Some Things Never Change
Disclaimer: I don't own 'em. (I bet you already knew that, though, didn't you?)
Author's note: Okay. I figured that since this crap didn't have a chance of winning anyway, I went out on a limb and wrote in a completely different style than I usually do. So here is my holiday episode…actually written in (a very abbreviated) script form. (Complete with credits and commercial breaks.) Enjoy!
[Pacey and Jack's apartment: Pacey is at the stove cooking. Joey is sitting on a stool talking to him. Jack and Jen are playing a board game in front of the television.]
Jen: I'm telling you, it's a word.
Jack: And I'm telling you it's not a word.
Jen: Haven't you ever heard of the movie Mr. Holland's [color=yellow]Opus[/color]?
Jack: Just because it's in a movie title doesn't mean it's an actual word. Movie people are always making up their own words.
Jen: Fine. Let's just ask Joey. Hey, Jo?
Joey: (turning her head to look over at her friends and sighing) Not again. Why don't you two just go get a dictionary?
Jack: (lifting a bottle of beer to his lips and taking a drink before answering) Because it's all the way in my room. [color=yellow]Opus[/color]?
Joey: (rolling her eyes) It's a word.
Jen: Thank you!
Jack: Dammit!
Joey: (turning back to continue her conversation with Pacey) So…remind me again why we're all here tonight…
Pacey: We're all here because after the fiasco that was Christmas dinner, I thought we needed a drama free holiday. Just the five of us, relaxing and ringing in the new year together.
Joey: Okay, but you do realize that nothing is ever drama free and relaxing when we all get together, right?
[There's a knock on the apartment door.]
Pacey: (Walking over to answer the door) Relax, Jo, Emma is out with the band and Audrey is home in California. What could possibly go wrong tonight? (Opens the door to find Drue Valentine on the other side.)
OPENING CREDITS
Drue: (Standing outside the apartment looking amused) Hey, Witter, now comes the part where you invite me inside.
Pacey: What are you doing here?
Drue: Jack invited me.
Pacey: Jack did what? (Turns toward the living room) Hey, McPhee, there's someone at the door who says that you invited him, but considering who it is, I know that can't be true. Right?
Jack: (looking to see who's at the door) Oh, yeah, I…umm…I invited Drue. (Pacey, Joey and Jen look at him incredulously while Drue continues to watch in amusement) Well, see, I ran into him while I was in Italy and he mentioned that he was going to be moving back to Boston, so I sort of gave him our address and told him to stop by…
Pacey: (turning back to Drue) Which you did…and it was really great seeing you. We'll have to do this again sometime. Take care. (Tries to shut the door, but is stopped by Drue) Fine. Come in.
Drue: Thought you'd never ask. (Walks in and goes to sit on the couch.) So, how's everyone been? I've been well myself. Italy was amazing.
[Pacey heads back to the kitchen and sits on the stool next to Joey. He, Joey and Jen are still staring at Drue in shock as Jack begins filling him in on their plans for a quiet, relaxed New Year's Eve.]
Drue: It's nice to see that you're all the same boring people that I last saw in Capeside…and here I sit right along with you. What happened to us, Jenny? We used to really know how to party.
Jen: We grew up, Drue. At least, I did. You just have the bad luck of only knowing so many people in Boston.
Drue: And you guys haven't made any new friends? How pathetic is that? Joey…Jack was telling Andie and me about your roommate. Now she sounds like fun…where's she? No wait, let me guess, she had a real party to go to, right?
Joey: Actually, Drue, she's in LA…in rehab.
Drue: Bummer.
Pacey: You know, I'm gonna check on dinner. Why don't you guys pick a movie so we can start it right away when Dawson gets here?
Jack: I wonder where Dawson is, anyway. What time did you tell him to come over here, Pacey?
Pacey: Me? I thought you were inviting him?
Jack: No…you said you would call him when you called Joey.
Pacey: No…I said I would call Joey if you called Jen and Dawson.
Joey: Guys, it doesn't matter. We'll just call him now and see what he's doing. (Picks up the phone and dials a number.)
Drue: This is classic. No wonder the guy was such a freak in high school…his friends can't even remember to invite him to their lame-ass "party".
Jen: Shut up, Drue. Nobody asked for your opinion.
