School Spirits 1x1

1. Everyone, please quiet down.

2. Please, people.

3. Thank you.

4. Now—

5. It has been a very trying last few days, as we know.

6. The Split River Police are considering this

7. a missing person investigation.

8. I know this is alarming news, but we have

9. every hope she will be found—

10. What was her name again?

11. Maggie somebody?

12. Hmm.

13. They found a bunch of blood smeared

14. all over the janitor's closet.

15. I thought it was the boiler room?

16. They think her phone's, like, still in the school somewhere.

17. I guess they tried to—

18. Oh my god.

19. She doesn't have her phone?

20. That's so sad.

21. Hey.

22. Can you two please focus?

23. I'm sorry, Claire.

24. Did you sleep?

25. No.

26. You?

27. we can band together to show off just how great—

28. No.

29. And I remind you, if you know anything,

30. anything at all,

31. please come forward.

32. And now a little levity.

33. Yes, a routine from our very own Split River cheer squad.

34. Yes!

35. Thank you.

36. All right, let's have the cheer squad come

37. to the center of the court, please.

38. Thank you.

39. I just want to take a moment to acknowledge the debate team.

40. They placed third at the regional championships.

41. Yes!

42. Hey, at least they used a nice photo of you.

43. I'm trying to focus.

44. Ready?

45. OK!

46. Hey, Split River, what do you say?

47. If you ask me, what's really missing here is a little tact.

48. Come on, Split River, get on your feet.

49. The Bandits gonna bring the...

50. Heat, heat, heat!

51. B-A-N-D-I-T-S!

52. Go, Bandits, go!

53. For Maggie!

54. It's Maddie!

55. OK.

56. Say it with me now, just one more time.

57. They can't hear you.

58. congratulations to Mr. Anderson.

59. They've reached their fundraising goal.

60. The good news is, it's only a matter of time

61. till they realize you're dead.

62. will make their debut at the state

63. tournament in Waukesha.

64. OK.

65. This is ridiculous.

66. I've been wandering the halls for three days,

67. and I still don't know where I'm supposed to be.

68. If you're looking for it to make sense, you can stop.

69. It's not going to.

70. Are you sure I'm dead?

71. Mm-hmm.

72. Maybe— maybe I'm in a coma in a hospital somewhere

73. and some overworked nurse is stepping on my breathing tube.

74. And I just need to wake up. - OK, wow.

75. Yeah, no.

76. Someone's been reading way too much Stephen King.

77. A coma is a lovely thought, but no.

78. If you're here, you're here.

79. I hate it here.

80. Oh, listen.

81. I get it.

82. It's just moving from one prison to another.

83. Only difference is that high school

84. used to feel like an eternity, and now it actually is.

85. Hey, you.

86. What are you doing?

87. You can't bounce that in the hall.

88. Come on, give it here.

89. You can grab it after school.

90. Yeah, that's one thing that hasn't changed for me

91. since I went here in the '90s.

92. I was basically invisible when I was alive too.

93. You going to go back to the senior assembly?

94. That assembly is a joke.

95. I'm going to look for my friend.

96. Nicole.

97. Nicole, look at me.

98. I'm right here.

99. Nicole.

100. Come on.

101. There's some people I think you should meet.

102. I already have friends.

103. Just try one meeting, OK?

104. And— and if you hate it, I'll never

105. bother you about it again.

