.
- Yeah.
So I see.
Guess that's why you ran out of school without signing this.
My yearbook.
Andie, as much as I admire your devotion to high-school ritual I can't believe you paid 34.
95 so you could look back on the disaster otherwise known as junior year.
Oh, wait.
No, no.
I marked a page for you.
Subtlety's not exactly your forte, is it? He's leaving.
He's gonna take this summer sailing trip.
You know, some macho adventure.
- Good for him.
- Yeah.
So, well, we're gonna have this little sendoff tomorrow night.
- A picnic by the docks.
- Tomorrow's the rehearsal dinner.
So even if I wanted to go, which I don't Dawson, you do realise that one of you is gonna have to make the first move, don't you? It's not gonna be me, and it's not gonna be tomorrow night.
There you go.
I signed on the page with all the faculty headshots.
Dawson, for what it's worth I'm not over the pain of this yet either.
Letting go isn't a one-time thing.
It's something that you have to do over and over again, every day.
- Thanks.
- Sure.
Excuse me.
Driver's license and registration, please.
You're kidding me, right? Driver's license and registration, please.
Miss Potter, I clocked you going roughly- You have a radar gun? Visual assessment.
You were going below the posted speed limit on this particular thoroughfare.
But I'll let it go with a warning this time.
- I promise to be careful.
- Not that kind of warning.
Just thought you might like to know that, unbeknownst to you a particular attitudinally-challenged younger sibling is preparing to leave Capeside for the summer.
He's gonna sail himself down to the Florida Keys for the next three months.
- When does he leave? - In a couple of days.
I just thought you'd like to know about it before it was too late for you to say or do something.
- Thank you.
- It's not a problem, Miss Potter.
Passenger advisory is typical officer protocol.
Want a bite? - This is your solution? - What are you talking about? You're leaving? Just when things get tough, you're gonna leave? - Well, that's the general idea.
Yep.
- Oh, real mature, Pacey.
Well, what do you want me to do? Watch from afar as you and Dawson attempt to resuscitate your ailing relationship? No, thanks.
I expected you to at least say goodbye.
Oh, yeah.
The goodbye scene.
Played that one over a thousand times in my head.
I come to you, heart in hand, and announce my plans.
You look at me, pained, but then, of course, the Potter sarcasm kicks in and I leave, never getting what I came for.
What is that, Pacey? You never ask me to stay.
Ever.
That's not my decision.
Yes, it is.
It always has been.
You may be too afraid to make it, but let's be honest.
The decision to be together or not has always been yours.
- All I asked for was time.
- And that's exactly what you got.
And you're gonna get three more months of it.
I may be undecided, but at least I'm not running away.
You can dress it up any way you want.
It still comes down to the same thing.
You're giving up.
- I'm giving up? - Yeah, you.
Me? Turn around.
It's your wall.
It's unfinished, just like us.
Believe it or not, this is not the ending that I asked for.
Me neither.
But it's the ending we got, isn't it? Yeah, I guess it is.
At this time, Gale will begin her vows to Mitch.
No offence, Reverend, but I have 20 people coming for dinner in an hour.
Yeah.
And seeing as how Gale and I have done this before- Go on.
We'll do the rest when it's for real.
- Thank you, Reverend.
- Yeah.
I haven't finished my best-man speech yet.
Any thoughts? I don't think I have much to say about relationships these days, Dawson.
If you have someplace else you'd rather be, why don't you go.
What are you talking about? Do I have to spell it out for you? Pacey's going-away party.
I'm here, aren't I? Yeah, in body, but not in spirit.
Joey, you've got nothing positive to say.
You're basically going through the motions with a scowl.
Dawson, I'm doing the best I can.
Can you cut me some slack? Cut me some slack.
Don't make me feel like this.
- Like what? - Like you're stuck with me.
All right? I don't deserve that.
You're right.
You don't.
I'm I'm sorry.
Why don't you just go.
All right? Give the guy my best.
I'm staying.
Oh, look.
Star light, star bright First star I see tonight - Who wants to make the first wish? - Oh, my God.
That's a piece of a crab shell.
Chipped my tooth.
Great.
Just what I need to keep men permanently away.
If that doesn't work, you can join me this summer in the nunnery.
At least you got to have relationships before they failed.
Good grief.
You all sound like a bunch of old ladies.
Grams, it's been a tough couple of months.
You don't know what tough is.
No offence, but you have no idea what our lives are like.
What, you think I've never been in love before? Yeah, once.
With one man your whole entire life.
