School Spirits (2023) s01e05 Episode Script

1
Previously on "School Spirits "
I'm never gonna guess his passcode.
OK, pens down.
So, Claire, what would being
homecoming queen mean to you?
The only homecoming that
matters this year is Maddie's.
That's funny, I haven't
heard you say two words to her
since I've been at this school.
Claire, she says she doesn't
care about homecoming,
and then she cries on
camera about Maddie.
- Want to take a selfie?
- Where'd you get that phone?
- Was it unlocked?
- I know everyone's passcodes.
Simon, check his call log.
You've reached Claire Zahler.
Do me a favor and just text me, OK?
Come on.
Come on.
Oh, where are you?
Fuck.
Ugh!
- 39.
- Can I get off now?
No. One more. 40.
- OK, I'm getting off.
- OK. Yeah, sure.
All right, who's next?
Charley, you want to ride the pony?
Oh, OK.
So would that be a microaggression,
or is it just full-on macro?
I don't know what those things mean.
It's a countdown, baby.
We got ten hours until
the homecoming game.
We got to pump it up. Let's go.
Oh, we are pumped, Wally.
This is what pumped
looks like for some of us.
Any more pumped and
I'll throw up in my hat.
Or not.
More pumping.
All right.
Now, is everyone signed
up for a prep committee?
We still need more help with
decorations and refreshments.
Where's Maddie?
Oh, maybe she walked
off during a pony ride.
Nobody should be wandering off, Charley.
Yeah, he's right.
This banner is not
gonna paint itself, OK?
- I'll go find her.
- Oh, no.
I'll go. She likes me more.
Wait. Wait. Wait. Wait.
OK, if both of you guys go,
who's blowing up the balloons?
Who is making my crown of sparklers?
I added that to give this
year a little bit more sizzle.
I mean, it's gonna be OK, sorry.
Fine, I will stay
and help you blow up your balloons.
No one likes a sad pony.
Mr. Martin, should I
No. No, no. That's OK.
There's lots to do, and
we need all hands on deck.
Right, Rhonda?
Hey.
Hey.
Vote for me. I see the real you.
Is she selling mulch?
Maybe it's a salad bar.
What's with all the rocks?
Stop being petty.
I think she's really pretty.
What?
You got to wonder, right?
How far Claire's cult
will go to impress her.
What? You mean like murder someone?
Don't look shocked. They
live for her approval.
Yeah, but you really
think they'd kill for it?
I mean, they can barely get dressed
without consulting Claire first.
Fair, but, Maddie, we've
been tailing her for a week.
We still have no idea how
she's connected to Anderson.
How were you even
friends with her anyway?
We were neighbors.
You know, it was easy.
Then what, she just ditched you one day
for these robot sheep?
Not exactly.
Oh, I can't find it.
Where is it?
It was a long time ago.
Why can't I ever find anything
in this fucking house?
Mom was having an off day.
Who needs all this shit?
I can't fucking take it anymore.
I just need a little goddamn help.
I was 12 years old, and I didn't know
how bad things were
for Claire at home too.
Maddie, please.
Maddie, hurry. Come on.
Maddie, come on. I can see you.
Her parents had been fighting.
She was scared, and she
needed a place to go.
You can't come in.
I gotta go.
What?
Maddie. Maddie, please.
But I couldn't help her.
I just can't fucking do it anymore.
And then what happened?
She moved in with her dad for a year.
And her mom remarried that rich guy.
The one whose face is
on all the bus benches?
The real estate guy?
And when she came back to Split River
for middle school, she
looked right through me
like I wasn't even there.
We never talked after that.
Jesus, Maddie.
What if she's still holding on to that?
I could hear the
"Dateline" guy right now.
"Childhood wound reopened.
The only thing that
could heal it, revenge."
People hold on to that stuff.
Maybe Claire did too.
OK, yes.
Oh, was it just her backpack?
Oh, no. No. No, I understand.
Please, uh yeah, anything.
Thank you.
They found Maddie's backpack?
Where?
Deserted house near the old place
on the corner of 10th and Lasher.
Do you know the house?
I've passed it before.
