TRANSCRIPT
Buffy and Willow are seating on a low stone
wall, leg each way,
each listening to her own walkman and kinda
moving with the
music. They both have their eyes closed, appearently
concetrating on the headphones. Willow loses
her balance and
falls off the wall. After a few seconds, Buffy
loses her balance too,
but manages to flick her legs in a somersalut
and land on the
ground with both legs, totally undisturbed,
her eyes still closed.
Willow: (collapsed on her butt on the ground) Sulk.
BtVS THEME SONG
Class. It's dark, and there's a VCR with a
documentary movie
on. Xander is seating next to the door, watching
the movie,
when he notices Willow peeking in. He signs
for her to come in.
Xander: (whispering) Wills! Late for class,
I'm deeply
disappointed. It's okay though, Ms. Davis
put on a movie and
went to talk to the principal or something.
Come in!
Willow looks around for an empty seat but,
seeing all are
occupied, turns to the door to go out and
find a chair.
Xander: Pssst! Where you going? There's homework
on this
movie y'know.
Willow: There are no chairs in here. I mean they're all taken.
Xander: Well c'mon, you can sit on me. (she
hesitates.) C'mon,
you can sit in my lap. Just pretend I'm Santa.
(Willow sits in his
lap, trying to look cautious but obviously
somewhat edgy) hmm,
great hair smell.
Willow blushes slightly and smiles, surprised.
Xander: (almost absent-mindedly, looking at
the screen) Y'know,
I can't believe you're uncomfortable seating
on me. I mean,
we've been friends for so many years. It's
like you're my sister.
Willow's smile fades. She stares at the floor,
a few feet away.
Library. Willow is trying to help Xander with...
the math, Xander
is watching Buffy training.
Willow: So, then, X equals... (notices Xander's
complete
not-being- there-ness) ...the initials of
someone with a really bad
case of crush? (quietly) Will you stop *drooling*?
Xander slowly comes out of his trance, still looking at Buffy.
Xander: Um... hmmm? What? Oh, you were... saying
that...
something about Cossinus.
Willow: Right. 20 minutes ago. But it's nice
to see you
remember.
Xander: I was just... (gestures at Buffy)
Willow: Yeah, I know.
They both watch Buffy in silence. She spins,
jumps and kicks an
imaginary enemy in the chest.
Xander: She's great, isn't she?
Willow: (looking at him sadly) Yeah. She is.
Xander: (Still staring at Buffy) Y'know, looking
at her, it's totally
like...
Willow: (Cutting him off) Yeah. Uh, you know,
I better go. I
promised my mom I'd be home early so we can....
do a... thing.
(She walks away.)
Xander: But Will, isn't your... (He manages
to tear his eyes off
Buffy and turns to Willow, but she's not there
anymore) ...mom...
coming home late on Thursdays? Will? Will!
Willow keeps walking, and goes out of the library.
Sunnydale High. Willow is seating on a bench,
reading a book.
Buffy approaches her and sits next to her.
Buffy: Hey, Will.
Willow: Hey. (closes the book)
Buffy: So, listen, remember when your mom said
you can skip
school this Friday 'cause we have nothing
except math where
you already know everything we do and this
stupid lecture or
whatever? (momentarily stoping to take a breath)
So I thought,
maybe I won't go either and we can go to the
mall. I saw this
really beautiful -
Xander: (Coming from behind them) Hey guys.
Buffy: Hi! sit down with us.
Willow looks away.
Xander: Nah, can't. I've gotta go to the library,
got this bio report
to turn in tomorrow. Well yesterday actually,
but that won't
happen I guess.
Buffy smiles. Willow keeps looking glum.
Xander: Okay, um, I'm going. (Glances at Willow)
Hey, what's up
Will? No saying hi?
Willow mumbles something.
Xander: Uh, okay... bad day I take it. Um,
that's a beautiful...
bracelet, Buffy. I'll be going now.
