Crime and Punishment Page #4

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-Bread and water.

Doug, l'm a soldier here,

returning from the killing fields.

l mean, where's my Purple Heart,

my ticker-tape parade?

Watch it on your black and white.

The one with a coat hanger as an

antennae at the Chevron station.

Where you're going to be pumping gas

for the rest of your natural born life.

-Of all the bone-headed moves.

-What?

l was right. lt was Matt Caufield.

-Yeah, that lets you off the hook how?

-The guy deserves whatever he gets.

Preferably his silver spoon

shoved up his ass.

That's funny, Pacey.

That's really funny.

Oh, this is rich.

l am trying to do the right thing.

Sometimes a guy can't win.

No. Not if he completely

overreacts to a situation.

Throw away your future

on your own account.

Don't think l ever cared here.

l was only doing Dawson a favour.

-Dawson.

-Yes, Dawson.

You know, looking out for you.

Think back with me, way back.

Like the beginning of the school year.

Dawson returns from the city

a changed man...

...determined to sever ties with girl.

So he asks trusted friend

to look after said girl...

...during the transitional period.

Trusted friend obliges...

...and now trusted friend gets his

head handed to him on a platter.

So you guys just traded me off...

...like some sort of baseball card?

ls that what this is about?

-What?

-Us. You and me.

-l thought that--

-You thought what?

l guess l thought something else,

Pacey.

You have consistently flaunted

my authority, Mr. Caufield.

You have undermined the ability

for my teachers to educate.

And now, you challenge

my commitment...

...to reshape this school

into a community.

Principal Green...

...it was only a mural.

Yes, it was only a mural...

...but it was so much more

than just a mural.

You don't fool me, Mr. Caufield.

l know exactly who you are.

You've been led to believe

you're untouchable.

So you disrupt the school.

You disobey the rules.

You divide the student body

with your arrogance and attitude.

Now, you may be smart and

you may be rich, Mr. Caufield...

...but you are not above the law.

And for that reason, it is my decision...

...that you be expelled

from Capeside High.

Expelled?

You heard me.

-For the rest of the year?

-For the rest of the year.

Principal Green...

...do you have any idea what

my father's gonna say about this?

Yes.

l have a very good idea of what

your father's gonna say about this.

So, what's going on in there?

l don't know. lt's hard to tell.

No sign of birch cane

or knuckle rapping.

No.

Let's face it. Pacey's gonna be lucky if

he gets off without another suspension.

The way things are going, you should

have just asked me to look out for him.

-Excuse me?

-l know all about the wife-swapping.

Wife--? Joey, that's not how it was

and you know it.

Then how was it?

First, it was months ago.

-Things were very different between us.

-You're right.

Back then l felt like

you understood me.

-Oh, and l don't now?

-No.

l never asked for your pity!

lt wasn't about pity.

l couldn't be there, but l wanted

you to have someone...

...someone you could talk to.

Now, tell me...

...where is the harm in that?

lt would have been nice if that someone

mustered a shred of genuine concern.

That someone is in that room

because he's got a lot more...

...than a shred of concern.

-Why are you doing this?

-Doing what?

Casting aspersions on people

who obviously care about you.

Do you really think that l

don't want the best for you?

Pacey-- l mean, Pacey's a lot of things.

lmpulsive, thoughtless, stubborn.

But after everything...

...can you honestly doubt

for a second...

...that he doesn't truly care about you?

Let me just state for the record,

l like that man in there.

l'll go you one better.

He is a great human being.

He's got the fairness of Lincoln,

the charisma of Martin Luther King Jr.

He's even-handed and tempered...

...and, if l may say so myself...

...susceptible to a certain

type of irreverent humour.

-So he let you off.

-Not exactly.

But he didn't suspend you.

Let's just say l'm not

packing my bags yet.

Although, three days off would've

provided a welcome diversion.

Okay, so divulge.

What happened in there?

-l'm gonna be a mentor.

-Be a what?

Mentor. You know,

the Capeside mentoring program.

Since l seem to be incapable of

suppressing my juvenile impulses...

...Principal Green seems to think that

l would benefit from the company...

...and example of someone half my age.

-What's so funny?

-Well, what about the poor kid?

-What are you gonna teach him?

-What are you talking about?

Teach the importance

of keeping a secret?

Like, say, from, you know,

Joey, for example?

Oh, that.

-She told you?

-Yeah.

What do you think the odds are

that you will be as enlightened...

...and forgiving as a person

as Principal Green just was?

Not good, Pace.

Not good.

To say that l am profoundly shocked

and disturbed...

...by what you did would be

an understatement.

Your behaviour was deceitful,

immoral...

...and, ultimately,

a disgrace to this school.

l know.

l just wish that l could have

told you sooner.

l'm going to have to inform

the Educational Testing Service...

...and they're gonna

cancel your scores...

...and that you're gonna have to forfeit

your chance at a Merit Scholarship.

l'm aware of that. Yes.

Now, you say that there were other

students who were aware of this test...

...but you were the only one

who exploited it.

Are you absolutely certain

about that?

Absolutely certain.

What do you want me to do here?

What am l supposed to do

about this, Andie?

Well...

...l heard that Matt Caufield was

expelled from Capeside today.

And what l did...

...was no less grave or serious

an offence.

ls that what you think?

l've cleared out my locker, and l know

that all actions have consequences.

-Andie--

-Most of all...

...l'm sorry for letting you down

and for letting myself down.

Andie...

...you and Matt Caufield

have nothing in common.

He is a selfish, spoiled young man...

...who has no sense

of right or wrong...

...who takes pleasure

in hurting others.

The only person that you hurt

is yourself.

But l did cheat.

And it was wrong,

and l should be punished for it.

When you were on

the disciplinary committee...

...one of the things that l tried to teach

you was the idea of proportionality.

Make the punishment fit the crime, yes,

but, also, look at the person.

Now, Matt Caufield...

...he doesn't deserve, nor would

he benefit from my leniency.

But Andie McPhee...

...she just might.

l don't know what to say.

Don't say anything.

Get your stuff.

Put it back in your locker.

As for your punishment...

...l have to think about that

for a couple of days.

Thank you, Principal Green.

Thank you.

What on earth?

Hey, Potter.

Pacey, what are you doing?

Painting.

lt would be good if you started

with a blank canvas.

Blank canvas, huh?

Yeah, you know, wipe the slate clean,

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