Dawson and Pacey are watching Mr. Smith Goes to Washington in his room. Pacey seems to care a little more about the pizza he's eating than the film. After all, it's in black and white and full of dead people. "There's a whole section at the video store," he says, "It's called new releases, you should check it out." Jen staggers in and collapses drunk on the bed for the third time this week. Dawson grabs the wastebasket for her. "I don't know what to do about her," Dawson tells Pacey, "She's spiraling." "Maybe we should just finish watching the movie," Pacey says, "Jimmy Stewart would know what to do."
Dawson comes downstairs in the morning to find his father at the table. Mitch tells Dawson he's packing up the last of his stuff and moving out. He asks Dawson to spend some time with him later and maybe "do the friend thing." "I may have to pass on the friend thing," Dawson says, "I kinda have real friends for that." Mitch apologizes, he wishes things could be different. He hands Dawson a letter he had taken from the mail by mistake, and Dawson leaves. Once outside, Dawson opens the letter and runs off smiling.
Pacey is in the guidance counselor's office. "Whitter, Pacey," the guidance counselor begins, "Grade point average 1.7. Currently failing biology and U.S. History. Extracurricular interests: none. Tendency to be disruptive in class. Has difficulty with tests requiring a number two pencil. Career aptitude test… I didn't realize it was possible to fail an aptitude test. You have absolutely zero career objectives. Congratulations," he finishes, "Most people with your academic record can't walk upright." Pacey asks for options and he recommends summer school, a repeat of sophomore year.
Dawson finds Joey in the hallway and tells him about the letter. His film won the juror's prize for best junior film in their division, and has been awarded $2500 for their next project. He tells hr he assumed she would help him out again even though she wants her space. "I don't think I can do it," she says, she doesn't have the time. "But we make such a great team," Dawson says. The answer is still no, though she's very happy for him. He leaves, and Jack approaches Joey, he wants to make things right and apologizes again for the kiss. "tell me what I have to do to get our friendship back on track," he says, "Because I'm getting sick of this whole silent treatment thing." She tells him she's trying to figure things out, she's not mad at him. "More than anything I guess I was mad at myself."
Dawson is typing up a new script in the cafeteria and Jen sits down beside him. He tells her about the film festival and she says she's proud of him. Chris and his friend Todd walk up behind her and invite her to a party. "You know you can sign me up," Jen responds. Dawson asks about her the party and she invites him along. He decides to avoid the "useless drunk oblivion," and Jen snaps at him for the comment. "All I'm doing is having fun," she says.
Pacey tells Andie about his meeting with the guidance counselor, and Andie begins to rant about the public school system. She's concerned that he's not nervous. "If you act like a joke people are going to treat you like one, she says. "I finally figured it out," Pacey tells her, "I'm not Luke Skywalker, I'm not even Luke Perry. There's no hero here, Andie, I am a joke." She tells him he can reinvent himself, and should start from the inside. "Anyone can change their fate," she tells him, "Heroes are made, not born."
Jack finds Joey in line and she laughs as he mocks the school's food. He asks her what she's doing that night and invites her to dinner. "You mean like a date?" she asks. "No," he says, "It's more like a dat. You take the 'e' off of date and you have a dat. The only requirement is that you have a great time." "You know Jack, you do have a certain charm," Joey tells him, "But don't worry I'm going to ignore it and hang out with you anyway." She leaves and he sits down with Andie and Pacey, telling her he has a date with Joey. Andie tells him it's okay, she'll take care of their mother that night.
Joey is dressing for her date when Dawson knocks on the door. He hands he half the prize money to use however she wants. She tries to give it back but he wants her to have it, and assures his intentions are honorable. She tells him once again that she wants things back to normal between them and Dawson agrees. She asks him what kind of movie he's writing now. "I'm thinking of doing a love story," he says, "You know, boy meets girl, boy gets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl back. You know me I'm a sucker for happy endings." He turns to go and runs into Jack. The two share an awkward moment and Dawson goes.
Dawson carries his last box into Mitch's new apartment and says good-bye. Mitch asks him to stay and hang out. He want them to be able to talk and Dawson reluctantly agrees. "So," Mitch begins, "How's Joey?" "Joey dumped me," Dawson responds, "and is falling for another guy. Next." "And Jen?" Mitch continues. "Probably drunk and stuck to a sidewalk somewhere," Dawson snaps back. He tells him this isn't going to work and Mitch says he should respect his wishes. "You know what?" Dawson yells back, "All I ever do is respect other people's wishes. I'm sick of it. It makes everybody else feel better; it makes me feel like hell." Mitch tells him no one's out to get him and hands him a key to the new place, "I want you to think of this place as yours," he says. "I don't want another friend or a buddy," Dawson tells him, "I want a father."