Xander indeed goes away. Willow moans and leans
forward, her
head on her knees, covering it with her arms.
Buffy: Hey, what's wrong? Willow? (shakes Willow's
shoulder
lightly) C'mon, spill.
Willow: Nothing wrong. Everything's peachy.
(She still has her
head down)
Buffy: Okay, now look straight at me and say
it. Or, you can tell
the truth.
Willow: (sits up) It's just, it's just, I can't
take this anymore. I
mean there he is and he's all cute and gorgeous
and... and
everything, and there I am and I'm one of
the guys.
Buffy: You should tell him how you feel. I
really think you should.
Ask him out or something.
Willow: No, I, I can't. He doesn't look at me this way, y'know?
Buffy: Yeah, of course I know. I mean no! I
mean he just never
thought about it, that's why you've got to
tell him. I know how it
feels.
Willow: No you don't.
Buffy: Well I'd never been in this particular
situation, but I know.
Look, you should just tell him. Or ask him
out. or something.
Willow: I can't!
Buffy: Sure you can. It may look like this
really terrifying thing
now but -
Willow: No, I can't! I can't ask him out, he'd
never go out with me
because, (getting more and more angry and
frustrated, she lets
it out) because he's totally in love with
you!
Buffy: He... uh... what?
Willow: (now on full steam) Oh, no, you see,
that's not *your*
line. I'm the one that says uh and um and
never gets things
right. You're the all sophisticated one that
knows things and can
get a laugh whenever she wants. I'm the one
that gets laughed
AT! (she now talks in a softer, more quite
voice. Her anger's
almost gone.) And I'm happy that you are and
everything
because, because you're my friend, but it
can get really tough
y'know? And I, I could actually really care
less if you have all
that and I don't, but you've also got Xander
and that's, that's just
a bit too much.
Willow walks away. Buffy looks after her, stunned.
Some time later. Willow is on the phone, in
her kitchen, while
heating something up in the microwave.
Mrs. Rosenberg: (V.O over the phone) Yeah I
know I said you
can have tomorrow off honey, but I really
don't think going away
is a good idea.
Willow: Why not? It's my weekend. Can't I do what I want with it?
Mrs. Rosenberg: Yes, of course you can, but
don't you want to
do some schoolwork or something? I mean why
do they give
you weekends?
Willow: I don't know, mom. So we can have some
time to
ourselves?
Mrs. Rosenberg: But you never liked visiting
aunt Emily much.
She doesn't even have a computer. You haven't
been there
since you were 11, I think.
Willow: It's away. It'll do.
Mrs. Rosenberg: Well.. don't you want to spend
time with your
friends?
Willow: No. I don't. That's... part of why I want to go.
Mrs. Rosenberg: Did you have a fight with them
or something?
You know honey, running away is never a solution.
Talk to
them. I don't know your friend Buffy very
well, but she seems
like a nice sensible girl. And Xander is a
very sweet boy and -
Willow: Mom.
Mrs. Rosenberg: Yes?
Willow: I really don't wanna talk about it.
Just tell me if I can go
to aunt Emily's for the weekend. please.
Mrs. Rosenberg: (Sighs) If you want to, honey.
But I wish you'd
reconsider.
Willow: Thanks, mom. So I'm gonna call her.
Bye... see you in 3
hours?
Mrs. Rosenberg: Yeah. Tell Emily I said hi
and asked if
Tommy's doing better at school.
Willow is on the phone again, now talking to Buffy.
Willow: Look, I'm sorry I yelled at you. I
just... it just gets too
much. I don't know.
Buffy: Will, I don't wanna be a nag, but I
really think you should
talk to him about everything.
Willow: No. I.. I don't even wanna see him
right now. I feel like I'll
start crying or some other stupid thing. And
he's my friend,
y'know? He's my best friend. I don't wanna
ruin that. I just want
this... feeling... to go away.
Buffy: So that means we're not all going to
the movies
tomorrow?
Willow: No. I'm going to my aunt's.
