Episode 9 - Wishes and Surprises
WISHES AND SURPRISES
TEASER
EXT. SUNNYDALE STREET - NIGHT (NIGHT ONE)
We see a panicked male face, breathing hard, looking
behind him. He is stumbling along, running as fast as
he can. He looks behind again.
REVERSE ANGLE:
Flix, smiling. She simply walks slowly towards her
prey, stalking it.
The guy runs into an alleyway, trying to find a way
out. He stumbles to the ground, picks himself up
again. He looks behind him again.
With his head turned the opposite direction, he runs
straight into.. Flix, standing right in front of him.
He falls down onto his back, his face etched with
terror and confusion. He tries to scurry backwards on
the ground. Flix approaches.
GUY
Please.
FLIX
(smiling)
Shh. It'll be over soon.
ANGLE : FLIX
We see Flix standing over the guy. We see her dive
down out of frame as she attacks. A few screams, then
silence. We see Flix standing back up into the frame,
looking back down the alleyway. She smiles.
INT. BUFFY'S ROOM - DAY (DAY TWO)
ANGLE : BUFFY
sleeping on her bed, seemingly dreaming about
something uncomfortable. It is early morning. We see a
hand come into frame from above and gently stroke her
hair.
JOYCE (O.S.)
(softly)
Wake up birthday girl.
We see Buffy rouse. She stretches out lazily, looks up
and smiles.
BUFFY
(sleepy)
Mom?
We PAN up to see Joyce, sitting on the bed, smiling
down at Buffy.
BUFFY
(looking around)
What. No breakfast in bed?
JOYCE
No sleepy head, unless that's what
you call the kitchen these days.
BUFFY
But, it's my birthday. You're
supposed to be all attentive and
doting. I definitely remember doting
being included in the package deal,
that and, you know, breakfast in
bed.
JOYCE
(smiling)
No breakfast in bed.
(patting Buffy)
Now, come on and get up. You've a
big day ahead of you.
Joyce gets up from the bed and picks up some of
Buffy's clothes from the floor.
BUFFY
It's just a birthday Mom, not my
first day at school. It's no big.
Just another day of the year.
Joyce smiles but remains silent, tidying up Buffy's
room. A furrow of the brow from Buffy.
BUFFY
Okay, this is the part where you're
supposed to give me my ego booster
shot. Don't they like teach you that
the first day of parenting school?
JOYCE
Oh, I'm sorry Honey. You know that
you and Dawn are the two most
precious things in my life.
(coming over and kissing
Buffy on her forehead)
I've been through this day for the
past twenty-one years, and it's as
wonderful today as it was on that
very first day.
Buffy smiles warmly.
BUFFY
See, that wasn't so hard was it?
Buffy gets out of bed and starts to make her bed.
Joyce stands on the other side of the bed, staring at
Buffy and smiling.
BUFFY
(noticing)
Stop it.
JOYCE
What?
BUFFY
Stop with that look.
JOYCE
Look?
BUFFY
That look you get when you go all
doe-eyed and reminiscy.
JOYCE
I can't help it. It's just that,
when I look at you, you remind me so
much of myself when I was your age.
BUFFY
I do?
JOYCE
We could be twins, except of course,
my extra-curricular activities back
then didn't involve fending off
creatures of the night who were only
interested in one thing.
(thinking about it)
But then again..
BUFFY
(aghast)
Mom!
JOYCE
(teasingly)
Oh Honey, I was young once too. I
know it may be hard for you to
believe but I've had the same
feelings, the same urges..
BUFFY
Mom! Stop it! You're breaking rule
number two in the mother-daughter
handbook.
JOYCE
I am?
BUFFY
Yes! No daughter should ever, EVER,
be subjected to tales of their
mother's sexual escapades when they
were young.
JOYCE
Really.
BUFFY
Yes. No escapades, no frolics, no..
no capers and definitely, definitely
no urges.
JOYCE
I see. Rule number two huh?
BUFFY
Of course. It derives from the all-
important rule number one. No mother
should ever try to relate to their
daughter as a fellow human being.
They should all stay firmly in their
nice, comfy category of 'Mom'.
JOYCE
Shame on me. I'll take another look
at the rules after lunch. In the
meantime, you better get dressed.
You're going to be late for class.
BUFFY
Mom, it's Saturday. Besides, I kinda
dropped out, remember?
JOYCE
Buffy.
BUFFY
Don't have a meltdown okay. It's not
like I have the time for both a
healthy vamp kill count and GPA.
(confused)
Didn't I tell you I dropped out? I
mean, you must have figured it out
by now, what with my regular
patronage at the Magic Box and all.
JOYCE
I didn't know.
(a beat as she folds some
more clothers.. then)
There's more to life than just
slaying Buffy. You should really go
back to school.
BUFFY
I will, I will. It's just that
things are a little hectic right
now. There's the slaying and the
training, and I have to look after
Dawn full-time now and it's not..
Buffy stops mid-sentence. A realisation. Buffy looks
intently at her mother. Joyce continues to smile and
fold some clothes.
BUFFY
(quietly)
Mom?.. Why did you leave?
Joyce doesn't say anything. She looks at Buffy with a
kind, comforting smile. We hear an alarm buzz off-
screen. Joyce looks over to the alarm clock besides
Buffy's bed. Buffy turns to look at the alarm clock
behind her.
ANGLE ON : ALARM CLOCK
buzzing away. We see a hand reach over and shut off
the alarm.
We PAN over to see Buffy in bed, having just awoken.
She lies back, looking at the ceiling.
BLACKOUT
END OF TEASER
CONTINUE TO ACT ONE