I mean, it's always
looked empty to me, but
Well, your father thinks that someone's
been squatting there.
It's Maddie, right?
It has to be.
Maybe she's scared to come home.
Oh.
I have so much that I have to do.
I just want her to know
that everything is gonna be different.
Do you want me to finish
up with the garage?
- My free period lasts
- No, no. No. No.
No, you've done enough.
Just get to school.
And thank you.
Lip gloss, keys, phone, wallet.
More lip gloss, sunglasses.
Ooh, mints.
Never turn down a mint.
On the plus side,
there's no murder weapons.
Yeah, but there's nothing here.
Do we think Mr. Anderson
will be chaperoning
the dance this year?
Can you chaperone
wearing an ankle monitor?
Maybe if they move the
dance to a federal prison.
Claire, you OK?
Oh, shit. Right.
Your parents must be really pissed.
Didn't they give, like, a ton
of money to the booster club?
Yeah, they did.
Claire, where are you going?
This might be good.
Mr. Hartman.
- Yes.
- Hi.
What the fuck has been her deal?
You got a minute?
For you, I have two. How
are you doing, Claire?
And what can I do for you?
Well, my parents want
to know what's going on
with Mr. Anderson and
the money he stole.
Ooh, ouch let's not toss around
toxic words like that.
Well, he did steal it, didn't he?
I would assure your parents
that we have put Mr. Anderson
on administrative leave,
and the Split River
police are investigating.
It's been a week.
Has he admitted anything?
Was he working alone, or did he hint
that anyone else was involved?
She's fishing.
I'm sure there's a
reasonable explanation.
Yeah, there is.
He's a thief.
And my parents are gonna lose it
if they're dragged into a scandal.
That will definitely be the last check
they write to this school.
- Wow, she is dramatic.
- Claire.
Claire. Claire. Um
Sorry to cut in.
But we need you both back in the gym.
They still need help
with Wally's banner.
Oh, yes. That is right.
We were supposed to head back there.
I just, like, got sidetracked.
- Sorry, there were mints.
- Right.
Well, you've both been gone for hours.
There are still people in
this school that count on you.
Dead people.
Since when did you stop
majoring in Who Gives a Fuck?
We all have to pitch in, pussytoes.
I'm sorry. What did she just call me?
Yeah.
I think it's probably a flower.
- OK.
- Yeah.
Hey, how's that letter to Amelia going?
Oh, it's really good. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
No, I'm on the 12th draft.
And you're telling me now?
Well, I just found out myself.
Who's your source? Xavier.
Simon, we're all on the same side here.
What was inside the backpack?
They sure it's Maddie's?
Did they find a weapon too?
Why are you yelling at me?
What else is Xavier feeding you?
Ask him yourself.
- Did you tell him?
- She told me.
Where is this place?
It's an abandoned house on White Oak
they're about to tear down.
- Who's they?
- Claire's stepfather.
- He owns the whole block.
- Yeah, of course he does.
Just because he owns the place
it doesn't mean she has
anything to do with it.
- You know that.
- Right, defend Claire.
- She's an angel.
- That's not what he said.
Simon thinks Claire
may be connected to what
happened to Maddie because
- Because I know things.
- Like what?
A week ago, you thought I had something
to do with this, Simon.
Well, maybe I still do.
- What's going on with you?
- What's going on with you?
You take brooding sad boy to Horror Con,
suddenly you trust
everything that he says?
I asked you first, and you said no.
Why are you trying so
hard to push me away?
Did it ever occur to
you that I wasn't ready
to lose two friends?
Nicole, I'm sorry.
Nicole, I'm sorry.
Nicole.
When I get close to you ♪
Everything feels much better ♪
So am I the only one
wondering why we couldn't just
steal the decorations the
school has already made
instead of doing this crap ourselves?
Well, technically, we
did steal from the school.
The paint's from the art room.
And this helium tank is thanks
to a very overeager
homecoming committee.
Plus, it's also
Kind of a tradition.
He's right.
Once a year, we're forced
to relive Wally's glory days.
Hey, at least I had glory.
Wait, you died at the homecoming game?
Yeah.