Buffy: Your aunt's? Willow, running away won't
help it. You're
gonna have to face it at some point.
Willow: I can't, okay? I told you. I can't
even look at him right
now. I'm gonna be away for the weekend and,
and when I'm
back, it will all be all right again.
Buffy: Except you'll still be in love with
him and he'll still have no
idea.
Willow: It's better this way. Look, it's my
decision, and I want to
go away. I already called my aunt and everything.
She said they
won't be home until Saturday night but they'll
leave me a key.
She said I might wanna bring a friend, but
I'd rather be alone
anyway.
Buffy: No, you don't wanna be alone, you'll
just feel worse.
Y'know what, I'm coming with you.
Willow: No, Buffy. You can't come, okay? I
just want to be by
myself.
Buffy: Will, are you still mad at me about
this whole thing? I
mean, there's nothing I can do.
Willow: I know. I just... look, I'll talk to you on Monday.
Buffy: Willow, I'm coming with you. I have
to be here tomorrow
so my mom will think I'm going to school,
but then I'm catching a
train there.
Willow: Buffy...
Buffy: There's really not much you can do about
it, girlfriend. I'm
not letting you be alone for 2 whole days
while you're at this
messy state.
Willow sighs, giving up.
"But how can I give you a vacation, Buffy?"
Giles wondered
aloud. "Why do you even think it is up to
me? I am merely your
watcher. It is no less my sacred duty to protect
Sunnydale and
the world, than it is yours."
"Cut the crap, Giles." Buffy felt impatient
- even more than the
usual. "I have a friend that needs me, even
if she doesn't realize
that right now. I'm gonna be there for her.
I'll only be gone for the
weekend, things were going slow lately on
the vampires ground,
and you didn't find any prophecies about this
week. I'm going!"
"Where?" asked Xander, coming into the library.
"Obviously not to her math class." the librarian
looked at them
both reproachfully. "Don't you kids ever attend
lessons?"
"I'm trying to cut off going to class," Xander
said cheerfully,
tossing his backpack on the table. "They say
the best way is to
go cold turkey." Buffy smiled at that remark,
but Giles kept his
reproaching expression. "so, that covered,
where are you
going? Don't you have vampires to slay and
freaky monsters to
kill?"
"She most certainly does," said Giles, not
seeing Buffy's silent
attempts to tell him to shut up. "She chooses
to believe chasing
your friend Miss Rosenberg is a higher priority
than protecting
the world from the Hellmouth."
"Willow?" Xander asked, surprised. "chasing
her where? I didn't
see her today but I figured, what with her
actually going to class
and all..."
"She's at her aunt's," Buffy gave up. "and
I have to talk to her. In
person. She has no reason being angry at me
and -"
"Why'd she be angry at you?" Xander looked
at her in even
more surprise. Buffy mentally kicked herself.
"No reason." Not the best lie ever, was it?
But that was Xander.
She didn't feel comfortable lying to him.
He was her friend.
"Well, yes reason. But it's none of your business,
Xander, and
you can't come!"
"You actually thought I'd stay home?" Xander
looked at her in
half- mocked disbelief. "You *remember* who
I am, right?
Xander Harris? The guy that followed you to
that vampire place
first day we met? Although if I knew there
were vampires I might
had stayed home."
Buffy sighed and looked out the window by her
seat. "I can't
believe you followed me to the train station.
I told you, Xander.
This is none of your business."
He looked at her, serious for once. "Willow
is my business, Buff.
She's my best friend. I know her better than
even you do. If
she's so upset she ran away like that, she
probably needs all
the support she can get."
"Xander, no. Please. Trust me on this one...
you coming's the
worst thing that can possibly happen. I mean
it. Any chance I
can make you get off at the next stop and
go home without
kicking your ass?" Which she wouldn't do.
It would get too much
attention, probably get her kicked out herself
and, again, it was
Xander. She didn't really want to hurt him.
Leaning more and
more towards it, yes, but not actually wanting
to.
