(Psyche-lecture room at UCS.)

BUFFY: Excuse me, Professor Walsh? I came to get today's assignments. I, uh, couldn't make it to class for personal reasons.

WALSH: Right. I count four limbs, a head no visible scarring, so I assume your personal issue wasn't a life threatening accident of any kind, I'm therefore uninterested. You got problems, solve them on your own time. Miss another class and you're out.

Prof. Walsh walks past Buffy.

RILEY: She means it, you know.

BUFFY: Yeah. I got the impression she wasn't saying it to make me laugh.

RILEY: You've got to be aware your work's taken a little down turn lately. I can't remember the last time I've seen your hand up.

BUFFY: Does stretching count?

RILEY: Look, things get pretty intense Freshmen year, - as I dimly recall. Too much fun or not enough?

BUFFY: Both actually.

RILEY: Yeah, well, you just got to keep your priorities. Prof. Walsh is worth your time.

BUFFY: Thanks, I'll get this done tonight.

RILEY: Tonight. It's Halloween! What, your not going to dress up and go party?

BUFFY: I have a lot of work to do.

RILEY: I may be out of line here, and it's not really my business, but - you seem like the kind of person that makes things really hard on themselves. Halloween isn't a night for responsibility. It's when the ghosts and goblins come out.

BUFFY: That's actually a misnomer.

RILEY: Well, I didn't mean real ones. (Buffy smiles and looks down) But, hey, there is some good scary fun to be had on campus tonight.

BUFFY: Yeah? What are you doing?

RILEY: Well, I'm going to sit here and grade papers.

BUFFY: Scary.

RILEY: Very.

BUFFY: Well, thanks for the pep talk, coach.

RILEY: Don't make fun. I worked long and hard to get this pompous.

BUFFY: No, I mean it.

RILEY: You're welcome.

• Academics
• Buffy & Riley

written by: David Fury; . Full transcript at:
http://www.studiesinwords.de/60fearitself.html