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Episode Summary
A night at the Bronze does nothing to improve the Slayer’s morale, as Willow notices when she sees Buffy reject a guy.
Willow tries to help her friend out, but Buffy opts to stop by the school and see if Giles has any work for her to do. Unbeknownst to her, a boy is fighting with a girl in the school hallway. He holds up a gun, and the girl tries to leave the scene.
The boy then shouts, “Don’t walk away from me, bitch!” Buffy arrives at the school just in time to stop the boy from shooting the girl. Buffy knocks the gun out of his hand, and the boy soon returns to his senses.
While he and the girl try to figure out what just happened, the school janitor points out that the gun is nowhere to be seen.
The next morning, Principal Snyder calls Buffy to his office to let her know that he’ll be keeping an eye on her. After he leaves the office for a minute, a book mysteriously falls out of the bookshelf.
Buffy picks it up, noticing that it’s a yearbook from the Sunnydale Class of ’55. Meanwhile, Giles stops by the computer classroom, where Willow is still serving as the substitute teacher.
She tells Giles about some of the files and pagan websites she found on the computer, then gives him a rose quartz that once belonged to Jenny.
Elsewhere, Buffy has a dream in one of her classes that she’s in the year 1955. She watches on as one of the students approaches the teacher. They start to hold hands when someone else interrupts them.
Just then, Buffy wakes up from her dream and notices the teacher writing “Don’t walk away from me, bitch” on the chalkboard. He doesn’t even notice it until the students start laughing. In the hallway, Buffy tells Xander what happened.
When they reach his locker, a rotted arm reaches out of it and grabs Xander, trying to pull him in. Buffy helps him loose, and the creature disappears.
When Giles finds out about this, he deduces that this is some form of paranormal activity. Later that night, one of the teachers, Ms. Frank, passes by George the janitor on her way home.
Suddenly, they begin to reenact the same conversation that the boy and girl held the night before. While this goes on, Giles is working in his office when he hears a female voice call to him.
He believes that it is Jenny’s voice. When he walks out to investigate, he sees George and Ms. Frank outside. Before Giles can do anything, the gun goes off, sending Ms. Frank over the edge and onto the steps below.
George tries to flee the scene, but Giles tackles him. After the gun is knocked out of George’s hands, it suddenly vanishes into thin air.
George has no idea what just happened, so Giles fills him in. The next day, Giles tells the others that he believes the ghost is Jenny. They don’t see how the pieces fit, but Giles remains set in his belief.
In the computer classroom, Willow looks up any previous shooting victims in the school. She finds a record from 1955, when a student shot his teacher, then himself.
Buffy recognizes the faces from her dream, so she grabs a 1955 yearbook and looks them up. The boy was James Stanley, and his teacher was Grace Newman. Buffy determines that they were having an affair.
However, Buffy feels no remorse for James’s fate, for she feels he deserved whatever punishment there was after shooting Grace.
In the cafeteria, Cordy complains about the upcoming Sadie Hawkins dance when another paranormal event occurs. This time, all of the food transforms into snakes, sending the entire school population into panic.
One of the snake bites Cordy’s cheek before she swats it away. After they evacuate the school, a team is sent in to clean out the snakes.
Principal Snyder talks with his friend on the police force, Bob. Snyder knows that they’re on a Hellmouth, but Bob demands Snyder to control the situation, otherwise the mayor would have to get involved.
That night, Willow sets up a plan to exorcise the spirit from the school.
To do so, Buffy, Xander, Cordelia, and herself need to chant from different locations in the school at midnight, forming what is called a Mangus Tripod.
Buffy elects to take the center position, since that is where the most danger would likely occur. After they split up in the school, Willow runs into Giles by the library. He is trying to contact Jenny’s spirit, so Willow leaves him alone.
As midnight approaches, Buffy sees a vision of James dancing with Grace in the band room. Cordelia inspects her wound in the bathroom mirror, then watches in horror as the whole side of her face turns red and swollen.
Willow is suddenly pulled into the floor by an arm, but she is saved by Giles. Buffy watches as James’s face is replaced by a rotted skull, which tells her to get out.
The clock finally strikes twelve, so the group does the chant simultaneously. However, it doesn’t work like it’s supposed to. A swarm of wasps invades the hallways, and everybody makes a mad dash for the exit.
They run to the street, then turn around to witness the swarm surround the entire school. At Buffy’s house, Giles deduces that it is James spirit which is haunting Sunnydale High.
He is apparently trying to seek forgiveness from Grace, but that can never happen since she dies before she can possibly forgive him. So, he is doomed to repeat this scenario over and over again.
While they try to figure out a solution, Buffy hears a male voice call to her. Without telling the others, she sneaks off to the school. The wasps part to allow her access, and she walks right in.
Inside, Buffy meets Angel, who has come to finish things off. However, James spirit possesses Buffy, and she begins to act out the scenario.
Confused for a moment, Angel approaches and is suddenly possessed by Grace’s spirit. It all plays out the same way, only this time, Grace (in Angel’s body) gets up after being shot and falling onto the steps below.
In the band room, James (in Buffy’s body) prepares to shoot himself, when Grace stops him. She forgives him, and they share one last kiss before their souls finally cross over, leaving Buffy and Angel in an embrace, kissing like they once did in the past.
When Angel realizes what he is doing, he pushes her off and escapes.
Back at the Summers home, Buffy realizes that James never meant to shoot Grace. Apparently, Buffy and James had more in common than she realized, for they were both tormented by guilt.
Meanwhile, at their new home in an abandoned garden, Angel tries to cleanse himself from the vile kiss he shared with his enemy.
He takes Dru out with him to find some blood, leaving Spike alone. After they leave, Spike rises from his wheelchair and kicks it on its side, knowing that the time for his comeback is nearer than anyone else thinks.
Shooting Scripts
Teaser
INT. BRONZE – NIGHT
The place is packed. Couples slow dance as A BAND plays a mellow, sexy song. BUFFY sits by herself,
a little glum.
XANDER AND CORDY
Dance past. Enjoying an atypical moment of peace together.
ON WILLOW
Moving through the crowd with some drinks, she sees Buffy looking bummed – wishes she could do
something for her broken-hearted friend. But her expression brightens when an especially handsome,
sweet-looking guy, BEN, approaches Buffy.
ON BUFFY AND CUTE GUY
BEN
Hey. I’m Ben. We had Algebra II
together last year.
Buffy searches – can’t remember.
BUFFY
Sorry. I pretty much repress anything
math related.
BEN
Miss Jackson. Second period. You
were in the seat three over – one behind.
BUFFY
(smiles)
Oh – yeah… I remember now.
Weren’t there chalkboards and pencils
and desks and stuff?
BEN
That’s the one!
BUFFY
(taps her head)
Like a steel trap.
BEN
So… I was wondering… You know
that dance tomorrow night? Are you
going?
BUFFY
The Sadie Hawkins thing? Isn’t that
the deal where the girls ask the boys?
BEN
Yeah. And I thought, maybe, if you’re
free you might… ask me.
Buffy balks. Her discomfort is obvious.
BUFFY
Oh… Gosh… I-
Ben sees where this is going – tries to save face.
BEN
Hey. No. Don’t worry about it.
BUFFY
It’s not you. You seem great. It’s
just – I’m not seeing anybody. Ever
again, actually.
BEN
Oh. That’s too bad. Okay. Well.
I’d better…
ON WILLOW
Watching as BEN walks away from Buffy – rejected. Buffy grabs her purse and starts for the door.
Willow moves quickly – heads Buffy off at the pass before she can leave.
WILLOW
Hey. You bailing?
BUFFY
Yeah. I’m gonna stop by the library and
see if Giles wants me to patrol. Then
sack it.
WILLOW
You’ve been doing a lot of that.
Patrolling and sacking. In fact,
you’ve kinda been all work, no play
Buffy.
BUFFY
I play. I have big fun. I came here
tonight, didn’t I?
WILLOW
You came. You saw. You rejected.
BUFFY
You mean that guy? I’m… just not
in date-mode right now.
WILLOW
But maybe you need to date to get in
date mode.
BUFFY
I don’t think I’m ready.
WILLOW
You’re thinking too much. Maybe you
should just be impulsive!
BUFFY
Impulsive. Do you remember my ex-
boyfriend, the vampire? I slept with
him. He lost his soul. My boyfriend
is gone forever and the demon that is
wearing his face is killing my
friends. The next impulsive decision
I make will involve my choice of
dentures.
WILLOW
Okay, the Angel thing went badly, I’m
on board with that. But that’s not
your fault.
(off Buffy’s look)
And anyways, love isn’t always like
that. Love can be… nice.
SMASH CUT TO:
INT. SCHOOL HALLWAY – NIGHT
A teenage couple rounds a corner in the dark hallway, which is decorated WITH BANNERS
ANNOUNCING THE UPCOMING SADIE HAWKINS DANCE. The kids are in the middle of a horrible,
emotional argument – like they’re fighting for their lives.
FIGHTING BOY
Come back here! We’re not finished!
The boy grabs her arm. Stops her.
FIGHTING BOY
You don’t care anymore? Is that it?
FIGHTING GIRL
It doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter
what I feel-
FIGHTING BOY
Then tell me you don’t love me.
She’s silent. He burns. Shakes her – hard. Yells.
FIGHTING BOY
Say it!
The girl starts to cry.
FIGHTING GIRL
Will that help? Is that what you
have to hear?
(lying)
I don’t. I don’t. Now let me go!
She struggles to break his grasp – but he holds on. Devastated – disbelieving.
FIGHTING BOY
No… A person doesn’t just wake up
one day and stop loving somebody.
Now he RAISES the GUN he’s been holding so she can see it. His rage and fear pushing him to the
edge. Her eyes widen in horror.
FIGHTING BOY
Love is forever.
BLACK OUT.
END OF TEASER
Act One
INT. SCHOOL HALLWAY – NIGHT
The COUPLE FROM THE TEASER are still at it. The girl struggles in the boy’s grasp as he holds the
GUN closer to her, shaking with emotion.
FIGHTING BOY
I’m not afraid to use it. I swear.
If I can’t be with you-
FIGHTING GIRL
Oh my God-
BUFFY enters the hallway – sees the couple as the girl manages to SHOVE the boy away and head for
an EXIT that leads to a balcony.
FIGHTING GIRL
No! Please!-
The boy scrambles after her – raises the GUN as if he might fire.
FIGHTING BOY
Don’t walk away from me, bitch!-
Buffy reacts – runs to stop him.
BUFFY
Hey! Leave her alone!
INT. ANOTHER PART OF THE HALLWAY – CONT. (NIGHT)
We see a JANITOR moving down another hallway. He hears the commotion and comes running.
INT. SCHOOL HALLWAY – CONT. (NIGHT)
The janitor rounds the corner just as BUFFY GRABS the boy. They struggle briefly before she KNOCKS
THE GUN FROM HIS HANDS. It SKITTERS down the hall and out of sight.
Buffy wrestles the boy the ground. The Janitor moves the crying girl. The BOY BLINKS. Suddenly
power-freaked.
FIGHTING BOY
It’s… What happened?
BUFFY
What happened? You went OJ on your
girlfriend!
FIGHTING BOY
(desperate/baffled)
This is nuts… I don’t know why
I – I got so mad…
BUFFY
Because you’re a jerk?
Now the girl speaks up. She also looks totally freaked.
FIGHTING GIRL
He’s not. We weren’t even fighting
a few minutes ago.
FIGHTING BOY
We weren’t. I swear to God…
BUFFY
If you weren’t fighting – why did you
have a gun?
FIGHTING BOY
I don’t know. I – I don’t even know
where I got it.
THE JANITOR is scanning the floor. Shrugs.
JANITOR
I don’t see any gun.
Off Buffy – at a loss.
INT. SNYDER’S OFFICE – DAY
Buffy sits in the “hot seat” while Snyder, worked up, grills her.
SNYDER
I’m sure you know why I asked you here.
BUFFY
(weakly hopeful)
To thank me?
SNYDER
That’s right. I want to thank you.
What would Sunnydale High do without
you around to incite mayhem, chaos
and disorder?
BUFFY
What? I didn’t incite! I stopped
that boy from killing his girlfriend.
I mean – ask them. Ask the janitor.
SNYDER
People can be coerced, Summers,. I’m
no stranger to conspiracy. I saw JFK.
(then)
I’m a truth seeker. I’ve got a
missing gun and two confused kids on
my hands. Pieces of a puzzle. I’m
going to look at all those pieces
carefully and rationally. And I’m
going to keep looking until I figure
out exactly how this is all your fault.
He’d go on but his intercom buzzes.
VOICE ON INTERCOM (O.C.)
Mr. Snyder? Billy Crandle chained
himself to the snack machine again.
Snyder shakes his head – fuming. Starts for the door.
SNYDER
Pathetic little no-life vegan.
Buffy starts to get up but SNYDER pushes her back into her chair.
SNYDER
Not so fast, Missy. I’m not done
with you yet. You stink of lies.
He leaves.
CLOSE ON BOOK SHELF
Where Snyder’s YEARBOOK COLLECTION is. Unseen by Buffy, one of the yearbooks is drawn out BY
AN INVISIBLE FORCE. It falls to the ground with a thud.
ON BUFFY
Startled by the book falling. She rises and picks it up – looks at the cover.
CLOSE ON YEARBOOK
It’s from 1955.
ON BUFFY
Only mildly curios as she puts it back on the shelf.
EXT. SCHOOL – DAY
Xander and Cordelia walk together on their way to class.
CORDELIA
Okay. So what’s up with Buffy?
XANDER
How many times do we have to go over
this? Nothing’s up with Buffy.
We’re just good friends-
CORDELIA
No, I mean, what’s up with Buffy?
Like, is she okay?
XANDER
Sorry. I’m not used to you addressing
subjects not directly related to… you.
(then)
She’s fine. I guess. Why?