And my family still shows
up for me every year,
so I try to show up for them, you know?
Wait, you're coming to the game, right?
Yeah, but I'm just going
to watch the cheerleaders.
I think you mean one
cheerleader in particular.
Excuse me. Can you help me?
Is Mrs. Field's classroom
on the first floor or
Mom?
Thank you.
Mr. South?
What are you doing down here?
I need a key to Mr.
Anderson's classroom.
- No can do.
- Cops told us keep it locked.
Right, but I left my notebook in there.
I need to study it for a test.
It's only gonna be for
a second, Mr. South.
No one's gonna know, I promise.
I'll know.
No, I understand.
It's just that notebook
was actually my friend's,
and it's all I have left.
Oh.
You got ten minutes.
You know they found her backpack.
I didn't know that, no.
So all the more reason
for me to make sure
she has everything she needs.
- Right?
- Right.
I mean, the last thing I want
is for my daughter's absence
to affect her college chances.
You know, she's
applying to Northwestern.
I did know that.
We used to talk about it, actually.
I went there too, and
I think that Maddie
would really thrive there.
Wow.
I didn't know that.
So did you need help getting
her other schoolwork from her
Nope. I got everything.
You're my last stop.
OK.
I know I wasn't
haven't been very involved,
you know, in all this stuff.
I know I'm not exactly
Mother of the Year.
Maybe Mother of the Week
or Mother of a Couple Days.
But I really want to
be different for Maddie.
I don't know if that makes any sense.
No, it does.
I think it's great.
Mom.
You are not gonna believe this.
What's wrong?
She was here.
My mom, just now.
And I'm guessing that was a bad thing.
Was she
No.
She wasn't drunk at
all. That's what's weird.
She was put together.
So so a good thing then?
Maybe.
I'm not sure. It just
it's been so long since
I've seen her like that,
I almost forgot what normal looked like.
Well, you want to see
something not normal?
Take a look at these.
What am I looking at?
English papers.
Claire's English papers.
Read that one.
"In George Orwell's
dystopia, nothing is sacred,
not even the privacy of one's own home."
OK, it's her paper on "1984."
- So what?
- Now read this one.
"In George Orwell's
dystopia, nothing is sacred,
not even the privacy of one"
I don't understand.
That's her paper on
"The Scarlet Letter."
"Pride and Prejudice."
"Lord of the Flies."
"And Then There Were None."
"Hamlet." They're all the same.
She read one book this
year but got straight As.
So the question is, why?
I mean, this is big, right?
Yeah, it is.
And we should probably look into it,
but we can't right now.
What? Why?
Simon, you didn't see my mom.
She was so
and whatever this is, if it comes out,
all it means is that the
mom I saw in there goes away.
You know?
Maybe never comes back.
So then we just let Claire get away
with whatever's going on here?
With maybe maybe playing
a part in your death?
Simon, it's Claire.
You know, she could just
pay someone off anyway.
And either way, I'm still dead.
But maybe if we just
put all this on hold
It means my mom can have a life.
- Hey.
- Oh.
Why haven't you answered my texts?
Claire, you need to leave right now.
What'd you tell the cops?
- Go home, Claire.
- Tell me.
I need to know what you said.
I told them the truth.
That I took that money
to pay off my dad's debt.
And that's where I was the
night Maddie disappeared,
with my father.
Is that all right with you?
Cool.
Can I go?
Did you say anything about me?
You know what?
I don't remember.
Go, go, go, go.
Yo, a little help?
Or not.
You mind if I
Don't you have jumping
jacks to do or something?
Oh, no. I am maxed out.
I gotta save myself for the big show.
You know?
But anyway, what's up with you?
How you doing?
Oh, shit. Your mom.
How'd that go?
Well, you know.
Happy, sad, weird, but fine.
Really?
Well, you know, my parents,
they've been coming to my
games for almost 40 years now.
And it is never just fine.
Unless we win, of course.
Then it's fine.
But does your dad do
the whole belligerent fan thing?
Like, curse at the refs
and scream at the coaches?
Um
my mom always pushed me
to be the best version of
myself I could be, you know,
on and off the field.