You know, when I was just a few years older than you I was working at Brunswick Naval Hospital, and I met a boy who had the most beautiful blue eyes I have ever seen.
He was leaving for Pusan in the morning.
But we had an entire glorious day on the beach.
And at the end of that day, he leaned in close to me and whispered, "Will you wait for me?" - So, what'd you do? - I froze.
I knew if I leaned just the world as I knew it would be changed forever.
So you did nothing? You didn't kiss him, you didn't try to speak to him? You just did nothing.
Nothing.
You ever wonder what your life might have been like if you had kissed him? That is just the point.
I don't have to wonder.
The very next day, I got my best friend, Sally, to cover the shift for me.
And after seven turbulent hours in the cargo hold of a C-130 I arrived in San Diego, went straight to the dock and in front of the entire crew of the U.
S.
S.
Missouri, I kissed him.
Wow.
That's funny.
I had no idea Gramps was in the Korean War.
He wasn't.
Thomas Culpepper the boy with the most beautiful blue eyes I have ever seen died in Pusan in shallow water, before he ever made it off the boat.
And two years later, I married your grandfather.
So I've had 46 wonderful years with one man and one perfect kiss with another.
And I have no regrets.
Wonder how many of you will be able to say that about your lives.
- Have you seen Dad? - No.
You seen Joey? No.
Bessie called.
She said she wants you to stop by the store on your way home.
- Thanks.
- Sure.
Joey, about this afternoon I don't want to fight.
That's the last thing I want to do.
Well, I don't want to fight either, Dawson.
I'm sorry.
If we're gonna have an honest relationship, Dawson, then there's something you should know.
I broke things off with Pacey, not entirely, but in large part because I didn't want to lose you.
I may have lived across the creek, but it was only when I rowed here that I actually felt like I was rowing home.
I mean, you're so much of my life, Dawson.
I mean, your house is my house, and your family is my family.
And there's not a single significant event I've experienced that you haven't experienced with me.
And I was so afraid of losing that.
But if that wasn't the choice and if I thought that there was a chance that you would forgive me I may have chosen differently.
And you deserve to know that.
Jennifer, what's wrong? I wish that I hadn't let Henry go without telling him how I really feel.
I wish - Now it's too late.
- It's never too late.
- Yeah, I suppose.
- Here's what I suppose.
- What are you doing? - We're gonna catch that bus and you're going to tell that boy exactly how you feel.
What took you so long? I got thirsty.
I called Bessie.
Bessie called you.
I tell you, it is not easy work finishing things off.
Pacey, what does this mean? Well, it means you were right.
That my leaving would be giving up on you.
And I'm not quite prepared to do that just yet.
But it also means I need to know that you're not prepared to give up on me yet either.
So all that being said, I refer to the wall with its hastily yet adoringly written SOS which, I guess, kind of speaks for itself.
I spent an hour and a half staring at this half-painted wall after we talked last night.
Just staring and thinking.
So the way I figure it, it's your turn to stare now.
I do promise to love you, in good times and in bad.
In sickness and in health.
I loved you before I knew you.
I will love you for all eternity.
For you are my beloved, Mitchell.
You're my best friend.
I loved you before I knew you.
And I will love you for eternity.
For you are my beloved.
You are my best friend.
And now, by the power vested in me I'm happy to pronounce you husband and wife, again.
Mitch, you may kiss the bride.
Grams, we've been driving for hours.
- His bus could be anywhere by now.
- Yeah, or we could have missed him.
You can't miss a giant grey bus filled with high-school football players.
- Like that one right there.
- Where? Oh, my God.
Okay.
Jen.
Oh, my God.
Okay.
Henry! Henry! Henry Parker! Oh, God.
Hey, Henry! Henry Parker! Come on, out of the way.
Come on.
Henry! Are you in there? Henry! Whoa, whoa, whoa.
You can't go in there.
What, have you lost your mind? Quite possibly, yes.
I might have lost it.
Henry, nine months ago, you paid $500 to kiss me and I was too dumb to realise what you were really offering me.
But I know now.
It means there really is such a thing as a second chance.
No matter how old or jaded you are, when you meet the person you're supposed to be with, everything's new.
A sunset, a cheesy love song and especially sex.
I'm the reason that we didn't have sex after prom.
- I know.
- Not because I was mad at you but because I was more nervous than you are.
I've been with guys before, but I have never been with anybody that I loved.
And in that way, I'm more of a virgin than you could ever be.
- Thanks a lot.
- Come on.
What do you care? - Come here.