CORDELIA
She only blew off Ben Straley – the
most eligible hunk in town. He’s
totally rad and his father owns a
department store. I mean, he’s the
guy I’d be going out with if I wasn’t
so obviously brain damaged. No
offense.
XANDER
Oh no. Why would I be offended?
CORDELIA
Anyway. Ben told Lynette who told
Charity – that Buffy wouldn’t even
give him the time of day.
XANDER
Good for her. She’s providing much
needed life experience for the
refection-deprived.
CORDELIA
The guilt thing’s just getting a
little old, you know. Everybody’s
told her what happened to Angel isn’t
her fault.
XANDER
Yeah. Everybody except the one guy
she needs to hear it from.
INT. COMPUTER CLASSROOM – DAY
GILES comes to the doorway. Unnoticed, he watches Willow, who is still teaching as Calendar’s
temporary replacement.
WILLOW
So for next time, read the chapters
on information groupings and binary
coding. I bet you’ll think coding is
pretty cool – I mean, if you find two
digit multi-stacked conversions and
primary number clusters a big hoot.
The class LAUGHS APPRECIATIVELY at her computer geek joke as the bell rings.
ON GILES
Clearly lost. If there was a joke – he missed it.
WILLOW
Sees him as the students file out.
WILLOW
(excited)
Giles. I made them laugh, did you
hear? I did the joke thing!
GILES
Yes. So it seems. I mean – you did.
Good show.
(then)
I was dropping by so if you needed
assistance – but you appear to have
things quite under control.
WILLOW
Well, I had really good lesson plans.
Ms. Calendar had them on her computer.
A shadow crosses Giles’ features. It’s not lost on Willow – who treads gently.
GILES
Yes, she was… dedicated, wasn’t she?
WILLOW
I also found a bunch of files and
internet sights about paganism and
majic and stuff.
GILES
Oh?
WILLOW
Yeah, it’s really interesting…
Willow moves to the desk. Finds a small pink stone on a black silk cord, which she hands to him.
WILLOW
And – this was in her drawer. She
told me it’s a rose quartz – that it
has healing powers.
(then)
I thought she’d want you to have it.
ON GILES
Who closes his hand around the stone – touched, distraught.
GIRLS
Thank you, Willow. That’s very
thoughtful of you.
INT. HISTORY CLASS – DAY
Buffy’s in HISTORY CLASS. The teacher, MR. MILLER, stands at the chalk board, writing away and
talking in a colorless monotone-
MR. MILLER
… before 1935 the New Deal focused
on revitalizing stricken business and
agricultural communities…
The WHOLE CLASS IS BORED BEYOND BELIEF. Many of them can barely keep their eyes open.
MOVE IN ON BUFFY
As she fights sleep. But Miller’s voice is like white noise.
MR. MILLER (O.C.)
The New Deal also tried to regulate
the nation’s financial hierarchy-
Finally her EYELIDS droop and CLOSE.
INT. HISTORY CLASS – BUFFY’S DREAM – CIRCA 1955 – DAY
FROM BUFFY’S POV
Buffy is in the same classroom, but it’s obvious from the décor and clothes that she’s dreaming about
THE 50’S. Class has just ended. A couple of cute girls giggle as they loot at a flyer for the 1955
SADIE HAWKINS DANCE.
50’S GIRL #1
I told Mrs. Hall we’d go help decorate
the gym. Who are you taking?
50’S GIRL #2
David said yes.
50’S GIRL #1
You’re kidding! He’s so dreamy.
They MOVE OFF as Buffy nears the TEACHER’S DESK. Sees a beautiful young teacher, GRACE
NEWMAN, who smiles kindly as she takes papers. The kids file out, except for JAMES, who lingers.
He’s big, handsome – not at all boyish. He hands Miss Newman his paper.
CLOSE ON THEIR HANDS
Which TOUCH as she takes the paper from him.
BACK ON JAMES AND MISS NEWMAN
There is obvious heat between them. It flusters Miss Newman.
MISS NEWMAN
Thank you, James.
(then)
How are you enjoying that book I
loaned you? The Hemmingway?
JAMES
I like it. Very much.
Impulsively, he touches her hand again. He moves closer. They both know they shouldn’t be talking
like this.
JAMES
It’s honest.
They lock eyes. Miss Newman stammers-
GRACE NEWMAN
I… Yes. It’s based on a true
story, actually. He fell in love
with his-
She stops as his hand moves up her arm. They move closer, eyes on each other. They’re interrupted
as the door to the classroom starts to open. JAMES AND MISS NEWMAN pull quickly apart, startled.
INT. HISTORY CLASS – DAY
ON BUFFY
Who wakes, also startled. She looks around, disoriented – sees that she’s back in the present day. At
the board, MR. MILLER is still writing and tediously narrating.
MR. MILLER
…to revive industrial activity, the
NRA, the National Recovery
Administration…
He turns away from the board to look at the class, but continues to write. As he’s talking his hand
starts to scrawl in LARGE ANGRY LETTERS – “DON’T WALK AWAY FROM ME, BITCH.” Mr. Miller doesn’t
even notice what he’s doing. Keeps talking-
MR. MILLER
…assigned a number of task forces-
The class REACTS WITH SHOCK and Mr. Miller looks back at the board. He’s clearly confused and
embarrassed by what he’s just written.
MR. MILLER
Oh! Good God.
He immediately ERASES the phrase.
ON BUFFY
Stunned.
INT. SCHOOL HALLWAY – DAY
Buffy is walking with Xander.
BUFFY
I’m telling you, something weird is
going on.
XANDER
Something weird is going on. Isn’t
that our school motto?
BUFFY
Pretty much. But this time… I don’t
know. It bugs me.
They arrive at Xander’s locker, which he does the combo on.
XANDER
I’m not trying to poo poo your
wiggins, but a domestic dispute and
a little case of chalkboard
Tourette’s? Sounds like “Hellmouth
Lite” to me-
Xander opens his locker and A BLUE, DECAYING ARM BURSTS from inside and GRABS HIM BY THE
SHIRT. Xander, of course, screams for real this time. The ARM starts to PULL XANDER INTO THE
LOCKER. After a brief struggle, Buffy manages to rip Xander’s shirt and free him of the death grip.
She SLAMS the LOCKER SHUT.
A horrified beat as they both stare at the locker. Then Buffy FLINGS the locker door open again –
ready to fight. But – to their surprise – there’s nothing. They look inside.
CLOSE ON LOCKER
Except for Xander’s stuff – it’s empty.
INT. LIBRARY – DAY
Willow is studying while Giles goes about some researchy stuff of some kind. Now XANDER and
BUFFY enter, tripping. Xander looks a mess – what with his ripped shirt and all.
WILLOW
Xander. What did you do – criticize
Cordelia’s outfit?
XANDER
You’re just a big bucket o’ funny, Will.
I’ll have you know I just got
accosted by some kind of locker
monster.
GILES
(perks up)
Loch Ness monster? Really?
BUFFY
Locker monster. Is what he said.
But it wasn’t really a “monster”. It
was more like a guy reached out and
grabbed him. But when we opened the
locker a second time – gone. Nothing.
XANDER
This is right after Buffy’s history
teacher started doing some freaky
channeling thing in class.
GILES
Fascinating. It sounds like
paranormal phenomena.
WILLOW
A ghost? Cool!
XANDER
Oh no, not cool. This was no wimpy
chain-rattler. This was more – “I’m
dead as hell and I’m not gonna take
it anymore.”
GILES
Exactly. Despite the Xander-speak,
that’s an accurate definition of a
poltergeist.
XANDER
I defined something? Accurately?
Check me out.
(he slams a book on the table shut)
Guess I’m done with the book learning!
BUFFY
So we’ve got some bad boo on our hands?
GILES
Well… A poltergeist is extremely
disruptive – and what you described
certainly fits the bill.
WILLOW
But why is it here? Does it just
want to scare people?
GILES
It doesn’t know exactly what it
wants. That’s the problem. Many
times the spirit is plagued by all
manner of worldly troubles. But,
being dead, it has no way to make
it’s peace. So it lashes out.
Growing ever more confused, ever
more angry…
BUFFY
So – it’s like a regular teenager.
Only dead.
WILLOW
What can we do? Is there any way to
stop it?
GILES
The only tried and true way is to
figure out what unresolved issues
keep the spirit here – and resolve
them.
BUFFY
Great. So now we’re Dr. Laura for
the deceased.
GILES
Only if we can find out who this spirit is. Or… was.
He stops, something occurring to him. Perhaps he knows who it is?
INT. SCHOOL HALLWAY – NIGHT
It’s late. The hallway is mostly dark as THE JANITOR mops the floor – humming to himself. Now a
TEACHER – MISS FRANK – steps out of her classroom with her briefcase and heads for the exit. They
smile politely.
JANITOR
Working later, Miss Frank?
MISS FRANK
It’s my fault. Let myself get behind.
(looks at floor)
Is it okay to walk here, George? It
is… George, right?
JANITOR
Yes, ma’am. You go ahead.
MISS FRANK
Thanks. You have a nice evening.
JANITOR
You too. Drive safe.
He goes back to his mopping and she starts to walk away. But the janitor pauses. Looks back at Miss
Frank.
JANITOR
Oh, Miss Frank?
She stops. Turns.
MISS FRANK
Yes?
Something shifts in his eyes. They go cold – full of rage.
JANITOR
You can’t make me disappear just
because you say it’s over.
MISS FRANK
There’s no way we can be together.
No way people will ever understand,
accept it-
JANITOR
Is that what this is about? What
other people think?
MISS FRANK
(emphatic)
No! I just want you to be able to
have some kind of normal life. We
can never have that – don’t you see?
JANITOR
I don’t give a damn about a normal life.
(pleading)
I’m going crazy, not seeing you. I
think about you every minute-
She obviously feels the same way. Pushes it down.
MISS FRANK
I know. But…
(then)
It’s over. It has to be.
She starts to walk away from him. Which PROVOKES his anger and hurt even more. He shouts-
JANITOR
Come back here! We’re not finished!
He grabs her arm. Stops her.
JANITOR
You don’t care anymore? Is that it?
MISS FRANK
It doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter
what I feel-
JANITOR
Then tell me you don’t love me.
She’s silent. He burns. Shakes her – hard.
JANITOR
Say it!
Miss Frank starts to cry.
MISS FRANK
Will that help? Is that what you
have to hear?
(lying)
I don’t. I don’t. Now let me go!
She struggles to break his grasp – but he holds on. Devastated – disbelieving.
JANITOR
No… A person doesn’t just wake up
one day and stop loving somebody.
ANGLE: In the janitor’s empty hand, a gun magically appears.
Now he RAISES the GUN so she can see it. His rage and fear pushing him to the edge. Her eyes
widen with horror.
JANITOR
Love is forever.
BLACK OUT.
END OF ACT ONE
Act Two
INT. LIBRARY – NIGHT
All is quiet in the library as Giles works late again. A number of books on GHOSTS and
COMMUNICATING WITH THE DEAD are open before him. As he read, he unconsciously rolls Jenny’s
rose quartz stone around in his hand.
Now a whispery voice rises from the silence. A woman.
WOMAN’S VOICE (O.C)
…I need you…
Giles looks up – startled. He contemplates the empty room.
GILES
(hopeful)
Jenny?
He stands and starts toward the doors of the library.
INT. SCHOL HALLWAY NEAR BALCONY – NIGHT
Giles moves tentatively into hallway – now hears a muffled argument. Through the windows in the
doors at the end of the hallway, he can see the JANITOR yelling at MISS FRANK outside on the
balcony.
EXT. BALCONY – CONT. (NIGHT)
The janitor still has the gun, which shakes wildly in his hand as he rages.
MISS FRANK
(carefully)
Let’s both… just calm down. Give
me the gun.
JANITOR
Don’t! Don’t do that, damn it!
CLOSE ON MISS FRANK
reacting to his venom as he continues.
JANITOR (O.C)
Don’t talk to me like I’m some dumb-
BOOM! The gun discharges.
INT. SCHOOL HALLWAY NEAR BALCONY – NIGHT
Giles, on his way to the balcony to stop the fight, FLINCHES at the sound of the gun.
EXT. BALCONY – NIGHT
Miss Frank looks down at the gunshot wound in her chest – disbelieving – then FALLS back over the
balcony and lands in a CRUMPLED HEAP ON THE STAIRS.
ON THE JANITOR
Panicked – he turns and RUNS back into the school
INT. SCHOOL HALLWAY NEAR BALCONY – NIGHT
The JANITOR races down the hallway. Giles surges forward and TAKLES the JANITOR. They struggle.
As before, the gun is knocked out of the janitor’s hands.
CLOSE ON GUN
As it come to rest and MAGICALLY DISAPPEARS.
ON GILES AND JANITOR
Who are too involved in battle to notice this. Giles finally subdues the janitor with a HARD RIGHT
HOOK. A stunned beat as the janitor quiets. Then –
JANITOR
What – what’s going on?
GILES
(aghast)
What’s going on? You just shot a
woman…
OFF the janitor’s confused, desperate face.
EXT. GARDEN AREA OF THE NEW VAMPIRE LAIR – NIGHT
Angel leads Drusilla out of an impressive art deco style house into a WALLED COURTYARD which is
home to a LUSH, OVERGROWN GARDEN. A set of stairs in one corner leads to a street ext.
ANGEL
…and this – is the garden.
Drusilla takes in the beautiful surroundings – thrilled. Moves to a WALL COVERED IN JASMINE.
DRUSILLA
Look. Jasmine.
Angel goes to her – wraps his arms around her.
ANGEL
Night blooming.
DRUSILLA
Like us.
(gleeful)
Oooooh Angel, it’s fairy-land!
Now SPIKE wheels out of the house and into the yard. A beat as he takes in Dru and Angel’s over-
friendly position.
SPIKE
It’s paradise! Big windows and
lovely gardens. They’ll be perfect
when we want the sunlight to kill us.