- Didn't you die on the field?
- Yeah.
Yeah, I did.
I was right at the five-yard line.
And I was running, and then I heard
my neck
And it was lights out,
but it did not hurt at all.
The thing that stings,
honestly, is the fact
that I didn't die in the end zone.
I could have got my mom
one more W, you know?
That is my cue.
Will I see you later?
Yeah.
All right, it's game time, baby.
Whoo!
Hello?
Hello?
Hello?
Hey!
Ladies and gentleman,
welcome to Wally Clark
Memorial Stadium and
Split River High's
Let's go, boys!
67th annual homecoming game!
See? It's not so bad, is it?
If I thought it would
help me cross over,
I would go out there
and tackle somebody.
OK.
That's the spirit. I think.
- Whoo!
- Hey!
Ahh!
It's game day, baby!
Go, Bandits, go!
Go, Bandits, go!
Go, Bandits, go!
Go, Bandits, go!
Go, Bandits, go!
Go, Bandits, go!
Go, Bandits, go!
Go, Bandits, go!
Go, Bandits, go!
Go, Bandits, go!
Go, Bandits, go!
Claire, thank God you're here.
The JV girls are totally
ruining the pre-game.
I was, like, super worried you
wouldn't get here in time
- Well, I'm here.
- To yell at them.
OK, so just don't worry about it.
What are you doing here?
Look, man, can you just give me a break?
Why are you here?
I came to ask Sandra
about Maddie's backpack.
Well, you could have just asked me.
I just went to the house
where they found it.
You what?
Why would you do that?
Because I want answers too, Simon,
no matter how hard that
is for you to believe.
Did you find something?
Not something. Someone.
You're serious?
All right, who was it?
I didn't see their face.
They flew out of there
the second they saw me.
Do you think it was Claire?
Too hard to tell. Maybe.
Honestly, it could have been anyone.
Simon.
It's so good to see you.
Hey, Sandra.
Are you here to help?
Help with what exactly?
Nicole and I are helping Sandra
hand out flyers at the game.
If these are plastered in enough places,
she'll see one and know it's
time to come home, right?
I mean, she has to.
Come on.
Let's go.
Throw your bike in the truck.
What's that all about?
What about Charley?
I mean, what's he been working
on in that notebook all day?
Why do I get the sense that
everyone's lost focus lately?
You keep an eye on her for me, will you?
She seems to trust you.
I'd just hate for her to backslide
and cause anyone else to lose their way.
We've come so far.
As have you.
Yeah.
- Yeah?
- I can do that.
Thank you.
Let's go, Split River.
Go get them.
Thank you, Mr. Ansell.
Mwah! I love you. Boom.
Boom. Come on. Boom, boom, boom.
It is game time, baby.
- Whoo!
- Come on! Move your asses!
Hey.
You see her?
I can run faster than that.
That is my mama.
She has never missed a game,
and she always leaves that empty seat
next to her every time.
Is it for your dad?
No, he stopped coming,
like, 15 years ago.
I think it's for me.
Bring it back.
Bring it back.
Bring it back.
Bring it back.
My daughter. She's missing.
There. Have you seen her?
There you go.
Hey, why don't you give me a few more,
and I'll put them up in my neighborhood?
Oh, thanks.
Has anyone heard from him?
- Mr. Anderson?
- No.
No, I think his lawyers
told him not to talk.
All we've heard is that
he turned over the money.
Thank you.
He was always so kind to Maddie.
Well, I guess it's true.
People can do more than one thing.
Well, if he was just stealing
money, I don't blame him.
This country does not
pay teachers enough.
- Thanks.
- Hey, Ms. Fields?
Mm-hmm?
Can't they make Mr. Anderson talk?
I mean, what if he did have
something to do with Maddie?
I mean, why she ran away.
You know, Nicole, that's
really not for us to solve.
We're just gonna have to wait and see.
Besides, the truth might never come out.
I swear, when she's screaming
her head off like that,
I feel like she can
still see me out there.
- Maybe she does.
- Oh. Eww!
Even you just saying
that stressed me out.
Please tell me both
of those are for you.
