buffy8x16 Script created with Final Draft by Final Draft, Inc.
[bottom] TEASER
FADE IN:
1 EXT. HIGH SCHOOL - NIGHT - ESTABLISHING 1
The three-story building stands tall in the night, back-lit
by the rising moon. Somewhere a DOG HOWLS.
2 INT. HIGH SCHOOL - NORTH HALLWAY - NIGHT 2
A greasy JANITOR swabs the mud-covered floor. He wipes the
sweat from his face and continues on.
3 INT. ART CLASSROOM - NIGHT 3
SKYE sits amid a cluster of disheveled desks. She's of
average height and build for a seventeen-year-old, with
shoulde rlength, braided dark hair and plenty of eyeliner.
She adds the finishing touches to a colorful drawing. It's
obvious that she's not doing this in a strive for perfection
- she's in trouble.
MRS. DERN is at her desk, working her way through various
student works. Her eyes occasionally rise to look at Skye.
Finally, she speaks:
MRS. DERN
Do you know why you're being
punished?
SKYE
Yes.
MRS. DERN
Are you sorry?
A beat. Skye continues drawing.
MRS. DERN (cont'd)
This isn't a joke, Skye. This is
the last straw before suspension.
You have to stop fighting with your
classmates.
SKYE
But they always start it.
MRS. DERN
And you certainly finish it, don't
you? You could have broken
Melissa's arm.
SKYE
But I didn't!
MRS. DERN
Because I stopped you.
Skye doesn't answer. She takes a yellow-colored pencil and
fills in someone's hair color. Mrs. Dern rises.
MRS. DERN (cont'd)
It's six o'clock. You can go home.
But please, try to control yourself
from now on.
Skye stands and takes her drawing. She crosses to the door
and pushes through, not even looking at her teacher.
Mrs. Dern sinks into her chair, shaking her head in
disappointment.
4 INT. NORTH HALLWAY - CONTINUOUS 4
Skye walks to her locker and pops it open. She rearranges a
few books set upon a shelf. She takes out her jacket and
quickly slides into it. Closes the locker --
THE JANITOR is staring at her. A grin on his face. Skye eyes
him strangely. What's this guy's problem?
Then his face contorts in hideous fashion! A vampire! Skye
SCREAMS. She tries to sprint away and down the hall, but the
Janitor is on her.
He tackles her from behind. His fangs bare out, ready for the
kill. Skye, in a last ditch effort, DECKS him. He flies back
ten feet. She gets up and tries to run for it again.
The Janitor kicks off of one of the lockers and manages to
reach Skye's back. Drags her down. He buries his fangs in her
neck! Skye SCREAMS again, before:
FAITH (O.S.)
Kids are still makin' out in the
hallways? Nothin' ever changes.
The Janitor drops Skye, who slides to the floor. Looks at
FAITH, stake ready and poised for the kill. He grins.
JANITOR
Another little girl? I never had a
problem with buffets.
FAITH
Fine, you know what? I'm totally
terrified. I'll let Buffy take care
of this.
A figure appears behind the Janitor. His body still faces
Faith, but his head turns to see the other Slayer: BUFFY,
looking just as deadly as her counterpart.
A beat, then:
JANITOR
What kind of name is Buffy?
He charges at Buffy. She punches him against the locker, then
moves in and nails him hard in the face.
Buffy raises her stake and, parrying the Janitor's attack,
drives it hard into his chest. Nothing but dust.
FAITH
That's what, five tonight?
BUFFY
Thanks for finally letting me get a
piece of the action.
FAITH
Hey, it's no problem, B.
Buffy wipes the dust from her jacket. Faith tucks her stake
into her jeans and notices something on the floor. Kneels
down. Buffy follows her gaze down to where Skye had fallen.
But there's no one there. Just a trail of blood leading down
the hall. Both girls follow the trail with their eyes,
stunned.
FAITH (cont'd)
Now where'd she hurry off to?
BUFFY
It took us what, twenty seconds to
kill that vamp? There's no way she
could've gotten away without us
seeing.
FAITH
Not unless she was fast, B.
Faith looks down the hall. It stretches out at least a
hundred feed. No sign of the injured girl.
FAITH (cont'd)
Real fast.
Their eyes meet, and we can tell now that they're at least a
little freaked.
ON their gaze, as we:
BLACK OUT.