ANGEL
You don’t like it, Spike? Hit the
stairs and go. Take a stand, man.
Spike takes the dig – fuming.
SPIKE
Our old place was just fine. Until
you went and had us burned out.
ANGEL
Things change, Spiky. You’ve got to
roll with the punches… Well,
actually, you’ve pretty much got that
part down – haven’t you?
Once more, Spike takes it on the chin.
SPIKE
Very funny, mate.
ANGEL
What can I say?
Angel grabs Drusilla again. Nuzzles her neck and leers at Spike – relishing his torment.
ANGEL
I just love to see you smile, buddy.
ON SPIKE
Whose eyes BURN with rage. But he holds it together.
SPIKE
Yeah. You’re a giver.
INT. LIBRARY – DAY
Buffy, Willow and Xander hang with Giles.
GILES
It was just like with this couple you
encountered the other night, Buffy.
The janitor remembered everything.
He knew he’s killed this poor
woman – but he had no idea why.
They had no intimate relationship.
WILLOW
And the gun? Did you ever find it?
GILES
No. The police, everybody… We
looked all over.
(then)
I think it’s very clear. What’s
happening.
XANDER
Fill me in, then. ‘Cause I’ve read
the book, seen the movie and I’m
still fuzzy about what’s going on.
GILES
It’s Jenny.
BUFFY
What?
XANDER
You think she’s the poltergeist?
GILES
Don’t you see? She died here under
tragic conditions. Now she’s trapped.
WILLOW
But – what about the whole deal with the gun?
(she glances at Buffy, lowering her voice)
Angel didn’t shoot Ms. Calendar.
Buffy still registers the comment, looks down.
GILES
The gun is insignificant. It’s the
violence of the thing that matters.
BUFFY
I don’t know. It seems like the
fights these couples keep having is
sort of… specific. You know?
WILLOW
She’s right, Giles. The gun, the
place… It’s like a pattern that
doesn’t fit with the way Ms. Calendar
died.
GILES
Yes. Well. I appreciate your
thoughts on the matter. In fact, I
encourage you to always challenge me
when you feel it’s appropriate. You
must never be cowed by authority.
(quickly)
Except, of course, in this instance
when I am clearly right and you are
clearly wrong.
A beat. Then-
BUFFY
Great. Glad to know we have this
open line of communication.
INT. COMPUTER CLASSROOM – DAY
Not surprisingly – Buffy, Xander and Willow are now hanging without Giles.
WILLOW
This is freaky. I don’t think I’ve
ever seen Giles be so pig-headed.
XANDER
I know. He’s usually “Investigate
Things From Every Boring Angle” guy.
Now he’s “I cling To My One Lame
Idea” guy. What gives?
BUFFY
He misses her. He can’t think. Just
a little more fallout from my love life.
Willow moves to her computer. Starts with the clickity clack.
WILLOW
Okay, but this ghost stuff is
something else. Let me do a cross
check, look for other shootings at the school.
BUFFY
Yeah, we need some alternate ghost
theories. What do we know?
XANDER
Dog spit is cleaner than human’s.
BUFFY
Besides that.
Willow taps some keys. A moment as some information comes up on the screen. Then her expression
registers shock.
WILLOW
Oh boy. We know plenty… It says
here that a student murdered a
teacher on the night of the Sadie
Hawkins dance. The rumor was that
they were having an affair and she
tried to break it off. After he
killed her, he went into the music
room and shot himself.
As she relates the tale we see FLASHBACKS of the salient events. Finally:
XANDER
Ladies and gentlemen – we have a
poltergeist. It has to be one of
those two, right?
WILLOW
It all fits. The gun. The Sadie
Hawkins dance…
BUFFY
Which is tonight.
She stops, thinking.
XANDER
How come we never heard about this
murder/suicide thing before? When
did it happen?
WILLOW
Well, it says –
BUFFY
(cutting her off)
1955.
WILLOW
How did you know?
INT. COMPUTER CLASSROOM – A LITTLE WHILE LATER (DAY)
CLOSE ON
A 1955 YEARBOOK HITS the desk. Willow opens it to an “In Memoriam” page for GRACE NEWMAN.
ON WILLOW, XANDER AND BUFFY
BUFFY
Okay. Fresh new strangeness? I
dreamt about this woman the other
day. Her and this young guy.
Willow turns some pages. Finds a photo of JAMES STANLEY.
WILLOW
James Stanley?
(off Buffy’s nod)
He’s the one. He did it.
XANDER
Your dreams are getting wicked
accurate, Buffy. You wouldn’t happen
to see me coming into big cash or,
possibly, knowing the love of a
woman? In a full-body sense?
BUFFY
(ignoring/still looking at photo)
He couldn’t make her love him, so he
killed her. What a sicko.
WILLOW
He looks so normal in his picture.
He was smart, too. He made the honor
role.
BUFFY
Smart?
XANDER
He killed a person and he killed
himself. Those are pretty much the
two dumbest things you can do.
WILLOW
I know, but… don’t you feel kind of
bad for them?
BUFFY
I feel lousy. For her. He’s a
murderer. He should pay for it.
WILLOW
With his life?
BUFFY
No, he should be in prison for sixty
years breaking rocks and making
‘special friends’ with Roscoe the
weight lifter.
Willow and Xander exchange a look. Buffy’s vitriol is just a bit too intense.
XANDER
Yikes. The quality of mercy is not Buffy.
WILLOW
Whose ghost do you think we’re
dealing with? His or hers?
BUFFY
Considering how violent it is, I’d
say it’s his.
XANDER
That tracks.
WILLOW
I’ve been browsing in some of Ms.
Calendar’s pagan sites. Maybe I can
find a way to communicate with him.
Find out what he wants.
BUFFY
Who cares what he wants? We gotta
shut him down before some other
innocent guy shoots some nice girl
and blows his brains all over the
music room wall.
Beat.
XANDER
Okay, who’s hungry?
INT. CAFETARIA – DAY
The place is crowded with students as Xander sits with Willow and Buffy at a table. None of them are
really enthused about their food.
Now CORDELIA comes over and sits next to Xander with a plate of spaghetti. She addresses them all,
indignant.
CORDELIA
I hope you guys weren’t planning on
going to this Sadie Hawkins dance
tonight – because I’m totally
organizing a boycott. Do you realize
that the girls are suppose to ask
the guys – and pay and everything?
I mean, who’s genius idea was that?
XANDER
Obviously some hairy-legged feminist.
CORDELIA
Really. We have to nip this in the
bud or things could get way scary-
Speaking of – she’s interrupted by a HORRIBLE YELL.
CLOSE ON
guy at the table across from them. The sandwich he just bit into has turned into WRITHING BLACK
SNAKES.
ON XANDER
Who looks down at his NACHO STICKS in terror. SNAKES.
THE WHOLE CAFETERIA
Erupts into total CHAOS. Everybody’s food has transformed into WRIGGLING SERPENTS.
BUFFY
Does what she can. She YANKS a snake off a girl nearly FROZEN WITH FEAR.
ON THE DOORWAY TO THE CAFETERIA
Where SNYDER takes in MAYHEM. He is concerned but calm.
ON CORDELIA
Who SCREAMS at her SNAKE FILLED PLATE. She tries to toss it away from her, but one of the snakes
COILS AND STRIKES – biting her on the FACE.
EXT. SCHOOL – DAY
The school is being evacuated. Exterminators move in as freaked students file out.
CLOSE ON CORDY
Who is having her face bandaged by a PARAMEDIC while XANDER holds her hand.
CORDELIA
Perfect. I’m going to be swollen and
scarred. Why didn’t it just kill me?
ON SNYDER AND THE POLICE CHIEF
Who speak cryptically
POLICE CHIEF
School boy prank?
SNYDER
(shakes his head)
Never sell.
POLICE CHIEF
Backed up sewer lines?
SNYDER
Better… I can probably make that
one fly. But this is getting out of
hand. People will talk.
POLICE CHIEF
You’ll take care of it.
SNYDER
I’m doing everything I can. But you
people have to realize that –
(as people pass)
— backed up sewer line, this
happened in San Diego just last week –
(they’re gone)
— that we are on a Hell mouth.
Sooner or later, people are going to
figure that out.
POLICE CHIEF
The city council was told you could
handle this job. If you feel you
can’t… perhaps you’d like to take
that up… with the Mayor.
Dread flushes Snyder’s face.
SNYDER
I’ll handle it. I will.
INT. BUFFY’S ROOM – NIGHT
Xander, Willow, Cordelia (still bandaged from the snake trauma) and Buffy are gathered.
WILLOW
Remember the plan to contact the
spirit and talk to it? Scrap that plan.
Willow lays out a MAP OF THE SCHOOL that she’s drawn.
WILLOW
Buffy, you’re right. The time for
touchy-feely communication has
passed. I’ve done some homework and
learned that the only solution – is
the final solution.
XANDER
Nuke the school? I like it!
WILLOW
Not quite. Exorcism.
CORDELIA
Are you crazy? I saw that movie.
Even the priests died!
BUFFY
What’s the deal, Will?
Willow explains – using the map to make her point.
WILLOW
Okay. See here? The balcony?
That’s where the original teacher was
shot back in 1955 and where Miss
Frank died. It’s the hot spot where
all the bad mojo is coming from. We
need to create a Mangus Tripod-
(draws on map)
One person chants here, in the hot
spot, and the other three people
chant in other areas of the school –
making a triangle. It’s supposed to
bind the bad spirit. Stop it from
doing more harm.
BUFFY
I’ll take the hot spot. If there’s
real trouble, it’ll probably be there.
XANDER
I’m kinda feeling like this ghost is
fixating on you, Buffy. The
yearbook, the dreams – you sure you
can handle it?
BUFFY
Oh, I’m hoping he’ll show. I truly am.
INT. SCHOOL – NIGHT
Xander, Cordelia, Willow and Buffy enter the school, each holding a black candle and a flashlight.
BUFFY
Okay, we all have our places. We
light the candle and do the chant at
midnight exactly. Any questions?
CORDELIA
Yeah. What if this mangled triangle
thingy doesn’t work?
WILLOW
Oh! I almost forgot. I made us all
protective scapulas.
XANDER
Okay… So we can flip the
poltergeist over when it turns a nice
golden brown?
WILLOW
Scapula. You wear it around your neck
for protection.
Willow digs into her pockets – pulls out four little bags on cords and hands them out. Everybody
reacts. They smell.
CORDELIA
You expect me to wear that? It
smells like grandpa breath!
WILLOW
Sorry. I didn’t have much time so I
had to use sulphur. Stinky – but
effective.
Everybody reluctantly puts them on. Buffy turns to them – firm.
BUFFY
Okay. Let’s do it.
INT. SCHOOL HALLWAY – NIGHT
Buffy, Xander, Cordelia and Willow enter the dark hallway. Look around the quiet school.
CORDELIA
(scared)
No problem. This’ll be a piece of cake.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! The hallway ECHOES with the sound of DOORS SLAMMING AND LOCKING.
INT. SCHOOL – CONT. (NIGHT)
The front doors SLAM SHUT. Every possible EXIT IS SEALED.
BLACK OUT.
END OF ACT TWO
Act Three
EXT. GARDEN AREA OF THE NEW VAPIRE LAIR – NIGHT
Drusilla is down on her hands and knees in front of a flower bed. She’s digging in the dirt with her
hands.
DRUSILLA
Maybe I’ll sleep under ground… Dig
myself a little burrow.
ON SPIKE
Who watches her.
SPIKE
What about your pretty nightclothes,
sweet? They’ll get all dirty.
DRUSILLA
Then I’ll sleep naked. Like the
animals do.
NOW ANGEL moves to DRU, grinning.
ANGEL
You know? I’m suddenly liking this plan.
SPIKE
Fortunately, nobody cares what you
like. Mate.
ANGEL
Oh no? Let’s ask Dru-
ON DRUSILLA
Who bursts out LAUGHING. Looks up to the sky.
DRUSILLA
Oooooh! There’s a gate… It’s
opening…
ON ANGEL AND SPIKE
ANGEL
(to Spike)
Incoming. I love when she does this.
SPIKE
(ignoring/to Dru)
What gate, pet? What do you see?
Drusilla stands, her hands covered in dirt.
DRUSILLA
Ummmmm. It’s black. It wants her.
ANGEL
Wants who?
DRUSILLA
The slayer. It’s time, Angel. She’s
ready for you now. She’s dancing
with death.
SPIKE
Big deal. He won’t do anything. Our
man Angel likes to talk, but he’s not
much with the action. All hat – no
cattle.
Angel grabs Drusilla – gives her a leering squeeze.
ANGEL
I don’t know about that.
DRUSILLA
Oh, Angel’s got cattle all right.
Mooooooo.
She laughs. They’ve got some serious kundalini flying.
ANGEL
Yeah. I think this whole Buffy thing
has run it’s course. I’m ready to
focus my energy elsewhere.
SPIKE
Really?
ANGEL
Oh yeah. What with you being special
needs boy, I figure I should stick
close to home. You and Dru can
always use another pair of hands…
Spike glares.
OMITTED
INT. HALL NEAR LIBRARY – NIGHT
Willow moves down the hall toward the lounge, clutching her scapula. The place is silent and creepy,
and her fear grows with every step…
BOOM! She’s passing the LIBRARY door when it BANGS open-
WILLOW
Arghhhhh!
It’s GILES – who is also startled.
GILES
Good lord, Willow! What are you
doing here? You’re not supposed to
be inside.
Willow HIDES her candle behind her back.
WILLOW
Me? What about you?
GILES
Yes, well. I’m trying to — I think
I’m close to contacting Jenny.
(re: her scapula)
What’s that smell?
WILLOW
It’s a scapula,
GILES
Ahh. Did you use sulphur?
WILLOW
Yeah.
GILES
Clever. Well, hurry along. There
may be some paranormal phenomena if
I make contact — you don’t want to
get in the line of fire.
WILLOW
Okay. Night.