He leaned back and crossed his arms. "Not if
you don't tell me
what's going on."
Buffy sighed and crossed her arms too. How
could she tell him?
It was Willow's secret, and it was Willow's
call whether or not to
tell Xander she's in love with him.
Oh, damnit. It'd be the worst thing for Willow
to see Xander right
now. But there was nothing Buffy could do.
"Oh, man." Willow looked around at her aunt's...
work room?
Herbs, crystals, witching books, cauldron.
"A witch in the family.
Definitely the black sheep."
This isn't Sunnydale, she reminded herself.
This isn't Hellmouth.
Here, people who think their puppet can talk
for itself are
actually mental and not depressingly right.
Here, her aunt wasn't
a witch but someone who deceived herself to
believe she had
powers. "She doesn't even know how it should
look." Willow
flashed back to Catherine, the evil witch's
attic back home -
dark, threatening, voodoo dolls, there was
a definite lack of
voodoo dolls here. This place was just so...
bright.
But there are different kinds of magic, right?
She helped with the
research when they tried to find the witch
not very long ago.
Black magic, white magic, gypsy magic, Sunnydale
magic... if
the magic is different, the working place
should be different too.
Shouldn't it?
She shook her head and went out of the room.
"We should get there in 20 minutes," Xander
said, taking his
seat. "I asked that guy out there, what's
the name, with the weird
uniform." He munched on the power bar he had
went out to buy.
"want some? there's nothing to buy here. They
don't even have
Snickers."
Buffy shook her head absent-mindedly. As Xander
went back to
his comics magazine, she returned to her thoughts.
"...because he's in love with *you*!" Willow's
voice echoed in her
head, full or anger and hurt and frustration.
Knowing Xander as
well as she did, Willow probably wasn't wrong.
Maybe Xander
himself told her he was in love with Buffy.
It was so weird. Until now, she didn't let
herself think about it,
concentrating on her concern for Willow...
But it needed
considering. It totally needed considering.
There was no crush in her life right now. There
was Owen, the
unbelievably cute guy from school, but no
way was he ever
going to notice her. Or the hunk from science
class who
sometimes smiled at her, but he seemed to
be pretty boring.
Though a hunk. And there was Angel, the mysterious
annoying
gorgeous one, definitely the winner of the
mysterious annoying
face of the year contest. She touched her
cross necklace. No
point going there... he obviously thought
of her as a child, even
if he obviously was only a few years older
himself. He had no
interest in her beyond telling her bad news.
And she had a
feeling he was the kind to break your heart.
And then, there was Xander. He already knew
about her secret.
He was one of her best friends. He could make
her laugh, 6
times out of 10. And he was apparently in
love with her.
*Could I ever be in love with him*? she wondered,
and then
mentally shook her head. No. Her best guy
friend ever, sure,
loving him deeply as a friend, yes. But there
wasn't any of the
spark between them, that FEELING in her stomach
like when
she was around... say, Angel. No. Not love.
Not romantically.
Not to mention Willow. Now that would give
her something to be
really hurt about.
She looked at Xander for a moment, munching
away on his
chocolate bar. Should she talk to him? Tell
him she knows? But
that would include Willow telling her about
his crush thing, which
she obviously wasn't supposed to do. And she
really didn't want
to confront him. Heartbreak stinks... whether
you're on the
causing or receiving end. especially when
there are friends
involved.
Poor Willow.
"You know what, I think I want some after all."
She said, pointing
at his power bar. He looked up from the comics
mag, smiled at
her and crumpled the wrapping. "Sorry... all
gone."
"Nothing helps a heart-broken girl better than
cooking," Willow
hummed to herself as she went through the
kitchen. "Especially
when all she knows how to cook is brownies,
favorite food of...
many people. Which leads us to *him*. Why
does everything
lead to him?" She tore her thoughts away from
the subject and
pulled something out of her backpack. "Mom's
cooking book!