Joey: Shh…Hey, Dawson, its Joey. Umm, I'm just calling to let you know that we're all at Pacey and Jack's place and that we'd love it if you stopped by if you get a chance. If not, I guess we'll see you sometime before you head back to LA. Oh, happy new year. Bye.
COMMERCIAL BREAK
[Pacey and Joey are still in the kitchen. Pacey is stirring a pot of sauce. Drue is sitting on the couch looking through a stack of movies. Jack and Jen are still playing their scrabble game.]
Pacey: (Holding a spoonful of sauce and walking toward Joey) Here, taste this. Do you think there's too much [color=yellow]oregano[/color] in it?
Joey: (After tasting the sauce) Nope, just right. That's really good. It doesn't taste like regular sauce, though. What's in it?
Pacey: Sorry, Jo. That's a Pacey J. Witter secret recipe. I could tell you what's in it, but then I'd have to kill you.
Joey: I'd like to see you try. Is it almost time to eat?
Pacey: Just waiting for the pasta to finish. Hey, Valentine, did you pick a movie yet?
Drue: (With a wicked grin on his face) I sure did. [i]Sea Creature from the Deep[/i].
Joey, Pacey and Jen: NO!!!!!
Jack: (Laughing along with Drue) Oh, come on guys. How bad can it really be?
Pacey: You don't want to know. Trust me. Just put it away and pick something else.
Drue: Nope. I was told that I could pick the movie and this is what we're watching.
Pacey: Fine. Food's ready.
[Everyone gets up to grab plates. After getting their food, Jack and Jen go back to their game. Joey sits next to Drue on the couch and Pacey sits on the lounge chair.]
Jen: Ugh. I can't think of a word with these letters.
Drue: You've got one write there.
Jen: Where?
Drue: Right there. See, (points to the board) build off that O right there and use these letters right here (pointing to Jen's tiles). O-R-G-Y.
Jen: [color=yellow]Orgy[/color]? I'm not putting [color=yellow]Orgy[/color] on that board.
Drue: Fine. Have fun coming up with another word.
Jen: (examines the board for a few minutes before putting down the letter tiles Drue had pointed out to her) Okay, there we go. That should be enough to make me the winner. Right, Jack?
Jack: Right. Thanks a lot, Drue.
Joey: C'mon…let's just put the movie in and get this over with.
Pacey: (gets up and slips the tape into the VCR) Here we go.
COMMERCIAL BREAK
[The movie is ending and Drue and Jack are laughing hysterically.]
Jen: (hits Jack with a pillow) You just shut up. We were fifteen.
Joey: And don't forget that that movie won Dawson $2500.
Drue: We're sorry. That was really…
Jack: Really…
Drue: Really…bad. (Turns to Joey) But you were quite the little actress.
Joey: Yeah, whatever you say, Drue.
Drue: No, you really were. I mean, look at the haircut on Pacey and you still managed to act like you were in love with him. That takes talent.
Pacey: Hey now. That was uncalled for.
Drue: I take it the hair thing is still a sore issue with you.
Pacey: No, it's not an issue. I just think it's unfair of you to conclude that Joey is a good actress just because of my hair. I mean, for all you know, that whole being in love with me thing might not have been an act.
Drue: Oh please, this film was obviously made long before the world's cutest couple got together. Speaking of which…what's going on with the two of you these days?
Joey: We're friends.
Drue: Yeah, okay. Then how come you're here together on New Year's Eve instead of out at parties with significant others?
Pacey: Not that it's any of your business, but I'm currently without a 'significant other.' I was dating Audrey for a while but we broke up around Halloween. And Joey's boyfriend is…where is your boy scout tonight, Jo?
Joey: Eddie got a new job and is working tonight.
Pacey: Well good for him. Sucks for you, though.
Joey: Tell me about it. Now I'm stuck here with the three of you and Satan.
Drue: Hey, I resent that. I am nothing if not 100% human. I'm sure that at one time or another I've shown every one of you my humane side. (Joey looks at him in disbelief) Okay…most of you. But is it really my fault that you don't bring out the humanity in me, Josephine. I mean, I have never been anything but nice to you.
Joey: (laughing) Right. And when did all of this so-called niceness take place? When you lied to me about who you were the first time we met? Or how about when you locked us into a freezing storeroom overnight? Or when you went out of your way to try to embarrass me at the Worthington party at the Yacht Club?