He moves back into the library. Through the window – Willow sees him return to his OFFICE where a
SINGLE LIGHT BURNS.
OFF WILLOW
Watching him, troubled.
INT. GIRLS’ BATHROOM – NIGHT
Cordelia enters. A beat as she takes in the dark, cold room.
She sets her flashlight near the mirror. Catches sight of herself in it. She can’t help but pick at the
bandages on her face, finally taking it off.
She contemplates her small wound, then she pulls some make-up from her purse and begins to try
to cover it.
INT. HALL NEAR MUSIC ROOM – NIGHT
Buffy is moving down the hall when she HEARS MUSIC coming from one of the classrooms. The
Flamingos version of “I Only Have Eyes for You,” Now she sees LIGHT coming from the same room.
Moves toward it.
On the wall, A FLYER invites one and all to the SADIE HAWKINS dance – but the flyer is clearly from
another time. THE 50’S. Buffy fingers it. Then looks through the window in the classroom door-
INT. MUSIC ROOM – BUFFY’S POV – CIRCA 1955 – NIGHT
The room is transformed – locked in another time – 1955. The RECORD PLAYS on a turntable and
JAMES and MISS NEWMAN dance, holding on tight. Lost in each other.
INT. HALL NEAR MUSIC ROOM – NIGHT
Off Buffy, compelled. She can’t look away.
INT. CAFETERIA – NIGHT
Xander – not a happy boy – enters the cafeteria. There are still A FEW SNAKES on the floor.
XANDER
Oh, yeah baby. It’s snakalicious in here.
He takes a baby step into the room. Groans.
INT. STAIR LANDING – LOUNGE – NIGHT
Willow sets up her candle. Looks at her watch.
Now the same DECAYING BLUE CORPSE HAND that reached out of Xander’s locker EMERGES FROM
THE FLOOR and GRABS WILLOW. Starts to YANK HER INTO the floor as if it were quicksand. She
CRIES OUT.
INT. HALL NEAR MUSIC ROOM – NIGHT
Unaware of Willow’s plight, Buffy continues to watch the loving couple dance. They spin, turn toward
her. Now JAMES looks up at her – and she sees that his FACE is now that of a HORRIBLE DESICCATED
CORPSE.
CLOSE ON BUFFY
Horrified.
INT. GIRLS’ BATHROOM – NIGHT
Cordelia is till at the mirror, trying to cosmetically conceal her wound.
Suddenly, the WOUND BEGINS TO GROW AND SPREAD ALL OVER HER FACE. Her normally beautiful
visage turns into an open, festering sore. SHE SCREAMS and flails.
INT. CAFETERIA – CONT. (NIGHT)
Increasingly freaked, Xander moves slowly behind the hot table – right into A DEAD EXTERMINATOR,
propped up against the wall. The exterminator’s mouth and hair are TEAMING WITH SERPENTS.
INT. STAIR LANDING – LOUNGE – CONT. (NIGHT)
Drawn by Willow’s cries – Giles emerges from the library and rushes to her. Finds Willow entirely
SUCKED UP by the FLOOR.
WILLOW
Giles!
Giles grabs her by the arm, pulls with all his might.
GILES
Hold on!
After a struggle – he manages to extract her. They both TUMBLE BACK and hit the ground hard.
Willow is shaking, terrified. Giles puts an arm around her, tries to comfort.
WILLOW
(breathless)
Giles..?
GILES
What?
WILLOW
Jenny could never be this mean.
GILES
I know. I-
(then)
It’s not her, is it?
Willow shakes her head “no.”
WILLOW
I’m sorry.
Giles takes it in – knows it’s true.
EXT. BALCONY – NIGHT
Buffy, freaked, arrives in her spot where the teachers died. She sets the candle on the ledge of the
balcony – but as soon as she touches it – she is OVERWHELMED BY VISIONS which hit her in rapid
succession:
A FLASH OF JAMES AND MISS NEWMAN FIGHTING in the hall way.
THE GUN GOING OFF
Miss Newman FALLING OFF THE BALCONY
James walking into the music room and putting “I ONLY HAVE EYES FOR YOU” on a turntable.
James LIFTING THE GUN TO HIS HEAD
EXT. BALCONY – CONT. (NIGHT)
Buffy is so startled and blinded by the visions that she drops to the ground.
CLOSE ON BUFFY
As TWO WRETCHED HANDS GRAB HER BY THE LAPELS and YANK her into a sitting position, revealing
the terrible DEAD FACE OF JAMES, who is leaning into her, furious. Through his blue, cracked lips he
hisses –
DEAD JAMES
Get out!!
And as quickly as he appeared he is GONE. Buffy is full-on terror struck.
INT. STAIR LANDING – LOUNGE – NIGHT
As the school CLOCK starts to strike midnight. Willow, taken by surprise, scrambles to light her
candle.
WILLOW
Oh, God…
Her hands are trembling so much she can’t do it. Giles takes the lighter – does it for her. Willow,
shaky voiced, starts to incant –
WILLOW
“I shall confront and expel all evil”
INT. GIRLS’ BATHROOM – CONT. (NIGHT)
Cordy still flails – but suddenly sees in the mirror that her FACE IS BACK TO NORMAL. A beat as she
hears the CLOCK CHIME. She grabs her candle – manages to light it.
CORDELIA
“I shall totally confront and expel all evil”
INT. CAFETERIA – CONT. (NIGHT)
Xander is now perched on a table – well above snake level – his candle already lit.
XANDER
“out of marrow and bone”
EXT. BALCONY – CONT. (NIGHT)
Buffy has also lit her candle. Despite her terror, she forces the words-
BUFFY
“out of house and home – never to
come here again.”
The clock stops chiming. A long, quiet beat.
INT. STAIR LANDING – LOUNGE – CONT. (NIGHT)
Willow and Giles look around, hoping that it worked.
EXT. BALCONY – CONT. (NIGHT)
Buffy reacts as a sudden, GALE WIND kicks up. Blows out her candle. An eerie BUZZING sound
RISES.
INT. CAFETERIA – CONT. (NIGHT)
The SAME WIND blows out Xander’s candle.
INT. GIRLS’ BATHROOM – CONT. (NIGHT)
…and Cordelia’s.
INT. STAIR LANDING – LOUNGE – CONT. (NIGHT)
…and Willow’s. Then Giles and Willow turn to see the source of the ominous BUZZING sound-
CLOSE ON
A SWARM of BLACK WASPS which moves toward them down the hall.
ON GILES AND WILLOW
GILES
Run!
They take off FOR THE DOOR.
INT. SCHOOL HALLWAY – CONT. (NIGHT)
Giles and Willow round a corner – are joined by XANDER, CORDY AND BUFFY. BUFFY BREAKS the
LOCK on the door and they all ESCAPE seconds before the SWARM pours out.
EXT. SCHOOL – NIGHT
As the gang hightails it from the campus. Xander looks back over his shoulder – slows.
XANDER
Check it. I’d say school’s out for good.
Now they all look and see-
CLOSE ON SCHOOL
The entire CAMPUS IS BEING ENVELOPED by a CLOUD OF BLACK WASPS. The place has become
wretched, possessed ground.
INT. BUFFY’S HOUSE – LIVING ROOM – NIGHT
Giles, Willow, Xander, Cordelia are all gathered in the living room.
GILES
Right then… We’ve definitely
established, based on all the
parallels and Buffy’s visions, that
it’s James’ spirit-
Now Buffy enters from the kitchen with a few sodas.
WILLOW
So what do we do, Giles? About James?
GILES
Well – he’s obviously reliving the
night of the Sadie Hawkins dance,
when he killed Miss Newman. It’s
common for a spirit to do this – to
keep recreating a tragedy.
CORDELIA
Hey. If Sunnydale High is shut down
forever, do we, like, automatically
graduate?
XANDER
(ignoring her)
But why? What does he want?
(turning to Cordy)
Actually, that’s an interesting point…
GILES
(ignoring him)
He’s trying to resolve the issues
that keep him in limbo. What those
are, I’m not entirely-
Buffy interrupts
BUFFY
He wants forgiveness.
GILES
Yes. I imagine he does. But when
James possesses people they act out
exactly what happened that night, so
instead he’s experiencing a form of
purgatory. He’s doomed to kill his
Miss Newman over and over again – and
forgiveness is impossible.
BUFFY
Good. He doesn’t deserve it.
GILES
To forgive is an act of compassion,
Buffy. It’s not done because people
deserve it. It’s done because they
need it.
Now Buffy goes off – her spite palpable.
BUFFY
No. James destroyed the person he
loved the most in a moment of blind
passion. And that’s not something
you forgive. No matter why he did
what he did. No matter if he know
now that it was wrong and stupid and
selfish. He’s just going to have to
live with it…
A beat. Everybody’s stunned by her outburst. Finally-
XANDER
He can’t live with it, Buff. He’s dead.
Buffy’s clearly upset. At a loss. She walks back into the kitchen. Xander, Willow and Giles exchange
worried glances.
CORDELIA
Okay… over-identify much?
INT. KITCHEN – NIGHT
Buffy paces, trying to get it together. Then she finds something in her jacket – pulls it out. It’s the
50’S ERA FLYER from her vision – inviting her to the SADIE HAWKINS DANCE. Now a woman’s voice
whispers-
WOMAN’S VOICE (O.C.)
… I need you …
CLOSE ON BUFFY
Moved suddenly, Her look of agitation replaced by a look of calm.
INT. LIVING ROOM – NIGHT
WILLOW
So what next? Do we go in again?
GILES
Not now. The spirit is too angry.
Too powerful… We need to figure
out exactly now, and if, this thing
can be defeated…
FADE TO:
EXT. SCHOOL – NIGHT
As Buffy approaches the wasp-enclosed school. Moving steadily, unwavering – almost as if she were
in some sort of trance.
And now the SWARM of WASPS PARTS FOR BUFFY. She walks onto the campus, unharmed. Then the
GAP in the wall of wasps CLOSES again, shutting her in and the rest of the world out.
BLACK OUT.
END OF ACT THREE
Act Four
INT. KITCHEN – NIGHT
Willow enters – looking for Buffy.
WILLOW
Buffy are you-
She stops when she sees that Buffy is gone. Only the FLYER remains behind. Willow picks it up as
Giles enters.
WILLOW
Oh, God. Giles. She went back.
EXT. SCHOOL – NIGHT
Now Giles, Willow, Xander and Cordelia arrive at the school. The place, as before, is entirely
SURROUNDED BY WASPS.
XANDER
So – now what? Not even a mega vat
of Raid is gonna do the trick here.
CORDELIA
I don’t get it. Is she trying to be
like a big loner hero or something?
GILES
No. I believe she’s under the
spirit’s thrall. He’s calling her-
CORDELIA
But why?
GILES
James needs her to reenact everything
that happened the night he killed
Miss Newman. He wants to change
things. Make a happy ending.
WILLOW
(urgent/to Giles)
But it can’t ever happen. It always
ends the same. Which means Buffy’s
going in there to get shot, Giles.
GILES
Yes. But remember – the school is
deserted. There’s no male inside for
James to possess. No way for him to
play his part.
XANDER
So Buffy should be safe until we can
find a way to get her out.
WILLOW
In theory. Yeah…
They all loot to the school – worried.
INT. SCHOOL HALLWAY NEAR BALCONY – NIGHT
Now Buffy walks into the hall and stops where the fight always begins. She’s slumped, defeated. It’s
almost as if she’s waiting for this thing to over take her.
Behind her, A DARK FIGURE APPEARS. A voice speaks from the shadows.
ANGEL (O.C.)
Fun fact about wasps? They have no
taste for the un-dead.
He steps forward. But Buffy doesn’t even turn around.
ANGEL
Not that a sting would do me lasting
damage. It’s just – tonight’s
special. I wanted to look my best
for you.
Finally – still turned away from him – Buffy speaks. But her voice is strange – darker.
BUFFY
You’re the only one. The only person
I can talk to.
ANGEL
Gosh, Buff. That’s… really pathetic.
BUFFY
You can’t make me disappear just
because you say it’s over.
Now she faces him. Her features are contorted with desperation and rage.
ANGEL
Actually…
He moves in, menacing.
ANGEL
I can. In fact-
He stops. And now the SHIFT happens. His face transforms as he is filled with fear, love and sadness.
ANGEL
I just want you to be able to have
some kind of normal life. We can
never have that – don’t you see?
BUFFY
I don’t give a damn about a normal life.
(then)
I’m going crazy not seeing you. I
think about you every minute.
He obviously feels the same way. Pushes it down.
ANGEL
I know. But…
(then)
It’s over. It has to be.
Angel turns from her – starts to walk toward the door. This inflames Buffy’s ire further.
BUFFY
Come back here. We’re not finished!
INT. SCHOOL HALLWAY (FLASHBACK – 50’S ERA) – NIGHT
Now we see JAMES and MISS NEWMAN as they have the SAME ARGUMENT. James GRABS her arm.
Stops her.
JAMES
You don’t care anymore? Is that it?
MISS NEWMAN
It doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter
what I feel-
INT. SCHOOL HALLWAY NEAR BALCONY – CONT. (NIGHT)
Buffy burns. Shakes Angel’s arm. Hard.
BUFFY
Then tell me you don’t love me. Say it!
Angel starts to cry.
ANGEL
Will that help? Is that what you
have to hear?
(lying)
I don’t. I don’t. Now let me go!
INT. SCHOOL HALLWAY (FLASHBACK – 50’S ERA) – CONT. (NIGHT)
James is devastated – disbelieving.
JAMES
No… A person doesn’t just wake up
one day and stop loving somebody.
Now he raises his GUN.
INT. SCHOOL HALLWAY NEAR BALCONY – CONT. (NIGHT)
Now BUFFY raises her hand and the GUN is in it. Angel’s eyes widen with terror.
BUFFY
Love is forever.
