VAL: You all right girl?

DENISE: Huh? Yeah, fine. I'm good. You know, I'm ... not *perfect*. Oh, god.

VAL: Come on, spit it out. You're among friends.

(Gene comes up the steps behind the bench on which they are sitting. He hears Denise's voice and stops.)

DENISE: This has to stay among friends. You can't repeat this to anybody.

VAL: I won't.

DENISE: I just -- I just don't think that it's gonna work out with me and Gene.

(Gene, out of sight, freezes in shock.)

VAL: Oh. And tonight is your guy's one year anniversary!

DENISE: You think I don't know that? (Gene sags.)

VAL: Oh, honey.

DENISE: I mean, Gene's a wonderful guy.

VAL: Yeah?

DENISE: But he's just sort of -- hollow, or something. When I'm with him I feel ... I feel lonely.

VAL: Maybe that's because *he* is. You know I love him, but he *is* an energy sucker.

DENISE: I have to break up with him.

VAL: Uh. Not to be a massive bitch or anything, but couldn't you have figured that out *before* the big anniversary do?

DENISE: He's got the whole thing planned. He's making me dinner at his place.

VAL: What are you gonna do? (pause) Oh, my god. You're gonna give him the sympathy bone, aren't you? It's gonna be dinner, sympathy bone, and adios Gene. I'm totally right here, aren't I?

DENISE: Well, we've been together for a year. I can't just walk out on him! It just wouldn't be right. Not after all we've ...

VAL: No, you're right. The post-sympathy-bone-walk-out is your only escape hatch now.

DENISE: It was really sweet there for a while. Really sweet. But it's just -- it's just not the kind of love that lasts.

(Gene turns around and walks back down the steps.)

written by: David Greenwalt; Original transcript by anonymous. Edited, formatted for this site & checked against source by chicken_cem. Checked against source by chicken_cem.. Full transcript at:
http://www.buffyworld.com/angel/season2/transcripts/35_tran.shtml