106. I'm holding you to that.

107. OK.

108. Oh, are we playing basketball, now?

109. Oh my god, no.

110. Please leave the sports to the living kids.

111. We're over here.

112. No need to flinch.

113. They can't see you, and they can't hurt you.

114. It's one of the small perks of the whole being dead thing.

115. Come on.

116. I'm sitting there.

117. Oh, that's Rhonda.

118. She's really into Kerouac poems and confrontation.

119. Sorry.

120. Is this seat taken?

121. Uh, not anymore.

122. That was Janet's.

123. What happened to her?

124. All right, everyone.

125. Let's get started.

126. Hello.

127. I'm glad you decided to join us.

128. I'm Mr. Martin.

129. Well, we have a new student with us today.

130. Um, would you like to introduce yourself?

131. I'm good.

132. Um, sure.

133. Hey.

134. I'm, uh, Madison Nears, but everyone calls me Maddie.

135. Hi, Maddie.

136. Welcome to the Split River High Afterlife Support Group.

137. It takes a lot of courage to be here,

138. especially when you're new.

139. Thanks.

140. Would you like to tell us a little about yourself?

141. What do you need to know?

142. Well, you could start with how your day is going.

143. Has Charley been a helpful guide?

144. How'd you die?

145. OK, Rhonda.

146. Why don't we try to raise our hands if we're

147. going to ask a question?

148. Uh, one minute I was ditching study hall,

149. and then the next I'm here.

150. But I don't know who did this to me.

151. Oh, you were murdered.

152. Welcome to the club.

153. Can we maybe exchange names first so Maddie

154. feels a little more welcome?

155. I don't know, exactly.

156. Exactly?

157. Look, they haven't found my body yet.

158. But I know that there was blood on the walls of the boiler

159. room, and I'm here now.

160. Huh.

161. Huh?

162. What's huh?

163. Uh.

164. What?

165. Is that— is that weird or something?

166. Not knowing?

167. Well, um, it's a first.

168. So then what do you remember, cherry pop?

169. OK, Rhonda.

170. Um, clearly Maddie doesn't want to talk about it,

171. and she doesn't remember.

172. Do you think it hurts?

173. What?

174. Get on your feet.

175. Smiling that much.

176. I wouldn't know.

177. I'm too scared to try it.

178. But you really should smile more.

179. Ow!

180. Asshat.

181. Go, Bandits, go!

182. The Bandits gonna bring the heat, heat, heat.

183. B-A...

184. Hey, Simon!

185. Wait up.

186. OK.

187. I'll see you in study hall?

188. Yeah.

189. So what did you think?

190. Well, I think you may have overhyped it.

191. What?

192. Look. I just think, why mess with a classic?

193. The original "Carrie" was great.

194. Why remake it? - Oh my god, here we go.

195. Tell me.

196. Seriously.

197. What bold new statement do you get from the reboot?

198. Feminism?

199. It's a story about an underdog loser

200. who gets covered in loads of pig blood

201. and then burns everyone who crossed

202. her to death at the prom.

203. It's inherently feminist.

204. So you hate women?

205. I swear I don't.

206. OK. Are you still up for "Night of the Living Dead"

207. at the Apex tonight?

208. Yeah, wouldn't miss it.

209. Did you print your ticket?

210. I forgot.

211. Si, I texted you a reminder, which I know you read.

212. You know, your trust issues run pretty deep

213. when you require the people in your life

214. to turn on the read receipts.

215. I'll print it later.

216. Is it cool with you if Xavier joins?

217. Why?

218. He doesn't even like horror movies.

219. Yeah, but he's never seen it.

220. And I thought it could be fun.

221. Yeah, no.

222. It'll be fun.

223. What is this?

224. I hope the poor son of a bitch is getting extra credit.

225. While we're here, should we ask him if he wants

226. to come to the movies too?

227. Stop.

228. How's, uh— how's your mom?

229. She's fine.

230. She's sobering up.

231. She'll be back in, like, two weeks.

232. So until then, the castle is all mine.

233. Oh.

234. Man, should we throw a sick party

235. and invite all of our friends?

236. We're throwing a party?

237. Nicole.

238. You want to come to a party? - Sure.

239. OK, I invited all of our friends.

240. It's going to be a rager.

241. Hitting the hard stuff a little early, huh, Nicole?

242. No, I had this portfolio review last night,

243. and it was pretty intense.