INT. SCHOOL HALLWAY (FLASHBACCK – 50’S ERA) – CONT. (NIGHT)
As JAMES’ GRIP on MISS NEWMAN tightens.
JAMES
I’m not afraid to use it. I swear.
If I can’t be with you-
MISS NEWMAN
Oh my God-
SHE manages to SHOVE him back. BOLTS for the doors that lead to the balcony.
INT. SCHOOL HALLWAY NEAR BALCONY – CONT. (NIGHT)
Buffy takes off after Angel – who is almost out the door.
BUFFY
Don’t walk away from me, bitch!
EXT. BALCONY – CONT. (NIGHT)
ANGEL bursts out of the hall and onto the balcony, with BUFFY ON HIS HEELS. She points the GUN at
him with SHAKING HANDS.
BUFFY
Stop! I mean it. Don’t make me.
Angel TURNS CAREFULLY – terrified.
ANGEL
All right. Just… You know you
don’t want to do this. Let’s both-
EXT. BALCONY (50’S ERA FLASHBACK) – CONT.
JAMES reacts with RAGE as Miss Newman continues to plead with him.
MISS NEWMAN
(carefully)
-just calm down. Give me the gun.
JAMES
Don’t! Don’t do that, damn it!
EXT. BALCONY – CONT. (NIGHT)
As Buffy does the same. SWINGING THE GUN WILDLY-
BUFFY
Don’t talk to me like I’m some dumb-
An involuntary twitch of the finger and – BOOM! – THE GUN GOES OFF IN HER HAND. IT’S CLEARLY
AN ACCIDENT. She JUMPS with surprise at the blast.
EXT. BALCONY (50’S ERA FLASHBACK) – CONT.
BOOM. The same moment with JAMES as the gun goes off. He looks at the gun in his hand with
HORROR.
EXT. SCHOOL CAMPUS – NIGHT
Giles, Xander, Willow and Cordelia HEAR THE GUNSHOT. React.
EXT. BALCONY – CONT. (NIGHT)
Angel has a gunshot wound RIGHT THROUGH THE HEART. He looks at Buffy – disbelieving.
A beat – and he TOPPLES over the balcony, lands in the EXACT SAME POSITION as the teacher before
him.
EXT. BALCONY (50’S ERA FLASHBACK) – CONT.
And MISS NEWMAN topples over the balcony. Lands in SAME POSITION.
EXT. BALCONY – CONT. (NIGHT)
ON BUFFY
And silence – except for her terrified, raspy breathing.
Then she turns and reenters the school.
INT. HALL NEAR MUSIC ROOM – CONT. (NIGHT)
As Buffy walks down it, barely containing her grief.
INT. MUSIC ROOM – CONT. (NIGHT)
HORRIFIED AND DISTRAUGHT over what she’s done – Buffy moves to a STACK OF RECORDS FROM
THE 50’S. She takes a record – “I Only Have Eyes For You” – from the stack.
EXT. BOTTOM OF STAIRS NEAR BALCONY – CONT. (NIGHT)
ANGEL is still lying in a twisted heap at the bottom of the stairs. Then, suddenly, he stirs. Starts to
get up.
INT. MUSIC ROOM – CONT. (NIGHT)
With the record in had, Buffy walks to a 50’S ERA RECORD PLAYER. She places the record on the
turntable. Drops the needle on.
Buffy turns – sees her reflection in a GLASSED CABINET. It’s JAMES looking back at her.
A beat. She listens to the music – haunted. Then she starts to LIFT THE GUN TO HER HEAD.
CLOSE ON BUFFY.
SHAKING. The gun close to her head. Her finger on the trigger…
Then ANGEL’S HAND COVERS HERS.
ON ANGEL AND BUFFY
Angel, filled with compassion, gently takes the gun away from her.
ANGEL
Don’t do this.
BUFFY
Grace? But I – I killed you.
ANGEL
It’s not your fault. It was an accident.
Buffy can’t hear it – protests.
BUFFY
It is my fault! How could I let this —
ANGEL
I’m the one who should be sorry,
James. You thought I stopped loving
you. But I never did. I loved you
with my last breath.
Buffy takes this in. Starts to cry. Angel tries to comfort her.
ANGEL
Shhh.
(then)
No more tears.
And he kisses her. It’s both a final chance for lovers to touch – and a moment of redemption.
INT. MUSIC ROOM (50’S ERA FLASHBACK) – CONT. (NIGHT)
As Miss Newman kisses James.
INT. MUSIC ROOM – CONT. (NIGHT)
Back on Buffy and Angel – and the kiss. Suddenly LIGHT moves from deep within them. Sprits RISE
and vanish.
EXT. SCHOOL – CONT. (NIGHT)
Giles, Xander, Willow and Cordy watch with amazement as the SWARM suddenly DISAPPEARS.
WILLOW
Look… They’re leaving.
INT. MUSIC ROOM – CONT. (NIGHT)
A beat. Buffy blinks, returning to herself. She’s still in Angel’s arms. The look of tenderness lingers on
his face.
BUFFY
(almost a whisper)
Angel… ?
And his eyes go cold. He can’t believe what just happened. He THROWS her from his embrace,
disgusted.
And HE BOLTS, leaving Buffy totally spun.
FADE TO:
INT. SCHOOL LIBRARY – NIGHT
Giles is behind the counter as Willow, Xander and Cordy enter.
WILLOW
Everything seems normal. Not a
snake, not a wasp.
CORDELIA
Yep. School can open again tomorrow.
XANDER
Explain to me again how that’s a good thing?
CORDELIA
I’m drawing a blank…
Giles crosses back into the office.
INT. GILES’ OFFICE – CONT. (NIGHT)
Giles enters. Moves to Buffy.
GILES
Are you feeling better?
A moment…
BUFFY
He picked me. I guess I was the one
he… could relate to. He was so sad…
GILES
Well, now they can both rest.
BUFFY
I still… part of me still doesn’t
understand why she would forgive him.
GILES
Does it matter?
BUFFY
(thinks)
No… I guess not.
EXT. GARDEN AREA OF THE NEW VAMPIRE LAIR – NIGHT
CLOSE ON ANGEL
Who is WASHING IN THE COURTYARD FOUNTAIN. SCRUBBING his face and body RAW. Spike rolls
over – fascinated.
SPIKE
You might want to let up. They way
when you’ve drawn blood – you’re
exfoliated.
ANGEL
(sharply)
What do you know about it? I’m the
one who was friggin’ violated. You
didn’t have this thing in you.
Now Dru drifts over.
DRUSILLA
What was it, a demon?
Angel towels off. Throws his shirt on.
ANGEL
Love.
DRUSILLA
Poor Angel…
Now Angel grabs Dru.
ANGEL
Let’s get out of here. I need a really
vile kill before sun-up to wipe this
crap out of my system.
DRUSILLA
Of course. We’ll find you a nice toddler.
They start to leave but Dru stops – turns to Spike.
DRUSILLA
Want to come, pet?
But Angel steers her away.
ANGEL
No can do, Dru. I’m sure he’d be
hell on wheels – but we don’t have
much time. Gotta travel light.
Now Angel grabs Spike’s chair – gets in his face.
ANGEL
Sorry. Try to have fun without me.
And they take off.
ON SPIKE
We MOVE IN as he, incongruously, SMILES.
SPIKE
Oh, I will…
Then he STANDS, KICKS THE WHEELCHAIR AWAY.
SPIKE
Sooner than you think.
And his eyes flare with INSANE FURY.
BLACK OUT.
THE END
Transcripts
Prologue
In every generation there is a Chosen One. She alone will stand against
the vampires, the demons and the forces of darkness. She is the Slayer.
The Bronze. Splendid is the band tonight. They are on stage performing
“Charge”. The camera pans from the spotlights above the band down past
the drummer to the lead guitar player.
Lyrics: The way you love / Have you got a name for it / Cause I don’t
understand it
The camera pans past the singer and into the crowd. Cordelia and Xander
are dancing close with their arms around each other and smiling.
Lyrics: The language is an annoying necessity / And I depend on all the
regular things
The camera reaches Willow, who is looking around for Buffy. She turns
around, looks up and spots her on the upper level leaning against the
railing and watching the band. The camera pans up to her.
Lyrics: Got a list tattooed on my memory / Of how our tryst should
unfold
Behind Buffy a boy approaches her.
Lyrics: I’m falling from the opposite
Ben: Hey.
Buffy turns to him, a little surprised.
Lyrics: What good is it
Ben: I’m Ben. We had Algebra II together last year.
Lyrics: Fight the map with no key attached
Buffy: Sorry, I pretty much repress anything math-related.
Lyrics: My heart’s enlarged, and I charge / What do you say
Ben: Ms. Jackson? Second period? You sat in the seat three over and one
behind.
Lyrics: To a dream that won’t go away
Buffy: Oh! Yeah, I remember now, it’s the one with the desks and the
chalkboards and pencils and stuff, right?
Ben: That’s the one. (chuckles)
Buffy: (smiles and points at her head) Like a steel trap.
Lyrics: ‘Cause I don’t know if I can stand it
Ben: So, I was wondering, you know the dance tomorrow night? Are you
going?
Buffy: You mean the Sadie Hawkins thing? The deal where the girls ask
the boys?
Ben: Yeah.
Lyrics: Forever isn’t something you want to be
Ben: And I thought maybe, you know, if you’re free, you might ask me.
Lyrics: And I rely on familiar things
Buffy: Oh, gosh… (exhales) I…
Ben: (holds up his hand) Oh, oh, hey, hey, no, don’t, don’t worry about
it…
Buffy: No, no, you seem like a really great guy, it’s…
Lyrics: Seven days all have special meanings
Buffy: …me. I-I’m not seeing anybody.
Lyrics: But you just call it a week
Buffy: Ever again, actually.
Ben: Oh. That’s, that’s too bad.
Lyrics: I’m falling from the opposite / What good is it
Ben: Okay, well, I better… (indicates away and goes)
Lyrics: Fight the map with no key attached
Buffy: (to herself) Sorry.
Lyrics: My heart’s enlarged, and I charge
She watches him go for a moment, glances sadly down at the band and then
heads for the stairs.
Cut to the stage. The camera focuses on the singer and the band as she
sings the refrain again.
Lyrics: I’m falling from the opposite / What good is it / Fight the map
with no key attached / My heart’s enlarged, and I charge
When Buffy reaches the bottom of the stairs Willow meets her.
Willow: Hey! You’re bailing?
Buffy: Yeah. I’m gonna stop by the library and see if Giles wants me to
patrol, and then sack it.
Willow: You’ve been doing that a lot. Patrolling and sacking. In fact,
you’ve kind of been All-Work-And-No-Play Buffy.
Buffy: I play. I have big fun. I came here tonight, didn’t I?
Willow: You came, you saw, you (glances up) rejected.
Buffy: You mean that guy? Just not in date mode right now.
Willow: (smiles) Well, maybe you need to date to get in date mode.
Buffy: I don’t think I’m ready for that, Will.
Willow: You’re thinking too much. Maybe you need to be impulsive.
(smiles)
Buffy: Impulsive? Do you remember my ex-boyfriend, the vampire? I slept
with him, he lost his soul, now my boyfriend’s gone forever, and the
demon that wears his face is killing my friends. The next impulsive
decision I make will involve my choice of dentures.
Willow: Okay, the Angel thing went badly, I’m on board with that, but
that’s not your fault. And anyways, love isn’t always like that. Love
can be… (smiles) nice!
Cut to the halls at Sunnydale High School. A boy is chasing a girl as
she walks away from him determinedly.
Boy: (angrily) Come back here! We’re not finished!
He grabs her by the arm and turns her around to face him.
Boy: You don’t care anymore, is that it?
Girl: (sobbing) No, it doesn’t matter, it doesn’t matter what I feel.
Boy: Then tell me you don’t love me. (shakes her) Say it!
Girl: Will that help? Is that what you need to hear? I don’t. I don’t!
Now let me go. (tries to go)
Boy: No! A person doesn’t just wake up one day and stop loving
somebody.
He takes a step back, raises a revolver, pulls the hammer back and aims
it at her. She looks at the gun, then up at him, frightened.
Boy: Love is forever.
Opening credits roll. Buffy’s theme plays.~~ Part 1 ~~
The halls at Sunnydale High. The boy has his gun trained on the girl.
Boy: I’m not afraid to use it. I swear! If I can’t be with you…
Buffy comes walking around the corner and sees them.
Buffy: Hey!
Girl: Oh, my God!
She turns and starts walking away. Buffy starts running at the boy.
Boy: DON’T WALK AWAY FROM ME, BITCH!
Down another hall George the janitor hears the yelling, drops his mop
and starts toward the commotion. Buffy comes running at the boy full
steam. He looks at her just as she grabs his arm, raises it and brings
it down over her shoulder, making him drop the gun. She elbows him hard
in the gut, knocking the breath out of him. She turns around, grabs him
by the shirt and yanks him hard to the floor. His spins a turn and a
half on his way down and lands hard on his back. The girl just looks on
in shock. Buffy bends down to pick the boy up by the collar. George
arrives at a run and goes over to the girl. They look over at Buffy and
the boy. She pushes him away. He is in open-mouthed shock over what just
happened.
Boy: What happened?
Buffy: What happened?! You just went O.J. on your girlfriend!
His girlfriend looks down away from him.
Boy: This is nuts! I… I don’t know why I got so mad.
Buffy: Because you’re a jerk?
Girl: He’s not. We weren’t even fighting a few minutes ago.
Boy: We weren’t, I, I swear to God!
Buffy: If you weren’t fighting, then why’d you have a gun?
George looks around the hall.
Boy: I don’t, I don’t know. I don’t even know where I got it.
George: I don’t see any gun.
Buffy looks at him, confused. The boy takes a look around also.
Cut to school the next day. Cut to Pricipal Snyder’s office. He comes in
and closes the door behind him. The camera starts to follow him to his
desk.
Snyder: I’m sure you know why I asked you here.
He passes Buffy as she takes a seat.
