CHAPTER 8
DOUG'S HOUSE
Doug heard knocking on the door and went to open it. In front of him stood Dawson.
"Hi Doug", Dawson greeted him.
"Hi Dawson", Doug replied, surprised but also relieved to see him.
"Is Pacey here?"
"Yeah."
Doug moved away from the door and let him in.
"Thanks."
Dawson crossed the living room and saw Pacey watching TV on the couch.
"Hey", he said to claim his attention from the TV.
Pacey looked at him, surprised.
"Dawson, I didn't expect to see you after what you told me last time."
"Yeah...I wanted to talk to you. Do you have a minute?"
Pacey quickly turned off the TV.
"Sure."
"Okay...Look, I thought a lot about what to do with the check you gave me. Even if you're responsible for what happened to my money, I'm the one who asked you to invest it in the first place and I should have known that losing it was an option, even if you had done everything right. Plus, it's no secret that we're no longer good friends as we used to be, and only between two very good friends a loan like this could exist...unless one is a loan shark, of course."
Saying so, Dawson chuckled to release the tension, while Pacey remained serious, waiting eagerly to hear his decision.
"On the other hand, there is my movie and everything I've ever dreamed of that I'm definitely not ready to give up yet. Plus, I'd like to think of this situation as a twisted way to give us another chance. I'm not saying that things could go back to how they used to be, but maybe it's really time for me to actually take a step in that direction, instead of keeping on shutting down your attempts at reconciliation..."
Dawson took a deep breath before sharing his conclusion.
"All of this to tell you that...I decided to cash the check but with two conditions. First, I will give you everything back as soon as I can, even if my movie flops, and I'll have to work as a waiter in my mom's restaurant for years. Second, if we want this to work, you need to show me that I can trust you again and the only way to do it is for you to be honest with me from now on."
Pacey glanced at him, feeling torn about that last sentence more than he was about the decision itself. At the same time, he was relieved that, at least for Dawson, this nightmare was close to ending.
"I'm glad you decided to take it - he finally said using his gut over his brain - I'm sure this is the best way I could spend this money right now because I'm sure that your movie will be a success. I guess this would make mine a good investment...unlike the one you did with me."
Pacey smiled while Dawson smirked, still uncertain if he could already laugh about it.
"But are you sure this is not a problem for you? It's really a lot of money", Dawson insisted, second-guessing his decision.
"Yeah, don't worry about it - Pacey confirmed, trying to ignore his conscience in turmoil - Just worry about the movie, okay?"
"Okay...About that, I'll have an audition in half an hour, so I'd better get going."
"Yeah..."
"See you, Pace. And thanks."
Dawson smiled and walked away, unusually happy for the first time in days.
Pacey exhaled deeply, feeling his world crashing down again.
At the other side of the room, Doug was glaring at him, shaking his head. Pacey ignored him and turned the TV back on.
DOUG'S HOUSE - A FEW DAYS LATER
Pacey and Doug were in the kitchen.
"Now, you have to chop that parsley very finely and then put it in that bowl", Pacey continued his cooking lesson.
Doug roughly started to cut.
"Like this?"
"Does it look like chopping finely to you?"
"Pace, the only chopping I know involves axe and wood…"
"You know, when you say things like that you almost sound like a heterosexual alpha male."
Doug smirked.
"That's because I am one."
"Mmm…let's pretend I didn't hear that. So, after chopping the parsley-
While Pacey was talking, they heard the doorbell and stopped.
"I'll go - Doug said - what better excuse to take a break from this torture."
"And you still haven't seen how to knead!"
Doug rolled his eyes and headed to the doorway. Opening it, he saw two policemen from the Boston Police Department.
"Good evening, we're looking for Pacey Witter. Is he here?"
Doug immediately got alarmed.
"Why are you looking for him?"
"We've got an arrest warrant on him. If he's here, you'd better tell him to come here now."
Doug sighed. Before he could call for his brother, Pacey had already arrived after overhearing the conversation from the kitchen.
"It's me", Pacey admitted to the agents.
"Mr. Witter, you're under arrest for insider trading. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford one, one will be appointed for you."
While stating so, the policeman extracted his handcuffs. Doug immediately intervened.
"Hey, that's not necessary."
"That's the procedure", the policeman continued.
"It's okay, Doug", Pacey said before putting his hands before him to get handcuffed.
Doug shook his head in disappointment.
"We're gonna fix this, Pace."
Pacey nodded, more to please his brother than to actually believe his words. Then, the policemen took him away.