244. I was, like, buzzing all night.

245. Nicole, what?

246. For schools?

247. How'd it go?

248. Really well.

249. Two schools in Chicago said they loved my stuff.

250. Dude, that's amazing.

251. Damn, look at us!

252. We're all making it out.

253. Sayonara, Shit River!

254. Northwestern won't know what hit them!

255. Sorry, man.

256. My bad. Sorry.

257. I got that.

258. Slow your roll.

259. We're not even in yet.

260. Here it comes, my favorite sound.

261. Yeah.

262. You degenerates are late.

263. Let's go. Let's go.

264. I'm not even in your class.

265. You're late as well and degenerate.

266. Come on.

267. In, in.

268. Ms. Nears, what is this, Kurt Cobain cosplay?

269. Wow, Mr. A. Really aging yourself with that one.

270. I'll take that as a compliment.

271. Everybody in?

272. OK.

273. Everything OK, Maddie?

274. I just, uh—

275. I have to go to the ladies' room.

276. Oh, but that's why we have time between the bells.

277. I'll be so quick.

278. You're not coming back, though, are you?

279. Are you?

280. I love my job.

281. Jesus!

282. Did I spook you?

283. A little bit.

284. What are you doing out of class?

285. I came out to ask you the same question.

286. I thought we were hanging out in study hall.

287. We are.

288. I'm skipping gym.

289. Phone was totally dead.

290. Came out here to charge it in peace.

291. But now I can't find my charger.

292. I told you, those things will kill you.

293. Cell phones?

294. You know, you don't have to lie to me.

295. OK.

296. Fine.

297. I'm a total burnout who is skipping class

298. to get high in his car.

299. Congratulations. You got me.

300. For the record, you're the worst liar in the world.

301. Maybe you're just the best detective.

302. Well, I would hop in and join you

303. if you were finally driving off into the sunset

304. and skipping town for good.

305. But I will leave you to squander your future in peace.

306. Thank you for that.

307. Give up the drugs, Xavier.

308. You know, I need you to stay out of juvie

309. at least until homecoming.

310. I don't want to skip it alone.

311. I thought your phone was dead.

312. No, no, no, no, no.

313. Shit.

314. Are you just going to stare at this guy

315. your entire afterlife, or—

316. Hmm?

317. I mean, he's cute.

318. I'll give you that.

319. He's not doing very well.

320. Huh? Uh, OK.

321. I just wish he knew I'm right here.

322. Well, he never will.

323. Sadly, they have no clue we're here.

324. It blows, but them's the breaks.

325. Is there any way to go back?

326. There is no back.

327. That life you used to have?

328. It's not an option.

329. But there may be a way forward.

330. What?

331. Forward where?

332. Well, you know, the great beyond.

333. Onward, upward, wherever that may be.

334. We're all just trying to cross over, which is why it is

335. important to stick together.

336. I mean, Janet did it, and she'd been here since 1960.

337. She was a total group diehard.

338. Since 1960?

339. Yeah.

340. Well, the alternative is Dawn.

341. She never comes to group.

342. No.

343. Instead, she just sort of, uh, bops around aimlessly.

344. - What happened to her? - Oh, no clue.

345. No.

346. But it was the '70s, so, uh— you know, bad acid,

347. cult initiation gone wrong.

348. Probably drank the wrong Kool-Aid.

349. Sweet.

350. Yeah.

351. Uh, you can touch it.

352. But you're never going to change

353. anything in their world.

354. That's depressing.

355. Yeah.

356. If you really want to depress yourself, follow.

357. 2004.

358. The marching band hit a really bad storm coming

359. back from a competition.

360. Bus spun out and flipped on campus.

361. Half a dozen kids ended up here all at once.

362. Look at them.

363. Just keep marching around in their metaphorical circles,

364. like a bunch of little idiots.

365. Hmm.

366. Working with Mr. Martin, being a part of our little club,

367. it helps.

