XANDER: Okay, how long does it take you to buy a damn dress?

CORDELIA: Xander! I, uh, I'm considering things a little more carefully nowadays. I don't want to get stuck with another dud.

XANDER: Well this should work for you. It positively screams nympho.

Salesgirl: Is this a customer or a friend?

XANDER: Neither. Just stopped by for my daily helping of bile.

Salesgirl: So you better get back to work and quit goofing. Mrs. Finkel so has it in for you.

XANDER: You work here?

CORDELIA: Yes. Yes, I work here.

XANDER: But, uh, why?

CORDELIA: I'm trying to buy a dress.

XANDER: But don't you already have all the dresses?

CORDELIA: I have nothing, okay? No dresses. No cell phone. No car. Everything's been taken away because Daddy made a little mistake on his taxes. For the last twelve years. Satisfied? Are you a happy Xander now? I'm broke. I can't go to any of the colleges that accepted me. And I can't stay home because we no longer have one.

XANDER: Uh, wow.

CORDELIA: Yeah, neato. Now you can run along and tell all of your friends how Cordy finally got hers. How she has to work part time just to get a lousy prom dress on layaway. And how she has to wear a name tag. Oh, I'm a name tag person. Don't leave that out. The story just wouldn't have the same punch.

• Xander & Cordelia

written by: Marti Noxon; . Full transcript at:
http://www.studiesinwords.de/54prom.html