Buffy: To thank me?
Snyder: (walks around his desk) That’s right, I wanna thank you. What
would Sunnydale High do without you around to incite mayhem, chaos and
disorder?
Buffy: I don’t incite! I stopped that boy from killing his girlfriend,
ask him. Ask the janitor.
Snyder: People can be coerced, Summers. I’m no stranger to conspiracy.
I saw JFK. I’m a truth seeker. I’ve got a missing gun and two confused
kids on my hands. Pieces of the puzzle. And I’m gonna look at all the
pieces carefully and rationally, and I’m gonna keep looking until I know
exactly how this is all your fault.
Buffy is about to respond when his secretary buzzes him on his office
intercom.
Secretary: Mr. Snyder, Billy Crandal chained himself to the snack
machine again.
Snyder: (to the intercom) Pathetic little no-life vegan.
He walks around his desk to go take care of Billy. Buffy stands up to go
also.
Snyder: Not so fast, missy. I’m not done with you yet. You stink of
lies.
He points to her chair, and she sits back down and exhales. He leaves
the office and closes the door behind him. Over to Buffy’s right is a
bookcase with copies of all of the yearbooks since Sunnydale High
opened, and the one from 1955 slides out on its own and falls. She hears
it hit the floor and looks down at it. She gets up and bends down to
pick it up. She looks at the cover, looks over at its space on the
shelf, shrugs and puts it back.
Cut to the computer science class. Willow is still substituting for Ms.
Calendar. She walks along the front of the class.
Willow: So, for next time read the chapters on information grouping and
binary coding.
Giles looks into the classroom from the hall.
Willow: I bet you’ll think coding is pretty cool. I mean, if you find
two-digit, multi-stacked conversions and primary number clusters a big
hoot.
Everyone in the class laughs. The bell rings, and the students begin to
leave. Willow watches them go and notices Giles waiting just inside of
the doorway.
Willow: Giles! (goes to him) I made them laugh, did you hear? I did the
joke thing! (smiles) (goes back to the desk)
Giles: Yes, yes, so it seems. I-I mean, um, (approaches the desk) uh,
you did indeed. Good, good, good show. I-I-I just stopped by to, to see
if you needed any assistance, (sits on the desk) but you seem to have
things quite under control.
Willow: (puts things away) Well, I had good lesson plans. Ms. Calendar
had them on her computer.
Giles: Yes, yes, she was very, um… uh, dedicated.
Willow: And I found a bunch of files and Internet sites on paganism and
magic and stuff. (smiles)
Giles: Oh?
Willow: Yes, it’s really interesting.
Giles looks down away from her.
Willow: (reaches for something on the desk) And, uh, I found this in
her drawer. (Giles looks up) She told me it was a rose quartz. (Giles
looks at her hands) And it has healing powers.
She holds up a light pink quartz stone strung on a thin leather thong.
Willow: I thought she’d want you to have it.
He gets up from the desk and slowly takes the necklace from her. He
gently turns it over in his hand.
Giles: Oh, thank you, Willow, that’s, um… that’s very thoughtful of
you.
He turns and leaves the classroom. Willow watches him go with a small
smile on her face.
Cut to history class. Buffy has her chin propped up in her hand, bored
with the lecture and trying not to fall asleep to the drone of the male
teacher’s voice.
Teacher: Before 1935, the new deal focused on revitalizing stricken
business and agricultural communities. And the new deal also tried to
regulate the nation’s financial hierarchy to avoid another disaster like
the 1929 stock market crash.
Buffy can’t help but close her eyes for a moment. The next thing she
knows she hears a woman’s voice, and she shakes herself out of her
reverie.
Ms. Newman: Don’t forget, your assignments are due on Friday, class.
The students begin to leave. Buffy looks around and is taken aback by
the sudden changed appearance of the classroom and the different dress
and hairstyles of the other students.
Girl#1: I told Ms. Hall we’d go help decorate the gym. Who are you
taking?
She hands a flyer for the Sadie Hawkins Dance to another girl. Buffy can
see that the year on it reads 1955.
Girl#2: David said yes.
Girl#1: Oh, you’re kidding! He’s so dreamy!
Buffy looks all around, confused.
Ms. Newman: (collecting papers) Thank you.
James goes up to the desk and hands in his paper also.
Ms. Newman: Thank you, James. How are you enjoying that book I loaned
you? The Hemingway.
Buffy observes and listens to the conversation.
James: I like it. Very much. It’s honest.
He slowly reaches for Ms. Newman’s hand and gently takes it.
Ms. Newman: (exhales) Yes, it’s, um… it’s based on a true story,
actually. He fell in love with his…
They are interrupted by the door opening, and let go of their hands.
Suddenly Buffy finds herself back in her history class as her teacher
continues his lecture while writing on the board.
Teacher: …hours, child labor…
Buffy stares in surprise at what the teacher is writing.
Teacher: …and collective bargaining.
The teacher looks back at the class. The students all start laughing. He
looks back at the board and sees that he’s just written “DON’T WALK AWAY
FROM ME BITCH!” in huge letters.
Teacher: Oh, my God!
He quickly grabs an eraser and frantically wipes it away.
Boy: (smiling) Did you see what he wrote?
Cut to the halls. Buffy and Xander walk through the doors from the
lounge and head down the hall.
Buffy: I’m telling you, something weird is going on.
Xander: Something weird is going on. Isn’t that our school motto?
Buffy: Pretty much. But I don’t know. This time it bugs me.
They reach his locker, and he starts to work the combination.
Xander: I don’t wanna poo-poo your wiggins, but a domestic dispute, a
little case of chalkboard Tourette’s? All sounds like Hellmouth Lite to
me.
He opens his locker, and a wiry-muscled green arm shoots out and grabs
him by the shirt. He screams, and it pulls at him and slams him into the
locker. Buffy grabs him by the shoulders and tries to pull him away, but
the arm is extremely strong and pulls Xander away from her and against
the locker again. He screams out in pain when he hits it. Buffy grabs
him again and pulls harder, and the arm lets go. Xander falls to the
floor as Buffy slams the locker shut. He scrambles back to his feet, and
they both look around the hall and see the other students’ reactions.
They are all confused, but stay away and just stare. Buffy gives Xander
an intent look and indicates that they should open his locker again and
take a look inside. Xander rubs his chin and stands ready as Buffy
slowly lifts the latch. She slowly opens the door, and they peek in.
Nothing. They open it all the way, and it appears to be completely
normal.
Cut to the library. Willow is at the table studying. She looks up when
she hears the doors open and sees Xander’s torn shirt.
Willow: Xander, what happened? Did Cordelia win another round in the
broom closet?
Xander: You’re just a big bucket of funny, Will.
Buffy sits down next to her. Xander walks over to Giles, who is kneeling
and going through some books on a shelf.
Xander: I’ll have you know I was just accosted by some kind of, um,
locker monster.
Giles: (looks up) Loch Ness Monster?
Buffy: ‘Locker’ monster is what he said. But it wasn’t really a
monster. It was, like, this big arm that came out of the locker, but
then we opened it again, it was gone. Nothing.
Xander: This was right after Buffy’s history teacher starts doing some
freaky channeling thing in class.
Giles: (stands up) Ooh! Sounds like paranormal phenomena.
Willow: (smiles) A ghost? Cool!
Xander: Oh, no, no. No. No cool. This was no wimpy chain rattler. This
was ‘I’m dead as hell, and I’m not gonna take it anymore.’
Giles: Well, despite the Xander-speak, that’s a fairly accurate
definition of a poltergeist.
Xander: I defined something? Accurately? (closes a book on the table)
Guess I’m done with the book learning. (sits)
Buffy: So we have some bad boo on our hands?
Giles: Yes.
Willow: Well, why is it here? Does it just wanna scare people?
Giles: Unfortunately, he doesn’t know exactly what he wants. That’s,
that’s the trouble. See, uh, many times the spirit is plagued by all
manner of worldly troubles. Being dead, it has no way to, uh, to make
its peace. So it, it lashes out, growing ever more confused, ever more
angry.
Buffy: So it’s a normal teenager, only dead.
Willow: Well, what can we do? Is there any way to stop it?
Giles: (sits on the table) Uh, the only tried and true way is to work
out what unresolved issues keep it here, and-and-and, um, resolve them.
Buffy: Fabulous. Now we’re Dr. Laura for the deceased.
Giles: Only if we can find out who this spirit is. (considers) Or was.
Cut to the halls that evening. George is doing his usual mopping. Behind
him a classroom door opens, and a teacher comes out to go home.
George: Working late Ms. Frank?
Ms. Frank: My fault. Let myself get behind. (stops) Is it okay to walk
here George? It is George, right?
George: Oh, yes ma’am. You go ahead.
Ms. Frank: Thanks. (continues on her way) You have a nice evening.
George: You too. Drive safe. (looks up at her) Oh, Ms. Frank?
Ms. Frank: Yes?
George: (drops his mop and approaches her) You can’t make me disappear
just because you say it’s over.
Ms. Frank: (shakes her head) There’s no way we can be together. (steps
closer) No way people will ever understand. Accept it.
George: Is that what this is about? What other people think?
Ms. Frank: No! I just want you to be able to have some kind of a normal
life. We can never have that. Don’t you see?
George: I don’t give a damn about a normal life! I’m going crazy not
seeing you. I think about you every minute.
She steps closer and puts her hand up on his cheek. He looks down sadly.
Ms. Frank: I know. But it’s over. It has to be.
She turns around and starts to leave. He looks up again and starts to
chase after her.
George: (angrily) Come back here! We’re not finished yet!
He grabs her by the arm and turns her around to face him.
George: You don’t care anymore? Is that it?
Ms. Frank: (sobbing) It doesn’t matter, it doesn’t matter what I feel.
George: Then tell me you don’t love me. (shakes her) Say it!
Ms. Frank: Will that help? Is that what you have to hear? I don’t. I
don’t. Now let me go. (tries to go)
George: No. A person doesn’t just wake up one day and stop loving
somebody.
A gun materializes in his hand. He takes a step back, raises the
revolver, pulls the hammer back and aims it at her. She looks at the
gun, frightened.
George: Love is forever.~~ Part 2 ~~
The library. The camera pans through the main room over to a window
looking into Giles’ office. George and Ms. Frank can be heard faintly as
they continue their quarrel.
George: I’m not afraid to use it. I swear. If I can’t be with you…
Ms. Frank: Oh, my God.
George: DON’T WALK AWAY FROM ME, BITCH!
Giles notices George’s loud yelling and looks up from his desk. He gets
up, takes off his glasses and walks out of his office to the area behind
the checkout counter. There he hears a faint female voice.
Voice: I need you.
He looks around for a moment, then jumps to a conclusion.
Giles: Jenny.
Cut to the hall. He arrives at the hall intersection.
George: Don’t!
Giles looks in the direction of George’s voice and sees him out on the
balcony holding the gun up to Ms. Frank.
George: Don’t do that, damn it! Don’t talk to me like I’m some dumb…
The gun goes off. Giles rushes to the other side of the intersection and
hides behind the corner, watching the events as they unfold. Outside Ms.
Frank goes into shock from the bullet wound and begins to fall backward.
She tumbles over the balcony railing down to the base of the stairs
below. There George sees her lying dead with her eyes closed. He panics
and runs into the hall. As he reaches the intersection Giles rushes out,
grabs him and tackles him to the floor. George loses his grip on the gun
and it slides away. As it does so it dissolves and disappears in a whiff
of black vapor. George raises his head as Giles gets to his knees behind
him and holds him down.
George: What’s going on?
Giles: What’s going on? You just shot a woman.
George is stunned by the realization that it actually happened.
Cut to a modern-looking but deserted mansion. Cut inside to an atrium.
Angelus comes in leading Spike and Drusilla on a tour.
Angelus: And this… this is the garden.
Drusilla: Wow! (walks through) Look. Jasmine. (holds a flower)
Angelus: Night blooming. (plays with some pruning shears)
Drusilla: Like us. Oh, Angel, it’s fairyland. (turns in excitement)
Ooh!
Spike: (still at the entrance) It’s paradise. Big windows, lovely
gardens. It’ll be perfect when we want the sunlight to kill us.
Angelus: If you don’t like it, Spike, hit the stairs and go. Take a
stand, man. (comes up behind Drusilla)
Spike: Well, our old place was just fine till you went and had it
burned down.
Angelus: (walks around the center stone table) Things change, Spikey.
You gotta roll with the punches. Well, actually, you pretty much got
that part down, haven’t you?
Spike: Very funny, mate.
Angelus: (peeks his head out from behind Dru) What can I say? (peeks
from the other side of her head) I just love to see you smile, buddy.
He holds up a jasmine bloom and brushes it across Drusilla’s cheek as he
growls into her ear.
Spike: Yeah, you’re a giver. (turns and rolls out)
Cut to the library. Giles is in his office, and the others are standing
outside his door.
Giles: It was just as with the, the couple you encountered the other
night, Buffy. The, the janitor remembered everything. He, he knew he’d
killed this poor woman, but he had no idea why. Well, they-they had no
intimate relationship.
He comes out with a few books and heads into the main area. They all
follow.
Willow: What about the gun? Did you find it?
Giles: No, no. The police, everybody, we-we-we-we searched high and
low. I think it’s very clear what’s happening here.
He goes into the cage with the books and puts them away.
Xander: Fill me in then, ’cause I’ve read the book, seen the movie, and
I’m still fuzzy about what’s going on.
Giles: It’s Jenny.
Buffy: What?
Xander: You think she’s the ghost?
Giles: Well, don’t you see? Well, she-she-she died here under tragic
circumstances, a-a-and now she’s trapped.
Willow: But what about the gun? I mean, Angel didn’t shoot Ms.
Calendar.
Giles: The gun is insignificant. It’s the violence of the thing that
matters. (goes back into his office)
Buffy: I don’t know. These fights these couples keep having, it’s sort
of… specific.
