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.
[SCENE_BREAK]
~~~~~~~~~~ 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.
Plan: A: a former Sunnydale High student; Q: Who is the tortured ghost of? A: the night; Q: On what night of the Sadie Hawkins dance does the ghost of a former Sunnydale High student re-enact a murder-suicide? A: the school's Sadie Hawkins dance; Q: On what night does the ghost of a former Sunnydale High student re-enact a murder-suicide? A: the parts; Q: What do Buffy and Angelus have to play to change the tragic outcome? A: peace; Q: What do the lovers' spirits find after the tragic event? A: forgiveness; Q: What does Buffy learn about the meaning of? Summary: The tortured ghost of a former Sunnydale High student re-enacts a murder-suicide on the night of the school's Sadie Hawkins dance . Bespelled to play the parts, Buffy and Angelus change the tragic outcome just enough for the lovers' spirits to find peace, and for Buffy to learn the meaning of forgiveness.