368. Keeps you from getting stuck in the past.

369. Oh, great. And we're back to staring.

370. No. Don't take my advice.

371. Let me shut up. Uh, OK.

372. You just come find me when you're ready.

373. OK.

374. Before we get started, are there any questions

375. on last night's reading?

376. - I have a question. - Yes?

377. Do we seriously think that girl is going

378. to come back for her jacket?

379. Don't be a dick.

380. Maddie wouldn't wear that.

381. No, but I would.

382. That's mine.

383. That is Maddie's seat.

384. We're going to be saving it for her until she gets back.

385. Simon, did you have a question?

386. How's that going to help?

387. It's a reminder, to keep your classmate in our thoughts.

388. I'm so sick of all this stupid virtue

389. signaling bullshit.

390. It's phony.

391. Two seconds after keeping her in our thoughts,

392. we're doing cheer routines, draping blazers over desks,

393. pretending that everything is normal?

394. People are laughing about it.

395. There's a sign-up sheet for a search party.

396. No one put their name on it.

397. No one.

398. Simon.

399. Including you.

400. Shouldn't your name be first on the list, Xavier?

401. Simon.

402. Let's all take a breath.

403. We don't know what happened yet.

404. We can't give up hope.

405. He knows something.

406. Simon.

407. - What do I know? - I need you both—

408. No, no, no. You think you're so smart.

409. Tell me what the fuck you think I know.

410. - You know where she is. - Gentlemen.

411. I'm not taking this shit.

412. Hey, you're not going anywhere.

413. - Excuse me, I don't think so. - Stop!

414. Why do you have Maddie's phone?

415. You had this the whole time?

416. Hmm?

417. Anything you want to say about it?

418. Been a couple, two, three days.

419. You've got the phone.

420. You don't say anything.

421. Don't fixate.

422. There are much better ways to pass your time here.

423. He has that phone for a reason.

424. He's probably trying to use it to figure out

425. what happened to me.

426. By not giving it to the cops?

427. I don't know, OK?

428. I mean, maybe he knows something,

429. and then there's something on the phone.

430. Maybe he needs it to prove something.

431. No, no, no, no. All right.

432. I'm calling a time-out. Mm-kay?

433. I think you need to take a chill pill.

434. Let's go to my office.

435. Isn't this nice?

436. How is this supposed to help me?

437. OK. Wow.

438. You are not very good at first impressions, huh?

439. It's very me, me, me, me, me with you.

440. I know we're going to be spending a lot of time

441. together, but it wouldn't kill you

442. to at least pretend to be interested in getting

443. to know me.

444. OK, fine.

445. Uh, how did you die?

446. Oh, OK. Wow.

447. Yeah, we're skipping small talk,

448. going straight for the heavy stuff?

449. I give up.

450. Wouldn't you know it, the one day I forget my EpiPen

451. is the one day they cook the French fries in peanut oil.

452. - God. - No, don't sweat it.

453. The bigger disappointment was me thinking

454. I would get to haunt all the assholes who

455. tortured me while I was here.

456. But uh, instead I was haunted by all the jokes

457. they made once I was gone.

458. What do you mean?

459. I was a gay kid in the '90s who died because he

460. was allergic to nuts.

461. OK, that's where you're supposed to laugh.

462. Still fixating, aren't you?

463. Xavier's got to have that phone for a reason.

464. Maybe.

465. But maybe it doesn't matter in the end.

466. Why wouldn't it matter?

467. I'm just trying to prepare you for the fact

468. that you might not like the answers

469. to all of your questions.

470. If people thought your boyfriend killed you,

471. wouldn't you want to know?