I dare you not to like it.
You want to talk about
things that stress you out?
Hot dogs stress me out.
Is it the shape?
Whenever my mom was going
through a rough patch, um,
she mostly cared about
what there was to drink.
And so I was kind of
on my own for dinner.
And what does every
13-year-old know how to make?
And I got really creative with them.
I made frank and beans, hot
dog casserole, hot dog omelet.
I even once made a hot dog
peanut butter and jelly.
- Oh, jeez.
- Yeah.
That's not good.
I had no idea about your mom.
Kind of rough times.
Uh sorry.
Everyone's haunted by something.
Well, here's to mama drama, then, huh?
Clink.
You know, it is really impressive
that your mom is still
celebrating something
that you love.
Well, actually, it was my mom's idea
that I play football.
But you love it, right?
Nah, I don't.
I mean, I don't mind it.
I'm really good at it.
But, um, I played it for her.
- And you never told her that?
- Oh, my God. No way.
That would I that would
that would break her heart.
Wally, you know that you don't
have to do what she wants anymore.
You can do whatever the hell you want.
Yeah.
But I don't know if
I know how to do that.
Is it hard seeing him?
It's getting easier.
Especially now that I'm
95% sure he didn't kill me.
But, um, it is kind of
weird seeing him pass out
flyers with my face on them.
Wait.
That's my mom's favorite picture of me.
How did Xavier get that photo?
This is my daughter.
What does it say about me
if I'd rather never
know what happened to me
if it means my mom will stay sober?
I mean, what does it say
about me that I keep coming
back to the field I died on
to watch the game that killed me
because I think it'll make my mom proud?
Maybe my mom holding on to the hope
that I might come back some
day is enough to keep her going.
But you're not.
You're not coming back.
The number. Thank you.
I'm all out.
Oh, there's more in that box over there.
Well, maybe you've forgotten
what we talked about.
I absolutely have not.
But I'm going to get
caught, and so are you
if we're not smart about this.
Well, maybe you should
have thought about that
before you stole that money.
My parents' money.
I am doing everything you ask, OK?
Listen, I can't get
anything less than an A, OK?
It's important.
So just do what you said you would do,
and your secret will be safe. Got it?
Did you guys get it too?
Yeah. Why'd they send it to us?
Yeah, and who the hell recorded it?
Go, Bandits, go.
Go, Bandits, go.
Go, Bandits, go.
Go, Bandits, go.
Go, Bandits, go.
Let's go, 20.
Hey, watch 12.
Watch 12. Whew.
Hey, Wally, what's going on?
Mom, you should not be down here.
And you shouldn't be on that bench.
Where's Dad?
He's up there, and
he agrees with me, OK?
Well, Mom, Coach wants
me to rest my knee, so
Well, you know what they say.
You can rest when you're dead.
Do you want me to talk to him?
No. No, don't don't talk to the
OK, you know, Mom, he said he's gonna
put me in later, so you
don't have to worry about it.
Later doesn't win scholarships, Wally.
OK?
OK, well, I think he's right.
Honey, if Coach was always right,
he'd be coaching in the pros
and not benching high schoolers.
- He's my coach.
- You're a star.
I'm gonna listen to what he's saying.
And he needs to play you.
Now you just march over to him
and tell him you're fine, all right?
Tell him you want back
in. And make me proud.
Come on, Devils.
Come on, Devils!
Hey. Hey.
We need to talk now.
- Uh
- Shh.
Watch.
I can't get anything less than an A.
So just do what you said you would do,
and your secret will be safe.
If Claire knows about this video
and she thinks you
took it, that's motive.
I'm no better than him.
Better than who?
What are we talking about?
I can't protect my mom by giving up.
She has to know I'm not
coming home, good or bad.
You know, she has to move on.
So do I.
What do we do now?
And you had no idea this was going on?
Of course not.
All I know is what Simon told us
about Mr. Anderson's phone call
and the money and the phone shard.
Are you sure that's all?
What the fuck, Nicole?
All I did was take Maddie's phone
so I could delete that
stupid cheating text.
I mean, Claire must have stolen it,
swapped it with a blank one.
