Disclaimer: DC and it's characters are owned by the WB, KW, Columbia-Tristar, et al...
Author's Note: This is my first fanfic, so comments, good or bad, are appreciated. Send feedback to WBFan99@aol.com. This fanfic takes place during the gang's senior year.

Interior: Capeside cafe, night. The crew is mostly idle, chatting quietly amongst themselves while waiting. Lisa is seated at a nearby table, coffee mug in hand, pensively staring out the cafe's plate glass front window. Joey is peering into a camera mounted on a tripod. She makes a slight adjustment to the tripod's height, looks again through the eyepiece, and seems satisfied. She straightens up and stretches her back, hands clasped together behind her. Jack and Jen approach from the back of the cafe, walking quickly toward Joey.

Jen: (to Jack) I can't believe you said that.

Jack: It just came out.

Jen: It was worth it, though. Did you see his reaction?

Jack: A mix of embarrassment and mortification, I think.

Jen: More like mortification and murder. (They both laugh.) You'd better be careful, he's already taken a swing at you once before.

Joey: What are you two babbling about?

Jack: Joey, you just have to check this out. (Looks back toward the rear of the cafe.) Ah, perfect timing.

Dawson walks out from the back room of the café, his gaze lowered as he reviews the script held in his hand. His blonde locks are darkened slightly by the addition of some hair gel. His layered tee and flannel shirts have been replaced by a sleeveless black tee shirt, perhaps one size too small, and hence about two sizes smaller than usual. The shirt clings to his chest and abdomen, leaving little to the imagination. A temporary tattoo of a snake adorns his bicep. Form fitting dark blue jeans complete the ensemble.

The crew's chatter stops as Dawson nears them, and Madison, Marcy, and the rest of the female members of the crew, Joey included, stare appreciatively.

Jen watches Joey's reaction, and a small smile crosses her face. Dawson notices the silence and looks up.

Jack: Wow. (The spell is broken and everyone laughs at Jack's comment.)

Joey: Jack! Get a grip.

Dawson: (embarrassed, to everyone) What? It's just part of the role.

(Dawson discreetly checks to make sure his fly is zipped. It is. He turns to Joey.) So is everything ready out here?

Joey: Umm… yeah, we were just waiting for you.

Jen: Okay, let's get this done so that we can get out of here. We're behind schedule as it is.

Joey: Right. Lisa? We need you seated here. (Lisa moves over to the table where she will be sitting during the scene.) Remember what we discussed about where the frame of the reaction shots will be. (Lisa nods.) Dawson?

Dawson is at the chalkboard reviewing the storyboards of this scene. The first show a panning shot as a black tee shirt clad guy approaches a table where Andrea, Lisa's character, is seated. The second shows that the panning camera has settled into a two-shot of Dawson and Lisa. The third shows a close up of Lisa's face. Dawson turns as Joey calls his name.

Dawson: Right. (He walks to a spot between tables where the chalkboard and other equipment are out of the camera's view.) You need me to start about here, right?

Joey: That's fine. Extras? Lighting? Sound? (The extras take their places at tables that will be seen in the shot. Joey gets nods from Jack and the sound guy. Joey then does one last check of the static, tripod mounted camera 2, starts it, and then manually operates the panning camera 1.) Rolling! (Two other crew hold small whiteboards up to both cameras.)

Crewperson: Picture Show, scene 9, take 1!

Joey: Action!

Dawson glides over to Lisa's table. His gaze momentarily stops on something off camera, but he continues into the scene. He passes Lisa to sit on the opposite side of the table, reversing the chair to sit in it backwards, facing Lisa. Joey pans the camera to the left to follow Dawson, and settles into a two-shot of Dawson and Lisa, with a slightly fuller profile of Dawson than Lisa.

Lisa (as Andrea): I'm glad you could meet me on such short notice. I know it's been awhile since we've talked.

Dawson (as David): It sounded… important. I made time. What's going on?

Lisa (as Andrea): (Lisa picks up the large maroon cloth napkin in front of her. She begins to twist it in her hands as she speaks.) I don't know what to do. Ever since I --

Lisa stops mid-sentence as she notices Dawson is not looking at her; he is stealing glances over his right shoulder at camera 2. Joey notices this as well.

Joey: Cut! (Joey stops both cameras.) Dawson, what are you doing?

Dawson: I'm sorry, but… (Dawson stands up and walks behind his chair to where camera 2 is situated. He bends down to look at how the camera is positioned.) this camera is all wrong. (Dawson starts to loosen the adjustment knobs on the tripod.)

Joey: Dawson, wait! (Dawson stops before adjusting the camera's position.) Can we talk about this?

Dawson: Talk about what? It just needs a quick adjustment and then we'll get this scene finished.

Joey: Just humor me, all right?

Dawson: Fine. (Joey grabs his hand and pulls him over to glass foyer between the outer and inner glass doors of the cafe.)

Joey: Look, I intentionally set that camera up that way.

Dawson: But it is too low, Joey. (Annoyance flickers across Dawson's face.) Is this about Lisa? Is the angle up her skirt, or what?

Joey: (angry) It's not about Lisa, Dawson! It's about me! That you can't even trust me to do this one thing right. (Joey glances back at the cast and crew, who are looking their way because of their raised voices.)

Dawson: (Dawson notices her glance into the cafe and lowers his voice.) Ok, I've been touched by a little possessive megalomania during filming, I admit. There is a lot at stake for this one, and the movie is more ambitious than Creek Daze. But I thought we agreed, together, how this scene would look when you did the storyboards. Why are you changing it at the last minute?

Joey: (Joey takes a deep breath, and nods.) I was going to tell you, Dawson. I was hoping you'd be pleasantly surprised when we reviewed the footage after this scene was done. The reaction shot is of Lisa's hands, not her face.