472. No one ever called me their boyfriend.

473. And besides, even if they did, we'd have to hide it.

474. That is why I love this place.

475. Can't hide anything in here.

476. And don't try to tell me that this is predatory behavior.

477. I'm a ghost.

478. What the heck am I going to do?

479. You're going to get us in trouble.

480. You're the one who's trouble.

481. I really like you, Maddie Nears.

482. Shit, shit, shit. Come on.

483. I got an idea.

484. Come on. - Where are you going?

485. Shit.

486. Hide, hide!

487. Hello? Anybody in here?

488. Hello?

489. Somebody in here?

490. You can't be in here.

491. Xavier, what— what the hell are you doing?

492. Mr. G, what are you doing?

493. I'm showering.

494. Xavier, the school is closed at 6:00 p.m.

495. You can't be in here. - Mr. G, I'm sorry.

496. I just don't really feel comfortable with you

497. watching me like this.

498. I— I wasn't.

499. I was just closing up.

500. Uh, just finish up what you're doing.

501. You've got— you've got to get out of here.

502. I just feel very exposed to you right now.

503. It's a very compromising position.

504. I feel compromised. Wonder what—

505. Damn it, just finish up.

506. Have a good night.

507. There's no way he did it.

508. Wait, what?

509. Where are you going?

510. Simon.

511. Slow down.

512. Simon.

513. Hey!

514. Sorry.

515. Simon.

516. I knew it.

517. I fucking knew it.

518. We don't know everything yet.

519. He has her phone, Nicole.

520. That's evidence.

521. Evidence of what?

522. You're acting crazy.

523. Look.

524. What if she just gave him her phone for—

525. I don't know, so she could go out of town for a few days?

526. Out of town? Where?

527. Where would Maddie go? And what about the blood?

528. Why are you doing this?

529. Going to the worst-case scenario?

530. How does that help anything?

531. What?

532. What's Claire Z doing?

533. Oh!

534. Hey.

535. Now's not really a great time.

536. Wally Clark.

537. Class of '84.

538. I was laid out by a tackle during my senior year

539. homecoming game.

540. Never made it off the field.

541. Nice to meet you.

542. Um, Maddie.

543. Current unsolved mystery.

544. Pleasure.

545. Wait, Wally Clark?

546. Yeah.

547. Why does that sound familiar?

548. Oh, well, they named the stadium after me.

549. Ah.

550. That must feel nice.

551. Look, I can't really chat right now,

552. because I've got some holes in my memory to fill.

553. Hey.

554. Well, that's why I'm here.

555. I can— I can totally help you fill your holes.

556. - Excuse me? - Oh.

557. Um, OK.

558. I obviously did not mean it for it to come off that way.

559. In my head, it was more of, like, a metaphoric—

560. I can help you figure things out, if you need it.

561. OK. I can handle myself.

562. OK.

563. And I don't really think I need to take advice

564. from someone who looks like they're

565. headed to aerobics class. - Yeah, right?

566. I mean, I'm glad I had this in my locker,

567. or else I would have been rocking shoulder pads.

568. Which would have sucked, because I think

569. those are totally out now.

570. I do wish I brought my Walkman to school that day.

571. Or clean socks.

572. Or deodorant.

573. Wait.

574. Were you missing anything when you came here?

575. I mean, other than a pulse and a heartbeat?

576. No. No, not really.

577. Why?

578. My phone and my backpack, they were with me.

579. Ugh.

580. The tickets are in here somewhere.

581. I printed them out this morning.

582. Aha.

583. Here they are.

584. Oh, shit.

585. Uh, I can't make it tonight.

586. Come on.

587. Sorry, I completely spaced.

588. I have band practice.

589. Wouldn't it be easier just to tell me that you

590. don't want to see this movie? - That is not it, OK?

591. I do.

592. It's just— it's the only night we could do it.

593. And you know what they say.

594. What do they say?

595. Bros before strong, independent women

596. with bright futures.