The best guide for a girl in trouble."
She thumbed through the pages, wondering why
she even took
it - was she actually gonna make something?
As in, food
something? That needs mixing and stuff? -
until a picture caught
her eye. "Hmmmm, looks good. Cakey and not
very
complicated... even better. Should make aunt
Emily and Uncle
Tom a good surprise treat when they get back
tomorrow... if I
won't eat it all myself, that is."
She started gathering the materials needed
- flour, eggs, sugar,
etc. Cinnamon... that was a problem. She looked
at her aunt's
spices shelf.
Oh. Geez. The containers didn't have names
on them - they
were subjected by little stickers reading
"hate", "jealousy",
"persuasion", "lust".
So her aunt was *that* kind of person... Willow
could imagine
her explaining every sticker. "Hate, for the
things I used to make
the birthday cake for that horrible woman
from the PTA.
friendship, for what I always use to make
me and my friends
doughnuts when they visit." She wondered what
"lust" stood for,
then decided she most definitely didn't want
to know.
"And I thought mom's weird..."
Luckily, the little cinnamon jar was made with
the word
"CINNAMON" written all over it. There was
no sticker for some
reason. It seemed old... as if someone used
everything in it and
then kept the jar for years to contain other
things...but it was a
powder, and in cinnamon color, or at least
the color of her
cinnamon-colored scarf since she couldn't
remember ever
seeing actual cinnamon. Well, it might be
old, but it was
powder... those aren't supposed to go bad
for years.
As she put it carefully on the table next to
the other materials
and went to look for the butter, Willow didn't
notice the little
sticker on the other side of the jar, indicating
one word. "LOVE."
(After some time...)
"Buffy! How could you bring him?!" Willow took
a deep breath
and looked at the closed kitchen's door. Screaming
is not an
option, screaming is not an option...Xander
was seating in the
living room on the other side of the door,
probably wondering
why she grabbed away Buffy the moment they
came in. If he
heard what they were saying...
She shivered. No, no way. It could, it *would*,
ruin their
friendship. It would make him uncomfortable
around her. And
she knew there was no chance of him feeling
the same - not
with Buffy around. Not with Buffy on the same
planet.
"He brought himself." Buffy looked at her helplessly.
"He
followed me to the train station, believe
it or not. He wouldn't
leave and I couldn't tell him what's going
on 'cause that's, well,
your thing. And it wouldn't help if I went
back home 'cause he
knows were your aunt lives."
"No he doesn't. Well, he does now. But I wasn't
here since I was
11, there's no way he could know."
Buffy shrugged. "Guess he lied to me." see?
she asked herself,
*some* people can lie to friends, and *they*
get what they want.
"This is SO not what I need right now, Buffy."
A Cordelia-shaped
line, Buffy noticed. But the voice wasn't
Cordelia at all - it was
sad and shaken and halfway to tears. "I'm
sorry, will." She said
quietly, hugging her friend.
TRANSCRIPT
Xander, Willow and Buffy are seating in the
living room. There is
most definitely an "awkward silence thing"
going on. Buffy is
staring off into space, occasionally glancing
at Willow with a
worried expression. Willow is avoiding looking
at either of the
others. Xander is looking at them both, trying
to figure out what's
going on.
Xander: Okay, c'mon. I'm sick of playing mummies.
Willow: (looking away) What do you wanna talk about.
Xander: Oh, I don't know. Let's start with
why you won't look at
me and see where that's going.
Willow: I don't know what you're talking about.
(she glances at
him and looks away again.)
Xander: Okayyy... then here's another one... why are you here?
Willow: I'm visiting my aunt. Why are *you* here?
Xander: I was worried about my best friend,
who took a hike
without saying a word after acting really
weird lately. And your
aunt isn't even home.
Buffy: Look, Xander, maybe you should lay off.
She doesn't
have to -
Xander: No, I want some answers here, okay?