END OF TEASER
ACT ONE
FADE IN:
5 INT. SUMMERS HOUSE - DAWN'S ROOM - MORNING 5
The motionless form of DAWN lays upon her bed. Sheets are
held over her head... she SNORES quietly. A beat, then an
annoying ALARM BLARES -- continuously unleashing its
STRAINING NOISE.
Dawn stirs and almost unconsciously looks at the alarm. With
seemingly no end to the ALARM, Dawn fumbles for the "off"
switch. Can't find it.
Finally she takes the alarm and tosses it away. It SMASHES
into the wall and finally goes silent. Dawn rolls onto her
side and, as though nothing ever happened, goes back to
sleep.
6 INT. DOWNSTAIRS - MORNING 6
Faith is sprawled out on the couch, awake but not happy about
it. ANDREW is slumped against the wall, sound asleep. He
clutches a toy lightsaber as though it were a teddy bear.
In the kitchen we can HEAR the sounds of a cooking stove.
Pans set upon the burners. XANDER is trying his hand at
cooking breakfast. An all-together unnatural smoke rises from
one of the burners.
Xander notices, thinks for a moment. Then he takes one of the
pans and moves it onto the smoking section, cutting off the
flow.
FAITH
You havin' fun there, Xander?
XANDER
More than you'll ever know. You
might look at this --
The smoke FLARES upon again. In a panic, Xander reaches over
and turns that burner off, then takes the red-hot pan and
moves it onto the counter. Waves away the smoke.
XANDER (cont'd)
(undaunted)
You might look at this set-up and
laugh, Faith, but this'll be the
best damn breakfast you ever had.
FAITH
I had to eat a dead rat once. From
the look 'a things, you ain't no
Iron Chef.
Xander moves away from the stove. Looks at Faith with his
hands to his sides.
XANDER
Say what you will, Slayer
numerodos, but I'm better at
cooking than you ever were in bed.
This registers with Faith. She sits up, a rather stunned look
on her face. She takes a second to re-set her jaw, then
crosses her arms ready to rebuke.
FAITH
And how would you ever know that?
XANDER
Forgot the best lay you ever had?
Senior year. I ravaged you.
FAITH
(thinks)
Oh, right!
Xander smiles...
FAITH (cont'd)
You're the one that lulled me to
sleep, huh?
...then his face falls. Without a witty comeback he retreats
back into the kitchen to tend to his "masterpiece."
Slowly but surely, BUFFY makes her way downstairs. Her hair
is a mess and her eyes are blue bags. She's exhausted.
FAITH (cont'd)
Mornin', B. Xander hates us and is
gonna burn the house down.
Xander sticks his head out from the kitchen. His eyes fall on
Buffy.
XANDER
Long night, Buff?
BUFFY
The counseling and slaying hours
don't go together too well.
(yawns)
You'd think the top bosses at
Charleston & Smithe would be more
considerate of employees'
extracurricular activities.
FAITH
Buffy, it's way too early in the
morning for me to understand what
you just said.
XANDER
You're wearing her out, Faith.
FAITH
I do that to people.
(to Xander)
Wore you out quicker than most,
though.
Buffy's tired as well. She looks at Faith, then Xander.
Finally realization hits her. She shrugs it off, then yawns.
ANDREW
I shall defend you, Princess!
Buffy looks over at Andrew, who wakes with a start. On
instinct he swings his plastic lightsaber. The green beam
swipes at Buffy's legs... and BREAKS the minute it makes
contact.
Buffy can't even react. It takes Andrew a moment to register
what's real and what isn't. Finally he notices his broken
weapon.
ANDREW (cont'd)
I broke my saber...
CUT TO:
7 EXT. ROCKWELL AVENUE - TEN MINUTES LATER 7
The neighborhood is alive with morning activity. Cars pull
out of driveways, the operators making for work.
A six year- old BOY walks out the front door carrying a lunch
bag. Life as usual for anyone but our heroes.
8 INT. SUMMERS HOUSE - DINING ROOM - MORNING 8
Buffy, Faith, Andrew, and ANYA are seated at the table.
Plates are set out as though it were dinner time. Andrew
holds his fork, his eyes on Xander, almost like a dog
salivating over a bone. Buffy notices something.
BUFFY
I'm way too tired this morning.
Where's Dawn?
The others look at each other. They haven't noticed either.
Xander tends to the stove, looking at his finished meal. It's
Anya that breaks the silence:
ANYA
She probably snuck out early to
meet a boy and have before-school
sex. Like most children do these
days according to the news man.