597. It's a very popular phrase.

598. You're stupid.

599. You're lucky you're cute.

600. What the Lord deny in brain, He deliver in beauty.

601. And boy, did He deny.

602. Mads?

603. I have to go take care of some things.

604. Are you OK?

605. And I'm missing my necklace too.

606. Huh.

607. Can you please stop saying huh?

608. Hey.

609. Maybe it's a good thing you don't remember everything, OK?

610. Sometimes I wish I could forget.

611. Xavier?

612. Xavier, listen to me.

613. They let you out?

614. Just leave me alone.

615. You had her phone for three days.

616. Why didn't you say anything?

617. I don't have to tell you anything.

618. Why don't you just come clean?

619. Spare us having to force it out of you.

620. Who's going to force it out of me, Simon?

621. You? - Hey.

622. Chill out.

623. Simon, enough!

624. Hey, you two!

625. Stop!

626. Knock it off!

627. - Stop, stop, stop! - Knock it off!

628. Stop, stop!

629. Xavier, please stop!

630. Stop it!

631. What do you kids think you're doing?

632. Are you OK?

633. Don't give me another reason to expel you.

634. Are you OK?

635. Let me see.

636. You still wonder where the blood came from?

637. Maddie? Hello.

638. We— we just started the session.

639. You want to help me, big shot?

640. Fine. Help me.

641. I need you to force a confession out of someone.

642. You know, rattle some chains.

643. Inhabit his body.

644. Scare the life out of him.

645. Whatever it takes.

646. What's the problem?

647. I need you to channel all your ghostly energy

648. and dangle this sack of shit out of a window until

649. he cracks.

650. OK, you're not getting it.

651. That's not how this works, OK?

652. It's not like in the movies.

653. We couldn't do that, even if we wanted to.

654. And I do want to.

655. Yeah.

656. Maybe you're all fine just accepting this, but I'm not.

657. I need to know what happened.

658. We're not in some haunted house, chick.

659. Maybe this doesn't jive with your fantasy

660. of what this should be, but we're

661. quite literally a world away.

662. We're not there. We're here.

663. Stuck.

664. No.

665. Not good enough.

666. You know, if my friends can't get the truth out of him,

667. then I have to.

668. What you're feeling right now is absolutely natural, Maddie.

669. You're longing for a sense of control.

670. We've all been there.

671. Talking through it can help.

672. I wasn't ready to die.

673. Talking about it won't change anything.

674. If I have to search this entire town for answers, I'll do it.

675. I'm not willing to just give up, like the rest of you.

676. We're not giving up.

677. We're moving forward. - Yeah?

678. Well, for a guy who's supposed to be getting

679. people out of here, this still looks

680. like a pretty crowded room.

681. I'm getting the hell out of this place.

682. Fuck.

683. Whatcha doing?

684. I don't know what's happening.

685. You jumped the fence.

686. Excuse me?

687. You can't leave this place.

688. Happens every time.

689. It's kind of weird at first,

690. but after the third or fourth try, you get used to it.

691. Fifth try it starts to hurt.

692. I think I'm going to lose my mind.

693. Sounds fun.

694. Stop!

695. I don't feel bad for Gatsby.

696. He's a phony, a fake.

697. No better than the powdered shit they're telling us

698. is orange juice.

699. Who am I supposed to trust?

700. My guidance counselor was supposed to help me.

701. Said I had it, what it'd take to make it out of here,

702. you know?

703. He just sent me six feet under.

704. You were murdered by your guidance counselor?

705. Yeah.

706. Guided me straight to the light.

707. Maddie, welcome back.

708. Uh, we were having a discussion about literature.

709. Got a bit derailed.

710. How can you laugh at it?

711. What, you want me to cry?

712. OK.

713. You gotta— you gotta try to think about it

714. as encouraging, right?

715. Like, at some point, you'll be able to laugh

716. about what happened to you.

717. Or not.

718. Uh, but look.

719. Either way, holding on to the past—

720. what happened or didn't—

721. can only hold you back.

722. And that's what we're working to learn here together.

723. Right, Rhonda?

724. Mm.

725. Now, I don't know why you got diverted

726. from the highway of life.