Willow: She’s right. It’s a pattern that doesn’t fit with the way Ms.
Calendar died.
Giles: (comes out of his office) Yes, well, I, uh, I appreciate your
thoughts on the matter, I, in fact I… well, I encourage you to, to
always, uh, challenge me, uh, when you feel it’s appropriate. You should
never be cowed by authority. (starts back in, but comes back) Except, of
course, in this instance, when I am clearly right and you are clearly
wrong. (goes back in)
Cut to the computer science classroom. Willow, Xander and Buffy come in.
Willow: This is freaky. I don’t ever remember ever seeing Giles be this
weird.
She sits at the desk and types at her laptop. Xander leans on a table
behind her. Buffy walks to the other side of the desk.
Xander: I know. He’s usually Investigate-Things-From-Every-Boring-Angle
Guy. Now he’s I-Cling-Onto-My-One-Lame-Idea Guy. What gives?
Buffy: He misses her. He can’t think. Just a little more fallout from
my love life.
Willow: Okay, but this ghost stuff is something else. Let me do a
crosscheck on other shootings at the school.
Buffy: Yeah, we need some alternate ghost theories. What do we know?
Xander: Dog spit is cleaner than human.
Buffy: Besides that?
Willow: (finds something) Oh, boy, we know plenty.
She scrolls through a newspaper article on her laptop. The title reads
“Sunnydale High Jock Kills Lover, Self”.
Willow: It says a student murdered a teacher on the night of the Sadie
Hawkins Dance. The rumor was they were having an affair, and she tried
to break it off. After he killed her, he went into the music room and
shot himself.
Xander: Ladies and gentlemen, we have a ghost. It is one of those two,
right?
Willow: It all fits: the gun, the Sadie Hawkins Dance.
Buffy: Which is tonight.
Xander: How come we’ve never heard about this murder-suicide thing
before? When did it happen?
Buffy: 1955.
Willow and Xander both look up at her surprised.
Willow: How did you know?
Cut to a short while later. Buffy sets the 1955 Sunnydale High yearbook
on the desk and opens it to a picture of Ms. Newman.
Buffy: Okay, here’s the new strangeness. I dreamt about this woman,
(points) Grace Newman, the other day. (turns more pages) Her and this
guy. (points)
Willow: Jim Stanley? He’s the one. He did it.
Xander: Your dreams are getting wicked accurate, Buff. You wouldn’t
happen to see me coming across some big cash? Or possibly knowing the
love of a woman? In a full body sense?
Buffy: (ignores him) He couldn’t make her love him, so he killed her.
(turns away) Sicko. (steps away)
Willow: He looks so normal on this picture. He was smart, too. He made
the honor roll.
Buffy: (looks back) Smart.
Xander: He killed a person and killed himself. Those are pretty much
two of the dumbest things you could do.
Willow: I know, but… Well, don’t you feel kind of bad for them?
Buffy: Sure I feel lousy. For her. He’s a murderer and he should pay
for it.
Willow: With his life?
Buffy: No, he should be doing sixty years in a prison, breaking rocks
and making special friends with Roscoe the Weightlifter.
Xander: Yikes. The quality of mercy is not Buffy.
Willow: Whose ghost do you think we’re dealing with? His or hers?
Buffy: Well, considering how violent it is, I’m gonna say his.
Xander: That tracks.
Willow: (sits) Well, I’ve been browsing on some of Ms. Calendar’s pagan
sites. Maybe I can find a way to communicate with them and… we can
find out what he wants.
Buffy: Who cares what he wants? We need to shut him down before some
other innocent guy goes and kills some poor nice girl and then blows his
brains out all over the music room wall.
Xander: Okay! (smiles and rubs his hands) Who’s hungry?
Cut to the cafeteria. Kraut dogs and spaghetti are on the menu today.
Cordelia has opted for spaghetti, and after paying comes over to the
team’s table with her tray.
Cordelia: I hope you guys aren’t going to the Sadie Hawkins Dance
tonight, (sits) ’cause I’m organizing a boycott. Do you realize that the
girls have to ask the guys? And pay and everything? I mean, whose genius
idea was that?
Xander: Obviously, some hairy-legged feminist.
Cordelia: Really! Well, we need to nip this thing in the bud. I mean,
otherwise, things are going to get really scary.
Suddenly they hear several students scream. The hotdogs and spaghetti
have all turned into snakes. A boy pulls his snakedog away from his
mouth. He has a snake protruding from his lips. He drops the bun, spits
out the snake and quickly gets up, backing away from his table. Xander
and the others look back at their table and see snakes all over it as
well. They quickly get up, except for Cordelia, who is too busy
screaming to think. When she finally looks at the table again a snake
lunges at her and bites her on the cheek. She reacts fast, throws the
snake off of her and runs. Snyder comes through the door and sees the
mayhem. He steps back just as a student comes running by and falls over
a table. Moments later the cafeteria is deserted.
Cut to later outside. The police are there. A team of pest controllers
is gathering the snakes, which in the mean time have managed to make
their way all around the school. Students are still fleeing the building
and running around. Cut to an ambulance. Cordelia and Xander sit at the
back while a paramedic dresses Cordelia’s snakebite.
Cordelia: Perfect. I’m gonna be scarred and swollen. Why didn’t they
just kill me?
Cut to the Police Chief’s car. Snyder holds the door open as the Chief
gets out.
Chief: Schoolboy pranks?
Snyder: Never sell. (slams the door and they walk)
Chief: The sewer got backed up.
Snyder: Better. I can probably make that one fly. But this is getting
out of hand. People will talk.
Chief: You’ll take care of it.
Snyder: I’m doing everything I can, but you people have to realize…
Two men arrive.
Man: Snyder, what’s going on here?
Snyder: Backed up sewer line. Same thing happened in San Diego just
last week.
The two men continue into the building.
Snyder: (to the Chief) We’re on a Hellmouth. Sooner or later, people
are gonna figure that out.
Chief: The city council was told that you could handle this job. If you
feel that you can’t, perhaps you’d like to take that up… with the
Mayor. (leaves)
Snyder: I’ll handle it. I will.
Cut to Buffy’s house that night. Cut inside to her room. She’s on her
bed, Xander is in her wicker chair, Cordelia is kneeling and leaning
against the bed and Willow is standing.
Willow: Remember the plan to contact the spirit and talk to it? Scrap
that plan. Buffy, you were right. The time for touchy-feely
communication is passed. I’ve done some homework and found the only
solution is the final solution.
Xander: Nuke the school? (smiles) I like that.
Willow: Not quite. Exorcism.
Cordelia: Are you crazy? I saw that movie! Even the priest died.
Buffy: What’s the deal?
Willow lays down a map of the school building, and they all lean in to
look.
Willow: Okay, see here, the balcony? That’s where the original teacher
died back in 1955 and that teacher last night. That’s the hot spot where
all the bad mojo is coming from. We need to create a Mangus-tripod.
Cordelia: A what?
Willow: (points) One person chants here on the hot spot. And the other
three chant in other places around the school forming a triangle. It’s
supposed to bind the bad spirit and keep it from doing any more harm.
Buffy: Well, I’ll take the hot spot. (takes the map) If there’s
trouble, that’s where it’ll be.
Willow nods.
Xander: This ghost, this James guy, is fixating on you, Buffy. The
dreams, the yearbook… You sure you can handle it?
Buffy: Well, I’m hoping he’ll show. I truly am.
Cut to the school that night. They all come into the hall from outside.
Buffy: Okay, we all have our places. We do the chant and light the
candle at midnight exactly. Any questions?
Cordelia: Yeah, what if this mangled triangle thingy doesn’t work?
Willow: Oh! I almost forgot. I made us all scapulas. (hands them out)
Xander: Okay, so we can flip the ghost over when it turns a nice golden
brown?
Willow: Scapula, not spatula. Um, you wear it around your neck for
protection.
Cordelia: You expect me to wear this? It smells like grandpa breath.
Willow: Sorry, I didn’t have a lot of time. I had to use sulfur.
Stinky, but effective.
Buffy: Okay, let’s do this.
They all continue into the student lounge.
Cordelia: No problem. This will be a piece of cake. Right?
They hear a creaking and then a crashing noise. They jump and look in
that direction and see that the doors at the end of the hall have
slammed shut on their own. One by one the other doors at the ends of the
two intersecting halls slam shut.~~ Part 3 ~~
The atrium in the mansion. Drusilla sifts through the dirt in one of the
large planters. Spike is in his wheelchair, and Angelus is on the bench
behind Drusilla.
Drusilla: Maybe I’ll sleep underground. Dig myself a little burrow.
Spike: What about your pretty dress, sweet? It’ll get all dirty.
Drusilla: Then I’ll sleep naked. Like the animals do.
Angelus: You know, I’m suddenly liking this plan.
Drusilla lies down on the ground in front of the planter.
Spike: Fortunately, nobody cares what you like, mate.
Angelus: Oh, yeah? Let’s ask Dru.
He slides off of the bench and crouches, looking at Drusilla. She begins
to laugh as she has a vision.
Drusilla: There’s a gate! (rolls onto her back, laughing) It’s opening!
(gets to her knees)
Angelus: Incoming! I love when she does this.
Spike: What gate, pet? What do you see?
Drusilla: (bounces gleefully) It’s black. (hums) It wants her. (hums)
Angelus: (crawls up behind her) Wants who?
Drusilla: The Slayer. It’s time, Angel. (stands up) She’s ready for you
now. (begins to move) She’s dancing. Dancing with death.
Spike: Big deal. He won’t do anything. Our man Angel here likes to talk
but he’s not much for action. All hat and no cattle.
Angelus: (grabs Dru’s waist) I don’t know about that. (turns her
around) I think this whole Slayer thing has run its course. (crouches
down by her) I’m ready to focus my energy elsewhere.
Spike: Really?
Angelus: Oh, yeah! What, with you being Special Needs Boy, I figure I
should stick close to home. (walks his fingers up Dru’s thigh and waist)
You and Dru can always use another pair of hands.
Drusilla coos with delight. Angelus chuckles maniacally. Spike looks at
the two of them angrily.
Cut to the hall outside of the school library. Willow walks along and
slows down to look down the other hall before continuing. Behind her
Giles opens the door, and she screams out in fright. He startles and
yells out, too.
Giles: God, Willow, what are you doing here? You’re not supposed to be
inside.
Willow: Me? What about you?
Giles: I’m, uh, I’m, I’m trying to, uh… (puts on his glasses) I think
I-I may be close to, uh, contacting Jenny.
Willow gives him an understanding look. He starts to go back into the
library, but turns back.
Giles: What’s that smell?
Willow: It’s my scapula.
Giles: Ah, right, of course. Did you use sulfur?
Willow: Yeah.
Giles: That’s clever. Uh, well, uh, run along then. Th-there may be
some, uh, paranormal ph-phenomena if I contact her. Y-y-you don’t want
to be in the line of fire.
He goes back in, and the door swings shut behind him.
Willow: Okay. ‘Night.
Cut to a girls’ bathroom. Cordelia comes in with her candle and
flashlight and looks around. The place is deserted. She sees her
reflection in the mirror with a bandage on her cheek. She walks over to
it and sets the candle down on the shelf. She pulls off the bandage and
winces at the pain. Leaning toward the mirror she inspects the twin fang
marks on her cheek.
Cut to the hall. Buffy walks along and hears the song “I Only Have Eyes
For You”, by The Flamingos, playing somewhere. Down another hall she can
see shadows in a bright light dancing against a wall.
Lyrics: My love must be a kind of blind love
She walks toward the sound and through a pair of doors.
Lyrics: I can’t see anyone but you
Beyond them is another set of doors to the music room. A Class of ’55
Sadie Hawkins Dance flyer is taped to one of the door windows. She steps
over to the other door and looks in. There she sees James and Grace
dancing slowly to the music.
Cut to the cafeteria. There are still a few snakes there. Xander comes
in and looks around.
Xander: Oh, yeah, baby, it’s snakalicious in here.
Cut to the landing up the stairs from the student lounge. Willow steps
up to it and looks around nervously.
Cut to Buffy watching James and Grace slowly turn as they dance.
Lyrics: The moon may be high / but I can’t see a thing in the sky
When James turns into view again Buffy sees that his face is all rotted.
Lyrics: ‘Cause I only have eyes for you
Buffy stares back in open-mouthed shock. James and Grace are suddenly
gone.
Cut to the girls’ bathroom. Cordelia digs in her purse for some makeup.
When she looks back up and is about to put some on, the side of her face
with the snakebite suddenly becomes rotten. She screams at the top of
her lungs.
Cut to the landing. Willow sets her candle down on the floor. Below her
the floor suddenly starts to swirl, and a green demonic hand reaches up
and grabs her, pulling her down. She screams for all she’s worth, and
grabs the stair railing to keep from being pulled in.
Willow: (screams) GILES!
He hears her screams and comes running.
Giles: WILLOW!
Willow: GILES! GILES!
The pull is too strong, and she loses her grip on the railing.
Giles: WHERE ARE YOU?!
He comes running into the lounge area.
Willow: PLEASE! HELP! HELP ME!
He turns and sees her sinking into the floor. He scrambles up the stairs
to her aid.
Willow: HELP! HELP! HELP! HELP!
He grabs her arms and starts to pull. She screams again as the pit
continues to try to suck her in. Giles lets out a grunt and manages to
slowly lift her out. When she’s free of the pit she suddenly snaps into
his arms, and they both go rolling down the stairs.
Cut to the balcony. Buffy puts her scapula around her neck and pulls her
hair out of the back. Suddenly she senses something and stares off into
space. She has a vision of Ms. Newman running out of the hall onto the
balcony being chased by James with his gun.
James: Stop!
Cut to Ms. Newman facing James.
Ms. Newman: Just calm down.