BUFFY
Never in her life could Dawn wake
up early. 7:30 and I guarantee
she's still snoring away.
(beat)
Guess I gotta lecture.
She rises.
XANDER
But the food's done!
Buffy sits. Collects herself.
BUFFY
You're right. Food first. Then
lecture.
XANDER
That's the spirit, Buffmeister.
Xander moves to the table, holding a hot cooking pan. He
carefully scrapes the contents -- in this case, eggs -- onto
the plates of everyone present at the table. Then puts some
on his own plate. He sets the pan aside and sits.
Andrew digs in. Munches on the eggs like a man possessed.
Faith doesn't even pick up her fork. She just stares at the
guy.
FAITH
Like 'em?
The question was for Andrew, but her eyes are on Xander.
Andrew doesn't stop to answer, but Xander raises his eyebrows
and gives Faith an "I told you so" look.
He scoops up a portion of eggs swallows. Then spits them up
in disgust.
9 INT. DAWN'S ROOM - MOMENTS LATER 9
Dawn is still quite obviously asleep. Three loud KNOCKS come
from the door. Dawn stirs... the KNOCKING continues... and
finally she just grabs a pillow and uses it to block out the
sound.
The door opens. Buffy charges in and pulls the blanket off of
her younger sister.
BUFFY
Dawn, get up. Now.
Dawn kicks her feet up, angrily stirs. She releases the
pillow and -- very groggily -- looks at Buffy.
DAWN
(drowzy)
It's... too... early.
BUFFY
No, it's late. What is this, the
fourth time in two weeks? You have
to quit doing this.
DAWN
Well, maybe school shouldn't start
so early.
BUFFY
Maybe if you'd done well enough in
class you could've picked up a Late
Start. You made your bed, now you
have to lie in it.
(beat)
And that does not mean you can keep
sleeping.
Dawn sits up. Her hair is a tangled mess, but she hardly
notices. She fixes a cold stare on her sister.
DAWN
Why can't I just take one day off?
Buffy prepares to speak, but it's as though another voice is
answering...
MRS. CANNES (V.O.)
You can't keep doing this! You
can't keep skipping!
10 EXT. SKYE'S HOUSE - MORNING 10
A pretty Victorian home in the heart of the suburbs. A
PAPERBOY rides by and tosses the morning paper onto the
porch. No one comes out to collect.
11 INT. SKYE'S HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - MORNING 11
MRS. CANNES sits on the couch, continuing her lecture. We
don't SEE the victim, but the woman is very much into her
little spiel.
We're TIGHT ON her face, almost as though she is speaking to
us. Or yelling, rather.
MRS. CANNES
So many times this year. What
happened to you? You used to be so
good with school! Now you blow it
off? You have to graduate this
year, Skye! And you know what I
found yesterday in the trash? A
condom! It had to be you, since
myself and your father - that's not
the point! You're too young to be
doing things like this. STDs,
pregnancy... are you ready to take
on that responsibility?
(beat)
Answer me!
Finally we PULL BACK. Mrs. Cannes is on the couch, with 40-
something MR. CANNES beside her, tightly holding her hand.
They stare ahead for another beat. Mrs. Cannes sighs, then
releases her husband's hand.
MRS. CANNES (cont'd)
Do you think that's too much? Am I
being too hard on her?
MR. CANNES
Sweetie, I don't think so. She
needs to hear this. She's
seventeen... you need to give her
the talk sometime.
MRS. CANNES
But I don't want to pressure her. I
read in "Cosmo" that girls these
days hate being pressured.
MR. CANNES
Some things you just have to do,
honey.
Mrs. Cannes nods. Then she stands and, after taking a deep
breath, walks towards the stairs.
12 INT. SKYE'S ROOM - MORNING 12
The door opens. Mrs. Cannes enters, obviously still building
confidence in her mind.
MRS. CANNES
Skye, honey?
But the room is empty. The bed is still made. The blinds are
open, allowing sunlight to pour inside. Mrs. Cannes
approaches the bed. Doesn't seem to understand.
MRS. CANNES (cont'd)
Skye?
Mrs. Cannes notices something on the wall. A few sheets of
paper have been thumb-tacked in place. She pulls free one of
the sheets and examines it, curious.
It's a very detailed drawing of a long, sharp, wooden
"shape." Familiar to anyone who's spent a few years in
Sunnydale, but not to Skye's mother.
Mrs. Cannes drops the sheet of paper onto the desk, a little
freaked. Definitely concerned. But after one last look at the
room she exits, making sure to close the door behind her. But
we don't go with her.