727. But I really do believe that the easiest

728. way to miss your exit is if you're always staring

729. in the rearview mirror.

730. He's right, Maddie.

731. "Nothing behind me, everything ahead of me,

732. as is ever so on the road."

733. Everything ahead of me.

734. What is it?

735. I think it's your memorial.

736. Vigil.

737. No body, no burial.

738. I can't believe she's here.

739. Is that—

740. My mom.

741. Thank you all for coming.

742. As you know, we are here to spread awareness

743. about the disappearance of Madison Nears,

744. while we work to bring her home.

745. What was it doing in your backpack?

746. I don't know anything, OK?

747. Then how did her phone get into your backpack?

748. And now, we have a few words from Madison's mother, Sandra.

749. Please.

750. Hi.

751. I'm Maddie's mom.

752. Uh, it's funny.

753. Uh, Maddie would probably be embarrassed that I'm here.

754. I, uh—

755. I just, um—

756. I'm sorry.

757. Excuse me.

758. Um, I just— I just don't know if I can do this.

759. No, it's all right. It's fine. It's fine.

760. I'm not sure that I can do this.

761. It's all right. It's all right.

762. - I just— - You're fine. Thank you.

763. Um, thank you, Ms. Nears.

764. Uh, we are all here for you.

765. Look at me.

766. What, are you high right now?

767. Look at me.

768. You know, I cannot help you unless

769. you tell me what's going on. You understand that?

770. I didn't hurt Maddie.

771. I don't know what happened to her.

772. Then why the phone?

773. I was protecting her.

774. Ladies and gentlemen, let's reconvene outside in about

775. 10 minutes.

776. - We're here for you, Maddie. - And remember—

777. Really.

778. one candle per person, please.

779. Don't be greedy.

780. Now, there are a few safety rules I want

781. to go over before we head out.

782. You will see, uh, several sheriff and police

783. vehicles in the parking lot.

784. They will be accompanying us today.

785. Protecting her?

786. Protecting her from what?

787. You got to tell me.

788. From finding out about me and Claire.

789. I've been hooking up with this cheerleader.

790. Maddie didn't know.

791. And I'm about to meet her, and then Maddie

792. just shows up at my truck.

793. And I'm— I'm freaking out.

794. And so I text Claire, you know, warning her to change course.

795. But instead, that text goes to Maddie.

796. And since I knew she hadn't seen it—

797. How would you know that?

798. Read receipts.

799. I stole Maddie's phone in study hall

800. so I could delete that text.

801. I didn't know she wasn't coming back, Dad.

802. All right. All right.

803. It's all right. Come here.

804. You just cool off.

805. I'll take care of this.

806. Hey, I'll meet you out there.

807. Just give me a sec.

808. What?

809. I just need a minute, OK?

810. Mr. Elroy.

811. Back for round two?

812. Yeah.

813. What can I do for you?

814. I'm sorry.

815. I know you are, Simon.

816. And for the record, it wasn't an empty gesture, OK?

817. I am just as worried about her as you are.

818. Something happened.

819. I know it did.

820. Something bad.

821. I've known Maddie longer than almost anyone else in my life.

822. She's a lot of things, but she isn't a person who runs.

823. She has seen things.

824. She has faced things that no one should ever have to.

825. She doesn't get scared.

826. She doesn't run.

827. And if she was ever going to,

828. I would be the first person to know.

829. I know Maddie.

830. She— she's never gone silent on me before.

831. That's how I know something happened to her.

832. She wouldn't just disappear.

833. I don't know how I'm going to survive

834. this place without her.

835. Oh, Simon.

836. Simon.

837. You just cool out.

838. I'm going to take care of this.

839. Simon, you just take all the time you need, OK?

840. I'm gonna head down there.

841. Thank you, Simon.

842. Maddie?

843. Simon?