Growing up in a family of three sisters, it’s no wonder I got my fill of “Beverly Hills 90210.” My freshman year in Sellery Hall, I discovered that I wasn’t the only guy who had developed an acquired taste for Wednesday night television. You could hear a pin drop. The entire floor, male and female, had 90210 fever.

I finally had it one night in late January. I think Color Me Badd just returned for their 30th guest performance at The Peach Pit. I slammed down my remote and a different show popped on the television screen. All it took was 30 seconds for some stupid teenager to throw out a handful of underhanded sexual euphemisms. Five years later, this dude is still working his way through puberty, and we’re still watching. He’s 20 and still walking his dog on a daily basis.

The date was January 13, 1998. The location was Capeside, Mass. America was about to get their first taste of “Dawson’s Creek.” Dawson, Joey, Jen and Pacey were far from household names. Six years later, Paula Cole’s “I Don’t Want To Wait” has become a full-fledged anthem. How did we get here?

With only two episodes left, the triangle has returned. Dawson and Joey, or Pacey and Joey? Recent promos for the series finale show Joey marrying one, then the other. Unless they move to Utah, this isn’t happening. And one of the four principles is going to die. Death and a marriage. You can hear the chat-room prognostications in your sleep. Why does anybody care?

After landing my internship on “Dawson’s,” I accumulated a stockpile of old episodes for the sake of research. There’s a line I remember between Joey and Dawson, during the third season. Joey asks, “Do you think every Joey has a Dawson, and every Dawson has a Joey?” As I continued watching episode after episode, I realized this question was the heartbeat behind the show’s success.

Everybody has a first love. It’s the lowest common denominator amongst the human race. For six years, it’s been plaguing these two star-crossed lovers, and with two episodes left, the clock is ticking.

Life on the camera crew made me callus. How could it not? The show was work, not pure pleasure. Part of my job was to know the lines inside and out, so there were no surprises. But like so many “Creekers” out there, a little distance has given me a fresh perspective.

For all its melodramatic overplays, “Dawson’s Creek” is shockingly realistic.

“90210” was a bunch of rich kids with superficial problems. “Dawson’s” is a bunch of middle-class kids with emotional problems. Parents dying, parents in prison, homosexuality, financial aid, mental disease, divorce, first times, alcoholism and much more.

But thanks to the witty dialogue, the series never came off like an after-school special. Yes, the show had slumps, but what show doesn’t during a six-year run? This was the little-show-that-could from Wilmington, N.C., going up against all the big-budget Hollywood series.

So, this is it. In a week’s time, “Dawson’s Creek” will be no more. Joey will never climb Dawson’s ladder again, and network television will be void of these character’s four-syllable words forever. At the outset, the series was inked for a possible six seasons. Who wants to be that guest that inevitably overstays his or her welcome? In TV land, there are far too many of these party poopers.

When the final episode fades to black, fans will laugh, cry and fall to the ground in disbelief. But the show will save face. A teen drama with dignity? That’s rare. More money can be made on this cash cow, but that won’t happen. It’s time. The kids are itching to get out of town, both on and off the screen. May 14 is D-day. Who will Joey choose? Will Dawson finally meet Steven Spielberg? Tune in.

And here’s to hoping that every Joey has a Dawson, and every Dawson has a Joey.