Dawson shows up at Jen's and asks if he can still come with her to the party. She is a bit shocked and welcomes him to come as long as he keeps an open mind. She'll pick him up at seven.
As they walk into the party, Jen tells him not to judge. "I'm just observing," he assures her. Chris takes Jen away to dance and Dawson tells her to have fun. He is obviously out of place a he watches her dance with Chris and drink a bottle of beer.
Andie's mother is working in the garden and Pacey says hello. She offers to make him a sandwich but he declines. Her mother mentions Tim and Andie gets a worried look. She tells Pacey she slips sometimes. "She has her good days and her bad days," Andie assures him. They get to Andie's room and Pacey marvels at all her awards. She starts setting up their study session, laying down the rules for Pacey.
Jack and Joey are eating dinner on the grass, watching the lightning flash in the night sky. Jack tells her all about lightning and his fascination with it. Joey starts telling him about the time she and Dawson almost electrocuted themselves. She then apologizes for mentioning him and for Dawson's punching him, she blames it on his film obsession. "He was upset," Jack says, "I would be too if I let you slip through my fingers. Some things are worth fighting for."
Back at the party, Dawson watches from afar as Jen talks closely with Todd. Chris asks him what's going on between he and Jen. "getting a little post Joey action?" he asks. Dawson assures him they're just friends. "Jen's a good friend to have," Chris says lewdly. "You're about as subtle as you are genuine huh?" Dawson asks. Chris leaves and joins in with Todd and Jen. The three of them are drunk, and a little too close.
Pacey and Andie are deep into their study session, Pacey finding a few problems with Andie's rigorous study methods. The phone rings and Andie becomes upset. "Please don't call the police," she says into the phone. Her mother is at Molly's Market again, she tells Pacey, rushing out the door.
They arrive at the market where a crowd has gathered. Andie's mom is delusional and unsure of her surroundings, she's asking for her husband. Andie grabs her arm and asks her to go home. "I can't," she says, "It's all over, it's all gone." Pacey steps in and puts an arm around her. He grabs her a few groceries and and treats her like a normal person. "Could you make me a sandwich Ms. McPhee?" he asks. He puts an arm around her and escorts her out of the store. Andie smiles after him.
Dawson watches as Todd and Chris drag Jen upstairs. He follows them up and barges into the room where the three of them are already on the bed. "Hey Dawson," Chris says, "You want to play?" He grabs Jen and takes her outside despite her protests. She staggers across the lawn, buttoning up her shirt, and starts walking the wrong way home. Dawson tries to talk to her. "You're hiding, you're avoiding dealing with the fact that you're unhappy," he says. She tells him that he's the most unhappy person she knows. "I prefer my melancholy to this any day," he answers, "Because it's real. I'm not fighting to pretend I'm having a good time." She tries to argue but collapses against the fence and vomits. "How's that for irony?" she says, "Bad girl throws up on a white picket fence?" She asks him to accept her, to accept that some people don't need saving. "I have tried to live my life just like you," she says, "I just don't have that sort of hope But if everybody did then people like you wouldn't be so special." Dawson assures her that she's special. "If you weren't so special you wouldn't be so miserable," he says, hugging her. She doesn't want to go home, and he tells her he knows somewhere they can go. He leads her off.
Jack walks Joey back to her door and she thanks him for a unique evening. He kisses her quickly on the lips. "You're not going to stop speaking to me again are you?" he asks. She tells him he's safe; it's not a full moon. "I had a really nice time tonight," she tells him, and they part.
Andie puts her mother to bed and Pacey tells her he's worried about her. "Don't you see," she says, "You can be anything you want. What you did for me tonight was nothing short of spectacular." She kisses him and tells him she's proud of him. "I'm not really used to hearing those words," he laughs. They return to her bedroom to finish their studying.
Mitch asks Dawson how Jen is and Dawson apologizes for being so hard on him lately. "You've always been this larger than life Harrison Ford ideal to me," he says. "No one can live up to that," Mitch responds, "Not even Harrison Ford." They agree to be both father and son and good friends. Dawson walks over to the bedroom where Jen lies. She wakes up and takes a glass of water. "Dawson Leery," she says, "My hero." "Not a hero," Dawson assures her, "Just a friend." He asks about how his romance script ends. "I don't know yet," he says, "I haven't finished writing it." "No happy ending," she says "They're bogus and totally unrealistic. Endings are never happy in real life." He tells her to get some sleep, she'll feel better in the morning. "I really wish that were true," Jen says, "No happy endings Dawson."
Dawson's room is dark as Joey climbs in. "Hey Dawson," she begins, but stops when she realizes he's not there. She sits down on the bed and looks around, smiling at the stuffed shark on his bed. After a brief reflective moment, she climbs back out the window, leaving the room shrouded in darkness.
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