Maybe I should just show
this video to my dad.
No, you can't do that.
He's gonna think you had
something to do with it again,
and we don't have time to
keep clearing your name.
Xavier.
I think I'm done for tonight.
Can we just head home?
Are you OK?
I think it's too much.
I shouldn't have
I just need to go home
now.
I can take you, Sandra.
Would you?
I just need to take care of something.
- Everything cool?
- Yeah.
Just keep me updated. Text
me if anything happens.
Come on.
Hey, Simon, what's up?
What are we gonna do about this video?
It's about what you have to do.
Win back Claire's confidence,
and then you crack her.
But how am I gonna do that?
Simon, tell him to ask her
to the homecoming dance.
Ask her to the homecoming dance.
You're shitting me, right?
The girl hates me.
After Maddie disappeared,
I pushed her away,
and it really pissed her off.
Claire doesn't want
anything to do with me.
Apologize. Send her a text.
Apologize.
Send her a text.
What do I say?
I'll tell you.
I'm gonna try this. I
don't think it's gonna work.
- I know I hurt you.
- I know I hurt you.
I feel your sadness, and I'm sorry.
I feel your anger, and I deserve that.
I feel your sadness, and I'm sorry.
I feel your anger, and I
- I deserve that.
- I deserve that.
I wish I could erase what happened.
And if there's anything I
can do to make it up to you,
I want to try.
I wish I could erase what happened.
If there's any way I can make
it up to you, I want to try.
Yeah, hold up, dude.
You're going too fast.
I miss you.
I want to be with you.
Go to the homecoming dance with me.
I miss you.
I want to be with you.
Go to the homecoming dance with me.
Are you OK?
Yeah, man. I'm good.
So what now?
Send it.
Let's go! Come on!
Maddie, hey.
Hi.
I just wanted to thank you.
I don't know, I just I feel
Free.
Free. Yeah.
You know, I don't think
I've ever met anybody
like you before.
Yeah. Well, same.
Yeah.
Definitely never been to
a football game before.
Yeah.
Well, I mean, I've
I don't feel like I've ever
been able to talk to someone
like I can talk to you.
Yeah.
Tonight was nice.
Do you want to go to the dance with me?
As friends.
You can totally say no, Maddie.
I just you know,
it's your first time.
I thought maybe I could
you're gonna be there anyway.
Sure, Wally.
All right, that's all
right, that's, uh, cool.
That's really cool.
I will I'll see you at the dance.
So hell yeah.
All right.
Hey.
I know this may be a
stretch, but I think I know
who may have taken that video.
When you gave me your keys earlier,
was it because there was something
you wanted me to know?
I don't understand.
Did you want me to find
something, Mr. South?
Simon, if I've got
something to say, I say it.
But when I came by this morning,
you were watching a video,
and you hid it from me.
And now we get sent this video,
and I'm thinking it could be you.
Simon, I was hiding it
because I didn't want you to get hurt.
Ever since they found your
friend's blood on the wall,
all kinds of looky-loos been
coming down here sightseeing.
Who would have thought
I'd be the number one stop
on a haunted tour?
I had to document everything
for the school district.
People wrote things on
the wall that were
disrespectful.
That was on me.
Don't blame yourself.
All right?
This isn't on you.
I'll clean it up.
You still need help?
Sorry to make you leave early.
Oh, no. I don't mind.
Pretty sure we were losing anyway.
Do you think Maddie will
forgive me and come home?
I'd like to think we can
be forgiven for anything
if our heart's in the right place.
Can I have a hug?
Of course.
I needed that.
I'll help you get the stuff in the car.
Oh, no, no. I got it.
You can get in the car.
It's OK.
Here.
Simon.
We got bigger things to worry about.
Can you ask Mr. South if he knows
where this door leads to?
How did I not know we
had a fallout shelter?
Mr. South said it's been
here since the Cold War.
That it hasn't been used in decades.
Wait.
We can talk down there.
Doesn't that mean that somebody died?
Yeah. But who?
Where do you think that goes?
No idea.
But I'm guessing this is how Claire
dragged your body out of here.