20. The Prom

Complete story — includes the ending

Joyce visits Angel, telling him that he cannot stand in the way of Buffy's future. On patrol together, Angel breaks up with Buffy and says that he plans to leave Sunnydale after the Ascension. Xander runs into Cordelia at a clothes shop. They get into an argument, during which Cordelia reveals that her family is poor now. A monster breaks into the shop and kills a boy wearing a tuxedo. Wesley identifies the beast as a hellhound, and deduce that a malcontent student, Tucker Wells, plans to use the hellhound to ruin prom night. Buffy offers to stop Tucker so that the rest can enjoy the prom. Xander attends the prom with Anya. Cordelia thanks Xander for paying for her dress, then dances with Wesley. Buffy easily subdues Tucker, but learns that he already released three hellhounds. Buffy manages to kill all three before they interrupt the prom, then changes into her own dress. Buffy is surprised to win the prom award of Class Protector, awarded as thanks from the whole school for her work stopping monsters. Angel arrives in a tuxedo, to dance with Buffy, although he stresses that it does not change things between them.