Drue: Okay, maybe I haven't been nice to you. (Shrugs his shoulders) Oh well.
Joey: (shakes her head in disgust, then gets up and begins gathering dishes to carry to the sink) So now that all embarrassing videos are firmly behind us, what are we going to do? (Gets fresh beers for everyone from the refrigerator and carries them back to the living room.) It's only 9:00.
Drue: I have an idea…
All: NO!
Drue: But I haven't even told you what it is yet.
Jen: That doesn't matter. If its your idea, the answer is no.
Drue: Fine, but you don't know what you're missing.
Joey: Yeah, and let's just keep it that way. Okay?
COMMERCIAL BREAK
[Everyone is still sitting around the living room, watching television and looking completely bored.]
Joey: I can't believe I'm doing this, but…what was your idea Drue?
Drue: Strip Poker.
Joey: I knew I was going to regret that. We're not playing strip poker.
Drue: Why not? You were so anxious to play at Jen's birthday party. Okay, how about strip Scrabble? (Everyone glares at him) Strip Monopoly?
Jack: We aren't playing Strip anything.
Drue: Why not? Honestly, is there anyone in this room that hasn't seen at least one other person in the room naked?
Pacey: You…and we're going to keep it that way.
Jen: God, this is so boring. It's only 10:00 and at this rate we're going to die of boredom before the year 2003 starts. Can't anyone think of anything for us to do?
Joey: There's a party at the bar.
Drue: The bar?
Jack: Yeah, Joey works at the bar across the street.
Drue: You work at a bar and you're sitting here? Potter, my opinion of you has just sunk even lower.
Joey: I'm crushed. Do we want to go or not?
Drue: Hell, yeah.
Pacey: Sounds good to me.
Jack: I'm in. (Smiles) David's supposed to be there.
Jen: Let's go. (Turns to Jack) So, what's going on with you two, anyway?
Jack: I'm not sure. I guess we'll just have to wait and see where it goes.
[They all put on shoes and coats and head out the door and across the street to the bar. They find an empty table and get some drinks.]
Drue: Now this is more like it. We might still be sitting around doing nothing but drinking, but at least we're doing with a large group of complete strangers.
Jack: I think I see David over there. I'll be back. (Gets up and walks to another part of the bar.)
Jen: Oh, and there's the hottie from my history class. (Smiles at her friends) I think I'm gonna go mingle. Wish me luck.
Joey: Luck.
Jen: Thanks. (Walks in the opposite direction from where Jack disappeared)
Pacey: I'm…
Joey: No…you're staying right here.
Pacey: Relax, Jo. I'm just going to the bathroom. I'll be right back.
Joey: Yeah…do you remember what happened last time you told me to relax?
Pacey: I'll be right back. (Walks toward the restrooms)
Drue: What happened last time he told you to relax?
Joey: You showed up.
Drue: Oh. Let's go dance.
Joey: No.
Drue: C'mon, Potter, lighten up. Who knows, you might even have some fun. (Stands up and hold his hand out to Joey, who shrugs and lets him guide her to the dance floor.)
COMMERCIAL BREAK
[It's almost midnight and the group is sitting around their table talking and having a good time. David and another young man (Jen's hottie) have joined them.]
Drue: So, I guess you guys aren't too bad after all. I would even be willing to go out on a limb here and say that I'm glad that you guys are the friends I have in Boston.
Joey: Yeah, I guess we're glad too.
Pacey: Absolutely. Listen, I'm sorry about the way I treated you when you showed up tonight.
Drue: It's not a problem. I understand completely.
[The crowd around them starts counting down to midnight.]
Jack: (Holding up his beer) I'd like to propose a toast. When I first moved to Capeside, I never dreamed that I would ever have friends like you guys, and now here it is…four years later and you guys are still my best friends. I guess it's true what they say…some things never change…here's to friendship. (The others all raise their beers.)
Pacey: To friendship.
Joey: Friendship.
Jen and Drue: Friendship.
Jack: I wonder what Dawson did tonight.
Pacey: I don't know.
Jen: He's probably at some big party with Todd and a bunch of other Hollywood bigwigs.
[Cut to: The hallway outside Pacey and Jack's apartment. Dawson walks up and knocks on the door.]
Dawson: Guys??? (Tries opening the door) Guys??? Is anybody here???
CLOSING CREDITS
THE END