I mean I know
you should have your privacy, but too bad,
you don't. I can see
there's something totally wrong. Are you,
I don't know, are you
taking drugs or something?
The girls both give him a *look*.
Xander: Okay, so that's not it. But see what
you've got me
thinking of? (he leans forward, touching Willow's
hand
absent-mindedly) C'mon, Will. How come you
can tell Buffy and
not me? Whatever it is, you know I'll understand.
Willow looks at his hand on her hand for a
moment, then jumps
up and walks a step away from the couch.
Willow: I, I um, you know I should... go and...
(remembers) I've
got a cake in the oven!
She runs to the kitchen. Xander looks after
her, surprised and
suspicious.
Buffy: Will you just *lay off*? She doesn't wanna tell you!
Xander: But she tells me everything. Well,
not *everything*, but
stuff that big...
Buffy: Well maybe it's nothing big. It is nothing big.
Xander: Uh huh. So small she had to go... whatever
miles away
without talking to anyone, right? And look
how she's acting all
funny now. (He looks at Buffy, narrowing his
eyes.) You know
what it is. You're gonna tell me.
Buffy: No, I'm not. You know why?
Xander: 'Cause it's none of my business? We
went over this
one. (suddenly even more worried) She's not
pregnant or
something, right? Or... she... she wasn't,
y'know, raped or.. or
something. Right?
Buffy: No. (Xander looks relived) It's nothing
that terrible or
anything. She's, she's just, look, if she'll
wanna tell you she will.
Xander is about to continue nagging, but Willow
comes back to
the room with some plates and a beautiful
cake and he shuts
up, eyeing it happily.
Willow: Hey, look, it got really nice and everything.
Xander: I'd say. Can I take a piece? (he grabs
a plate and takes
the knife, not waiting for her answer.)
Buffy: Wow, good job, Will. Didn't know you're
such a
mega-chef.
Willow: Uh.. I'm not. Never baked anything
before. except
brownies.
Xander: It tastes great... kinda... funny, but great.
Willow: Funny?
Xander: Yeah... I don't know. Something I can't
recognize in it.
And I'm an expert on sweet stuff.
Willow shrugs.
Buffy: Must be some mega-chef thing. I wish
I could make stuff
like this.
Xander: Well you do other things, Buff. You...
kill vampires.
And.. well, you're great anyway. (A bit too
enthusiastically) We
love you! cooking skills not required. Right,
Will?
Willow turns her face away, as if to look at
some painting on the
wall. Her hand is clutched around the arm
of her chair, knuckles
white. Xander doesn't notice it but Buffy
looks at her, worried.
Willow: Yeah.
Buffy: Will, um... don't you wanna eat the
cake? You should
know what a great cook you are first hand.
(smiles.)
Willow: No, I... feel kinda.. nausea or something.
Xander now looks at her too, worried.
Willow: It's got nothing to do with the.. why
I'm here, okay. Stop
looking at me like that.
Willow stands up, still not looking at either of them.
Willow: I'm going to the guest room to... do
something. Tell me
when you wanna go to sleep, um, I called aunt
Emily and she
said you can take Tom and Tamara's rooms.
That's my twin
cousins.
Xander: Nice names. Matching.
Willow: Yeah. So, uh, I'm going. (She does.)
Buffy: I'll come there in 5 minutes, okay? I wanna talk to you.
Willow: (Stops and stands very still) Not today,
Buffy. Okay? I'll
talk to you tomorrow. Just tell me when you
wanna go to sleep
and I'll show you the rooms and everything.
Willow walks away. Buffy sighs and looks at the cake.
Xander: So, want another piece?
Buffy: Yeah. This is great. You know,
I can hardly believe it
myself, but I have a feeling I'm gonna
eat even more then you.
Xander: Do I hear an eat-all-you-can contest coming up?
Buffy: You betcha. Remember to leave some for Willow though.
Xander: Oh, I'm sure we won't eat the *entire* cake.
Buffy: Right.
They smile at each other and start cutting
two huge pieces.