Cut to James shaking the gun at her. It goes off. Cut to Ms. Newman
clutching her chest over the bullet wound. She pulls her hand away and
looks at the blood. Cut to Buffy for just an instant. Cut to James
walking into the music room. Cut to him putting on a record. Cut to him
crying. Cut to him raising the gun to his head. Cut to him crying again
as he pulls the trigger. Cut to Buffy on the balcony. James comes up to
her with a rotted face and grabs her by the arms.
James: Get out!
The vision of him fades quickly, and she takes a few steps back.
Cut to the girls’ bathroom. Cordelia is panting with fear, covering her
face with her hands. She looks into the mirror again and sees that her
face is suddenly normal again. She pulls her hands away, takes a closer
look and begins to calm down a bit.
Cut to the lounge. Giles gets up and goes up a few steps to make sure
that the pit is gone. He comes back down to Willow.
Giles: Are you all right?
Willow: (still frightened) Giles, (shakes her head) Jenny could never
be this mean.
Giles: (glances up at the landing) I know. (sits) It’s, it’s not her,
is it?
Willow: I’m sorry.
The town clock begins to strike midnight.
Willow: Oh, God. Oh.
She scrambles back up to the landing to light the candle. He follows.
Giles: Careful up here!
Cut to the girls’ bathroom. Cordelia is nervous but ready with her
candle and lighter.
Cut to the balcony. Buffy strikes a match and lights her candle.
Cut to the landing. Willow struggles with her lighter. The flame won’t
ignite. Giles crouches down, takes it from her and lights the candle.
Willow: I shall confront and expel all evil.
Cut to the girls’ bathroom. Cordelia lights her candle.
Cordelia: I shall totally confront and expel all evil.
Cut to the cafeteria. Xander sits on a table with his lit candle before
him. He has his legs crossed, hands folded and eyes closed as if in
prayer.
Xander: Out of marrow and bone…
Cut to the balcony. Buffy lights her candle.
Buffy: Out of house and home… never to come here again.
Cut to the landing. Giles and Willow look around. Nothing is happening.
Cut to the cafeteria. Xander opens his eyes. Nothing happens there
either. Cut to the bathroom. Cordelia looks around also. All seems
quiet. Cut to the balcony. Buffy watches as a breeze blows out her
candle. She looks in the direction of the gust. Cut to the landing. The
candle there has been blown out, too. Giles and Willow exchange a look.
Cut to the cafeteria. Xander’s candle is out also. He looks around
nervously. Cut to the girls’ bathroom. Cordelia watches the smoke drift
from the glowing wick. Cut to the lounge. Giles and Willow come down the
stairs and look down the hall. They hear a faint buzzing. It steadily
gets louder. At the far end of the hall they see a dark swarm of wasps
coming toward them.
Giles: Oh, my God!
They both break into a dead run. As they round a corner Buffy and
Cordelia join them from another hall.
Giles: You all right?
Xander comes running out of the cafeteria and keeps pace. They reach the
far end of the hall where the doors are jammed shut.
Buffy: Get back!
Giles backs off, and Buffy kicks the door open, shattering the glass.
They all immediately run out. The wasps are right behind them. When they
reach the street Xander looks back and stops.
Xander: Check it.
They all stop and turn to look as well.
Xander: I’d say school’s out for good.
They all stare in amazement. Giles takes off his glasses. The wasps have
arranged themselves in a wall around the school so that nothing can get
in or out.
Cut to the living room at Buffy’s house. She leans against the wall.
Giles and the others are seated around the coffee table. He pours some
tea for himself. There is also a pot of coffee for the others.
Giles: The good news is none of you girls were shot. Well, we’ve
established, based on all the parallels and-and-and Buffy’s visions,
that it’s James’ spirit.
Willow: So what do we do, Giles? About James.
Giles: Well, he’s obviously reliving the night of the Sadie Hawkins
Dance when he killed Ms. Newman. It-it’s-it’s common enough for a spirit
to do this, to… recreate a, a tragedy.
Cordelia: (munches a cracker) Hey. If Sunnydale High School shuts down
forever, do we automatically graduate?
Xander: (ignores her) But why? What does he want? (thinks again about
Cordelia’s question) Actually, that’s an interesting point.
Giles: He’s, he’s trying to… resolve whatever issues are keeping him
in limbo. W-w-what exactly those are, I’m not…
Buffy: (interrupts) He wants forgiveness.
Giles: (leans back) Yes. (gets up) I imagine he does. (goes to her) But
when James possesses people, they act out exactly what happened that
night. So he’s experiencing a form of purgatory instead. I mean, he’s,
he’s doomed to, to kill his Ms. Newman over and over and over again,
and… forgiveness is impossible.
Buffy: Good. He doesn’t deserve it.
Giles: To forgive is an act of compassion, Buffy. It’s, it’s not done
because people deserve it. It’s done because they need it.
Buffy: No. James destroyed the one person he loved the most in a moment
of blind passion. And that’s not something you forgive. No matter why he
did what he did. And no matter if he knows now that it was wrong and
selfish and stupid, it is just something he’s gonna have to live with.
Xander: He can’t live with it, Buff. He’s dead.
She just looks back at them all for a moment, then stalks off into the
kitchen.
Cordelia: Okay. Overidentify much? (munches her cracker)
Cut to the kitchen. Buffy comes in. She has her hands in her pockets and
finds a folded sheet of paper. She pulls it out and unfolds it. It’s a
Class of ’55 Sadie Hawkins Dance flyer. She puts down the flyer and
hears a faint male voice.
Voice: I need you.
She goes out the kitchen door.
Cut to the living room. Willow gets up from her chair.
Willow: So what do we do next? Do we go in again?
Giles: Well, not now. No, the, uh… the spirit is too angry, too, too
powerful. No, we have to work out exactly how and, and if this thing can
be defeated.
Cut to the school. It is still surrounded by the swarm of wasps. Buffy
walks up to it anyway. The swarm parts to let her in. When she reaches
the doors they open for her, and the swarm closes the gap behind her.~~ Part 4 ~~
The kitchen at Buffy’s house. Willow comes in looking for her.
Willow: Hey, Buffy, are you…
See sees the flyer lying on the island and picks it up.
Willow: Oh, God. Giles! (he comes in) She went back.
Cut to the school. They all stand in front of it looking at the swarm.
Xander: So what now? Not even a mega-vat of Raid’s gonna do the trick
here.
Cordelia: I don’t get it. Is she trying to be a big loner hero or
something?
Giles: No. I believe she’s under the spirit’s thrall. He’s, he’s
calling her.
Cordelia: But why?
Giles: James needs her to re-enact everything that happened on the
night that he, he killed Ms. Newman. He wants to change things, make,
make a happy ending.
Willow: But it can’t ever happen! It always ends the same, which means
Buffy just went in there to get shot, Giles.
Giles: Yes. But the school’s deserted. There’s no way for James to…
to play his part. There’s, there’s no man inside for him to possess.
Xander: So Buffy should be safe until we find a way to get her out.
Willow: In theory, yeah.
Cut inside the school. Buffy walks idly through the halls. She stops by
the trophy case and turns around. Angelus walks in and blocks the
camera’s view.
Angelus: Fun fact about wasps.
Cut to Buffy with her back to Angelus.
Angelus: They have no taste for the undead. Not that a sting would do
me any damage, it’s just… tonight’s special. I wanted to look my best
for you.
Buffy: (quietly) You’re the only one. The only person I can talk to.
Angelus: Gosh, Buff. That’s really pathetic.
Buffy: (faces him) You can’t make me disappear just because you say
it’s over.
Angelus: Actually… (approaches her) I can. In fact… I just want you
to be able to have some kind of normal life. We can never have that,
don’t you see?
Buffy: I don’t give a damn about a normal life! I’m going crazy not
seeing you. I think about you every minute.
He raises his hand to her cheek. Cut to 1955. Grace puts her hand on
James’ cheek. He looks down sadly.
Ms. Newman: I know. But it’s over. It has to be!
She turns around and starts to leave. He looks up again and starts to
chase after her. Cut to 1998. Buffy chases after Angelus.
Buffy: (angrily) Come back here! We’re not finished!
She grabs him by the arm and turns him around to face her.
Buffy: You don’t care anymore, is that it?
Angelus: (sobbing) It doesn’t matter, it doesn’t matter what I feel.
Buffy: Then tell me you don’t love me!
Cut to 1955.
James: Say it!
Ms. Newman: Is that what you need to hear? Will that help? I don’t.
Cut to 1998.
Angelus: I don’t. Now let me go. (tries to go)
Buffy: No. A person doesn’t just wake up and stop loving somebody!
Cut to 1955. Grace looks at James. He takes a step back, raises a
revolver, pulls the hammer back and aims it at her. Cut to 1998. Angelus
looks at the gun and then at Buffy, frightened.
Buffy: Love is forever. I’m not afraid to use it, I swear! If I can’t
be with you…
Angelus: Oh, my God!
He turns around and starts running out of the hall toward the balcony.
Cut to 1955. Grace runs from the hall.
James: DON’T WALK AWAY FROM ME…
Cut to 1998.
Buffy: …BITCH!
Angelus runs out of the hall. She runs after him. Cut to 1955. James
runs after Grace. Cut to 1998. Angelus barges through the door out onto
the balcony.
Buffy: Stop it! (comes out the door) Stop it! Don’t make me!
He stops next to the balcony railing.
Angelus: (breathing heavily with fear) All right. Just… (turns
around)
Cut to 1955. Grace turns around to face James.
Ms. Newman: You know you don’t want to do this. Let’s both… just calm
down. Now give me the gun. (holds out her hand)
James: Don’t. Don’t do that, damn it!
Cut to 1998.
Buffy: Don’t talk to me like I’m some stupid…
The gun goes off. Angelus flinches from the wound. Cut outside the
school. Giles and the others hear the gunshot. Willow draws a worried
breath. Cut to the balcony. Angelus has his hand clutched to his chest.
He pulls it away and sees the blood. He looks up at Buffy. She stares
back in open-mouthed shock at what she just did.
Angelus: James.
Cut to 1955. Grace goes into shock from the bullet wound and begins to
fall backward. She tumbles over the balcony railing down to the base of
the stairs below. Cut to 1998. Buffy just stares in shock. Cut to 1955.
James sees Grace below lying dead with her eyes closed. He slowly goes
back into the hall. Cut to 1998. Angelus lies prone at the base of the
stairs below. Cut to the music room. Buffy slowly comes in. Cut to
Angelus. His eyes suddenly open. He props himself up on his elbows and
looks up at the balcony. Cut to the music room. Buffy walks to the
record player at the back of the room. She turns it on and begins
playing the record.
Lyrics: My love must be a kind of blind love
She looks over into a mirror, and James looks back at her. Her eyes are
full of tears as she looks at him. He looks down at the gun in his hand.
Lyrics: I can’t see anyone but you
The camera pans down from Buffy’s face to the gun in her hand. She
raises it slowly, but a hand takes it and pushes it back down. She turns
and finds herself face to face with Angelus.
Buffy: Grace!
Angelus: Don’t do this.
Buffy: But-but I killed you.
Angelus: It was an accident. It wasn’t your fault.
Buffy: Oh, it is my fault. How could I…
Angelus: Shhh. I’m the one who should be sorry, James. You thought I
stopped loving you. But I never did. I loved you with my last breath.
Buffy lets out a few sobs.
Angelus: Shhh… No more tears.
Cut to 1955. Grace and James kiss. Cut to 1998. Angelus and Buffy kiss.
They hold each other tightly as they continue kissing for a long time.
Above them in the ceiling a bright light appears, and the spirits of
Grace and James leave this world for the next. As quickly as it appeared
the light is gone. Buffy and Angelus gently break off their kiss and
open their eyes.
Buffy: (softly) Angel.
Suddenly he growls, pushes her away and runs from the room, leaving
Buffy there in shock.
Dissolve to the library. Giles paces behind the counter. The door opens,
and Willow, Xander and Cordelia come in.
Willow: Everything seems normal. Not a snake, not a wasp.
Cordelia: Yep. School can open again tomorrow.
Xander: Explain to me again how that’s a good thing.
They all lean against the counter.
Cordelia: I’m drawing a blank.
Giles goes back into his office where Buffy is resting.
Giles: Are you feeling any better?
Buffy: James picked me. I guess… I guess I was the one he could
relate to. He was so sad.
Giles: (sits by her) Well… they can both rest now.
Buffy: I still… (exhales) A part of me just doesn’t understand why
she would forgive him.
Giles: Does it matter?
Buffy: No. I guess not.
Cut to the atrium at the mansion. Angelus stands by the fountain bare-
chested, breathing frantically and scrubbing himself hard with the
water.
Spike: You might want to let up. They say when you’ve drawn blood,
you’ve exfoliated.
Angelus: What do you know about it? I’m the one who was friggin’
violated. You didn’t have this thing in you.
He walks from the fountain and passes Spike in disgust.
Drusilla: What was it? A demon?
Angelus: Love!
He grabs a clean shirt and starts to put it on.
Drusilla: Poor Angel.
Angelus: (walks back) Let’s get outta here. I need a real vile kill
before sunup to wipe this crap out of my system.
He pulls on his jacket over his still-unbuttoned shirt. Drusilla comes
up to him and growls. He snarls back.
Drusilla: Of course. We’ll find you a nice toddler. (snarls)
Angelus starts up the stairs out of the garden.
Drusilla: (to Spike) Want to come, pet?
Angelus: (comes back down) No can do, Dru. I’m sure he’d be hell on
wheels, but we don’t have much time. (to Spike) Gotta travel light.
(puts his hands on Spike’s shoulders) Sorry. Try to have fun without me.
He goes back up the stairs, and Drusilla makes haste to follow. Spike
watches them go with an angry look on his face and exhales.
Spike: Oh, I will.
He takes his foot from its footrest and puts it on the ground. He slowly
gets up and stands tall, apparently recovered from his weakness. He
kicks back at his wheelchair angrily. It goes spinning away. He looks
back up at the garden entryway.
Spike: Sooner than you think.
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