- Yeah! Henry! Henry! Henry! Henry! Look, I can't do it, Pacey.
I can't give you a reason to stay.
I have so much to work through.
I can't begin to process it all.
I mean, how I feel about you and how I feel about Dawson.
I- You've made your choice.
Right there.
You've made your choice.
Good for you.
Yeah, I guess I have.
Yeah.
It wasn't so hard, was it? You should have made it months ago.
Saved us all a lot of time and energy.
And heartache.
I see all members of the triangle present and accounted for.
Can I have this camera? I'm gonna go take some pictures.
- Jo.
- Yeah? I don't even get a goodbye? Goodbye, Pacey.
I'm just wondering.
What the hell are you doing here? Ease up, man.
I'm here for the wedding.
Last I heard, you were sailing the seven seas.
As indeed I am.
Tomorrow.
Today, I'm here for your parents.
Well, I'll be sure to pass on your congratulations.
Yeah.
Speaking of congratulations I guess I should be passing some on to you.
What are you talking about? Well, she made her choice, Dawson.
You're it.
You got what you wanted.
Things are never gonna be the same between us, are they? No.
Yeah.
Yeah, I didn't think so.
Yeah.
- I'll write you every day.
- Just come back in one piece.
- That was awesome.
- You gotta resign from that Bitter Club.
- Oh, I'll still be there in spirit.
- Oh, I am so proud of you.
You showed great, great courage today.
How's it feel? - Well, I feel like an idiot.
A happy idiot.
- Did she say " happy"? You don't know how long I've waited to hear that.
Yeah, you and me both.
I've been waiting a long time to feel it.
Okay.
Okay, enough hugging for today.
I think that we've still got one thing left to do on our "carpe diem" road trip.
- Jack, it's your turn.
- No.
No.
- No way.
- Our era of regret ends right now.
What's the fastest route to Boston? I used to be able to look in your eyes and know what you were thinking.
These days I haven't a clue.
I was just thinking about this summer.
How much there's gonna be to do.
I mean, we didn't get a chance to spend last summer together, you and I.
We'll have a lot to catch up on.
I mean, there'll be water-skiing with your dad.
And Fourth of July on Waldeck Island.
And, you know, we could even go into Boston for a weekend.
I mean That would be fun.
Yeah.
Wish me luck.
I guess he will be - Jack? - Hey.
Hey.
Well, what are you doing here? I just drove a really long way to- To tell you More sort of to try and explain, really.
No, I don't mean that.
I want to show you.
Okay? I want to show you that I can and that I'm not afraid to Oh, hell.
This.
Jack.
No.
I know there's people around, but who cares, right? I mean, that's the whole point.
I finally have the courage to do this.
Jack, this is Brad.
- As in your ex-boyfriend, Brad? - No.
As in his boyfriend, Brad.
I think I'm gonna let you two talk this one out.
See you at practice.
Wow.
- Okay.
Explanation time.
- No.
No explanations necessary.
It's clear I just inducted myself into the Halls of the Permanently Pathetic.
Please, Jack.
Just listen.
The timing, it just isn't there right now.
- And Brad and I- - I don't want to hear about the details of your joyful reunion right now, okay? Sure, Jack.
I'm sorry.
I really am.
The first time my parents got married, they were young, just out of college.
And I remember looking at the photo album as a kid wondering why I wasn't in the pictures.
It's hard when you love someone that much to imagine them having this entire life that you weren't even there for.
And I have to say that being here today, experiencing this firsthand finally getting to be in all the pictures I wouldn't trade this for anything, because I'd much rather be a part of what you guys have now than what you had then.
That point where everything is forgiven.
And I think that's what love really means.
That you can forgive anything.
So to my parents who taught me that love does not conquer all.
That love ends and begins again.
- Hear, hear.
- Cheers.
Hey.
Your speech was beautiful.
Thanks.
What you said Did you mean it, Dawson? Every word.
Which is why you should turn around and go to Pacey.
- What? - Last year, you had the opportunity to go to Paris, and because of me, you didn't.
- Dawson, that wasn't your fault.
- Yes, it was.
I should've made you go.
But I was selfish, and I didn't want you to go.
I wanted you to stay here with me.
And I refuse to make that mistake again.
Dawson, I mean, what if it's my choice? What if I want to stay? Joey, come on.
Even I can see it.
Pacey's this year's Paris.
And this time, you have to go.
You have to see for yourself.
I can tell you it's a colossal mistake and all roads lead back to me, but it won't make a difference.