Instead, we PAN DOWN... slowly... LOWER and lower... until we
are actually under the bed. There we can SEE Skye. Her arms
are held tightly together -- she's hugging herself as though
she's deathly cold.
Her shivering is intense. She tries to control it. Closes her
eyes and seems to calm a bit. A moment of silence, then...
FLASH TO:
A woman in a glamorous chamber. A seductive man approaches --
a vampire -- prepares to sink his fangs into her neck. She
doesn't struggle... it's Buffy and Dracula!
BACK TO:
13 INT. SKYE'S ROOM - MORNING 13
Under the bed, Skye's shivering begins anew. Her eyes dart
around, very much freaked out.
BLACK OUT.
END OF ACT ONE
ACT TWO
FADE IN:
14 EXT. SUMMERS HOUSE - MORNING 14
The door is open. Dawn appears, but not willingly -- it's
almost as though she's being forced out of the house. Once on
the porch she turns her head to say something...
DAWN
Can't I wait just a few -- ?
...but the door is slammed shut in her face
DAWN (cont'd)
Figures.
She shoulders her book-bag. Begins down the sidewalk. The
neighborhood is almost barren now. Dawn is very obviously
late. Regardless, she walks at a normal pace, in no hurry to
get to class.
15 EXT. NEIGHBORHOOD - TEN MINUTES LATER 15
Dawn continues her trek through suburbia. The homes are
beautiful, groomed to perfection in a Stepford sort of way.
She readjusts her pack, then notices something. In the front
yard of the house to her right --
A TODDLER fumbles around, walking yet not comfortable with
it. His PARENTS stand in the doorway, kissing quite deeply.
The toddler takes a few more steps and starts to get the hang
of it. Smiles. A few more steps...
The toddler falls to the ground. Nothing serious, but enough
to get the waterworks flowing. Tears stream down his face.
The parents immediately break contact and hurry to their
wounded child.
Dawn watches from the sidewalk. She follows their movements
as the mother scoops the child off the grass and hugs him.
The schoolgirl cocks her head to the side, curious.
16 INT. SKYE'S ROOM - MORNING 16
We're at a LOW ANGLE, just above the bottom of the mattress.
Beams of sunlight filter in and stop just before the bed.
A hand reaches out into the light and stays still for a
moment. Then snaps back. We can HEAR Skye YELP.
Skye rolls out from under her bed. Brings her arm up and
inspects it -- smoke rises from the flesh, but the skin
itself seems fine. The girl rises and moves to her dresser,
careful to stay out of the sun's light.
Opens a drawer and pulls out a small towel. She wraps it
around the wound. Skye looks again at the window, then the
dresser.
SKYE
School... school...
She rips open the drawer.
17 INT. SUMMERS HOUSE - MORNING 17
Xander clears plates off the dining room table. Buffy reaches
into the closet and pulls out a jacket, putting it on. She
frees her hair and moves into the living room, passing Faith
on the sofa.
FAITH
Hold up, B.
BUFFY
Can't. If I don't hurry I'm gonna
be late... and that'd make me
hypocritical, which is the worst
part.
FAITH
Just take a sec. But what about the
girl last night?
BUFFY
What about her?
FAITH
Well, you're the one who's all
"help the helpless." She was a
young girl, B. Whaddya think
happened to her?
BUFFY
Truth is, Faith, I have no idea.
And I don't care --
Buffy catches herself mid-sentences. She takes a breath and
looks at Faith calmly.
BUFFY (cont'd)
I mean, I do care. But we have our
own immediate problems, Faith. I
have work, you have television. I
hope she wasn't hurt too bad, but
if she turned... I'm sure we'll see
her again.
FAITH
There was somethin' weird about
her, that's for sure.
But Buffy is already out the door. Faith laughs to herself,
then falls back onto the couch.
FAITH (cont'd)
Ya know what's funny, Xander?
Xander sets the last of the plates into the sink. He moves
back into the living room and looks at Faith.
XANDER
What's that?
FAITH
I really think I care more about
that girl than Buffy does.
XANDER
That is funny. And knowing you two,
completely impossible, I assure
you.
18 EXT. HIGH SCHOOL - MORNING 18
Dawn approaches from the street. She passes an over-hanging
tree, then catches sight of the high school. Police cruisers
line the side of the building.
An OFFICER stands at the door. Maybe a normal day at
Sunnydale High, but not here. She crosses to the front doors.