Dawson: Her hands?

Joey: Didn't you see how well she expressed herself with her hands in that last scene with Chris? My eyes were drawn to their hands and I found myself barely hearing the dialogue. That's how Lisa best expresses her emotions. Remember, I do know something about composition, Dawson. Framing the shot in a film is not a whole lot different than framing the subject for a sketch or painting. So while you were busy with wardrobe, I set up the new reaction shot.

Dawson: (thinks for a moment) I think you're right. This scene will work better this way. I saw how well Lisa used her hands in the previous scene, but I didn't think to use it to our advantage in this scene. But still, there are some things we need to do to make this work.

Joey: Well, I think I covered everything. First, I told Lisa what I was doing, so she knew to do something with her hands. I also suggested using the napkin, which she was just starting to do when we stopped the scene. I told her how wide the camera angle would be, so she wouldn't wave her hands around so wildly that they would disappear out of the shot. Did I miss anything?

Dawson: Wow, Joey, I'm impressed. But there is one more thing. It's sort of a guy thing, though, so I'm not surprised you didn't think of it.

Joey: And what is that, Dawson?

Dawson: Let's make sure the angle of the camera makes it clear that this is a close up of Lisa's hands, not her chest.

Joey: Ugh! Is that all guys ever think of?

Dawson: Only some guys, Joey. And of those, some only think that way about a certain girl. (Dawson looks to Joey's face for a reaction.)

Joey: (Joey briefly looks at Dawson, then casts her eyes downward.) And some girls only think that way about a certain guy.

Dawson: (pause) I'm sorry for the way I've treated you tonight. Can I make it up to you tomorrow night?

Joey: Aren't we filming tomorrow night? Will we have the time?

Dawson: We'll make the time.

Joey: Ok, Dawson, it's a …date.

Dawson: Great. (looks back inside the cafe) Well, we shouldn't keep them waiting. Let's get this scene finished, Miss Assistant Director slash Cinematographer.

Joey: Yeah, and I'll check on that camera angle. I'm sure Lisa will appreciate it.

Dawson holds the glass door open for Joey as they both go back into the cafe. They clasp hands as they return to the tables where the cast and crew were waiting.

Dawson: Sorry for the delay everyone. Just a misunderstanding on my part. Let's try to get this scene wrapped on take 2 so we can all get out of here.

Joey starts to get everyone in place again to begin the scene. As she does so, a Capeside police cruiser pulls up in front of the cafe. Once it stops, the red and blue lights start to spin atop the cruiser.

Jen: Keep going everyone, I'll take care of this. (Jen walks through both sets of glass doors to exit the cafe.)

Exterior: Capeside cafe, night. Jen walks up to the curb and waves the police cruiser forward. It creeps forward enough so that it isn't visible from the windows of the cafe. The driver's side door of the car opens, and Sheriff Witter exits the vehicle.

Jen: Can you turn off the flashing lights? We're about to film scene inside. (Sheriff Witter nods, and reaches inside the cruiser to turn off the roof lights, but leaves the four-way flashers on. He then closes the squad car's door and walks around the car to the sidewalk.)

Sheriff Witter: Ah… Miss Lindley, right?

Jen: Jen Lindley. If you're looking for Pacey, he's not here.

Sheriff Witter: I'm not looking for Pacey, Jen Lindley; I'm here to check on all of you.

Jen: We're just fine. (pause) Thank you for asking. Is there anything else? I'm needed back inside.

Sheriff Witter: Well, don't you think it's awfully late for all of you to be out and about?

Jen: We're not "out and about", we've been inside the cafe.

Sheriff Witter: Still, it's nearly 3AM, which is awfully late for unsupervised young people.

Jen: Denise, the cafe owner, is inside. She's one of our extras. So I wouldn't say we are totally unsupervised.

Sheriff Witter: Regardless, there is the matter of curfew. Is Dawson inside? I think he needs to send all of you home.

Jen: Dawson's busy with filming this scene. I'm the producer, and the cast and crew leave when I tell them, so there's no need to bother Dawson with this. As far as curfew is concerned, I understand Capeside has a curfew for those under age 18. I sent those youngsters home hours ago. So the rest of us can leave as late as we please.

Sheriff Witter: Watch your mouth, Miss Lindley. Don't go looking for trouble with me.

Jen: Look, do you want to see the statements each member of the crew signed to certify they were at least 18? I have them back at my house if you want to drive me over there.

Sheriff Witter: (looks into the cafe window) No, that won't be necessary. All of you be careful going home. And try not to be too late.

Jen: We'll do our best. Goodnight, Sheriff Witter.

Sheriff Witter: Goodnight. (Sheriff Witter walks back to his squad car. Jen turns to look into the café. Hugs and high-fives abound amongst the crew.)

Jen: (to herself) Looks like we'll be heading home soon anyway. (Jen walks back inside the cafe.)

Interior: Capeside cafe, night. Jen walks back towards the weary but happy cast and crew.

Jen: I take it we've wrapped scene 9?

Dawson: Yep, take two was a keeper, at least according to my AD.

Joey: Don't let it get to your head, Dawson. Your premiere performance was fine, but not Oscar quality. Let's just say you didn't screw up once.

Jen: (smiles) High praise indeed, if Joey starts to quote from American Beauty.

Dawson: So what did Mr. Witter want?

Jen: He just wanted to hassle us about curfew. I handled it.

Dawson: What did you say?

Jen: I told him I'd show him the statements all of you signed certifying you were at least 18. (Jen smiles.)

Jack: What statements?

That's it for Part 4. I hope everyone likes where this is going. I'd love to get feedback on what has happened so far or what is soon to come! Direct your comments to WBFan99@aol.com.