Words and speeches sound great, but they don't add up to anything.
All that matters right now is what you want.
- I don't even know what I want.
- Yes, you do.
You want him.
You want him like I want you.
You love him like I love you.
The only difference is, he loves you back the same way.
And you deserve that.
And I'm not gonna be the one who stands in the way of you getting that.
You're free.
You can do whatever you want.
Yeah, but I want us to still be friends.
I want to know that you don't hate me.
Those are words, Joey.
They're just words.
Because after you're done dispensing your pleasantries here you're gonna turn around, and you're gonna walk away from me.
Aren't you? - I have to.
Otherwise, I'll never know.
- Just go.
- Look, Dawson- - Joey, go.
I'm telling you.
Before I take it all back.
Just go.
Go.
Hey, Jack.
I'm glad you're back.
I want to show you something.
I'm not really in the mood right now.
- Hey, what's the matter? - I just want to be alone.
Hey, hey, you can talk to me.
This is something you don't want to hear.
- You don't know that.
- Really? You want to hear that I found out that Ethan got back together with his ex? You want to hear that I found that out after I kissed him? Well, that's interesting.
Yeah, that's interesting, right? Come on, admit it.
The thought of me kissing another guy disgusts you.
- I disgust you.
- Hey, now, that is not true.
- Yes, it is.
- You're angry.
You're hurting right now.
But I will not let you pick an argument just so you can vent your frustration.
Oh, no.
I spent an entire year developing this relationship.
And working on it.
Now it's a wash.
The whole year's a wash.
My life is a wash! Your life is not a wash.
You hurt now because you had the guts to put yourself out there.
To go after what you wanted.
I can't I can't keep going through this.
It's like having all the problems of a typical teenager and then there's this whole other level of constant fear and pain.
Do you know the anguish I went through over a kiss? One stupid little kiss.
Most people don't have to do that.
- You're right.
They don't.
- Then why me? I don't want to be different.
I didn't ask to be gay.
No more than I asked for a gay son.
But, boy, am I glad I got one.
You don't mean that.
Yeah.
I do.
Oh, behold.
Your official pick-me-up posse.
Yeah.
Andie and I thought that maybe you could use a little company.
So then I took it upon myself to call Jack-Attack and tell him to hurry over.
Then I took it upon myself to run to the video store and grab some movies.
Thanks, guys.
I really appreciate you coming over, but I - I really think what I need right now is- - Sorry, Dawson.
No can do.
Yeah.
I think that the words, " I want to be alone right now" are used far too often around here.
Kind of ranks right up there with, " Can we talk?" Yeah, and there's those countless references towards all things Freud and Spielberg.
Yeah.
I'm pretty sure of it.
We're not in Capeside anymore, Toto.
This is some alternate reality where our intellects are sharper our quips are wittier, and our hearts are repeatedly broken while, faintly in the background, some soon-to-be-out-of-date contempo pop music plays.
So why does it hurt so much? Because our pain makes us real, Dawson.
But we can't do it alone.
None of us can.
Sit down.
So, what'd you guys do today? Oh, my God.
You are not gonna believe these two.
Pacey! Pacey! Pacey! Do you want something, Jo? I want to talk to you.
No, no.
A bit late for this now.
I'm leaving.
You can't stop me.
- So don't even try.
- No.
That's not why I'm here.
So why are you here? You wanna say goodbye again? Maybe you wanted to rub it in a little? I don't wanna stop you, Pacey.
I don't wanna stop Dawson.
And I don't want to be stopped.
Not by either of you.
Not by anyone.
That's what this year has been about.
We've been trying to stop each other from moving on and growing up, but But not you.
I mean, you're different.
And you've challenged me every step of the way.
And you've been there every step of the way.
Jo, departure time is in T-minus 30 seconds.
So if there's a point, I suggest you get to it.
I think I'm in love with you.
You think or you know? I know.
I've known it since the moment you kissed me and maybe even before that, and Scary as it is, I don't want to deny it anymore, Pacey.
I don't want to run from it, and I don't want to let it run from me.
So what are we gonna do here, Jo? I want to come with you.
- What? - Yeah.
Are you crazy? I wanna stop standing still and move forward.
I wanna come with you.
What about Bessie and the B&B? They need you.
Not as much as I need you, Pacey.
Permission to come aboard? Permission granted.
- You can swim, can't you? - Of course.
I'm kind of worried about the next change of clothes.
There's nothing to worry about.
We're gonna hit the next port in a few days.
- A few days? - Yeah.
Or a few days after that.