Tries to take hold of the door, but the Officer moves in her
way.
OFFICER
One moment, miss. Gotta check your
things.
DAWN
Why?
OFFICER
There's a crime scene in the
school. We can't have any students
escalating the situation.
Dawn looks at him for a moment. Then hands him her book-bag.
DAWN
I'll be sure not to, um...
escalate.
The Officer opens her bag and looks inside. Seems satisfied.
He hands it back to her, and then, in a deadly serious tone,
says:
OFFICER
Thank you for your cooperation.
Dawn fakes a smile. Is this guy for real?
19 INT. HIGH SCHOOL - HALLWAY - TEN MINUTES LATER 19
Dawn moves into the main hallway. At one end police lines are
drawn up -- yellow tape with "Do Not Cross" markings. A GROUP
OF POLICE handle the crime scene.
Dawn pauses for a moment and looks. She can just make out a
trail of blood. Maybe a little spooked, Dawn moves off in the
other direction.
At the end of the hall, two OFFICERS continue to inspect the
crime scene -- these are MEYERS and PARKER. Myers holds a
flashlight, its beam falling on the reflective blood.
MEYERS
It doesn't make sense. Blood trail,
yeah, but no signs of a struggle
otherwise...
He moves the beam to the locker wall. Two of the lockers have
been crushed inward.
MEYERS
...save for that. No missing person
report.
PARKER
And the school won't tell us a damn
thing.
MEYERS
I knew I shoulda been a fireman.
PARKER
Or a subway repairman. What's with
holding the flashlight in broad
daylight?
Meyers looks at the flashlight, almost as if he didn't
realize anything was odd.
Then he clicks it off, tucks it in his jacket, and looks at
Parker as if there was never anything to see.
MEYERS
Oh, well... habit, I guess.
PARKER
You're gonna scare the chicks away.
MEYERS
What?
PARKER
Looney cop with a flashlight?
Bright as hell anyway? None of the
hot ones will come near us.
MEYERS
You're a sick, sick man.
Parker shrugs. He turns around --
And bumps right into Skye. She wears heavy clothing and her
hair is a tangled mess. She looks at him with a strange kind
of look in her eyes. Both confused and insightful.
PARKER
Girl, are you okay?
(beat)
I mean, how did you even get this
far? The police lines --
He places his hand on her shoulder. She looks at it, then
brings her head up and stares him dead in the eyes.
20 INT. ENGLISH CLASSROOM - MORNING 20
Dawn sits in her desk, twenty or so STUDENTS all around her.
MS. COLLINS stands at the blackboard, scribbling a few
unimportant words onto the surface with black chalk. She
turns to her students, all looking rather miserable.
MS. COLLINS
Now, some of you may find poetry
unimportant. Maybe it's boring or
dull --
A LARGE JOCK yawns.
MS. COLLINS (cont'd)
-- maybe it just simply doesn't
interest you --
We look down on a notebook as a TEENAGER'S hand continues the
current sketch. Ms. Collins is being chewed on by ravenous
birds.
MS. COLLINS (cont'd)
-- or maybe you're just not smart
enough to "get it," so to speak.
Either way, class, we're going to
be working on basic poems this
week, and I'd like to start with --
The teacher is interrupted by the SOUND of the opening door.
Skye enters, a thick notebook held tight against her chest.
The desperate eyes of the students look at her.
A few GIRLS laugh at her unkempt hair. Ms. Collins looks at
her, a little displeased.
MS. COLLINS (cont'd)
Skye, you're late. Again.
A beat. Then --
SKYE
Sorry.
MS. COLLINS
You will be. See me after class.
Now take your seat.
Skye moves into the empty seat next to Dawn. The teacher
again looks at her class.
MS. COLLINS (cont'd)
As I was saying before being so
rudely interrupted, we'll be
working with poems today. People
see them in different ways -- and
no, they don't all have to rhyme.
Now take our a sheet of paper and a
pen, and for the next ten minutes
I'd like you to write your own
poem. Anything you want.
Silence. Then Ms. Collins raises her hands, giving the
students the cue to begin working. She smiles, begins to
slide into her desk, then stops --
MS. COLLINS (cont'd)
Except sex.
A few audible GROANS. Skye pulls out a sheet of paper from
her notebook. Takes out a pen and brings the tip to the
sheet. Pauses for a brief moment. What to write? Then it hits
her almost immediately. She puts pen to paper.
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Script created with Final Draft by Final Draft, Inc.